From a hidden vantage point, Mercer noticed that Lucy and the others had already scavenged the items he had marked from the warehouse. Individual field survival kits, mechanical repair kits, and, according to the markings in their cybernetic eyes, each of them carried at least one Arasaka JKE-X2 Kenshin Tech Pistol.
This pistol used electromagnetic propulsion to fire tungsten-tipped rounds, offering exceptional armor penetration. It required a brief charge for a two-round burst, and its bullets could even deliver lethal damage through walls. Each person also carried an HJSH-18 Masamune, an Arasaka classic kinetic rifle. Aside from the slightly inconvenient three-round burst mode, it was extremely user-friendly, accurate, and fitted with a built-in holographic sight. Chambered for 7.62 armor-piercing rounds, it was also easy to maintain.
Alongside these weapons, they carried various grenades. Each gun came with three magazines of ammunition, with an additional bag of bullets as resupply. Even so, the haul was enough to exhaust the Little Hackers. Rosie was gritting her teeth as she dragged her bag. Mercer slapped his forehead, remembering that the robot standing idly by could help.
"The AV is arriving. Hand the items to the robot to take to the entrance. You don't need to participate in the firefight. Also, get me a large storage hard drive—I've collected too much data; regular chips won't suffice."
Mercer appeared beside them. Lucy, unfazed this time, immediately nodded. "I'll get it. Do I need to connect to your server?"
"Just find any networked facility. The entire base is under my control now."
"Understood." Lucy headed off to retrieve it.
"The rest of you, eat something, drink some water, and help me with the agent's cyberware—no, I'll handle it myself. Just bring me the cold storage box."
Mercer spared the Little Hackers the unpleasant task of dissection, fearing they might throw up. His own emotions were strangely calm; he even felt exhilarated. Rosie nodded quickly, relieved she wouldn't have to face the grisly scenes on the first floor. Daichi Tetsuya and Leon sighed with relief as well, opting to rest rather than inspect the corpses.
Soon, a robot picked up the cold storage box and the scalpel Rosie had retrieved from the infirmary. Mercer used the robot to examine the agent captain who had been twisted grotesquely. Controlling the robot, he dissected him along the spine, inspecting the experimental Sandevistan cyberware.
"Many of the neural connections are burnt out, and some parts are twisted. Even if repaired, it'll break easily. Don't use this yourselves. I'll practice on it during transport and then find a buyer. It's not a prototype, but laboratory-grade items still fetch a good price—just can't sell them casually. Dogtown will be the place."
He extracted the Sandevistan, tossed it into the cold storage box, and sealed it. Then he examined the agent's hands for potential resale.
"These can be sold later. It's a shame I don't have a monowire; I'd love to try the Mantis Blades myself."
Mercer's avatar appeared beside the robot. The kids shook their heads frantically, fearing he would insist on demonstrating.
"Alright, we'll save them for the market. Packaged together, these rare items could fetch over two hundred thousand on the black market."
Earlier, when searching for money chips, they had only found around two thousand euros scattered. They also had access to an Arasaka bank account, which would likely be shut down soon. Mercer couldn't extract funds from the dead agents' virtual wallets either.
Turning his attention to the director's quarters, Mercer sent a robot to search. Though there were no money chips, he found a specially customized Kenshin pistol. Black and red with a cherry blossom engraving on the grip, it was a masterpiece—likely iconic in a game, perhaps called Kenshin: Cherry Blossom's Fall. He had the robot deliver it via elevator, pleased with the find. He chuckled, realizing he had promised not to search further but couldn't resist.
Mercer waited for Lucy to connect the mobile hard drive to the network, then transferred all the critical scavenged data. Outside, the AV's cameras finally captured its arrival. Mercer immediately readied the first-floor security robots and drones for combat, running an IFF scan and granting automatic enemy-targeting permissions. The final battle was imminent.
"Captain, the call instructed entry through Cargo Entrance #2."
"Understood. Prepare for landing."
A black AV, emblazoned with the white Arasaka logo, descended slowly. The pilot, accustomed to routine, drove into the inspection area. But today, only two robots staffed the checkpoint. A sense of unease hit him.
"Where are the security personnel?" he asked.
"By Director Tano's order, all staff undergo a second security review today. Security is temporarily handled by automated systems. Proceed to the unloading area and await receiving personnel."
"Identity verification failed. Driver, please shut off the engine and exit with passengers for inspection."
The pilot hesitated but complied. Moments later, automated bullets tore through the driver and accompanying agents. Mercer's control over permissions meant all cyberware was locked down. Resistance was futile.
"Mercer! What next?"
The Little Hackers, now fully prepared, rushed forward. Robots and drones in the shadows assisted with the heavy lifting. Mercer's avatar instructed:
"Open the driver's seat, connect a data cable. I'll use your Relic chip to hack in. Then, load the AV, check the cyberware, and keep our captive unconscious—he must not wake but also cannot die."
Lucy obeyed, plugging in the data cable. The others moved items, while Rosie helped check the cyberware. Five bulletproof cold storage boxes, container-sized, were loaded onto the AV. Mercer sent Rosie the passwords extracted from Director Tano's emails.
"All present, nothing missing," she confirmed.
Mercer surveyed the cargo. The AV was standard Arasaka design—four passenger seats, a small trunk. With four people and five insulated boxes, space was tight. They managed by stacking boxes strategically.
Mercer used Lucy's connection to crack the AV's system, instructing everyone to sit in the back. He then uploaded an automated program to delay network detection and locked all employees' room doors. Locking doors earlier had been too noisy, risking discovery. Now, it was safe.
Finally, he set a self-destruct protocol for the server: if any locked room was opened or an unexpected network signal appeared, it would overload and burn out. While formatting the server, Mercer paused, scanning employee files. Lucy's data stood out. He frowned, intrigued and cautious.
The stage was set. With cyberware checked, rare items secured, and security systems manipulated, Mercer and the Little Hackers prepared for the final leg of their operation. Outside, the AV waited, silent and imposing, ready to transport them—and their plunder—into the shadows of Dogtown.
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