Bio Weapon Dystopia

Saturday

“How long 'til the gonks show up?” Carmine asked over comms, fingers tapping impatiently on the Rowley's wheel.

“They’re en route, as far as I can see,” Sasha replied, eyes scanning the convoy on her map.

Sasha was the only one not in the field, her Netrunning skills way sharper than Vomi's. She actually dived into Cyberspace, while Vomi stayed jacked out, mostly focused on gunfire. Nobody wanted two Netrunners at a shootout anyway, especially since Vomi wasn’t even packing a cyberdeck. Safer to have Sasha plugged in somewhere secure and encrypted, keeping tabs on the net.

Blaze was putting the final tweaks on his shotgun, modding it with a grenade launcher. Simple enough, though Vomi was itching to help. Heitor had whipped up the grenades, still fiddling with the EMP in his hands. The chrome-armed nut was leaning against his Arch bike, tossing in last-minute suggestions on the EMP before it was good to go. The plan was wild: Blaze and Heitor would cruise down the highway, right behind the convoy, asking to pass. Of course, the convoy wouldn’t be speeding—this was a hush-hush relocation. Two randos overtaking on the road wouldn’t even raise a brow.

Then came Heitor’s crazy part: jump off the bike, fake a wreck, and slap the EMP onto the truck holding the cyberdeck. Dumb as fuck? Yeah. But Heitor swore it was the best way to pull this off. Get the corpos in the convoy so rattled by the “accident” they wouldn’t even clock the real move. Make it look so stupid they couldn’t believe it was a hit. Grab the deck, jack out, and delta fast.

Vomi had to hand it to him—stupidly brilliant. Whatever warzone experience Heitor’s got, it’s best left unspoken.

“Still bored as hell sittin' here,” Carmine groaned, slumping in his seat.

Vomi rolled her eyes. Not like she could blame him. The wait sucked.

“Stay sharp. Eagerness can lead to mistakes,” Vanguard’s voice pulsed calmly in her head, a quiet warning.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she muttered, still annoyed.

“Heitor, Blaze, get in position. They’re close,” Sasha cut in. “I can see net traffic spiking in the net as they move.”

“Right on time. EMP’s good to go,” Heitor said, shoving it into his backpack.

“Alright, chooms. Let’s do this,” Blaze said as his Arch screeched off.

The bike went really fast for something that was apparently cheap. Doesn't matter, everyone is armed with good Iron. Well, except for Carmine.

Vomi tapped Carmine’s shoulder. “You sure a revolver’s all you want?”

Carmine straightened up, “I’m just the driver, boss. Revolver’s just in case.”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself then.”

“They’re on the highway,” Sasha’s voice tightened, urgency seeping in.

“In position,” Heitor said, sounding uncharacteristically professional.

Ex-military instincts kicking in, no doubt.

The convoy was small, probably to make it as covert as possible. Two armored vehicles and a small truck in between them, only one combat drone (which was more like a robot than anything, but who cares) and as far as Sasha could see, six personnel inside the three vehicles. The traffic was heavy thanks to the weekend, but not as bothersome that it would delay the convoy. KanedaCorp's brand was at the side of the vehicles, so, for all they cared, traffic was light.

And to no one's surprise, cars and bikes got out of their way. No one wanted to mess with corpos.

“Alright, we will tag along for a while, then we will try to speed up to see their reaction.”, Blaze explained as the engine of his bike roared in the background.

“Go for it. I am listening to their comms.”, Sasha commented, her bored tone audible, “Apparently they are complaining about this relocation. One of them had a weekend date.”

“Well, if he is lucky, he will still have a date to go back to.”, Carmine snarked, his enthusiasm more focused on the gig than whatever the corpo employee’s plans might be.

“No need to be rude.”, Vomi said as she redied her Chimera, the rifle as ready as ever to work his magic.

The bike followed the convoy, some attempts to overtake being made but nothing concrete for a while. The drivers eventually noticed that two civilians were trying to pass, although they failed as the convoy readjusted their own formation to keep up with the traffic. The combat robot on top of the last armored vehicle scanned Blaze and Heitor, but as far as it could tell, nothing was out of the ordinary. Blaze even complained about how the convoy was slow to give them a more credible look.

Sasha hummed, “Looks like they know that you want to pass.”

“They better. We will soon pass Carmine.”, Heitor chimed in, although he wasn't as thrilled. He was in full military mode now.

“They were considering, but looks like they agreed on letting you pass.”, The Netrunner informed.

As soon as Blaze spotted his window, he gunned it, weaving through traffic like it was a slalom course, pulling stunts just to sell the act. He even threw in a wheelie, ‘cause why not?

“Chill the fuck out!” Heitor yelled, sounding like he was holding on for dear life. “I’m still here, you psycho!”

Vomi, Carmine, and Sasha weren’t sure if this was acting or if Heitor was genuinely about to become roadkill.

Blaze’s laughter echoed through the comms. “Relax, choom, it’s all part of the plan!”

“Plan to kill me, maybe,” Heitor grumbled, gripping tighter. “If we crash, I’m putting you under the wheels.”

Vomi shook her head, giving Carmine a look. “Heh, sure.”

“Showboating,” Carmine muttered, adjusting his revolver. “Let’s hope they don’t frag the whole gig.”

Sasha’s voice broke in, more serious now. “Alright, Blaze, knock it off. You’re clear. Heitor, get ready.”

Blaze eased up, slowing just enough to stay ahead of the convoy. Heitor was already setting up the EMP, hands steady as he got ready to make the drop.

“Here goes nothin’,” Heitor muttered.

Blaze gave the signal, and Heitor made his move. The bike wobbled, Blaze swerved like he was losing control, and Heitor let out a loud, fake yell as he tumbled off the back, rolling across the road right in front of the truck. It was chaotic, but just the right amount of messy to avoid a pileup.

“Man down, chooms!” Sasha called out in comms, keeping the act rolling. “They’re stoppin’.”

The convoy hit the brakes hard, tires screeching. The combat drone on the last armored vehicle zeroed in on Heitor, scanning him while Blaze sped ahead, looking like just another lucky escape.

Heitor lay still, playing the knocked-out civvie, while his hand slid the EMP onto the truck’s undercarriage, smooth as chrome.

“EMP’s set,” he whispered, nerves in his voice. “Fireworks incoming.”

He just fell off a moving bike, so of course he isn't 100%.

Carmine, parked further down the road, revved the Rowley’s engine. “Let’s get this rolling.”

Sasha, jacked into the net, kept tabs on the convoy’s comms. “They’re callin’ for a med team. You’ve got seconds before they figure out the jig.”

Vomi cocked her rifle, slipping on a helmet to cover her face. “Ready when you are, Sasha.”

Gotta keep her face off the grid; no way M-Tech wanted this blowing back on them.

The convoy had fully stopped, and a couple of guards stepped out of the truck, approaching Heitor cautiously. The combat drone kept its sights locked on him.

Sasha smirked, her fingers flying over the interface. “And... now.”

The EMP pulsed out, a shockwave of blue lighting up the convoy. The drone sparked and died, the truck’s systems went haywire, and the guards, full of chrome, froze as their cyberware overloaded—some even frying on the spot.

“Move!” Vomi yelled, leaning out the Rowley’s window, rifle ready.

Blaze whipped the bike around, racing back toward the convoy, and Carmine floored it, speeding toward the scene.

Heitor sprang to his feet, grinning. “Told y'all it would work.”

Carmine skidded the Rowley right in front of the truck, Vomi hanging out the side with Chimera, firing off precise shots, dropping the guards before they even knew what hit ‘em. Blaze pulled up, giving Heitor cover as he pried open the back of the truck.

But when the doors swung open, what they saw wasn’t just the Cyberdeck.

“Ah, fuck!” Heitor barely had time to react as a mounted rifle aimed right at him from inside the truck. Some corpos had stayed back, manning a heavy machine gun.

Heitor jumped just in time, but not before a few rounds grazed his arm. The rest of the truck exploded with gunfire, the HMG tearing into everything in sight. Blaze dove off his bike, watching in horror as bullets shredded it.

“My bike, you choombag!” Blaze shouted, scrambling for cover.

The guard behind the HMG yelled out, furious. “You’re dead, motherfuckers! You picked the wrong day to mess with KanedaCorp!”

Heitor scrambled behind cover, clutching his arm where the bullets had grazed him. "Blaze, if we live through this, you're buyin' me a drink!"

"Yeah? Well, I’ll send you a bill for my bike!" Blaze growled, popping off a few shots from behind an overturned car. The HMG chewed up the asphalt around him, sending sparks flying.

"Vomi, we’ve got a problem here!" Heitor shouted through the comms, his voice tense.

"I see it," Vomi replied coolly, already lining up her next shot from the Rowley. She steadied Chimera, exhaled, and squeezed the trigger, only for her vision to suddenly not work, “Argh! What the—”

Reboot Optics. That stupid quick hack just made her blind.

One of the guards went out of the vehicle, his chrome arms flipping the car Blazer and Heitor took cover, pushing it from one side of the highway to the other. With another hand, he picked up a katana, ready to slice the two of them.

“They have a Netrunner with them! They know I am scrambling their comms!”, Sasha yelled, her voice frantic and unusually surprised, “Fuck! Backup is on their way!”

The line went silent after that.

“Ah, fuck this!”, Carmine revved his engine, going after the cyber guard.

The Rowley might get hurt, but he won't let his heistmates die. The cyber guard was about to attack when the car crashed into him, Blaze still shocked that a guy just casually threw a car. The crash was underwhelming though, as the cyber guard still stood there, although with a car trying to push him off the road. Heitor throwed a small EMP grenade at him, sparks coming out but not nearly as damaging as desired. And to make matters worse, the HMG guard came out holding the entire weapon, ready to shoot anyone who dared to move.

The cyber guard yanked Vomi through the shattered windshield with ease, tossing her onto the ground like a ragdoll. Vomi hit the pavement hard, rolling to a stop as blood trickled down her face. She struggled to get her bearings, blinking through the pain and trying to refocus her vision.

“Vomi!” Blaze shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.

She groaned, spitting blood onto the ground, then quickly regained her composure. "I'm fine," she muttered, trying to shake off the dizziness.

The cyber guard turned his attention toward Carmine’s Rowley, still lodged against him. With a grunt, he lifted the front of the car, his augmented muscles straining but managing to push the vehicle back. Carmine gunned the engine in reverse, tires screeching against the asphalt, but the HGM guard was too eager to shoot his toy.

“No, no, no!”, Carmine tried to find cover in the driver's seat, the bullets making sure that his car looked like Swiss cheese.

Heitor grabbed a shotgun off one of the dead guards and unloaded a round straight into the HMG guard. The guy’s armor tanked most of it, but it still shook him. That’s when the cyber samurai noticed and moved in for the kill. Blaze quickly fired off another EMP grenade from his launcher, not even pausing to watch it hit. The explosion crackled, sending sparks through the air, and the cyber samurai staggered, slowing down as electricity fried his systems.

“Keep him down, for fuck’s sake!”, Heitor yelled.

Blaze grinned, reloading as he kept hammering the guy with everything he had. “Keep him down? No problem!”

The samurai dropped to one knee, his katana slipping from his hand as the sparks took over his body.

Meanwhile, Vomi wasn’t out of the fight yet. Pushing herself off the ground, blood running down her face, she felt Vanguard stir inside her. "We’re not done yet. Let us handle this," Vanguard whispered in her head.

Her vision returned, sharper than ever, and the familiar black tendrils of Vanguard’s symbiote form wrapped around her. She could feel the power rushing back into her body as her wounds quickly healed, unseen by anyone.

“Round two,” she muttered, her voice laced with Vanguard’s influence.

The cyber samurai, still fighting off the EMP, lunged at her, but Vomi was faster now. She slid under his strike, landed a brutal punch to his side, and sent him flying into the remains of Carmine’s Rowley.

“Hey! Watch the car!” Carmine shouted, but his words were lost in the chaos.

Vomi didn’t stop to catch her breath. She was already on the HMG guard, who was trying to line up a shot at Carmine. With a growl, she grabbed the barrel of the heavy weapon and twisted it until the metal buckled and snapped. The guard gaped as she flung the gun off the highway like it was a toy.

“You think that’ll stop me?” the guard sneered, reaching for his sidearm.

Before he could fire, Sasha’s voice crackled through their comms. “I’m back in! Let me take care of this gonk.”

A second later, the guard froze, his cybernetics glitching out as Sasha hit him with a quickhack. His gun slipped from his hands, and his body locked up as his eyes rolled back.

With the guard vulnerable, Heitor limped over, shotgun in hand, and without hesitation, blasted the guy’s shin off. The guard’s scream was short-lived as Heitor finished him off with another brutal shot.

He spat on the ground. “That’s for my arm, bitch.”

Sasha’s voice buzzed in again, more urgent this time. “Nice shot! But hurry up! Backup’s almost here. Did you grab the Cyberdeck yet?”

Vomi scanned the scene. The Rowley was barely holding together, Heitor was bleeding bad, and Blaze was winded from the fight. But they were still standing.

“On it,” Vomi said, catching her breath. “Carmine, grab the Cyberdeck and split. We’ll take different routes to the rendezvous. Don’t answer your Agents unless it’s me. Got it?”

Everyone nodded, no questions.

“I’m cleaning up the Cyberspace mess. Their Netrunner’s good. Don’t let your guard down.” Sasha’s focus was already deep in the digital battlefield.

Carmine slipped into the truck, the guards now dealt with. He found the Cyberdeck sitting in a small compartment, almost on display like some kind of trophy. The deck itself was strange—gooey, almost like flesh. Typical corpo weirdness, but Carmine didn’t care to ask questions.

“Can’t believe this tiny piece of chrome caused so much trouble,” he muttered, picking it up. “At least I can fix my damn car now.”

He fired up the Rowley, reversing it off the cyber samurai’s mangled body, and peeled out, trying to shake whatever heat was still on their tail. With the Cyberdeck secured, Carmine slammed the gas, pushing the battered Rowley to its limits. The car sputtered, but it held together just enough to get him moving. The sound of sirens echoed in the distance, signaling the incoming backup Sasha had warned them about.

“Alright, choombas,” Carmine said into his comms, “splitting up now. See you at the rendezvous.”

Vomi, Blaze, and Heitor quickly darted off in different directions. Vomi, still fueled by Vanguard, cut through side streets and alleys, her mind racing. The adrenaline and focus from the symbiote helped her dodge whatever pursuit was coming, but she knew they didn’t have much time.

Meanwhile, Blaze was a blur on foot, darting between buildings. His bike was toast, but his reflexes were still sharp. “Damn shame about the bike,” he muttered, “but at least we’re not goners… yet.”

Heitor, clutching his injured arm, found a nearby alley to catch his breath. “Okay, okay,” he breathed out, wincing. “Just a few more blocks, and I’m good.”

Back in cyberspace, Sasha was still hard at work. The Netrunner from KanedaCorp was good, but not good enough to keep her out. “Alright, you corpo bastard,” she muttered, fingers flying over her deck as she worked to cut off their reinforcements. “Let’s see how you handle this.”

She hit the network hard, scrambling their comms and rerouting traffic through dummy nodes. For a few precious minutes, KanedaCorp’s backup was completely disoriented, chasing false leads all over the city.

“Ive bought time.” Sasha announced through the comms. “Get out while you can.”

“Easy for you to say.”, The Ex-Military thought.

Heitor wasn’t in the clear yet. His arm was still bleeding from the earlier gunfight, and each step sent a sharp jolt of pain through his body. He ducked into a narrow alley, pressing his back against the cold, grimy wall, breathing heavily as he clutched his arm. The wound wasn’t fatal, but it was deep enough to slow him down, and in this situation, that was a death sentence.

He could hear the distant hum of drones and the heavy thudding of boots hitting the pavement, the KanedaCorp goons sweeping the area.

“Shit,” he muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He didn’t have time to slow down. If they caught him out here, he was dead meat.

Grimacing, Heitor took a deep breath and started moving again, keeping low and hugging the shadows. Every corner he rounded, every step he took felt heavier, as the blood loss started to blur his vision.

“Come on, man. You’ve handled worse.” He reminded himself, but his body wasn’t listening. His military training told him to stay calm, but right now, all he could think about was the trail of blood he was leaving behind. It wouldn’t take long for the corpos to pick up on it.

He paused behind an overturned dumpster, listening to the sounds of boots getting closer. The alleyways of San Francisco were a maze, but his head wasn’t clear enough to plan his route. He needed a way out, fast, but his vision kept swimming.

Suddenly, a searchlight from a hovering drone swept over the alley, catching the edge of his cover. He ducked down quickly, clutching his arm tighter as a fresh wave of pain hit him. He pressed himself against the wall, barely breathing as the light passed.

“They’re close,” he whispered to himself, trying to push through the haze of pain. His thoughts raced as he scanned the alley for any way to lose his pursuers. There—a narrow maintenance hatch partially hidden behind a stack of crates. It was his best shot.

Heitor gritted his teeth and sprinted for the hatch, biting back a groan as his wounded arm throbbed with each movement. He could hear the voices of the guards now, getting louder. He slammed the hatch open and slid inside, closing it behind him just as the guards turned the corner.

Inside, it was cramped and dark, a labyrinth of old pipes and service tunnels. He crouched low, leaning against a wall and catching his breath, his vision starting to fade. “Not here. Not now.” He needed to stop the bleeding, but he didn’t have time for that.

The sound of boots running past the hatch sent a jolt of relief through him, but he knew it wouldn’t last long.

“Sasha’s bought us time, but not much.”

With his good hand, he pulled out his comm and called in quietly. “Blaze… you alive?”

“Barely,” Blaze replied through heavy breaths. “You?”

“Same. Looking for a stim here.”

Thankfully this neighborhood had a lot of ripperdocs, meaning that he could solve his bleeding problem.

“Don't die on us.”, Vomi said from her end, wind being recorded in the background, odd, but whatever, “Get yourself a rest if you need it. Don't rush.”

Heitor smiled weakly, tucking the comm away and pushing forward through the tunnel, “Don't worry. I don't plan on flatlining.”

There was a small store, obviously a facade for black market stuff, but there would be a stimulant there, even if it is a syringe. Reaching the small store tucked away in a forgotten corner of the district, he pressed the buzzer. The ripperdoc’s assistant gave him a knowing look as he entered, his arm clearly in bad shape.

“I need a stim,” Heitor said, voice strained. “Quick.”

The assistant didn’t ask questions, handing over a small syringe filled with a glowing blue liquid. Heitor jabbed it into his arm without hesitation, feeling the warmth spread through his body as the bleeding slowed and his energy started to come back.

“Better,” he muttered, flexing his hand.

Now it was just a matter of regrouping.

“Ive bought time.” Sasha announced through the comms. “Get out while you can.”

For Carmine, it was bad. His car screamed that he just partook in some shady biz, so despite how much it pained him to leave his babe behind, the Quadra Rowley couldn't make it to the end. They did steal the deck, but nothing went according to plan. Well, almost nothing. What happened back there? That was preem, but something just sent him shivers and not the good kind.

Vomi, the fixer of the corpos.

He always felt something weird about the woman. She had this… air of dangerousness around her, a sickening suspicion that something just seemed off about her, but after seeing her punch a Borg samurai guard with her bare fucking hands, sending the gonk to his car, that was something else, a new sense of cautiousness altogether. The fact she didn't use that strength from the start was weird, because Carmine for sure was going to if he had it. Whatever chrome she has, whatever booster she uses, it is good. Too good.

But for now, that's not his main problem. He needs to pick up the cyberdeck and deliver it to the drop point. But the constant threat of KanedaCorp looking for his car keeps him from actually completing this task.

“Fuck me.”, He muttered, parking the Rowley on a parking lot, picking up the box and walking off.

He needs another car, any one so he can just blend in. Maybe take a bus? No corpo would look in a bus, right?

Right?

Before Carmine could consider the idea, KanedaCorp's guards were asking people (or rather, demanding with a gun pointed at their heads) about the robbery on the highway. And there was a bus stop right there, so Carmine put two and two together and just entered the bus as soon as it stopped.

Carmine sat in the back of the bus, clutching the box containing the Cyberdeck tightly under his arm. He glanced around nervously, watching for any sign of the KanedaCorp goons. The passengers on the bus were a mix of exhausted workers, disinterested tourists, and a few shady characters just trying to keep a low profile. He was banking on blending in with the crowd, hoping they’d overlook a guy riding public transit. He let out a long breath, trying to relax.

“Just a bus ride and a drop-off,” he reminded himself.

But the tension in his muscles didn’t let up. His mind kept drifting back to Vomi. She didn’t just have boosters or chrome, that much was clear now. No normal corpo fixer could take down a fully augmented cyber samurai with a single punch. Something about her screamed danger, and it wasn’t just her skills. There was more going on with Vomi than anyone let on.

As the bus rumbled through the neon-lit streets, Carmine kept a low profile, eyes darting between the rearview mirror and the street. His car would get tagged sooner or later. KanedaCorp had drones and boots on the ground, and they weren’t the type to let something like this go without a fight.

“I think that's all I can do for now.”, Sasha said as she removed the cord from her neck, finishing up the dive at the net.

From the looks of it, only Vomi and Blaze got out safely, but nothing Carmine and Heitor can't handle.

The Icebath made her all tingly, but it was always an experience to leave the water. She immediately went to the shower, turning on the hot water so her body temperature was normal again. Sasha's mind was finally at ease as the heist was successful, kinda, but still. As Sasha let the hot water stream over her, she allowed herself a brief moment of relaxation. The job had gone sideways, but they had the Cyberdeck, and that was all that mattered. She knew Carmine and Heitor were still out there, trying to avoid capture, but the heat she’d bought them would only last so long. The water couldn't wash away the tension entirely, but it helped clear her mind.

She stretched, dried herself and dressed in her usual clothes. Eddies were coming on her way and the valuable knowledge of how corpos work was something she couldn't help but feel grateful for. It was a minor insight, but an insight still it was, as corny as it is to think this way. She picked up some snacks and a cup of coffee before leaving her apartment going to the place Graves agreed they'd reunite. As soon as she stepped out the door, Vomi called her. Or rather, send a text:

“I'm gonna be late for dinner. C-YA.”

Sasha pouted at the message, sending just an “okay-nya!” back.

Guess it's just the crew without the fixer, then.

At the diner, Carmine took a seat at the counter, pretending to peruse the menu while he kept an eye on the entrance. He could feel the weight of the cyberdeck under his jacket, the ticking time bomb that it was. The sooner he handed it off, the better. But something still nagged at him—the image of Vomi, her sheer power against that cyber samurai.

He flagged down the waitress, ordering a drink to blend in while he waited for the contact.

“Where the hell are you guys?” he muttered under his breath, checking the time. Every minute that passed felt like another chance for KanedaCorp to catch up. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the drop wasn’t going to be as smooth as planned.

Blaze was the first to arrive, immediately spotting Carmine. He took a seat in front of him and also pretended to do some small talk on his agent before ordering some food for himself. Sasha arrived at the same time as Heitor, and they first sat in a nearby booth before eventually joining in, “recognizing” Carmine and discussing his probation. Some more small talk here and there and eventually all of them believed their own lie that they were just casually meeting at this random diner at this specific point in time.

Carmine felt a wave of relief wash over him as Blaze, Sasha, and Heitor finally joined him at the counter. The facade of casual chatter helped ease the tension in his shoulders, but he remained acutely aware of the threat that still loomed outside.

“Did anyone see you?” Heitor asked, keeping his voice low as he settled into a seat. The bandage wrapped around his arm peeked out from under his sleeve, a stark reminder of the chaos they’d just escaped.

“No one followed me, but the streets are crawling with KanedaCorp,” Carmine replied, taking a sip of his drink. The bitter taste of coffee grounded him. “We need to make this drop and get out.”

Sasha leaned in, her eyes darting between the others. “I managed to throw off their signals for a while, but they’re not idiots. They’ll be back on our trail soon.” She glanced at Heitor’s arm, concern creasing her brow. “You good?”

Heitor nodded, though the wince on his face betrayed him. “Just a scratch. The stim helped, but I’ll need to get it properly looked at soon.”

“Better than being dead,” Blaze chimed in, a smirk on his face, trying to lighten the mood. “Besides, you should see the other guy. Or maybe you shouldn’t. Either way, we got the deck. That’s what matters.”

“True enough,” Carmine agreed, though unease nagged at him. “We still need to hand it off without attracting attention. Graves should be here any minute.”

As if on cue, the bell above the diner door jingled, and a tall figure stepped inside, scanning the room. Graves, this time not wearing a fancy suit, but a more casual one, still very corpo-like, approached their booth, his expression unreadable behind dark glasses.

“Carmine.” He nodded curtly, his voice low and gravelly. “Dr. Kurosaki is missing, but no matter. You got the package?”

Carmine shifted in his seat, sliding the box containing the Cyberdeck onto the table. “Let’s make this quick. I don’t want to linger.”

Graves’ brow raised slightly as he inspected the box, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he took in the group. “You lot have been busy. Heard some noise about KanedaCorp breathing down your neck.”

“Just a typical night in the life,” Sasha said, forcing a casual tone. “What’s the deal? The show is to be expected when going up against them.”

Graves straightened, producing a sleek device from his jacket pocket. “You get your payment in this. A clean transfer, no trace. Just plug it into your agent, and you’re free to go.” He slid the shard across the table.

“Where’s the catch?” Carmine asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. He was no rookie; nothing in this world came without strings attached.

“No catch. Just a warning,” Graves replied, removing his glasses and revealing cold, calculating eyes. “You need to lay low. KanedaCorp won’t forget about this. They’ll be digging into your pasts soon. No matter how good you think you are at hiding.”

Heitor shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “We can handle ourselves.”

“Sure you can,” Graves countered, a hint of amusement in his tone. “But I’d recommend you do it out of their sight. You’ve drawn attention. More than you know.”

Carmine shot a look at the others, then back to Graves. “Thanks for the advice, but we didn’t come here to chat.”

Graves leaned forward, his tone turning serious. “Fine. But remember this: the city has eyes everywhere. Don’t underestimate what KanedaCorp can do. If they come for you, you won’t see it coming.”

With that, he left with the package. Sasha was the first to jack the shard, humming as the numbers in her eyes just went up, “Wow, that's… a lot.”

The others put the shards on their necks as well, similar reactions giving the hint that it was ok for Carmine to take it himself. And indeed, eddies went up, no catch as far as he could tell. Carmine exhaled, the weight of the deck lifting slightly off his shoulders. He turned to the others, feeling the heaviness in the air.

“Well, that was fun,” Blaze said dryly, raising his glass in mock toast. “Cheers to keeping our heads.”

“We need to move,” Heitor replied, glancing out the window. “We can’t stick around here any longer. I don't want to bring up heat to The Refused. We might have compromised our band’s gig.”

Sasha nodded, her eyes focused. “Agreed, but relax a little. No one will connect a group of rockerboys to corpos.”

“See? Even Sasha agrees.”, Blaze raised his drink, “To a successful gig.”

“Eh, why not?”, Sasha raised her own soda can.

“Fine, I guess.”, Heitor followed their lead.

Carmine wasn't as enthusiast as the others, lifting his coffee, although begrudgingly. With a good gulp of their respective drinks, they started chatting a bit more before Blaze eventually asked what Carmine wanted to ask.

“Where's Vomi? Wasn't she supposed to be here?”

Sasha blinked, “Oh yeah, she said she wasn't going to make it. But I think she is safe.”

“Why do you think that? As far as I can tell, the boss could be flatlined.”, Carmine commented, head low, still thinking about the entire heist.

“Vomi? Flatlined? No, she is too nova for that.”, Blaze laughed at the audacity.

Sasha snorted, her knowledge of the symbiote cat was hidden from them, but it still showed up, “No worries. Corpo Kitty is safe and sound.”

“She's like that. Soft on the outside and a beast on the inside.”, Heitor said as he munched some food, “She wrote the most brutal song I've heard in life. And she didn't even know how to play guitar last month.”

“Vomi is like that, weird, but preem.”, Blaze said sagely, his chrome arms shining at the diner's light.

“Vomi is a whole vibe,” Sasha agreed, a small smile creeping onto her lips. “But seriously, she’s tough as nails. You saw her handle that samurai. She’ll be fine.”

Carmine nodded, but unease still gnawed at him. “Yeah, but something feels off. She has that look in her eyes sometimes, you know? Like she’s got more going on than we realize.”

She does have those weird black-red eyes…

“Maybe she does,” Heitor said, shrugging. “But that’s her business. We’ve got enough on our plates without overthinking what our fixer might be hiding.”

“True,” Blaze replied, shaking his head. “Let’s focus on the here and now. We’ve got a gig to prepare for, and a little time to kill before we hit the stage.”

“Well, I will be coming back from vacation though.”, Sasha got up from her seat, “I need to take the road.”

“Where to?”, Blaze asked as he finished up his bottle.

“Night City. I have biz to settle there.”, She said with fierce determination, something rather unusual from the Cat Netrunner.

“Whatever it is, good luck. You will need it.”, Heitor offered.

“I need to delta too. I will probably be investigated, probation and all.”, Carmine sighed, today was a tiring day.

“Yeah, same here,” Blaze chimed in, running a hand through his hair. “Gotta keep my head down until the heat dies off. Not looking to have KanedaCorp knocking on my door.”

Sasha finished off her soda and pushed her chair back. “You guys should take it easy. I’ll be moving to Night City for a bit, but I’ll check in. You know, keep the lines open.” She gave a slight grin, knowing how much everyone hated dealing with corpo business.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Heitor replied, glancing at the entrance one last time. “But with the way things are going, I’m not counting on it.”

Carmine sighed, pushing his coffee cup away. “I just want a break. We pulled off a decent score, but I feel like we’re in the crosshairs now.”

“Hey,” Blaze said, leaning in, his tone turning serious. “We’re still alive, right? That’s something to celebrate. We’ve got this gig coming up, and it’s gonna be a blast. Just keep your head in the game.”

The conversation shifted to lighter topics as Sasha and Carmine left. It was a good day, a tiring one, but good nonetheless.

“Now now,” Blaze started after paying the bill, “Let's go back to the shop. We now have the eddies to refurbish it.”

“Aren't we like, planning on the band?”, Heitor questioned with a raised brow.

“Yes, but I want an actual studio to rehearse, not that warehouse we go every day off we have.”, Blaze countered.

“You do have an excellent point.”, He agreed, although not because he was happy, but because it made sense.

“Then, let's get to it! I'll contact the others.”, Blaze beamed up, already sending texts.

“Just remind yourself that we want to lay low.”

“Fine.”

“That means no spending the money until I say so.”

Blaze looked at him, dumbfounded, “Whaaaaat?”

Heitor just smirked.