No Women, No Kids

[Two weeks later]

Billy was on the mend, but still not 100%. Vik was actually surprised at just how quick he was healing, though. It was almost a month before Pops could sit up on his own without crying out in pain. Billy had made the same amount of progress in half the time. Chalk it up to youth, Vik said.

The Afterlife had been oddly silent for the past few weeks, outside of some smaller gigs, but V knew by now to farm those out. No sense in burning her best crew out on the little stuff. Everyone was a little flush after Billy's prize fight, so steady work wasn't a priority for the time being. They had their side-hustles if they needed some quick scratch, but by this point, they had all gotten used to actually having time off in between jobs.

--

Miz stood in their small kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee for herself and Billy as she watched him resting on the couch. She already had to threaten him twice that morning to stay off his feet. He hated feeling useless or being waited on, but Miz actually wanted to follow Vik's advice to the letter for once. She wanted to take care of him. After everything they'd been through, and as patient and understanding as Billy had been with her, this was her chance to look after him for once.

They even agreed to follow Vik's advice and lay off each other for a while, although Billy always found ways to tease Miz and leave her feeling entirely helpless. She would get him back soon enough; just a matter of time.

Miz's train of thought was cut off by a holocall pinging in her head from Wakako Okada. She seriously considered ignoring it for several seconds before she decided otherwise. She'd turned down the last two jobs, so she needed to throw the old gal a bone. She finally answered, "Heya Wako."

Wakako seemed almost pleased to her her voice as she said, "Hello, child. How's Billy?"

Miz smiled; for all of Wakako's reputation, she was a woman that genuinely cared for those around her. She looked after her people. Miz answered her, "He's on the mend, getting there. He says hello."

Wakako paused for a second before she spoke again, "Mm. I must apologize, I know now is hardly the time. But I have a matter for which I could use your talents."

Miz thought for a moment before she said, "Hit me with it."

Wakako continued, "It seems the Kabuki faction is stepping out of line once again. The underboss owes a lot of money to one of my associates in the Council."

Miz replied bluntly, "Color me surprised. How much are we talking, here?"

Wakako chuckled at Miz's indifferent demeanor as she said, "Enough that she is willing to part with ten thousand for your particular skills in... conflict resolution."

This caught Miz by surprise as she said, "She?! Since when do the TCs elect women to the Council?"

Wakako chided Miz with a tinge of humor in her voice, "It is a new and modern world in which we live, child."

Miz blushed with a slight chuckle, picturing Wakako as the strict grandmother she never had. After several more seconds of silence, she said, "Preem, shoot me the deets."

In a rare moment of genuine affection, Wakako insisted, "Only if you are not needed to look after Billy. I like that boy, he has a strong heart. We will be in touch."

The call dropped, and Miz smiled to herself as she thought, Yeah, I like him too.

She could hear Billy stirring from the couch, and she walked over to sit down on the table next to him as she said softly, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

He chuckled as he said, "What, no more kicking my ass if I don't sit down?"

Miz fired back, "I'll kick your ass anyway just because I know you like it..."

He smiled as he looked at her; she was looking down at the floor as she continued, "So, Wako called. Has a solo job for me."

Billy sat up carefully as he asked, "So what's the problem?"

Miz's eyes cut to Billy as she answered, "I-I don't want to leave you by yourself."

Billy scoffed and laid back down. After a few seconds, he forced himself up at the core with a groan as he turned and sat upright to face Miz directly and said, "Babe, I can look at after myself. I can still walk, I can still move and do everything I have to do. It just hurts a little is all."

Miz wrinkled her nose and looked at the floor with her shoulders sagged before her eyes cut back to Billy as she vented to him, "I-I just... I don't know, Billy. You've been so amazing to me all this time, through all of my shit, and I just feel like I've never been able to measure up to it. Like, being able to look after you now is the one thing I feel like I can do to make up for how amazing you are."

Billy grabbed her hands in his as he leaned forward and looked in her eyes. God they're beautiful, he thought to himself before he said, "Miz, the fact that you're even bothered by this, that we're even having this conversation, tells me how much you love me, and how amazing you are. It's not about keeping a tally or a balance, and I know you know that. It's about knowing we're here for each other, no matter what."

Miz cracked a smile and her eyes clouded over as Billy continued, "I know you would take a bullet for me, that doesn't mean I actually expect you to."

Miz cut Billy off as she pulled him forward and wrapped her arms around him as she said muffled into his shoulder, "I love you."

Uncomfortable as this particular position was for him, he smiled as his arms closed around her and he said, "I love you too. Now get to work before you go stir-crazy."

Miz laughed as she pulled away and said, "Fine, but I'm fucking your brains out when I get back. I can't stand it anymore."

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to actually follow Vik's rules", Billy joked as he raised his hands, "I'll make sure to shower before then."

Miz grabbed Billy by the chin as she gave him a quick kiss and a playful snap of her teeth and said, "See ya soon, Tiger."

--

[Three hours later]

It was actually refreshing for Miz to have a job not requiring her "Afterlife uniform". She much preferred strolling the city in her usual streetwear. She always felt a little naked without her cropped Night City bomber, and it had been too long since she'd worn it on the clock. Not to mention, kick sneakers are way more comfortable than combat boots, and when you're covering miles on foot, that's what really matters.

Miz was careful to park her Yaiba in a covered alley beneath the Bellevue Overwalk on Pinewood, several blocks from the Market. She preferred to walk the rest of the way so as not to draw suspicion. Tyger Claws were unusually attuned to the sounds of their bikes, so they would know if an outsider had rolled up.

As she walked along the side of the road in the shade of the underpass, she was hit with a wave of nostalgia. She hadn't been back here, alone, in a long time. The memories of her and Luca as kids running through the streets and causing trouble brought a warm joy as she smiled to herself. Instinctively, she turned left, crossing through a small construction space before meeting the massive roundabout encircling the Kabuki Market. As she waited patiently for her chance to cross, she pulled her softpack out and lit a cigarette, taking a drag and exhaling through her nose. She had been trying to cut back for Billy's sake while he healed, but damn it felt good to finally have a smoke.

Miz bided her time as she admired the old centerpiece of the Market; a massive three-story pagoda with green roofs and red sidings, plastered with neon signs and topped with a holographic toroidal screen flashing all the latest cyberware advertisements; a lot crap the native inhabitants of Kabuki could never hope to afford.

The cars came to a stop, and Miz crossed along with a small crowd of people before breaking away. She turned down a concrete stairwell, heading to the lower level of the Market like it was old hat. The combined smells of stagnant garbage and waste mixed with the food stalls brought a revolting smile to her face. On one hand, she wanted to wretch her guts out, but on the other hand... fuck, she was hungry for some scop ramen.

No, focus!, she thought to herself as she continued walking around the bend. Ahead of her on the left was a dark tunnel leading away from the Market roundabout. For reasons she couldn't explain (she could, but she didn't want to think about it right now), her entire body tensed up as she approached the entrance of the tunnel. She still had a few more drags left on her cigarette, so she stopped for a moment to collect herself as she casually browsed a magazine stand. Apparently Kerry Eurodyne was back on tour with Us Cracks; so the fuck what. There was some sort of controversy with Lizzy Wizzy; equally, so the fuck what.

As she took the long last drag of her smoke, she held it in for several seconds before exhaling through her nose. She continued, breathing deep and exhaling slowly as she closed her eyes. She felt herself loosen up, and everything came into focus as her eyes shot open. It was now or never. She turned and tossed her butt away as she walked into the tunnel.

Just as she remembered, the air reeked in this enclosed space. There were pipes and conduits lining and jutting out from the walls, most of them cracked and leaking sewage or greywater along the ground. This tunnel was barren otherwise, only a few small sliding garage doors on either side that probably hadn't been opened in decades. For as much traffic as she remembered this path seeing, logic would dictate they would have cleaned it up and made it more presentable. Logic was something the entire City appeared to be short on, Miz joked to herself.

Before long, she had walked the fifty feet and approached the end of the tunnel. If she had entered the mouth from the market, she was exiting its ass as she found herself standing underneath a familiar set of concrete stairs leading back to the ground-level roundabout. The open-air bazaar market was just the same as she remembered, but dirtier now. No fucking surprise there.

Carts, kiosks, and stalls. Oh my!, she thought as she smirked. The sun was out of sight, but breaking through the large overhead gap in the concrete barriers, illuminating the market as it bounced and reflected off awnings and umbrellas. There was steam and smoke rising, mixing together to bend and warp the light, painting every visible surface in a kind of brown-ish pall. Every bit of concrete in the market was painted over in bold and loud colors with graffiti and Japanese text. There was no doubt in Miz's mind... she was in the Tyger's den. The clamor of voices, metal utensils, and music playing over loudspeakers made it hard to think, much less listen for threats. There were TC gangers standing solo or in pairs all throughout the market. Miz didn't look like a target, but there was always a chance someone might recognize her from the old days. She need to step carefully.

With another deep breath, Miz proceeded forward, making her best effort to blend in with the shifting crowd. She had already spotted her destination up ahead and on the right; the Kabuki Motel. As if there weren't enough shit shoved into this massive below-ground space, some gonk thought it would be a good idea to build a four-story ramshackle motel. Four stories, six rooms split across two floors, with an open top floor for "management"; a monumental waste of real estate and resources. But then again, TCs were never too concerned about making money on the legitimate front.

Miz broke away from one crowd, immediately embedding herself in the middle of another as she shifted her path to the right of the market. It was only one more row of stalls to clear. From a quick scan, there were no gangers looking in her direction as she broke through the crowd and walked quickly through an open loading bay door serving as the motel's "lobby". No receptionist or even a front desk; just a row of old, thrown-together pachinko machines and arcade games along the right wall with an elevator and a staircase at the back. There was trash strewn about everywhere. Miz figured it didn't take a genius to put together that nobody was booking rooms here unless they had no other choice, or needed a place to lay low under TC protection. With one last check behind her, Miz's eyes flashed red and she proceeded through the door and up the stairs.

She kept her Unity holstered for the moment, not wanting to raise the alarm if she encountered any unwanted guests. As she cleared the stairs to the landing for the second floor, she flattened herself against a wall, peeking around the doorway to confirm the coast was clear. Not a soul in sight, but she could hear mixed voices from behind the doors. Leave them be, she thought, and she moved quickly past the doorway and back to the stairs. As she ascended, she could make out faint grunts and moans growing louder. Someone was having a good time.

Same as before, she reached the landing and perched herself on the wall as she checked the doorway. One of the rooms was open, and she could make out a young scantily-clad woman bent over front to end between two men in corpo suits, servicing both of them. Miz smirked as she considered for a brief moment how funny it would be to crash their party. No, not now. Focus!

She moved quickly to the other side of the doorway, stopping to make sure she was still clear. The swingers hadn't noticed her, so she turned and made her way up the stairs once again. She paused between the levels this time, taking a moment to center herself with a couple of deep breaths. Her hands were shaking... it was a long time since she had faced off with the Tyger Claws alone. She knew she could do it, she just... needed a minute. She unholstered her Unity and performed her signature one-handed press check before re-holstering. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, allowing the last breath to pass. In and out. She could do this; she could do this... I can do this.

Her eyes opened, the red glow subsiding as she put on a cheeky smile and pushed forward. She nonchalantly walked through the dorway at the top of the stairs and into the open room like she owned the place. Nobody took notice at first, at least until she said, "Heya fellas."

Four heads turned in an instant, eyes locked to Miz, weapons drawn. She stood her ground as one voice called out, muffled and modulated by a menpo mask, "Who the fuck are you?!"

She carefully scanned the room as she raised her hands, revealing the dermal imprint on her right forearm, and answered calmly, "I represent the Lady of Westbrook Estate."

The gangers all hesitated, lowering their weapons at hearing Wakako's nickname. Every Tyger Claw knew that name, and every Tyger Claw recognized that tattoo. They stood awkwardly, measuring up the situation as a deep voice in a thick accent trailed in from the back room, "A friend of Lady Wako is a friend of mine."

The voice belonged to a man no older than 40 years, but he had seen his fair share of shit. His head was shaved clean, his ears and face full of piercings and implants, and he sported a prematurely greying mustache and goatee to accent a nasty scar across his left cheek. Bits and pieces of traditional TC ink crept up his neck from under his flashy suit, a somewhat ill-fitting neon green jacket and slacks with a purple collared shirt unbuttoned halfway, revealing the bulk of his tattoos. His build was taut, but the suit was too tight, or maybe that was on purpose. Got to be the big dick, Miz thought to herself as the man continued, "Now, what do you want, kid?"

Miz smiled as she bowed her head in respect to the shateigashira before dropping the proverbial bomb, "You owe the Council. I'm here to collect."

The man's eyes narrowed, and what little kindness he carried in his face drained as his body tensed up and he said, "You can go back and tell that dried-up old gash that if she wants her scratch, she can come down here and take it from my cold, dead hands."

"Had she the time to waste on a bottom feeder like you, I wouldn't be here", Miz fired back, her eyes turning red again.

She could tell she hit a nerve as the underboss's veins began to bulge in his smooth head and he said, "And just who the fuck are you?!"

Miz pulled the right side of her jacket away, revealing the fox head tattoo as her eyes narrowed. The underboss smiled and chuckled as he said, "So the little stray fox has come home... and after all these years, you still dishonor us."

Miz lost her cool and shot back, "You dishonor yourself. I know what you are, and I know what you do. I've seen it with my own eyes. It's time to answer for that."

The underboss's face flushed red with rage as he called to the gangers, "Teach this bitch some manners!"

The ganger to Miz's immediate left moved in, brandishing a wakizashi blade as he made a horizontal slash. Miz ducked, dropping her jacket as she deflected the ganger's arm out, embedding his sword in the wall as she struck him repeatedly in the solar plexus before wrenching his neck around with both hands. As the bones crunched and the body fell to the floor, she saw the next ganger moving in from the right side as she grabbed the wakizashi out of the wall and turned to face him. He had a pistol at the ready as Miz dodged to his right side to close the distance. She reached out and blocked his arm down before severing it completely with an underhanded upward swing of the blade. She followed up with an elbow to his jaw before driving the sword through his chest and punching it further in with her free hand. The sword broke through his ribcage, catching itself on the wall and pinning him upright as blood poured out the sides of his mask and he suffocated from a pierced lung.

She narrowly dodged the thrust of a knife as the third ganger tried to catch her off-guard, the fourth ganger engaging her in a fist-fight at the same time. She was losing her edge as the knife ganger nearly caught her again. She didn't have much choice with bad guys on either side. She pulled the front ganger with her as she fell backwards, sending him rolling as she unholstered her Unity. She aimed up and slightly back at the knife ganger as she double-tapped him, using the muzzle jump to line up her shot with the floored ganger as she released another double-tap.

Still on her back, Miz targeted the underboss, tagging him in the stomach with a single shot before she rolled over and up to one knee, releasing a double-tap to both of his kneecaps with a fierce quickness. As he fell to the floor, bleeding and screaming, she stood up and walked towards him, grabbing him by the lapel of his suit jacket as she dragged him into the back room. He continued to cry out and swear in pain as Miz picked him up and slammed him down on a table. She placed the Unity's barrel against his head and uttered a single word, "Cash."

The underboss's eyes widened as he recognized the markings on the barrel. He swore at Miz in Japanese, prompting her to whip him across the cheek with the heel of her gun before she forced the barrel in his mouth and said again, louder, "Cash!"

The underboss knew he was out of options, a single tear rolling down his cheek as his eyes pointed to a large and locked safe in the corner of the room. Miz eyed the safe before she slid the underboss off the table and threw him to the floor in front of it. As he tried to push himself up and crawl away, Miz put another round through his right shoulder as she approached from behind and jerked him up by the collar of his jacket. She leaned down and whispered softly to him, "Mind doing the honors, choom?"

He fought against her, but with her knee in the small of his back, a bleeding gut wound and three useless limbs at this point, he didn't have many options left. His face smacked with defeat, he conceded as he placed his left hand on the safe's biometric pad. After several seconds of a small whirring sound, the lock clicked open and the safe's door jutted out slightly. The underboss's hand slid off the pad as he resigned himself to his fate. Miz pulled him away as she kicked the safe open to reveal fat stacks of cash inside; more than he owed by a large amount. Bingo.

Finally, she turned the underboss over to his back to face him as she grabbed him by his lapel and pulled him up. As blood poured out of his mouth and he began to choke, he swore at her again in Japanese, warning her that she would be hunted for the rest of her life for this indiscretion.

Miz smirked as she looked in his eyes before pulling the trigger one last time. The round pierced up through his throat and out the back of his head, painting the wall's baseboard and carpet with claret, gray matter and bits of skull as she let go of the lifeless body.

Her jaw was clenched and she sighed deep and exhaled sharply. Her attention was drawn to the window as voices shouted outside in the market. She could see several TC gangers pushing through the escaping crowds towards the ground entrance of the hotel. She'd be surrounded soon if she didn't move quick.

Miz holstered her Unity and reached for a duffel bag on the table as she piled the stacks into it. When the safe was completely empty, she zipped up the bag and slung it over her shoulder as she exited the back room into the open area. She stopped for a moment to consider her options. She could fight through them all, but that would only draw more attention if they hadn't already called for help. She closed her eyes for a second before recalling a balcony on the third floor as she was approaching from outside. That was her way out; had to be.

Her eyes opened again, and she took another step before noticing a can of fluorescent green spray paint on the floor. It was time to leave a message. She grabbed the can and quickly went to work as she scrawled something on the large wall of the open room. She stepped back, admiring her work: "NO WOMEN, NO KIDS". She dropped the can and headed for the stairs, eyes glowing red as she scanned for targets.

The coast was clear, but she could hear the voices approaching the stairwell, and knew she didn't have much time. She hurried down to the third floor, checking again with her Unity at the ready. Coast was still clear, but the voices were getting louder and closer. She hurried through the door into the third floor hallway, finding the same door from before still open, but the two men were gone. Likely having fled once the gunshots started, they left the young woman lying on the floor to fend for herself. Miz was careful to enter the room as the woman scrambled back to get away, whimpering and crying softly. Miz brought a finger to her lips as she noticed the woman's eyes were glassed over. She caught sight of several glass pipes caked with resin, smoke still rising from them. The woman was completely strung out, and now panicked, clambering to cover herself and keep her distance. Miz took a second to check the bathroom, finding a syn-silk robe hanging behind the door. She grabbed it and approached the woman carefully, holding the robe out with a slight smile. It'll be okay. They're not here for you.

The woman smiled back through her tears as she grabbed the robe and covered herself before pointing back to a door leading outside. Miz nodded, pulling out her softpack and presenting the woman a cigarette. The woman's hands were trembling as she grabbed the cigarette, Miz leaning down to light it for her. The woman took a drag and exhaled with a smile, thanking Miz in Japanese with a shaken voice. Miz placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before leaving the room towards the balcony door.

Had there been more time, Miz would have tried to get the woman out. All she could do now is hope. She pushed open the door as quietly as she could, checking for movement before she slid onto the balcony. She surveyed her options, finding a row of HVAC units mounted to a concrete wall, creating a bridge between the motel and another building. From the other building, she could spot a stairwell leading down, and she quickly checked below the balcony to make sure there were no surprises waiting for her on the other side. She slid the balcony door shut and stepped carefully, cinching the strap on the duffel bag tight to keep it in place as she leapt over the balcony wall and prayed the HVAC unit would support her weight.

As she landed, she could hear the unit's metal casing bend and creak, but it was stable enough for the brief amount of time she needed to cross. She stepped carefully onto the second unit, bracing her foot on the edge and testing. It held her weight, so she stepped forward to the third, repeating her actions as she checked below. There were at least 10 gangers pushing their way through the ground floor entrance of the motel, but none of them seemed to be interested in looking up. Miz counted her blessings as she stepped onto the last unit before jumping up and grabbing hold of the balcony wall on the other side. She pulled herself up and over, crouching down with her iron at the ready as she double-checked and cleared her path before moving forward.

Miz stepped carefully, clearing the corner of a doorway before she heard a slam on the balcony door from where she had just left. She quickly swung around and flattened herself against the wall as the door flew open and several armed gangers flooded out with weapons at the ready, looking up and down and all around for any signs of movement. Miz could hear the woman crying and yelling from the room as the gangers yelled at her in response. No gunshots, and Miz prayed it would stay that way. She peeked back around the corner, waiting for the last ganger to leave the balcony before she cut across to the stairwell.

She swung around, weapon at the ready, as she cleared the stairwell and proceeded down, stepping softly. A perk of her sneakers is she could move almost silently; there was no chance she could have pulled that off with her tac boots. Thank goodness for small miracles, she thought as she smiled to herself. She approached the bottom of the stairs, peeking around the corner. There was an open doorway to the outside market, and a lone ganger standing guard in front of it. Shit.

Miz holstered her Unity as she turned the corner and stepped carefully towards the doorway. The ganger was smoking a cigarette, seemingly uninterested in anything going on behind him. Bad for him, as Miz stepped into position behind, checking past him first to make sure nobody was looking in his direction. When the coast was clear, she reached up, pulling his rifle sling tight across his throat as she placed a surgical strike to his right kidney. The sling kept him from screaming out, but it didn't stop him from trying as he collapsed backwards. Miz caught him, arm around his throat as she tightened her grip and pulled him back into the room and out of sight. The ganger fought in vain, his flailing arms eventually slowing until they fell to his sides. He was out cold. Miz laid him down gently, returning to the doorway and checking for unwelcome guests.

Finding none, she broke into a light sprint out the door, staying close to the walls in front of the local ripperdoc's clinic, the building itself under lockdown protocols. She arrived at a concrete support column, stopping and flattening herself against it as she surveyed her surroundings. The market was empty of civilians by this point. There was one ganger standing guard outside the loading dock entrance to the motel, and another watching the stairs to the ground-level roundabout. The tunnel was blocked from her view, but she had to assume it was guarded as well. Nobody had yet noticed the missing ganger from the maintenance stairwell entrance.

Miz saw a clear path to a stack of crates and small shipping containers providing ample cover on the other side of the market, and she slid away from the column, crouching to stay out of sight behind the myriad of now-abandoned stalls and carts. It only took thirty seconds for her to reach the crates, but it may as well have been thirty minutes as she sighed and caught her breath. She was in the clear for at least the next fifty feet, but she was still careful to step lightly, keeping close to the crates as she switched between checking in front of her and behind her. The last thing she needed was to get caught from behind.

She reached the end of the crates, kneeling down to peek around the corner. The ganger guarding the stairs was still present, but she was out of his line of sight. She could make out the passage beneath the stairs, and just her luck, there was another ganger standing in front of it. Fuck.

Miz looked around for anything she could use to distract them; in Night City, there was no shortage of trash lining the streets. She found and picked up a haggard Abydos bottle, likely as old as she was, covered in grease and grime. She tried to keep from dry-heaving at the texture of it as she peeked around the corner again. When it was clear, she quickly stepped out and tossed the bottle as far as she could before returning to cover. After a few seconds of hangtime, the bottle crashed against the floor, shattering and ringing out through the empty market.

It had the intended effect, as the ganger guarding the stairs readied his rifle, jumping in the direction of the sound before he called out in Japanese to the ganger guarding the tunnel to go check. The tunnel ganger retorted, to which the stairs ganger began yelling. After a bit of back and forth, the tunnel ganger threw his hands up in defeat and moved towards the middle of the market, leaving the tunnel entrance unguarded. Miz smiled to herself, checking the stairs one last time. All clear, she leapt out from the crates and stepped as carefully as possible to the underside passage of the stairs, crouched and easing along. She checked around the underside of the passage, making sure the tunnel ganger wasn't on his way back. He wasn't, and she stepped away from the passage and slinked away into the tunnel. Only another fifty feet. C'mon, Em, you got this.

Moreso now than ever, the tunnel created a vacuum of sound as everything reverberated and echoed in the enclosed space. Miz was so very close to a clean getaway, but she had to be ever so careful on the homestretch. FUCK!

Ahead of her at the exit of the tunnel were two armed gangers, facing the opposite direction of her. There was no easy way around them without drawing attention to herself. She wasn't given a choice as a voice called out to them from behind her, ordering them in Japanese to come to the other side. Shit, time to run.

With no time to think, Miz broke into a sprint towards both gangers as her right arm exploded open and her mantis blade shot forward. The gangers turned at first to the voice, but readied their weapons upon seeing Miz; they were too late. Miz crashed into the right ganger, the mantis blade punching into his abdomen as they went flying out of the tunnel and into the open air of the roundabout. She pushed him away as he reeled backwards into a loading door, denting it inwards as he collapsed to the ground. With her blade still out, she ducked at the second ganger moving in behind her before pivoting on the balls of her feet and driving her arm upwards. The blade broke through the ganger's chin and out the top of his skull before Miz pivoted again and jerked forward. The body flew off the blade and crashed into the same loading door before piling on top of the first body.

Miz retracted her mantis blade as she surveyed her surroundings. She had gangers approaching from either side with a third coming down the tunnel. She broke into another sprint towards the stairs to the ground-level, running head-on towards one of her pursuers. As he lunged forward and reached for her, she planted her feet and leapt towards the wall before pushing off, clearing overhead with a jump as he grabbed air before crashing into the ground. She reached the stairs and bound up, clearing them two and three at a time. Instead of breaking right to the sidewalk, Miz kept going towards the back of the stairs, stepping up to the half-wall before leaping up and onto the eave of the center pagoda's ground-level roof. She climbed across the inclined metal roof for a few paces before she hopped over a railing to the upper-level path and rounded it towards a walkway stretching out over the street.

Miz began to cross, but stopped midway as she saw another ganger pushing through a small crowd of people at the other end. She looked back to find she was blocked on both sides. She braced herself as she stepped backwards up onto the railing before jumping forward. She cleared the ten feet to the street, rolling forward to distribute the impact before she was back on her feet and running. She jumped up and slid across the hood of an approaching car as she juked right and ran down a small side street, several gangers in pursuit. She cut left into an alleyway, but stopped for a second as she heard heavy steps approaching from ahead and to the right. She counted off before shoving her arm out, and a ganger clotheslined himself as his feet flew up and he landed flat on his back. Miz stepped over him and continued back down the path from whence he came.

Miz was in the jungle now, the buildings jam-packed together and choking the air between them. She remembered every little path and hiding spot like it was yesterday. It was time to go vertical. Miz surveyed her options, finding a solid ledge above on the right wall. She took two more steps, planting herself before she leapt to the left wall and turned. She pushed off, forcing herself up and to the right. She caught the ledge with a heavy grunt as she remembered she used to be a lot smaller, a lot lighter, and not as well-endowed when she did this as a young teenager. She pulled herself up, the concrete ledge scraping against her bare abdomen. No fire escape, but every window had a small wrought-iron railing around it. It would have to do, as Miz jumped up and began scaling the wall. To her surprise, only a single ganger had followed her, the rest cheering him on from the ground.

Miz had two options; she could drop down and kick his teeth in, or she could try to lose him on the rooftops. If she missed and fell down, they had her dead to rights; there were at least six gangers waiting on the ground. She kept climbing, finally reaching up and feeling the plateau of the ledge as she pulled herself up and over. She rolled several feet in before she pushed herself up and picked her next path. Straight ahead was fine for now, and she continued her sprint, leaping over crates and ledges as she approached her next jump. It was only ten feet between the ledges of two buildings, but Miz missed a step and slipped before jumping. She got lucky, barely, as she slammed into the adjacent ledge and scrambled to pull herself up.

She ran forward before an instinct told her to break right. She did so, grabbing a pole and swinging around, using the momentum to launch herself forward as she kept running towards the next ledge. The pole shook itself loose from its fixture and fell, bringing down a mess of cables, debris, and antennae with it. As Miz cleared the jump to the next building, she dropped down behind the ledge, peeking over to check on her pursuer. The path was blocked thanks to the damage caused by the pole, and the ganger had turned in the opposite direction. Miz smirked as she stepped carefully, waiting for him to disappear out of sight before she turned to leave. The alleys were still patrolled by solo or two-man teams, so it would be several blocks before Miz could safely drop down.

By now, several blocks down, Miz was actually further away from the Market roundabout than where she had parked her Yaiba originally. She would have to be careful to double back. As she checked the alleys, the gangers were nowhere to be seen. Likely she had broken the perimeter. Even better, this particular building had an intact fire escape. She released a deep sigh as the sweat forming on her body began to cool her down. She casually sauntered down the steep wrought-iron steps, still stepping lightly just in case. Five stories down, she was met with a ladder, the bottom of which hung at least twelve feet off the ground. Miz checked both ways; there was only one way in or out of this alley, and of course there was a ganger standing guard, but he was facing the other direction and smoking a cigarette. She began her descent, taking each rung carefully and deliberately, keeping her eyes on the exit. As she hung off the bottom, she checked one last time before dropping down and immediately jumping to cover. The ganger was either deaf or in his own world as the sound of 120 pounds slamming against the ground didn't elicit any reaction from him. Miz wasn't going to complain, as she unholstered her Unity and stepped out from cover. She set herself up silently behind him before pressing the barrel into his head as she said, "No sudden moves, choom."

The ganger nearly jumped, dropping the cigarette from his mouth. Miz continued, "You have two choices. You can drop the gun and let me go, and you'll live; or you can call for help, and you die. Your boys will probably swarm in and zero me, but you'll still be dead. Your call."

The ganger grumbled under his breath as he leaned down; Miz matched his movements, not once letting the barrel break from his scalp. He slowly unslung his submachine gun and placed it on the ground. CRACK!

Miz pulled the barrel away and swung the heel of her handgun against the base of his skull. The body collapsed to the ground, and Miz dragged both him and his weapon out of view. She holstered her Unity before she knelt down and checked the ganger's pulse. It was still there, and she exhaled through pursed lips as she stripped his submachine gun down and dumped the parts in a nearby dumpster.

As Miz approached the exit of the alley, she pulled a hidden hood from her jacket's collar up and over her head to mask her face before she took her chance and stepped out into the foot traffic on the sidewalk. Nobody paid her any heed. That's just the way it was in Night City; nobody cared about anything until the gun was pointed in their face. Miz quickly checked behind her, then up and down and all around. Convinced she was in the clear, she lit a victory smoke and kept pace with everyone around her. A wide smile broke as she exhaled smoke and became just another face in the crowd. Nailed it.

--

[One hour later, Jig-Jig Street]

After almost 8 months of living in Wakako's backyard and doing jobs for her, Miz would have thought she'd be used to the walk by now, but a small part of her would always remember that first time and everything that went along with it. She would always flinch as she passed through the arched neon entrance to Jig-Jig Street.

At the very least, she had better reasons these days. As she approached the parlors, she flashed her tattoo, not even bothering to break her stride. If Wakako's huscle didn't know Miz by now, that was their problem, not hers. As expected, both gangers standing guard nodded and stepped aside. Miz didn't even need to show her face at this point. The tattoo was enough. She kept her hood up until she was right outside the door to Wakako's office. She quickly pulled it down, running her fingers through her hair to ruffle it loose from the static of the hood's fabric. She took a deep breath with a sharp sigh before knocking on the door and looking up at a mounted camera in the corner of the wall. She could see the camera's lens adjusting to focus on her before the door slid open and she entered. Wakako was sitting behind her desk, peering over the rims of her glasses at a screen mounted on the wall by the door. Miz had to wonder if Wakako had even noticed her, before the silence was broken, "You've been busy, child..."

Miz felt a shiver run up her spine from Wakako's tone. She looked for the words to answer, but was cut off by a finger directing her to the screen. As she turned to look, she saw her handiwork in the form of the green spray paint. It had only taken an hour before the media got curious about the gunshots in the Kabuki Motel. She smirked, turning back to Wakako as she stood her ground and said, "You know my history with them, Wako. I won't make excuses, nor will I apologize."

"Nobody expects either from you", Wakako gently rebuked her, "But you are taking great risk in sending messages like that. I worry only for your safety, dear girl."

That cut deeper than Miz was expecting, and she bowed her head out of respect and just a little bit of shame. Wakako gave a light smile as she looked at the bag still strapped to Miz's back and said, "I take it your errands were productive?"

Miz unclipped the bag and dropped it on the desk in front of Wakako with a heavy thud as she answered, "Quite."

Wakako unzipped the bag, standing up to look inside. Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Miz as she said, "This is too much. He only owed a fraction of what is in this bag..."

Miz straightened her back, a solemn pride in her voice as she explained herself, "Wako, you know as well as I do the Kabuki faction has never stopped dealing in children. That shateigashira recognized my iron, and recognized me. There are still men loyal to Kenji Yamada's ideals in the Tyger Claws. I... thought whatever is left over could go to the families..."

Wakako sat down, as if Miz's words alone had knocked her back. After several seconds, she asked, "You give all of this without any thought of taking for yourself?"

Miz smiled, "It's not mine to take. I agreed on ten thousand for this job."

"But it is mine to give", Wakako smiled back as she grabbed a stack and tossed it to Miz. Miz's eyes shot open wide as she looked at Wakako in disbelief. The elder woman was tickled to know she could still surprise her associates. She nodded and said, "You have a strong heart, child. You have honor and integrity, and that is worth more to me than all the shine in the world."

Miz took a seat herself, still in shock that Wakako had tossed her fifty thousand eddies on a whim. Wakako gave a wink and continued speaking, "What is a gift between friends, and nothing more. You will received your contractual fee once I have cleared this with the Council. Thank you as always, Mizuki."

Miz was starting to flinch less and less at hearing her full name spoken. Maybe things really were changing for the better. Maybe she really was making peace with her past. Regardless, she pressed on, "Wako, what are we going to do about the K-Town faction? Clearly they can't... or won't... be controlled."

Wakako sat back in her chair as her face hardened, and she gave a stern answer, "You will not like it, but the Council would rather turn a blind eye to these indiscretions than give up their foothold in South Watson."

She was right, Miz didn't like that answer. Her eyes narrowed, and her jaw clenched at actually hearing the words as Wakako continued, "Can you imagine Kabuki under Maelstrom control? I shudder to think..."

Old gal's got a point, Miz thought to herself. Corrupt as the Tyger Claws were at the lower ranks, they kept the culture of Kabuki alive and well. Still, she hated the compromise of necessary evil more than anyone.

Wakako thought for a moment before she spoke again, "Still, I will voice these concerns with the Council. I cannot promise any more than that. It has been a long day for you, child. Go on and worry no more."

Miz stood and bowed her head again before turning to exit. Before she left, she carefully tucked the stack of eddies into one of the inner pockets of her jacket, swapping it with her softpack as she pulled a cigarette out and waved back to Wakako. Once outside, she lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag as she smiled to herself and walked towards the Jig-Jig Street exit. Back to her bike, then back home.

--

Miz's cheeks had been flushed red since she walked in the front door of their apartment building. She almost considered running up five flights of stairs as the elevator was too slow for the current mood she was in. As she walked down the fifth floor hallway, she could smell something delicious coming from their apartment. She smiled and bit her bottom lip as she waved her hand over the bio-lock pad and the door slid open, the full force of the food hitting her. Billy had been hard at work, a large wok sitting on the stovetop full with a stir-fry medley of seared syn-beef, udon noodles, and mixed soy-veggies. Miz's mouth was already watering for a different reason, and this didn't help the matter. Billy looked up with a smile as he said, "Hey, I hope you're hungr—"

Miz cut him off as she dropped her jacket and leaned into him, reaching up and giving a light peck against his lips as she whispered, "Eat... later..."

She didn't have to tell Billy twice, as he turned and wrapped her up in his arms, kissing her deeply. It didn't take long before she turned around, pushing her backside against him as she moaned and placed her hands over his. He felt every curve of her body as he nibbled on her neck and collarbone.

She pulled her pants down just far enough before shaking them loose and pressed against him as she arched her back and reached up, grabbing Billy by the back of his neck. He growled lightly with a smile as he pulled his pants down, Miz reaching back to feel him swell in her hand. Billy groped her breast with his right hand and gently massaged between her legs with his left before pressing a single finger inside of her. Miz yelped as she craned her neck to kiss him, to breathe him in.

They locked eyes for several seconds as Billy brought his hand up, placing his finger in Miz's mouth to taste herself as she bit down softly. Between their shared moans, Miz pleaded for it as Billy pushed her forward and she braced herself against the counter. He slid himself between her legs before she guided him inside and released a light scream of pleasure. As he moved in and out slowly, he pulled her arms back, forcing her to arch even further as he held her up. This wasn't doing his ribs any favors, but he didn't fucking care. It had been entirely too long since they had felt each other.

Miz threw her head back, looking up at Billy as he kissed her forehead tenderly and quickened his pace.

The stir-fry sat on the stove for the next hour, getting colder by the minute.

--