Some would have you believe the splendor of the annual Dashi parade never left, but since Arasaka no longer had an official presence in Night City, neither did the Dashi parade have their financial backing. Not for lack of trying, Militech and a few other American corps stepped in, but the end result was a cornucopia of cultural insensitivities mixed with ardent skepticism.
In 2079, a sheer stroke of ironic ingenuity surfaced; if a Japanese corp could preserve the culture of the Dashi parade, why couldn't a Japanese gang do the same? That's right... the Tyger Claws high council had elected to oversee the parades going forward as part of their "giving back" to the community. Of course, there was none of the ego or pomp and circumstance that Arasaka shoved into it, but one could argue the overall experience was altogether more genuine without the pall and stench of corpo oversight...
--
"...and in other news, another incident of gangland violence rears its ugly head today as FIFTEEN Militech security contractors were found dead outside the Arasaka Waterfront complex in northwest Watson. This is just the latest in a string of inexplicable murders involving victims with corporate backgrounds... Militech had announced late last year their acquisition of and intent to utilize the Waterfront complex in a strategic move to bolster their logistics operations in the Pacific Rim... the Waterfront complex, which has sat empty since Arasaka once again withdrew its Night City operations in late 2077 following the terrorist attack on their headquarters in the City Center Plaza... while no group has yet claimed responsiblity for this latest attack, the NCPD confirms the evidence at the scene matches previous incidents of violence we have witnessed over the last several months... all of the victims were cut with some type of heated blade, and no shots were fired, according to interviews with residents of the surrounding area..."
The holoscreen cut off as a brief blue flash in Miz's eyes subsided. There was always something on the news, and rarely was it anything other than depressing. Gangers whacking corpos was hardly anything of note unless the Afterlife deemed otherwise, and all had been quiet on that front for the past few weeks. Miz's efforts had otherwise been focused on looking after Billy, helping him find some peace after the Santiago gig. He'd made a lot of progress after going to see the mother, and his talk with El Hechi, but there was still the occasional bout of guilt and depression. Not like she didn't understand; while she had mostly made peace with her past, it still found a way to creep up from time to time, but Billy was always there to pull her out of it. She was glad she could do the same for him now.
More recently, they had been preparing for the Dashi parade, and today was the day. Since their apartment faced the interior of the markets, they were both perfectly happy watching from the comfort of an open window as the floats passed by overhead and below. Rather, they would have been, had Wakako not personally invited Miz and Pops to join her on the upper levels. To not accept would have been an insult. By extension, and for giggles, they managed to drag along Billy and Liv.
Miz chuckled to herself as she took one last look in a hanging wall mirror, fiddling with and adjusting her yukata, her tattoos creeping up and out from the soft syn-cotton fabric. Her hair, while still shaved on the side, had grown long enough that she was able to pull it back and style with lacquered chopsticks, a single long bang hanging down and framing the side of her face. The chopsticks stuck out like radio antennae from the back of her head. She wanted to dress to impress, not that the Lady of Westbrook Estate would really care, but Miz had gained a strong respect for the woman, and so wanted to put her best foot forward. She chuckled again as she heard Liv not so quietly admonishing herself from the bathroom. Finally, the door opened, and Liv exited with a sigh of exasperation as she joined Miz in front of the mirror and said, "Sugar, I envy you for bein' able to do this... I just can't get it right."
Miz tried to cover her mouth as she turned to face Liv, directing her to stand squarely in front. She went to work, carefully pressing the folds of the yukata together and straightening the obi sash around Liv's waist. Liv watched in admiration as she carefully raised her arms to stay out of Miz's way.
"You were almost there", Miz giggled as she tried to assuage Liv's anxieties, "Just... there. Perfect. Now, for the hair."
Liv's eyes widened, and Miz directed her to a chair at the kitchen table. She sat down carefully and looked out the window as Miz went to work behind her, carefully pulling her hair back and holding it in place as she gathered it together and secured it with another set of lacquered chopsticks. Miz hadn't done this in forever, but it all came back to her in no time at all, and when she was finished, she let out a gentle sigh as she patted both of Liv's shoulders and said, "Beautiful."
Liv's eyes were fixated on the goings-on outside as she said, "I-it really is."
Miz blushed as she leaned down and wrapped Liv up in a hug and said, "I-I was talking about you, babe."
Liv turned and leaned her head against Miz's as a sense of motherly warmth flowed between them. After a few seconds, she said, "I don't know how Billy got so lucky to find you, honey..."
Miz blushed as she let go and stood up before answering, "Wouldn't have amounted to much if you hadn't done such a good job with him."
Liv shared the blush as her cheeks turned red and her eyes clouded over. Somehow, in all the insanity of Night City, they had all found each other and carved out their own little family. It wasn't always sunshine and smiles, nothing ever is; but they all had each other.
The moment was cut short by the main door of the apartment sliding open, followed by Billy and Pops entering, both wearing their own traditional men's garb, both rosy-cheeked and chuckling. Miz rolled her eyes and scoffed as she said, "Thought you were going to wait 'til we got there to break out the sake."
They could all hear voices laughing and carrying on down the halls as the door slid shut, and Pops turned to Miz as he said with a smirk, "And just who am I to turn down neighborly charity, Em?"
Billy pointed at Pops and joked, "Yeah, what he said."
Liv shook her head and laughed as she lit a cigarette. Billy walked over to the table and placed down a pot with a small real cherry blossom tree before plucking a single flower from it. Miz stepped in front of him, pulling open the folds of his yukata as she inspected his chest. Among some of the possibly rash decisions made in recent weeks, Billy had decided it was time to finally ink himself up. With Miz's blessing and guidance, he decided on a traditional irezumi-style tiger, covering most of his upper left torso and continuing down his back, not unlike Miz's fox tattoo. She was adamant that he take good care of the fresh ink, considering the pain and expense he went through. She was impressed as she said, "This is healing up really nicely..."
Billy smiled as he brought his hand up, still holding the flower, and tilted Miz's face up by her chin before he reached around and carefully nestled the flower behind her left ear. He looked in her eyes as he stroked her cheek and said softly, "A thing of beauty..."
Miz wrinkled her nose with a smile as her face threading flashed soft pink, and she leaned up for a kiss. Liv took her leave to give them some space as she walked over to Pops and wrapped him up. In her own words, he looked damn fine in his "get-up", and she couldn't wait to tear it off of him later. For now, they lovingly embraced one another and enjoyed the moment.
Miz pulled away to break out a bottle of sake and 4 glasses as Billy looked out the window, admiring the cheer and joy carrying on above and below them. It wasn't often a community came together like this, but it was always a welcome reprieve to have something to celebrate in the "City of Dreams". He had a look of childlike wonder on his face and a smile as his tipsy eyes darted back and forth. He honestly wondered how anything could ruin this night.
--
[One hour later, Upper Levels, Japantown Markets]
Crowds were forming, becoming almost impossible to navigate, and Miz was forced to guide everyone single file as they pushed through. The parade had already started, some floats and holographic displays passing by slowly. The sun had set, the twilight waning, but the entire space between the markets was awash in neon lights bending against the steam and fog. Music was playing from every corner, and everyone was generally in good spirits, even if they were packed in like sardines on the balconies overlooking everything.
Miz finally broke free of the crowds, finding a small space where all four of them could fit, even if only for a few seconds. She took advantage of the breathing room and lit a cigarette as she scanned for Wakako. Pops gave a light tug to the sleeve of her yukata and nudged her to look up. How the fuck does he do that with 'ganic eyes?!
Miz smirked as she found her mark, Wakako staring at her intently with a raised hand. She waved in return before Wakako motioned to a catwalk stairway at the back of the overlook. She nodded and made her way, the rest turning to follow as they once again squeezed and pushed through the crowds.
As they approached the stairway, they were met with two Animal-sized goons standing guard; big motherfuckers, built like sumo wrestlers, covered in TC ink with side-shaved top knots. One reached out with a heavy hand and grunted the word, "Business."
Not one to be intimidated, even by someone towering an entire foot over her, Miz's eyes narrowed as she kept quiet and held her right up arm, baring the dermal implant tattoo. Both goons stepped aside and bowed their heads, clearing the path. Miz nodded in affirmation, and she made her climb as she turned and said, "The others are with me."
It took Miz no time at all to bound up the stairs as she called out, "Heya Wako!", and bowed her head in respect. To her surprise, and to everyone else's, Wakako approached her and wrapped her up tight in a hug as she said, "It is so good to see you, child. Thank you for coming..."
Miz blushed and tried to stifle her shock as she hugged Wakako back, finding comfort in the older woman's arms. After a few seconds, they pulled apart, and Wakako gave a kind smile as she looked past to a familiar face, one she'd not seen in almost eight years, and she spoke warmly with an outstretched hand, "It brings me great joy to see you in good health, Phoenix."
Pops smiled as he shook hands with a bow of his head and said, "Good to see you, Wakako."
They carried on for several minutes as Miz stepped back, guiding Billy and Liv forward. Liv leaned in and whsipered to Billy, "Is...is she a Tyger Claw?"
Billy smirked as he answered, "...it's complicated..."
Miz stepped up to fill in the blanks as she said, "That's Wakako Okada, the Lady of Westbrook Estate. She's a high-level fixer, pretty much runs this entire district. She's not a proper member of the TCs, at least not anymore, but she does advise their leadership, and they all look to her with a lot of respect and reverance."
Liv asked another question, "So... how do you and Pops know her?"
Almost unconsciously, Miz's face threading flashed red for a split second as her eyes narrowed and Billy tensed up. He didn't know that it hadn't come up in conversation yet, but Miz kept calm as she answered, "It's a long story to do with what happened to my mom, but I do gigs for her on the side."
Liv looked down, almost admonishing herself as she said, "I-I'm sorry..."
She knew enough of the story, it seemed. Miz turned to her with a smile and said, "It's okay. It's just part of my past."
Billy smiled, but not without a bit of surprise in his face. It was the first time he'd seen Miz outright dismiss her past, but it also wasn't a regular topic of casual conversation. Either way, it gave him hope, for her sake, and he gently placed his arm around her as he leaned in and pecked the side of her head, causing her nose to wrinkle once again and her face threading to flash pink. She wrapped herself around him as she looked up and admired the pinkish-purple holographic cherry blossom petals falling all around them. She looked up to Billy as she asked, "Hey Tiger, remember the Cherry Blossom Market?"
He shifted his gaze from looking up to meet her eyes as he answered, "Our first real date. I'll never forget it, babe."
She closed her eyes and nestled against his chest, the soft syn-cotton of his yukata brushing against her cheek as she felt his heart beating. He closed his arms around her before he looked up and saw Liv staring with a wide smile. Tonight, life was good.
--
[Some time later]
Perks of privilege, and Wakako's kindness, everyone was able to stand easy and comfortably on the mezzanine, either leaning against the balcony railing or standing back, but everyone's eyes were locked on the procession of floats passing by. Billy was particularly impressed by a float with an open deck on which a group of several young women were performing a traditional dance number, their faces brightly painted alongside their flowing robes and ornate dresses.
Wakako was deep in conversation, entertaining several older men, all covered in traditional but faded TC ink, likely Council or high-ranking members. One in particular had a twinkle in his eye, and he was fixated on every word leaving Wakako's mouth. Miz chuckled as she thought to herself, Old gal's still got it.
Her eyes shifted, looking up into the sliver of night sky visible between the high rise towers. She caught sight of something moving, high up, on the corner of one of the towers, but she couldn't quite make it out. Curious, she activated her Kiroshis' zoom function, trying to scan and get a clearer image. Before her eyes, the perched figure in black, subtly swaying side to side, immaterialized into thin air and was gone. Miz shook her head for a moment, looking back up, but there was nothing there. Was it a glitch? Maybe need to go see Vik...
Miz tried not to dwell on the thought as her eyes gradually fell before they locked onto something tangible; something... alarming. Across the chasm between towers, and maybe 3 levels up, stood several TC gangers watching carefully. But what were they watching? They weren't looking at the parade; maybe security, but they weren't scanning the crowds. All of the Tyger Claws "security" Miz had encountered so far were respectable enough to honor their heritage and attend in traditional attire. These goons were dressed in the usual kamikaze streetwear; flashy jackets, mirrored sunglasses, menpo masks, and reinforced riding pants. They were all armed in some way, either with iron or blades.
While they tried, and failed, to be casual about it, there was no mistake; they were staring directly at the mezzanine. One ganger in particular was leaning against the rails, eyes solid blue. He was speaking, but not to anyone in particular. Definitely not to his comrades, as none of them were really paying him any heed. Miz's eyes narrowed, and she gently nudged Billy's arm before pinging a holocall directly to him "Need your eyes, Tiger."
Billy nearly sobered up at the tone in her voice, but he kept casual, still leaning against the rail as he answered, "Whatcha got?"
Miz activated her Kiroshis as she scanned and tagged the targets, "Kiroshis on. Three levels up, got five TCs clearly not on security detail."
In less than a second, Billy saw what Miz saw, the tagged targets outlined clearly in yellow as he said, "Got 'em."
"Keep eyes on", Miz said as her gaze fell to the crowds below them and she continued, "Middle ganger's on holo with someone, going to try and track it down."
Billy smirked; he shouldn't have been impressed at this point, Miz was as sharp as they came. Hell, she'd managed to hear the Maelstrom outside their old apartment seconds before the door blew open. And yet, she always found a way to floor him. It's amore, baby.
Back to the task at hand, he confirmed, "Locked in. Do your thing, Em."
Miz pulled away from the railing and leaned in to give a kiss to Billy's cheek to keep up appearances before she turned and spat, "God I wish Max were here."
Billy chuckled and fired back, "You got this, don't sell yourself short..."
Miz blushed lightly at the comment as she made her way down the stairs to the lower balcony. The crowds had only gotten worse, forcing her to barge through as she tried to navigate the walkways between the buildings. There must have been at least one thousand people crammed on both ends of this particular walkway, making her task no small matter. Her Kiroshis were scanning and tagging everything in sight, looking for anything out of place.
Miz had gotten used to running into people as she tried to squeeze through them, but a cold shoulder barreling into her caught her attention as her gaze was elsewhere. She stopped dead in her tracks before spinning around. Any body that could have run into her had vanished, leaving Miz confused and distracted before Billy spoke up in the holocall, "Em, you need to get back here."
She turned back to the mezzanine and froze in place as she said, "What is it?"
Her HUD flashed with a connection request before a scaled down capture of Billy's field of view appeared in the lower left corner as he answered, "Tagged 'em, three scavs inbound to the mezzanine stairs, I can see iron."
Miz's HUD lit up with yellow outlines of the three targets making short work of the sumo goons guarding the stairs. She moved quickly, pushing through the crowd with a wanton disregard as she fought to get off the walkway. In a split second, she pulled Pops into the call as she said, "Billy, get to Wako, keep her safe. Pops, get Liv out of there. Scavs inbound, got TCs across the way looking to cause trouble."
Before they could answer, the mezzanine was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. Miz broke into a run at this point; luckily the smoke had spooked enough people into clearing a path for her. She stopped two paces short before leaning down as she braced her legs and her irises turned red. After a second, she launched into the air, clearing the ten feet of the mezzanine and the railing with ease as she flipped over and landed on her feet on the upper platform. She'd have to thank Vik later for recommending the fortified ankles. For now, she just had to survive long enough to make her way through the smoke and find Billy and Wako. Her hands were itching, ready to counter anything, as her eyes struggled to focus. She stepped forward carefully, the ambient noise of the crowd gasping mixed with a few screams drowning out any attempts to listen for anything close by.
Miz narrowly avoided a fist punching through the smoke towards her head, and she grabbed the wrist before pulling down and back. A scav flew towards her out of the slowly clearing smoke as she delivered two successive elbow strikes with each arm, sending him flying to the ground. To her surprise, the scav was carrying a katana on his hip, and Miz wasted no time in taking and securing it to her right side as she carefully unsheathed it with a trained discipline. This could be useful.
Her grip was steady, but her arm was fluid as she held the sword at her side and stepped forward again. The smoke continued to clear, and she could finally make out most of the mezzanine. Everyone had cleared out, save for the remaining two scavs. They were scanning intently for any signs of movement as Miz approached from behind. She just couldn't help herself as she said, "If you're looking for trouble, fellas, I'll give you all you can handle."
Both scavs turned to face Miz as she readied her stance, gripping the sword with both hands above her head. The first scav stepped forward, saying nothing as he raised a handgun. Miz stepped forward and sliced downward with a sharp exhale before recovering with a horizontal slash. The scav froze for several seconds before a piercing scream rang out as his hands fell from his arms and blood poured down his lower torso as he stumbled backwards. Miz smiled as she stepped forward with a plunge of the blade into the his gut. The last remaining scav stepped forward with a machete at the ready as Miz spun around, the folds of her yukata flowing gracefully with her as she pulled the sword free and brought it forward to block. She countered several heavy but undisciplined one-handed swings from the machete before she found her opening. She blocked his hand down before bringing her blade to meet his wrist as she sliced through with ease. The machete clattered against the ground, the severed hand still holding on as she expertly twirled the katana to an underhand grip and drove it forward, clearing the scav's neck as she stepped into a finishing stance. His body fell to the side as the head eventually slid off and rolled... somewhere. Miz was left alone on the mezzanine as she gathered her thoughts.
Before long, she could hear distant voices calling in Japanese, and she turned and looked up to the five Tyger Claws still staring down. She brought the sword up as her eyes narrowed before swinging it down to her side as a challenge of sorts; her way of saying, "Come and get me."
All but one of the gangers had left the upper platform. The single remaining brought a submachine gun to the ready and let loose a wild burst of fire. Miz dodged and rolled to her right, coming up to her knees as the burst landed only a few feet away. She readied the sword as another burst was inbound. Her hand seemingly took on a life of its own, and her arm swung forward, blocking and deflecting the burst of fire with the sword. Miz was stunned by what had just happened, but she wasn't going to complain. She jumped to her feet before leaping down to the walkway as she ran in the general direction of the other TCs, a trail of gunfire following her. No way they get away with this.
Before long, Billy spoke up again in the holocall, "Coast is clear, I've got Wako safe. Where are you, Em?"
Miz answered, trying to save her breath, "Running down our bad guys..."
Billy scoffed, "Of course you are... You need backup?"
"No", Miz answered bluntly, "Get Wako and Liv to safety, I'll meet you at Jig-Jig later."
"Copy", Billy answered before concluding with, "Hey Em, be safe."
Miz's heart fluttered as she said, "You too, Tiger."
The call dropped and Miz stopped running for a second, considering her options. She could hear the heavy steps of the TCs trying to navigate the tight spaces of the markets' maintenance areas; the crowds had all but disappeared at this point on account of the gunfire. The TCs were at least one level below her by now. The only way out was down, all the way down to the street level. It was nineteen levels, no big deal right? Miz pulled the katana from her obi before securing it to her back as she took a few deep breaths. Billy had just told her to stay safe, yeah right. Miz took a step up onto the railing before pushing off and jumping out into the empty space between individual towers.
She just managed to catch herself against a wall, teetering on a mounted HVAC unit that was creaking and straining under her weight. She didn't have much time, scanning for anything she could use to control a fast descent. The only viable option was a long, thick trunk of cable running down several levels. Miz groaned as she looked longingly at the RealSkinn covering her right hand. This is going to fuckin' hurt.
With a last deep breath, Miz jumped out from the wall, grabbing hold of the cable and gripping as she fell. The sheath grated against her hand as she gritted her teeth and tried to think of anything else. Windows and catwalks and all sorts of nooks and crannies in the maintenance paths flew by before Miz caught sight and sound of something and she tightened her grip with a wince. She tried to stifle a soft cry of pain as she stopped and listened. She could hear the TCs arguing through the walls as they hurried down; had to be a maintenance access shaft inside. She scanned her surroundings again, the muscles in her upper arm starting to burn. Three more levels down, there was a small ledge, hardly a balcony, adjacent to a small access panel. That had to be it, and Miz braced herself as she loosened her grip carefully and slid down.
Closer to her target, she swung from her core to build up momentum before planting her feet firmly on the concrete ledge and bracing her left hand on the low ceiling above. Confident that she was stable, she let go of the rope from her right hand before she looked at the damage done, her face smacked with disappointment. The RealSkinn on her palm and further up her forearm were shredded, exposing the machinery underneath. It hurt, a lot, but Miz tried her best to put it out of her mind as her hand curled into a fist and she crouched down to peek inside the shaft. She was now ahead of the TCs by at least 4 levels, as she could hear the scrambling above her. If she was careful and quiet, she could beat them to the ground and catch them off-guard in the alley. Stairs weren't an option, she'd echo like crazy and tip them off; she was still six levels above the ground, and strong as her new ankles were, she doubted they'd survive that far.
Miz's eyes cut back to the cable, and she peaked over the ledge. There was another groan as she confirmed her fears; the cable ran all the way down into a nice and neat coil in a puddle on the ground between buildings, and there was a clear path to cut them off. She rolled her eyes as she weighed the options in her head before her own internal monologue interjected, Just fuckin' get it over with, ya gonk.
She could always get fixed up later, and what was a little pain now to catch the assholes that tried to kill a friend? Miz's mind was made; she braced herself before stepping off the ledge in a straight drop. She counted three levels of free-fall before she grabbed the cable again, gripping tightly to slow herself to a controlled stop only a few feet above the ground. She let go, bracing her feet for impact. As soon as she was stable again, she doubled over, her right hand shaking as it curled into a fist again, and her eyes shut tight as she fought a scream back down. FUCK that hurts!
The kicker about cybernetic limbs is they still interfaced with the brain for motor control, and they had specially-adapted feedback mechanisms for registering many different types of feeling, including pain. Rope burn on a cybernetic hand was arguably just as unpleasant as its 'ganic counterpart. Miz shook her hand in vain to try and kill some of the burn as she carefully stepped forward to the edge of the alley. The neon lights, holographic signs, and street lamps illuminated the world around her as she was met with the bustling undercity nightlife of the Japantown subdistrict. Bars, clubs, shops of all kinds, people and cars coming and going.
Miz's eyes narrowed with a smile as she spotted a freight van painted in Tyger Claws livery parked across the street from the ground level entrance to the markets. Almost too obvious, she thought to herself, before a door behind her flew open, followed by four TC gangers falling all over themselves to get outside. Miz turned and squared her feet shoulder-width apart as she reached back pulled the katana from its sheath, the honed blade audibly slicing the air as she brought it to her side. Her eyes and face threading were solid red as the gangers took notice of her, readying their weapons and calling out to her to get the fuck out of their way. She smiled again as she slid into a defensive stance, twirling the katana into an underhanded grip and bringing it to the ready in front of her. Her shredded right hand took a position guarding her side as the arm plates exploded open and her mantis blade shot forward. The cloth of her yukata clung loosely to her body, flowing around her arms and legs.
All four gangers hesitated, not sure how to respond to a five-foot-four female edgerunner with a mantis blade egging them on. Miz took her chance to drive them over the edge as she spoke with a tinge of sarcasm, "Any old time, sweethearts."
One of the gangers called out in a heavy accent modulated by the menpo mask, "Yo, teach this bitch a lesson!"
Another fired back, "Nah, you know who that is?! She used to be one of us!"
And a third, "She's got that tattoo, man..."
The fourth ganger said nothing, preferring to let his actions speak for themselves as he stepped up with a wakizashi in one hand and a tanto blade in the other, banging them against each other. He took another step forward before lunging at Miz with the longer of the two blades. She dodged backwards, deflecting with the katana before countering with a forward plunge of the mantis blade. To her surprise, the ganger deflected her right arm down with the shorter blade, forcing her to brace herself before jumping over him as he charged forward. She flipped and spun herself mid-air, landing behind him as she swept up with the katana, the blade ripping through his back and severing his cybernetic spine with a spray of blood and sparks. He cried out before collapsing, all of his limbs useless.
The other gangers took their shot with Miz's back to them, moving in to attack. Miz caught the first as she ducked and dodged a horizontal swing of a bat, pivoting on her heels to face him as her right arm swung up, the mantis blade catching him through the chin and out the top of his skull with a sickening crack. She continued her spin, bringing her arm forward over her head before retracting the blade. The momentum sent the ganger's body flying before crashing into the windshield of a passing car as Miz turned to the last two TCs, both frozen in place and likely shitting their pants. Miz dropped the katana, chuckling as she said, "Now it's a fair fight."
They hesitated long enough for Miz to move in, handling the right ganger first as she effortlessly disarmed him before putting him flat on his ass. Before the left ganger could react, Miz had the barrel of a Tsunami Nue pointed squarely at his head. He slowly raised his hands, having dropped a heavy length of broken chain and a lead pipe, gritting his teeth as he begged for his life in fluent Japanese. Miz hesitated for a second before realizing her mistake as footsteps sounded behind her. Shit, there where five.
Miz didn't have much choice, pulling the trigger as the unarmed ganger's cheek shattered, the single round leaving a crater of fractured bone as it exited the back of his skull. She could rationalize it later; he sealed his fate when he chose along with the rest of them to make an attempt on Wakako's life. At the same time as all this was happening, the fifth and final TC ganger slapped his submachine gun charging handle forward and fired several bursts. Miz leapt away to where she had dropped the katana, scooping it up as she rolled over her shoulder and to her knees. Her arm came to life again as she readied the blade in front. As the next burst came, her arm moved like a hummingbird's wings, the blade ringing with each round deflected.
After several bursts, the submachine gun clicked empty, leaving the ganger to drop the weapon in favor of his own blade as he readied himself, a low growl emanating from under his ornate mask. Miz took her stance, leaving the mantis blade hidden. They stepped carefully, keeping their distance as they tested each other's footwork. Miz took advantage of the time and inverted her grip, bringing her right arm to protect her open side. The ganger had enough, announcing his attack with a shout as he stepped forward and delivered a powerful downward slice. Miz stepped back, pivoting her stance on her right foot as she dodged to her right side. The attack exposed his left side, to which Miz responded with a quick jab. It was strong enough to crack his mask, partially revealing his face. Miz saw the writing on the wall and jumped back, readying herself again as she brought the sword up in a forward grip with both hands.
The ganger charged forward again, leading with a plunge of his sword as Miz blocked the attack; he quickly recovered into a horizontal slash, catching Miz off guard as she barely dodged to the left. She took a moment to regain her stance, letting pass a wide open shot to his right side. She likely wouldn't get another chance, so she prepared herself for a duel of attrition with several deep breaths.
Instead of turning to face Miz, her opponent dove away in the direction of one of the dispatched gangers, causing Miz's eyes to widen as his left arm exploded into two smaller appendages and he picked up both the wakizashi and tanto blades resting beside his fallen comrade. He turned to face her with a devious smile, his eyes glowing red, as he took an offensive stance and began his approach. Shit, shit shit shit SHIT!
Miz took a few steps back as her opponent charged forward, his three arms swiping and slashing erratically. Instead of trying to block, she simply dove out of his way, trying to stay out of reach as she scrambled to recover and face him. Every instinct in her brain was telling her to drop everything and run, but she knew that wasn't an option. Somebody had to answer for all of this, and likely her opponent would give chase anyway. It had to end here and now, somehow, some way.
Miz jumped back, avoiding another flurry of swings, followed by a charged jump with a backflip, landing her at least 30 feet away from her opponent at the other end of the alley. She had a moment to catch her breath, and she took a second of reprieve, centering herself with a deep breath and a smooth exhale. As her eyes opened, her opponent was charging at her again. She was backed up against a wall with no where to run, but that didn't bother her in the slightest; she was a freerunner afterall.
She smirked as she braced herself, jumping back against the wall before charging another jump off, the impact shaking loose some dust and bits of brick. Her opponent was too late to correct, slamming full force against the wall as she flew over and landed behind him. She had her opening, and she made quick use of it, scoring a heavy diagonal downward slash against his back. He cried out in pain before swinging around with both of his left arms. The counter was brutish and undisciplined, and Miz stepped back as she deflected both blades down; a quick change of her grip and she was able to block a wild surprise slash from his right side. The force of the block sent her spinning in place, the folds of her yukata flowing wildly with her movements. She played off the momentum as she planted her back foot before pushing off, stepping into him with an underhanded upward swing. The chrome of his entire left arm crashed against the ground as it fell from his body, a spew of blood following and painting the wall behind him; the tables had turned.
The ganger tried again for a wild attack with his right arm, causing Miz to jump and roll back over her shoulder to create some distance. As she recovered, he was stumbling forward, arm raised across his chest for an obvious sideways power slash. Miz dropped her own sword as she smiled and ran to meet him. The attack came exactly as prescribed, to which Miz ducked under, hearing the blade slicing the air above her head as she barreled into the ganger's unprotected chest with the full force of her shoulder. She followed up with a open right hand to his throat before her left hand wrenched his right arm down, snapping the bones in several places and forcing the sword inward as it pierced his gut. Miz applied both hands as she pressed the blade further, eliciting a scream from her opponent before she kicked him back.
He stumbled backwards before falling over, the blade protruding from his backside catching against the ground and causing further damage as it marred his insides. He choked on his own blood as he fought to get the screams out. Miz approached him from the side as she pulled the sword from his gut and raised it over her head. The solid red glow in her eyes subsided as she watched him bleeding profusely onto himself and the ground around him. It was done. He was done. She lowered the sword before tossing it aside as she took a deep breath with a sharp sigh of relief.
She sensed another presence watching, turning her head to the open end of the alley as she saw a bystander recording her with a phone next to a car; a car with a shattered windshield and half of a dead Tyger Claw sticking out. Oh. Shit.
Mized waved with a half-hearted smile before pulling a softpack from inside her yukata. It was crumpled all to hell, and yet miraculously, the cigarettes inside were still viable. She shook one loose and grabbed it between her lips before lighting it. With a deep inhale, her body calmed, and she felt an overwhelming sense of relief as she exhaled through her nostrils. Damn, that feels good.
With the most convenient timing, a holocall pinged in her head, followed by Billy's slightly panicked voice, "P-please give me some good news, Em..."
Miz laughed as she answered, "I'm alive and well, Tiger... hey, you goin' my way?"
Billy choked on his words as he spoke offline, a medley of relieved sighs in the background coming over the channel before he said, "Where are you?"
"Alley next to the Redwood building", Miz answered nonchalantly, "Four dead, one still breathing, but likely not for much longer. Figured maybe Wako could get something useful out of him."
Still trying to catch his breath from the sheer relief of hearing Miz's voice, Billy managed to muscle out, "Be there in 30 seconds..."
Miz blushed as she said, "Miss you already..."
The call dropped, and she took another drag as she stepped over the ganger, still bleeding but also still breathing. She leaned over, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. She pulled him up to look in his flurried eyes as she smacked his cheek and said with a smirk, "How's 'bout it choom, you still in there?"
--
[Thirty minutes later, Pachinko Parlors, Jig-Jig Street]
The unfortunate thing about taking a wounded prisoner is having to provide some level of triage. Billy didn't bother putting his best foot forward, but he and a few of Wakako's TCs did just enough to keep the ganger alive. He was barely conscious, but at least they managed to stop the bleeding. The ride back to Jig-Jig Street tested everyone's patience as the ganger used his lucid moments to scream and swear in Japanese, assuring everyone else in the vehicle they would soon die along with the "old hag of Westbrook". Miz had to restrain herself a few times from putting him out of his misery, if for nothing else than bleeding all over her favorite yukata. The cherry blossom behind her ear had long since fallen out, her makeup was trashed, and she looked like she'd been through hell and back. But she got the job done.
When they finally arrived, Billy looked as though he hadn't seen her in years, and he almost refused to let go of her; that was, until the younger TCs escorting him made it painfully clear they didn't know the first thing about combat first-aid.
As they both walked through the market, Miz insisted on dragging the ganger herself, much to the ire of everyone else around them. People didn't come to Jig-Jig for gore, they came to get their rocks off. A hacked-to-pieces Tyger Claw lieutenant was sure to spoil the mood for everyone.
Miz didn't even stop for the goons guarding the parlors, and they didn't even try to stop her. A brilliant bit of foresight, the parlors had been declared closed for the evening, the customers ushered out unceremoniously. Miz already knew Pops and Liv were waiting in Wakako's office, which brought a particular thought to mind as she called to Billy, "Hey. Get Liv somewhere safe... she doesn't need to see what happens next."
Billy didn't want to leave Miz's side, but he understood, and he appreciated her looking out. He stepped ahead into Wakako's office, urging Liv to come "see the sights" with him. She protested at first, but a gentle push from Pops drove the point home. She had no business in watching what was about to happen. She carefully stepped out of the office before stopping, her eyes wide in horror at seeing Miz for the first time since earlier that evening.
Miz scoffed, remembering that the last time Liv had seen her, she likely wasn't covered in someone else's blood with shreds of RealSkinn hanging off her right arm. She shrugged her eyebrows with a smirk and said, "Ya okay, Liv?"
Struggling to find her words, much less her breath in this moment, Liv stared blankly ahead as Billy urged her to keep walking. She was a tough woman, having survived forty-something years in Night City, but she wasn't a hardened merc like the rest of them. It was better that she have no part in this. Miz's eyes followed them as they walked past, Liv careful to give a wide berth to the ganger dragging against the floor. Miz turned her head, making sure Liv was out of the parlor entirely before she stepped into Wakako's office with her new friend, or what was left of him, and closed the door behind her.
Wakako was sitting calmly at her desk, an amused look on her face as she eyed Miz up and down for several seconds before she turned to Pops and said, "I'm glad you followed my advice, Phoenix. This child is... something else."
Pops was leaning against the credenza across the office with a smile as he said, "Did the best I could, given the circumstances."
Miz wanted to laugh, but she was still jumpy from the adrenaline and not quite sure how to feel, so she simply bowed her head. This further amused Wakako, as Miz was still holding the ganger by the back of his collar while trying to maintain some decorum.
Pops picked up on it as he asked, "Miz, plannin' on takin' that fella with you?"
Miz stifled a laugh as she held the ganger up, slowly regaining his faculties, and brought the pertinent facts to light as she said, "He's a lieutenant for our favorite rogue faction."
She jerked him to the side, showing a tattoo of a familiar pagoda with green roofs creeping up his neck from the jacket. There was a perturbed grumble from Wakako, followed by a scream from the ganger as Miz dropped him. He was definitely awake now.
Wakako's eyes flashed blue, and several seconds later, the door to her office slid open as a large goon walked in before she instructed him, "Take this man and do what you do best. I will be along shortly."
The goon smiled before bowing his head as he leaned down, wrapping his arm around the ganger's torso with no regard for the latter's stomach wound as he hoisted the man over his shoulder and turned to leave amid another battery of screams. The door was closed, and they were alone again.
There was a proud approval in Wakako's eyes, but just the slightest tinge of guilt as she looked again to Miz and said, "I am sorry to have shouldered you with this, child..."
Wakako always chose her words carefully, but Miz had learned to read between the lines as her eyes narrowed and she said, "You knew... didn't ya?"
Face painted with shame, Wakako looked away as she answered, "There... there were rumors. Rumblings, even. But that is not why I invited you, I assure you."
Miz smiled with a hint of blush at seeing Wakako embarrassed as she threw the old gal a bone and said, "Wouldn't matter if it was, Wako. The fact that an invitation was extended, work or otherwise, shows how much respect you have for Pops and me. The feeling's mutual."
Wakako cracked a smile as she said, "There are days I wish I had someone of your wisdom and honor on the inside, child."
Again stifling a laugh, not wanting to show any disrespect, Miz shut that thought down, "You and I both know I work better on the outside. I've been down that road before."
"And you still carry with you the scars from that chapter of your life", Wakako fired back with a hint of sadness in her voice. Miz flinched at the words, wanting to retract inward slightly.
There was an uncomfortable silence before something on the TV caught Wakako's attention, and she direct both of them to look as her eyes flashed blue and the volume increased.
"...disaster at the Dashi parade as a firefight broke out earlier tonight... while nothing is confirmed yet, our sources tell us the attack was a deliberate attempt on Wakako Okada's life by a rogue scavenger element... in a stranger turn of events, a bystander caught this violent exchange on video, showing five Tyger Claws facing off with an unknown assailant near the Redwood Building below the Market levels... the bystander was pulled into the altercation following a dead Tyger Claws member being thrown into her windshield, presumably by the female assailant... the recording is already making waves throughout the Net, garnering some 200,000 unique views barely an hour after the incident is reported to have occurred..."
Miz really didn't need to see this again; she was there, she lived it. Wakako and Pops both watched with wide eyes, observing Miz doing what she did best. She looked down at the floor, her skin itching from the remains of dried blood; not hers, although she had her fair share of bruises and cuts. She raised her right arm, observing the damage done as she clenched her jaw. All she wanted was to scrub herself clean, leave this night behind her.
Wakako could read her like an open book, and her eyes flashed blue. Miz's and Pops' eyes both flashed in response as they looked back to her in shock. They had each just received a flash transfer of 25,000 eddies, followed by Wakako's voice, "This is the least I can do for everything you all have done for me tonight."
They both bowed their heads, but Miz still had a burning question. She looked at her arm again, specifically at the dermal imprint tattoo, before she looked back to Wakako and said, "There's something you're not telling me about this, isn't there?"
A cheeky smile crept up on Wakako's face as Miz continued, "I'm fairly handy with a blade, but never have I been able to deflect bullets."
Wakako bowed her head before speaking, "It is true, powerful things often come in small and unassuming packages..."
Miz cocked her head and crossed her arms as the elderly fixer continued, "Yes, that imprint is a visual sign of my inner circle, of those in whom I place my trust. But it also contains a smart-targeting module as well. It allows for the use of 'smart weapons', but also allows for projectile tracking, boosting your reflexes and response time when faced with an immediate threat."
Miz's eyes widened as she followed up, "So that's why Cassius had to remove my inner forearm plate to do the work..."
Wakako nodded in silence. Miz wasn't going to press her; she had her reasons for not mentioning it. Not the least of which probably had to do with the fact that every time they had seen one another, Kenji's Unity was in plain sight, either in Miz's hand or strapped to her thigh. It was no mystery to anyone that Miz favored "dumb" weapons; no fancy tech to malfunction. She chuckled to herself as she said, "Man, now I feel like a real asshole, cheating on Vik like that."
Pops laughed to himself as Wakako smiled and said, "Enough for now. Go home and rest, child. I have matters to tend to."
They knew what that meant; very soon, Miz's new "friend" was going to wish she had finished him off. They both bowed their heads and turned to leave as Miz waved and said, "Take care of yourself, Wako."
Wakako replied, "You as well. Thank you for this evening."
As they walked through the empty parlor, Pops placed his arm around Miz and said, "You alright, kiddo?"
Miz guessed her face must have told a different story as she said, "Yeah, just pissed about my arm. Hurts. I'll go see Vik in the morning."
Pops pulled her close and gave her a peck on the side of her head as he said, "Ya did real good tonight."
Miz wrinkled her nose with a smirk as she nudged Pops and said, "I have you to thank for it."
"Nah-h-h, all's I gave was a bit o' spit an' polish", Pops fired back with a chuckle. They exited the parlor, finding Billy and Liv sharing a smoke and waiting. They all smiled to each other, glad to see everyone safe and sound. It was time to get home.
--
[One hour later, Lower Levels, Japantown Markets]
The door to the apartment slid open, the neon signs and lights flashing through the windows. It wasn't long after the attack that the festivities resumed, bringing with it a small glimmer of hope; that the resolve of Night City's inhabitants couldn't be beat. Miz walked briskly over to the kitchen table, taking a quick look outside before knocking back two shots of sake, one right after the other, with a sharp sigh. She looked down to her arm again, her jaw clenched as she said under her breath, "Fuck it."
She went to work, removing the damaged bits of RealSkinn from her arm and hand, fully revealing the machinery underneath. There was some abrasion and scoring on the bare chrome, but it was all cosmetic. Miz actually didn't mind the end result, but she preferred to not advertise the giant fucking blade of doom she carried in her right arm. She'd need to make the call to Vik at some point, but right now all she wanted was a shower.
She loosened the sash before pulling it off entirely, laying it carefully on the table before pulling open the folds of her yukata. She shrugged her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor as she stood naked in front of the window for a few seconds. She could hear Billy on the other end of the apartment, likely talking to Liv, making sure they got home okay after they parted ways at the NCART station. Miz and Billy both had offered to crash on the couch, let Liv and Pops take the bed; the offer fell flat, Billy suspecting his mom was a little shaken up at everything, and Pops certainly wasn't going to leave her alone in her present state. Miz smiled as she watched Billy pacing back and forth, looking genuinely concerned; he had so much love for the important people in his life.
Finally, Miz turned away from the window and made her way to the bathroom, the lights activating automatically. She stared at herself in the mirror for what felt like a long time, the dried blood on her face and in her hair mixing with the bruises on her arms and torso. A brief thought flashed through her mind, gone almost as quick as it came, What have I become...
She shook her head and stepped into the shower, turning it on and sighing deep with relief as the hot water poured over her. She brought her arms up and let the water pool in her hands before splashing it against her face. She quickly went to work, scrubbing the dried blood from her face with soap and a microfiber cloth. Before long, the water and suds running down her body and legs were tinged red as the entire medley circled the drain. It was almost hypnotizing to watch, Miz feeling herself lost in it to the point she didn't even hear anyone else enter. Billy's arms wrapped around her from behind, and she fell back into him as she said softly, "Heya, Tiger. Liv okay?"
Billy smiled as he brought his hands up and scrubbed the remaining blood from Miz's scalp with his fingertips before running his fingers through her hair as he said, "She will be. Just needs a strong drink and some sleep."
Miz blushed for a second; if she felt safe wrapped up in Billy's arms, she could only imagine how safe Liv felt in Pops' arms. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as Billy worked gently through her hair. He took advantage of the opportunity as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, and she squealed lightly. Finally, the last bits of claret were gone, the run-off no longer stained red. Miz turned to Billy as she looked in his eyes for a long time. She could see there was something he wanted to say, and she cocked her head to the side as she asked, "W-what is it?"
Billy smirked and answered, "I, uh... fuck. You look really sexy handling a katana..."
Miz sucked her teeth with a giggle as she tapped Billy's stomach before turning the water off and stepping out. Her eyes flashed blue as the windows opened, the sounds of the parade trailing in with a cool evening breeze. She stood next to the open window, shivering slightly before Billy grabbed her from behind and wrapped a large towel around them. She lit a cigarette and took a drag before placing it between Billy's lips, and they both exhaled smoke together as they watched the parade go by. This was all they wanted, and they finally had it.
--
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