Cherreads

Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Paranoia Problems

『Lucyna Kushinada』

To say Lucyna was suspicious about Rebecca's new input would be an understatement.

A mercenary that came out of nowhere, one whose real name and face no one knew, and decided to approach Rebecca out of all people in Night City, not having a close personal relationship with anyone in Night City other than seemingly the Capitan from what Lucyna had researched with a quick net dive.

She did not think too much on it until she actually met him in person and there were so many red lights he may as well have been a lamp.

He noticed her camera scouting immediately, that was fair, most experienced mercs could. But the thing that sent a shiver down her spine was the utter lack of cybernetics and the fact that she could not assign his face or find any traces of him in the web or databases at all.

It was like someone had wiped all traces of him from the web to preserve his identity, or to make him a ghost. Such a thorough job could have only been done by a Megacorp.

He was also too young to be a merc with his reputation. Maybe if he was fully borged but no cybernetics and a reputation like that? It didn't add up. A reputation like that cannot be gotten by pure luck.

And then there was his demeanor.

A blank disinterested face, someone who looked like they barely cared about the world around them. She tried to crack his smart glasses and agent but she made barely any progress, that was not normal. That was some Corpo executive level firewalls. The kind you put real money into because you don't want what's inside to get leaked.

All the signs of a Corpo trained child soldier, she knew the look too well.

Then there was the thing that truly scared her.

The recognition in his eyes when he saw her.

He knew her.

That was not the look of someone who met a stranger for the firs time. It could just be her paranoid but she could not ignore it. Not when so many things added together as well.

He also had Asian charasteristics, not too many but...

It all painted a scary image in her mind.

How do you take down a Netrunner? The worst opponent for them is someone without any cybernetics to exploit, some companies trained squads of agents who were utterly without cybernetics, just basic implants like dense marrows, skeletons, reinforced muscles etc. to take down Rogue Netrunners and ambush them. Raised frrm childhood for that purpose so that they wouldn't have a Neuroport.

Was he an Arasaka agent they sent down to track her? That shouldn't be, she hid her tracks well, and she was not that valuable of an asset. But what if he encountered her by chance and recognized her?

The most damming part was he just handed Rebecca over when she said yes to 'Dorio or Maine' without even feeling the need to confirm. If Rebecca had shown their appearance he would not have felt the need to ask in the first place. But he accepted the fact at face value despite being a mercenary. Not even doubting that she was 'Lucy'.

The terror gripped at Lucyna's heart. She couldn't get a wink of sleep that night.

And when Maine proposed a mission tomorrow and Rebecca suggested they bring 'Grimm' along, Lucyna volunteered.

She needed to meet him and make sure of his intentions, and do her absolute best to dispose of him.

On the off chance he was not an Arasaka agent, she would count her blessings and thank god despite an atheist. But on the certainty that he was, she'd kill him.

She'd feel bad for Rebecca, she was the closest person she had to a friend in the crew other than Kiwi. But she would do it.

Then came the gig itself.

It had not gone smoothly that was for sure, Rebecca acted like an angry drunk and Grimm her poor boyfriend who had to deal with her tantrum while Lucyna pilfered their subnets for info. But she was intercepted by an enemy Netrunner just long enough to send a distress signal, but after she was able to find out what happened to the clients son(died of a glitter overdose and dumped into the sea to shirk blame).

When the whole ordeal went to shit, she saw how Grimm moved for herself and it was... something.

He moved like a robot, measured, eerily composed, poised, aim moving like a camera tracking an object. He moved like he knew where bullets were going to strike before they struck. He danced around everyone with an Overture of all things. Lucy and Rebecca were no slouches in the gunfight that ensued but Grimm showed his reputation was not in vain.

He was no Maine, Maine was a monster in his own, but Maine was like an unstoppable bulldozer, Grimm was an assassin or a secret operations agent. In the end, not a single bullet found its way to him.

Everyone made it out with minimal injuries and headed to the hideout for celebrations , change of clothes, and drinks while Lucy nodded and tagged along with.

While Rebecca made her way to her part of the hideout she stored her stuff at, Grimm headed to the bathroom, seeing the perfect opportunity, she followed him in, her hand on her unity and the door closing and locking shut behind them.

Pshhhhh!

Lucyna blinked as he kept pissing rather loudly but just before she pulled out her gun, he spoke, spooking her.

"I wouldn't pull that out if I were you."

The steam of piss stopped and Lucy swallowed a nervous gulp, it felt like a Mexican standoff, only in a bathroom with a half naked man with his back to her. Utterly vulnerable, yet he felt untouchable at the same time

But she steeled her resolve and pulled her gun anyway, though before she could take aim, Grimm suddenly turned around and gripped her wrists, pinning her against the wall with a serious expression and his fairly large phallus dangling in the wind.

He was strong, but not notably stronger than her due to her implants, but them he spoke.

"So, mind explaining why you tried to Kagetora me?"

A statement so absurd that it made her do a double take.

"I- what?"

He shook his head.

"Sorry, outdated reference, why did you decide I deserved to face death while I pissed? Not to complain about a girl joining me in the toilet but you kinda caught me with my pants down."

Lucy narrowed her eyes.

✧―✧―✧―✧「」✧―✧―✧―✧

『Felix Karl Grimm』

What the fuck man?

If I had been just a second late with precognition that I activated the moment she opened the door things could have gone really bad. For Lucy that is.

It was only a hasty mental command that stopped Giffany form cooking Lucy inside out by overheating all of her implants when she tried to pull a gun on me. Now, I was facing the Netrunner in a cramped bathroom with my pants down and cock and balls out. Desperately trying to keep her pinned against the wall.

Which was not the greatest of ideas when I knew she had Monowires but I had to make my case heard before Giffany brutally murdered her, I could already feel her impatiently waiting to tear Lucy's neurons to shreds using her own Cyberdeck.

"Look, before you do anything, at least let me make my case ok? Let's talk like adult."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at me, damn, now that I think about it, that's kinda hot, we are in a bathroom and I'm half naked at such a distance-

This is NOT the time buddy.

"What do you mean talk?"

Lucy basically spat out while I narrowed my eyes. At least that was one foot in the door.

Why was I trying so hard to save Lucy at this moment? Probably because I simply wanted to.

I liked Lucyna Kushinada, and I wanted to save her, and it would make Rebecca sad if she died. There was not much thought beyond that. I felt no need to rationalize my actions.

"Lucy, I literally have my pants down and my cock and balls out in front of you. I literally cannot be more vulnerable in front of you." With the exception of Giffany who could turn her brain to mush before she could pull the trigger. "whatever problem you have with me. Just say it so that I can address it. If you do not like my answer, you are the one with implants while my Overture is down there inside my pants."

That's right, I was going to try and use a power most unknown, most elusive to worlds like these.

Proper communication.

"What? You mean to tell me you really aren't some 'Saka op? Cut the bullshit."

I pulled the most deadpan face I could muster.

"Lucy, I have no fucking idea what you are talking about. I don't know what gave off the impression that I am, but I am about as far as you can get from a corpo. Hell, I hit up a Saka convoy days ago, if you doubt that, ask Capitan about it."

She stood silent, she did not seem very convinced but shaken enough, so I continued.

"Alright, let's think it through logically, what would I have done if I were an Arasaka agent? Considering you are so scared of them, you probably did something to piss off am exec. If I really as trying to work against you, I'd have killed you long ago, you know I could have done it. You really think an Arasaka agent would let their pants down in front of you? Or let alone have this conversation with you?"

She turned her gaze away and the resistance from her arms decreased making me release the slightest of sighs of relief.

Using Precognition to confirm, I slowly let her hands go, and she made no move to attack.

"Fine, I'll believe you."

Charisma Check: Success, hell yeah baby. No hot girl was dying in front of me today.

"Well, you are welcome. Hope you can ask me first next time instead of ambushing me with my pants down."

After a few beats of silence, she raised an eyebrow.

"Not gonna ask?"

I shrugged.

"Everyone has their own demons, I didn't want to pry."

That seemed to get a positive response from her at once.

"...Thanks."

A thanks? In this city? Lucy is one of a kind.

"You're welcome Lucy, a friend of Rebecca's is a friend of mine."

"...Alright, you gonna put that thing away or not?"

I looked down at my half erect phallus and then back at her.

"You are the netrunner that locked us in here and is actively choosing to stay in the cramped bathroom with the man whose pants are down. I'm not the weird one here."

I crossed my arms and stared her down.

She held my stern gaze.

Eventually, the silence was broken by her chuckling. If even the ice queen Lucy was chuckling at this moment, she must have been so utterly tense before.

"You're a weird guy Grimm."

I let a small smile creep into my lips.

"And you aren't?"

She shook her head and sighed, returning to her neutral expression.

"Whatever, enjoy the rest of your piss."

With that she left the room, allowing me to, indeed, return to pissing.

I'm glad that went down peacefully?

Feat Achieved! Pacify Lucyna Kushinada without violence

+1x Silver Trait Gacha Ticket

Ooh, gimme!

Rolling Silver Trait Gacha Ticket...

A Uncommon Trait.

[Feline Friend]

|Uncommon Trait|

You are a friend to all cats kind. All felines and feline-related beings are more favorable towards you, and it is easier to earn their affection. In addition, you are unordinarily flexible and your sense of balance and reflexes are slightly increased.

Suddenly I felt a wave of slight heat wash over me before I felt all my muscles loosen like receiving gods best massage, all tension melted away and my joints felt almost lubed up. I could probably put a contortionist to shame now.

Hmm, should I get a cat?

A/N: As it turns out, Lucy's act was completely valid, you cannot blame her for being paranoid when Grimm acts like her fears rolled into one. Unfortunately for her, Grimm has an ability unknown to most worlds, called de-escalation and proper direct communication, an ability so powerful that it may even be considered a cheat.

Oh boy, yet another trait that makes Grimm into a better sharpshooter! This is only his... let's see... his sixth roll that makes him a better gunslinger out of his 11 rolls so far. The Gacha definitely has a bias and the world he is in seems to affecting Grimm's rolls for sure.

______________________________

If you like my works and want to support me and my works you can do so at my P*treon at: p*treon.com/BronzDeck. You can also read up to 10 chapters ahead on all of my works and read my snippets there and participate in story polls.

Just replace the * with an a.

More Chapters