"Hey, hey, hey, Cole, you're being way too reckless. This isn't sustainable."
Two figures darted swiftly through the dark streets. Above them, a patrol craft belonging exclusively to the MaxTac unit clung like a stubborn shadow, refusing to be shaken.
"Sustainable? You just focus on running. I'll handle the 'sustainable' part."
As they fled, they weaved and dodged the hail of bullets raining down from the sky.
"Hey! I can't keep this up much longer!"
Cole's companion, a mechanical ninja clad head-to-toe in sleek silver armor that hid his features, spoke while running. In one fluid motion, he drew a small knife from his waist.
With a series of sharp clangs, the bullets meant for him were deflected with precise strikes.
"Whoa, that new cyberware is something else! You can actually slice bullets now?"
Watching his companion Genji's movements, Cole let out an impressed whistle.
"This thing guzzles stamina like crazy. You'd better figure something out before I'm running on empty, or we're both done for."
Genji's voice was laced with exasperation.
"Don't sweat it. I've already got an idea."
Cole, chewing on the stub of a burnt-out cigar, wore a grin.
"What idea?" Genji asked, his voice brightening with hope as he looked at Cole.
"My super brain is telling me it's time for the super cyberware!"
As he spoke, Cole suddenly slammed on the brakes, skidding to a halt right in the middle of the road. Directly above them was the MaxTac patrol craft.
So far, only one was pursuing them, but if they delayed any longer, reinforcements would swarm.
While they were special enough that the average MaxTac squad couldn't handle them, they'd eventually be worn down by sheer numbers.
"I knew your brain wouldn't come up with anything good!"
Genji facepalmed in resignation.
The next moment, Cole raised his arm. The plain, unadorned mechanical limb suddenly revealed faint seam lines. Under Genji's watchful gaze, the arm rapidly reconfigured, parts flipping and rotating until it transformed directly into an arm-cannon.
"Fire!"
In the next instant, a powerful shell launched from his arm.
BOOM!!!
In mere moments, the projectile scored a direct hit on the patrol craft in the sky. The vehicle, its power systems failing, listed erratically before plummeting downward and erupting into a ball of fire.
"Holy crap! You had a weapon like that all along? Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Genji stared at the scene, unable to hold back his astonishment.
"Because it only had one shot. It's useless now. Stop yapping and find us a ride, quick. We need to get out of the city. Staying here means a permanent target on our backs."
"And where are we supposed to find a vehicle at this hour? Arasaka cleared the whole area."
Genji wailed, even as his eyes scanned the surroundings for any suitable transportation.
Then, they spotted her. Not far away, a girl with exquisitely delicate features was sitting in the driver's seat of a jeep, waving them over.
"What do we do?"
Genji looked at the scene, hesitation in his voice.
"We get in! I don't know who she is, but we're out of options. If she has any other ideas, she still won't be able to keep us here!"
"Alright!"
After a brief exchange, they gritted their teeth and rushed towards the jeep, piling into the back seat where Silver Wolf sat.
"Hold on tight, folks! This old driver's about to hit the gas!"
Seeing the two in the back, Silver Wolf grinned, slammed her foot on the accelerator, and the jeep shot forward. This jeep was something she'd 'created' using her abilities, and it was top-notch in every way.
"Relax, you're safe in my ride. Those guys won't find us now."
Noting their still-shaken state, Silver Wolf chuckled, addressing the two in the back.
"Why help us?"
Even though Silver Wolf looked like a young girl, Cole didn't let his guard down. In Night City, anyone but yourself could betray you. Cole knew that rule well, which is why he felt even more tense now inside her vehicle.
"Is that any way to treat your savior? I went to all the trouble of deciding to be merciful and rescue you just this once."
Through the rearview mirror, Silver Wolf could see the wariness on their faces and teased them lightly.
"Sorry, miss. But there are no 'good people' in Night City. If you don't clarify your intentions, I find it hard to trust you."
Cole shook his head gently.
"Hmm... why did I help you... let me think."
Silver Wolf drove with one hand, lost in thought for a moment before slowly replying, "Just consider it a whim. I just saw you guys fighting in the street via a remote feed, and now I ran into you. Of course I had to get involved. It's fun, isn't it?"
"Fun...?"
Hearing her answer, Cole and Genji exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.
That reasoning... was just too bizarre...
So you picked a fight with Arasaka for fun?
Cole's lip twitched. This girl seemed normal enough, with no visible cyberware modifications. Was she a natural-born people person? Or maybe she had Cyberpsychosis?
"I get the feeling you're thinking something very rude right now."
Silver Wolf, observing Cole's expression, looked at him quizzically.
"No, absolutely not."
Meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror, Cole quickly shook his head.
"Whatever. Just pretend I'm playing a game. Saving you was a sudden side quest."
Silver Wolf sighed, then stated flatly.
As she spoke, she pressed the accelerator harder, and the jeep sped through Night City.
Seriously, the design of this car was so impractical. Did they not consider that the driver might be short? From the outside, you could barely see the driver, just the top of a ponytail bobbing.
They raced on, heading for the city limits.
Soon, they encountered a group of people whose faces were disfigured by implanted cyberware, making them look fierce and grotesque.
They stood in the road, brandishing weapons, clearly intending to force the jeep to stop.
"Out for a late-night stroll and blocking the road? What could they possibly want? So hard to guess!"
Silver Wolf glanced at the group ahead, pursed her lips, and instead of slowing down, she floored the accelerator, charging straight for them.
She couldn't be bothered dealing with these so-called gang members.
"What the--?"
Seeing the jeep not only fail to slow but actually accelerate, the gang members were enraged. They immediately tried to use their bodies to block its path.
The next moment... THUMP!
A dull thud sounded, and the jeep jolted slightly before quickly smoothing out again.
"What was that?"
The tension that had just begun to ease in Cole and Genji returned in full force. They hadn't noticed the people blocking the road.
"No idea."
Silver Wolf replied dismissively, utterly unconcerned.
But a moment later, a bloody hand slapped onto the window frame from the roof of the jeep.
"Hey, hey, hey! You hit someone! Is that really okay?"
Looking at the gang member who was clearly more dead than alive, Cole couldn't help but break a sweat.
This girl was seriously strange!
"Blind spot. Didn't see him. Thought it was just a speed bump. It's fine, I have insurance. He can take it up with them. Times are tough for everyone, you know? I'm just trying to survive out here too."
As she spoke, Silver Wolf hit the gas again, swiftly flinging the body on the roof off into the night.
"...Fine. Whatever makes you happy."
Witnessing this, Cole said nothing more. The guy didn't look like a decent person anyway, not with those monstrous modifications.
Silver Wolf drove fast, and it wasn't long before they left Night City behind.
Pulling the jeep over to the roadside, Silver Wolf hopped out of the driver's seat and stretched with a big, satisfying groan.
"So? Didn't steer you wrong, did I?"
Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow, looking at the two men.
"Thank you... for your assistance, miss. I will remember this debt."
After confirming their surroundings were safe, Genji bowed slightly towards Silver Wolf, his movements carrying a formal, almost archaic grace that felt out of place in this cyberpunk world.
"Alright, alright. I didn't save you for a reward. I'm just curious about your story. So, feel like sharing? Why take such a huge risk to cross Arasaka? And... most people who try something like that would have been dead many times over."
Silver Wolf perched on the hood of the jeep, her small legs swinging idly in the air.
She looked at them with a gaze full of open curiosity. The corporate influence in this world was no joke. For these two to cause trouble for a corp and still be breathing, they must have serious skills.
"Yeah, most people who cross the corps die. Knowing that, you still dared to save us?"
Cole countered.
"I'm not 'most people.' The corps aren't enough to scare me."
Silver Wolf rolled her eyes and smirked. She could waltz in and out of the Interastral Peace Corporation's headquarters like it was her own bathroom, let alone some corp that only controlled a single planet—and not even completely at that.
If anyone else had said that, Cole would have laughed at their naivety for daring to provoke a corp.
But for some reason, coming from Silver Wolf, the words carried a strange conviction.
"It's not really a secret. The corp destroyed my home, so I hate them. I want to smash them to pieces. It's that simple."
Cole stated calmly. "My hometown, my wife, my daughter... all destroyed by the corp. Thirty years ago, I was just an ordinary farmer. Had a few machines, raised some cattle, owned some land. Married a local girl, had a beautiful daughter. To be honest, I was a real piece of work back in my youth—always out drinking, coming home and causing scenes..."
A wistful, pained look crossed Cole's face as he spoke.
"I still don't know how my wife put up with me back then. Maybe because of our child? Anyway, that life went on for about ten years. Then the corp showed up."
"They were arrogant, took a liking to my farm and the surrounding land, wanted to turn it into some tourist spot. Of course I refused. That farm had been in the family for over two hundred years. I couldn't let it end with me. So I said no. The corp tried negotiating a buyout a few times, got nowhere, and things seemed to quiet down."
"From what I understand, monopolistic corps like that aren't usually so... understanding."
Silver Wolf interjected.
"Yeah, of course they weren't. A month later, right in the middle of the harvest season, my farm was packed with stored goods... and then... it caught fire. With the yard full of flammable material, the blaze spread fast, consumed everything."
As he spoke, Cole's face contorted with anguish. "I still remember... Hailey, she put our child in my arms and desperately pushed me out of the burning house... But the fire was too intense. I couldn't save Hailey. I couldn't save our daughter either. When I woke up, my body... was like this."
Cole gestured with his mechanical arm, using it to adjust the brim of his hat.
"My injuries were too severe. All the Doctor could do was replace most of my body with cyberware to keep me alive. But, it's not all bad. With this body, I can finally send those corporate bastards to hell."
Cole let out a short, bitter laugh.
But Silver Wolf could guess how much suffering lay behind those words. Cyberware in this world wasn't something just anyone could handle. It required specific aptitude and control.
The Cole from his farming days wouldn't have had the physical conditioning he had now. To endure such extensive modifications, the effort must have been immense.
Perhaps sensing Silver Wolf was an ally, Genji also opened up, sharing his story.
The gist was that his homeland had partnered with a corp, but the corp later double-crossed them.
This led to a major falling out with his own elder brother, even escalating to a violent confrontation.
The head-to-toe silver armor he wore was a result of that fight. Both brothers had fought to kill. Genji, the younger brother, was slightly less skilled and ultimately defeated. He left home in disgrace.
But when he finally came to terms with his identity and decided to return home, he received news of his brother's death—all orchestrated by the corp from behind the scenes.
"Corps are just the worst. You hardly hear about stuff like this happening in the real world anymore..."
Silver Wolf shook her head slowly.
"In that case," she began after a moment of casual chatter, "how about joining me?"
Having sized them up and decided they were decent, Silver Wolf saw this as a perfect chance for a companion recruitment drive.
--+--
[Meanwhile, elsewhere, David was running into trouble of his own.]
"Who... are you?"
David stared blankly at the two hulking men at his door.
The next instant, one of them grabbed him by the throat and lifted him clean off the ground.
"It was you! What the hell did you do to our hospital?!"
David's face instantly turned a sickly shade. Clearly, enemies had come for revenge.
And... he was no match for these guys!
Silver Wolf had mentioned during their chat that the hospital incident was a big deal, and since they hadn't tied up all the loose ends, someone would come looking for him eventually.
David had thought it would take them at least a little while to react. He never expected their efficiency to be this terrifying.
In less than half a day, they were already at his door?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.