Ghost in the City

Chapter 25

I dont know how long it was before I woke up, but I knew I wasnt rested. In fact I felt pretty awful. I was hanging in the air. It took me a minute to realize I had a chain around my chest and under my arms and I was hanging in the air as my feet waved a bit below me.

All Foods? I wondered as I looked around.

No, I noticed as I looked around. It didn't look like a food place. Or the All Foods Factory. This was more

Warehouse.

Oh finally awake huh? Good. An unfamiliar voice called out and I looked around.

Suddenly I was jerked to the side and my eyes met the glowing red spider optics of a fully borged out Maelstrom.

We already called the Oni out. Let him know we have his little sister. Hopefully he comes soon, I really want to rip him into pieces. Think Ill even chip in his arms. They belonged to a choom I knew. Good chrome. Itll be nice to wear it. He spoke smiling with an awful smile. I could smell chemicals and death on his breath.

Thats right Maelstrom liked their drugs and chrome.

The fuckhs an Onhi? I asked, my face was puffed up and it felt like my lips were numb. Yeah I had gotten hit pretty hard there.

The Oni! Oni! The fuck are you trying to pull! He suddenly screamed at me as he shook me around. Hey Ratchet, chill out big guy. Chill here, have a hit from this, its good shit. A new voice called out as a still borged out strom walked in, but at least he wasnt an imminent Cyberpsycho like this other guy.

I hoped.

He tossed the borg an inhaler who dropped me letting me swing a bit from the chain as he took a hit.

Heh. Bad luck girl. Oni has been chopping our choombas up for the last month, so we are solving that today. If your brother doesnt show up in an hour we are throwing you to the scavenging pit. You got some preem peepers. I know lots of chooms that will happily carve them out of your skull.

Chathming. I muttered, earring a chuckle from the man who walked up and steadied me.

Sorry about the hands. But eh, they were meat anyways. Who knows if you kill someone in the pit we will let you take theirs, how about it. Sounds like a nice deal right? He chuckled at me as I glared back at him. Dont be like that, I mean, its a chance for you to survive, better than nothing eh? He asked then chuckled darkly.

Yeah real funny, how was I supposed to kill someone without hands?

Weapthons? I asked finally as he was just waiting around watching me with a sinister smile on his lips.

If he thought I would cry or beg, or something he was in for a surprise.

Heh! Feisty! No weapons, at least no guns. Its about chrome on chrome But tell you what girl. He said as he walked away towards a table.

Ah. My stuff.

He grinned as he pulled out my knife. Still coated in white borg blood he waved it around before pointing it at me. Ill let you take this into the ring, what do you say? Yes Or no?

I didnt hesitate. He was definitely trying to play me, but without that knife I was dead.

Yes. he smiled and then he stabbed me. I grunted as he plowed the knife into my right forearm. I couldnt see it as my arms were stuck back behind me, but I felt it.

I hung there for a moment letting cool completely coat my mind not a sound escaped me.

M gonna kill ya fer dat. I rasped after a minute and the man burst into a happy smile.

I love when they say yes. He whispered into my ear before walking out of the room.

Leaving me hanging there.

Ow.

--

A long period of time passed where I was forced to just hang there under the watchful eyes of the Cyberpsycho who would take a hit from his inhaler every couple of minutes. I had time to think. To consider. I had tried to call, but I wasnt able to get anything to go through. Texts bounced back as well. Probably some kind of jammer up.

I opened my stat menu. I had a skill and stat point. Time to use it. Because I wont get another chance if I die. I had wanted to level ninjutsu again. But they werent leaving me unsupervised. The psycho was staring at me. It was creepy.

So I only had one real option, something to give me the highest chance in the fight to come.

Reflex 6. Blades 6.

I let the knowledge flow through me. I dont know if it would be enough, but I could only hope it was.

The door opened again. A long painful time later.

Well its past our deadline! Time to face the Scavenging pit! Shame the Oni didnt come. But eh, well get him next time! The bastard said as he jerked his head, and the psycho stood up and easily lifted me off the hook that I had been hanging from. I winced as he wasnt gentle, and he definitely hit the knife, jostling it on purpose.

Ow.

So Juns Nickname was the Oni? Thats pretty cool. Good job Jun, you became famous.

Fuck my everything hurt. I think the fuckers broke my nose too.

They dragged me out of the back room they kept me in which had probably been the warehouses office, into a riot of activity.

A party was going on. Or something like it. I was carried through the crowd and more than a few Maelstrom laughed or even reached out to give me a punch as they carried me through the crowd.

Ow.

But it wasnt all Maelstrom. Plenty of normals were hanging around, getting drunk or taking drugs. The room wasnt packed exactly, but it was definitely a party.

Then I was dropped into a pit. Cat-like saving me once again as I landed well enough not to splatter my skull across the concrete. I was in a charnel house. Old dried blood was everywhere, and I could see body parts still littering the ground.

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. If you are going to have a fighting pit at least have some fucking class.

Haha! Welcome everyone! We have a surprise for tonight! The Sister of the Oni! he called out and the crowd went wild as I slowly rose up to my knees. They had pulled off the chain from around my chest when they threw me in. So I was finally able to bring my arms forward.

To look at my stumps.

At least they had actually put something over the ends, the white bandages were stained red as I looked them over.

Oh man I was so glad I felt cold as ice right now. I know I would be wanting to puke if not for that. The fact my arms didnt shake was probably solely thanks to Cool Veins. It would be enough.

It would have to be enough.

Tonight the Scavenging pit is open to all! This little demoness has a set of Kiroshi! So who wants to dig in! He laughed menacingly as the crowd erupted in eagerness.

I rested, getting blood back into my shoulders as I waited for what was going to come.

Finally though the borg that was running this, the bastard called for quiet. The crowd went silent, and I looked around realizing that all of the Maelstrom I could see were armed.

Right. This was a trap for Jun.

A chance for good chrome. A chance to get revenge on our brothers and sisters. Who will face the little demoness? You? He asked throwing a finger and the kid he pointed too flexed his artificial muscles.

You!? He shifted pointing to another kid who cheered at the offer showing a toothy smile as he turned to me and flipped me off.

I did the same back but I didnt have hands The realization shocked me. That instinct

Phantom limb. I shivered I could feel my hand flipping him off back. I could FEEL it. I swallowed back bile.

No. Keep it Cool. I breathed in and out. The pain was there but distant. I would not break.

*100 Cool XP Gained*

I almost chuckled at the alert. Yeah. I got this.

Yes! Our hunter of the chrome has been chosen! The man roared and the kid that flipped me off leapt into the pit.

I looked him over and winced.

The kid looked like a chop shop went to town on his body, his arms were too big, heavily muscled Gorilla Arms. The sort that were probably designed for someone a lot larger. But the rest of him was chromed as well.

The kid was probably more metal than meat.

I scoffed at myself. I said kid, but he was probably late teens early twenties. Easily twice my size before he borged out on Maelstrom chrome.

The rules of the pit for our newest competitor. There arent any! Kill or be killed! Begin! The Bastard called out and instantly the crowd started cheering and taunting me.

Good thing I really didn't care. I wasnt going to die here.

The kid though didnt care. He was showboating for the crowd.

I guess that was fair. To him and the crowd this wasnt a cage match. It was an execution.

It gave me time to prepare. I couldnt do shit without my weapon. So I turned towards my right arm. Where a knife was sticking out of my bicep. As the kid showboated I took a deep breath and let it out then I bent down and gripped the knife in my teeth.

Biting down as hard as I could enough to practically feel my teeth crack I yanked.

The knife came free. I was armed I was no longer weaponless.

Haha! Oh man, look at you! What are you going to do? Gnaw at me to death? The kid laughed practically crying at the sight of my only method of attack.

I charged. Ignoring everything else. If I waited I was dead. He jerked at my sudden approach, but he calmed instantly a cocky smile on his face. I juked, making it look like I was coming in to try and stab his face, but instead dropping sliding under the punch he threw at me.

My blade cut across the inside of his thigh at the same time that he kicked out, hammering me away. The crowd roared at the sight of blood as I came to a stop on the floor coughing out the knife in my mouth as I groaned. He had kicked me in the stomach. I felt like my stomach was now inside my lungs.

But I couldnt stay defenseless. I reached down with my stupid stumps and stumbled the knife between them getting it back in my teeth just in time to roll away as he stomped down where my head had been.

Bitch! Im gonna squeeze your head until those eyes pop right out! He screamed as he charged right after, chasing me down as I rolled and scrambled to get to my feet.

Ow.

Finally he caught up and I turned around. Going in again. This time he wasnt going for a punch.

No, the kid was serious about squeezing the life out of me. He was desperately trying to grab me as I just managed to stay outside of the range of his grasping fingers.

He was getting closer. I realized in that moment all of my instincts, all of the experience I had gained in actual combat, and from leveling told me this was the only moment I had.

If I didnt do anything now. I was dead.

So instead of running like he expected I charged in. His hands grasping just behind my head as I jerked my whole body ending with my head to stab the knife right into the side of his neck.

It went in.

I almost thought I had done it. It went in. But then a pair of hands wrapped around my skull. The pressure was so intense my jaw clicked open despite myself and I was pulled away from his neck.

B-Bitch! He rasped once again as I had definitely pierced through something fleshy in his throat just not deep enough.

Then he began squeezing. I stopped hearing the crowd because all I could hear was my own skull creaking.

So I did the only thing I could. I lifted my legs up to my chest and kicked with everything I had.

Right onto the hilt of my knife still hanging in his throat. It went deeper and then tore. Ripping itself free of his synth flesh.

The white blood flowed. A torrent that immediately eased up the pressure on my skull as I was dropped to the ground. Gasping as my head spun. I breathed for a moment just regaining my awareness as I slowly stopped feeling like my brain was leaking out my ears.

I looked over as the kid flopped to the ground.

Yeah. Blades 6 had actually taught me something interesting. The best way to slit a throat wasnt a cut.

It was a stab, and then a punch. Dont cut the throat.

Rip it out.

*1000 XP Gained.*

I rose. The crowd was cheering and booing in equal measure but I wasnt done. I knew that. Whatever this bastard had planned I was just a toy to him. So I took a few steps over to the kid and with a bit of difficulty I managed to get the knife in between my stumps.

Then I brought it up to my teeth.

I wouldnt die here. Not tonight. Not like this.

I would just rip and tear until it was done.

Bravo! He called out then. The glare on his face instantly shifting to something more showy and fake. Give a round of applause to our newest winner of the scavenging pit! You all know the rules dont you!? He called and the crowd roared back in response.

YOU KEEP WHAT YOU KILL!

He let the crowd roar for a moment before regaining control. Thats right! We are borgs of our word. Bring her up here. Its time for her to get chipped! He called out and I noticed that same Cyberpscyho that had dragged me out here jumped into the pit.

Fuck.

I tried to struggle but the guy was too fast, and too strong. The moment his hands touched me it was over and I was pinned and struggled desperately as he hauled me out of the pit.

The kids body dragged along as well. I was pushed into a ripper doc chair. And strapped down legs hips and neck and locked down my arms though

They didnt seem to care much about that.

What do you think Cyberweb? Think you can do something for this poor girl made of meat? The Bastard said to the open air.

If I didnt have cool on at full blast I absolutely would have been freaking out as lights lit up in the dark ceiling and a cyber spider crawled down the wall over my head.

Oh I think we can do something for this pathetic meat. Bring the chrome. And the way the spider trailed off as it looked over the crowd

The whole crowd screamed along with him a moment later.

LETS GET CHIPPIN!

When I get out of this. Im going to murder all of you. I tell him as the spider chuckles. One of its legs lifted up showing a circular saw. That instantly began revving up.

If you survive maybe. It chuckled at me as it began cutting.

The fact I didnt scream seemed to make the crowd lose a lot of interest.

But every sadistic cut, and eager grin hardened my resolve.

Okay Maelstrom. Now its personal.

--

It took a few hours even with their spider Ripper.nove(l)bi(n.)com

Then they threw me back into the pit.

I was not handling what they had done to me well.

The arms were oversized bulging things that looked overlarge on the kid that I had killed, but probably looked grotesque on me.

But I wasnt thinking about the look of bulging synth muscle, and chrome.

I was struggling against the feeling they were giving me. Pain. Burning cold, and heat. Like every nerve in the arms were suffering.

The fucker hadnt connected them right. Considering they had laughed at my responses while chipping them in. I knew that was on purpose. They had given me the arms alright.

But tried to make them as useless and crippling as possible.

The crowd burst back into a roar as their game was going to continue.

Fuck. How many times were they going to rip me apart before this little game of theirs was over?

How much of me would even be left? I had already lost both of my arms.

The spider fucker had cut off both of my arms! Gone! He had sawed off what was left.

I was going to kill him.

I shivered as the pressure of the connection between me and my new limbs was just too much. I could barely think. Barely breathe.

Even if the pain wasnt crippling me like they had hoped the connection was Wrong. Like someone had connected the arms backwards and to the wrong part of my body, and then made every sensation feel backwards or wrong.

Right now they were just twitching hunks of chrome and synth meat connected to me, an anchor on each side of me.

And they were dragging me down just as an anchor would.

Well well! She survived! The little Demoness survived her first gift from the Scavenging pit! Lets see if she can do it again! Who is up next!? The bastard called out and the crowd went wild, but I couldnt focus on that I kept feeling the color pink out of my left wrist, and the sound of an A flat from my right shoulder.

The roar of the crowd barely even reached me.

So this is what it felt like when someone had bad chrome. Like up was down, and down was up.

Like everything would be better if they just died.

My nose was bleeding.

My head was spinning. One of my eyes was twitching. A jerking spasm to the right that meant I struggled to see straight.

I puked a bit, a splash of watery bile escaped me, but that was all I had in my stomach.

I would survive this. I would. I would.

This is not how I was going to die. Not in a pit. Not before I could even do anything!

Gunfire. Explosions. Screams.

I blinked or tried to. I blinked as I looked up. The crowd wasnt roaring as they watched me. They were screaming or yelling expletives.

I wasnt able to really focus. I could just tell that gunfire and explosions were going on. Screams and roars of rage.

All the while I lay there barely able to get my head off the concrete. I dont really know how long it took before everything grew quiet.

The world spun. Everything shifted. I was still struggling to process. Too much was coming from the arms. I could make out what my eyes were telling me, because my left pinky was trying to tell my brain it was where it should take its vision from.

It wasnt exactly working.

But then even as my left eye twitched I saw him.

Jun. Holding me crying out. The words were muffled and gibberish.

It was getting worse. My brain was in trouble.

Jun as always was an idiot.

Of course he needed his cute and brilliant little sister to remind him to get to work.

So I did the only thing my body could still do.

I jerked forward and headbutted him as hard as I could. Which probably wasnt that hard.

Guth fo em! I tried and even to my own ears I realized my voice was coming out wrong. The words werent right.

Cmon cool. Every inch of that coldness I needed it, even if I passed out after, even if it was too much to stay alive after I needed to say this. I needed Jun to get to work and not freak out.

GETH THM OFFFFF! I screamed as loud and strong as I could. I blanked out after.

Sight, sound, feeling everything was a kaleidoscope of Gibberish.

--

Jun POV

Jun took a deep breath as he held Motoko. The assault above him was going well, but his heart could only focus on his sister.

Holding her limp, twitching form in his arms. He felt his breath coming out hot, as he once again held his sister after a kidnapping.

Cmon Oni! No time to stand around get your sis out of here, we got Strom to kill! A cackling voice reminded him he wasnt safe.

That Motoko wasnt safe. That thought burned him. This was his fault. It was always his fault!

He should have been there. Should have protected her.

Should have protected her. For a moment the Motoko in his arms was replaced by Kasumi. Her last breath breathing out against his lips as her heart stopped no matter how hard Jun tried to put pressure against her bleeding wounds.

Then a gonk smashing into the concrete beside him brought him back.

He was holding Motoko. Not Kasumi. She was still in danger.

Because of him.

He rose and leapt, the pit hardly deep enough to slow him even carrying his sister.

He did his best to hold onto the bulging arms that were now connected to her, that were probably killing her with every moment they were latched on.

He ran through the fight, as many of the Maelstrom died from swift blades around him. His team, ensuring he would get through.

It had taken weeks to prove himself enough to join the Kamikaze. They werent the true elites in the Tyger Claws. No they were the closest to Cyberpsychos. The craziest. The ones that killed the most.

So Jun had joined. Willingly chipping himself with anything he could find to prove he was one of them.

It had been tough to get them to come. He had argued for some time, begging them for help in rescuing his sister. In the end, their own desire to kill Strom was what brought them. They were here, along with plenty of Tyger Claw regulars. If only the preparation for this assault hadnt taken so long!

He jumped into cover as a gonk sprayed at him, the bullets bouncing around him as the strom wasnt the most accurate. The fighting was intense. A moment later he died as a grenade bounced past his foot. Many of the Tyger Claws had been outfitted with grenades. The initial assault had seen more than half of the Maelstrom die from explosions.

Packed people at a party didnt do well with so many explosions.

The Kamikaze had ensured the regulars could get that close. Killing the guards outside, and shutting down the exterior security.

He rushed past the fighting, thankful that the surprise assault had been so successful. Jun was just thankful Motoko was still alive. He had been so terrified he would be late. The first emotion other than rage he had felt in a while.

He hadnt wanted to let the Maelstrom Deadline go past. He knew what they would do to his sister. What they were definitely already doing.

Akari had been forced to restrain Jun from rushing ahead as the deadline had drawn closer.

But Akari like the rest of the Kamikaze, didnt care for his emotions. Only killing Maelstrom. So she had held him back from disrupting their attack. Her usual cackling and jokes gone in exchange for a simple almost alien coolness as she restrained him.

He clung to Motoko harder. He was so glad that he wasnt too late. That she was alive. This time he would get her to a good doctor. A good Ripper. There would be no second Coma He prayed.

--

Awareness came in a drowsy haze. Eventually I was blinking realizing something was wrong.

Unfamiliar ceiling.

Motoko! Juns voice called out and suddenly he was there. Ah.

Hi Jun. I offered as I raised my hand to wave at him, but it just sort of flopped.

I looked at it.

It looked at me.

No wait that wasnt right. It just sort of flopped.

Hehe silly wrist, you arent supposed to floppy flop.

Oh it was actually pretty cool looking all armored Cyborg style. Although it looked I narrowed my eyes at the floppy wrist.

Militech Condor. I read aloud as my wrist sort of floppy woppyed at me.

Motoko?

She is still on a lot of painkillers Jun. She probably doesnt even realize what is going on. A womans voice called out and I turned my head, my hand following to look too.

Hello. I offered and my wrist sort of flopped a greeting. Very rude Mr. hand. You should greet someone properly. I scolded it as it continued to just sort of twist around. Oh wow Mr. Hands ball joint let him go all the way around.

Gross!

I giggled a bit at it before I realized Jun was talking to the lady. Laaaady.

Shell be okay?

The surgery Well it went as well as could be expected. There shouldnt be any permanent neurological damage, despite the Stroms best attempts. Your sister has a strong will. I Well what I saw when I dug those arms off her. They were trying to break her Jun. We are lucky.

Ill kill them. Ill hunt those bastards down. They did this because of me! Jun growled and I could see his fists clenching and unclenching.

Ah. Jun was upset. Hold on. I was a little loopy.

A wave of cold washed over me. Even if it felt Tired? I was pretty sure I was running very close to the edge of what Cool 8 could handle. I mean. How long had I had the cold freezing my veins, keeping me cool and collected even when they cut of my fucking ARMS!

MOTHER FUCKERS! I cursed as I jerked off the bed. Only to sort of slide sideways as I was still strapped down.

Motoko!?

Those assholes! Ill fuckin kill them! I cursed as everything came rushing back to me clear and focused with the drugs suddenly not making everything loopy.

Motoko! Jun yelled as he grabbed me and stopped me from sort of mashing my new cyber arms against the straps trying to get them off.

Hey Jun. gimme a second. I need to go murder some BASTARDS! I screamed as I still ineffectually tried to get the straps off.

Drugs are still pumping. Your sister is surprisingly resistant. The Ripper? I think she was a ripper anyways said as she checked a monitor beside me.

Calm down Motoko!

No, you calm down! I surprised him with my intellectual rebuttal. Finally I gave up raising my floppy mechanical wrists up to my face.

Why are these not working!? I demanded.

Please lay back down. The ripper spoke as she walked up beside, although I noticed she kept her distance.

Out of punching range.

Clever girl.

The surgery was successful, but your body took a lot of Stress. It will take some time for everything to smooth out. A human body isnt meant to undergo two emergency cyberization surgeries only hours apart. Please lay back down so you dont hurt yourself.

Motoko lay down. Please fo-

Yeah sounds good. I can always commit genocide later. I agree with the doctor as I let my body relax and stop fighting Jun.

Genocide?

Its what you call it when you plan to exterminate an entire group. I informed her promptly. I would say extermination, but I will acknowledge Maelstrom are still people.

They are just people that are all going to die.

Just.. Lay back Imouto. Jun whispered soothingly as he held me in his stupid Cyberarms. They werent very comfortable to be held in.

Jun you need Real skinn, you give terrible hugs right now. Just awful. I told him as I rested back. Huh that was kinda weird. Where did all my anger go? Oooh. Cool was tired. I couldnt hold it.

Uuuh. Sure Motoko. Sure. He whispered soothingly slowly stroking my hair which yeah that was nice, but it could be better.

Reeeaaal skinn. Need that +5 to hugs Jun. I tell him with a yawn as I feel myself sort of losing track of everything again.

Okay Imouto okay. He continued whispering and I was really tired.

I blanked out again.