Chapter 1: Rain over me

>Night light from neon signs pours through your window
>The city never sleeps after all, so you guess you couldn't either
>Ikuinen; the Eternal City, full of wonder and a good life for all who lived there
>As long as you had Augmentations that is
>The year is 4036, Robots and Augmentations have pushed humanity farther than ever thought possible
>Human Animal hybrids walked the streets too
>Anthropomorphics, Anthros for short
>All of them, humans and anthros pushed further by augmentations
>You had no Augmentations, couldn't have them actually
>Somehow you plaed the genetic lottery and won the inability to have them
>Something about your nervous system couldn't communicate with them right
>You were, literally, the only person without augmentations 
>Every job out there needed them, or highly recommended them
>The most mundane jobs were filled by robots, so no go for work there
>Even if you were able to get into a school for anything, no one would hire you
>Why hire a basic human for a job when they can hire an Augmented human?
>They were stronger, smarter, could go longer without breaks
>And you? you just couldn't compete 
>So you decided to do the only job that you could
>Bounty hunting
>No boss, no one to hire you or fire you
>Just you and your gun
>You sit up in your bed, and rub the sleep from your eyes
>Not like you sleep at night anyway, most of your bounties move around at this time
>Your feet hit the cold floor and you stand up 
>Yawning, you walk to your desk, your computer filtering thousands of bounties and showing holograms of each one
>This city was riddled with crime, and people placed bounties on each other for anything
>You didn't care why
>No room to care
>They paid your bills and kept you fed
>The biggest advantage you had at bounty hunting was speed
>Augmentations often times made people heavy and slow
>And those that boosted speed couldn't go for long without resting
>You sit down and watch the bounties scroll by
>Most aren't worth the time
>300 credits? Not enough to even bother, your rent alone was 1200 credits
>You pick up your gun and turn it over in your hands, inspecting it for any blemishes
>Cleanliness is next to godliness
>You click the chamber release and swing it open
>The "Old fashioned", you called it Rose
>A powerful Hand cannon based off the .44 Magnum Smith and Wesson Model 29 revolver
>The advantage was you could rotate the chambers to fire lethal, non lethal, or whatever else you loaded
>Guns no longer needed to be loaded with ammo anymore
>The science behind it is confusing, but they are able to make their own bullets basically
>You rotate the chambers then swing them back into place, locking them in
>Your eyes go back to the holograms of various people
>So who's lucky day is it? 
>You settle on a Anthro weasel with a eye augmentation that someone wants dead
>They have a reason listed, but you don't care
>Why would you? He's a paycheck
>You scan the info; it says he frequents a bar near the port
>The port huh? Boats were a thing of luxury
>What was once a bustling sea port became a slum, old cargo tankers became mini cities of their own, with each cargo container becaming someone's home
>Wouldn't take long to get there, provided Gabriel was sober enough
>You push a few buttons on your phone and his hologram pops up
>His face reminded you of a piece of steel forged to look like a man
>Those grey eyes always did put you off guard, and today was no exception
>"We got an easy mark today, stupid weasel someone wants dead"
>He smiles and nods, and responds with the same calm voice as always
>"I'll be there shortly, find some other marks so we can get a big payday, I wanna take the Fox on a date"
>You smile
>A few extra bodies means nothing but more money
>"Yea I'll search through the bounties for anyone close, see you in a bit"
>His hologram winks at you before he hangs up
>"Attaboy, see you in a sec"
>The feed buzzes quickly with Bounties in the area
>Humans, anthros, robots, didn't matter
>You find a few that are in the port and should be easy picking for you and Gabriel 
>A shirt, your bomber jacket and jeans are all you need before you're ready
>The belt and holster for your gun are the finishing touch
>You head downstairs and find Gabriel waiting
>"Lets go Null, these fuckers ain't gonna kill themselves"
>Null
>The Nickname the bounties and other bounty hunters gave you on account of your "missing" augmentations
>You smile and jump into the Speeder, which is just a glorified hover car
>The corporations didn't want to call them hovercars; said it was unoriginal
>As if speeder was any better
>"We got a few idiots that frequent the bar we're going to, you go inside and I'll stay out this time?"
>Gabriel smiles
>"I get the fun part eh?"
>You know he means that literally
>He was more at home rushing in than you were
>His left arm was replaced with a heavy duty mechanical Augment, useful for blocking shots, bashing faces and the occasional grappling
>You had offered to pay for a newer model of the Augmentation, but he said he liked the old fashioned look
>probably why you both got along, old school is best school
>"How long till we get to the ports?" you asked as you rotate the chamber of Rose to lethal
>The client didn't want the weasel alive, and you weren't going to argue
>"About 15 minutes, you gonna be alright?"
>"I'm always alright"
>The world shifts past you
>Neon signs, stores, people
>The city
>Constant fog plagues it, along with almost constant rain
>Something about keeping the city safe from fires; after all one cigarette would could burn it all down
>Everything was built up on top if itself, then then built up again
>If anyone wanted to escape the bright lights, good luck to them, the city covered the entire planet at this point
>Overpopulation, no longer needing farmland, and corporations forcing their way into the government meant expansion  was needed
>And so, everything was stacked on top of itself like a bad game of Jenga
>"We're here, get your game face on Null"
>Before you is a small rundown bar 
>A flickering neon sign reads "Cloud 9"
>"Just like we said earlier" Gabe says as he unholsters his gun
>It always reminded you of an angry brick
>Made to look like the Colt handguns of old, but bigger to accommodate his Left arm
>"I'll get the runners" you say with cold confidence
>He nods and runs inside
>Doesn't take long before you hear yelling 
>Then shots being fired
>You know Gabriel is ok, that man has died more times than a person should
>People; humans and anthros start fleeing the bar
>You keep an eye out for your mark
>There he is, a anthro weasel with his left eye replaced.
>You level your gun at him and fire without hesitation
>The bullet tears through his chest, spraying blood onto the ground
>"Wha?" is all he can mutter out before he collapses
>He crawls away from you desperately 
>The strength of desperation is all that is keeping him going at this point
>Your pull out your HoloPhone and snap a picture of him 
>Need proof it was him after all
>His back is against a wall, he faces you, raising a paw to you as if to somehow stop you 
>"Please no, don't! Mercy! I have a fa-"
>You level your gun and put a bullet in his head, spraying blood and brain matter
>Begging doesn't get them anywhere
>Gabriel emerges from the bar with a proud look
>"We bagged a few small bounties here besides this 'un"
>He kicks the corpse of the weasel
>You smile and take a picture of the body for proof he's dead
>Both of you were getting paid a good chunk of change for this
>A thought drifts through your head as you upload the pictures to the bounty net
>You never even learned the weasels name
>But then again, it didn't matter
>Paychecks don't need names

Chapter 2 Midnight city

>Your phone dings as the city zooms past you, water streaking past on the closed windows
>"We just got paid, 20k creds, 10 to each of our accounts"
>Gabriel smiles at that
>"Nice, I can definitely take Fox out for a nice dinner with that"
>He drives through the city using his left hand to drive
>His right hand is picking at a new dent in his Mechanical arm
>Nothing to worry about though, it's just superficial
>"What are you gonna do now? Go hunting more?"
>You nod 
>"Yea I wanna get that Kenada Mk 7 Hoverbike, I can't always rely on you for rides, besides the guy said he can mod it so I can drive it"
>Speeders and bikes needed a specific implant to be driven, had to do with accountability and driving records
>They tried to put one in you, but it shorted your nervous system and stopped your heart
>You were lucky to walk away from that
>So you couldn't drive a speeder or most bikes 
>You were lucky to find one that didn't require the implant but it was costly
>"Alright Null, I'll see you later"
>He's pulled up in front of your apartment
>"Peace out buddy, say hi to the wife for me"
>"Can do, peace out"
>You head upstairs and go to grab your gear
>A scanner, it scanned peoples faces and told you if they had a bounty on them
>A shock knife, a retractable knife that held a powerful charge, it was great for shorting peoples augments
>Various sized ElectroMag cuffs
>You hook the scanner to your arm and tighten it down with straps
>Other bounty hunters usually had this stuff implanted into them
>They had it easy, they could usually out muscle their prey
>You had to rely on more sneaky stuff when Gabriel wasn't with you
>A few short taps on the screen of the scanner told you it was ready to go
>You head out and pop the collar of your jacket to protect your neck from fridgid rain drops
>Where to go first? The red light district usually end up with good results
>Heh, even people on the run wanted to get their dicks wet
>Speeders zoom past as you walk down the sidewalks
>The fog and neon lights blur each other, and moss covers most flat surfaces
>Plants grew freely out of almost every crack in the cement, and ivy snaked its way up the buildings
>The never ending rain meant that plants were constantly growing
>You suppose its good for the air, having so many plants growing everywhere
>It's only about a 20 minute walk to the district
>The red Chinese lamps float above the streets, which are filled with shops selling Various Augmentations and sex toys almost 24/7
>Even though its 1 am, the streets are crowded and you can hear people yelling about their wares over the dull roar of speeders in the adjacent streets
>"Need a bigger cock? come get one!""want your partner to have both a pussy and a dick? we can do that!"
>You disregard them all, you had things to do and knew where to start
>One of the brothels "The Lucky Cat" 
>It even had a neon sign with one of those Japanese money cats
>You push open the door and hear a electric ding from somewhere within 
>An Anthro bobcat with absurdly large breasts pushes through a beaded doorway and smiles at you
>"Ah Anon, good to see you, finally going to take up my offers for some relaxation?~" 
>Her voice is smoother than silk 
>"Not today Missy, deflate your rack, it looks weird when you make them that big. Mind if I hook up to your chip reader? We can do our usual deal"
>Everyone, except you, had a chip in their body, usually in the hand or paw, that was used to pay for things, like a credit card inside their body
>Most businesses don't have a reader except at the checkout, but brothels like this had it at the door
>Missy lets out a short 'Hmph' and you hear her breasts starting to go down in size
>"Yes yes, our usual deal, 30-70"
>The scanner on your arm links up to the chip reader
>Nothing too big, but there is one that would net you a good 7.5k credits after dividing it with Missy
>a Human, looks to be absurdly overweight and have skeletal Augments to support it all
>Of course, you'll deal with the small fry too, might as well while you're here
>"Alright Missy, there are a few guys here, I'll start cleaning up, and save the big guy for last, don't want to leave you with a dead body"
>Missy smiles "Right, just chuck the small fry into that closet and then we'll get the cops here when you're done"
>You point out the various small fry wanted alive by clients to Missy 
>She gives you a list of rooms that pings up on your scanner screen
>Time to clean up the vermin before they scatter
>You go through the building, room to room, shock Knife drawn, Stunning and cuffing the various bounties
>Some of them were balls deep in a whore when you found them
>Like you said; everyone wants to get their dick wet
>In the end, you have 3 humans and an Anthro stout cuffed and unconscious
>You snap pictures of each and upload them to the bounty network, informing the clients to come get them
>Now you just had to wait for the big guy
>Missy has other plans though
>"Just go get him Honey, the cops will get rid of the body for me~"
>She presses against you
>"Maybe after, you'll want to blow off some steam"
>Oddly enough, you're used to this treatment
>Ladies either thought you were a freak for not being augmented, or they were infatuated by you being so different
>Most were the former though
>"Maybe" is all you say before you head up the stairs
>He's in the bathhouse section on the top floor, must be a high roller
>Doesn't matter to you
>Pistol drawn you make your way into the room he's in
>There are several Humans and anthros with him, all washing and wiping him as he sat in a large pool with lily pads floating on the surface
>You knew some of them, a few were "traps" and some were just petite girls
>Ugh, he's one of those people 
>And he's fatter than you thought, disgusting
>You clear your throat to announce your presence
>Didn't want anyone else getting hurt after all
>"Girls, Out" You say, motioning to the door with your gun
>They scamper out in a panic
>The fat man looks at you, looking somewhat amused
>"So you are here to kill me eh? Do you know who I am?"
>"I don't care"
>You raise your gun 
>He raises a glass to you
>"You will regret that boy, my peo-"
>You pull the trigger, cutting off his words
>You don't care who is- was; or what he had to say
>The gunshot echos slightly off the tiled walls and floor
>Seems you aimed a little low, because the bullet went through his throat instead of his face
>Oh well, easier for you to take a picture to ID him if his face is in one piece
>You snap a picture and upload it to the Bounty network claiming the bounty
>Good money for you
>You head back downstairs and see Missy waiting 
>"All done?" she purrs as she eyes you hungrily
>"Yea, cya around"
>You leave without a second thought, you don't care about her nor will you ever, but she helps you get paid


>The rest of the night goes slower, only netting 2 more small fry bounties
>Not as profitable as you had hoped, but that fat man's bounty was good
>The rain is only a slight sprinkle as the sun starts to rise, light peeking through openings in the clouds
>You left the district nine thousand credits richer
>Might as well get a drink to celebrate
>Your favorite bar is only 2 miles from your place
>The neon sign above the door flickers 
>'Pandora'
>You head in and go to the bar, a robot made to look like a Female canine anthro greets you presently
>"Hey Null, hows your night going?"
>Her voice sounds a bit computerized and synthetic when she speaks
>"It's going ok K3lly, how business?"
>She shrugs
>"Business is business Hun, want your usual?"
>You nod 
>She mixes you a rum and coke and sets it on a coaster in front of you
>"Call me if you need anything"
>You sit and drink slowly
>A few people enter and steer clear of you
>A sigh comes from deep within your chest
>Some people avoided you like you were a Leper 
>Everyone has some Augment visible on them, changed hair, skin, you name it
>And then there was you
>You sit thinking about what Augments you would have if you could
>Those Arms always looked cool..
>Or maybe the legs?
>So many choices, How do people decide?
>Your thoughts are broken by a Loud voice
>"Is tha thje broken bounty hyunetr i've heard abouft? The fyreak with no augments?"
>A very drunk Anthro Lion is stumbling to you, his eyes glow bright yellow from augments
>"Yea that's me"
>He leans against the bar next to you, holding his cup of booze
>"I- I Igotta ask you mran mow ydo byou do iat? How can yoeu even get by?"
>"I just do what I have to"
>he hangs on every word
>"Thas Crazy"
>Luckily, you're rescued from the lion by his very embarrassed looking friends
>But that soured your mood worse than before
>You pull your phone out and pay for your drink, since you don't have that implant, you have to do it other ways
>The walk home is quick and you can't help but feel annoyed still
>You get to your apartment and set down your gear
>"Darken"
>The windows go opaque black 
>Your apartment is just a one bedroom place
>Not the best but not the worst
>It was home
>You go get into bed and quickly fall asleep
>Tomorrow will be a new day


Chapter 3: Broken
>The sounds of heavy rain hitting your windows and thunder stirs you from your sleep
>Sitting up and stretching with a loud yawn, a hazy thought drifted through your mind
>The rain is louder than usual, each drop hitting your windows like heavy bullets and blurring the neon signs that peeked through
>If you could claim one benefit to your life, it would be the rain
>Today however, it's just as shitty for you as it is for everyone else
>People who use more 'outward' Augs don't do much out in the rain
>Mostly due to a fun mixture of rust and the cold, with a healthy mix of 'soaked as hell' being the major reasons for any sane person
>So people with Augs like Gabriel never really get around to doing anything
>If there's no one outside, then there's no one to shoot
>As far as your wallet is concerned, today is going to be terrible
>So you don't know what to do today
 
>Stepping out of your bed and planting your feet on the cold wooden floor, you shuffle along to your computer
>It still works away at filtering useful bounties, ones you hope will be worth your time
>Unsurprisingly, a big fat 0 was displayed on the feed
>Yawning again, you head towards your kitchen
>Some hot food may help fix your cold feet that you refuse to wear socks for right now
>Your food synth shudders awake after a few drowsy jabs, and soon you have a plate of (chemically accurate) eggs, melted cheese, and bacon
>It looked like some weird mixture of the box people are used too, a microwave, and a calculator wired to the side
>Custom made just for you, and wifi enabled to boot
>Taking the hot plate to your desk you eat silently
>You slow down the process of the filters to watch the steady stream of faces and prices tags that appear
>Once again it tells you that, yes, people really do hate each other
>You look at the various reasons, finding a health mix of
>"Slept with girlfriend - beat up only," to
>"Stalking me - Intimidate," and one of them being
>"Owes me a blowjob - force payment"
>You generally steered clear of stupid feuds, but maybe becoming an instigator would bring repeated business
>A ding from your phone
>It's Gabriel
>With a click, his hologram appears
>"Hey man, going hunting today?" the small semi transparent Gabriel says
>You look out the window at the rain that's currently slamming into the glass
>"Don't know, are you gonna drive?"
>He shakes his head at you
>"Nope, can't be out in this rain. Not looking to paint my Augs rust. Cold from the metal hurts my bones, too"
>You sigh, all thoughts of money making flying out the window
>He continues
>"What are you plans then? You never do anything buddy, go meet some lady and have a good time"
>You frown in response
>He always tries to tell you to go do things, things that usually require Augs to enjoy
>"You know that ladies usually avoid me, right? And I can't even get anywhere today"
>He isn't buying it
>"Stop being a little bitch about a bit of water, and- oh no. No, stop"
>You were halfway to cutting the line, but a small non threatening holographic finger jabbed at you stops you
>"Me? I have an excuse. You? Just stay under the overhangs"
>He won't let up, he's too stubborn to let you wallow in your house all day
>"Fine, I'll go out and try, but you owe me," you mumble past the hand that's trying to rub away the growing headache between your eyes
>"I don't owe you shit for making you go do something other than work. And next time you answer your phone, put a shirt on or something"
>The hand does nothing for you
>"Now go have fun"
>With a click, his hologram winks out
>You give another sigh, accepting your fate for the day
>You knew he would check if your left your apartment, call your landlord or something to see if you stuck around
>Psycho
>Might as well get it over with
>"Time," you say
>"11:42 PM," a computerized voice answers; you aren't usually awake during the day 
>After finishing your meal, you start your usual routine
>Piss, shower, get dressed
>Having finished all three you go about getting your civilian kit ready
>You don't need your usual gear, but you're still not going anywhere without Rose
>Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it
>With everything you need on hand, you trudge out of your apartment and into the rain
>Luckily, it's not as bad as it looked from the inside, but the streets were still flooding slightly
>Too much trash must have blocked up the drains again
>At least the sidewalks were raised so all the water stays in the street
>The plants must be having a field day
>You walk quickly down the streets, if only to get out of the rain
>There is a nightclub nearby that you know of, and you think you might have a good time there
>Doubtful, though
>When you turn around a corner, you're there, and you look up through the rain and fog to see it's sign shimmering through the haze
>'Lonely hearts'
>The name hits close to home, that's for sure
>It isn't subtle at all, being a huge, multi floored building decked out with flashing colored lights
>You walk across the empty street and up the stairs to the entrance
>Before you get close, you're stopped by a very grumpy looking anthro Rhino
>He's at least 8 feet tall and has his horn replaced by a longer one made of a metal of some kind
>"Where's your chip human, let me scan you in"
>He doesn't even look at you, considering playing on his oversized phone to be part of the job
>You shrug
>"Don't have a chip. Can't have one"
>He snaps to you, looking over your face and body with a confused stare before it dawns on him
>"YOOO! You're THAT Human? OH SHIT!" He ducks his head inside the building, "YO BARNEY"
>"..what!" you barely hear from inside
>"IT'S THAT FREAKY HUMAN!"
>Before long a very angry looking Dingo walks out with both of his eyes glowing red from some type of scanner implant
>"WHAT RUFUS! What in the fuck are you yelling about!?"
>'Rufus' points at you with a stumpy finger
>"Scan him man! He's broken"
>Barney's ears perk up at that
>"The Broken?"
>You can feel his eyes scanning you from the slight warming sensation
>"Holy shit," he blinks back the glow intensity, "I thought he wasn't real"
>You're used to this from how almost every place requiring you to get scanned to get in like this
>Even the cops have been called on you for not having an ID Chip implanted, and how every time you had to show the HoloNote from your doctor stating it would literally kill you
>"Look guys, can I just come in?"
>Great start to 'Having fun'
>"Yeah yeah sorry dude, you're just so weird to see," Rufus says, opening the door for you
>With a sigh you walk in
>Weird
>That's how you've always been described
>Even in school, the other kids avoided you like the plague, as if you would infect them with your disorder
>Growing up past that wasn't any better, people were just polite about it by then
>You do your best to push it down, but the flashing lights blinding you temporarily aren't doing much to help
>Loud electronic music and the stench of alcohol waft through the air
>A loud crowd stands around, and you wade through them easily
>The people that notice you move out of your way, almost immediately
>You part them like a shark would through a school of fish
>Same as always, they look at you like you're a smallpox blanket
>Even robots avoided you
>Mob mentality is a bitch
>Still not having any fun, you think the next floor may yield better results
>...But upon arrival, each floor is exactly the same, with the crowds parting like the red sea
>Leaning against the bar at the top floor, you stare out into the crowd
>You catch the sideways glances at you; some in confusion, some in pity
>Gabriel never understood, and never could either
>You told him this is what happens when you go out alone
>And once again, you are simply proven right
>You still hang out for a while, passing the time by checking your phone periodically for possible bounties in the area
>Mostly, you do it to look normal as maybe if they see you're just another human they'll get accustomed to you
>At least, you hope they will
>But there is always a 2 foot buffer zone between you and everyone else
>Adding another sigh to your day, you look to your left at a group of anthro feline girls all chatting
>So, fuck it. Why not! Let's try to talk to them
>You walk up to them and talk to one on the outside of the group
>She's a large Lioness with flaming red hair, wires streaking through it that ended with various plugs
>Probably to jack on with
>"Hey there, my name is Anon, mind if I buy you a drink?"
>You put on your best inviting smile
>She still jumps slightly, as if she didn't expect anyone new to talk to her
>"Uh, sure, why n-," her words stop when she looks at you, and you're treated with another look down
>You feel your smile slide off your face, knowing full well what comes next
>"Oh god you're that freak aren't you?! Get away from me!"
>"Whoa hey! Calm down, I'm just a guy," you say, raising your hands awkwardly
>By this point her friends have noticed you too, and you panic slightly
>Backing away, you turn from them before they can throw anymore insults your way
>Yeah
>Gabriel was right
>Going to have fun was a great idea
 
>You are sitting at a stool in front of a spicy Ramen shop underneath an overhang, listening to the rain fall while an anthro Shiba Inu prepares your food
>What were you even thinking in that club, actually going and talking to someone
>"Here is food Sir," the shibe dog says to you trying his best to speak to you in English, and sets down a bowl of steaming Ramen before you
>"Arigatou gozaimasu," you mumble in the little Japanese you know
>The dog smiles
>"Dou itashimashite," he says with a little bow
>At least you can claim to know how to be polite in a few languages
>You grab some chopsticks, and try in vain to get them to work
>How the hell did 2 sticks win out over everything else as eating utensils?
>You can barely grab anything with them
>No wonder those moonmen are tiny
>The Shibe dog is giggling from behind the counter at your terrible attempts to feed yourself
>Frustrated, you break the disposable chopsticks in half and throw them into the street
>With a bit of satisfaction, you watch them float down the drain
>Fuck you sticks, you twiggy pricks
>In defeat, you grab a fork and being slurping up your meal, the noodles and broth warming your insides slightly
>You also browse your phone to help pass the time, looking at more and more bounties that you happen to see
>Complete garbage is all you find, with nothing really catching your eye until one is just a picture
>A box
>The description saying for someone to grab it from a dead drop and to deliver it to an address
>You aren't a delivery boy, and you're about to pass it up
>The payout makes you stop
>3000 credits for a box?!
>Too good to pass up
>A few taps and you can see this client is particularly nitpicky
>"Get the box, contract this number after for more instructions"
>Fuck this cloak and dagger BS, but money is money
>Finishing off your food and paying it to the still cackling dog, you head off towards the dead drop
>Whatever is in it, it must be pretty expensive and worth a lot to the client if they're willing to pay 3000 for it
>Maybe you could grab it and sell it yourself? It might be an experimental Augment, or something
>Not one you could use, but something your contacts will pay you for
>A large cold raindrop lands on your neck
>With an involuntary shiver, you pull your cloak up a little bit more
>The drop isn't far, almost 30 minutes by foot, but it still causes your mind to wander towards getting that Hoverbike the whole time you walk
>Finally being able to drive places...
>A thing most people take for granted, but step after step you make your way towards the box and ultimately your bike
>When you reach the dead drop location, you look around
>The description of the box was a small plastic box taped with red Biohazard tape on top of it
>Accurate, as your digging through actual waste
>You find it, eventually, under wet garbage
>You're also soaked to the bone at this point, and when you pull it out a banana peel comes with
>Gross
>"It's for the credits, it's for the credits," you internalize your mantra as you try in vain to clean the box
>Whatever shit is covering it, you don't want it touching you or your stuff
>"Dial the client," you call out to your phone while you hold the package away from you
>It pings a few times, and a masked voice answers
>No holograms either
>"Do you have the package?" asked a warped voice
>"Yeah yeah, I got it," you say, trying to shake the whatever goop off it, "I'll bring it right over. What do you want me to do with it when I get there?"
>The voice seems excited
>"Good! Good.. Bring it to the address mentioned before in the bounty, and I'll meet you inside the building"
>That doesn't sound suspicious at all
>"How will you know I'm there?"
>A short laugh answers
>"I'll know," says the voice, hanging up after
>Right.
>You set the box down and draw Rose, checking the cylinders
>Cycling through, you set it to non-lethal
>If this is a trap, they may have a bounty
>No use killing the money if a client wants them alive
>You pick up the box(carefully,) and you head to the address specified
>It's about an hour walk, at least
>Having been deemed clean enough, you have it tucked under your left arm, with your right hand resting on Rose
>It's a walk through rain filled streets and occasionally grabby plants that hide very well in the near blinding fog
>Spending a little more time than you thought it would be, you finally make it to an abandoned part of the city
>The lots here were built too cheaply, and too high, with most of them having started to cave into themselves
>Instead of trying to fix it, the area was deemed unusable and left as husks to rot in the rain
>The building you are standing in front of isn't faring much better
>A run down townhouse, with more than 8 stories built on top of it and all of them riddled with weeds or plants sprouting from every crack
>You enter, taking a few steps into the empty hallway to meet...
>No one
>The client isn't here
>Fuck getting ambushed, you look around and draw Rose
>You set the box down on a swollen, waterlogged table and start to patrol the room
>The minutes tick by while you carefully go from room to room
>Where was Gabriel when you need him?!
>If a bullet, the government, or fried chicken doesn't get you, the stress definitely will
>The client said they would know you're here
>The fact that no one did meant either they were going to kill you, or somehow got themselves done in
>There is only one room left, and the old door is slightly open
>You kick it open, pointing the barrel from corner to corner
>Still nothing
>You can't even look at the upper floors as the staircase back in the entrance was missing most of its bottom half
>The only thing you see that's different are the bookcases filled with rotted books
>You sigh
>What a waste of time
>You start thinking about your previous plan of selling that box on the black market
>Turning to leave, you stop, looking over your shoulder at something that caught your eye
>A small, minute flicker of light squeezes past some of the books
>But when you fully turn around to look at it more, it's gone
>Hopefully your eyes aren't lying, your gut is certainly agreeing with them
>Something is up with that bookcase
>You holster your gun and inspect the bookcase, looking up and down it from a distance and inspecting the floor to its side
>Drag marks? Gouges in the wood from it swinging outwards?
>Well fuck, here comes Scooby Doo and the gang taught you to always investigate trap bookcases
>You grip on the side and pull with all your might
>God, what you wouldn't give for arm mods to outright rip the damn thing off its hinges
>Eventually it gives and you're able to pull it open enough to slip through
>A stairwell awaits you, with dim lights overhead and faint music playing just ahead
>Do you proceed? Y/N?
>FUCK YES
>The hell kind of question is that even?
>You slide through, and when you have room again, your pistol is drawn and ready
>As you walk down you hear some voices, all of them speaking rapidly in a language you don't understand
>Is that Japanese?
>Whatever, it doesn't stop you from pressing your back to the wall at the bottom of the stairwell
>You check your gun one last time
>Still on stun
>You take a deep breath, and you round the corner
 
>The house is definitely bigger on the inside
>Or at least the basement is
>You're standing in a large room that's lit by the light of computer monitors
>They all line the walls on the other side of the room
>To your left is what appears to be a military grade scanning system, and to your right is a shit ton of posters you don't recognize
>A large chair faces away from you, looking towards a triple monitor setup, and each of them is filled with cartoons in different languages and others browsing news sites
>>A snippet catches your eye in particular
>"Yesterday Nicolas Belacov was found dead in a tub at the Lucky Cat Brothel. Belacov is the cousin of Andrew Belacov, leader of the Mafia ring known as 'The Sailors,' who are reported to reside on the HMS Northstar"
>Your work is in full display on it, with a very fat and a very dead man front and center
>You step forwards to get a closer look, but something crunches beneath your foot
>A food wrapper?
>Swearing, you ready your gun as the chair swings around
>Fucks sake, if this isn't the perfect super villain reveal you don't know what is
>Instead of a suave man with some kind of facial scar and a dirty old cat on his lap with a smooth 'I've been expecting you' line, you're instead greeted by a very short opossum girl
>She has blue Aug'd up eyes similar to the bouncers at the Lonely Shit's pub, save for her pupils which are fully black and set in the shape of stars
>Having blue hair as well, and shaved on one side with the other neatly folded over, she's almost out of her chair with how fast she spun around
>>"What the?!" she yells out
>You raise your gun in response
>"What the fuck!? Who are you and where is my buyer!"
>You notice her pupils turn into little exclamation marks
>"You're the bounty hunter?! What?! Why didn't my network pick you up!"
>You step forward, training the gun on her body with her pupils bouncing slightly and her arms in the air
>The closer you get, the further she shrinks into the mesh backing of the chair
>"I-i'm not armed.. Please don't hurt me"
>You stop, lower Rose, and look at her
>"What is going on? I was told to meet a client here and that they would meet me. Instead, I find a run down shack and a fucking basement bunker"
>She slowly slides off her chair, arms still raised and walks to the scanner
>"My probes should have found you the moment you entered the area! If it found your ID, I would have met you upstairs! You shouldn't have found my bunker!"
>wut
>"Probes? I didn't see any probes"
>She looks at you, her pupils becoming stars again
>"That's because they're hidden! I have scanner probes hidden all over this neighborhood!"
>You don't look at her eyes anymore, as this short opossum lady has both of her hands bunched up into tiny fists
>"Did. You. Break them!"
>A whole system of probes, scanners and relays to let her know everyone in the area?
>That is some next level paranoid
>You try to pinch away the oncoming headache with your hand slapped to your forehead
>"No. I didn't break them. I don't have any implants. You can't trace me with those," you say between sighs
>Her overly expressive pupils morph into question marks while she looks you over
>You've officially seen it all now, with 'literally for real very-much-alive furry emoji" making the top
>She must be terrible at poker
>"You're the broken bounty hunter? I thought you were a myth"
>Here we go...again...
>Broken, like something is wrong with you
>"My name is Anon for starters, but most people call me Null," you say, lightly patting Rose
>Her eyes have upgraded to shooting stars now
>"Traceless? Like a ghost?"
>You can feel the gears grinding away, even from here
>"Useful to me. Maybe he can..."
>She snaps back up
>"But where's the package?!"
>You shrug
>"Upstairs, I couldn't carry it while I checked rooms"
>Wrong answer, red exclamation points detected
>"You fool! Go get it immediately!" She barks at you
>Feeling like a super villain with a terrible sense of self preservation having just yelled at you, you rush upstairs to grab the box
>Relaxing at the sight of it still being there, you don't exactly rush back with it in hand
>"Here it is," you say, putting it into her grabby paws
>She caresses it, with a disturbing sense of care being put on it
>"Uh, what's in it anyways? An Aug? Weapons?"
>You look around the room full of high tech junk and painfully thinly cartoon men posters
>"A dil-"
>Her eyes light up even more, her star pupils going full supernova
>"Better! Follow me!" She scurries off to a side room and you hurry along to follow her
>When you enter, a light turns on and you have to blink it away
>Too bright, too fast!
>After your eyes adjust, you see toys
>Lots and lots of toys lining shelves
>dublewut
>She's in the center of the room looking around in satisfaction
>Do you even want to know?
>Well
>A little, yeah
>"Toys?" you ask
>You blink twice, a third time for good measure, and now it's your turn to slowly back up
>"THEY ARE NOT TOYS. COLLECTIBLES!"
>Sure, sure, whatever you say
>You verbalize it with a shrug
>"Ooook, and what does this box have to do wi-"
>You stop yourself
>There's no fucking way this box could possibly be
>No, really? 3000 credits
>For a damn toy?
>Calling it a collectible doesn't make any better
>Eyeing it once more, she sets it down carefully on a table
>She then proceeds to hungrily rip the shit out of it, tearing tape and plastic off, and then tossing both aside
>At the end of the carnage, a plastic model of a robot stands tall on the table
>"IT'S REALLY IT!"
>The opossum's starry eyes rotate quickly as she looks the toy over, with her elbows resting on the edge of the table
>At this point, you can really get a look at her, now that she isn't shifting between fear or seething with rage
>Very, very small, 4 foot tall's worth of rage
>She's chubby, to put it lightly, with a lot of her weight on breasts, which are the size of grapefruits and an ass wider than an old school xbox
>Cute in any other situation
>Her eyes focus back on you
>"You're untraceable! You're perfect! You're just what I need!"
>She covers ground with every sentence, with you taken a back with every word
>Her basement walls feel nice this time of year
>"I, uh, wha?"
>"These are collectibles! Worth hundreds of thousands of credits! People always search for me, and father helps keep me hidden! But with you! With you, no one would know who picked up what!"
>You stare at the oppossum that currently vibrates against you
>You don't have much choice with how you're currently stuck in place
>"What do you even mean?!"
>She smiles eagerly
>"My name is Star Dismond!"
>Ok, not my question at all
>"I'm a collector!"
>Yeah, I got that much
>"Whenever a rare item is a dead dropped like this, it's a free for all among us collector's! All the others have hidden scanners to see who has what!"
>"And I'm guessing you want me to-"
>"Yes!" she's on her toes now, "You're untraceable, and I can use that! You can get the drops and steal the other's stuff"
>You place both hands on her shoulders and pry her off
>It's only when you do did, she realize that she was clingy
>As much as you admittedly didn't mind the contact, there was a different reason why you did
>You know that name, Dismond
>Head of a crime syndicate that rules over a few parts of the city
>It definitely explains why she's hidden and how she can afford all this
>She still looks at you with hunger in her eyes and the stars spinning furiously in them
>She walks up to you, looking you over again
>"What do you say Anon? Want to work for me?"
>She looks so eager
>You sigh
>A job is a job
>"Fine, I'll fetch your toys for you"
>"Collectibles!" she shouts again
>You shrug, again
>Ignoring it, she continues
>"And good thing you accepted, otherwise father would probably have you killed, no one knows about this bunker besides the people father trusts"
>You're suddenly much happier you accepted, and she puts out a paw
>Your hand was hovering over Rose halfway through her speech
>You slowly move it to grasp her own
>"I'll even call you my partner. I can give you intel from here! What do you say, partner?"
>You take her soft paw into your hand and shake
>"Alright, partner"
>You hope you don't regret this

CHapter 4: At The End Of The Day
 
>You check your savings account on your phone as you trudge home through the rain
>The walk back isn't as depressing as before though
>With that 3,000nd from Star for delivering that toy to her, you now sit at a comfortable 35k
>You're going to blow most of it, now
>It's enough for the Keneda Hoverbike you've been saving up for
>With that purchase under your belt, you would also have enough savings to survive for about 2 months without getting pay
>You've gotten lucky these past few days
>First, there was the Weasel who wasn't all that hard to track
>The second was basically boiling himself in a pool, fat and ready and ripe for the taking
>...Ew
>You shake those thoughts away, giving a final shudder; not from the rain and dip under an awning, and then fiddle for your phone
>Pulling up the sellers details, you punch in the number and give them a call
>A few rings later, and a hologram of an anthro Raccoon pops up
>"What up, you finish that bike mod for me? I can come pick it up now" you say with a smile
>His eyes are unfocused for a second
>"You the weird guy who needs the bike modded?"
>"Yeah, is it ready?"
>He looks off 'screen' for a moment, then comes back into focus, saying "Yeah it's ready. It's 27k now, though"
>You pull your phone closer to you
>"Wha- twen- Seriously? You told me 24k last week!"
>He has the nerve to smirk at you, "it was harder to mod than I thought"
>You wanted to call out the trash panda's skills with a wrench, but he had your bike, and by extension you, by the balls here
>You sigh
>No one else even offered to try modding a speeder or hoverbike for you
>The only reason this one was even able to get swapped is because it was built in someone's garage, and not from a factory line
>You step back into the rain and start walking again
>"Fine, can I come get it today"
>He looks off again
>"Yeah, that's fine. How long till you get here?"
>You swipe him away and pull up maps, and route to the garage
>'1HR 23M'
>"Uh, you're on the other side of the red light district? So an hour or 2?"
>It wiped the smirk off his trashy muzzle, looking displeased at having to wait
>Not like he can't be bothered with the rain
>"Ugh fine yeah, can't go out in this rain anyways"
>/sigh
>"Great," you say, and hang up on him
 
>What started as an awful day just got a little better
>Got a client and gonna get your bike
>As such, you move quicker through the streets, avoiding getting splashed by passing speeders and the occasional (well covered) bike
>The quiet of the rain doesn't last all that long with your phone ringing this time
>Opening it up, it's Gabriel
>Thumbing the accept without having to stop Gabriel now spawns on it
>"Hey Null, did you go out and have fun?"
>You grimace
>"I went out but I didn't have 'fun'," you hunch over in your stride having left the cover of a roof by the street, "Everyone at that club avoided me like the plague. I told you this always happens when I go out alone"
>You hear him face palm, and glancing down he leaves it there for a few moments
>After dragging his hand off he looks back at you
>"Have you tried talking to people?"
>The hand wave was unnecessary
>You give him a big thumbs up
>"Yeah, I did try and got called a freak for it," you say dryly
>He visibly deflates at that, looking a bit disheartened
>But you know both of you aren't surprised by it
>You can't fault the man for trying though, especially since he's the one that got you started on bounty hunting, taking you under his wing so to speak
>"Look," you start up, and grabbing his attention again, "I met a girl though"
>He lightens up a bit with a smile
>"Did you now? I thought you got called, er, a rarity"
>You wave that aside, not wanting to think about it
>"No, no, not like that; I met her when I was doing a bounty"
>Back to neutral he goes
>"I thought you learned better after what happened in Cydonia," he says with a low voice
>You grip your left side as he does
>"I did... Nothing like that will happen again, this is different. She was the client, wants me to help her get-"
>You don't want to admit you're gathering toys for her
>"- some valuable items"
>Ignoring your slip, either for your benefit or his, he crosses his arms over his chest
>"That's not meeting a girl Anon"
>You frown
>"That's getting a job"
>Double frown
>"Closest I've gotten to meeting a girl that will talk to me besides Missy, and she just wants my money"
>"Fine, but stay alert, I don't need my partner getting killed for some 'valuable items'"
>You nod, "I'll be careful"
>He just shrugs back
>"Alright, then see ya"
>His hologram winks out and you stuff your phone back into your pocket
>You learned, all right
>It's a lesson you will never forget...
 
>It takes about an hour and a half to reach the garage where the bike is being kept
>When you reach the open garage, Mark, the seller waves from inside with his cybernetic paws
>"I would walk out and greet you, buuut," he spins one of them in it's socket like a top
>You nod, hoping to cut the bullshit between you and your bike, and make your way inside
>There it is, the Keneda MK7 Hoverbike
>He at least had the decency of having it front and center
>Bright red, looking like the nose and cockpit of an ancient F-17, and with a full canopy to protect you from the rain
>To call it a bike was a bit of a misnomer though, it was more of a one man car
>It got the 'bike' name from it being lifted by dual hoverpads instead of the traditional 4
>It had an upright seat and everything
>"Oh, she's pretty," you say as you walk over to it, running a hand down it's side
>"Yea she's a beaut," Mark smiles
>He walks over and points to the dashboard
>"Normally, it would start when a person with the right ID Chip gets in, but I rigged this one to start via your fingerprints. Bastard of a part to find, but go ahead and let it scan you in"
>You get a quick ding as you press your finger to the small button on its face
>"It's all set for you now, so how about them credits"
>You pull out your phone and tap a few buttons
>His right eye goes blue
>Must be connected to his accounts
>"Got it, 27k Credits," he blinks his eyes a few times, and holds out a paw
>"Good working with you Anon"
>You smile and shake it
>"Thanks"
 
>With that you get into the Hoverbike and pull the canopy down
>It's a nice fit, giving you enough leg room to stretch your legs a little if you needed
>You push on the same button as before, and soon it's roaring like a T-rex
>Nice
>You give one final wave to Mark and you're off
>Blasting out from the garage and out into the street, you can't help but marvel at the speed
>So this is freedom
>Rain streaks by as you race down the sideroads, taking sharp corners and doing your damnedest to float past every puddle you find
>What would have taken you an hour to get home takes close to around 10 minutes
>Oh god, this opens up a whole new world for you, you can widen the search parameters of your computer
>You can make so much more money, and with it a place somewhere out of these slums
>But for now, it's back to your apartment for you
>You park your bike into a service elevator just to the side of your complex, having to fiddle with the keys a bit to get the thing to work with your phone instead
>A few swears, some furious typing, and a kick for good measure, your bike zips down and becomes the landlord's problem for reckless damages
>You think, anyways
>Walking up the steps and going up a few more inside, you're upstairs, and you enter your apartment
>Home seems a lot less constricting now
>It's more of a base than an anchor kind of feeling
>You idly reset your computer's search width when suddenly your phone goes off again
>It's Star this time
>You answer, and almost throw the thing into the nearest wall from the overblown view of her face
>She's too close to her hololens
>"HELLLOO ANON! IT's me, Star!"
>You're pretty sure you got that already
>You rub the bridge of your nose, and look up at the giant blue star
>"Hi star, you're too close to the Hololens. All I see is a warped image of your face"
>She smiles, probably
>"It's OK! So! I got some stuff ordered so I can help you when I send you out to get my Gunplas!"
>...What?
>"Can you come by tomorrow? Plus, I might have something for you to grab!"
>Sorting the new word into the /trash/ bin, you rub one of your eyes and look back to her
>Her enthusiasm is tiring, to say the least
>"Alright Star, I'll be there"
>Yawning halfway through, you ask "N at what time?"
>She smiles with her star pupils spinning widely
>"How about 3 AM? It's obvious you don't sleep at night!"
>You slowly nod
>"Sure, but remember: nothing too heavy, I can only carry so much"
>As you talk you take Rose out of her holster and set her on the table
>If you were a weaker man, her rapidly spinning up eyes could kill a man
>Seizures are no joke, especially when your body can't ping for help
>"I only get the best, don't worry Anon!"
>You're very worried, and you frown to show it
>"Look Star, Usually I just go with my basic gear. What else do you have, and why do you think I'll need it?"
>Her Holo is 80% grinning teeth
>"You'll see!"
>You rub your face from the tiredness beginning to set in
>You spent a lot of the day walking around and being ordered around by a pint sized Opossum
>It's almost enough to make you forget about Cydonia and the Lonely Heart
>Your hand rubs your side absentmindedly as you think about both in the privacy of your own dulled mind
>You're fairly confident you've suppressed and beaten down this shitty feeling before, but now it's doubling down and clawing to come back out
>Something is pulling it along, something you don't understand
>It's not happiness, you currently aren't being paid right now
>It's a something that coldly burns your heart with longing, a longing you don't want
>But it's there, whispering to you
>"It's ok"
>Fuck off, you crush it like a hydraulic press
>No room, no time, no reason for it
>Nothing for anything other than your pay
>You had a hand to your forehead for awhile now, and slowly dragging it off you look just above it at your new untapped source of income
>"I'll see you tomorrow then," you say to the overly excited Hologram
>She smiles, still spinning her emotions away through her eyes
>At least, you won't have to guess with her
>"Yeah, I'll see ya!"
>And then, she disappears
 
>Fuck, what a weird day
>You strip to your underwear and get into bed, not having bothered with eating and only wasting time on the barest necessities
>The rain still hasn't let up, but it's there to fill the noise in your mind flooded with thoughts as you lay there in bed
>Your ceiling is looking particularly nice tonight
>It's a nice, different change of pace
>An interesting concept surfaces in your head, one that you didn't think could ever exist
>You're different, and that's what Star must have liked
>Not like Missy and the other tramps
>She saw use in you
>Not what was on you
>What a stupid concept
>Why do you not immediately hate it
>You almost laugh at the thought that she's different in how naive she might be
>Completely fine with a total stranger in a bunker that's decked out with cameras and hidden away
>People must not have beaten it in her yet
>Despite it all you can't shoot every thought
>To leave a small door open, for the one chance its genuine
>Your mind tells you to put up the walls
>Your heart says to leave it open for those who are worthy
>You kindly ask both to shut the fuck up, your ammo being
>"It'll be the same as last time,"
>"Nothing will come of it besides credits, so be ready"
>"Accept you are worse than nothing to them"
 
>And yet, you're still alive
>With multiple, supposedly god like beings put in the grave by your unmodded hands
>It doesn't stop the taunts of everyone you ever knew grasp at you
>Even Gabriel, with his "Go out and meet someone"
>If only he knew how those words cut into you
>You try to fall asleep, tossing and turning from the fighting inside you
>Visions of real life and dreamstate tormenting you while the minutes ticked by
>With one last tired appeal, you eventually fall asleep
>It will be better, it must be
>Stick to it
>Do what you can, no more
>You'll always have to do more
>It's your life, dammit
>Your restless dreams hold schemes, scenarios, plans and strategies you will never use
>Better to have them than not, right?
>You never know when the time where you needed them most comes back to torment you again
>God. Damn. Toy collecting

Chapter 5: Stranger
 
>You wake up after a nice deep sleep
>That's...surprisingly rare
>Usually the neon lights or the consistent rain wakes you
>Granted, you were tired from walking so much yesterday
>You suppose it doesn't matter now though, as your stomach is having a fit at the fact that all you had was ramen
>Time to remedy that
>You get up and stretch, your back popping feeling extra satisfying this morning
>Taking a few steps into the kitchen and half blindly fingering your food synth, a steak and cheese omelette(one of your favorites) is slapped onto a plate
>A casual glance over the counter at your computer shows that there's a lot more activity going through the feeds
>With your updated distance specs, it's pulling in a lot more bounties now
>Food in hand you sit down and click to the bounty network itself
>As much as you wanted too, there isn't any hunting today
>You have to meet Star and see what she wanted
>Distracting yourself a bit you decide to look up news on the fat man again
>Nicolas Belacov, the whale that he was, had a nice fat 7.5k cred bounty just for being family to the Head of The Sailors
>You still don't regret putting a bullet in him, knowing full well that they would never be able to find you
>Even through the anonymous bounty network, you've kept your accounts unnamed, with no address either
>Surprisingly easy to fool the system when you legitimately have no way to be tracked
>Though being a family man, you know that those specific bounties often had friends or family seeking reprisals
>But your unwanted stealth field still works, the best thing to have as a bounty hunter
>As you scroll the news you see a lot of recent stores on the whale himself
>He was a typical sexual deviant, enjoying hurting petite girls and those guys that look like girls
>'Traps'
>Egh, not your thing, but some people liked them
>There are a lot of pictures of his work, showing multiple images of poor Anthros and Humans looking mutilated and scarred
>You did the world a favor for once
>That man was a monster, and you know monsters
>Still not finished with your food and just as bored as ever, you then decide to browse around NikoNeko, pulling up videos of feral cats attacking inanimate objects and generally acting like shits
>Overall, a pretty solid use of your time
>Maybe you can get a pet cat yourself with your new job
>But that's enough of that
>You've finished eating, and now it's time to get ready
>Piss, shower, shave, get dressed
>A common morning routine that ends with you putting on your usual gear
>Your leather bomber jacket, a shock knife, a scanner, and a few sets of electromag cuffs
>And Rose, which you make extra sure is fully charged and ready
>"Time," you mumble
>"2:34 AM," it sounds a little off towards the end, adding yet another possible expense to your list of things to buy
>You slept in late
>That's just as rare as having an uninterrupted one as well
>But luckily you have your bike now!
>No more hour plus long walks for you anymore
>You grab your phone and head out the door
 
>You're standing in front of the service elevator, and you're pretty sure it's kill count rivals that of your own
>Thankfully it's much more agreeable this time in bringing up your Hoverbike, and it's successfully avoided needing a few kicks from your steel toed boots
>For now
>Pretty soon, your bike is brought up and pulled out, with you getting in it soon after
>'Your hoverbike'
>It's still weird to say
>You've never had anything like this, nothing so big or substantial
>Even renting your apartment was done via a robot who took your payments regardless
>With a quick jab of your thumb she's started up and raring to go at your command
>Is this what having a girlfriend is like? Not that you know of, anyways
>Smirking the thought away, you pull out into the street and notice that the rain is at a minimum today
>'Still bad for business,' you think to yourself
>You hope that whatever Star wants, it'll at least take up all of your day
>It's not the water that's the issue for people, its the magnetic storms that come after
>On particularly bad days the air itself could fry someone's back alley garbage, and so in an effort to prevent it they shut off the more exposed Augs, which just so happens to include the ID implants
>Fry one of those, and it's a straight shock to your head
>Your body will be fine, but your bike?
>Nope! Nope, suppress it, today is going to be a good day
>Probably
>You have free range of the place on somewhat common days such as this regardless
>Small victory, which is all you really need at this point
>You quietly drive down the roads towards Star's 'address' before you give her a call
 
>You had to fight with it for a few rings before giving up and parking closeby
>After a few minutes of fiddling, a call gets through and a thankfully normal looking holo of Star appears like it should be
>"HIIIIII ANON! Whats UP?!"
>Still need to fix the volume
>But you can't help but smile
>"Hi Star, I'm here with my bike this time. Should I park in the street or what?"
>She does a silly little dance, her signature features spinning wildly with excitement
>"Come around the back! There's a kinda faded red square! Park there!"
>You look around you for a few moments and on spotting an alleyway, you get back in and slowly drive past the walls
>There is a tiny lot back here, and after a quick search you find an almost scraped-off red square on the ground
>Dialing Star once more, you sit your bike over the square, feeling slightly annoyed that you have to fight with your phone again
>Her happiness overcomes it though
>"You there?! One sec!"
>No kidding
>Within said second you feel the ground rumble beneath you as a hidden door opens in the side of one of the ruins
>She has a fucking hidden door
>Who needs that level of security?
>Riding down the ramp into the bunker basement, you can't help but think about it
>She outright threatened your silence, then went back to an overly giddy teenager
>Crime boss kids are suppose to be snooty, stupid hard asses, not rabid toy collectors
>You couldn't find anything on her when you went home, but the little things start to validate her
>And yet there she is, waiting next to an open door and happily waving towards you
>"HEEELLLOOOOOO ANON!"
>Not that this was a bad thing, of course
>She leaps onto your side with a hug when you aren't even halfway off your bike
>What the fuck
>"Why are you hugging me?" you sputter, "you barely know me!"
>You try to use an arm to wedge her off
>"Get off!"
>You tried, anyways
>She's stronger than she looks
>"OOOOOH, I'm SO EXCITED ANON! COME ON!"
>She finally lets go and drags you along by your hand
>You immediately drop her enthusiasm back to tiring
>"I got some really cool stuff we can use to get my Gunplas!"
>By we she means you
>This girl can't find subtle in the dictionary while trying to stealth her way out of a paper bag
>She leads you rather forcefully into the main room you stumbled upon before, where monitors lined every wall
>A table you hadn't noticed before is placed center of the room, and covered with a few things on it
>There's a thing you can't recognize set next to a weird looking helmet and a Scanner like the one on your arm on top of it
>"Look look I got you this cool helmet! I can talk to you through it and see what you see! It'll be like I'm Sayla Mass and you're Amuro Ray!"
>What does that even mean?!
>You grab the helmet that's been shoved in your face and look at it
>It has glowing green eyes, and what looks like a yellow boomerang attached to the front of it
>It clashes terribly with your outfit
>"Ok, I like the helmet, but..." you grab at the yellow bent banana bit, "this boomerang thing needs to go," it gives after a few good tugs, having been glued on apparently
>Now it looks like a normal helmet, with the weird attached distraction now fully removed
>You look at Star and see her pupils have become little teardrops
>Huh, interesting
>"That was a replica of the Gsm1/24 Msz-006 Z Gundam Head!" she sniffled, "and you pulled off the most defining part..." her voice trails off while she looks at the boomerang you tossed aside
>It's a neat helmet, but you weren't hired for neat
>You set the helmet down and put your hands on her shoulders and look into her still teary eyes
>Dammit, she made them bigger
>"You hired me to be untraceable, to be a ghost. I don't need flashy parts, and if you want to monitor what I'm doing, fine, but basic is always easier for me"
>You look back at the glowing green eyed and gas mask atrocity sitting on the table, that, admittedly the second part being potentially useful
>Looking back, she still seems a bit down, her eyes back on the ripped off part
>"So," you say, glancing back at the table, "what else is all this?"
>You pick up the gauntlet and hold it up next to your own, "what else is all this? I already have a scanner"
>It gets her out of her funk, and her tail grabs one of the things and pulls it to her
>"That scanner is an upgraded version of yours! And this," she clicks something on the handle, "is a fusion sword!"
>Yeah, yeah it was
>It's certainly flashy, and almost flaming in a straight line of fire
>You assume your best annoyed, confused frown
>It's not that you disliked the idea of having a fusion sword, but they were too noticeable
>"No, I'll wear the helmet, but no fusion swords,"  you say as she starts to pout again, "I can't get too close to anyone augmented with that, and I definitely won't win in any close combat"
>She waves it dangerously close to your face with her stomping
>"But it's so cool! You can be just like the RX-78!"
>Another, hopefully accidental, swing
>"Fine! I'll take it," and you do, grabbing it from her and flicking it off for both of your sakes
>"I doubt I'll use it though," you say as you hook it to your belt
>Like a switch she's brightened up again
>"YAY!" she finishes her mood swing with another hug
>You're a bit faster this time, holding up a hand to stop her
>As cute as she is, you barely know her
>"Quit it with hugs, and what am I getting for you"
>She grabs your outstretched hand and pulls you to her computer connected her largest monitors
>"You're grabbing me a Nu Gundam Ver.Ka Titanium Finish Gunpla!"
>Don't ask, don't question it, smile and nod
>Even with her pointing to one of the pictures of a toy robot, it still doesn't help
>"There's a guy who has one but refuses to sell! I want it and you're gonna go get it!"
>Well, that's pretty easy now that you think about it
>"Ok, where is he and I'll go get your toy"
>"Collectible! I'm sending the info to your helmet now!"
>You grab the helmet and put it on
>Seconds later, you can start to see pretty clearly as the HUD boots up
>Is this what having augmented vision is like?
>It even has nightvision and enemy tracking
>"Star how did-"
>'親父にもぶたれたことないのに'
>"What."
>The progress bar finished loading, and the the damn thing decided to yell at you too
>Turning to her, you see her pupils are spinning wildly
>"OH MY GOSH YOU LOOK SO COOL! Kinda like Spike Speigel with a helmet, or like Jacket from Hotline Miami!"
>"Uh, thanks, I guess"
>You cough
>"Now then, let's get this over with"
>Before she can spring any more gadgets on you, you head to your bike and get in
>When the canopy closes, a static image of a way-to-close scrunched opossum face fills the top right portion of your helmet
>"Helllloooo Anon! Can you hear me?"
>It comes through clear enough
>"Yes Star, I can hear you. Now where am I going? I thought you said you were sending the info"
>You hear a few clicks
>"Whoops, sorry! Here it is"
>She's replaced with a basic grid map, and a route at the bottom of your vision starts to appear on the ground
>Shaking off the nonsense and cracking your neck, you turn on your bike and gun it up the ramp
 
>"This guy won't just give you the Gunpla Anon, you might have to fight for it"
>"I figured, I'll be fine," you say, weaving through the traffic
>In the brief time you can, you look up at the sky and see the clouds have turned an eerie blue color
>Those storms came as a side effect of the weather control, something about too much static would build up in the clouds and eventually need to be released
>They only last about an hour though
>Usually
>Thinking little of it, your bike roars through the streets, neon lights zoom past and meld into your windshield as you drive
>You still can't believe the simple fact you can go anywhere, and do so much more now
>"Hey Anon! Whatcha thinking about? Talk with me, you're so quiet"
>Annoying, cute, both at the same time, you can't decide
>"I'm thinking about how to not get killed. If this guy has any combat Augs I'll need to either sneak up on him or I'll have to shoot him. Can't go toe to toe with most people"
>The storm is starting to crackle in the skies above you, and even a portion of your HUD starts to short out
>Perfect
>He wouldn't know you were coming
>Another, louder crackle causes you to look up into the roiling angry blue clouds
>"Wow! The city is beautiful! I don't leave my basement though, too dangerous!"
>Too dangerous?
>"What do you mean 'too dangerous?' I'm out here and I don't have any augs at all"
>She's quiet for a moment
>"My dad has a lot of enemies. He told me it was safer to live hidden so people wouldn't use me to get to him"
>Silence
>"S'why not many people know about it," more silence
>"Because it's safe," she finishes quietly
>The both of you don't say anything for awhile, knowing full well she's looking out at the road as you do
>But soon enough she's back
>"B-but I also enjoy it! Don't get me wrong I love just being able to do what I want all day!"
>You're waiting at a stop light with only a few cars on either side
>"It's just, sometimes I get lonely, but...I have you now! You aren't one of my dad's henchmen and you're cool!"
>Cool
>Sure, you can live with that
>Her excitement ramps up again the further you drive, spending the rest of the time of your ride with her asking things about you
>And although you don't ask, she tells you about herself
>She's 25, enjoys playing video games and assembling her toys
>Grew up not leaving her father's house and was moved to her basement so she could be 'Independent'
>Sounds like Daddy got rid of her so she wouldn't get in the way
>You actually feel a bit bad for her
>But she was happy about living down there, fiddling with her imports, toys, and whatever, so why should you care
>Credits is credits
>And your time suddenly got a lot more profitable
 
>"Alright Star, I need you to be quiet for a bit," you say, pulling into a much cleaner apartment complex
>Since you're close, you park your bike a few blocks away
>No reason to let the mark hear you over the storm
>"But I wanna keep talking to yo-"
>"Star! Be quiet and let me work, I need to hear everything going on"
>"O-ok, Anon"
>Her image and the map winks out after that
>Walking quickly, you follow the route cached route to the building
>It's tall, somewhat on the high end, and your HUD tells you he's on the top floor
>Of course he is
>It also just had to be 90 floors up, too
>After spotting no one in the lobby, you make your way to the elevator
>As expected it beeps, with a little light glowing red to the side
>It's nothing a little applied electrodynamics can't handle
>You slice the shit out of it with your shock knife
>A few healthy pries on the door craves itself as well, and you've got a semi busted, but partially open doorway you can walk through
>The elevator itself doesn't seem to fight you, but it does take awhile to convince it of the ghost that's trying to get on
>Hitting the button for the top floor, you unholster Rose and cycle the cylinders until it sets to stun
>The guy is definitely going to be home, and probably asleep
>Better safe than sorry, too
>Tucking your hand into your coat, you use your free one to open the doors and step out into a hallway
>The rows of doors are thankfully silent after that minute of mindnumbingly bad elevator music
>Now...which door was it?
>Your route has disappeared by this point, and your only clue in the form of a note is the room 9008
>Thankfully, it isn't a long search
>The apartments must have a penthouse floor, as from the size of the outside you thought around 30 could fit here
>They sperged on settling with 10 at the least
>On your third attempt at picking a hallway, you eventually find the door
>A quick inspection of the door handle shows it's locked
>Obviously, it would be
>It's almost borderline retarded at how easy it is to bypass security with a little bit of boost juice, courtesy of your knife
>With a clean wedge in the door frame and the handle, you up the voltage and leave it there
>It quickly starts to smoke, the electricity overloading the lock and eventually giving you access
>Opening the door, your knife quietly fell onto the plush carpet, fully dead from usage
>Another thing added to the list, it seems, of garbage you need to replace
>Well, so far, so good
>You go through your mantra, which is a lot more useful than some people'd think
>Breathe, stay quiet and stay smart
>Pushing the door open, you step into the apartment
>It's completely and utterly trashed
>Food wrappers, soda bottles, and other questionable garbage litter the floor
>Yeah, SOMEHOW, it's even worse than Star's basement
>You carefully walk further in, trying harder to not have a repeat like before
>Where is that toy Star wants?
>Scanning the room only revealed the usual suspects you'd find in a living room, just with an extra dose of plastic wrappings and used tissue
>Still, it's fairly large, with a huge sliding glass door leading to the balcony
>A tiny hallway leads to a few doors from what you can see, and assuming the last one is the bedroom, you walk over to it
>Opening it shows!
>A fucking broom closet, with an added washer/dryer combo tucked away into the corner
>Closing the door, you go to the right one
>It isn't the bedroom either, but rather, a very large bathroom
>The tub is the size of your kitchenette almost
>Sighing, you close that door as well, and focus your attention on the last one
 
>It's always the last one
>Being incredibly dark, the helmet's night vision turns on automatically
>Everything quickly comes into focus, revealing a small bedroom
>Like Star's room, it's lined wall to wall with toys, junk, and the occasional sword
>Sword?
>Your eyes glaze over from the stupidity
>The fact that you still have a job to do easily brings you back
>"Star, which one is it," you whisper as you slide into the room and close the door behind you
>"Uhh, it looks like this," said Star's empty box that changed to show an image of a box
>You begin to search for it, noting that at least this room is cleaner than the main one
>A noise behind you sets you on edge, and you're thankful to find that sudden bright lights don't blind you through your helmet
>You spin around and see a Human with a cybernetic arm, a dirty waif-beater top mixed with some sort of animal print sweat pants and the biggest, dumbest smile you've ever had the displeasure to see
>Why is it always the trashy ones
>"Haha! I knew one of these days someone would come!" he points his human head to your belt
>"I see you have a fusion sword! Draw it so we may duel"
>He flicks his metallic wrist, causing his hand to fold in and a blade to project through the socket
>"I have trained for this day for years! I have studied the sword so that I ca-"
>A quick shot to the chest and he falls like a ton of bricks, his fusion sword extinguishing halfway down
>Well, now you don't need to worry about being quiet anymore
>You give him a quick test kick, just to be sure, and continue your searching soon after
>"Hey Anon, why didn't you use the fusion sword I gave you? I bet you could beat him"
>You continue looking as you answer
>"Why fight him? I could get killed, and it's easier to just stun the fucker"
>"But that's not fair, if someone challenges you with a sword you're suppose to duel with them, right?"
>You laugh a bit
>"This isn't one of your shows Star, this is real life and it isn't about being fair. It's about getting out of it alive"
>She hums through comms for awhile
>"Gun beats sword, Star," you deadpan
>"...Not if he can cut the bullets it's not," she mumbles, eventually sounding satisfied after a few minutes of searching
>But
>Talk about so many fucking boxes though
>You've been at it for awhile, and you damn near jump from the screech in your ear
>"OH! OH! GO BACK! THAT ONE!"
>You reel back
>"OW what the fuck Star, don't yell!" you yell
>"Sorry sorry! Look to your right!"
>You do
>"There! Grab it grab it!"
>You grab the box and look at it, taking in all the features of every face and corner, and even into the small plastic window inside
>It doesn't look impressive at all
>"Oh my gosh! He didn't put it together! YAY! Now I get too! Come on back Anon! I'm gonna grab my tools!"
>A mile a minute with her
>You hear her almost fall out of her chair, with the sounds of pawed feet scraping away soon after
>Taking one last look at the box, and then the room, your eyes fall on a model that's bigger than the other and looks like it can light up
>Bigger is better right?
>You grab it too
>Maybe you can get a bonus for it from Star
>Leaving the apartment was easier than entering
>Automated security floats on past you while you move through the hallway
>Spinning past their floating circular bodies, you give them a wave and continue your walk to the elevator
>In no time at all you're back on your bike and heading towards Star
>"Hey Anon!"
>Speaking of
>"I registered your bike in my bunker's computer! The door will open automatically for you now!"
>Oh, that's actually nice
>The ride to the bunker is fast with most of the streets clear from the average Joe risking his Augs in his car
>It's almost over too soon by the time you're driving down the ramp to see Star bouncing happily waiting for you
>If she bounced anymore violently her tits would pop right out of that tank top
>She may say she's 25, but with her height...
>No time to continue that thought process, the opossum in question is glued back to your sides once more
>You can at least confirm that her, 'assets', don't seem to be fake, at least
>Now if only you can drown out the yelling
>"Oh my gosh oh my gosh gimme gimme gimme!"
>You've been holding both boxes above your head while you struggled to enter the bunker
>Finally reaching the table inside, her pupils become little hearts as she holds the smaller one in front of her
>"Yessssss," she outright hissed, "I've wanted this for SOOOOO long!"
>You forgot about her plastic dungeon due to her dashing into a side room, leaving you stranded and standing there
>Well, better see what the fuss is about
>And get paid
>And to take off the helmet, too
>Leaving it behind with the larger box in hand, you follower he deeper into the bunker
 
>"Hey Star, you still need to pay me!" you call out
>You aren't surprised that you were totally ignored
>She's already in her toy room with all the parts spread out and an assortment of tools nearby
>Time for plan B
>"Is this thing worth anything?" you hold out the larger box
>"HM? Is what worth anythinggGGGGG?!" Her eyes fall on the encased robot you had in your hands
>"OH EM GEE ANON! That's a Perfect Grade, Nu Gundam with LEDs! It's SUPER rare! I didn't know he had this!"
>Score
>Also, what
>"It's a what?" you say, setting it on the table
>"NuGandamu wa sho dakede wanai Anon! It's super rare and valuable! 1/60th scale model!"
>You rub the bridge of your nose
>"What, Star? I don't speak Japanese or nerd"
>She huffs at you and clicks a switch that makes the model light up
>"This Nu Gundam isn't just for show!"
>What does that even mean!
>Whatever
>"Alright Star, I'm glad you got your to-'collectors'("collectibles!"), yeah, that, but can you pay me? I'll then get out of your hair and let you play with them in peace"
>She stops staring at the model you gave her and looks at you, her tail swishing about behind her
>"Uh..Why don't you stay and help? Y'know, uh, to keep me company? I would love to hear about some of your bounties"
>Is this girl serious? You don't have any plans but it came across as odd that she would want you to stay
>"What? You just met me, and technically it hasn't even been a day. All you know is that I'm just some guy who wandered into your basement"
>She looks you over
>"But you're so interesting! An unaugmented Human! And a bounty hunter at that! You're so cool!"
>You don't know what to think as you scratch your head
>Opening an eye, you see her blue eyes are beaming up at yours, and she smiles broadly
>Just normal, circular orbs stare back at yours
>"Come on! Stay for some food at least!"
>You suppose it won't kill you to eat for free
>But still
>You relent, accepting that more of your time will be eaten up by this confusing...
>You don't even bother to finish it
>"Alright Star, but you better have some great food"
>She bounces happily and rushes past you
>"Come on! I can make us some sushi and green tea!"
>You sigh
>It's just for credits, right?
>Right...

Chapter 6: Brother
 
>It's been 2 days since you 'hung out' with Star
>By that you really mean she talked at you about her...collectibles nonstop
>But you have to admire her passion for what she loves
>For now you're in Gabriel's duo speeder flying away after a very successful hunt
>The two of you had managed to track down another family member of the Sailor's boss
>His brother actually
>Took a bit of snooping, and a fair bit of extortion from some of Gabriel's contacts, and more than a couple called in favors to get to him, but it was worth it
>You found the dude in a sauna getting whipped by some polar bears
>For the second, possibly third time in your life you wished Draino, a powerful memory removal agent, was legal again
>What the hell kind of combination is money and weird ass fetishes is with these people
>Settling with a light forehead massage to beat the memories away, your phone dinging causes you to check it
>It's a message, saying that you've successfully been paid 20k
>To your surprise, the payee isn't anonymous, but rather the jarringly initialed J.D reads across the screen
>Just J.D, and nothing more
>It doesn't take you long to connect the first thing that comes to mind with the name
>"Jonathan Dismond"
>"Did you say something?" Gabriel says with his still has his eyes on the road
>"Erh, yeah, that we just got paid," you cover up
>Star's father, and head of a huge crime syndicate, personally payed you today
>That, or someone similar
>You hope it's someone similar
>"Yo Null, quit spacing out! How much?"
>A heavy hand falls on your shoulder shaking you out of it
>"Right, yeah, we got paid big time, that guy had a 40k bounty on him"
>Gabriel nods, one hand cupping his chin and both of his eyes NOT focusing on the road
>"Hell of a payday, 20k for each of us"
>You still question him every time he goes down an even split, with half of your attention keeping the wheel steady
>"Shouldn't you get 30k? You're the one that tracked him down and shit"
>He shakes his head, smiling wide and shooing you off the wheel
>"Nah, we're partners. Fair split. Besides, you're the one who was able to get to him without getting snagged"
>He had a point
>It took a lot of effort to sneak around their more personal security features, but for the most part they only pinged for something that wasn't there
>Shrugging, you lean back into your seat
>"The Belacov's must be pissed," he continues, "First: someone kills one of their cousins and gets away with it, and now, his brother just ate it too. They're gonna be trying to track us down, that's for sure"
>You smile a bit
>"What? I tell you we're gonna get hunted, and all you do is sit there like a smug bitch?"
>You humor him with a grin
>"I'm the one who killed the cousin"
>Gabriel's eyebrows raise, and even he cracks one too
>"When I was on my Date with Fox, huh?"
>"Yeah man, he's fatter in person than in the pictures"
>Your cupped hands don't do him justice, and looking through them you see your apartment zoom on past
>Alright, what's he up to
>"Speaking of Fox, she and I have news for you, but she wanted to tell you in person"
>Alright, but did you really feel the need to drive past my house
>"You aren't going to try and hook me up with one of her cousins, right? Again? That girl's crazy and tried to stab me when I didn't wanna fuck her"
>His sudden laughter shakes his arms just enough to almost float right off the road, you grab the steering wheel to keep going straight
>You barely registered what is typically considered normal to you
>"We didn't know she was in heat, sorry"
>Deadpanned staring, and a few blinks for good measure, you casually take your hand off the wheel again
>They totally knew she was, and were just trying to get you laid
>"Yeah sure you didn't, it's not like Fox was in hers at the same time either"
>He smiles wider
>"Yeah, that was an awesome week for me! We fucked on like, every flat surface in the house
>You coldly look away at him and focus on the street ahead of you
>You liked eating at his mahogany table
>Liked
>"Gross, but sure, fine. Didn't need to know that."
>"Yeah not sorry, but we did clean up afterwards though," he laughs again
 
>It's hard to keep an awkward silence with the man, and before long he slows the speeder down and parks in front of his apartment
>You both get out with him leading the way to a service elevator, and you watch in awe that he didn't even need to watch his arms
>The lucky bastard has you by your shoulders and is eagerly leading you up the steps
>"Come on, she's making those weird noodles you get every time we go out to eat"
>"It's called Ramen!" you shout out, with a certain opossum suddenly coming to mind
>You clear your throat
>"And I do not get them every time, only when we go to the noodle shop that YOU always pick"
>"Riiiiight, I go there because the waitress is always hitting on you"
>"I-"
>No, you aren't going to willingly dig your own grave in telling him that Shiba Inu was a dude
>Or, maybe he knew that
>...
>You drop it, just as he does with his hands no longer pushing you into the elevator
>"'She's' just being polite and 'she's' one of my neighbors. They aren't hitting on me"
>The elevators slowly start to ascend after he lets it get a read on one of his implants
>"Dude, you're oblivious," he says to you
>Sure thing pal
>"And you can't tell if a perp has a fusion blade in his arm or not"
>This is how most of your conversations went with Gabriel, banter back and forth about stupid shit
>That, and a lot of insult based humor
>The elevator dings at 200 floors up with a pretty good view of the city
>You're always a little jealous when you stop by his place
>Especially at night, where the neon lights practically sparkle like gems down below, and you can barely hear the speeders
>Someone left a window open on the public balcony, and you can feel the wind billow past you, carrying a bit of fog
>"Come on man, let's not keep Fox waiting"
>You pull yourself away from your previous spot of staring through the glass, and follow him inside to his apartment
>"Hey love! I'm home! Null's here with me like you asked," he calls out after shucking off his coat
>You smell garlic and soy sauce waft out of the kitchen as you step inside behind him
>"One sec, I'm coming!" you hear her voice from the same place
>It isn't long until a strikingly gorgeous Jaguar Cheetah anthro walks out from around the corner
>"Anon! I haven't seen you in weeks! Come here!"
>It isn't fair at how all anthros are inherently faster than you
>You don't complain about the hug though
>"Hi Fox, It's good to see you"
>Everyone didn't believe Gabriel when he showed off pictures of her, but everyone did say she was a 'Fox' and it just kinda stuck
>They aren't a bright bunch either, but she likes it well enough
>Breaking from the hug, she moves back to Gabriel and gives him the similar treatment
>"We scored big today Babe, this'll be great for savings"
>Savings? The man had a bit of a spending habit, but you knew he had some cash kept away
>You never felt the need to pry past that, as odd as it was coming from him
>Breaking off from him as well, she lightly grips his metallic left arm, pulling it off and sneaking in a quick kiss
>Knowing the job, you let them have their moment, busying yourself by removing your own gear
>"Thanks love," he says
>...Their relationship always filled you with a bit of envy however
>If you ever got the same, you secretly hoped it could be like theirs, with no drama whatsoever
>Like the king of his castle, he walks off to plop onto the living room couch, with you just about finishing unhooking your various tools
>"Here, I'll take that and hang it up," you say to her, reaching for the detached augment
>"Such a gentleman," she delicately hands it to you with that same pleasant smile she gives everyone
>You catch Gabriel rolling his eyes at that
 
>You walk over to the main hallway and open the door to one of the three bedrooms
>This one you knew, as it was Gabriel's workshop where he worked on his guns and stored his equipment
>There are gun parts scattered all around on his workbench, where an unusual looking rifle that you haven't seen before laid half finished on it
>Locating the wall mount for his left arm, you set the limb into place, and quietly walk back out the door
>"Null! Food's ready, so move it!"
>Before heading back down the hallway, you take out your phone
>You're slightly confused at the lack of consistent texts Star would typically shoot your way
>You don't have a signal on the cheap thing
>Still messing with it, you walk out to the living room where Gabriel still sits and Fox leaning against the countertop
>"Hey Fox?" you look up at her, "can you do that thing with your tail? I got no signal and need to see if Star needs me tomorrow"
>She casually lifts her tail a little, and does an odd flicking movement
>It's weighty from the massive hub built into it, with transceivers outright welded to the bone
>She ALWAYS has Wifi, but...
>With how she described it at first
>It's one of the few things you're thankful for
>"Ooo, who's Star? Finally get a girlfriend?"
>She's being coy with you, if that outstretched paw has anything to say about it
>You save face, frowning slightly and holding the phone up
>"Actually, she's a client. You'll see in a second"
>You pull up her contact info and push the call button
>Almost immediately she picks it up in her usual manner
>"HEEELLLOOOO ANONNNN! What's up!? Wanna learn more about Gundams?"
>Even her holographic self can't help but bounce excitedly with every word
>You expected as much, with how Fox giggles behind her and how even Gabriel is looking your way
>"First of all, No, and, are you wearing the same shirt from the other day?"
>She looks at her shirt
>"Oh, yeah, I've been busy putting that Gunpla together! It's fine, one sec!"
>She starts pulling it off
>"Whoa whoa whoa! Wait until I'm OFF the phone to change!"
>Luckily she stops before totally exposing herself
>"Hfuh?" she didn't put it back down, per say
>"Oh right, sorry! Did you need something?" she finally puts it back down
>You assume the standard fingers to the bridge of your nose position
>"Just.. do you need me tomorrow? If not, I'm going hunting"
>She's staring off to space
>At least, you think she is, with how hard it is to see the comets in her eyes from how crappy the projector quality is
>"Uh, yea I have something I want you to grab!"
>"Alright, I'll see you then," you turn around from Fox and Gabriel, pulling in her holo close
>"And change your clothes and shower, by the way," you mumblehiss at her
>You know she wasn't wearing a bra either from how obvious it was with her waving goodbye
>"Ok Anon! See you then"
>She flickers off, and turning around, you look back up at Fox and a now standing Gabriel right next to her
>Both of them look like champion shit eaters as they beam at you
>It doesn't last long, with both of them bursting out into laughter
>"THAT's your client?" Gabriel get's between breaths, "the one who wants 'valuable' items? She's a doof!"
>"Aww but she's so cute Anon! She must really like you!" Fox's own laughter starting to die down, she politely shoos Gabriel away
>Your hands will just have to do, again, to smash out the forming headache from everything so far
>"She only posted a bounty on the network, I answered it, and she hired me because I can't be tracked. She thinks I'm 'So cool or something'"
>Oh
>Well, too late to take that last part back with how they just stand there, smiling at you
>Your killjoy frown fights valiantly back
>"She's totally into you," Fox says
>"No, she isn't. She isn't for, reasons that I shouldn't say. And if she is, I'm not dealing with anything like that after Cydonia"
>You close your phone and pocket it
>"She is a client, and that's all"
>Her smile fades, and Gabriel just looks to the side
>"Right, sorry Anon, we shouldn't push it"
>You shake your head despite the ache, saying "No, sorry for being an ass about it. Let's just eat, and you can tell me whatever it was that you wanted to tell me"
>Thankfully, Gabriel takes charge by throwing his arm around Fox before the silence got any worse, and topped it off by pulling Fox into a one armed kiss
>You grab a few bowls from their cabinets and start filling them with broth and noodles while Fox sets the table, and as Gabriel fishes for beer
>"Want one Null?"
>"Yeah, you don't have that one I like do you? Voodoo something?"
>You hear bottles clink together from the fridge
>"I got them, we've been planning this"
>Planning for what?
>Must be based around whatever Fox wants to tell you
>Giving a quick thanks, you carry the two bowls to the table and grab the last one as Gabriel attempts to open the beers with one hand
>Fox comes to his rescue before the man hurts himself again
>Enjoying the show, you sit down at the table and wait for them to join in as well
>It's very hard to resist digging in from the steam and smells coming off the food
>She always did enjoy using real ingredients instead of a food synth, and you can taste the difference every time
>She even has a small garden on their balcony for fresh herbs too
>They sit down, and you all begin to eat, with you being a bit more eager than most
>"Yo Anon! Manners man! At least try to not act like you were raised in a barn," Gabriel chides your noodle slurping antics
>"Sorry, it's just so good! You out did yourself Fox"
>You grab your beer and take a sip out of it
>"Oh, always the flatterer Anon, it was nothing"
>She doesn't seem to mind, with how calmly she eats with you trying your hardest to not shove it away, and Gabriel doing the same
 
>After some time, you all finish eating but stay seated around the dining room table
>With the two of you going through the beers rather quickly, Fox kept to water throughout the meal
>But now it was time to ask why your freeloading self was here
>"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?" you ask them both, sitting back in your chair and sipping your beer
>Immediately, both of them show visible excitement with Fox grabbing Gabriel's hand in her paw and looking at him with a smile
>"You tell him, Babe"
>Giving a nod and turning to you, he takes a few moments to find his words
>He's looking a bit flushed from all the beers he's had over you
>"Anon..." he starts
>Fuck, he's sing your real name
>It must be something awful
>"Anon, Fox is pregnant, and we want you to be the godfather"
>You choke on your beer and cough violently
>"Huh? Wha? Preg- I, godfather?!" you sputter out
>You know they had been trying for a very long time, with the odds even higher against them than most
>Everyone would agree with you saying that Fox's beauty had a certain exotic charm to her
>But the less than 1% chance of success was a very high wall to climb, for the both of them
>...And the only way to make it work successfully, was a very, very expensive thing to do
>"Yes Anon, it's finally happening," he's slow in saying it, and taking another, deeper drink, he continues
>"Do you accept?"
>You stare dumbstruck at them both
>"Uhhh yes, YES! Of course I'll be the godfather to your kid! Holy shit you two, congratulations!"
>You nervously attempt to smooth your hair back, suddenly feeling more conscious about your appearance as you sit up straight as well
>"Is this what you meant by 'Savings?' Holy shit, a cub!"
>It's impossible to NOT be happy for them, they'll make great parents
>Fox is absolutely radiant about your thoughts on the matter
>"Do you know anything about it?" you start again, "Is it gonna be a Jaguar? A Cheetah? A hybrid or a human? I don't know how this stuff works!"
>Gabriel beams at Fox as he answers, saying "Too early to tell, but when we find out you'll be the first to know"
>"Plus Anon, you have a...unique perspective of the world. You could teach the baby so much," Fox says as she rubs her still flat tummy
>Unique perspective
>Fox always did have a way of making you feel better about your affliction
 
>The evening is spent talking about work, the baby, and life
>It's incredibly pleasant to do with how things were going to get so much better for them
>With Gabriel proceeding to drink himself under the table after dropping the news, it was Fox who drops you off at your apartment as the sun began to rise
>You wave at her(and a nearly passed out Gabriel) as they drive off
>An odd mix of a light buzz and possible hope, maybe joy, fizzles around while you watch them disappear down the street
>But it's a lie if you said that..
>Well, on some level...
>No, they deserve this
>You refuse to poison it
>You hold it back as you step inside to your tiny, cold apartment where a worn computer sluggishly spins through bounties
>Your AI doesn't even finish it's sentence, corrupting half way through, and you remember that your penny pinching meant those beers you've just had would be your last for quite some time
>Sitting at your desk, you watch the names tick by
>The one and only job people will give you
>To keep the one place something would rent to you
>Gabriel and Fox, they have the perfect life
>And now they are trusting you with everything
>Some small part of you trusts them back; that they won't make you raise their child for them
>What a strange concept that is
>If that ever were to happen, you'd have to worry about two mouths to feed, with one of them unable to help keep the two of you afloat
>Ideally, a group would work the best
>Someone to share the burden in that sense
 
>For once, your mind is blank
>It's quiet stripping down and showering, and even more so with the rain splashing against your window
>Laying in your bed, the outside world softly feels like the best and only lullaby you've ever heard
>A single quiet whisper fully takes you under, making you dead to the outside world
>'She's totally into you'
>What if she's right?
>What if, well...
>Wouldn't that be something


Chapter 7: What's up

>You're speeding down the streets out to the slums towards Star's bunker, with neon signs streaking past in an unreadable glow
>You aren't in a hurry of course, but you enjoyed the thrill of the speed wherever you go
>After a life of walking everywhere, you're like a damn man in a wheelchair suddenly able to run again
>And sometimes flipping off cops as he streaks past them naked
>Any excuse to drive is a good one to you
>Today's being an unknown mission, or something else that Star hasn't told you about yet
>You wonder how many nerds you're going to have to duel with will occur in your current occupation
>Shit, you may get lucky and have one try to stop you with a card game on motorcycles
>At least you'd get a kick out of it
>It would actually make every time she sent you out worth it honestly
>Your daydreams of booksmart lads eating pavement swiftly take you to the garage, and before you knew it you're at the bunker door

>You're still waiting
>It still hasn't opened yet
>Which could only mean something was absolutely fucky
>You swear, if that service elevator spread its disease to automated doors, too...
>Taking the logical approach to solving the problem, you take out your phone and dial in Star's number
>As expected, she immediately picks up
>And once again, as expected, your ears suffer immensely 
>"HELLLOOOO ANON!" you really do your best to keep the holo as far away from you as possible
>"Where are you? I thought you'd be here by now!"
>You flip the phone around, giving you a blue view of her backside while you outright show her the still closed door
>"I am. Your door isn't opening though"
>The two of you have a bit of an awkward moment when you turn the phone around while she does the same, leaving the both of you facing the wrong way
>She isn't even phased, but she still has glowing question marks bobbing in her eyes
>"It's not? That could mean the servos are on the fritz again," she puts a claw on her chin, rocking back and forth on her feet
>"Usually it's only opened like once a month, so it might be overworked. Lemme see"
>She zips off screen, and a few moments later the door begins to open, just at a slower than usual rate
>You hesitantly drive down the ramp, half expecting the thing to slam back down on you, and when you look back down to your spot you see a very eager Star waiting for you, just as bouncy as ever
>"HELLLOOOO ANON!"
>Even though you expected it, you still didn't expect it
>She latches onto your side as soon as you get halfway out of your bike
>Again
>"WHOA STAR WAIT I'M GONNA-"
>She tackled the wind out of you, knocking you off balance and onto the floor with her laying on top of you
>"Oooo! Just like Sochi Heim and Loran Cehack!" Star croons at you, her name's sake pupils spinning madly 
>At least someone's happy in your current world of pain
>Blinking, coughing, and trying to get air, you put both hands on her shoulders and start to pry her off
>"What. The. FUCK! Get off me Star!"
>She stops moving in your grip, looking shocked and clambering off of you
>She only makes it when you let go
>"I really can't afford a doc right now," you hiss through clenched teeth and shakily stand up
>Rubbing the back of your head, you eye the crouching opossum
>"And what the fuck is a Sochie," you mumble
>"Oh uh... Sorry, Anon... I, didn't mean to make you fall"
>You only start to rub your back in response, eventually saying "It's fine"
>Not really
>"Just wait until I get out of my bike before you decided to latch onto me"
>You've given up trying to stop her from doing it at this point
>She wouldn't stop anyways
>Furiously nodding and no doubt forgetting, she walks back into the bunker with you following close behind
>Your head can't handle another yelling call of your name should you ever be more than a room apart
>"So, what am I grabbing today Star?"
>She's practically skipping as she leads you to her screens
>100 to 0 and back again, you swear it's one or the other at this point
>She mashes a few keys on the keyboard in the center, and the monitor just above it flashes with the image of another human robot thing
>"This!" she cups the image in both open paws, "A RX-78-2 Model from the 35th year anniversary of Gundam!"
>Well, that's not too bad at all
>"It's 5 feet tall, too!"
>God dammit
>Her joyful face screws up into a frown, and she's almost growling from whatever she's thinking about next
>A picture of some rat dude standing next to the Gundam suddenly appearing must be the source of her funk
>"It's cool! But the guy who has it keeps saying he's just gonna melt it so no one else can ever own it!"
>There are fiery pupils for added effect
>"He can't destroy such a work of art!"
>Clenched little fits join her external pout bout with her usual cheery self
>"I won't be able to forget this hatred even if I die and get reborn a million times over!"
>To top it all, she's stomping around angrily, moving in tight little circles
>It's not scary at all
>It's cute as fuck
>But you still can't let this go on, not with how she's yet to talk about the reward money or job yet
>"Star, calm down. I'll go get your toy before he breaks it"
>You freeze her in place with your hand on her head rubbing between her ears softly
>"COLLECTIwha? Oooooh, rub the ears Anon, that feels gooooood"
>The anger pudge seemingly starts to melt under your magic fingers, with your biggest hint being her now heart shaped eyes 
>Huh, neat
>As long as it keeps her quiet and focused, you still rub her head softly before gently moving to one of her large fuzzy ears
>Your other hand snaps to Rose from the feeling of wire wrapping your leg
>You're glad you didn't fire in your brief moment of stupidity, having forgotten that she has a prehensile tail
>One that's currently snaking its way up your pant leg
>You feel both your hands suddenly touching something soft and a little bit scratchy, and pressure on both of your wrists with Star having moved both to her head
>A quick flex of your additional fingers and a glance down at her, you see she's practically drooling, and the hearts in her eyes are rapidly fluttering
>"Ooooo thas good"
>You choke back a laugh
>She's like a cat that decided to not be a tumor today
>Damn things always hated being pet
>You're reminded of the real world with a weight falling into you
>She's lost her balance halfway through the rubbing, and you have to physically catch her body
>Just as planned
>Now all you have to do is wait for her to reboot again
>"Ohh wow Anon, you have some maaagic fingers," she moans when she eventually regains her senses
>She stands up on her own when you let her go
>Yeah, no kidding
>You put both hands in your pockets, saying "All I did was rub your ears and head"
>It must of been her first time
>"But they're so soft and they feel nice!"
>Right.
>"Yeah, sure. Anyways, I'll get going now to grab your big toy, ok?"
>"Collect-"
>And onto your head goes the helmet
>"私はあなたを笑うためにここに来た"
>You're leaning against the door frame with a palm firmly planted on the visor
>Peeling it off, a yellow banana V comes with it
>Dammit Star
>You grumble as you walk out to your bike, swiftly going through the motions to turn it on and jet the hell out of there
>With a quick spin, your shooting up the ramp

>"Star."
>"Yes, Anon?"
>"How long has it been now."
>"About five minutes, Anon. Why?"
>"Well, between your door almost crushing my bike, and how it still isn't open yet, I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying you won't be getting that toy any time soon."
>She doesn't correct you
>Instead, she runs out to look at the doorway
>Turning around, she looks to your hidden face
>"Ohhh nooo! The servo must've given out!"
>No
>Shit
>"Let me call my dad! He'll get it fixed!" she says scampering past you, leaving you staring at the door once more
>It's as fun as watching paint melt
>Sighing, you let go of the brake and lazily ride the bike down the ramp, stopping just before the back hits a wall
>Great, now you're stuck here with a now violently, overly clingy Opossum who will probably talk your ears off about shit you don't understand
>Tugging the helmet off you turn off your bike and trudge back to the bunker door, and closing it behind you soon after
>As you round the corner you see Star holding her phone with a crystal clear holo of a man wearing a suit and tie
>He looks pretty well kept, and his hair combed to the side fits it well
>He is absolutely terrifying, like a man who need only to look at you to  kill you
>"What is it Star, you know I'm very busy," he says, not even directly looking to her
>"Uh, Hi Da! I, well, I need you to send someone to fix the 'door.' The outside one. It's busted and my friend needs to leave"
>He stops whatever it is he was doing, frowning as his head snaps right to the camera
>"Friend? What friend"
>Star's ears fold back slightly
>"He's the guy I hired to go get my collectibles"
>His holo looks off into the distance for a moment, pointing and saying something while muted before finally looking back
>"Ah yes, the bounty hunter you told me about," he goes back to looking at papers on his desk, never stopping, "someone will be over there shortly"
>He takes the papers, and in one swift motion he gathers them all together
>Slamming their bottoms on top of his desk, his eyes now focus directly on you
>"Star, may I speak to the bounty hunter, please?"
>Her head spins to find you with slight panic in her eyes
>"Ssssure Da, one sec"
>You step forward to take her phone from her
>She numbly hands it over, and you do your best to feel the same
>You don't doubt he has data and pictures of you
>But the man himself now knows your face
>"So you're the bounty hunter? I assume in your profession, you must have an adequate idea about discretion"
>His expression is neutral
>You match it back
>"I would advise you to keep that bunker a secret, but I think you already know that by now, don't you Anon"
>The beginnings of a frown crack through your face
>You don't take threats lightly
>Doesn't matter where it comes from
>"I know discretion... And I would advise you not to sign your name on bounties against rival syndicates from now on"
>He only smirks
>"Good advice" 
>And then his hologram winks out

>Looking back up, you glance towards Star who's currently standing a few feet away from you
>Her eyes are wide and looking you up and down, while seemingly stuck mid back-step
>She puts her other foot down with her jaws hanging open
>"You know my dad is the head of the Dismond syndicate right, Anon? Aren't you scared to talk to him like that?"
>You shrug
>"Why would I be scared? He can't find me anyways"
>shitshitshitIknow
>Star, however...
>She's blatantly awestruck
>Her eyes are working tripletime with how literally starstruck she looks right now
>"You're so COOOL!" She squeals at you
>With another sigh, you run your fingers through your hair
>"Well Star, now that that's over, it looks like I'm stuck here for a while, unless you want me to leave through that bookcase"
>She's on your arm and pulling you along into her main room, running a train of nonsense through her mouth
>"No no no we can watch all 10 Gundam movies! and maybe even G-Savior!"
>please no
>The souls of your shoes grind away across the flooring, and soon you're somewhat flying into a chair she managed to drag with her
>She quickly follows suit, doing a running jump, falling short just a foot in front of you, and climbing into your lap just as fast before you can even get up
>You truly, honestly, 100% don't know
>As if she actually realizes she's bouncing excitedly on top of your groin
>"Computer! Play Mobile Suit Gundam !"
>"*Hai, ichido ni shirei-kan!*"
>Oh god please help, how can you escape this prison
>...
>This soft, plush comfy prison...
>Maybe give it a chance...
>No, you real-
>"This is one of my favorites Anon!"
>She leans back into you, and even when seated your head is still a good foot above hers
>It's the perfect distance to have the top of her own outright rubbing against the bottom of your neck, with her two little ears cupping the sides of your cheeks
>She's got a smile stuck at her face, and beaming it up to you
>...
>..
>And when the movie starts, she's leaning forward and giddily bouncing once again
>.................
>NO BONER, NO
>BAD.
>You sit there, almost comically tense with your ass against a nice comfy chair and another one sitting right on you
>The movie just drones on and on, with Star mouthing every line that gets spoken
>...Fuck it, you're secure with yourself enough to admit it's cute in a way
>That it's STILL cute
>In a way
>"Uh hey Anon? I have a question
>You blink and look down at her
>"What's up Star?"
>Little question marks float around his dimly lit blue orbs
>"Why don't you have any Augments? And why don't more people remove theirs like you?"
>You clench your jaw, and your fingers dig into the fabric of the chair
>"I didn't remove my implants. I never had them."
>The questions marks aren't there anymore, having been replaced by two solid black circles that no longer move
>"I can't have them," you keep talking, your gaze having moved to the wall straight ahead
>"I can't have one. Fucks with my nervous system"
>She's silent, only perking up when she starts to ask again
>"What do you mean Anon? I thought everyone has them"
>"It would literally kill me Star. It's the same with Augments"
>Her eyes are wide at your answer, and with the movie all but ignored she still finds the courage to keep going
>"But, why don't more people just remove the implant?" she says, seemingly unsure of her own words
>"I mean, you're nearly untraceable!" she's quick to add on to the end
>"Because the ID implant itself is set into the bone. You can't just cut it out. Not having the implant is both illegal on so many levels, and a huge pain to live without"
>You do your best to accept your own depressingly sound logic
>Leaning back into the chair only helps a little bit
>"I had to have my bike custom made so I could drive it, elevators don't even know I'm in them, and the implant that's used to pay for stuff, I have to use this instead"
>You hold up your scuffed, worn phone
>"Even it's custom made for me so I can actually pay for anything. It's more hassle than it's worth, and I can't even get a real job"

>You did it
>You've managed to make Star achieve a perfectly neutral look
>Her smile deflated with every word, and her eyes never bothered to change
>But she tries her hardest to get it back
>"What do you mean 'real job' Anon? You're a cool bounty hunter, like Spike Speigel!"
>You half rub, half scratch your head while you take a slow deep breath
>"Didn't want to be a bounty hunter. Can't get a job anywhere because I'm not as good as every other person out there, either. I wanted to be a BioMechanic, but I just can't compete with people who have libraries in their head, scanners in their eyes, or fingers varied enough to weld. I do what I do because a guy has to eat"
>She shifts slightly on your lap, still silently staring up at you
>"Is it really that hard out there Anon?" she quietly asks, looking at where her own ID implant is
>You follow her gaze to it too
>"Most people think I'm a freak, and just as many even say it to my face. Even you called me the Broken Bounty Hunter"
>She frowns
>"I thought you weren't real... just, an urban myth that stalked the net"
>She fidgets with her paws, swaying lightly from side to side and looking at nothing in general
>Your back suddenly gets pressed further into the chair, with her own firmly brushing against your chest
>The crook of your neck is still the perfect height, something she takes full advantage of
>"But here you are, the only person to find my home"
>You knew she couldn't stay that way for long from how her smile quickly forms as she looks back up at you
>"I'm glad you did though"
>You frown slightly more
>"It was an accident, and I'm honestly not someone you want around"
>She only snuggles further into your lap, saying "Why do you say that Anon?"
>You point to one of the outer monitors, where the fat man and the brother are standing prominently among multiple other faces, their names never learned or forgotten, as you didn't really care
>"I killed both of those men, plus countless more who I don't even know the names of"
>She gawks up at you
>"Really? You killed those two? Did you know who they were?"
>You nod
>"In a way. I knew one was connected to The Sailors, and the fat man was just unlucky to meet me"
>You see her giddy smile barely contained by a few teeth biting her lips
>Those damn spinning stars are back and her tiny fists assist in her unconscious lap dance
>"Seee! You ARE cool! Just like Jacket!"
>To your mixed relief/dismay, she settles back down again
>"I'm glad you're my friend," she happily sighs, leaning back into once more
>Friend?
>You weren't friends
>The dictionary doesn't define Friends as those who lapdance each other
>Or throws them to the ground
>Tackles them with a hug
>...Shows them their hobbies
>No, you barely knew her and she barely knows you
>How could anyone think you were friends after barely talking to each other?
>"We aren't friends Star, you're my employer. That's all"
>She smirks, and you feel her tail wrap around your arm
>"I think we're more than that. Here you are stuck with me, and anything could happen"
>Her smile is as effective as a cold man's poker face
>Seriously, does she even know what she says or does half the time
>"Nothing will happen," you deadpan
>"I'm just waiting for your door to get fixed so I can either go get your toy or go home"
>"B-but we're watching movies together! It's just like a date!"
>You almost groan out about her need to correct you
>"This isn't a date, this is me killing time," you say instead
>Her pupils morph into little teardrops, with weird solid black lines on either side of the bottoms of her eyes
>"T-this is how it works in the movies and my shows!"
>A sigh works just as well
>"This is real life Star, just shush and watch your movie"
>"O-ok Anon," she turns her head to face the movie again, sitting straight up in your lap
>"But you can rub my ears more if you want," she whispers
>"...please..."
>You close your eyes, keeping them there for a few seconds
>It's a brief respite from sad small women and giant flashy robots
>When a light, warm pressure once again presses into you, you don't stop a hand make its way to the source, and slightly rub the fuzzy tall hills sticking out from her hair
>Nothing intimate about this
>Nothing romantic, either
>And even though she's never left your lap, it's just you helping your employer de-stress after a simple call with her father
>That's all it is
>Just. That.
>Nothing more.....


Chapter 8: Sharper Knives 
>The past few days after being stuck underground have been rather relaxing
>And that's terrible
>The only time you could pretend standing around aimlessly or staring at the computer to be relaxing meant no bounties to run
>Not even Star pestered you over some random thing she needed you to stun someone for
>No random calls or texting, either
>And although you'll admit to not absolutely hating sitting around, immobile, doing nothing, and with someone constantly sitting on your lap...
>Going forward, you can't do anything like that again
>Bounty or client, it's best to stay professional
>You've learned this lesson before
>So once again, you attempt to scrounge around for a bounty more worth your time
>Gabriel had insisted on looking for higher paying offers, and you were happy to oblige
>Now if only you can find one
>It's a bit hard with your two, maybe three contacts you trust
>That number is fine on it's own, but when you're trying to jump the rewards three times over, you start finding literally no one offering
>But those were just personal ones
>A lot of the local brothel owners like you, saying that you were always professional in dealing with their 'Ladies of the Night'
>As such you gave many of them your contact info, in case they ever needed any 'Cleaning up' done
>It's where most of your earnings came from
>Just about all of them are happy to give you a heads up for any potential target that visits as they would get paid ahead of time from the thug in question to keep them silent
>All you had to do was walk up, shoot, and split with 70% of the bounty to your name
>Easy money
>Now if only this shit computer did the same
 
>Taking a bite out of a sandwich is the most stimulating thing you've done over the past few hours
>You're just waiting for anything to happen
>You already know what you'll find as you check your phone, but you still see a 0 on the messages
>Before you left your temporary bunker hole, Star mentioned she hadn't found anything for you to snag yet
>She must still be looking around, which is a bit odd since you had a hit almost every day by now, with most of them being easy dead drop theft
>The other thing she mentioned was that you should come back over anyways
>Just in case
>But you had opted to stay at home anyways
>For both your's and her's sake, and as cute as she is
>As annoying as she is
>...Fuck, you're bored
>And no, Star isn't the solution to it
>She's a client, that's all
>So that's-erh, what
>You aren't sure how you made it to the kitchen, standing there slack jawed with an open beer can in your hands
>It's even worse when you see that it's half an hour later, too
>You'll worry about the flooring later when you spill some upon hearing your phone ring
>You pick it up, and a hologram of a normally sized(breasts wise) Missy looking a little agitated
>Still, she never calls out of nowhere
>"Hey Missy what's up. Got any news for me?"
>She's rigid in her slow wave at you, and her words are the same
>"H-hey Anon, there's a big, BIG score here.. Come get them, will you?"
>Her voice wasn't sultry
>She's not hitting on you like always, and her tone was flat and monotone
>"Oooook," you aren't sure what the bobcat is trying to pull, "try to keep them there till I get there"
>She frowns, saying "They'll be here, be ready," faster than before
>Her hologram winks out after
 
>OK, something is fucky and you immediately don't like it
>So you do the only sensible thing to do
>Dial up Gabriel as added muscle
>After a few rings he picks up
>"Sup man, find us anything?"
>His cheery smile sours into a straight line when he sees the look on your face
>"Maybe, maybe... Missy from the Lucky Cat called and said there was a big score, but something was up with how she spoke to me. I'm pretty sure it's not good over there"
>His holo is already walking around and quickly getting gear and clothes thrown on it, with Gabe himself breaking into a sprint soon after
>"Who would try that?" he gets out between breaths, "They would be fucking with the Concordant and Lysander! Either they think she can't hurt them, or they have a death wish"
>You nod as best you can while you throw on your own gear
>With nothing more needing to be said, you hang up the call and focus on jumping down the steps all the way down to the main floor
>Each one you pass bringing you closer and closer to the other uncomfortable feeling about this op
>Gabriel wasn't lying about their suicidal plan
>Yes, Missy knows you well, but she wouldn't sell you out
>Not to the very people who's good graces you only just barely want to have
>Lysander, whatever the fuck he/she is, ran the red light district you frequent for most of your jobs
>Never even met them, with all of your dealings through associates basically telling you to overlook any offers on their people
>A lot of large, well paying ones too
>You really don't want to end up on a third crime syndicate's watchlist
>Not letting that get to you, you accepted the offer on the spot regardless what happened next
>There aren't a lot of legal hunters working that zone, and a potential threat scratched off was a great investment at the time
>Right now, you really hope it stays that way
 
>When you power walk out of the apartment and away from the service elevator, you do your best to blend in just enough but still move as quick as possible
>You didn't bring your bike out of storage
>Too loud, didn't want them to hear you coming, and Missy's is close enough anyways
>You've prepared for the worst as well, eventually putting on the helmet Star gave you and linking it to your phone
>She said it was bulletproof after all
>"あなたが私のことを聞くことができるなら、あなたの誕生の不幸にこれを責める。!" God dammit you thought you had Star pull that chip out
>There aren't a lot of people walking around this area, but you keep one hand on Rose hidden beneath your jacket
>The crowds start to thin even more the closer you get, and 10 minutes into your walk your phone gets a call from an unknown person
>Rolling out your phone you see a hologram of a petite mouse girl
>You're pretty sure she was one of the who had been with the fat cousin Sailor man
>She looks almost surprised that the call even went through, and you can see her hiding behind a plant
>"A-anon? Is that you?" came her whispered voice through the helmet
>You start to pick up the pace, almost running a few seconds after
>"Yeah, it's me, what's going on"
>She shivers, sinking lower into a crouch and pulling her phone closer
>"Men came, they grabbed Missy and made her call you," she looks around before staring wide eyed at you
>"It's a trap!"
>"I figured. How many are there?"
>Once again she takes a look, and even you hear a loud crash from upstairs, causing the mouse to cringe even more into the floor behind the pot
>"Idon'tknowAnonI'mscared"
>"Calm down, keep quiet and stay hidden"
>She can't decide who to back away from, but when she settles on you being the lesser immediate threat, you continue
>"Is the back door open? And did you contact Lysander?"
>Looking left, you both hear some voices getting louder, but muted coming through your helmet
>"The back is open, and we were able to send them a message," she whispers, sitting back down out of sight
>"But we don't know what's going on with them now!"
>You're frowning under your helmet
>This is a stupid idea on so many parts
>You could get killed by whoever is holding up the place, or Lysander's men could do it for them if they came in guns blazing
>You skid to a halt on the sidewalk
>Missy has deep connections with the people who run the place
>They can easily respond faster than you can
>So why are you running ragged down the road to beat them too it?
>You don't know if you would get paid for this
>Not with all the property damage that sounds like is going on
>You aren't immortal either, and you don't feel like being shot today
>Would you really risk it all on them?
>"Anon, please!"
>"...Sorry, there was a lot of traffic."
>Before she can ask what you mean, you cut her off
>"I'm still coming. Stay down, and stay out of the way. I'll be there shortly"
>You hang up, cursing the seconds you wasted just a minute ago
 
>Still running, you dial up Gabriel
>Immediately you hear the background roar of his car, and you see his incredulous look on his face
>"Jesus Null, what are you wearing"
>"Shut up! We got a problem, my hunch was right. It's a hit, but I don't know why, and I sure as hell don't know why there own aren't already there. I don't know the exact details, but you still have that grapple feature on your arm, right?"
>"That and then some"
>"Good, prep it and use it the moment you get to the front"
>"Sure. Be there in like, 15. You gonna wait?"
>You shake your head
>"No, I'll start it, with you getting to the roof and clearing the way down"
>He takes his eyes off the road to focus on you
>"Alright Anon, don't get killed"
>You hang up on him too
 
>You do your best to keep quiet with your ragged breathing by the hidden back door of the brothel
>With Rose in your right hand and your newly charged shock knife in the left, and channeling your inner Norman Bates, you take a few last gasps of air
>Breathe, shut up, stealth is your ally
>'Will do, me'
>The door is unlocked from easy it creaks open from the force of your boot
>Bringing your shoulder to see through the cracks, you open it even more to catch as much as you can
>To your surprise you see a few of the girls huddled together under a table hastily covered in towels
>"What are you doing? Get out of here!" you urgently whisper to them
>"But what about Missy?" one of the three whispers back
>"I'll handle it, now go!"
>In their mad dash to escape, one of them yelps out after hitting her head on the table
>Now, it's a bad idea
>A bad idea in every sense of the word from the sound of footsteps running along the floors
>"Mmmmf, Anon, where are you?"
>To your horror, a sleepy Star just hijacked your comms
>Time for immediate damage control, now!
>Making your way down an empty corridor with both weapons raised, you whisper through clenched teeth at Star
>"Star, I need you to be quiet, I need you to not watch this. Can you do this for me?"
>You can't see her but you know what's coming next
>"Whattttt? Why? What's going on?!"
>"Shut it!" you hiss, waiting for her before continuing
>"I'm in a hostage situation at a brothel with people who want me dead. You don't want to see this"
>She's quiet, with the sound of rapidly typing keys playing in the background
>"I'm linking this feed to my father, he works with the Concordate"
>That almost sounded like a serious tone
>You guess she does have a non bubbly, off mode
>Saying nothing in return, you exit the corridor through a hidden door built into the walls of a well kept office
>It's Missy's, which you only recognize from the beaded door she usually greets you through
>You don't hear anyone in here though
>It doesn't stop your search, with you slowly crawling along to the sounds from the street masking your foot falls
>Peeking outside the office you see two men at the entrance
>One of them physically the size of one, and looking like it too
>The grizzly dwarfs the ratty man beside him
>"-we just standing here man? It's just some stupid bounty hunter," the human gripes
>The bear was tapping away at an oversized pad, but even you felt his eye roll from here while he shoved it back into a pocket
>"We're supposed to act like, wait, you already know you dipshit!"
>His punch may have looked playful, but it was good enough to knock the man a good couple feet away
>With closed eyes he was laughing loudly, only pausing when he didn't hear the human's back
 
>Dead men can't talk, you came to realize a long time ago
>With the human's upper spine currently impaled on your knife, the bear found out that it's true
>That fat and fur wasn't just for show, he outright launches himself at you, with your only saving throw being a few bullets back scattering wildly
>And to hell with honor, you kicked his friend's corpse right back at the fucker
>Colliding mid air with the rag doll, the both of them tumble to the floor
>A few hits set to stun slows him down a bit, but you still dive to the right to barely miss the flying brown bullet again
>He's roaring nonstop
>"Why! Don't! Bullets! Work! Dammit!" you may as well scream back, putting one into any brown patches you see
>You weren't expecting a literal tank on this raid, but you were burning charges pretty fast
>He's spilling a lot of blood on the floor, but it isn't enough, and the heavy slamming of your shoulders into the hard floor from dodging isn't really helping either
>If a normal person had a gun, he would use the gun
>Even in the face of a ragemonster
>Today however, the gun just doesn't seem into it right now
>So instead, you go with retarded
>"Alright, fucking fine! You wanna go, sure!" you hold up your fists
>It's enough to get him to stop jumping at you, and shakily getting back up on two feet he clenches his own
>Your head would be a grape in one of those
>You still continue
>"Yeah, that's right! You already killed the stealth part, so let's go asshole!"
>You charge, screaming
>He wobbly rushes forward roaring once more
>But seriously, fuck honor
>You pull out your goddamn fusion sword instead, knowing full well you wouldn't even trust plastic knives with Star, let alone a heated butter knife such as this
>Not being a big guy sometimes has its advantages
>In your case, being able to duck so low that the bear has to do yoga to reach you is one of them
>You turn his roars into howls with your sword cutting down from his shoulder before resting in the side of his stomach
>The smell isn't even remotely pleasant
>He just stares at you, speechless with big, bugged out eyes
>A well placed shot pops one of them, and the mountain of meat collapses
 
>Sword beats fist
>Who knew?
>You take the time to twist your shock knife into the necks of both syndicate members
>No need to fight cyborg zombies, if mods and augs ever get that far
>That bear must of had something in his legs to have been able to jump like that
>The human went down to fast to see, and you honestly didn't care
>What did raise your interest was your helmet's HUD scanning down the faces of the bodies
>Just as fast, a cool 4K announces it's in holding after it's done
>Guess you are getting paid
>The only thing you could of cared for was the pad that bear had while you rifled through their stuff
>Smashed
>Depressing, but not unexpected
>At least you got your sword back, and a couple phones for no real reason
>Honestly, you don't know who you just killed or what they represented
>The scanners never told you anything
>But with these people being your bread and butter, you don't quite believe that was all of them
>If it was all they had for the ground floor, then whoever lead this attack must be cowering upstairs
>Attacking at all already established their smarts
>You're doing the world a service at this point
>Even after all that noise, you still make the effort to slowly walk around, checking each room down both sides on the ground floor, finding nothing in all of them
>It leaves you one option
>The bathhouse upstairs
>And if you find one more fat man deep frying himself again, you aren't sure what you'd do
>The best you can do right now is make your way on up, having to pass the corpses once again
>You think the bear was talking about acting, or something
>To just wait for you to walk up, cheery eyed and a smile with your face before no doubt beating the shit out of you, and to take you along for a ride
>Star's father doesn't work this zone, and those definitely weren't Concordate
>Sailors must've gotten brave then
 
>In, or out
>That is all they can do through this one door you stand before, gun and knife once again at the ready
>Without Gabriel, you're out of options
>Do you wait for backup?
>If he was true to his word, 15 minutes for waiting on him with would add a lot more to this mess
>But, speak the name a few times and you're bound to get something back
>Something in the form of a garbled comm link
>"-ull, on the oof....see through the .......ght into the bath house. Si. ..n, one has that bobcat"
>Well damn, talk about great timing on terrible WiFi
>"Can you get their attention? Maybe take a couple out?"
>"What, is that ...?"
>"Sure. Ready?"
>"Eedy!"
>"Great. Don't die"
>As the words leave your mouth, you duck to the floor at the sound of gunfire blowing out past the walls
>Not one to miss out on the fun, you're scrambling to your feet as more bullets tear through the decorated paper thin drywall
>Bursting through the door you quickly access the situation
>An anthro ferret lays in a pool of blood, and the flash of a tail suggests others just outside of Gabriel's sight
>Another quick duck from a stray round your way ruins the rest of your scanning
>Gabe might not be able to see them, but you definitely can
>Running behind the pillars you open fire, filling the room with more lead
>A round guns one down easily, but the other two still stand
>Taking cover behind a fracturing pillar, a voice cuts through the noise
>Risking a glance, you see a man in white doing just the same, with a crooked grin while he glares at you
>"So you came Bounty Hunter! What a surprise!"
>Still behind the pillar, uses his free arm to grab at something behind him
>Missy is pulled right beside him
>"But a wonderful one at that!" he laughs, pulling her into his side and wrapping his arm around her
>"You see Bounty Hunter, you killed my brother in this very room!"
>Missy gives a gives a pained coughing whine from the man's arm starting to squeeze at her neck
>"One for one is fair enough, right? Haha! I'd go for more, but I'm a busy man! So without furth-"
>A gunshot resounds behind you
>Both of the remaining ferrets make a mad dash to the exit, shooting wildly at where you still hide
>A few more bullets change sides, and a high pitched scream yells out
>It's the perfect time to sprint
>When you round the corner, Rose's raised gun barrel is the last thing he ever sees
 
>Three dead ferrets, some dogs, a few humans, and a huge bear
>On the living team, an overall healthy Missy without a single visible scratch
>Overall a small crew run by a guy who watched way too many Bond films
>They can't be serious
>You refuse
>You refuse to believe an organisation reportedly as large and a real issue ends in a brothel by a man who drinks too much, and the other a vanilla walking meat bag
>But there he is
>The idiot who forgot Gabriel was up there when he went to make his speech at you
>In the end, not your problem
>You sigh, and begin turning over the bodies with a kick, each of them having a bounty other than the 'boss'
>'It's overall a decent haul,' you say to yourself while you pocket any odd things that you find
>More charges for Rose are always appreciated
>At the sound of footsteps from the door close behind you, you immediately turn and raise Rose
>A voice calls out from somewhere nearby
>"Calm down there Anon, it's Lysander and her men"
>Her?
>Terrible parents if she was a he with a name like that
>"Anon Lysander's men are on their way" Star's voice comes through your Comms
>"Yeeeah, good to know Star"
>"Wait, are they already here?!"
>"I assume you are Anon. A moment of your time, please?"
>A refined third voice cuts through, but from the outside of your helmet
>Men pour through the doorway before a large saber-tooth cat, who is at least 2 feet taller than you walks through the crowd
>Despite her size, the crowd parts for her like water, and each of her steps appear carefully measured
>It takes a few moments of staring before you nod at her
>"You came here to help my people, and have shielded even more from harm"
>An arm motions to Missy, with one of the men acting as a to shoulder support for her
>When you look back, she smiles showing her large teeth
>"In the future should you need something, do not hesitate to ask. And we in kind, will expect the same help on our endeavors"
>You nod again at her
>"From here on, consider yourself a friend to the Concordate"
>"Just happy to help. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to upload these kills to the bounty network"
>More teeth
>"But of course dear Anon. You will be useful to us, I can already tell"
>And with that, like drones the men snap to attention and begin gathering the bodies, leading them out one after another
>Your back is turned to her, but there's an almost crushing weight in what you know is a casual look from her
>It's all she's ever given you in the past three minutes you were rooted to the spot
>Guess you made their list after all
 
>It's a little creepy at how they even took the bear, but there you were, standing in what was once the main foyer but was now covered in blood and torn fabric
>"Can I talk now Anon?"
>You jump
>Right, Star was watching and listening to the whole thing
>Speaking of...
>"Hey, Star? Good job getting a link to Lysander, though, forgive me if I don't come to your bunker tomorrow"
>"Huh?! No no no! I need you, please! I'll pay triple what I usually pay you!"
>You sigh
>Stun a nerd, pick up a toy
>How hard could that be?
>"Alright Star, I'll see you tomorrow"
>There is one more group of drones who carefully push a cart past you
>With a bored glance, you see it was the man who claimed he was the boss
>Looking away, you have to spin around to check out the dead man again
>You thought you saw a quick glint of light from him
>But you can't go over to check
>One managed to zip up the body bag fully, and were already on their way to join the mob carrying similar prize bags
>You're tired
>Like you don't want to be alive kind of tired
>Though upon seeing Gabriel, you wave him over to you, talking to him through your helmet as he does
>"I'm going home, same split as usual?"
>A nod and a thumbs up is your answer
>"Yeah, same split. See you around brother," he clarified
>Unclasping the helmet and taking it off, you give him a nod right back
>Nothing more was needed, the both of you knowing full well that the job was a resounding success, and the credits worth the effort
>As you leave, you feel a bit accomplished, like you did something good
>You can order good delivery tonight
>You're getting triple from your client tomorrow
>And you somehow managed to not piss off the largest woman you've ever seen
>But those lost few seconds, feeling like minutes, hours, or days ago
>Had you spent a few more, a small part of you doesn't know what you would choose
>Ignorant at the fact that you forgot to ask for a ride, you slowly walk down the streets towards home
>Everything feels like mixing together the further and farther you go, and when you reach your apartment door, turn the key and shuffle on in, you can agree one one simple thing
>It's (probably) not half bad
>Not everyday you get to play the hero

Chapter 9: Let Me out
>You wake up
>Nothing really special about it, but important enough to do to have another fun filled day
>The soft patter of rain sounds extra nice to your ears, and you're rubbing the sleep out of your eyes while you sit up in your bed
>You last about a minute with the inner cheery monologue
>Yesterday was a shitshow and a half
>The only lucky thing about it was the lack of survivors to give the full details to their boss
>As the tally goes, you've killed two of the Belacov's family members with Gabriel at a respectable one
>It wasn't even out of malice either
>You just wanted a typical payday, and one of them just so happened to be the target
>Oh well
>It's not going to stop you from making a quick plate of eggs n' bacon
>But that requires you to actually get out of bed
>Floor still feels pretty cold as usual
>Your kitchenette still isn't a biohazard either
>And amazingly, your computer buzzes away, idly sitting by to the sounds of paste being remolded into 'food'
>No hunting today, or at least in the more real sense
>That fat digital check from yesterday will cover a few missed ones pretty well
>Today, your hunting(probably) for Star's weird obsession with eastern multicolor fighting robots
>You sigh into your coffee mug while you drain your mind away
>Gotta have room for the eventual information overload
 
>You're idly wondering if Star will own up to her triple payment comment yesterday
>She already pays quite a bit as is
>Each toy you brought her netted you anywhere from 4 to 7k
>Basically, you make fucking bank from stealing plastic from manchildren
>Maybe you can start looking for a new apartment soon
>First or second floor, a nice balcony with an overhang, and a great set of stairs
>That'd be something
>Bonus points for a gutted out elevator that only takes a few button presses to work
>You daydream about having a nice grill that doesn't talk back to you while you finish your food and clean up the dishes
>The dumb plates go into an even dumber dishwasher, and you take some time to keep the kitchen clean
>Don't want bugs in your walls or rats running around after breaking in through the window
>Suiting up with your usual gear, you idly snag the helmet and put it on your head
>You've oddly taken a liking to it
>It's pretty handy, too
>Built in targeting computer, night vision, facial recognition, and a firmware update showing up front and center
>"Sure," you say while you head down the stairwell
>Everything darkens but the progress bar, and it's not until you reach your bike does it finish
>"あなたはそれがガンダムの見積もりだと思ったが、それは私だった"
>God dammit
>Grumbling, you hop on and go about terrorizing the streets again
>The more time you waste, the less green you make
>And you don't wanna make Star wait, after all
 
>The ride through the city is peaceful today
>It's early, the fog never leaving as it whips past your canopy
>Just dark enough for you to catch the neon lights that jut up and down on your side
>Not that they were hard to miss, the sun barely crept through the clouds, so the lights are always on
>And from above, it looks amazing
>Especially from the view that you had from Gabriel's apartment, where you could look down on the city with it's gleaming jewels shining back
>The memory fights with your first or second floor requirement
>It's a quiet drive to Star's hidden door, and once your inside you don't see her around
>Odd
>It's just as jarring NOT being tackled
>You get out of your bike and take off your helmet
>Giving one last glance around you go through the entrance and head into the bunker itself
 
>When you walk into the main room you take a step back
>The monitors lining the walls were all on and showing different bits of the hostage crisis at the Lucky Cat
>A clip of you finishing off the bear through his neck? Right there
>Another one bagging a weasel who stood there? Got that, too
>There is even a clip of Lysander speaking to you in her low, calm voice
>What the fuck
>"Star?"
>Christ, you didn't think she'd record all of this
>But knowing her
>Yeah, actually, this isn't surprising at all
>Still...
>She's hiding behind her oversized chair
>You only know about that when it swivels around revealing her, with a huge smile and typical little hearts
>It takes a few spins for the chair to slow down before she actually faces you entirely
>"ANON! I've been SO worried! I thought you were gonna die yesterday!"
>Her stubby feet scrape the floor, and a flinging arm sends the chair spinning again
>"But look at all this! You were amazing!"
>You instinctively lower yourself into a crouched stance
>A nonplussed human holding an aggressively handy opossum would make for a great Xmissmas card
>It helps to be prepared, after all
>"You're so cool Anon!"
>Alright, maybe you allow yourself a smile for the day
>"Thanks Star, but I wasn't doing it to be cool"
>You're still holding her while she looks up at you with a doofy grin and animated heart eyes beating wildly
>"I know! But it's still cool that you were able to remain calm like that!"
>You start to feel a cord snake it's way around your leg
>And down goes the girl
>She lands on her footpaws which she immediately tries pushing her up on her toes to your eye level
>Her tail gives it another go as she does
>Deciding to ignore it for now, you start throwing out the big questions
>"Anyway, what do you need me to grab Star? Better not be another 5 foot toy, could barely get that thing into my bike"
>She falls back down to the flats of her footpaws, with a sheepish grin starting
>"Er, wellll... I... don't have anything for you to grab"
>You blink
>She's got both of her eyes screwed shut
>"I just wanted to spend time with you.. if, that's ok"
>Er
>"I'll still pay you!" she blurts out in the end with both eyes snapping open
>She even has her paws interlocked in front of her
>"Please?"
>"...Anon?"
 
>You should be pissed that she lied, and angry that she dragged you here
>Instead, you're just plain mad she feels this lonely
>And maybe because you owe her for helping yesterday
>You run your fingers through your hair and sigh
>"Alright Star, but you don't need to pay me for this"
>Her eyes morph into question marks
>"...And go shower, and get dressed too"
>!?
>"Huh? Why? I'm already dressed!"
>Yeah, technically
>If you consider raggedy shorts and a few sizes too small stained T-shirt with a stretched out robot face on it to be clothes
>"The hell you are, if we're going to hang out, we're going out to grab some food. No way am I letting you leave like that"
>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>Her eyes are wide with panic, and her normally blue orbs are covered in streams of red exclamation marks
>"What! No no no no! It's not safe out there!"
>She's waving her paws in front of her face and slowly backing away from you
>You smile
>"Unsafe? You'll be with me, and I can do all this," you nod to the screens on repeat
>"I don't know Anon! I'm scared of leaving the bunker! I'm safe here..."
>She fidgets with her paws
>"Come on Star, you've got me," you say, walking to her
>"Now, would you like to join me for lunch?"
>Like a switch with this girl, rebounding back into her giddy grin and shooting stars
>She blitz past you to a hallway, shouting "I'll be right back! And no peeking!"
>Making a move to sit down in her chair, the only one in the room, a loud "unless you reaaallllly wanna!" catcall from around the corner leaves your ass frozen in mid air
>Looking around, and not finding Star streaking across the room, you commit to your previous plan of sitting, and do so
>It's pretty soft
>You still let a sigh escape and you pull out your phone to kill some time on
>Already feeling the potential stress, it's immediately apparent that you shouldn't have said that
>Every bone in your body is screaming 'NO'
>But fuck it, you've already committed to it
>So you're going to make this the best god damn taco truck run she's ever had
>'She's totally into you'
>Yeah we'll see about that, Fox
 
>You've been sitting in the chair for awhile now, mentally wrestling, kicking, and grappling with yourself
>Arguments for and against, pros and cons to everything
>You're still going to do it
>It's just that the rest of you is trying it's best to piss you off right now
>"ANNOOON! How do I look?"
>Standing up from her chair and turning around, you see Star running down the hallway towards you
>She must've been storing all of her Anon's Morning Tackle supermeter with how hard it is for her to stay in place
>She's wearing regular jeans without any holes or stains, a different t-shirt with another robot on it, and a brownish jacket similar to your bomber one
>And some weird fluffy boots to boot
>"You look fine, Star"
>Nope
>Still not wearing a bra it seems
>She's resorted to bouncing in place at this point
>"Do you like the jacket though? It's an Ma-1 Flight jacket from Mobile Suit Gundam"
>You take a closer look at it
>Your unmodded, human eyes deduce that it still looks like a normal jacket
>"Uhh, it looks great, I guess. Ready to go?"
>She stops in place
>"Are you sure we should leave? I mean, we ca-"
>You shake your head
>"If you want me to stay, this is the one condition to it"
>Clearly she hasn't been outside much
>Especially with how far back her ears fold down with her head tucking into her own jacket
>"mmm.. ok, Anon"
>As an investment for to your future, you're going to fix this, and holding out your hand you start on it now
>"Do you trust me Star?"
>She looks up at you and nods furiously
>"Yes! Yes I do Anon!"
>"Then take my hand, and let's go"
>She slowly shuffles forwards and puts her paw into your outstretched hand
>"I can show you the world, you let me"
>Making good on that promise with a star-struct Star in hand, you lead her to your bike and get in
>"You're gonna need to sit in my lap while I drive, ok?"
>Getting a two person seat mod is expensive
>You don't have the money to afford it
>It also looks stupid
>People who have it are stupid
>Those are all perfectly valid reasons as to why you don't have one
>But you should probably give Star a helping hand, the bike is a bit too tall for her
>With a little bit of effort, she clambers into the bike and plops herself down on top of your lap
>"Er, Star, you need to scoot forward a bit.."
>"Ok Anon!"
>With how she drags herself down to the seat just in front of you...
>You decide that now is a great time to lower the canopy, and reaching above your head you bring it down and secure it in place
>A quick jab with your thumb and the bikes roaring and ready to go
>"Ready Star?"
>She makes herself comfortable snuggling back into you
>"Mhmm"
>You punch it
>You're fairly certain it's the fastest you ever made it to the main road
>"WHOA WHOA! FAST! ANON SLOW DOWN! FAST TOO FAST"
>Your grinning as you zig zag through traffic, and you know you're doing it right from the feeling of Star's claws digging into your thighs
>It's just enough to blur the lights into water around you while the both of you floor it down the river
 
>Star's eyes are wide
>Little exclamation points are bouncing around where her pupils are
>You've sat there with her for awhile now, parked next to the sidewalk
>"Do you wanna get off this wild ride?"
>With a huge grin, the mission was a huge success
>"THAT. WAS. AWESOME! Let's do it again!"
>"Sure"
>You punch it, again
>But this time you head to the Megaway, a giant collection of citywide highways
>Star is cheering loudly while you weave through traffic
>Giant floating billboards tell you were to go, and your destination was closing in
>You don't stay on for long, and soon you zip off the Megaway into a section of the city called "Yakoto Station"
>It looks like the china towns of old, but owned by the Concordat
>"What are we doing here Anon?"
>You can almost taste it as you maneuver through the streets
>"Getting sushi, but real sushi! Not like your food synth stuff"
>"Hey! My stuff is good!"
>You shake your head, "just wait till you try the real thing"
>Finding a parking spot isn't hard, after all, it's early
>Doesn't really matter though, this place caters to the odd hour crowd, and is paid exceptionally well for doing so
>When you stop, you push open the canopy and lift Star out of the bike
>You aren't even halfway getting her out and she's already latching to you
>"Star, what have I said about-"
>You stop and look down at her
>She has her claws and tail onto your side, looking around quickly and terrified
>Shuffling awkwardly out of your bike, you pet her head gently to reassure her
>And to help deal with the pain
>"Hey, it's ok, I'm here remember?"
>Her eyes are wide open when she looks at you
>"Promise it's ok?"
>You give her another tactical scratch behind the ears
>"It's ok, you're ok, trust me"
>You use both hands to gingerly peel her off
>Giving one final "ok," she relents, and you're no longer being stabbed
>You have to outright drag her across the floor and into the building, and when she notices other people, she does her best to stand ramrod still
>An amused Tsushima Leopard cat Anthro is this morning's waitress
>She thankfully diffuses the situation with a smile
>"Irashimase! Table for two?"
>You look down at Star
>She's slowly starting to hyperventilate
>"Yes please, preferably towards the back facing the door
>Being used to odd seating requests, she gives a professional smile and a short bow
>"Yes, of course Anon! We have your usual table free"
>It isn't far while she leads you and Star to the requested table all the way in the back
>You sit with your back to the wall and invite Star to sit besides you
>"Easier for us to watch the door if both of us are facing it," you tell her
>"Is it always like this Anon?"
>"For people in my profession, yes. And for people in your unique situation, doubly yes"
>You look down at Star
>She surprises you that even here, she still can't decide how she feels at any particular time
>She's eager and 'animated' as she looks back
>"And they know you here? How? I thought you were untraceable!"
>"Still gotta eat," you smirk behind the menu, "I sometimes go get food with my partner when we go on hunts"
>"The guy on the roof from yesterday?! He's your partner?"
>You put the menu down, expressionless when you look back to Star
>She has both fists up close to her face, and you see a few fangs poke out over her lips
>"Yes"
>She's giving the seat a good ride, and all thoughts of being outside have seemingly disappeared from her mind
>"If you're good you'll meet him one day"
>You see a waitress stop by a small Momonga Anthro, and after serving him she takes the time to head your way again
>"Hi Anon! What can we get you today? And for once, it's not with Gabe today"
>You pull up the menu closer to your face
>You aren't a mooch in the slightest
>"Nah Yuki, just showing my friend a place for some good food. Just give me the usual eh?"
>She scurries off, leaving both you and Star alone once more
>"It's so busy, is it like this all the time?"
>There's only five or so other full tables, but that same energy is given to every one of them
>"The city never sleeps, it's always time for someone to do something. Something always needs fixing, people always need something, so it's always busy when the lights stay on"
>She's looking over the crowds even more intensely now
>"We have it easier than most in a way Star. If you look out there to the real world, most people spend their lives working for a dream that isn't theirs"
>You poke her shoulder, and with the same finger point to a man walking the streets while the sun begins to rise for the day
>"That man probably works his ass off for his boss, only to be told 'good job, keep it up,' and he'll probably keep doing that until he dies"
>"Bounty hunters; you, me and Gabe all live outside the norm. It's pretty dangerous, but also freeing in a way"
>She's quiet, slow in scanning the various people starting to come out the woodwork
>The more she takes in every new sight, the closer she gets to leaning on your side
>"Yeah, free to do what we want," she whispers
>She's made herself quite comfortable
>You're going to commit to this, it hasn't changed
>But you don't know if you've already went and jumped
>She is still your client
>And you should stop this now and keep it just that
>Same as before, the only cure is to repress it as far as it can go, with the magic key being
>'You know how it'll end'
>You hide your sour mood until the waitress comes back with the food...
 
>A colorful array of salmon, eel, squid, octopus, and sail-fin sushi lays before you
>In your haste to order the usual, you forgot that Star is at the best, a third of Gabriel, size wise
>The two of you would usually be pretty starved, and half the time it would only tide you over for a few hours at most
>It doesn't bother Star in the slightest
>"Ooo Anon, it looks so good!"
>Wide eyed as ever, she grabs a saucer and a large bottle of soy sauce
>She then mixes a large chunk of wasabi into the sauce and goes to grab a piece
>Not on your watch!
>"Whoa whoa whoa Star, what are you doing?"
>She blinks at you, confusion extremely apparent
>"Eating sushi?"
>You frown at the mixed abomination and set it aside
>"I thought you would know that it's frowned upon to mix soy sauce and wasabi," you say as you set a saucer of soy sauce in front of you both, and a small plate of wasabi behind it
>"Now come on, let's enjoy"
>You reach over the spread at a set of cups full of water, and a noticeable lack of booze
>"Do you want some sake? I can't drink any, but you can"
>It's always Gabriel that orders it
>"OO yes I want it! I haven't had any before"
>When the waitress makes her rounds, you call her over and order a small bottle
>Your order placed, you grab a pick of sushi with your fingers
>"Hey! What happened to respectful! Sushi is not finger food!"
>Oh you sweet summer child
>"For someone who loves Japanese shows, you sure don't know much about the culture. It's perfectly acceptable to eat it with your fingers"
>Three dots, a question mark, and finally a bright pink exclamation point
>All the in the span of a second
>"It is?"
>You nod, "yep, no dig in this place has the best"
>She still uses her chopsticks instead of her fingers to grab a piece
>Right
>Furred pads versus human skin
>Oops
>She pops it right in, and she almost drops her chopsticks on the floor
>"Omigosh! This is great!" she tries to do a silly little dance in her chair with a palm stuck to her cheek
>"Told ya," you hold back a laugh
>*Snrk*
>It's harder to keep back when she does it a second time
>You're pretty certain Star could make true the elusive foodgasm at this point
>It was when Star was in full squirm mode did the waitress walk up with a small bottle in hand, even more amused than before
>She gives you a wink before placing the Wake Sake down, and as she leaves you pour a cup for Star
>You have to poke her pudge to open her eyes, and in the brief moment of both of your surprise, you cover it up with the sake cup in hand
>She's careful as she grabs it, no doubt unused to holding actual ceramic in a high end dive like this
>"Why is it warm?" she eventually asks
>"It's traditionally served warm," and it's why you can't stand it
>Her face screws up in disgust, either from the alcohol itself or a huge invisible lemon
>A little tongue poking out was entirely unnecessary, and it's a bit of a detriment to your health
>"Blech! That tastes weird"
>No kidding
>"Want more?"
>"YES!"
>She scoots the bottle closer to her, and before long she almost chugs it down cup after cup
>The meal itself goes by quickly as well, and soon you and Star are talking about proper etiquette
>At the end, the waitress comes by and you hand her your phone to pay, with Star a bit distant and looking confused
>"I can pay Anon, do you want me to?"
>You wink at her
>She sways a bit back
>"Now making you pay wouldn't be very gentlemanly, would it?"
>Little hearts lazily start to form
>"No it wouldn't Anon..Thank you"
>You crack a smile, a real one for today, and take your phone back from the waitress
>She gives another bow, and leaves
>"Now then, let's get you home," you say as you stand and hold out a hand to Star
>She takes it, and still by the hand you lead her out to your bike
>You first get into it, and help Star climb in a bit more carefully, and as soon as she does your lap becomes her seat
>"See? I told you nothing bad would happen as long as I'm here"
>You rub the top of her head before starting your bike
>"Mhm! You did, thank you Anon"
>A living seatbelt wraps it's way around your waist, with a small content sigh from Star
>If she's going to be sitting on you proper, it's the least you can do
>And feeling her plush back against your chest, you punch it(a tad bit slower) and rocket forward back into the streets
>"WHEEE! This is fun Anon!" Cheers Star as you zig zag through traffic
>Yeah
>Just like when you got your bike
>It really is pretty damn fun
 
>You'd be lying in saying that you're 100% okay with this
>Star's emotions are like a revolving door to you
>In a way, you feel that you can relate
>Every time you're with her, you think it gets more manageable
>Her almost incessant, grating happiness wears away at your doubts, better than any therapists you can't afford
>And it's not at all related to how much she's bouncing excitedly on your legs and into your chest
>"Faster!," "Go that way!" and "Do that again!" rewards you with a different one every time
>It takes a while before you get back to her bunker, and slowly drive down the ramp
>You park, push open the canopy before helping her out of the bike
>Her shirt hiked up as you grabbed her waist to put her on the floor
>You really do think she showered before
>You don't remember her fur being this soft
>With her planted on the floor and you not having moved yourself, she already has her jacket off
>you follow her into the bunker, watching her as she scurries forward
>Definitely a shirt one size smaller than the last, with how strained that robot man looks
>"I'm gonna change into something more comfy! Then let's watch a movie! I'll even let you pick this timeeee!"
>She's already around the corner, never bothering to find out your answer
>It's not really immediate
>Are you going to indulge her further?
>You're certainly grateful for her calling in backup, and (regretfully? thankfully?) getting you in contact with Lysander
>You shake your head and sink further into the seat
>The fuck else are you going to do? Stare at your dying computer, rub one off and watch cat videos?
>Although, you wouldn't mind doing one or two of those things right now...
>Focus!
>Focus on the fact that if you stay, your morning's mental training will be going into overdrive
>Unless you can somehow divert her away from watching something that wasn't Gundam related
>'Try to have a good time'
>Well, you did that already, eating with her and getting her out of the bunker for what was probably the first time since she moved here
>In the precious seconds of quiet, you sigh and accept doing two of those things on the list
>Your computer hasn't found anything
>And that clip of a Maine Coon cat jumping at the sight of a plush white tiger helped calm down your overworked thoughts a bit
>"Ready!"
>You snap your head back up, seeing Star poking her head out the door
>"Let's pick a movie!"
>Getting out, she's already dashed back to the basement, and when you enter the main room itself she's tapping away at her keyboard
>Walking up, you swing her chair around and see her wearing meshed shorts and an even MORE ill-fitting tank
>The robot on it is beyond warped
>She hops off, motions you to sit in it, and when your ass hits the top her own comes flying in, still bouncing and full of energy
>"WAIT! Wait wait wait! Hold on!"
>And off your lap she goes
>You idly spin the chair around to see her dash down a hallway
>Just as fast, she's back with a bundle of clothes in her arms
>"If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right!"
>"Those gotta go, Anon," she points to your jeans
>Good lord, she was entirely blunt as she said that
>The evidence against her innocence is always flipping back and forth, and while you hope for one side, you damn well know how all encompassing 'Anime' is
>Knowing your client is key for a successful relationship
>Draino needs to be re-legalized
>Somehow, you're already holding the pile
>"Well, try it!"
>You look down at them, and then at her
>"Star"
>"Cmoncmoncmon!"
>"Star, I will, alright? But...either you need to go or I do"
>She lays off standing on her tip toes and tiny eager fist pumps
>"Oh. Y-yeah, right, that uh," her head is twisting around
>"Yeauhh DOWN THAT HALL FIRST DOOR TO THE LEFT!"
>Her chest is rapidly rising from how quickly she's breathing
>"Sure."
 
>You don't normally go down this hallway, mostly out of respect for Star's privacy
>There are a few doors in it, but sticking with your guns, you do as she says and enter the first one you see
>It's...pretty empty, with just a table and a chair next to it, with a few shelves of unfinished or poorly painted collectibles
>You thought you would find some deep dark secret, but the only thing different about the room was the stale smell of dried paint and open cans of it
>You quickly take your jeans off and hang them over the back of the chair
>You then unfold the bundle after
>It's a shirt wrapped in a pair of sweat pants
>On it is a Gundam; you only know as a Gundam from that marathon of movies you watched just a few days ago
>The pants though...
>The base is a solid black, which is fine, except
>They're covered in yellow, red cheeked grinning emoji's only offset by pictures of corgis
>You still put it on though
>And holy fuck they're comfortable
>The shirt fits you like a glove, too
>Leaving your clothes draped over the chair, you close the door and head back to the main room
>Star isn't anywhere to be found, so you decide to sit back down in her chair
>You should REALLY find out where she got this at some point
>"OK NOW I'M READY"
>You spin around seeing Star sprint across the carpet
>Oooh no
>She oofs the wind right out of you, firmly planted on your lap from a flying leap, and when you regain your breath to shout she cuts you off instead
>"What kinda movies DO you like anyways?"
>You stop, pause, and shrug all at once
>You don't really go out to see them
>"Uh, just gimme a movie with action..or something," you mumble out
>"OH OH I KNOW!"
>She moves her cursor through some folders, and it eventually rests on 'Cowboy Bebop: The Movie'
>"The main character reminds me of you!"
>She sways side to side in your lap to the sound of soft Jazz music playing from the movie
>She ups it to little dances when the song gets louder
>"This is great Anon! It's also one of my favorites"
>Why aren't you surprised
 
>When your lungs start working again and your abused lower body accepts the much more heavier one crushing it, even you start to feel like you're enjoying the movie, with your own smile forming on your lips to match the gigantic one Star must have
>Over the course of the movie Star snuggled closer into your lap, and with every fidget you feel you absentmindedly rub the base of her ears, trying to focus on the movie
>The both of you slip further and further back into the chair and your chest respectively the longer the movie plays
>"See what I mean Anon!" she yellwhispers, "Spike is like you kinda!"
>The man she points at is almost always walking hunched over, smoking a cigarette and seems to always find some way to annoy the people he's always with
>Great
>So that's how she views you
>"Hey, Anon?"
>You glance down
>"HmmmMMM?!"
>You feel her press her lips against yours
>Nope! Time out!
>Both your hands wrap around her waist, and you pull her off with the faint taste of sake in your mouth
>"Star, what the hell!?"
>You said it a bit more loudly than you liked, with her eyes widening as she scurries off of you
>"What? What's wrong Anon? Where are you-"
>You've already gotten up and left
 
>You're pacing circles around your bike, barefoot and still in the clothes Star gave you
>She kissed you
>Literally stole one from you
>What the fuck do you do now?
>Stomping around like an idiot won't help, so you can at least stop doing that
>Another helpful tip would be to call Gabriel
>You're sure he or Fox can settle this
>Standing still with your phone out, you ring him up, and after a few go by he answers
>"Null? What's up buddy? Thought you were working for Star today"
>You go back to pacing
>"She tricked me and asked me to hang out with her, so I am. Was. She didn't have anything to look for but that's not important"
>His eyes look you up and down, with most of it spent on your face
>"Are you're pacing? What's wrong?"
>You stop again
>"She kissed me, so I panicked and left"
>His mouth falls open
>"You- Anon, you thrice damned childish FUCKWAD. She likes YOU, and you run off after she does THAT?!"
>You see Fox jump into view, too
>"Anon! You go right back in there and apologize! NOW!"
>You shrink back from the verbal onslaught
>You hear Gabriel mutter a string of swears under his breath
>"Ok, ok, I'm just..."
>Fox's face softens and fills with concern
>"This isn't going to be the same as then Anon, trust us"
>"You're damn right it isn't!" Gabriel is back in focus
>"Anon, you need to man the fuck up and stop pissing all over your future"
>You nod, and hang up
>You're numb in your acceptance of their advice, and you head back into the bunker
>You don't expect her to be there
>She isn't, with the movie still playing in the background
>"Star?"
>No answer
>You head down the hallway you never walked down before
>Your hunch is right, the door at the end of it is slightly ajar, and the closer you get you start hearing muffled voices from inside
>"Star?" You call out again, and step inside
>A muted, sobbing hiccup answers
>"A-anon *hic* what d-did I do wrong?"
>You sigh
>Not at her, not at the room, or even the events of the day
>You sigh at your own stupid horseshit
>It comes from the sight of the sobbing opossum that's curled up tightly on her bed
>Posters similar to the collectibles room line the walls, with modest furniture covering the rest
>You sit next to her, unsure what to do
>So you default to moving your hand, only pausing just inches away from her head
>"Look, Star, you didn't do anything wrong. I just-"
>You don't know how to phrase it
>Like a switch
>Only duller than before
>Soft hair and fur presses into your hand, and you instinctively move to gently rub in kind, with the sounds of crying devolved into quiet hiccups
>You struggle to find your words
>"I've been hurt badly before..and, not in the way you might think"
>There's a pause in the air, only broken by another slight sniffle escaping a pillow hugged to her chest
>"I forgot how to handle it back there..."
>You hear the covers shift behind you, and turning around, you see Star did the same, and eventually she sits up to look at you, wiping a few stray tears from her muzzle
>You pull back your hand while she does
>"What do you mean Anon?"
>You close your eyes
>...And open them to find Star even closer
>So you take a deep breath, let it out with a sigh, and move your hand to the side of your shirt
>"It isn't pretty, but, I mean it like this"
>You lift the side, revealing a scar
>It's as if a chunk of your body went missing, only to be replaced with foam and hastily stretched skin to cover it
>Her eyes go wide with her paws to her mouth, as she traces the subtle red flesh from your pelvis to your ribs and to the side of your navel
>"Oh my god Anon! What happened?"
>She gets closer, and places one of her paws on it
>You don't stop her
>"It's a long story"
>Her normal, small dotted eyes look into yours
>"Trust me Anon, I'm not going anywhere"
>You cover yourself once more
>"It happened in a place called Cydonia..."

Chapter 10: Until There Is No End
>You are Anon 
>Finally 18 years old and a Brand new legal bounty hunter
>Sure you've done some small bounties but now was time for big game
>On one of your latest hunts another hunter named calling himself Gabriel noticed you picking through small time bounties; looking for something that could get you a meal for the night 
>You don't know why he did it, but he said you should partner up with him
>Was it pity? Did he see potential? You don't know or care right now
>You actually had credits for once!
>He showed you how to track down the big bounties 
>His speeder drove up to your usual street corner and you climb in
>"You live around here Anon? Dangerous neighborhood"
>You shrink down into the chair
>"I live in that alley over there actually Sir"
>You point to an alley, where you had a tent and a box set up to sleep in and stay dry
>The pity on his face hurts
>"Just call me Gabriel, none of the sir shit, and Jesus kid, don't you have anyone out there?"
>You shake your head
>"I haven't seen my parents since I was 8, they took me shopping for new clothes and just left me"
>Gabriel curses angrily under his breath
>He's not much older than you but he acts like he's seen much more than anyone should have
>Like he's Han Solo and you're Luke Skywalker
>"Anyway Gabriel! Whats the mark! I was able to buy a gun from our last bounty!"
>You hold up a weathered Magnum, which he grabs and inspects with one hand while driving
>"It's not pretty but it'll shoot straight Anon, you found a rose in a field of weeds that's for sure"
>You smile
>Bounty hunting wasn't the first choice you had for a job, but you could help so many people!
>And get paid for it!
>You look down at your "phone", which is more a bunch of thrown away pieces of electronics cobbled together
>50 credits in your account
>Looks like you get to eat tonight after all and have some to spare
>"Today you're hunting on your own Anon, I found a "Take Alive" bounty for you; easy 1000 credits, I got a heavy mark that I can handle but you need to refine your skills"
>You frown
>"How can I capture someone? Everyone is bigger than me and stronger than me"
>He reaches behind his seat and fishes around for something before dropping a hilt in your lap
>"That's a shock Knife, Sneak up on them, give em a quick shock with it and it'll shut down their augs and probably knock em out"
>You smile
>"Then I cuff em right?"
>He nods "Yea Anon, here's who you're after"
>A few button presses on his phone and you get a flickering image on your screen
>A golden haired Puma, name: Rachel Winston, Height 6'3 Augments unknown
>Wanted for possible homicide
>"You think you can handle her?"
>You nod
>"I can"
>He smiles "Good, I'm counting on you, after this I think my wife would wanna meet my new partner"
>The speeder stops "This is your stop, She's known to frequent this bar, lay low and call me when you get her"
>You get out and Gabriel speeds away
>1000 Credits! More than you've ever had
>You look up at the Neon sign 
>"Nights in Cydonia"
>You head inside and stick to the shadows
>No automated greeting system could find or see you 
>The patrons and barkeep were too busy to notice or care about you
>So you slink to a corner and wait
>After about an hour or so of waiting your mark enters and sits down
>One of her arms is totally replaced, a hand instead of a paw with long fingers looked odd on the puma
>Stay calm, stay out of the way
>You knew what you were best at, same as always, hide; they can't find you
>She drinks a few drinks and laughs a bit before getting up and heading off
>Well what would have been a little while was actually a few hours of you just staying hidden
>You stalk through the crowd , unseen and uncared for
>Nothing to worry about you guess 
>She gets up and yells loudly "Put it on my Tab" before walking outside
>She'll never pay that tab off
>You follow her out of the bar, barely seen by anyone
>Drawing your shock knife, you press the blade into her cybernetic arm
>"WHAAAAAAA-"
>She screams as you shock her, then she collapses
>Score!
>You do a stupid dance, then pull out your cuffs and lock them on her
>Dialing up Gabriel gets no answer, through
>He must be busy dealing with his mark, no big deal
>So you drag the Puma underneath an overhang and find a dry spot to sit down 
>Before long, she stirs
>"Hmmm? Wha? Wha happened" Why am I cuffed"
>You sit and fiddle with your phone, trying to get some type of Wifi to alert the bounty network
>"You have a bounty on you, I shocked you and we're waiting for my ride"
>The puma sits up and eyes you
>"Pfft! You!? A bounty hunter?! You're just a kid!" She smiles smugly
>You smile
>"I still caught you, didn't I?"
>The smug look slides off her face
>"Huh, you did, didn't you? You must be quite good at this then"
>Her eyes continue looking you over
>"You're unaugmented? How exotic~"
>Your ears perk up
>"Huh?"
>She smiles at you and scoots a bit closer
>"You're the first person I've ever seen without an augment and you just happen to catch me, I like that"
>You frown and push her away with your foot
>"Yea? Well it sucks" You say as you try again with your phone
>"I can't get any implants, I'm called a freak, I live in a fucking box because no one wants to deal with an untraceable human"
>"Untraceable huh? I also like that, so what's my bounty worth? 2k?"
>You frown "I wish, someone wants to pay 1k for you though"
>"What if I told you we could make more together? You're a useful kid, and judging from that phone, you can also build stuff"
>She slides up closer to you
>"Plus I like you already. You've proven you're good at what you do, and are resourceful enough to get by on your own"
>She continues until she's sat next to you, still cuffed behind her back
>"I can even give you a place to live, with me that is, I just love how exotic you are~"
>She licks the side of your face with a long raspy tongue
>"Ooo, I wonder what a human like you could do to me, only relying on your own raw stamina and none of those overcompensating bullshits"
>You gawk at her
>She seriously doesn't think you're a freak!
>There is a first time for everything you suppose 
>Why did she have to be wanted for possible murder though
>"You're wanted for possible murder though, I can't just stop, besides my partner is on the way"
>She smiles
>"I didn't murder anyone, my ex was abusive and one day I stood up to him, now I'm being hunted"
>You frown
>"That may be, but still I need to take you in"
>She pouts at you and rubs her side against you
>"If I'm going to trust you to live with me and show me your assets, you need to trust me too"
>She slides even closer and licks your face again
>"Plus if you uncuff me, I can give you a little preview of things to come" she says in a sultry voice
>"You're the perfect man for me kid; smart, resourceful, and handsome to boot, let me show you what I can do" 
>She opens her mouth and lets her long tongue roll out
>Your mind is in a tizzy
>She thinks you're sexy too!
>A quick movement and she's in front of you, arms still cuffed behind her back, looking up at you hungrily
>"Ooo while I do enjoy good role playing, I would rather just see what your packing besides that rusty gun"
>She rubs her muzzle on your thigh
>"Ooooo a manly scent too~"
>This is the first time any girl has ever shown you attention beyond calling you a freak
>"O-okay Rachel, I'll trust you, but after I uncuff you, we go to the station and explain everything so no one else hunts you. Deal?"
>"Mmmyes deal" she purrs seductively
>You pull out your handcuff key as she turns away from you
>As you unlock her paw and cybernetic hand, she rubs her wrist gently
>"Thank you for trusting me kid"
>She turns to you, rubbing her paw and hand down your chest
>"Now let me give you something"
>FWOOM
>You shudder and look down, the smell of burnt flesh permeates the air
>Her hand has changed into a plasma spitter
>And a gaping hole is where your side should be
>"I-wha?"
>She smiles at you
>"Sorry kid, but I'm not ready for prison, and besides, I think killing you might be doing you a favor"
>You fall over, gasping for air as pain sears through your body
>Stay awake, breathe, you don't want to die 
>One last attempt
>You push a button on your phone
>Pick up Gabriel please
>"Hey Anon whats u-"
>"H-help" you gasp out with the last of your strength
>You hear him yelling as the world spins and goes black

>Beeping sounds fill the air, you feel odd, like you're floating
>You open your eyes slowly
>"Am...am I dead? Finally?"
>You look around, the sound of a heart monitors beeping fill the air
>"Not yet Man, but you almost were"
>You look over and see Gabriel sitting in a chair next to you, an anthro something sitting with him
>"What happened?" you say woozily
>"I found you passed out after you called me, most of your internal organ have been regenerated and you've been comatose for a week"
>you attempt to sit up but your body refuses
>"I'm sorry Gabriel. I-i let her talk to me and- and she told me how cool I was for not having augs and-"
>"No I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you, we're partners, I wanted to let you learn but got greedy myself"
>You look him over and see genuine concern and regret in his eyes
>"I need to leave, I can't afford all this, they can't track me. I'll dis-" You attempt to get up
>The Anthro pushes you back down
>"We've got you covered Null, Gabriel told me about your..situation, how you survived all alone for so long is amazing"
>"Null?"
>Gabriel smiles
>"Nickname Fox gave you, because you're Null and void to most electronics, the paramedics could barely even believe you were there and freaked out because they couldn't use their fancy technology to monitor your heartbeat"
>You laugh painfully
>"Null huh" I like it, by the way, Hi Fox, I'm Anon"
>You attempt to raise your hand to shake her paw but it won't listen
>Goddamit
>"Hi Anon, I'm Jamiee But everyone calls me Fox, you can too"
>You nod weakly
>"Also Null, I have a get well soon gift for you" 
>Gabriel digs around in his bag before pulling out a shiny Magnum
>You gawk at it
>"I can't accept that, you've given me too much"
>He smiles
>"It's the gun you bought, I just cleaned it up and refitted a few worn parts, you really did get a good one"
>You smile "What was it you said about it? Something about weeds"
>"Hhm? Oh, that it was a rose in a field of weeds"
>"That's what it is then; Rose"
>Gabriel nods
>"Good name"
>A thought hits you
>"What happened to Rachel, er, the Mark?"
>Gabriel grimaces
>Fox answers though "Gabriel caught her a few days ago, Alive; she had a few broken ribs, a shattered elbow and a concussion but she was alive"
>"Her arm was worth more than she was, but it felt dam good to beat her with it" He Grumbles
>You laugh painfully
>"Thanks guys"


>Star sits besides you, paw still on your scar as you look down at the floor
>"She played every one of my insecurities, everything I had never heard from anyone"
>She looks at you unsure of what to say
>"Then what happened?"
>"Gabriel and Fox let me stay with them until I was fully recovered, then helped me find a place to live when I was able to hunt again"
>You frown
>"I can never repay them for that, they took care of me when I should have died that day"
>You shake your head at your own stupidity that day and the anger you feel for being a burden on them 
>Star is a bit oblivious to your feelings though
>"Your parents abandoned you? And you still end up like this?"
>You frown, unsure of what that means
>"What"
>She waves her paws in front of her, eyes wide with exclamation marks
>"I mean you didn't turn to crime! you stayed a good person!"
>Ah
>"I'm not a good person, I've killed plenty of people, I just do what I have to"
>Her long tail wraps around your waist
>"I think you're a good person"
>You smile at her for once
>"I'm sorry Star, I shouldn't have acted like I did"
>She bounces a bit closer to you
>"It's ok Anon"
>You shake your head at her, looking down at the floor
>"No it isn't, you're a good person and I shouldn't have acted like that, you're cute, you're funny and I like spending time with you but I'm just so....me"
>She scooches even closer
>"We can take it slow if you like Anon"
>You look at her brilliant blue eyes and wrap your arms around her, pulling her close
>"Ok Star, Slow,;now why don't we finish our movie?"
>She nods into your chest 
>"Ok Anon"
>She pulls back from you slightly and looks up at you
>"Oh And Star?"
>You put your forefinger under her chin and guide her mouth to yours
>Her eyes explode into exclamation marks
>"You're a really great girl to have my first kiss with"
>Her eyes morph into little hearts as her paws reach the sides on her face
>"Oooo Anon! You're the best" 
>You shake your head and extend a hand
>"Lets go finish that movie"
>Her paw meets your hand 
>"OK Anon lets go"

Chapter 11: Whatever it takes
>You awake to the slight buzzing of your phone
>Why do you feel heavier than usual?
>And much warmer than usual
>The twitching of little ears on either side of your face remind you why
>You had fallen asleep after watching you don't know how many movies with Star
>She is still in your lap, leaned back against you, a blanket wrapped around you both
>A little bit of fishing around and you're able to get your phone out
>Quickly clicking the Answer button causes Gabriel's Hologram to appear
>He doesn't say anything at first but studies the situation
>"Morning Null, glad to see you took our advice, I would say let's go hunting but it looks like you're busy"
>Star yawns
>"No no, He can go, I don't wanna have you guys lose credits because of me"
>She slides off you and stretches as she walks to her kitchen
>"What's the mark?"
>Gabriel Scratches his chin with a frown
>"Not one of our usual Marks, Lysander got a hold of me asking us to handle this; said you're too hard to find"
>You yawn and stretch; huh, not even she could find you, that's something
>"Alright, so we go shoot some guys; easy" you croak out, feeling your back pop satisfyingly
>"Not so easy, she wants them alive and both have heavy combat Augs"
>You curse to yourself
>Of course she wants them alive
>Star brings you a cup of Coffee, earning her a quick ear rub
>"Ooo Wait! Is That Gabriel!? HI GABRIEL!"
>Star waves excitedly to his hologram
>He seems genuinely shocked at her aggressive friendliness
>"Uhh, Hi Star, hope our boy Null wasn't too big of a dick to you yesterday"
>She smiles wide
>"Nah he was great!, thank you for saving him though!"
>He smiles 
>"So you told her about Cydonia eh?"
>Star shakes her head, vigorously
>"Mhm and he even showed me his scar!"
>Gabriel smiles, "I'm glad for you both, but can I get back to business with Null, little Lady?"
>"Oh! OH! sorry!" she says as she scoots off 
>"Is she always this excitable? You sure found an energetic one"
>You smile as you sip your coffee
>"Yea, she is, anyway what's the mark"
>He sighs, "Two marks actually, she wants to use them as an example I guess; Where are you? I'll come get ya"
>You lean close to the receiver
>"I can't tell you where I am right now, I'll tell ya later though"
>he raises his eyebrows
>"Hmmm? Alright then, get over to my place then, I think Fox has some leftovers for you anyway"
>Sweet! Leftovers! No seriously her food was just that good
>"Alright I'll see you in a bit"
>You hang up and look around
>Looks like you're skipping breakfast
>"Star?"
>You wander through the bunker to find her in her Toy room, well she called it her collection room but it's toys
>You can't help but smile
>"I'll be back later if that's ok?"
>"Ok Anon, we can try to play a video game together!" she says Cheerfully
>You give her a quick kiss and head into the other room to change
>Gear is all ready, Rose is set to stun, and you have your shock knife ready to rock and roll
>You leave and head to your bike
>A quick double check pat down of yourself to make sure you have everything and you're ready
>You hop in and start her up, then hit the road
>Traffic isn't terrible as you drive through the back roads
>You knew this Cities back alleys and tunnels like the back of your hand, 
>You grew up in them after all
>After about 30 minutes, you pull in front of Gabriel's apartment, helmet tucked under your arm
>You give him a quick "yo I'm here" call and before long, he's stepping out of the elevator 
>"Leftovers, Lets go"
>He chucks a plastic box with some bits of food in it to you before getting into his speeder
>You open the box revealing steak; "Sweet" you say as you get in and start to eat it with your fingers
>"Seriously dude? No manners at all?"
>You shrug "What? It's good and I'm hungry"
>He shakes his head "Fuckin weird eating cold steak with your fingers"
>"Whatever, whats the mark?" you say between mouthfuls
>He taps a few buttons on his arm scanner and your scanner beeps and shows 2 faces
>An Anthro Reindeer and an anthro fox
>"Lysander didn't go into details, just said they got handsy with some of the girls and wants them alive"
>You scan through the details
>The reindeer has some sort of blinder Aug welded to his horns and skull, pretty shoddy job, probably done in a back alley Surgery center
>The fox has heavy duty fusion claws built into his arms, which are totally cybernetic
>"They work in tandem eh? The reindeer blinds and the Fox goes in for the kill"
>Gabriel frowns and nods
>"Yea, aside from Lysander wanting them, a few other groups want them dead"
>You frown now, "Would we make more killing them?"
>Gabriel shakes his head
>"Lysander offered to pay her 5k for each , the bounties wants 6k for them dead but it's better not to piss her off"
>Numbers float around in your head
>"You're probably right, no use pissing her off"
>He nods
>>"Yea, we're headed to the ports again, onto the Megafauna"
>You frown at that, the Megafauna was once the crown jewel of the cargo tankers
>3 miles long and half a mile wide, it could carry more cargo than any other ship before
>Now it was a decrepit ruin, cargo containers turned into homes
>The inside of the ship was kept in semi good condition for the sake of power
>You know that it was easy to get lost, or to plan an ambush
>Of course there was no way they could know you were coming to set up an ambush
>You steel yourself and double check your gear
>Everything is set, best plan to do is just shoot and stun them
>Donning your helmet, you wait for the usual as it boots up
>"私はあなたに恐怖の良い味を与えるでしょう！"
>Yea, there it is
>You sit back and watch the city fly by
>"Why do you wear that thing Null?" Gabriel says, knocking on your helmet with a fist
>You push his knocking fist away
>"It was a gift from Star, plus it has night vision, facial recognition, tracking and a gas mask built in. Everything I can't put into my eyes"
>He looks it over once more
>"That's a pretty nice gift, She seems like a nice girl, although a bit doofy"
>You nod
>"Yea she's a little awkward, but she means well and I guess we're a thing now"
>Gabriel smiles
>"I'm glad for you, and you even showed her your scar"
>"I had to explain why I left after she kissed me, so I told her about Cydonia and you saving me"
>You look out the window at the neon lights flowing by
>The ports are near, both of you stay silent for a bit
>Mental preparation, 
>To you it means that you retreat inside yourself and go over everything
>One blinds, the other gets in close
>You wonder how the fox deals with the blinders
>No time to think about how now
>You click a few buttons on your scanner
>"Do we have their ID implant data? If so I can follow them with my helmet"
>Gabriel taps a few buttons on his scanner and you get the 2 ID tags
>A quick link to your helmet and you're ready; the Helmet showing you an arrow to their last scanned position
>Gabriel parks and you both jump out
>Better to keep your guns holstered, having them drawn would only cause problems
>You walk up the gangplank and look down into the black water below, a few luminescent lights dance just below the surface
>Ugh, you don't wanna think about what creatures lurk in those overly polluted waters
>The ship may be anchored and hasn't gone into open waters in decades, maybe centuries; but the whole ship sways side to side with the water
>You guess you haven't gotten your sea legs
>It takes a bit of getting used to for both of you
>Gabriel has a little more trouble than you, just because of the weight distribution from his heavier left arm
>You look around, letting your helmet scan the area 
>"They must be below deck somewhere, Their ID implants show they were last scanned down there"
>Luckily, there are signs directing you to the nearest hatch, rusted open permanently from years of disuse
>You peer down and look around
>Seeing nothing you climb down the ladder and wait for Gabriel
>"Anything on them yet Null?"
>"Nothing, lets just head to their last location and ask around"
>He nods and you both head down the cramped hallways
>These tankers weren't made for comfort, just efficiency
>As such, most of the bigger Anthros couldn't fit below deck, you're sure that even the reindeer has a hard time getting through
>You might be able to use that as an advantage
>The HUD on your helmet says they are about 100 meters ahead of you and slightly to your left as you head towards the stern of the ship
>"Pssst, Anon what are you doing"
>Great, Star has joined the conversation
>"Hunting star, quiet, we need to hear everything"
>You hear a slight 'Hmph' from her but she relents
>Suddenly, you helmet Pings loudly
>Your first thought is that Star fucked with something, but instead it's the marks
>they just got scanned somewhere
>your helmet calculates for a moment before showing they are directly beneath you
>"Gabriel, they're one deck below us, luckily still together"
>"They know they work better together"
>You nod and locate another hatch to go further down
>A quick slide down the ladder and you're 20 meters from them, at least that's what your Helmet says
>Drawing Rose, you double check that its set to stun 
>"Clear"
>Gabriel lands next to you and draws his Gun
>You take point, following the route set by your helmet
>5 meters, only a wall separates you
>You have your back to the wall as you slide along it before peeking around a corner
>Your greeted by a bar of sorts, just a open area with what appears to be a bar made of cardboard pressed together
>A single arcade machine sits in a corner, where the 2 marks are hitting buttons trying to beat whatever it was
>"Battletoads" huh? never heard of it
>You motion to Gabriel where they are and you round the corner silently
>Sneaky, silently, that's it
>"Can Interest you two fellas in a drink?"
>A bartender, an anthro Monkey of some sort, looks at you with a lazy eye and a robotic one; she must have been outside your field of view
>This is why you don't like monkeys
>To your Horror, this also attracts the attention of the Marks
>"Fuck, hunters! Blind em Rudolph!"
>The reindeer's Antlers glow red and Flash brightly just as Gabriel shoots him
>"Fuck I cant see Null!"
>You can, but barely, the helmet must have some type of vision protection
>But you lost view of the fox
>"IN FRONT OF YOU ANON!" Shouts Star
>You jump backwards and feel the fusion claws rip into your chest
>But you can see him
>Barely
>It's enough though
>You swing Rose and pistol whip the fucker
>He collapses into a heap
>Just to be certain, you fire a few stun rounds into him
>Better safe than sorry right
>"You alright Null?"
>You look down and see your shirt shredded and stained with blood
>The slashes are painful but not life threatening
>"I'll be fine, you got any of those heal pads"
>Gabriel shakes his head "Not with me, they're in the speeder, you gonna be ok?"
>You wince as you touch one of the slashes
>Cauterized from the heat, but about a centimeter deep
>"I'll be ok, looks worse than it feels"
>Probably
>Maybe
>You cuff the fox and Gabriel cuffs the reindeer
>It takes a long time for you and Gabriel to get the two out of the ship; the sun is already rising when you reach the surface
>Mainly using Gabriel's hoist to pull them up through the various hatches
>When you finally make it back to the speeder you're out of breath, pain weighing you down 
>Even though the slashes were burned shut, they reopened in a few places, blood streamed down your shirt
>You dump the fox into the trunk after disconnecting the wires to his arms
>The reindeer is thrown into the backseat, with a triple layer of bags over his head and antlers
>"Alright Null, let's look at those slashes"
>You nod and take off your helmet, jacket and what remains of your shirt
>4 long gouges across your chest, if you hadn't jump back in time, he would have split you from your left shoulder to your right hip
>The cool rain does little to sooth the searing pain
>"Here's a heal pad, let's heal up those gouges, but it'll probably leave a scar"
>You nod and he presses the pad to your chest
>This part always sucks though
>"Ready?" he asks
>"Just do it"
>He activates it with the push of a button
>The pain you feel over the wounds is immense, causing you to double over and vomit
>The human body isn't made to heal quickly, it can, but it hurts
>A Lot
>After a few moments, it subsides
>You're left breathless and shivering from the pain and cold rain
>Grabbing the pad, you yank it off quickly and inspect your chest
>4 slashes across your left pec,that are about 12 inches long are visible
>You don what's left of your shirt, your jacket and your helmet ones more
>"You ok?"
>"Yea yea I'm fine, lets deliver these guys to Lysander and get paid"
>"That's what I like to hear"
>The ride goes quickly, you might have actually fallen asleep at one point though
>What wakes you is the muffled screaming from the trunk of the speeder
>Gabriel smiles 
>"heh Lysander's probably going to make him scream worse"
>The Concordat Headquarters is actually one of the few spots left with grass and a lawn
>Very expensive and very Showy, and they know it
>The Concordat holds control over every red light district in the city, and since the city covers the entire planet, they make quite a bit of revenue
>Probably why they don't mind paying you so much
>As the speeder nears the gate, they open automatically
>"What the? They took control of the speeder" Gabriel says, looking surprised, his hands hovering over the wheel
>"We have been expecting you both, relax and we will handle everything" A refined voice comes through the radio
>spooky
>The speeder drives and parks in front of the large mansion sitting on top of a hill covered in grass
>You step out and look at the lawn
>It's different seeing grass in a lawn not between bricks
>"If you please; this way Master Anon, Master Gabriel"
>A tall Anthro giraffe bows low to you and motions for you to follow him
>Groups of men grab up the struggling fox and reindeer behind you as you leave the speeder
>Following the Giraffe to the mansion is difficult for you, he's easily 10 feet tall and his legs are your height
>You're basically running to keep up with him
>He leads you through the mansion and into a back garden 
>Lysander sits in a gazebo, reading an actual paper book while drinking what you assume is Tea
>A large pond bubbles next to the gazebo, with what appear to be fish just below the surface
>"Ah Gabriel and Anon, you have done very, very well"
>She stands and walks over to you both with serene grace, her long purple gown flowing in the wind
>"You got them both alive and only one of you was injured" she says, glancing at your torn shirt with a satisfied smile
>"I am very glad you passed this test"
>What?
>The Struggling reindeer and fox are brought before her
>"Stop Struggling and KNEEL" she roars to them
>Lysander looms over them a frown gracing her face
>"You two were supposed to be our allies, and I am so SO disappointed in you"
>She walks around them, her paws gently rub their heads and shoulders 
>"When I found out that you were selling our secrets to the Sailors, I was so, SO hurt"
>Hearing those words hurt you, and they weren't even directed towards you
>Just the way she spoke was enough to drive fear into the heart of any man
>The calm cold tone of her voice faintly covers up the malice behind it
>You can see both of the Anthros shivering
>"W-we're Sorr-" the fox begins to sputter out
>"I DID NOT ASK YOU TO SPEAK WHELP" She roars at him
>She grabs what you had assumed was a Light post and lifts it revealing it as a Large Gravity hammer
>"You both have failed and betrayed me, and not only that, you hurt our friends here"
>She motions to you and Gabriel
>The shivering is audible as the fox's metal arms clink 
>"I am merciful, to a certain point"
>Lysander still glides around them, before settling behind them
>"But I must say, goodbye Bingle, your sins are one too many"
>With a fierce, yet graceful overheard swing of the hammer she crushes the fox into the ground with a sickening crunch
>She then jumps on the reindeer, and begins yanking on his antlers 
>He struggles in vain, even if he wasn't cuffed it wouldn't have made a difference
>Her footpaw in his neck, she grips his antlers as she heaves
>They rip out of his head, spraying blood on the cement and grass
>He screams and twitches underneath her mighty footpaw
>She stands over him until he stops screaming and descends into pained whimpers
>"Nigel, please Uncuff Rudolph for me"
>a short Mole anthro with thick glasses waddles up and uncuffs him
>Lysander steps off and away from him, allowing him to stand, albeit shakily
>"You may live Rudolph, but you are to warn others; Do not Cross Lysander or the Concordat"
>She hands him the torn out antlers
>"Now then. Get. Out"
>He shakily stumbles to the mansion
>"Make sure he doesn't bleed on anything" Lysander instructs the giraffe
>"Yes of course Madam" He says with a bow
>Lysander picks up the gravity hammer and sets in down where it was, disguised as a light post
>She then gently pushes the foxs corpse into the pond with her footpaw, careful not to get any blood on her fur
>Some type of carnivorous fish Must reside in the pond because the second it hits the water, it's torn apart
>She turns to you and Gabriel
>"So sorry you had to see that, now as I was saying, you passed the test"
>She smiles, her large sabre like teeth glinting
>"I placed the bounties for them dead before I asked you to get them alive, I wanted to see if you would do as you were asked and you did not disappoint"
>She motions behind you and several groups of men appear holding a new shirt for you and a few odd looking instruments
>"You will receive my blessing to work with the concordat and more specifically me, Gabriel you will receive an implant, hidden in your back Augment; it will show those who know to look for it you are one of my Personal hunters"
>She turns to you
>"And you, Anon, my Unaugmented friend, is there a reason you do not have augments? If you do not mind me asking?"
>You smile
>Remain polite
>"Of course uh ,Madam, I cannot have any, they short circuit my nervous system and would kill me"
>She nods
>"Ah of course, either way I have prepared something for you, it may be a bit dated but it will mark your skin with ink"
>She smiles and stand between the two of you
>"Do you both accept becoming my personal hunters?"
>You look at Gabriel who nods
>"We accept" he says
>"Splendid"
>With that your jacket is pulled off you and your torn shirt stripped and thrown away
>You hear whirring and a machine of some sort is pressed to your left shoulder
>A few moments of pain and it pulls away 
>You inspect the area
>A Green fist inside a Black "C"
>You see Gabriel with his shirt off as well, the large scar running down his back is visible to everyone
>He hates when people see it
>"This may hurt a bit Gabriel" Lysander cooes, rubbing a paw gently up the scar
>"Just do it" he grunts
>She nods and a needle pokes through his skin into his back
>You see his teeth clench from the pain 
>It passes after a few moments though
>One of the men hands you a new shirt and you slip it on
>"Thank you both, I will only call upon you when we need discretion and please do keep our relationship secret" 
>She smiles and returns to her gazebo
>"You may go"
>And with that you turn and leave
>You're lead through the mansion once again and escorted to Gabriel's speeder
>"We took the pleasure of cleaning your speeder inside and out, you will regain control of it once you leave the gates" the giraffe anthro says 
>"Uhh thanks"
>You get in the speeder and Gabriel gets in after
>The speeder starts and takes you out of the gate
>Once Gabriel has control and has driven a short way you slump down
>"Holy shit dude" you groan
>"I know man I know, what the fuck did we just get into" 
>You both ride in silence until the speeder pulls into his apartment parking area
>Getting out, you sigh and roll your shoulders before looking at him
>"Peace man, I think they stole your food container by the way"
>"Fuck that was Fox's, I'll see ya"
>You go to your Bike and get in, donning your helmet once again
>>It shows a route and you call to your phone
>"Contact Star"
>"Ohmygosh Anon! Where are you? Are you ok? What happened?
>"I'll tell you when I get to the bunker, I had a long day and have a few things to show you"
>"Ok Anon hurry!"
>You punch it and zoom through the city neon lights flashing by
>Before long, you get to the bunker and ride in
>As you park, you see Star bouncing happily
>"HELLOOO ANONN!"
>you clamber out and Star grips your side happily
>"Hi Star"
>you peel of the helmet, your Jacket and your shirt
>Stars eyes fall on the new scars on your chest and the Concordat Symbol on your left shoulder
>"The fox got you Anon? I wasn't fast enough warning you was I?"
>She looks down at the floor, her paws bunched together
>You pick her up and pull her into a hug
>"If you hadn't warned me I would have gotten hurt much worse, you did great. Thank you Star"
>Her eyes turn to little hearts as her arms wrap around you
>"You're welcome Anon!"
>you set her down and saunter to the chair and plop down
>Star scoots into your lap
>"You ok Anon?"
>"Tired, hungry, and I watched Lysander crush a fox with a gravity hammer"
>Her eyes go wide
>"Wow! That's really cool!"
>It wasn't
>You shake your head and rub her ears gently
>"Do you mind whipping up something for us to eat Star, I'm gonna shower"
>She smiles "Ok Anon!I'm gonna make the Korean barbeque"
>You hug her and give her a kiss
>"Thanks Star"
>She slides off you and you head to the shower
>What a day
>You climb into the shower and relax 
>Working for the Concordat huh? More specifically Lysander
>Could be worse
>Cleaning yourself quickly, you find a towel and head into the side room where some PJ pants wait for you
>No underwear though
>Guess you're going commando
>You put them on and head back out to Star
>True to her word, she made Bulgogi
>"Thanks Star, you're the best"
>Her little pupils spin wildly
>"You're welcome anon!"
>You sit down the her chair in front of all her monitors and she climbs into your lap
>Quietly enjoying the feel of Star's shirt and fur on your chest, you eat and reflect on the day, while Star watches on of her shows
>A Personal Hunter to the head of the Concordat
>Not how you envisioned the day going
>But not bad
>You sit with Star for a while as she watches her show and explains it to you
>"Victory Gundam is the Darkest in the series!, the main character's mother get her head chopped of and he carries it around"
>All of my what
>You sit quietly and let her explain all about the Show
>But you can't shake the sleepiness from your eyes as your head starts to sink
>"I'm heading to bed Star, you can join me for snuggles if you want"
>Her eyes morph to little hearts
>"Of course Anon!" she takes your hand and you both walk to the bedroom 
>You lay down and she snuggling into you, pressing her ass into you
>"Mmm best big spoon"
>You smile and put your arm around her
>"Goodnight Star"
>"Goodnight Anon"
>You drift off to sleep with Star in your arms, hoping tomorrow will be a little less stressful


Chapter 12: She's my Collar
 
>Nearly a month has passed since you and Gabriel became Personal hunters to Lysander
>The hunts she sent you on were pretty standard
>Although she wanted all of them alive
>Her wrath was shown to each unfortunate soul who tried to betray her or stand up to her
>But she paid well
>VERY well
>What would normally get you 3k, she paid 9k
>When you asked, she simply tutted at you
>"So modest Null, I pay you not only for your services, but for your continued loyalty"
>Although she scared you, she was always nice to you
>You're glad she liked you enough to keep you around
>Things with Star had been going well too
>Collecting her toys on the side made you a lot of extra cash
>You never had known what it was like to have a girlfriend
>Besides a bit more physical contact, everything was the same
>She still pounced on you every time you came to the bunker, Still talked your ear off about stuff you didn't understand
>And you still scratched her ears while you watched movies together
>Her second bedroom became a sort of workshop for you to clean your gear after each time she sent you out
>You had actually taught her how to clean a gun
>She had no interest in firing them, which was a bit of a relief for you
>After all you were no teacher, you learned from trial and error as well as Gabriel's mentor-ship
>Getting her out of the bunker was becoming a regular thing too
>Only little outings where you went to eat something together
>Once, you got dragged to a toy store where she bought every single Gunpla they had
>THAT was a fun ride back to the bunker, toys crammed everywhere
>Today was a special day though
>Gabriel and Fox had invited you and her over for a meal
>Not one to ever deny yourself Fox's cooking, you accepted immediately
>Convincing Star was a bit harder, but she relented after offering to play her Gundam game with her when you got back
>You sit in her bunker as she gets ready
>Wearing jeans, a regular shirt and your leather bomber jacket, you knew this wasn't a super special occasion
>Star however is in her bedroom, looking over every piece of clothing she owned
>"ANONNNN I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WEARRR!" you hear her sadly call out to you
>You sigh and stand and head to the bedroom
>Pushing the door open, you discover Star laying face down in a pile of her clothes
>"Just wear whatever Star"
>She flails her arms and legs wildly while her tail whips around
>"NOOOOO! I wanna make a good impression" she yells into the pile
>You shake your head and walk to her before picking her up, your hands under her arms
>She droops her head as you carry her to the bed and set her down
>"Fine, I'll pick then, how about that?"
>Her pupils are little teardrops as she looks at you
>"Ok Anon just don't make me look silly"
>You begin digging through the pile of clothes, you already knew which shirt you wanted her to wear
>There it is, a plain black Shirt, no logos or robot faces
>"Here put this on" you say as you hand the shirt to her
>She looks at it for a second then to you
>"Nothing fancier Anon? Are you sure?"
>You gesture to what you're wearing
>"I told you nothing fancy"
>She looks at you then the shirt for a second before nodding sharply
>"OK!" her usual energetic self pressing forth again
>You turn away from her and start looking for her jeans that aren't torn to shit
>"How do I look Anon?"
>You casually turn and feel your eyes go wide
>She's sitting on her bed, looking at you with little hearts in her eyes, topless, her pink nipples poking through her grey fur
>A small grin covers her muzzle
>Brain.exe has crashed
>You stare at her grapefruit sized orbs
>"Do you like what you see Anon?" She says as she cups her breasts with her paws lifting them up slightly
>"Oh yes" You say as you move closer to her
>Kneeling in front of her at the edge of the bed lets you look her right in the eyes
>The little hearts beat wildly
>Your hands snake there way up her sides, savoring the feeling of her fur and you kiss her gently
>Right as they are about to reach her glorious breasts she giggles and pushes you away with a footpaw
>"If you're good at dinner, I'll let you continue this" She teases with a smirk
>Godammit
>You frown and she wags a padded finger at you
>"You're the one who wanted things slow"
>Double goddammit
>"Alright you win this round Star, But no matter what it takes, I assure you that I will manage to bring this upon you"
>You hold up a clenched fist at her
>Her eyes light up and she bounces happily causing her large assets to jiggle furiously
>"OH OH That's a quote Harry Ord! from Turn A Gundam! You're Learning! and what will you bring upon me?"
>You make grabby actions with your hands at her, only to her her throw her discarded shirt at you
>Digging around her clothes pile rewards you with a bra, jeans, socks and her jacket
>Tossing them to her you smile
>"I'll be out in the main room, we don't want to keep them waiting do we?"
>She smiles at you
>"Nope! I can't wait to meet your friends!"
>You stroll out of the bedroom and into the main room
>Sitting down at the computer, you type away,finding any news outlets
>The Sailors had retreated onto the HMS Northstar
>The Concordat was expanding
>The Dismond Syndicate was attempting to gain power within independently owned casinos
>Minor factions warred
>The usual it seems
>"Ready Anon?"
>You spin the chair to see her standing and twiddling her footpaws
>"How do I look?" she says with a smile,
>"You look great" You say as you stand and open your arms to her
>She rushes into your arms and you give her a big hug
>>"Lets go! I can't wait to Meet Gabriel and the Fox!"
>"Just Fox" You say as you lead her to your Bike
>You climb in and help her up
>She sits in your lap and grinds softly
>"Watch the hands and the road Anon"
>The bunker door opens and you punch it up the ramp and into the streets
>Neon lights flash and rain streaks by as your bike hits the Megaway
>Giant flying billboards show advertisements for pills, Augs, cars, you name it, all fly by in a flash
>"FASTER ANON FASTER!"
>You oblige and speed through traffic, listening to the plasma coils roar
>But all good things must come to and end
>At least for now
>You maneuver off the megaway and into the side streets
>Before long, you're in front of Gabriel's apartment building
>Star gazes up at it, mouth open
>"It's so tall!"
>You nod
>"Yea, they get taller than this though, the real expensive ones reach above the clouds"
>Her eyes light up
>"Really?! Like you could see the sun and not have rain all the time?!?"
>"That's the idea I guess"
>You lead Star into the elevator and guide her arm to the implant scanner, then press the 200th floor button
>She looks at you confused
>You move your arm in front of the scanner back and forth "It doesn't even know I'm here"
>"Oh right" she says, looking at her footpaws
>You place a finger under her chin and bring it up so you can look at her
>"I'm used to this Star, you aren't; and I'll do my best to help you"
>Her starry pupils spin widely as she latches onto your side
>"You're so cool Anon"
>You rub her ears calmly and smile
>"So are you"
>Her eyes turn to little hearts
>The elevator stops, doors opening with a muffled ding
>You lead Star to the right apartment and knock a few times
>Only a few moments pass before Gabriel opens the door
>"Hey Null, glad you could make it"
>He ushers you and Star in, "Babe, Null and Star are here!" he calls out
>"One sec! I'm still preparing the food!"
>You take the time to introduce Star to Gabriel properly
>"Star, this is my partner Gabriel; He's the one who helped me become a better bounty hunter"
>He extends his right hand, the mechanical arm hung up in his workroom you suppose
>Star pushes past it and Hugs him tight
>"OHMYGOSH! You're Just like Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop! I'm so happy to meet you!"
>Gabriel looks at you as she releases him from her death grip
>"Uh, I don't know what that means Star"
>"It's a good thing, I'll tell you later" you say as you take off your jacket and hang it up
>Star starts wandering into the apartment, only To have you catch her by the collar of her jacket and pull her back
>"Jacket Star"
>"Oh right!" She squeaks hastily before squirming out of it
>You take it and hang it up on the door hook; she still isn't used to going out so she often times wanders around in her soaking wet jacket
>"Hi Null! Good to see you!" Fox says as she emerges from the kitchen "Where's the lucky lovely lady?"
>Star has her eyes locked onto Fox, little shootings stars explode in them
>"OMMYGOSH YOU'RE PRETTY!"
>She rushes fox only to be caught by you before she could do her usual pouncing hug
>"Whoa whoa there Star, Pregnant remember?"
>She looks up at you with a pleading look
>"Sorry Anon, I'm just so excited to meet your friends!"
>You let her go and she walks slowly to Fox, then grabs her in a hug
>"HI Fox! You're so nice and Anon has told me so much about you!"
>"Oh! So friendly! Hi Star, it's so nice to meet you" Fox says looking down at her with an unsure expression on her face before gently hugging back
>Star finally breaks the hug and sniffs the air
>"Oooo Anon said you're a great cook! Whatever you're making smells so good!"
>Fox Smiles at her compliments
>"Oh did he now? Well, I'm making Fettuccine Alfredo and lobster tails, I hope you like seafood!"
>Star does a little happy dance "I LOVE seafood!"
>Fox looks to you
>"Anon, can I have your help setting the table? I'm sure Star has a lot of questions for Gabe"
>You smile and head into the kitchen
>"She's not very good with people is she Anon?" Fox says behind you as you grab plates
>"Uh..No, no she isn't but that's not her fault"
>You frown slightly at the thought of her alone in that bunker for all those years
>Your eyes bore into the plates as you hold them
>"What do you mean?"
>You look up at Fox
>"Her Name is Star Dismond, She's the daughter of the head of the Dismond Syndicate"
>Fox's eyes go wide at that
>"He HAS a Daughter? I didn't know that he did"
>you nod
>"She's lived in a underground bunker alone for years, I found her by accident and well.... here we are"
>Fox Stares at you, Letting the information sink in
>"Dismond hid her away? Is that what you're saying Anon?"
>you nod silently and look over at Star and Gabriel, the latter of whom is showing her the mechanism of his left arm and how it fits into place
>"He cares about her it seems, but only enough to keep her from harm, I've spent the last month getting her to come out of that bunker but she has no idea how to act among people"
>Fox smiles
>"You're perfect for each other!"
>You turn to look at her, confusion visible on your face
>"Wha?"
>She gestures to you
>"No offense but you're an outcast! Not by choice! You grew up seeing the WORST people can do"
>That makes you feel good
>"And she's an Outcast by choice! Kinda! She knows nothing of the world! You help her see real life!"
>Fox looks at you with her bright red eyes
>"And She'll help you see the world isn't all bad"
>you frown
>"There's far more bad than good, if there wasn't I wouldn't have a job"
>She frowns at that a bit, but rubs her tummy where a small bump has formed
>"But this good outweighs the bad. For Gabriel, and hopefully for you"
>You look at her stomach
>A baby, a cub from your best friends
>No
>Your family
>She's right, it did outweigh a lot of the bad
>You smile "Maybe"
>With that, you head to the table and begin setting the plates down as you hear Star Asking Gabriel about recent bounties and what he thought about your performance
>She had watched most of them from your point of view 
>You can't help but smile as she sits Starry eyed as Gabriel tells of what you both did
>You continue setting the table as Fox prepares the food
>In the end, the spread Fox made is amazing, garlic bread with fresh garlic, lobster tails with white wine butter sauce, and fettuccine Alfredo
>You sit at the table with Star next to you, holding her paw gently as Gabriel and Fox sat down with you
>"OOO it all looks so good!" Star says, her paws to the side of her Muzzle
>Fox smiles "Thank you Star"
>She serves you, Star and Gabriel a large lobster tail then motions for you all to dig in
>The meal go quickly and silently, even Star doesn't talk because she's enjoying the food so much
>You finish a bit before everyone else and wait silently, enjoying the company
>Your best friends; your family, and your girlfriend all in one place
>"Oh gosh! I know Anon said you were all so nice but it's another thing seeing it! Gabriel your Wife is soo nice and beautiful! How did you meet? Was it as romantic as Anon and my meeting?"
>You had Rose ready to blow Star's head off when you first met her
>Maybe she had a different idea of how it went?
>"Actually Star, when we met Fox Nearly killed me" Gabriel Starts
>You sit back, this is a good story but heavy to say the least
>Star Stares back and forth between them
>"Ooo tell me!"
>Gabriel looks concerned
>"Uh.. I don't know if this is dinnertime stuff"
>"If She knows about Null and Cydonia, she can know about us you big baby" Fox Teases
>Gabriel mumbles something you don't quite catch
>"Fine!"
>He starts
>"It was a stormy rainy night"
 
>You Are Gabriel, esteemed bounty hunter
>But just because you're a bounty hunter doesn't mean you don't have morals
>You had been tracking these marks for weeks
>Real shitbags, all of them
>Slavers; you had always thought a person's life was their own, and this kind of stuff boiled your blood
>Gun in hand, you make your way through the building
>Your contact never let you down before why would he now?
>The door in front of you says "Auction house"
>Ugh
>A front for auctioning things like antiques, but you knew the real business was Auctioning exotic anthros
>You hear the auctioneer calmly droning away taking various bids
>Perfect, they were all in one places
>Slowly, ever so slowly, you push open the door
>5 marks, guarded by no less than 7 bodyguard total
>Huh no big deal; you grab a flashbang grenade attached to your belt and pull the pin
>You roll it inside with enough force to get it to the center of the crowd
>You turn away and hear the boom it creates
>Time's up, let's do this
>Time almost seems to slow as you kick open the door
>Each man falls to your gunshots before they can even react
>Practice makes perfect
>In the end, it's just you and a poor Anthro
>She's on the stage shivering and staring from you to the dead bodies
>You can't tell what kind of anthro she is, some kind of big cat, you see black on her like a jaguar and cheetah spots around her limbs
>What was she?
>"NOOOOO THEY'LL KILL ME FOR THIS" She sobs as she crumples to the floor
>You immediately rush to her side
>"Hey, it's ok now, you can live your own life now" You try to reassure her
>You pull her to her feet by her arm
>"No its not! They told me if I didn't behave they would kill me! I don't want to die!"
>She's hysterically pushing you, tears streaming down her face and muzzle
>"They are gonna hunt me down, rape me until I can't think anymore and feed me to whatever lives in the port water"
>"Whoa there! Quit the pushing, I can he-" A hard shove pushes you out a window
>You stare up in disbelief as the window falls away from you, The anthro covering her mouth in shock as you fall
>More disbelief happens when you feel it
>Something
>Pain?
>No, worse than that yet so much less
>Your back and legs don't hurt but your arms do
>You look to your stomach and see a metal spire erupting from your body
>A light lazily flashes
>Impaled by a neon light.... What a way to go
 
>Be Fox
>You just pushed the man who saved you from a life of slavery out a window
>Looking down you see his mangled body, a neon sign piercing  his stomach
>What have you done!?
>You quickly scavenge a phone from one of the dead men in the room and call emergency services
>"Whats your emergency?" A robot answers lazily
>"A man has been impaled at 658 Adipoise Street! He's fallen onto a neon sign!" You cry
>"Responders are on the way, please stay out of the way" The robot drones
>Panicking, you go from body to body, wiring credits to your account
>You did this to the man who saved you, you had to do something!
>The screaming of the sirens tells you that the ambulance is arriving
>Police and first responders
>You avoid the police like the plague, carefully watching as they get the man off the sign
>"Please I need to ride with him, I'm his friend!" You beg the EMS robot
>"Very well, do stay out of our way though"
>You sit in the corner as they drive, monitoring his life signs that are just barely there
>How could you have done this to him?
>The ambulance screams above the traffic
>Before long, it pulls into the hospital and the robots all rush out, pulling the stretcher along
>"His spine is totally severed, and the vertebra that aren't severed might as well be gravel"
>You bring your paws to your face, you've ruined this man's life! You had to do something
>Spinal augments exist!
>You walk to the nearest doctor fretting over him
>"Is this enough for a heavy Duty spinal replacement?" you ask him, poking at a phone you snatched off one of the bodies
>His eyes go wide as he looks at the number
>"That's more than enough, are you offering to pay for one for him?" he says awestruck
>"Yes, please save him and tell him I'm sorry when he wakes up"
>You pay with your implant and leave
>Better to disappear into the night and never be seen again
 
>Be Gabriel
>You wake up and groan but surprisingly don't feel pain
>The last thing you remember was being pushed out a window
>And being impaled? No... That had to be a dream
>You shift the hospital sheets off yourself and see a large scar on your stomach
>"Huh?" you gasp
>"Oh! You're awake! Doctor! Mr.Comstock is awake!"
>You hear a shuffling noise before an Anthro bear pushes through the door
>"Finally awake! You had us worried for a little while there! You nearly died, actually; you were dead for a bit when we replaced your spine"
>You blink hard
>Spine replacement? dead?
>"Huh? What happened? Spine replaced?"
>The bear nods
>"Yep, your spine was dust when you came in but someone, a hybrid she looked like, offered to pay for a heavy duty spine augment for you"
>Your mind flashes back the anthro pushing you out the window
>Her? She paid for it?
>"Am I healthy enough to walk again? And wheres my left arm?"
>The bear walks to a closet and opens it, revealing your mechanical arm
>"It's right here, and you're healthy enough yes, but try to take it slow and come back to us if there is a problem with it"
>You nod and gather your stuff quickly, snapping your arm back into place
>There was only one thing to do now
>Go and find her
 
>It's been weeks since you had your spine replaced
>You had searched nonstop for the Anthro girl
>She just disappeared, but you had contacts and lots of people to ask
>Now, you knew she was nearby
>The rain poured over you like bullets as you enter the alleyway
>The alley she lived in apparently
>Walking down it, you search until you see a black tail with cheetah spots near the end
>She's in a large cardboard box a plastic sheet covering it, huddled in a small ball
>Her shivers are visible and she's wearing the same thing she had on when she pushed you out the window
>Red eyes full of fear are locked on you
>"A-are you h-here to k-kill me?"
>Your heart sinks
>She's freezing out here, her fur matted and dirty
>"No, I found you to thank you for saving me, but I guess I can return the favor already"
>You extend your hand to her
>"Let's get you dry and warm ok?"
>She eyes you before taking your hand and trying to stand
>Her legs give out and you attempt to catch her but your left arm is so slow
>You glance at it
>Rust Patches cover it and every joint is rusted to the point of uselessness, you had neglected its maintenance while you searched through the rain
>Slowly it moves until it holds the Hybrid up
>"T-thank you M-mister, I-I'm s-sorry I hurt you"
>"It's fine, call me Gabriel" you say as you carry her to your speeder
>Her red eyes study you
>"Call me Jamiee"
 
>Star's eyes are little hearts as they finish the story
>"Ohhhhh that's so cute and romantic!" She squees, her paws to her cheeks
>Fox and Gabriel beam at each other
>Fox sits with her arms wrapped around his right arm
>You smile, it is a good story
>"And uh, how did you two meet?" Gabriel says, raising his eyebrows
>You smile and Star bounces giddily
>"He Broke into my bunker after I sent him on a bounty to get my collectibles!"
>Gabriel Blinks with Visible confusion
>"What?"
>You smile
>"She posted a dead drop to the bounty network, I found it and went to collect but her sensors couldn't pick me up"
>"So I cleared the meet up building and noticed a bookcase that had been moved and Voila! There she was living in a hidden bunker"
>Star bounces happily
>"And he's been my best friend ever since!"
>Not what you would have called it but that's fine
>Fox smiles
>"I'm happy for you both, Star you seem to make Null much happier"
>Stars eyes become little hearts and she beams at you "Awwww He makes me happy too!"
>You feel her tail snaking up your leg
>Gabriel stands and stretches before starting to clear the table
>You begin to help only to be shooed away by Fox
>"You're a guest Null, quit trying to help clean up"
>Star looks at her with a smile
>"He does it here too? He always tries to clean up my bunker when he's there"
>Fox laughs
>"Yea every since he stopped living in the street, he likes things clean"
>You frown "Hey, I just like my places tidy! and I'm allowed to help you clean after feeding us!"
>Fox pushes you out of the kitchen and onto the couch
>"Star keep him out of the kitchen"
>Star smiles a large doofy grin and scrambles over the back of the couch and into your lap
>"GOT IT!" She squeals happily "You're Mine Mister!"
>She leans back into your chest and nuzzles your neck slightly
>"You have great friends Anon"
>You put your arms around her and tickle her slightly
>"Yea, and I'm glad you finally got to meet them"
>She rubs the side of your face with a paw
>You smile into her neck and look over to the kitchen and see Gabriel and Fox peeking out at you both
>"Yo quit staring!"
>They disappear back into the kitchen while you sit with Star
>Her long tail wraps around your waist
>The little hearts in her eyes are adorable
>"I think I Love you Anon" She whispers to you
>You smile and give her a kiss
>"I think I love you too Star"
>"Awww you two are so cute together!" You hear Fox swoon
>You look at her "Oi we're trying to have a moment, unless you need me to help clean the kitchen"
>She disappears into the kitchen once more
>You nuzzle back into Stars neck as she gently grinds you
>Even if she sometimes talked about shit you didn't understand she was fun and energetic
>Before long, Gabriel and Fox come out of the kitchen
>"Null I forgot to tell you, the Baby is gonna be a Cub and a girl" Gabriel says as he sits down next to you and Star
>Fox sits next to him "And we decided to not to Augment her besides the standard ID implant, so she can have a better view of the world"
>You stare at them both "You know it's gonna make her life hard"
>They smile and look to you
>"Not when she has the best uncle to guide her, you can teach her so much about not having to rely on Augments"
>Star beams up at you , starry eyes spinning
>You run your fingers through your hair
>"It's your choice, I'll help however I can"
>The rest of the time at their place is talking about the Cub and how the various check ups are going
>The sun is already up by the time you leave
>"I'll see you tomorrow Null, we got a hunt from Lysander" Gabriel says as he gives you a box of leftovers
>Fuck yea leftovers
>"I'm gonna want that box back"
>It's your box now, he just doesn't know it yet
>You get into the elevator with Star, who scans her implant without you directing her
>The elevator moved fast enough to make the ride down not to long, but slow enough for Star to snuggle into your arms
>"I had a really good time Anon, I hope they invite us over more"
>You look down at Star, who is holding your hand
>"We can invite them over"
>"Hmm I'll think about it, the bunker is supposed to be secret"
>The ride down ends and you lead Star to your bike and climb in
>With a small bit of effort Star is in your lap again, her tail around your waist
>"I think you deserve to continue what we were about to start earlier" she purrs up at you seductively
>she grinds down into you hard
>"That is if you think we've gone slow enough until now"
>There is no need for a second invitation
>You Punch it and zoom to the bunker
>Tonight's gonna be a night to remember is all you can think as Star gives you a lap dance as best she can


Chapter 13: So electric
 
>Fuck the police
>You have somewhere to be dammit
>The place in question is Star's Bunker
>ASAP
>Your bike is roaring through traffic, and you easily part the sea of Speeders seemingly trying to get out of the way
>Your unidentifiable body, piloting a just as ghostly bike kicks everyone around you away like the flying lump of metal you are
>For their safety, of course
>The flashing, neon lights fail to blind you
>But when it comes to distractions, Star grinding against your lap almost makes you want to throw on autodrive
>Almost
>You still have to out drift some blue and red flashing lights you saw a minute ago
>"MMM hurry Anon~" the menace in question says, nuzzling up to you and bopping your chin
>You floor it and blaze past everything, screaming 'Get to the bunker!' on repeat in your head
>Awhile ago, Star wrapped her tail securely around your waist
>And now, her paws are rubbing along your thighs
>Breathe
>Focus on the road
>Not the opossum girl currently giving you a lap dance
>Above all, don't focus on the fact that she managed to slip her pants off
>And certainly not at how she managed to unzip yours, with her furred thighs rubbing against your straining erection
>Just focus on the road...
>THE ROAD
>You have to hand it to the police
>They managed a respectable 10 seconds tailing you after that last red light
>Star's paw on your stick-shift outright launched you into warp speed
>You're tapping the bars, outright digging into the leather by this point
>The longer you make her wait, the harder she gets you to go
>"Faster Anon~"
>'I know, woman, I know!'
>You can 'smell' her at this point
>It's stronger the wetter your pants feel
>Soon your leg starts bouncing along with your tapping fingers, and every time you do, a little moan and a rub escapes her, with both of her thighs gripping harder at you
>Your bike is red lining, and the danger of flipping over and exploding is lost on her while she teases and explores you
>Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, she still somehow finds away
>Your world became a lot fluffier
>A little itchy, perhaps, but not a bad change
>You almost spin out of control from the touch her paw around your now exposed head
>"Ohhh, you're bigger than I imagined Anon," she cooes up to you
>"Let's see what happens when I do...this!"
>From one prison to another, she locks you down with her more than ample thighs, and moves herself up and down to the rhythm of your thumping leg
>If she angled it just a little bit more...
>With how her wetness seemingly inviting you in, you're more than certain that door will come flying off its hinges
>She has different plans, slowing down to gentle rub you instead
>When did your goofy opossum become a tease?
>You fragment your thoughts to keep focus on the road, one dedicated to lane splitting between two slow as hell speeders, and the other wondering that just maybe, maybe you could touch her too
>Do you dare risk it?
>Your left hand thinks so
>It leaves the steering wheel and creeps up her outer thigh, before slowly dipping inwards when it reaches her plump sides
>Tracing small circles gets a small giggle
>"Ooo~ that tickles Anon!"
>Well then
>You weren't expecting that
>A few more rubs, a scratch with your nails, and a poke right on her fur just behind your wedged dick, and she's almost laughing uncontrollably
>You tease her right back, with each gasp and laugh pushing your hand lower and lower
>You're soaking wet by now, and your seat no doubt ruined, but you don't stop sliding down until you find what you were looking for
>She stops all of her wonderfully, tortuous movements the moment a finger slips into her lips
>Your thumb gently rubbing the base of her clit has her shuddering ticklishly leaning back into your chest
>Yeah, you're pretty certain that the seat, your pants and hers are in for a serious cleaning
>But you don't even pull out before she's ready for more
>"Ooooo, Yes Anon right there," she moans under your chin
>With the first wave over, you slide another finger in and cause her legs to spread lazily
>You barely register your turn that zips you off the Megaway, and by the time you hit the side streets you slip a third one in
>She gasps as it slides in, knuckle by knuckle, and she melts in your lap when you curl it
>Your attention shifts when her run down house comes in sight, and when you stare at the bunker door, it knowing, opens as slow as can be
>Your right hand shakily makes it's way to Rose when the bastard stops halfway for a few seconds
>But sensing your threat, it shoots up away, and with no easy feat driving down one handed, your parked in your spot with a grin on your face
>The bunker door, closed, and your canopy open
>It's on
>You bump both legs to rouse Star up, and she gets out with a whine when your fingers slide out
>You rub your hand on your jacket, and step out with her, and as soon as your feet hit the floor she's on you in a jumping hug
>Arms, legs, and a singular tail all do their best to strangle you
>Can't break tradition, after all
>You kiss her as you hold her with her tongue fighting yours, and the poor inner door gets the boot while you carry her to her chair
>Hovering over it she breaks the kiss to stare straight at you with blue fire in her eyes
>"Anon, put me down and get rid of those clothes"
>As you wish
>She squeaks when you drop her down into the chair, and when she see's you fighting with your jacket and shirt, she quickly joins in tearing off her shirt and bra
>You're fairly certain that her pants lie somewhere in your Bike
>Yours probably didn't even make it half way across the room
>"Sit in the chair Anon, I wanna see you up close," she says, slipping out of her seat
>You do as directed, and when you're comfortably sitting down she kneels right in front of you
>You feel her wonderful orbs pressing against your thighs with all of her attention on stroking you senseless
>"Just like the videos I watched online"
>No more teasing
>The pure unfiltered sugar overloaded Star you know and tolerate(love) is back, and her starry eyes spin madly into yours while she licks you up and down gently
>"Breathe Star!" you had to pry her off
>She was choking herself on you
>"So...big!" she says between pants, "I don't know...if I can fit it all in me!"
>She takes a deep breath
>Burning, heart filled stars zero in on you after
>"Doesn't mean I'm not gonna try"
 
>No longer in danger of passing out, she gives your shaft one last testing lick, before taking it into her mouth again
>This time, instead of trying to choke you down, you feel her tongue coil around you as she starts bobbing her head
>Your fingers dig into the armrest as you feel her warm mouth calmly envelop you
>"H-haha, like that Star," you gasp out
>She pushes down to your base, and you buck into her after
>"How are you so good at this?" you say through clenched teeth
>She pops your shaft out of her mouth with a faint cough
>"I've been researching it on the internet!"
>Of course she did
>You can't look away from the little hearts display she has
>"...Do you wanna try more stuff?"
>You nod, and she climbs up into the chair straddling you
>She presses her large beautiful breasts against your chest, and still entranced, you rub your hands up her sides until they rest on those perfect orbs
>You give a squeeze, a careful pinch and a playful pulling tease at her nipples
>You don't really mind admitting that you've wanted to do this ever since you saw her
>And you don't think she minds while she moves against your swollen erections
>"I want to feel it in me Anon," she says as one of her paws reaches back to rub your overly sensitive head
>You nod, adding "Ok Star, but slowly though"
>Placing your hands on her hips you gently lift her up and with her still rubbing paw she positions your member against her
>"Ready?"
>For the love of god say yes
>"Ready Anon!" she says with little fluttering hearts
>You smile
>She's as energetic as ever when you start to lower her onto you
>Carefully, almost painfully so you feel yourself penetrate into her soft warm slit
>The wonderful agony is back full force as you inch your way further into her tight folds
>You ragdoll her, literally
>She's slumped forwards right into your chest, and her eyes light up even more so into yours
>"Oooooohh god Anon, you're, yessssss!"
>You lost her
>She trails off nonsense the deeper you go
>And when you finally reach the hilt of your shaft she gasps loudly into your ear
>"Sssoo deep inside me, I can feel it throbbing in me Anon"
>Even without moving her you can feel her tight warmth pulsing with her heartbeat and clenching around you
>You pull her into a kiss and grab handfuls of that wondrous ass, causing her to moan into your mouth
>She pulls away, running her pas down your chest and looking at you with a sleepy grin
>If your fingers were enough to set her off...
>"Ready for this Star?" you say, holding back a laugh and giving her ass another squeeze
>She nods dreamily at you
>You guide her movements with your hands, slowly lifting and bringing her back down onto you
>With each movement she shifts around all while gaining speed
>Soon she was riding you like she would never feel this again
>Her tight walls clamped down with each downward motion, and soon you set a sloppy pace thrusting upwards to meet her increasingly hyper falls
>Loud PLAP noises cut through the noise of her pants every time your pelvis meets hers
>You wonder what exactly she studied with how handsy she started to be
>No longer placing her paws to your chest, she instead started grabbing her breasts and massages them while she rides you
>She's absolutely wild when you start squeezing her ass and rubbing her thighs, her heart eyes beating faster and faster
>"Mmm A-anon it's s-so g-good!" she stammers, before cutting her moans off with her mouth on a nipple
>You take the lead and thrust harder into her, and with your hands still holding her thighs you pull her down with you
>The one eye she opens is filled with exploding hearts, but quickly clenched shut when you feel her clamp down from her whole body shuddering
>Her breast drops out of her mouth
>"Ohhhh god A-anon keep gooiing I w-want you to f-fill me please~!" she moans
>You double your efforts
>She can't even form words when you triple them next
>But you still can
>"S-star, I'm gonna cum!"
>Like a light switch
>"Do it Anon! Fill me up!"
>Her paws dig into your shoulders, and her head brushing against yours
>Your world is nothing but blue starry eyes, and one final push sends you over the edge
>You erupt, you explode, you don't care how it goes
>But every pulse you give sinks you lower into the chair with your warm fuzzy Star weighing you down
>It's the best blanket you can think of
>"Holy fuck Star," you manage to gasp out
>She dips a paw under her and rubs at her stomach
>"It feels so warm Anon..."
>She has the most satisfied grin in the world that easily matches your own, and when you cup her sides to raise her off of you, you slip out with soft giggles from her
>You get about three seconds of peace
>A new record, honestly
>"That was so amazing Anon! We should have done this sooner!"
>She's bouncing excited on your lap while you try to sit back up in the chair
>No longer killing your back, you wrap a strong arm around her and pull her into another kiss
>"I love you Star"
>Simple hearts return to her eyes
>"I love you too Anon!"
>And with that, she leaps off your lap, running down the room and into the hallway
>Having forgotten, and seemingly remembering something she peaks her head around the corner
>"Come on Anon! Get us some water and let's go again! I wanna try another position!"
>Why DIDN't you do this sooner?
>...Fuck if you know, you don't really remember
>You smile back at her with a quick stretch and a pop, and when she disappears around the corner you head to the kitchen for some bottled water
>You won't forget tonight though
>Because you were right
>This was a night to remember


Chapter 14: Bury Your Brother

>Months have flown by in the blink of an eye
>Most of the days seemingly blurred together, day in and day out the same jobs were given
>During this time, it's safe to say that Concordat gained power, both political and body wise, and a rise in position partially because of you and Gabriel
>Lysander sent you out on missions that got more and more dangerous, quickly escalating from capture to simply kill
>The other factions simply couldn't handle you or Gabriel
>For how do you fight a ghost in the system and a man that is already dead?
>If people looked Gabriel up, they would find that he died years ago
>He even has a death certificate, and nothing above a timid poor security guard recognized you
>As per usual
>And recently, most of it was spent sneaking past security drones
>Too high end to retrofit, and most didn't want to shell out to mods
>But in your part of the city, little changes here and there started to show
>Though most of your skills ended up being 'outright walking so close to them that they didn't even register you,' it never hurt to have a plan or three before every job you ran
>To think you were told, and thought, that your inability to augment yourself was a detriment
>In this one specific case, you're glad they were wrong
>The other crime bosses were just unlucky Lysander found you first, and the result of their misfortune left a trail of bodies
>About all of them by you
>High rollers, corrupt politicians, or out spoken movement leaders
>Didn't matter
>Sometimes it's hard to tell if you're a hitman or a bounty hunter now
>Lysander paid so well, and she treated the both of you like kings
>Eventually she even invited you to one of her fancy dinner parties
>How could you refuse such a thing?
>Hilariously, she requested you wear a mask
>...Not that you didn't do that already, but it was mostly to help keep your ghostly persona intact
>Star came through when it came to replacing your scuffed helmet, giving you a blank white mask with a black teardrop forming on one of the eyes
>A 'Mannequin's Mask,' she called it
>Fucking weird is what you decided it was
>You wore it anyways, and to your surprise you were the only one who did
>The people there must not have cared so much about their public appearances
>When Lysander showed you off to them, most of the crowd were lower level crime lords themselves
>"I have the perfect man for any job: untraceable, untraceable, and if you cross me...he will find you"
>You were now a threat
>A boogeyman to her 'allies' and enemies
>Gabriel suffered the same treatment
>He was a dead man turned alive to haunt the living
>You loved the idea of it
>A zombie and a ghost teaming up to kill anything, and everything
>Male, female, human or anthro
>Even that didn't matter anymore
>As unkillable as Lysander made you out to be, your clothes did little to hide the truth
>More money, more danger, and every single job earned you a new bullet wound turned scar
>Gabriel's even more so, with his arm looking more worn and dented each day
>The funny part though?
>5k a hit
>Under your contracts, she called it 'Hazard Pay'
>But really, it was just to keep you from going to a new employer
>Not that you would
>She still terrifies you
>And ultimately she was your only protection against everyone else
>Online, they won't find you other than the random shitpost or hard entered phrase in some dead guy's database
>But you heard through the bounty network, and from people who visited it
>They wanted you now
>Dead, preferably
>Yeah, because having a guy who's average with a gun at best able to dance past security wearing cosplay is a threat
>You still took the time to consider who would be after you though
>What was the weak link in this?
>Missy? Nah. She's protected by the concordat
>Star?
>...Really? No one even knew she existed
>Mmm
>Something kept bugging you though
>A small poking nail hammering into the back of your head
>Not important right now
>You just arrived to your usual fix of Drain™ brand brain bleach, in the form of a spaztic, cute opossum chick

>"Come on come on come on!"
>You're glad you don't have a removable arm right now
>Star is doing her best to remove it anyways by dragging you to the extra bedroom in her bunker
>That she just so HAPPENS to neglect mentioning all those times before when she'd be your only source of a reliable headache
>She has an arm on your wrist(welded by her freakish Anthro strength) and another pulling on your shirt
>Of course the door she took you too was covered by shirtless anime man #47, even more so was the inside pitch black and practically empty
>The moment the both of you stepped inside, the door closed shut behind you and you felt Star take her paws off you
>You're stumbling blindly a few steps because she was still going full sprint during all of it
>"Star?" you call out into the infinite
>"One sec!"
>You were about to call out again, but you hissed through clenched teeth with both your hands blocking out a searing white light in your face
>Saying words you don't want Star's stubby ears to hear, you blinked back the glare to see Star standing next to the walls
>The walls flashed a green grid before loading up a graphic of a starry night sky
>The whole room was made up of screens
>"Surprise!" she yelled with both arms outstretched, "when you move your character moves! Just like the trace suit systems of G Gundam!"
>You blink
>Mostly to keep the laser tears back
>"Ok"
>You still can't tell the difference between the series she talks about
>She walks up to you looking mighty pleased about her secret torture room, and stands still looking like someone nailed her to a cross
>"Stand like this so it can scan ya!"
>You mimic her T-Pose, and weird green light starts running over the both of you
>Like that, two poorly rendered models appear on either sides of the room
>"Aaand were done!"
>You're scanned into the system
>Huh
>Normally for things like this you'd need an implant
>The models fade away and a wall flashes into a menu
>Star waves her paw around, and a similar looking one follows
>With a tap, she selects the start option
>Witchcraft
>"What is this Star?"
>"It's a video game!" she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "We can face actual people in this too! It's just like your hunts, except it's virtual!"
>"Ooh! See?" She's excitedly pointing at something on the screen
>Staring at Star with a confused look is a common activity you like to do
>This time, you were so engaged in it that you had to do a double take at two distant stomping figures moving around
>You lean forward to see what the hell you were looking at, and apparently that was the command to zoom in the 'game' as well
>Of course they would be giant robots
>"Erh, do they see us as robots too?"
>"Yep! We're gunna smash em!"
>Well then, a bunch of nerds in video games had this kind of stuff apparently
>You look at your two empty hands, with your tinman following suit
>"Where's my gun? How do I shoot?"
>Star's eyes are glued to the screen, but she still pretends to hold up a rifle
>"Just hold your hands up like you're holding a gun"
>Oh right
>You try it and a gun materializes in your hands
>A weird, oversized boxy gun, but a gun nonetheless
>Taking the initiative, you look down the sights of it
>Not bad
>'Sgot a dot sight
>You crouch to the floor instinctively at the sound of a shot ricocheting near you
>"Anon! Don't stand there in the open! Get in cover and shoot them!"
>You think that's what she said
>Around halfway or to the end of it she devolved into a warcry, and you're pretty sure you've never seen her fur rise like that
>You can feel the fire in her eyes from here
>Snapping back to the screen ahead, you hear bullet fire trailing in the dirt and cement around you
>You can assume what the green bars meant, and for whatever reason no one's bars were depleting
>Somehow when it comes to nerdshit, you aren't surprised 
>And in this case, you don't need cover
>The robots are walking slowly towards you, guns raised and flailing around
>...They really don't know how real gunfights work
>The fact that one had two pistols gang banger style and the other one handing a rifle was proof of that
>More ricochets, and something red and streaming as well
>Bullets? Lasers? You don't know
>But you know what to do
>Aim down the sights, and fire
>Simple shit
>Though apparently, simple shit means you win
>In no effort on your part both robots are dead on the ground
>Star is looking at you like you're some kind of god
>"How did you do that?" Her pin-pricked eyes asked
>Reply: Confused stare
>"Do what? I just aligned the sights and shot at them"
>She glances back at the robots
>"But you did it so quickly! It usually takes me awhile!"
>Well if you stopped bouncing...
>"I just aim for the head," you say, shrugging
>She must of updated her eyes are something, that explosion animation into stars was a new one
>"Can we do a tournament then?! There's always a tournament of last man standing!"
>She latches onto you, hugging you tightly
>"PLEEASSSEEE!"
>You relent to those big ol eyes
>You smile, giving her a pat on the head saying "Fine, let's do this"
>She bounces away to flick through some menus
>Still don't know how she does that but whatever, it's virtual reality
>Before long the world around you melts away and rebuilds into a shinier giant cityscape
>This time instead of killer robots, it's just people and anthros
>"What's this Star? I thought we were playing a tournament"
>She grabs your arm, pulling the both of 'you' along
>This is just the lobby! We'll all be put in different parts of the city and hunt eachother down!
>You just go with it, and soon the world shifts again with you and Star forming in the middle of a street
>"OK Anon! There are 48 other people here! We need to be the last team standing!"
>So it's actually a team based game around killing people? You might actually have found a new favorite hobby
>You raise your hands up, forming another gun
>"Stay close to me Star," you tell her and starting a glorious campaign of running down the streets and shooting everything in your path

>After an hour it's just you, a super sweaty Star and another team
>You found them a little while ago hunkered down well inside a building
>"Star do you think you can get in there from that alley while I keep them bu-"
>Your phone goes off
>"Anon! Don't answer that we gotta win!"
>Her fire turns into an angry pout when you pull the phone out anyways
>"If it's Lysander, then I can't...oh"
>It's Fox
>Even though you're close, she never calls you
>"Anon?" she's hiding behind a brick wall while your robot stares at an empty hand in the middle of the road
>"Star it's Fox, I need to answer this"
>"Fox? Tell her I said hi!"
>Her robot mimicked her wave to you
>You nod and answer
>Fox's hologram appears looking noticeably larger
>"Fox whats u-"
>"Anon I need you to come to St. Aldrich Hospital" she interrupts you
>Your mood shifts from fun to business
>"What's going on and what do you need?"
>You see her holo reach out to grab something, and when she does she pulls it forward
>You hear the sound of a lock clicking into place
>"I'm hiding in the ladies room, there are men here looking for me! I don't know who they are but the nurse warned me to hide"
>Now, it's not even that
>You hide your frown from Star
>"Stay put, I'll be there shortly, is Gabe there?" you say curtly, heading for the door
>She shakes her head
>"He's on his way"
>"Ok. See you soon"
>You hang up and stand in front of the door
>"Anon, what's going on?"
>Her tone is replaced with nothing but worry
>You stop yourself from turning around to face her
>You smile
>It's entirely fake, meant to replace the glare most see as their last
>Finally turning back around, you see Star nervously walking towards you with her paws up to her mouth
>"I don't know Star, exit this game. I..have to go now"
>She hastily brings up the menu and the world fades back to reality
>The door you were standing in front of is clearly seen, no longer covered by the night sky
>You leave, and quickly walk to the other room
>Jacket, belt, shock knife, fusion sword, Rose, and your helmet
>You had Star paint your helmet black specifically
>Looked better than pure white
>You put it under your arm after securing the rest of your gear and head out to the main room where Star is waiting for you
>"Be safe Anon"
>You crack your smile a little larger, and you pull her into a kiss
>"I'll be fine, and you're gonna monitor everything right?"
>"UH HUH!" she nods furiously, "I love watching you work"
>You give her a thumbs up while you put on the helmet and let it boot up
>"世界! 時間が止まった!"
>You've stopped trying to get it to stop yelling at you, and doing your best to ignore it you flip open a pouch on the side of your jacket arm
>With a few taps on your arm scanner a route is brought up on the HUD of your helmet
>"TESTING! Can you hear me!?"
>You wince slightly while you head to your bike, and when you climb in with the cover pull down only then do you drop your mask
>You won't worry Star with that call
>Not with how similar it was to Missy

>You tear down the streets with a satisfying roar coming out of your bike
>It does little to drown out your increasingly nervous thoughts
>Thoughts like 'who would want Fox? Why would they search for her?'
>The answers came just as fast, and the result even more so
>They mess with your family, they get a bullet to the head
>As you weave through the streets a phone call connects to your helmet
>It's Gabriel, and a small picture of him appears in the corner of your HUD
>"You headed to the hospital Null?"
>Gabriel is two things: Serious when need be, or happy despite everything
>You punch it even more when worry slips through his words
>"Yeah," you grunt out as you slide past a speeder, "who are these guys? Any ideas?"
He's silent for a moment
>"Must be Sailors. They found me, I don't know how but they found me"
>You grit your teeth
>You must have let a few slip through
>"Fox...they must have been searching your name and hers turned up. I told her not to take your last name"
>You hear him swear to himself
>"Fuck all, and they probably just asked the hospital when her appointment was"
>It's your turn to swear as you swerve around a slow hauler
>"Fucking lowlifes. Look, I'm almost there- do you want to meet up, or divide and conquer"
>"Divide. I'll take the front and head to Fox, you clear out anyone in your way"
>Your route shifts slightly, no doubt Star's doing
>"Got it, see you soon"
>...Don't die," he says before hanging up

>You retreat inside yourself to prepare for the upcoming fight
>Mental checklists, scenarios, and battle plans roil through your mind
>You take extra note of a small heal patch that you carry with you at all times now, neatly rolled up and attached to your belt
>Chances are you'd need it at some point today
>Pain was a given, hunts were hunts
>But this is personal
>With the hospital in view, you pull around behind it and into the parking lot of a different ward
>You circle the lot for a service entrance, and after a few minutes of searching you park your bike and run towards it
>There is an implant scanner welded to it
>You opt for the even faster method of picking doors: drawing Rose, and shooting the handle off
>It takes a few solid kicks to open the previously reinforced door
>No longer barred, you head in and into the sterilized hallway, Rose still drawn and clearing the floor
>Not a one, save for a few surprised nurses
>So it isn't a mob
>Star cuts into the silence of the hallways
>"Anon, I've got comms with Gabe and Fox. Patching them into our call...now!"
>God damn Star would make a great comms officer
>"Null ya there?" Gabriel's voice comes through
>"Yeah, just entered through the back. Just a few nurses here, I think I'm in the non emergency ward"
>"Good. Bring one of them to use the stairs, Fox is on the 15th floor."
>No, fuck having cardio today
>You grab a fox in nurse clothes and pull him along
>He looked big, but he had the strength of a wet noodle
>After a bite to your arm, you slam his chest into the panel
>"Sorry pal, going to be needing you today!"
>Not sorry
>With a satisfying *Ding* the elevator shoots up, and you push the fox to the side of the car
>"Found a faster way. Do we have a body count?"
>"Uh. I saw..at least six Null, but be careful, there are also other people here," Fox answered
>You look at the twitchy black fox on the floor
>"Sure."
>Just great, more to watch out for
>Idiots'l probably run into your path of bullets too
>You rotate Rose to stun just for the sake of safety
>Using your heavy ID, you open the doors once more and step out into the hallway
>Having no longer served his use, you leave him there, and begin your second sweep
>You hear a voice in your helmet
>"Impressive, Anon! You must hate stairs more then I do!" giggles Star
>Like you wouldn't believe
>"Null, what's your status?" Gabriel cut over Star's laughter
>"15th Floor Ward Section B, you?"
>"...I won't ask, but same, A - and I've got eyes on two. They really don't want to blend in, both of them are wearing navy blue sailor colors"
>Guess you pissed them off enough
>"I'll head your way in a minute, I need to check this floor first"
>You go room to room with Rose held high, clearing each one and trying your hardest to not cause panic
>People running around and acting as a shield to those assholes would only make your job harder
>Gabriel's voice cracks over comms again
>"Alright those two are down Null. Fox, where are you?"
>"I'm hiding in a stall in the ladies room. I, I don't know where though. Hurry babe, please!"
>You continue checking rooms as they speak, no need to stand around
>"I'm heading to you love, stay calm"
>Having to kick yet another door down, this time being the women's bathroom on your end, you don't find Fox
>Instead, you find a patient screeching nonsense that you didn't have time to listen too
>"Fox isn't in my area Gabriel"
>You hear gunshots over the line
>"Got it..Null," he says between breaths

>Peeking around a corner, you see five Sailors at a nurse station
>One of them is busy looking at something on one of the computers
>Moving closer, you overhear what one of them is saying
>"...ght here! Comstock! She's suppose to be here!" he slams a fist on a keyboard, before pointing in a random direction and yelling at the others, "spread out and find her! You have those implant tracker Augs for a fucking reason!"
>The four that aren't at the computer nod and hurry off in different directions
>"Anon all five of those guys are high level Sailor hitmen!" Star calls out over comms, "I have their faces pulled up from the bounty network" she finished with a whisper
>You see five small images appear at the bottom of your HUD as you head back behind the corner again
>"You don't have to whisper Star," you quietly say
>You kept your own voice low at the sound of footsteps from one of the men getting closer
>With your back to a door, you open it as softly as you can, and you back your way into the room with your knife in hand
>You wait
>He's oblivious to your reflection in the small hanging mirrior
>But what you see of him tells you a lot
>He's strutting down the hallway's center, not even trying to hide himself or the gun that he's openly holding
>He also has his attention focused on a wrist watch
>If it's what you think it is...
>Too bad he can't see you
>Silence is your ally made stronger by his loud foot steps
>You creep behind him, and when you're in range you leap forward, sinking your knife into his temple
>Dead before he even knew it
>"One down guys, but they have trackers," you say as you pull your knife out of his skull
>"How many Null?" asks Gabriel
>"I saw four others, one is at the nurses station"
>You drag the body back into the room you were hiding in
>When you dropped it on the floor, you heard a gasp from behind you
>You spin around with Rose drawn, and have it aimed squarely at the head of a huddled Anthro panda nurse
>She's cowering under the table and lets out a small yelp when she sees you looking at her
>A scream is not what you need right now
>"Shhhh, I'm not with them," you put away your weapons and put out your palms, "but I am here to help. Do you know how many there are?"
>She blinks at you before stuttering out, "uh, eight, I think. W-who are you and what are those men doing here?"
>You shake your head at her
>"I'm no one, but those guys are Sailors looking for someone I care about. Have the authorities been called?"
>She shakes her own back at you
>"One of them has..something sending nonsense through the lines! We haven't been able to reach anyone"
>That explains why you don't hear alarms going off, and no cops
>"It isn't easy being this good," quipped Star
>Damn
>"But Fox's weird tail thingy, uhh, helps"
>Thought so
>You look back to the panda
>"Stay here, we'll clean this mess up"
>Moving back out of the room and to the corner, you see that same Sailor still at the computer
>He's still typing away, but now he's on his phone to a holo you can't see
>"Yes boss we're looking for her now. Yes, of course"
>He suddenly laughs
>"You're right! Only a zombie would be this brainless"
>His laugh had you frozen mid crawl, but when he went back to kissing ass you took the time to keep moving towards him
>Mid talk, you stab your knife into his neck while you cover his mouth with your other hand
>Rose did a good job at keeping him silent while his phone dropped to the floor
>The hologram didn't hang up, and the man it portrayed looked startled for a moment, but he calms down almost immediately
>"So there you are. The 'ghost' I've been hearing about," it says
>You pick it up and silently study the man
>He is.. exceptionally average in every way
>Short hair in a buzzcut, and from what you can tell in a black suit and tie
>He also visibly turns angry
>"You killed my brother and my cousins, I'll ma-"
>You hang up and drop the phone
>You stomp on it a few times for good measure
>Why do they always feel the need to talk?
>Bummer too, it was a nice phone model
>You rotate the chamber of Rose to Lethal, having gotten up and seeing no one was clogging the halls
>"Four down, a nurse told me there are eight of them in total"
>You hear gunshots down one of the halls
>"Three left," Gabe calls out
>Well, no more quiet time
>You head in the direction of the gunshots as fast and as quiet as you can
>When you start hearing more ring out and turning into a constant stream you start running
>"Everything ok guys?!" you yell over the mic
>You recognize Gabriel's shots ping over the rest of them
>"We're pinned Null, where the hell are you?"
>"On my way!"
>You turn a corner and find a sky bridge connecting the two sections together
>Ceramic tile and walls on the bottom, and clear glass as a cage over the top
>But what stands out the most is a Sailor at the end, hiding behind two locked doors
>You break out into a sprint, unloading shots into the center of the door before slamming into it with your shoulder
>You almost fall from the hit, but you recover just enough to find that same Sailor round a corner up ahead
>Alone in a long, straight hallway, you've little choice but to keep sprinting
>But run you did, over that long, long bridge, and soon the door at the other end gets the same treatment as the first
>Your shoulder is on fire and Rose feels just as hot, but when you round another corner you slam into a Sailor accidentally, knocking you backwards
>"What the fu-"
>Your quick aim and a shot silences him
>But you were off your mark by inches
>He levels his head towards your scrambling form, and fires

>Pain
>Darkness
>Horrible headache
>All three tell you that somehow, you're still alive
>The ringing in your ears and Star's fuzzy voice only confirms it
>Blinking hard a few times, the blurred image of a man's back above you tells you he must have assumed you're dead
>You suppose the myths are true - you can't kill a ghost
>But you can easily upgrade their headaches into a megaton migrane
>Your HUD is in shambles, a lot of the elements on screen phase out and distort rapidly
>You raise your hand to your head, and feeling around you find a large dent in your helmet
>Well, good thing you wore it no matter how stupid Gabe said it looked
>Wait...
>"Null! NULL! ANON, ARE YOU OK?" you hear Gabriel yelling
>Blinking back tears you raise your gun once more and shoot the man who downed you in the back
>"Peachy," you croak
>"Good, but I'm still pinned," he continues, and from the bullet fire you hear a few of them dent and bounce off his mechanical arm
>You groan, and grab onto the wall to steady yourself
>Knife in hand, you shakily work your way down the hall where the gun fire is loudest
>And turning a corner, you see two men hiding behind a turned over bench, both of them firing wildly into a bathroom
>"Cover me," you mumble
>You sprint forward, with a knife in one hand and an empty Rose in the other
>One of them grabs a metal stock and quickly unfolds it in front of him
>"Should have used this sooner," he said, and sprayed down the wall with automatic fire

>A sharp scream yells out over the silence in the hallway, all previous gun fire having stopped
>A heavy thud impacts a wooden stall door, with look still secure and keeping it shut
>Fox?
>"Fox?!" Gabriel screamed from inside the room
>A cold disbelief washes over you
>When you take another step it burns into rage
>Never stopping slamming one foot over the other, both leave the ground to only land as a kick to the back of one of the men's knees
>He hits hard into his companion in the middle of a reload, and the one you're in top of, you stab over and over and over again
>One final shot calls out through your yelling, and the back wall is painted with red
>The other man simply fell to his knees, missing a large portion of his stomach
>Your knife still rests in the corpse of a Sailor, and a loud bang from inside snaps you out of your stabbing
>"Anon! Fox is hit! Get someone! Anyone!"
>Your eyes scan the hallway
>Not a soul was in sight, and without even thinking you sprint back to the only nurse that you knew
>You jump over the rubble of the first door
>In your running you glide over the second
>And when you reach that familiar hallway, the sounds of your incoherent yelling drew the face of the previously cowering panda woman
>"Someones been shot, whatever jammer they had is down. HELP ME!" you yell at her
>You don't know how your body managed to bring that nurse back, or how she could place a call while trapped in your iron grip
>But when you get back you find another nurse, this one being an Anthro wolf on a phone similar to the panda's
>"We have multiple dead and wounded. Send ER doctors here immediately!"
>You leave the panda and the wolf to do their jobs as they did for yours
>Standing in front of the bathroom, you walk inside slowly
>In the center floor sits Gabriel, hunched over holding fox in his arms and pressing gently on the gunshot wound just center of her body
>"Stay with me baby stay with me!" he sobs
>"Doctors are on the way"
>You don't make it to him
>"I'll handle the police Gabriel, you just...stay with Fox" you numbly say before leaving

>The police came and went
>They took your story no questions asked after the nurses vouched for you
>You handled it
>You handled everything, so that Gabriel could focus on Fox and stay with her
>With what little downtime you had, you claimed the bounties on each body, and after your grim task was finished you had the nurses look at your head
>They gave you a painkiller for your head, and somehow the Panda slipped in her number on a piece of paper taped to the side
>Star protested loudly in your still ringing ears until she saw you toss it away
>"I have you Star, don't worry," is all you say
>You hoped that in some way, your own words would help you too
>But you're worried
>Worried out of your damn mind
>About Fox and Gabriel
>And the Cub
>When there was one thing left to do, you asked where Fox was the second you could
>"She is in surgery right now. Her husband is in the waiting room over there," a nurse tells you
>You slowly walked to where you were told, and sitting alone in a chair is Gabriel looking worse than before
>He's hunched over with his head in his hand
>His left arm nowhere to be found
>You choose your words carefully
>"Gabriel, what's going on," you start to say as you take off your helmet and sit down
>You give him time to answer, and in a voice of disbelief he finds what he wants to say
>"She's having the bullet removed...but, they said it fracture and hit her liver, lungs, and part of her womb"
>Your heart sinks low as he continued
>"Even after they get the pieces out, she'll still be in critical condition...and they...they asked me if, if I had to choose.."
>His voice cracks, and his face falls further into his hand
>"They asked me who I would want to live: Fox, or the Cub"
>"Gabe-"
>"I told them both! I don't care what it takes or how much it is! You can't ask a man that! I don't care how expensive it is, I'll give everything for her! For both of them! I emptied the accounts for the best treatments and care for her, but it still wasn't enough! They took my arm as collateral since I don't have enough, but there's more they can do that I just can't afford!"
>His head sinks further down, and you feel that there was more to be said
>In his mind, Gabriel didn't hear you
>So you waited even more
>And when he finally looked at you, he wore the same look that you're all too familiar with
>For the very first time you saw what sadness looked like on his face
>Tears are pouring down his cheeks from his grey eyes, pleading at you to finish some kind of plan
>"They said at best it's a 50/50 chance either of them survive...And if they don't"
>He shoves his own gun into your hands
>"Put a bullet in the back of my head"
>"No."
>You rip the cartridge out of the chamber
>"Fuck Null! If you don't then I-"
>He's on top of you, having leaped from his chair with his hand on your shoulder
>Cold iron at the base of his chin gets him to stop
>"I wont bury my brother."
>You cycle it, and the noise pierces through the silence
>"She's everything to me!" He shouts at you
>"...You want to quit that bad? That's it? You're done?"
>You slowly rise, bringing Gabriel up with you by the tip of your gun
>"You treat me like family, knowing full well the hundreds of jobs we ran, the even payouts we get? And the first thing that comes to your god damn mind is a bullet in it?"
>You jab it up further, tilting his head back as he stands on shaking legs
>"I don't care that you shit on everything I apparently am to you, but to give up on Fox like that, on the possibility of that"
>You kick the man back into his seat, gun still trained on him
>"No, I have a better idea. I'll drain my accounts too, to the last credit"
>"...I already did that Null, it's still not enough," he whispers
>You don't even flinch
>She's your family too
>"Then let's go and do more for her. I'm not going to let you sit here and lose her. Dammit Gabe, I know loss is hard, but-"
>His hand is fast, crushing your wrist
>You drop Rose, unaware of when you did from the pain of his fist slamming into your face
>You're knocked off your feet, crashing into the other waiting room chairs
>"YOU DON'T KNOW LOSS, NULL"
>Cracking open an eye, you see him looking down at you breathing heavy with rage painted on his face
>"Of course I know it, otherwise you wouldn't have found me living on the street Gabriel"
>His anger breaks away to pained sadness
>With a hesitant hand, he offers it to you
>Grabbing Rose back in one hand you take it, and he helps you to your feet
>"I'm sorry Null, I just can't lose her"
>You put a hand to your nose to wipe away the blood that started to trickle out
>"Funny thing is, is that neither can I. Now if you aren't going to do anything but mope then I'll do something to fix this"
>You turn and start to walk away
>"Null, what are you going to do? There isn't anything you CAN do!"
>You feel his hand fall on your shoulder
>You only glance back at him
>"I'm gonna do something stupid and dangerous, because I know she would do the same for me"
>He nods sadly
>"Then I'm coming with you"
>You fully turn around to face him
>"Well, you'll need this first"
>You toss him a long, plastic covered object which he catches
>"...A shock knife?" he asks
>"It's no gun, but if you sneak up on someone, just give em a quick shock with it and it should shutdown their augs. Probably knock em out, too"
>You see a hint of a smile start to form on his face

Chapter 15: Silver and Glass
 
>They would pay, they would all pay for what they had done to Fox
>Although Gabriel said he would come with you, you had things to do first, things best done alone
>The Sailors, everyone of them would die
>At least those at the top would
>They all had bounties on the network, high paying, over 100k for Andrew Belacov, the head of the Sailors
>But you didn't know where he was, that was the problem
>A problem you were going to solve
>Your Bike tore through the city as you drove back to Star's bunker
>She had some information you needed first
>Neon signs blurred past as you wove through traffic like a needle through fabric
>Before long you pull into the bunker and See an eager Star waiting for you
>"HELLLOOO ANONN!" she says in her usual fashion as she pounces on you
>You catch her and hug her tight
>"Hi Star, I have a few favors I need from you"
>you set her down and she looks up at you
>"OK but first tell me what happened! How is fox?"
>You grimace as you reach into your bike and grab your damaged helmet
>"She might not make it, Gabe and I pooled our money but its not enough"
>Pooled our money is a nice way to put it
>"WHAT!? OH NOOOOO!"
>Stars eyes become tear drops
>"That's why I need your help with something Star"
>Her pupils turn to question marks
>"What's that Anon? I can't convince Dad to pay for her stuff"
>You nod
>"I know but I have a plan to handle the money"
>You walk into the main room with Star following you
>"First off how fast can you get my helmet fixed? I still don't know where you got it"
>She bites her lip softly
>"Errm 2 days! It wouldn't be the Gundam helmet though just the protective casing and internal wiring"
>You smile
>"Perfect and lastly, I need to meet your father, face to face preferably"
>She freezes
>"What? Why do you need to talk to my dad?"
>You run your fingers through your hair and sigh
>"I just need to talk to him, he probably knows things I need to know"
>She looks at you with a small frown
>"You aren't gonna kill him are you?"
>"NO I won't kill him Star, I just need to talk to him"
>she looks at you with uncertainty
>"You sure?"
>You hold your hand out
>"Do you trust me?"
>She takes your hand happily
>"Yes! Ok I'll tell you Anon, but no funny business!"
>You smile and hug her "Ok just a few questions for him, I promise"
>The questions you had for him were difficult, and borderline dangerous
>But he would probably have the answers you needed
>Star of course knew where the Dismond syndicate was based
>And you were sure that they knew where Andrew Belacov was
>As if the leader of The Sailors would remain on the HMS Northstar
>The ship and mini-city was a front they operated from
>The higher up people were somewhere else
>You didn't know where though
>But you could find out quickly
>You knew Star's father kept details on people, from Belacov to Lysander, he had to have some idea
>Just an idea was enough for you to work with
>"Ok Anon! I sent the address to your phone! His office is on the top floor!"
>Of course it was
>You look at the address, and its location on the map, an hour ride away in the business center of the City
>Star bounds to you and latches onto your side
>"Anon! I'm glad you're safe! Please Please don't die!"
>You rubs her ears and smile
>"I'll be fine besides I'm just going to talk to your father today"
>She smiles up at you
>"Ok Anon, I'll call someone about the helmet! I know one of Dads guys can fix it up!"
>You give her a quick kiss and a pet on the ears before heading to your bike
>You jump in and rev her up and punch it
>The world blurs by as you head for the business district
>You didn't really want to have to meet Star's father
>But he had info you needed and that's what matters
>For Fox and Gabriel you would demand information from Satan himself
>Then you would fucking Punch God for letting Fox get hurt
>Your mind races as you speed through traffic
>Thoughts of Fox, Gabriel and the Cub
>Never before had you all faced an issue like this
>But fuck the odds, you were going to do your fucking damnedest to stop this
>Even if you die trying
>The world remembers people who act, even if in the end they lay broken and bleeding
>History proved that
>the 300 Spartans marching to their death, General Custer and his last stand, the Alamo, all facing odds stacked against them and fighting regardless
>Heh almost a summary of your life
>Unaugmented, at every disadvantage yet still fighting
>Still killing
>You sit in silence, missing your helmet and (almost) Missing Star's constant chatter
>The ride takes a shorter time than you thought
>Or is it because you were so deep in thought?
>Doesn't matter
>You pull around the back, get out and find a service entrance
>It's always the same
>A loosely guarded back door that you could short out and enter
>You draw your shock knife and jam it into the locking system
>It's almost disappointing how poor security is here
>A quick zap and the door opens
>To your surprise Security drones descend and scan the area
>They just pass over you like you're nothing
>Continuously scanning and flying around, looking for the interloper
>They even fly inside and scan in all directions
>You simply walk past them, ignoring the buzzing drones
>The new issue is getting to the top floor
>This building had to have over 300 floors and there was no way you were taking the stairs
>As you stroll through the ground floor you find the elevators easily enough, but there is still the issue of needing an implant
>Before long your searching pays off and you find an Anthro gecko watching TV while taking a wrench to his cybernetic legs
>"Sorry about this" You say as you stun him with your shock knife
>You attempt to throw him over your shoulder but with those metal legs he's to heavy
>Fine he's getting dragged then
>Dragging him quickly and silently to the elevator takes a bit of effort, because you had to drag him by those stupidly heavy legs
>If you didn't they would make a scraping noise of the floor and you didn't want to attract unwanted attention
>After using his implant to start the elevator you set him in the corner for later
>You would still need a way to get back down after all
>The elevator ride itself takes about 5 minutes during which you think about Fox and Gabriel
>You had to do this for them and you weren't going to let them down
>The elevator dings and the door opens letting you out
>You make your way to a nearby window and look out
>300 floors up and you're above the clouds, your view of the sky unfiltered for the first time
>Stars twinkle above a sea of multi colored clouds, glowing faintly from the city below them
>A few other spires poke through the clouds like giant glowing obelisks
>Beautiful
>You take a moment to appreciate it and steel yourself
>Finally pulling away you go through the floor, one massively long hallway with a large set of double doors made of some kind of wood
>As you walk through the hall you hear the doors attempting to scan you, gently whirring heard from the scanners that sensed movement but found nothing
>No doubt security drones and other nightmarish defensive frames were behind those doors
>The large wooden double doors are in front of you,and with a hardly push you're able to open one
>Inside is a large wooden desk, carved intricately with gold set into the wood
>At the desk sat Star's father, Jonathan Dismond, his eyes glossy and a cable plugged into the back of his head
>A plug directly into the internet? no wonder he was so well informed and able to keep his syndicate so well organized
>You clear your throat loudly to get his attention
>It's almost robotic how he moved and pulled the plug from the back of his head
>He blinks a few times before shaking his head then focusing his eyes on you
>"Star's bounty hunter friend? Anon was it? Are you here to kill me?"
>His pale eyes are locked Rose
>You sit down at the chair across from him
>"Tempting but no. Not today anyway, today I need information"
>He raises his eyebrows
>"What information? My business practices ar-"
>You raise a hand at him
>"I don't care about your business, I need to know where Andrew Belacov is"
>He eyes you coldly
>"Why would I tell you that, whats in it for me?"
>You roll your left sleeve up revealing the Tattoo from Lysander
>"I work for Lysander, your ally, and if you tell me you have one less group to compete with"
>He eyes the mark on your shoulder before taping his desk causing a keyboard to appear
>A holoscreen appears and he taps a few keys silently as you sit across from him
>"He has a skyscraper near the ports, disguised as a regular business called "Think Tank". the address is 442 Border street"
>You smile, you knew where that was
>"Perfect, thank you Mr.Dismond"
>He frowns
>"What makes you think you can even get to him? Every other man I've sent to assassinate him disappeared"
>You smile wider
>"I made it here to you didn't I?"
>He looks you up and down as you stand up
>"Hm I suppose you did"
>You walk to the door and push it open once more
>"Oh and by the way I'm Fucking your daughter"
>He smiles a bit ,much to your surprise
>"Well that saves me trying to find someone to impregnate her for grand kids"
>You would be shocked at his response from anyone else but he is the man who hid his daughter away
>With that you leave, heading back to the elevator where the still unconscious gecko is
>After hitting the button for the ground floor you pull out your phone and Call Lysander
>Her Hologram appears after a few short rings
>"Ah my dear friend Anon, what is troubling you?"
>"Good evening Lysander, I'm going to be stopping by the mansion, I have something I need to discuss with you in person"
>She smiles
>"No doubt after what happened at the hospital, I look forwards to your visit"
>Her hologram winks out as she hangs up
>The elevator dings and lets you out
>You retrace your steps back to your bike, finding the security drones still buzzing around
>Heh stupid robots
>You hop in your bike and get going
 
>The ride to the mansion was quiet, at least voice wise
>Your bike roars as usual, although you do miss Stars non stop talking a little
>You ride up to the mansion and get out of your bike and are greeted by Jeffery, the Giraffe Anthro butler
>"How is it we could not control your bike?"
>"Its custom built and doesn't have the the override built in" you say as you get out
>You push past him and into the mansion
>He catches up with you easily though
>Fucking trees for legs
>"Madam Lysander is in the library"
>You head there silently, you knew the way around because of how often you did work for her
>The scariest part about her was the weapons around the house disguised as everyday things
>you recall one time when you met her in her living room where she had a fucking battleaxe disguised as a Guitar
>She used it to split a man in half with ease
>As you enter the library she greets you in her usual calm tone
>"Ah Anon my favorite ghost, what did you need to discuss with me"
>She is laying on a couch having a portrait of herself painted by a nervous looking Mink
>"I'm going to kill the Belacovs, ALL of them for what they did"
>Her eyes light up as you say that and she stands
>"That's a very bold claim Anon, do you even know where he is?" She says as she strides over to you
>"Yes, I want to know if you'll pay me for it"
>You look up at her as she stops in front you
>"Anon, you are either the bravest Man I've met or the most foolish"
>Her paws rub down your chest as she smiles, showing her very large fangs
>"What would you do if I said I wouldn't pay you?" she purrs
>You frown, "I would kill them anyway, they hurt my family"
>Her smile widens
>"How interesting, Vengeance is a beautiful thing for the right reason"
>Her eyes are almost predatory as she looks you up and down
>"Very Well Anon, I will pay you should you succeed, May I ask why you need money so badly?
>"Gabriel's wife got shot, she's pregnant and we need money to give her the best treatment"
>She pulls you close to her
>"Ah! How noble of you, do not fail me Anon, you're very useful to the Concordat"
>She runs a paw through your hair and Stares into your eyes while licking her lips
>"And very useful to me"
>Oh god why
>You wiggle away from her grasp
>"Thank you Lysander, I need to prepare for this" you say hastily as you back away towards the door
>"Ah yes of course, do come back alive Anon"
>You make a Hasty retreat back to your bike
>Revving it slightly you speed off to Star's bunker
>You call out to your phone "Call Gabriel"
>After a few moments He picks up but its voice only
>"Whats up Null?"
>"Lysanders gonna pay us to Kill Belacov as well we can claim it on the bounty network, How's fox?
>"Shes still in surgery, I'll update you when I can"
>You frown slightly
>"Alright, keep me informed. We handle this in 2 days when I get my helmet back"
>"We're gonna make them pay" He growls
>"Fuck yea we are, keep me informed, I'll see you tomorrow"
>"Cya"
>He hangs up and you sigh
>What a fucking day
>The day should have been Video games, pizza, and sex with Star
>Not a day where you might lose one of your friends and get hit on by the most terrifying woman you've ever met
>The sun is rising as you get to Star's bunker and drive down the ramp
>"HELLLOOO ANONNN!"
>Star launches herself onto you the second you're out of your bike
>You catch her into a hug
>Her tail wraps around you as she nuzzles into your chest
>"How's your head Anon? That Dent in your helmet was big!"
>You set her down and she skitters gently on her footpaws
>"It's ok, those painkillers did the trick"
>Stars Fur poofs up and little flames replace her pupils
>"That Hussy Panda! Try to steal my Anon away will you! I won't be able to forget this hatred even if I die and get reborn a million times over!"
>She's stomping around in a circle
>As always its not intimidating in the slightest
>And you always have the perfect remedy
>You crack your knuckles and start rubbing her ears gently and scratching her head
>Her stomping immediately ceases
>"Oooo magic fingers Anonnn" She says with hearts in her eyes
>You smile and scoop her up
>"Let's have some dinner and go to sleep ok Star?"
>She giggles and nuzzles into your chest
>"Ok Anon I Love you"
>"Love you too"


Chapter 16: Bullets
 
>The time waiting for your helmet has been agony
>Granted it was less than 48 hours since Star had one of her fathers men take it to repair it but still it was agony
>You And Gabriel took turns standing guard over Fox, who was in an induced coma
>Right now it wasn't your shift, you sat in your apartment half asleep
>Your head in your hands, you leaned forwards onto the table your computer sat on
>Normally you would stay with Star but right now you needed to be Alone
>Seeing Fox in that bed, unmoving with only a slow rhythmic beep from a heart monitor telling you she was alive
>It killed you to see that
>It killed you to know Gabriel saw it too
>Sadness, Anger, disbelief all flowed through you, mixing and combining into a sickening numbness
>As Much as you loved Star she didn't need to see this part of you
>You drift between the waking world and dreams, your drooping head held aloft by your arms
>Each time you Snapped your eyes back open you hoped it was a dream you were waking from
>Fox wasnt hurt, no of course she wasn't, she was at home tending to her little balcony garden
>But reality hits you harder than a truck each time
>You're snapped awake by the ringing of your phone
>You pick up and a Hologram of Star Appears
>Her usual cheery self gone, it looks like she hasn't slept in a few days
>"Hi Anon,How's Fox?"
>Her words are half slurred and you watch her grab a cup of coffee
>"Nothings changed, right now Gabriel is guarding her, she's still in the induced coma"
>As you talk she sips her coffee then makes a face of disgust
>"Ugh I don't know how you drink this stuff Anon it tastes gross"
>She takes another sip of it and shudders slightly
>"Blech"
>You frown
>"Get some sleep Star, I'll call you if anything changes"
>She shakes her head at you
>"No I need to know whats happening! Plus your helmet is here"
>You sit up Immediately
>That was one things that was holding you And Gabriel Back,
>As much as you could have gone without it, the HUD and gas mask were very helpful
>"Ok I'll be there shortly, as well Gabriel will be coming too is that ok?"
>"Yes! I have some things I can give you both" Star replies with a little bit of her normal cheer
>You smile at her and nod
>"Ok I'll call Gabriel and be there shortly"
>She smiles and sips her coffee again
>"Oh and Star?"
>>"Hm? Yes Anon?"
>"Love you"
>Her eyes morph into little hearts
>"Aww I love you too! Hurry to the bunker I miss you!"
>You nod
>"Ok see you soon"
>Her Hologram winks out and you call Gabriel
>He picks up almost immediately
>His face is sullen and there are bags under his eyes
>"Is it time?"
>You nod
>"We'll meet at Stars bunker, she has some stuff for us, I'll send you the address"
>"Got it, I'll wait for a couple of buddies to show up here then grab my weapons"
>He rubs his face
>"See you later Null"
>"Yea"
>He hangs up and you grab your gear
>You head out the door to the service elevator to get your bike
>After it doesn't respond right away you kick it with your steel toed boots leaving, a new dent in the side of it
>Now isn't the time for this bullshit
>After a few more solid kicks it finally brings your bike up
>You get in and heads to Star's bunker
>The world blurs around you as Muscle memory takes over
>You aren't even thinking about anything as you drive down the ramp to the bunker
>It's all a numb blur
>After talking to Star's father and Lysander you had nothing to occupy your thoughts besides Fox
>In the days after, you had only slept once, and that was the day of, your body tired and your mind exhausted from everything you had done
>And even then your dreams kept you from getting any decent sleep
>Fox screaming, her and Gabriel's half formed cub crying at you
>Gabriel Laying dead next to you
>They all plagued your dreams, keeping you from any kind of restful sleep
>Even now they haunted the back of your mind as you got out of your bike to a very tired looking Star
>"Hey Anon" She says with less than half of her usual enthusiasm
>She still hugs your side as you get out of your bike though
>"Hi Star" you say as you rub her ears softly
>You and her walk into the bunker together hand in paw
>"Get some rest Anon, or at least try to" Star says guiding you to the chair in front of her monitors
>You sit in it and rub your face before Star climbs into your lap
>"Let's get some rest Anon"
>Her various shows about robots and evil empires flood your mind
>You feel your eyes drooping
>"Sleep Anon it's ok" Star cooes to you
>You feel yourself leave the waking world
 
 
>The feeling of a furred pad on your cheek stirs you
>Your eyes open to reveal Star gently rubbing your face with a paw
>"Huh wha happen?"
>"You passed out. guess you pushed yourself a little too far huh?"
>You rub your eyes and blink a few times
>"How long was I out?"
>"About 6 hours, Gabriel is here, He's getting a nap too"
>You stand and stretch earning several satisfying pops from your back
>"Did you get any sleep Star?"
>She nods vigourously "Uh huh! I slept with you for a while! Plus I got lots of coffee and Caffeine pills!"
>You check the time on the computer which as been playing her Anime shows non-stop
>Guess that trick with white noise really does work
>"I'll go get Gabriel, Anon you some coffee!"
>She rushes down the hall and into your workshop turned guest room
>You walk to the kitchen and plus a few buttons on her Synthesizer
>It makes a sputtering noise and hot coffee begins streaming out of it into a coffee pot
>As you grab the coffee pot and a few mugs you hear Gabriel and Star come into the main room
>Star bounces excitedly
>"Come over here Anon, I got you both some Stuff!"
>She guides you to a table by her wall of countless Anime posters
>"Here's your Helmet Anon! its not Gundam anymore sorry! But it has all the same stuff Minus the cosmetics!"
>She hands you your new helmet, jet black with an opaque Visor so your face cant been seen
>It reminds you of a Motorcycle helmet when except the visor covers the whole face
>You turn it over in your hands, inspecting it before putting it on
>The progress bar for it loading up moves quickly and with a small *Ding* it finishes
>Huh no more yelling, although you kinda miss it
>"And this is for you Gabe!"
>She pushes a white helmet similar to yours into his hand
>He looks at it and turns it over before putting it on
>"After Null got shot in the face at the hospital I changed me mind on the Helmet thing"
>He hits your helmet with his fist
>You wave his hand away "Told you it was good"
>He turns from you and motions for you to follow him
>"Come on, I got something for you too"
>You follow and hear Star follow you
>He leads you to his speeder which is full of guns and explosives
>Reaching into the passenger seat, he pulls out a rifle
>Wires run along it from the barrel to the trigger as well a tubes filled with dully glowing plasma
>"Star and I were getting tired of you getting shot, so I worked with her to get the parts to make this"
>He thrusts the rifle into your hands
>You turn it over in your hands and look down the sights as he explains
>"Alright so it has 3 modes of fire, first is a duel round burst that's silenced since I know your so fucking hung up on being sneaky, second mode fires a plasma bolt"
>As he talks you alight the sights getting the red dot perfect
>"Third will fire a temporary force field that the plasma bolts can go through because they are tuned to its frequency"
>You look up at him
>"How did you get a force field Manipulator? those things are crazy expensive"
>He points behind you
>You turn to see Star at the ground while twiddling her footpaws in small circles
>"I didn't like seeing you get hurt so much Anon! So I asked Gabe if there was anything I could do"
>She looks up at you
>"Do you like it?"
>You set the rifle down and pull of your helmet before pulling her into a hug
>"I love it, thank you Star"
>Her eyes become little hearts and you pick her up and give her a quick kiss
>"You're welcome Anon!" She says as you break the kiss and set her down
>"And thank you Gabe, I'll put it to good use"
>He nods
>"I know you will"
>He reaches into the Speeder once more and pulls out a bandolier and tosses it to you
>"A few extra charges for your rifle and tear gas Grenades"
>You catch it and peel off your jacket then throw it on
>"I'll get a head Start there, Star when Null leaves connect our comms please"
>She does a mock salute "You got it!"
>He gets into his Speeder and it starts up
>Within seconds he's gone up the ramp and out of the bunker
>You turn to Star and kneel down so you're about eye level with her
>"Please come back ok Anon, I Love you" She says as she wraps her arms around you and nuzzles into your neck
>"I will Star, I'll be Ok, I Love you too" you reassure her was your arms wrap around her
>She looks at you with little tears forming in her eyes, both in pupils and from the corners of her eyes
>"Please, PLEASE help Fox, She's so Nice and I want Her and the cub to be ok!
>You wipe away the tears gracefully with a thumb
>"I will Star, I'll get the money needed AND end it for those who want to hurt them"
>You stand up with her still in your arms and pull her into another deeper hug
>"I love you Star"
>"I Love you too Anon"
>Holding her this close; you didn't want it to end
>But it had to, you had things to do
>After a few minutes of hugging in silence, you set her down, grab your helmet and rifle then get into your bike
>She stands by the door into her bunker as you start it up and put the helmet back on
>You give her a thumbs up and she waves
>The bike roars and you punch it up the ramp after Gabriel
>After a few moments Star's voice filled the Comms
>"Patching you and Gabriel in!"
>A small click is heard
>"Gabriel I'm on my way there, how do you wanna do this?"
>"I'll do a frontal assault or diversion or whatever you wanna call it, I got extra body armor on, you go in and do your sneaky shit"
>you swerve through traffic calmly but quickly
>"How far are you from there Gabe?"
>He left a maybe 10 minutes before you
>You were sure your bike was faster than his speeder but you hadn't caught up with him
>he's silent for a few minutes
>"Gabe?"
>"I'm Starting this" is all he says
>You dodge a Hauler that's going far too slow
>"Don't die" is your response
>You ride in silence and see the skyscraper
>The front door and glass of the ground floor shattered, smoke poured from the openings
>Gunshots and explosions are heard from within
>You pull around the corner and get out of your bike
>Do you chance a peek at him?
>Fuck yes you do
>You round the corner and peek into the building and see him with guns hanging from him in a steep of rage and hate.
>you're almost convinced of the rumors; watching Gabe operate solo
>Some kind of Angered spirit come back for revenge
>Your helmet locks onto his location as he rounds a corner showing a glowing outline of him, so you rush in behind him, rifle slung across your back
>"I've got their comms! putting into your feed anon!"
>you listen for a moment to the disarray
>They don't know what to do to stop him as he marches forward through the halls, unleashing a hail of bullets and destruction
>Propulsion wrath flies from his body, shells ripping through his coat and tearing it to shreds as he fights on like the shadow of death itself
>Bullets that seem dead set on him miss every time they get to close, or only graze him
>From hellstorm he's unleashing with a heavy load on his mind, and missing his stronger arm... you aren't entirely sure If it's him or the reaper himself
>Maybe he really was some kind of war machine, and they finally snipped that last cord of humanity that was holding him back
>Or maybe he was just a broken man fighting onward with one thing in mind that made him unstoppable, which so many other men fought and died for
>Hope
>You had heard before that to truly defeat a man you have to take everything he cares about and destroy it
>But that leaves behind a monster that is worse than any demon, he will be come horror itself
>It all rang true as you watched him
>This wasn't a diversion, it was a slaughter
>Like that time he was supposed to start shit in a bar by arm wrestling everyone inside
>He just started collecting bounties on everyone who's shoulder he cracked open
>You want to watch but you had a job to do yourself
>Find the elevator and find Andrew Balacov
>Walking back to the main lobby you find the elevators easily
>Gabriel was nice enough to kill one in the elevators, just so you could use his implant
>You push the up button to the top floor only to have it not respond
>"Higher clearance needed, building is in Lockdown" a robotic feminine voice says
>Fuck
>You click a lower floor and the doors close leaving behind the rampage of Gabriel
>Time to do this
>"Star can I speak over their comms?"
>You hear Star scramble around
>"S-sorry...What Anon, I was busy watching Gabe"
>"Can I talk through their comms"
>You hear clicking of a keyboard
>"Erm yes! Just push the button on your scanner to jump into their channels"
>"Ok Star after I want you to kill their comms completely"
>You hear more clicks
>"OK go ahead Anon I'm ready"
>You push the button on your scanner
>"This is the ghost with a message for Belacov"
>All Voices on their comms stop, your calm voice cutting through the hysteria
>"I'm coming for you"
>you click back and hear their entire comm system shut down
>Time to end this

Chapter 17: Humans Are Such Easy Prey
 
>The elevator plays shitty music on repeat as it rises slowly
>Gabriel was dealing with the small fry, everyone that was expendable
>You got to deal with the higher ranks of this organization
>Of course you didn't mind, he got to rampage through and let his fury and rage unleash
>you got to be cold and collected
>Remember what you have to do
>It was their fault for undervaluing you, thinking your unaugmented body was a weakness
>They thought it was their advantage, and you had thought so too for a while
>You were nothing more than a basic human
>It was time to show them and the world what Hell looked like when it wore the skin of a basic human
>Nothing would stop you now
>You had every disadvantage, every odd was against you
>It always was and always had been and it didn't matter
>But if they were waiting for you than this elevator could be your coffin
>You unsling your rifle and double check it on the silent fire mode
>Quickly and quietly you shoot out the lights and then press your back to the button panel
>If they were waiting they would fire wildly into the elevator
>The wait kills you, not literally of course but it drives up your anxiety
>zeaiting for SOMETHING even if its the worst
>It just needs to happen!
>A ding and the doors open
>Nothing so far.... which is good
>You peek around the door only to have it riddled with gunfire as soon as you pull your head inside
>Fuck they have a full firing squad
>You're pinned
>But wait, you have tear gas grenades and a functioning gas mask
>You smile under your helmet
>Year gas is a bitch to deal with if you don't have the right protection
>Grabbing a grenade you pull the pin and hold it, waiting for the gunfire to stop
>you cant actually pill a grenade pin with your teeth like they always do in movies because they require over 10 lbs of pull force
>enough to pull out a tooth if you're stupid enough to try
>As soon as the gunfire stops you toss the grenade and get back behind cover
>More gunfire then coughing
>Showtime
>You push out from behind cover and fire up a force field
>Between coughs gunfire erupts from those who had lung and eye augments
>You hear the bullets ricocheting against your shield
>Your helmet highlights them through the smoke and you begin firing Plasma bolts
>Just as Gabriel promised they phase though and hit their targets
>Screams, smoke and loose gunfire fill the air
>you reload your rifle calmly as you stroll casually out of the elevator
>Bodies, some torn apart by the plasma, some trying to crawl away
>Your helmet locks on to each one, 10k bounty here, 5k bounty there
>Every bit counts
>Hit men, Low ranking Lieutenants, all of them
>A meat shield to stop you from advancing
>To you nothing more than bullet fodder
>Bullet fodder with a dollar sign attached but bullet fodder none the less
>A sound behind you causes you to turn around only to feel a bullet rip through your thigh
>Instinctively you raise your rifle and fire
>The offender, an Anthro wolf, has his chest vaporized
>"ANON! Are you OK?!"
>You barely hear Star trough the comms
>Adrenaline and anger overpower everything else
>You wince as you push the little bits of flesh back into the bullet wound and hobble to a corner
>"I'll be fine, missed my major artery" you say through gritted teeth
>The small heal pad you carried with you wasn't just for show
>Wrapping it around your thigh over the entry and exit wound, you brace yourself
>A thought from one of Star's shows that she made you watch
>One about a certain Space bounty hunter she said you reminded her of
>"I think it's time to blow this scene"
>"Get everybody and their stuff together"
>"Okay, three, two, one let's jam"
>Right as the Sax hits in your mind you press the button activating the heal pad
>Your muscles tense and you clench your teeth resisting the need to scream
>GOD DAMMIT
>You never would get used to that
>But after it all fades you're ready to go again, anger filling you
>Rifle drawn and moving room to room
>Most are empty
>Some aren't, you shoot them down and claim the bounties as you go
>5k, 1k , 3k, 400 credits
>They had a tie to the Sailors, so they were nothing but dollar bills
>A few you met with resistance, shaky shots fired, small pings as bullets ricocheted or plasma burnt doorframes
>But you are calm and collected as you clear each room with a silent burst
>You needed to go higher though
>Someone here had to have access to the high floors right?
>"Star, whats my total so far for bounties?"
>A few tapping sounds and clicking noises
>"Uh 65K Anon! Is your leg ok?"
>You look down at it, your pants have a new bullet hole that shows a new scar on your thigh
>"I'm fine, just a new scar"
>Star is silent for a moment
>"I don't like seeing you hurt Anon" She whispers through the comms
>You grimace
>"I don't really like being hurt Star, but it's part of the job"
>Your helmet dings and highlights a person of interest for you
>Apparently it had been scanning for people with clearance to the higher floors
>God dam this thing is awesome
>He/she/it is on this floor , down a hallway and to the left
>You smile as you walk slowly though
>No need to rush
>Between you and Gabriel downstairs this place was yours to control
>All the usual defensive measures couldn't find you
>And you heard them all trying to scan implants for people with no clearance
>On doors, on walls, in the elevator, a gentle whirring sound as the scanners tried to find your implant
>All set to unleash a torrent of security robots and drones
>But instead finding nothing to send them at
>404 does not exist
>You walk slowly down the hallway checking each door
>No need to get sloppy, its just as easy for someone to kill you if they got the drop on you
>Walking up to the door where your next target is, you gently grip the door handle but stop to think
>This could be an ambush and you didn't feel like getting caught up in one
>That thought alone makes you take a small step back
>Do you risk it?
>Thats a dumb question of course not
>You fire a temporary force field and reach over to the handle and push the door open
>what greets you is a man behind a desk, using it to steady a laser turret
>"So this is the ghost? You aren't all that impressive, I heard you were supposed to be some monster" he says as he unloads shot after shot into your shield
>>you fire a plasma shot through the shield into his turret causing it to backfire and explode, throwing the man into the back wall
>you were glad to be wearing a helmet because the smell of flesh burning usually makes you sick
>It has ever since Cydonia, that's why you usually used Kinetic rounds
>The desk is splintered, the man hurt but alive
>For now
>You walk to him slowly rifle raised
>His right arm is cybernetic, various blades and sharp tools sticking out of the sparking, broken limb
>"W-wait! Don't kill me! I'm not Andrew, I'm just a-"
>"SHUT IT"
>You don't care enough to listen to his drivel, you just needed to know how much he was worth
>"The bounty network has him listed for 70k Anon!, He's Andrew Belacov's half brother, Peter "Butcher Pete" Belacov" Star hissed through the comms
>You had heard of him before
>Butcher Pete, the Sailors torturer, the man they called when they wanted information
>or to send a message, usually the message was body parts mailed bit by bit
>"Wait i can pa-" you fire two bursts into his chest cutting of his words
>You don't care what he had to say, even if he wasn't your main target he would still die
>Ridding the world of another monster just makes this all the better
>But his implant would be useful to you to get to the higher floors
>Were you going to drag his body all that way though?
>Nah
>You sling your rifle across your back and draw your fusion sword
>Grabbing his left arm you cut it off at the elbow
>Gross but a key is a key, even if it is an arm
>You draw Rose, can't carry a rifle one handed and since you had to carry your new key
>Walking through the carnage you caused doesn't bother you, but since you were here might as well check the bathrooms too
>That's where Fox had hid and you were sure not all of the sailors were brave enough to die
>"Where are you going Anon? You should go the other way to the elevators"
>You continue through the hallways
>"Checking every room and the bathrooms Star, How's Gabriel doing?"
>"He's uh, already cleared the bottom two floors and is still working his way up, they aren't even trying to stop him anymore they are just running"
>Rats abandoning ship huh? Let them live another day, you'll get them later
>You find a bathroom and enter slowly
>Listen, and stay quiet
>You walk slowly from Stall to stall pushing the doors
>As you reach the last one it bursts open and out jumps an Anthro monkey who starts swinging a knife at you wildly
>"I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" He screeches as he flails at you
>You jump back and dodge his stabs and slashes
>There's no time to aim Rose! He's not giving you an opening
>FUCK IT
>You swing Butcher Pete's Arm and belt the monkey across the face with it
>He drops like a bag of potatos and lands face down on the tile
>Kicking him over shows his face for your helmet to see and Star to pull up on the bounty network
>"He's their hacker Anon! Eddie Pearsons! 20 k bounty!" Star Informs you
>"Dead or alive Star?"
>"Uh either but I don't think you sh-"
>You shoot him in the chest twice
>"Awww anon I was gonna say leave him alive" Star said with a bit of remorse in her voice
>"He was probably the one who found Fox, probably the one that they use to try and find me, and possibly you. I'm not willing to let him find us and I'm not here to capture anyone"
>Star is silent for a moment as you walk to the elevators
>"You really hate these guys don't you Anon"
>you press the arm to the implant scanner and push the button to the top floor
>"I didn't before this, before they were just marks, paychecks, sure if i killed a bad person it was a perk but I didn't hunt them down out of hate"
>The elevator slowly rises
>"They are the ones who made it personal, they hurt Fox"
>The elevator dings again and the doors open
>You hear a gun cocking and dive to the side just as the bullets begin ripping through the back of the elevator
>Fuck you got distracted!
>But you were still prepared
>This song and dance again? you holster Rose quickly and drop the arm
>You pull out another tear gas grenade, pull the pin and toss it out
>After a moment the gunfire stops and loud coughing takes its place
>You draw rose and pick the arm back up then peek around the door
>A large anthro is highlighted by your helmet, but the tear gas is so thick you cant see what type it is
>And he's too busy coughing to notice you
>You reholster rose and draw your Fusion sword
>If this guy is anything like that Bear from the Lucky Cat then Rose would just piss him off
>Slowly, you leave the elevator and creep through the thick gas
>As he coughs you ignite your fusion sword
>Aim for places that would drop him immediately
>Heart? He would die but too slowly
>Spine? Could paralyze him but still no
>Fuck it Head it is
>Abandoning the silent approach you sprint and take a running leap onto the anthro's back
>You then stab your Fusion sword straight into the back of his Head
>He falls to his knees then face down sending you tumbling off him
>Ouch
>"You Ok Anon? That looked painful but youre SO COOL!" Star Squees at you
>"I'm fine" you say as you stand up and dust yourself off
>"Gabe, you done rampaging yet?"
>you hear panting and heavy footfalls through your speakers
>"Yea...yea I'm good I'll wait for you down here, I gotta use a few heal pads"
>As the smoke and tear gas clears you get a glimpse of your would be killer
>A Rhino with a machine gun replacing his left hand
>No bounty on him either
>Annoying but unavoidable
>A long hallway is before you leading straight to a large set of double doors
>It reminds you of Dismond's set up as you walk through the hall, scanners whirring trying to find you
>When you reach the doors you pull one open
>There he is, Andrew Belacov sitting in his office behind a desk with a smirk
>A force field blocks the doorway,
>You pull open the other door and look at the emitters
>His voice snaps you out of your thoughts
>"So the ghost came for me, I must say I'm surprised"
>he Stands and walks around the desk as he speaks
>"You killed my cousins, you killed my brother! Di-"
>"Both of them" you interrupt
>"huh?" he's now directly on the other side of the force field
>You toss the arm casually into the force field where it sizzles to nothing
>"I killed both your brothers"
>You can see him getting angry
>"IS THIS A JOKE? DID YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU COULD KILL MY FAMILY AND GET AWAY WITH IT?" he shouts
>"Yea actually, now lets do this the easy way, lower the force field and die like a man"
>He frowns at you
>"No I dont think I will, my bodyguard will be here soon and he'll take care of you once and for all"
>"You mean the rhino? He's dead"
>He looks like he's about to say something but you've had enough of this
>You draw your fusion sword and stab the wall next to the force field emitter and drag it downwards
>Honestly you don't know why people don't just go for the power supply or the emitters of these things
>Belacov's eyes go wide as the force field flickers and fades leaving nothing between you and him
>He turns to run but you draw Rose quickly, rotate the chamber to Stun and shoot him in the back
>They always try to run and they always fail
>"Anon I thought you weren't going to capture anyone?" Star asks confusedly
>you walk over and kick him once to make sure hes stunned before placing electromag cuffs onto him
>"I'm not capturing him, this ones not mine to kill"
>You grab his leg and drag him across the floor to the elevator
>"Gabriel I got him" you call out into the comms
>You hear his gruff laugh, "Good going Null, I'm ready"
>The elevator dings and you're back in the Lobby, Gabriel sitting in a chair behind the greeting desk, the carnage from before still laying around
>"Present for ya" you say as you pass the leg to Gabreil
>"Aw how thoughtful, you got any smelling salts?"
>You shake your head, "Naw man"
>"Oh well guess I'll do this the old fashioned way"
>As Gabriel begins slapping the man to wake him up your phone buzzes
>You pull it out of your pocket and see a bounty sent specifically to you
>"Make it hurt"
>Sent from J.D
>"Yo Gabe, I need you to fill this bounty out" you say as you show him the screen
>"I can do that" He says with a wicked grin
>Belacov begins to regain his consciousness
>Gabriel pulls off his helmet and sets it down before grabbing Belacov by the collar
>"Star you don't need to see this"
>He drags a weakly struggling Belacov into a side room and shuts the door behind him
>You know you didn't need to see it either as soon as the screams became Audible
>Multiple pings from your phone cause you to look down and see the Credits rolling in
>More than 400k total between the actual bounties and Lysander
>As you sat down and sighed you knew it would be alright

Chapter 18: Rhinestone Eyes

>When all was said and done you and Gabriel amassed over 700k Credits
>Lysander paid you and Him handsomely, calling you her favorite soldiers
>You didn't care what she called you as long as you got paid
>When finished up with checking over the bounties for your kills and Gabriel's the Cities authorities came 
>They were both amazed and astounded that two men could do so much damage
>One of the police sergeants, an Anthro German Shepherd, who you had run into before simply sighed when he saw it was you and Gabriel
>"You two again? How is it you're always in the middle of it when anything goes bad?"
>To that you simply shrugged 
>Gabriel left the scene to you after that taking 500k Credits to the hospital for Fox
>You knew that would be more than enough, that even the most expensive treatments would be covered by that
>Plus with the extra credits you could probably stash a lot away for a rainy day
>But all that was in the past now
>Your bike roared through traffic, a bright red blur cutting through the sea of speeders and haulers
>As tired as you were, pure adrenaline kept you wired at this point
>Plus the nap you had prior kept you awake 
>The rain and neon lights blur by and lightning flashes in the distance
>You almost can't believe what you had just down its still like your in a delirium
>Taking on a crime boss, killing him, and cutting the head off the Snake that was the sailors?
>No that wasn't you, how could it have been you? it all seems like a dream
>Star snaps you out of your thoughts
>"ANONNNNN I MISS YOU! COME HUG ME!"
>You smile under your helmet and pull off the megaway towards her bunker
>"I'm almost there Star, But I have to grab something first ok babe?"
>You hear Star squee with excitement
>"Awwww! You called me babe! You're so sweet Anon!"
>It's almost as if she hadn't just watched you working
>But then again she was somewhat detached from the real world
>You pulled into parking area of a store near the Megaway exit to grab a bottle of rum
>Nothing like a drink after a job well done
>You park your bike and get out of it before heading into the store
>Inside is a robot designed to look like a lioness standing behind the counter waiting to ring you up
>Looking through the innovatory of alcohols you decide on an old brand, Kraken rum and get Star a small bottle of sake
>You carry your drinks of choice to the robot, which rings you up quickly and give you a bag to hold the bottle
>"Have a nice day"
>As you turn to leave you see a TV  hanging on a wall behind the counter showing the skyscraper you were just in on the news
>An Anthro Rabbit is reporting the event
>"Early this Morning 2 bounty hunters entered this building, Known as "Thinktank", which is now known to have been a front for The Sailors, dozens of the sailors higher ups are confirmed dead including the Head of them, Andrew Belacov and his half Brother Peter"
>You smile as you tear yourself away from the spectacle on the TV
>The world and the city would never know you had done it, well a few people would
>Lysander, Star, and few trusted comrades, they were the only ones who needed to know anyway
>But none of that mattered
>What mattered was you got to help Fox
>You get back into your bike and punch it back towards Stars bunker
>The ride is quick as you zip through the back alleys
>Before you even know it the door to Star's Bunker is opening in front of you
>As usual Star is waiting for you at the bottom as you drive down and park, bouncing in excitement
>"HII ANNONNN!" 
>She's latched onto you as soon as you get out of your bike
>"Hi Star, Let me get this off"
>You pull off your helmet and grab the bag of drinks
>"Ooo what's that Anon?"
>You smile as you take her paw in your free hand and walk with her into the bunker
>She's wearing an apron? when did she get an apron? WHY is she wearing an apron?!
>"I got us a celebratory Drink, why do you have on an apron?" You say as you shake the bag gently causing the bottles to clink together
>She smiles and bounces happily
>"Uhm! I wanted to cook like Fox does"
>You raise your eyebrows at her
>"And?"
>She stops and twiddles her footpaws a little
>"Uhhh I ordered Pizza!"
>She lets go of your hand and zips off to her kitchen, leaving you to take the bottles out of the bag
>Within seconds she's back with 2 glasses and a bottle of Dr.Pepper™
>A Large pizza is on the table where she sets the glasses
>"How do you order pizza and get it delivered"
>She bounces happily as she grabs a slice of the pepperoni pizza
>"I pay online and have them leave it in the building upstairs! then I use the bookcase to grab it when they leave!"
>Simple enough you guess
>You smile as you pour the soda into a glass and take a quick sip
>Mmmmm refreshing
>Filling the glasses about 3/5ths of the way with the delicious soda and the rest with Rum is the perfect mix
>You grab your glass as Star grabs hers
>"To Fox getting better"
>"To Fox getting better!" Star Parrots back to you happily
>You clink your glasses together and drink deep
>That really takes the edge off
>"While we're thinking about it let's Call Gabe"
>Stars nods vigorously as you pull out your phone and dial him in
>Within seconds his hologram appears
>"Whats up Null?"
>"We were just checking in on Fox, what's going on?"
>A smile crosses his face for the first time in a while, a happy smile anyway
>"They have her in a Regen chamber, they say She'll be fine within a day or so"
>You sigh in relief
>"That's great! Now we just have to figure out where you and Fox can stay for a while"
>Star tugs your jacket
>"They can stay here! At least until they can get a new place or whatever! I got that spare bedroom!"
>you blink at Star a little at a loss for words
>"You sure Star? I mean I'm not against it but what about your Dad?"
>She bounces happily
>"Yea yea yea I'm Sure! I can handle dad! Besides you already told him we were in a relationship!"
>You run your fingers through your hair and look back to the hologram of Gabriel
>"Sound good to you Gabe?"
>He nods, "yea, I'll rent a hauler and shit to move our bed, can I store my gear at your apartment Null?"
>"Yea man, you're still keyed into the door, drop it off whenever"
>He smiles again
>"Cool, I'll keep you in the know regarding Fox"
>His hologram winks out
>You put an arm around Stars waist and pull her close
>"I'm so happy Fox is gonna be Ok!" Star says as she wraps her arms around you
>"Me too Star, her and the cub"
>You set down your drink and pick her up in a hug
>She smiles and you feel her long tail wrap around your leg 
>As you hold her close the stress of the day melts away
>Everything, from the bullet sized scar in your thigh, to the echoing screams of Belacov, melt away to the tiny Opossum in your arms
>You smile you you hold her close, her starry eyes spinning softly flickering to hearts occasionally
>Snuggling her close, the lines of a song escape from your lips as you sing softly to her
>"Wasn't shopping for a doll, least to say I thought Id'e, seen them all"
>"Then you took me by surprise"
>"Dreaming about those dreamy eyes"
>You pull her into a kiss then set her down
>she buries her face in her paws and stamps her footpaws 
>"Awww Anon quit being to cute and cool! If I could blush I would be bright red!"
>you smile as she looks at you with little hearts in her eyes
>"Hey you're the one who says I'm cool, gotta live up to it right?"
>The little hearts beat faster 
>"Mhmm! Anon you were so cool today! Look!" 
>She points to her monitors all of which show different parts of your day
>The Rhino getting sliced up, Butcher Pete getting thrown against a wall, Belacov being dragged off by Gabriel
>You smile as you grab your drink and go slump into the chair
>Star immediately scrambles over in hops into your lap causing you to let out a short "oof"
>You're used to it by now and scolding her about it would yield zero results
>Lazily, you sip your drink and rub Star's ears as she types away searching for a new show to watch with you
>"HHmmmm wanna watch this show?" She says pointing to a man with another purple man behind him
>She clicks a trailer for it and you watch a lot of punching and yelling
>Who names their son Jojo? and why is a man yelling Za warudo? What does that even mean?
>You sigh and gulp down the rest of your drink
>"Sure Star, whatever you want" 
>She Squees happily and bounces in your lap as she clicks the first episode
>It starts quickly and you continue rubbing Star's ears, while her tail wraps around your leg
>A few ear twitches cause you to look down at her
>You're met by large blue eyes staring up at you along with a big toothy grin
>"I love you Anon, you're the best!"
>You kiss her
>"I love you too Star"
>She settles back into your chest with a content sigh
>The show drones on as you slowly get more and more tired
>It was a long day after all
>"Lets go to bed Star, hopefully we can get some decent sleep"
>Your words go unanswered 
>Looking down you see that Star is already asleep and snoring gently
>God damn she's cute
>You gently scoop her into your arms and carry the sleeping opossum to the bedroom
>Silently, you set her in the bed, then strip and climb in next to her
>Almost as if it's instinct, she sleepily nuzzles against you when you pull the covers up 
>you kiss her forehead and close your eyes
>As you drift off to sleep you you know one thing
>Everything will be alright

Chapter 19 Exitlude 

>Months have flown by again
>Fox and Gabriel lived in the bunker with Star for a few months, waiting for the ruckus you and Gabriel caused to die down
>Fox had made a full recovery, the half a million credits accrued were enough to get her into a top of the line regen chamber
>The cub was healthy and so was she
>Lysander was extremely supportive to everything oddly enough
>She said she viewed you and Gabriel as extremely good investments and that even the best items in an inventory needed to be shelved for a bit
>You did bounties for Lysander as well as the network while Gabriel only took them on occasionally
>Nothing too serious, not on par of what she was sending you into before
>Quick and easy kill a guy and be done with it
>Gabriel only tagged along occasionally because Fox still needed frequent hospital visits
>Hybrid Pregnancies are full of complications, Human and Hybrid pregnancies even more so
>So he went with her to every doctor visit
>He had gotten a bit more paranoid and protective of her
>You can't blame him at all, how could you
>He had almost lost the love of his life, and you nearly lost part of your family
>Still with Star's Support and hiding them in her bunker everything come out on top
>Right now you and Star Sat in their new Apartment, one under your non existent name
>Never can be too careful
>Oddly enough Star was the one in the kitchen cooking
>During the downtime when you and Gabriel were out working for Lysander, Fox was teaching Star how to cook
>As such she became a decent chef, not on Fox's level, but close enough
>You stood in the kitchen helping Star as she cooked up some steaks and asparagus covered in garlic butter
>Fox sat on a couch next to Gabriel with a very swollen tummy
>She darted around you muttering to herself about this and that
>How was something so small so fast
>"Star" you call to her as she rushes past you
>No answer, more rushing from stove to climbing up a counter to grab spices
>"STAR" you catch the tiny blur in your arms before she can zip away
>"Slow down babe! you're cooking fine, calm down it's ok"
>She struggles in vain to escape your arms
>"It has to be perfect though! Fox wanted Steaks!"
>You let her go and watch her poke the steaks for the 5th time in 60 seconds
>Maybe it's better to let her cook
>You leave the kitchen and plop down next to Fox on the couch
>On the TV there is a different part of the city on the news
>"The "Holy Emperors" are attempting to seize control of the ports after the fall of Andrew Belacov and the sailors at the hands of an unknown pair of bounty hunters"
>The TV shows a group of men clad in deep purple patrolling one of the Mini cities on an old cargo tanker
>Whatever, not your problem anymore
>You look over and see Fox Nuzzled into Gabriel's chest and can't help but smile
>God they were the perfect couple
>He was willing to lay down his life for her and the cub
>But then again so were you
>The saying is "Blood is thicker than water" is actually incorrect and misquoted
>The full saying is "Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb"
>The people you chose to be close to you are more important than family and this was a prime example of that
>you had Star, your tiny hyperactive shut in Opossum
>Fox, the closest thing you had to a sister
>And Gabriel, your brother, the one Human who treated you like you were actually something
>You sat next to them, Gabriel with his real human hand resting on Fox's tummy
>"Oh I felt a kick babe! Did you?" Fox swooned
>You could see him trying to hide a smile from you as he answered
>"Yea I felt it Love, I'm glad she's growing up strong"
>God your heart couldn't take much more of this stuff
>"Have you guys decided on a name for her yet?" you ask
>They had been very hush hush about it prior due to the uneasiness of Fox's pregnancy
>Hopefully they were a little more willing to share
>"We have Null" Fox says with a coy smile
>"AAANNNDDD?!"
>Star is peeking out from the kitchen, her ears perked up to hear
>"We decided on "Hope" for the Hope her uncle never gave up when I was injured" says Fox beaming at you
>You're at a loss for words
>Hope?
>One of the few things you had ever had when you were alive
>Yet when it mattered most, when yours and their backs were against the walls
>You shone through without fancy augments and implants
>Just a basic human showed the way
>Maybe Fox and Gabriel had a solid idea not letting their cub get augmented
>You run your hand through your hair slowly, looking at them
>"You're going to be a great uncle Anon, and Star will be a great Aunt"
>You look over to star who has her paws to her cheeks and is bouncing happily while looking at Fox
>"OOOOOO! I'll try to be Fox! I Love you guys!"
>Her eyes show wildly pulsing hearts before she darts back into the kitchen
>"Food's almost ready! Anon Help me set the table!"
>Goddammit you just sat down too
>Begrudgingly you pull yourself off the couch and head back into the kitchen to a very bouncy Star
>She pounces onto you as soon as you enter the kitchen
>"This is so nice Anon! I Love being able to cook for you and Gabe and Fox!
>You hug her close and pick her up in a gentle twirl
>The hearts in her eyes pulse quickly
>"Your cooking has improved a lot Star, I'm happy you found another thing you like doing"
>It saved you from having to always get more Gunpla for her thats for sure
>A quick kiss and you set her down and start getting plates
>Whatever was coming, good or bad, you know that you could all handle it together


~End Volume 1~