Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

The Alvarado V4F 570 Delegate, a sleek and expensive-looking ride, was cruising down Night City's streets—a sunny day reflecting brightly off the car's polished exterior. But today was not a good day to flaunt such a luxury vehicle. The peace of the day was shattered by the sharp cracks of gunfire echoing through the streets, drawing the attention of anyone close by.

Asuka and Jackie were on Jackie's ARCH Nazare, their bikes roaring as they sped after the Alvarado. Sasha was further back on her own bike, maintaining a safe distance as she focused on her interface. The target in the Alvarado was someone who Padre needed dealt with—a corpo who had crossed too many lines and made someone angry he shouldn’t have.

"Dammit, the thing's bulletproof!" Jackie shouted over the roar of their bike and the sound of gunfire bouncing off the Alvarado's reinforced panels. Asuka was unloading her revolver, but each shot was just ricocheting off, barely even scratching the car's polished exterior.

"No drek," Asuka muttered, her expression turning from frustration to determination. She turned to Jackie, her eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. “Get us closer, Jack. We're doing this Arasaka ninja style.”

Jackie shot her a sideways look, a mix of disbelief and amusement. “You sure about that, chica?” But there was no hesitation in his voice as he revved the bike, pushing it to its limits. They sped closer, the bike's engine growling as it drew alongside the car. Sasha's voice crackled through their comms, her tone steady amidst the chaos.

"I'm right on the target," Sasha said, her eyes focused on her own bike's heads-up display, showing her the tracking signal she had locked onto. “He’s right below you, Asuka. Make it count.”

Asuka nodded, her eyes fixed on the moving Alvarado. Without another word, she crouched on Jackie's bike, her muscles coiling, then launched herself onto the Alvarado's roof in a fluid, confident movement, her reinforced legs giving her the power and distance she needed to make the leap.

She landed on the car’s roof, the wind roaring around her, her chrome limbs absorbing the impact. She crouched low, her mantis blades ejecting with a satisfying metallic hiss. She took a moment to find her balance as the car swerved wildly, the driver clearly panicking at the unexpected passenger.

“Alright, ninja style,” Asuka murmured to herself with a grin before driving her blades down into the roof. They slid in effortlessly, the high-grade mantis blades cutting through the armored roof like butter. She pulled them out, then stabbed down again, and again—each strike puncturing the car's defenses and inching her closer to the target inside.

Through her comms, Sasha's voice came through again, "He's right under you. Keep going!"

Asuka grinned fiercely, her heart pounding with adrenaline as she made the final strike, the blades plunging straight down. A muffled scream from inside the car was quickly silenced, and she knew she’d hit her mark.

Suddenly, the car windows began to lower, and bodyguards leaned out, their guns aimed at her. Before they could fire, Jackie swung his bike around, aiming his shotgun and pulling the trigger. The blast echoed through the street, taking out one of the guards instantly, the second one barely having time to react before Jackie fired again, ending any chance of retaliation.

“Got your back, chica!” Jackie shouted, his voice a mix of relief and excitement.

With the target down and the bodyguards eliminated, Asuka pulled her blades out, retracting them back into her arms. She pushed herself off the Alvarado, her legs coiling before launching herself back onto Jackie's bike with a graceful leap. She landed behind him, gripping his waist as they both looked at each other, sharing a quick nod.

“Let’s bounce, Jack,” Asuka said, and Jackie slammed down on the accelerator. The ARCH Nazare roared in response, its tires squealing as they sped away from the scene, leaving the Alvarado behind, its windows shattered, its driver dead, and chaos in their wake.

Further back, Sasha watched from her bike, her comms still open, her expression calm but with a small smile of satisfaction. "Good work, Asuka. Nice stabbing, as always." She revved her bike and followed, making sure the coast was clear as they fled the scene.

After several minutes of weaving through traffic, cutting down alleyways, and making sure they weren’t being followed, they finally found a safe spot—a deserted parking lot beneath an overpass. Jackie slowed the bike, coming to a stop as Asuka hopped off, her adrenaline still buzzing through her veins.

Sasha pulled up next to them, dismounting her bike as she turned to Asuka and Jackie, her face half-lit by the sun glow. “That went pretty smooth,” she said, her voice neutral, but with a hint of satisfaction.

Jackie pulled out his comm unit, dialing up Padre. As he waited for the line to connect, he glanced at Asuka, a grin spreading across his face. “You really went full ninja up there, chica.”

Asuka smirked, her hands resting on her hips as she shook her head. “You know it, Jack. Arasaka ninja style, straight out of the vids.”

The line clicked as Padre’s calm, measured voice came through. “Is it done?” he asked, skipping straight to business.

Jackie nodded, though Padre couldn’t see it. “All done, Padre. Our target’s not a problem anymore. Nice and clean, just like you asked.”

There was a pause, then the sound of Padre’s approval. “Good. The eddies will be transferred shortly. Stay safe, my friends. This city has a way of biting back.” The line disconnected with a soft click, leaving them alone under the overpass.

Sasha leaned against her bike, watching the two of them with a small smile. “You two always manage to make even the easy gigs look like a vid show.”

Jackie shrugged, his grin widening. “That’s how we roll, Sasha. Style points, always.”

Asuka laughed, her chrome arms glinting as she held them up. “Exactly. You don’t get upgrades like these just to blend in, y’know?”

After wrapping up the gig and pocketing the eddies, Asuka, Jackie, and Sasha found themselves at Joe's Diner, a familiar haunt where they could grab something decent to eat and decompress after a job well done. The diner was bustling with the usual mix of customers—mercs and some folks just trying to scrape by. The neon lights bathed the place in a dim, almost nostalgic glow, and the soft hum of conversation filled the air.

They took their usual booth, sliding in with the comfort of routine. Jackie was leaning back, his jacket draped loosely over his broad shoulders, while Sasha sat across from him, her fingers still occasionally tapping away, her eyes glancing around, as if always on alert.

Asuka was in the middle, her chrome limbs propped up on the table, the glint of her new upgrades catching the light. She took a long drink from her synth-beer, setting it down with a sigh before finally voicing the thought that had been gnawing at her for a while.

"Y'know, there's something weird in the air lately," she said, her voice uncharacteristically serious. She looked from Jackie to Sasha, her brow slightly furrowed. "Like, there's this tension... not just here in Night City, but everywhere. Feels like something big's coming, and not the good kind of big."

Jackie nodded, his expression darkening slightly as he glanced out the window. The streets outside were as chaotic as always—traffic, people moving about, the hum of the city's neon-lit life—but there was an edge to it, something almost desperate. He sighed, picking up his drink and taking a sip. "Yeah, chica. I’ve been hearing things, too. Word’s that the Free States and the NUSA are gearing up for something real nasty. Talk about another war brewing."

Sasha looked up, her blue eyes narrowing slightly, the pink rings around her pupils seeming to glint with concern. "I've been seeing the chatter in the net, too," she said quietly, her voice softer, more thoughtful than usual. "Rumors about the NUSA pushing harder, trying to get the Free States under control. It's like the whole place is on the edge of a knife. And if it comes to blows, Night City's gonna be right in the middle of it." She paused, her eyes flicking to the windows. "And if there’s one thing I know, it's that this city's never gonna come out unscathed from something like that."

Asuka leaned back in the booth, her gaze drifting towards the city. There was a strange, almost sickening tension around, like the city itself was holding its breath, waiting for the first shot to be fired. "Yeah, it's like everyone’s on edge. Even the scavs we hit these days—they were more wired than usual, more desperate." She paused, frowning. "It’s like the entire underworld’s bracing for something... a shit show."

Jackie grunted, nodding along. “You’re damn right. And you know what that means for us?” He smirked, but it lacked its usual warmth. “More gigs. More corpos needing dirty work done, more people needing protection, and a whole lot more danger coming our way. But also more eddies if we play it right.”

Sasha snorted softly, her fingers idly spinning the coffee cup in front of her. "Yeah, but at what cost? I mean, I’m all for making a profit, but if things go south, and this turns into an all-out war, we’re talking about entire districts getting leveled. Gangs, corpos, mercs—everyone's gonna be at each other’s throats. It's not just about money; it's survival."

Asuka gave a grim nod, her face losing some of its usual playful demeanor. "True enough. War doesn’t pick sides in this city—it just leaves bodies in the streets. And when the NUSA starts pushing, the corpos are gonna do whatever it takes to protect their interests. Which means more chaos, more fighting, and us getting caught in the middle." She let out a breath, her fingers drumming lightly on her chrome arm. "Gotta be ready for it, though. Whatever happens, we stick together, yeah? Watch each other's backs."

Jackie gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, his grin returning slightly. "Always, chica. You know I ain’t going nowhere without you guys."

Sasha nodded in agreement, her expression softening a little, a rare hint of vulnerability showing. "Yeah, we stick together. That’s the only way to make it through whatever's coming."

The three of them shared a moment of silence, the sounds of Joe’s Diner fading into the background as they all contemplated what lay ahead. There was a heavy reality to it all—Night City was a beast that devoured the weak, and if the Free States and the NUSA clashed, it would only get worse.

After a moment, Asuka finally let out a long breath, her lips quirking into a small smile. "Alright, enough of the doom and gloom," she said, lifting her glass. "To us. Whatever happens, we’ve got this. We’re the best damn crew this city's ever seen."