Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

A few days later, the merc party was in full swing. It was one of those late-afternoon gatherings that gradually blurred into the evening, filled with drinks, music, and, of course, plenty of gigs talk. The scene was set in a vacant lot somewhere in Watson, surrounded by a mix of edgerunners showing off their rides, swapping stories, and trying to one-up each other with tales of danger, victory, and narrow escapes.

Asuka and Sasha were perched on the roof of the Behemoth, proudly showcasing their new prize to anyone who came near. They had named it "Pink Kitty"—an amusing combination of their personalities. The pink was unmistakably from Asuka, her favorite shade plastered everywhere, while kitty was inspired by Sasha, her quieter but slyly playful nature adding a touch of something cute yet dangerous.

The truck had undergone a bit of a transformation since they'd claimed it from El Capitán. They had painted "Pink Kitty" in neon pink across both sides of the Behemoth, with small Valentinos symbols accenting the body—an homage to Jackie's roots. Here and there, they'd also added small drawings of cats, their mischievous expressions adding an unexpected charm to the otherwise massive armored truck. And on the front of the Behemoth, was a large, cute cat drawing in bright pink, its round eyes and tiny paws giving an oddly welcoming expression to the otherwise menacing vehicle.

The whole setup had been a battle of artistic wills. Jackie had fought hard to keep the Behemoth from being completely overwhelmed by Asuka’s pink madness. He’d also insisted that if cats were going to be involved, they’d keep it tasteful—no entire army of kittens covering his rolling fortress. In the end, they had compromised, and Pink Kitty was the perfect mix of all their styles. It had a vibe of badass merc energy mixed with a dose of Asuka’s flair and Sasha’s quietly playful side, let's be real the badass merc energy is a lie.

“Come on up, chooms!” Asuka called down to a few curious mercs, waving them over. She had a wide grin on her face as she gestured to the top hatch of the Behemoth. “We’re not just about looks, we got the tech too—Pink Kitty’s got everything you need, and then some.”

Sasha nodded beside her, sitting on the edge of the roof, her legs dangling. “Yeah, seriously. Space for the bikes, all the gear you could want, plus enough armor to drive through a brick wall if we felt like it.”

A group of mercs, crowded around, admiring the Behemoth. One of them, a hulking guy with a cybernetic arm, leaned in to look at the cat drawing on the front.

“A pink cat, huh?” he asked, a grin spreading across his face. “You sure this thing’s as tough as it looks?”

“Choom that’s a militech behemoth, it’s more than tough” said a merc that was more experienced.

Asuka smirked, crossing her arms as she looked down at him from her perch on the roof. “That guy is right, Pink Kitty is the toughest in Night City. That cat’s just there to let people know they’re in for a surprise if they mess with us. Looks cute, but get too close, and those claws come out.”

Sasha shrugged, giving the guy a sly smile. “Consider it our version of a warning. Cross us, and you’ll be dealing with more than just a cute face.”

Meanwhile, Jackie was leaning against a stack of shipping crates a few yards away, slouching with an almost exasperated expression. He was with Maine’s crew, nodding occasionally as Maine and Pilar were discussing a recent gig, Pilar staring more at Asuka than talking. Rebecca was sitting on top of a crate, kicking her feet lazily while glancing over at Asuka and Sasha with an expression that alternated between curiosity and mild annoyance.

Dorio, standing beside Maine, nudged Jackie with a grin. “Your crew seems to be having a lot of fun with that ride of yours,” she teased, nodding toward Asuka and Sasha.

Jackie rolled his eyes, letting out a small sigh. “Yeah, well, you know how it is. You try to keep things simple, but then it’s all ‘let’s paint it pink,’ and ‘let’s add cats.’” He gestured with his hand, his tone joking but with a hint of defeat. “I fought the good fight, Dorio, but I lost. Now we got a truck named Pink Kitty, with a big-ass pink cat on the front.”

Rebecca cackled from her spot on the crate, her grin wide. “Oh, you gotta be kiddin’ me. You’re ridin’ around in that thing? Man, I’d pay to see that—Mr. Macho in a pink catmobile.”

Jackie gave her a deadpan look, though he couldn’t entirely hide his own smile. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Rebecca. But just remember, this ‘catmobile’ could roll over a dozen gonks and keep going without even a dent. So unless you want to end up under it, keep talking.”

Maine chuckled, clinking his bottle against Jackie’s. “Ah, come on, Jackie. You know you secretly like it. Besides, you’re still standing here. If you hated it that much, you wouldn’t be rolling with them.”

Jackie shrugged, a small smile finally breaking through. “You’re right about that. Asuka, Sasha—they’re my crew. Crazy ideas and all, we stick together. Even if it means riding around in a giant pink truck named after a cat.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes dramatically. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with crazy. Sometimes crazy’s the only way to survive.”

Sasha, noticing Jackie with Maine’s crew, waved down at him from the roof of the Behemoth. “Hey, Jackie! Why you slouching over there? Get up here—we’re about to show these gonks what Pink Kitty can really do!”

Jackie looked up, shaking his head with a smile as Asuka leaned over the edge, calling out too. “Yeah, Jackie, stop hiding! Get your ass up here!”

Maine gave him a shove, laughing. “Better go, Jackie. Sounds like your girls need you to complete the set.”

With a small sigh, Jackie pushed himself off the crate and started walking over to the Behemoth, his grin widening as he looked up at the ridiculous pink cat painted across the front. He slapped the armored side of the truck, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, I’m coming. Let’s show these mercs how it’s done—Pink Kitty style.”

Asuka had a grin that practically split her face in half as she sat in the driver's seat, with Sasha beside her and Jackie wedged in between, his grin just as wide. The plan was simple: show off some power and head out of the parking lot in style, make a bit of an impression on everyone hanging around.

“Alright, hold tight, chooms!” Asuka called out, her hands gripping the wheel, her foot heavy on the gas pedal.

The Behemoth roared to life, the growl of its massive engine cutting through the noise of the party as Asuka hit the accelerator, the Pink Kitty tearing out of the parking lot with the kind of force that only a tank-sized truck could muster. Jackie whooped, holding on to the dashboard, while Sasha braced herself with one hand, her face lit with a mix of excitement and mild worry.

As they approached the lot's exit, the headlights caught a sudden flash of movement. Asuka's eyes widened for a split second—there was a car, a Maelstrom ride, speeding straight into their path, clearly chasing another Maelstrom vehicle. Before anyone could react, Pink Kitty slammed into the side of the trailing car with a deafening crunch of metal and the unmistakable shattering of glass. The smaller car crumpled under the sheer weight of the Behemoth, its front end completely smashed as it spun out, skidding sideways until it came to a dead stop against a concrete divider.

The crowd at the party fell silent, a collective gasp echoing across the lot, all eyes wide and stunned at the sudden collision. For a moment, the only sound was the idle rumble of the Behemoth's engine and the hiss of steam escaping from the totaled Maelstrom car.

Asuka, Jackie, and Sasha all sat there for a beat, eyes wide, looking at each other, then at the destroyed vehicle in front of them.

“Holy shit,” Jackie muttered, glancing over at Asuka, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. “Did we just…?”

“Uh, yeah… yeah, we did,” Asuka replied, her voice somewhere between astonished and amused, her foot still pressing lightly on the brake. “Didn't see that coming, not gonna lie.”

Sasha, ever calm, blinked, shaking her head. “You know, I think we’re gonna need to rethink our exits.”

Before they could say more, the window of the car in front, the one that had been getting chased, rolled down. A Maelstrom ganger with a rugged face and a shaved head stuck his head out, his cyberware gleaming in the glow of the streetlights.

“Thanks!” he shouted, his voice carrying over the stunned silence. “Name’s Brick! Gonna remember this favor!” He gave them a thumbs-up before slamming his foot on the gas and peeling away, leaving behind the twisted wreck of the other car, a trail of rubber burning on the road as he disappeared into the night.

Asuka blinked, still gripping the wheel, her eyes tracking the car as it vanished into the streets of Watson. Slowly, she turned back to Jackie and Sasha, her mouth opening as if to say something—but she had nothing.

Jackie burst out laughing first, a loud, belly-deep laugh that shook his entire body. “What the hell just happened?! Did we just… Did we just help some Maelstrom guy out by accident?!”

Sasha snorted, her lips twitching up into a grin, though her eyes were still wide with disbelief. “Looks like it. And apparently, we just made a new friend.”

Asuka finally let out a laugh, her face breaking into a smile as she shook her head. “Only us, right? Only we could roll out of a party in our tank and end up saving some gonk’s ass without even trying.”

The crowd at the party was still staring, most of them completely bewildered by what they had just witnessed. The Maelstrom car lay in a heap, smoke rising from the mangled wreck, while Pink Kitty sat there, barely scratched, as if it had simply rolled over a pothole. A few of the other mercs began to clap, some even cheering, recognizing the sheer absurdity of what just went down.

Jackie leaned back, wiping a tear from his eye. “You know, Asuka, sometimes I think we got the weirdest luck in all of Night City.”

Asuka nodded, her smile still wide. “You know what? I think you’re right. But hey, we made a new ally, I guess. Not bad for a night out, huh?”

Sasha gave a small shrug, her smile softening into something amused. “Could be worse. I mean, better have a guy named Brick as an ally than an enemy, right? Though next time, maybe we check the road first.”

Asuka let out another laugh, shifting the Behemoth back into gear. “Deal. Alright, let’s get outta here before someone else decides they wanna play bumper cars.”