Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows across the barren Badlands. Bullets whizzed overhead, kicking up dust and debris from the cracked earth. Asuka gritted her teeth, her metallic limbs sprawled awkwardly as she tried to press herself further into the cover of the jagged rock. A sharp, burning pain radiated from her side—just below the ribs, where the bullet had grazed her. Blood trickled down, staining her torn top, but the worst part was the throbbing ache that wouldn’t let her focus.

“Jackie!” she hissed, voice filled with equal parts pain and frustration. “I swear, when we get outta here, I’m never gonna let you choose another gig.”

Jackie, crouched next to her, let out a low chuckle despite the chaos. “This ain’t the time, chica. Just breathe.”

“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled, her hands gripping her wound tightly, feeling the warmth of her own blood. "I'm the one bleeding here." She winced, but the expression was quickly replaced by the cheeky grin that barely masked her discomfort. “You owe me new chrome after this.”

Her cybernetic fingers flexed, and she could feel the tingle in her neural link—her implants were still functioning, even if the rest of her body was screaming in agony.

Jackie peeked over the rock, then ducked as a spray of bullets ricocheted off the stone. “Shit, they’re getting closer.”

Asuka groaned, shifting to sit up, using one arm to stabilize herself against the rock. Her sky-blue irises flickered briefly as she activated her internal scanner, the interface overlaying on her vision. Three hostiles, about fifty meters out, moving fast. She spat out a curse in Japanese, followed by a strained laugh. "Jackie, how do you feel about a suicide run?"

He glanced back at her, brow furrowed. “You sure? You’re not exactly—”

“Do I look like a damsel in distress to you?” Asuka interrupted, her voice sharp, though there was a playful glint in her eyes. "Besides, my limbs aren’t shot, just a bit of meat. That’s replaceable."

Jackie grinned, shaking his head. “You’re crazy, chica.”

Asuka winked, then winced from the pain. “Damn straight.”

The plan, if you could call it that, was simple: hit them hard, fast, and hope for the best.

“On three,” Asuka breathed, her fingers tensing, the sleek chrome of her cybernetic arms gleaming as she readied her Mantis Blades. The hidden blades unfolded with a metallic hiss from her forearms, sharp and deadly, extending like the wings of a praying mantis. A similar pair unsheathed from her cybernetic legs, making her a deadly whirlwind of steel.

Jackie grunted in acknowledgment, clutching his shotgun close to his chest, the heat of the Badlands sun mixing with the rising tension. His fingers itched on the trigger, ready to blast anything in his path.

“One…” she whispered, feeling the adrenaline override the pain in her side. The wound would have to wait.

“Two…”

Before she could say "three," Asuka launched forward, her impatience getting the better of her, as always. Her cybernetic legs powered her forward, pushing off the dusty ground with an inhuman burst of speed.

Jackie rolled his eyes but followed right behind her. “Goddamn, chica!”

The first corpo soldier barely had time to raise his rifle before Asuka was on him, her Mantis Blades slicing through the air in a deadly arc. The blades from her arms cut clean through his torso with a sickening shhhkt. His body fell to the ground, limbs twitching, as she spun around just in time to catch a round from the second soldier in her shoulder.

“Gah!” she hissed through gritted teeth, the bullet lodging deep into her cyberarm. The pain was sharp, but her chrome held firm.

Jackie, right behind her, pumped his shotgun and unleashed hell. The blast ripped through the second soldier’s chest, sending him crashing back into the dirt. But before Jackie could reload, the third corpo soldier was on him, firing rapid shots into his side. Jackie grunted as the bullets tore into him, but with a bellowing roar, he swung the butt of his shotgun into the soldier’s face, shattering his visor and breaking bone.

The corpo staggered, blood pouring from his nose, but he wasn’t down yet. He raised his gun to finish Jackie—until Asuka leaped into the air, her leg-blades extending, slicing downwards in a deadly overhead strike. The blades pierced through his back and out of his chest, pinning him to the ground with a final, gurgled scream.

Asuka landed beside the twitching corpse, her breath coming in ragged gasps, the rush of the fight momentarily dulling the pain that was pulsing through her body. The world spun for a second, her vision flickering as she tried to steady herself. Her side was drenched in blood, and the bullet in her shoulder was sending electric shocks through her cybernetics. Jackie wasn’t faring much better, clutching his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

“Well… that wasn’t... so bad,” she muttered, leaning heavily against the wreckage of one of the soldiers.

Jackie let out a bark of laughter, wincing immediately as the motion sent a jolt of pain through his wounds. “Yeah, real smooth… for a suicide run.”

Asuka snorted, though it came out more like a pained grunt. “You know me—can’t resist makin’ an entrance.” She wiped a smear of blood from her cheek, eyes flicking around to make sure the coast was clear.

Jackie looked down at her, brow furrowing in concern despite the adrenaline. “You’re lookin’ rough, chica.”

She shrugged, though the movement made her wince again. “Same to you. Just… need some fix up from old man.” She glanced at her shoulder “It’s fine. I’m still cute.”

Jackie shook his head, muttering something about “crazy gals” as he pulled her up. Together, bloodied but alive, they limped toward the distant horizon, away from the corpses.

Asuka and Jackie trudged through the desolate wasteland, the low hum of the distant city barely audible in the oppressive silence of the Badlands. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving only the faint glow of Night City on the horizon. Asuka’s legs felt heavy—despite being cybernetic, the damage was taking its toll. Every step sent sharp jolts of pain from her wounded side and shoulder. She grit her teeth, refusing to show just how bad it really was, but Jackie wasn’t fooled.

“Chica, you’re gonna bleed out before we get anywhere near a clinic,” he muttered, his own steps slower than usual.

Asuka shot him a glare, though it lacked its usual fire. “I’m fine. Just need… my dad.” She paused, leaning heavily on a rusted out car wreck for support. “He’ll send someone. He always does.”

Without another word, she activated her internal comms, her vision flickering slightly as her optics adjusted, bringing up Viktor’s direct line. She hesitated for a second, the pain and exhaustion making her uncharacteristically vulnerable. But the familiar warmth of her father’s voice on the other end steadied her nerves.

“Dad…” she said, trying to sound casual, but her voice cracked just slightly. “I, uh… might need a pickup. We’re in the Badlands, just had a run-in with some corpos.” She winced, holding her bleeding side tighter. “I’m fine, really. Just a scratch.” The bravado didn’t quite mask the pain in her voice, but she powered through. “But… Jackie’s hurt too. Can you—?”

There was a pause on the other end, and she could practically see the look of concern forming on Viktor’s face. He always knew when she was hiding something.

“Asuka,” Viktor’s voice came through, calm but laced with that familiar fatherly concern. “How bad?”

She bit her lip, sighing. “Bad enough. We’re not gonna make it back without some help.”

“I’m sending some guys. Don’t move. And don’t even think about trying to walk it off. You hear me?” His voice softened, but the concern remained. “I’ll patch you up myself when they get you here.”

She couldn’t help but smile despite the pain. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You hang tight. They’ll be there fast.”

The comm cut out, and Asuka let out a long breath, leaning back against the wreckage with her eyes closed. “Help’s coming.”

Jackie grunted, shifting to sit beside her. “Vik always pulls through, huh?”

Asuka nodded, her eyes scanning the horizon. “Yeah. He’s… the best.” Her voice softened, showing the rare side of her—the girl who always knew her dad had her back, no matter how messy things got. “He’s gonna freak when he sees this,” she muttered, glancing at her torn shoulder “Probably give me a lecture.”

Jackie smirked, wiping blood from his brow. “Well, you did rush into that fight.”

She shot him a weak but playful glare. “Like you didn’t enjoy blasting those corpos.”

They shared a tired laugh, the camaraderie easing the tension of their injuries. Moments later, the low rumble of engines cut through the silence. Asuka’s enhanced optics picked up on the headlights approaching fast from the distance—a couple of heavily modified cars kicking up dust as they raced toward them.

“Told ya,” Asuka murmured with a smirk.

The cars screeched to a halt, and several heavily armed mercs piled out. One of them, a hulking figure with a scarred face and glowing red optics, strode over. “You two look like shit,” he grunted, eyeing their bloodied forms. “Vik sent us. Let’s get you outta here.”

“Nice to see you too, Brutus,” Asuka quipped, though she nearly collapsed as she tried to stand. Brutus caught her arm and helped her into one of the vehicles, while another merc helped Jackie into the back of a second car. The seats were surprisingly comfortable, and the moment Asuka’s head hit the backrest, she let out a long sigh of relief.

The ride back to Night City was fast, the mercs pushing the pedal to the metal. Asuka’s vision blurred as exhaustion began to take over, but she forced herself to stay awake. She wasn’t about to let Jackie see her pass out from pain. Not yet.

The convoy tore through the streets of Night City, the neon lights blurring past as they sped toward the one place Asuka knew she’d be safe—her dad’s clinic. Within minutes, they were pulling up outside, and as the doors opened, Viktor was already there, waiting, a concerned frown on his face.

“Asuka…” he sighed, rushing over as his loyal mercs helped her out of the car. “What the hell happened?”

Asuka grinned weakly, leaning into his arms. “It’s fine, Dad. Just… you know, a little scratch.”

Viktor shook his head, clearly not buying her attempt to downplay it. “You and your ‘little scratches,’” he muttered, guiding her inside. “Let’s get you patched up.”

Asuka allowed herself to relax for the first time since the firefight. She was safe now. Vik would take care of everything, just like he always did through her life.

The clinic was quiet, save for the soft hum of medical equipment and the low voices in the background. Asuka was lying back on one of Viktor’s operating tables, her arm detached as he worked on the damaged cybernetics.

Jackie sat on a nearby chair, shirt off, revealing the fresh patches and stitches Viktor had applied to his side. He looked tired, but in typical Jackie fashion, he was already grinning, as if the whole thing was just another wild story to tell at the Afterlife.

Viktor’s gruff voice broke the silence as he finished repairing the cyberarm . “Alright, that should do it. Try moving it.”

Asuka flexed her fingers, rotating her wrist, then her elbow. Everything felt smooth again. “Feels good, Vik. Better than new,” she said with a soft smile, but the exhaustion in her voice was unmistakable.

Vik sighed, shaking his head as he moved on to clean up the rest of his tools. “Better than new, huh? Maybe next time don’t push that chrome so hard you nearly rip it off.” He shot her a stern look over his shoulder, but there was an undeniable softness in his eyes. “You’ve got some nerve, kid, pulling a stunt like that.”

Asuka chuckled, though it came out more as a tired laugh. “Yeah, well, what can I say? You raised me to be reckless.”

Jackie barked out a laugh from his seat. “Reckless? More like crazy. We were this close to being worm food out there, chica.”

Viktor’s eyes narrowed as he folded his arms across his chest, looking between the two of them. “Alright, spill it. What the hell were you two doing out there in the Badlands? You don’t just end up that deep without some kind of plan—or in your case, a half-baked one.”

Asuka exchanged a glance with Jackie, who shrugged. He leaned forward, running a hand through his hair, clearly still feeling the weight of the day’s events. “We… uh, did a gig,” he started, rubbing the back of his neck. “Klepped a Militech convoy.”

Viktor’s face darkened, and he leaned in, eyes widening with disbelief. “A Militech convoy?”

Asuka sighed, nodding. “Yeah. Wasn’t our idea. We were hired by some guys. Supposed to be a clean hit—swoop in, klep some high-grade corpo tech, get out.”

“But…” Jackie added, grimacing, “turns out the intel was shit. They said it was a light escort, maybe a couple of drones.” He shook his head. “But it was a full goddamn convoy—three AVs, an armored truck, and a half-dozen soldiers. The other guys? They didn’t make it. We barely got out with our hides intact.”

Viktor ran a hand down his face, his frown deepening. “And you two geniuses thought it was a good idea to take on Militech, with half-baked intel, and barely any backup?” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Are you outta your goddamn minds?”

Jackie shrugged, though there was no hiding the sheepish look on his face. “We needed the eddies, Vik. It sounded like a sweet deal.”

Asuka stayed quiet, glancing down at her repaired arm. She hated disappointing him, but deep down, she knew he was right.

Viktor paced for a moment, clearly trying to contain his frustration, before he stopped in front of them. “You’re both rookies,” he said, voice firm but not unkind. “I know you think you’re hot shit, but pulling a job like that, without experience? That’s how you get killed. And you got lucky today. Real lucky.”

Asuka bit her lip, her usual cocky demeanor fading. “We know, Vik. We screwed up.”

“Damn right, you did,” Viktor said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ve got potential, kid. Both of you do. But if you keep going after these big corpo jobs before you’re ready, it’s only a matter of time before your luck runs out.” He looked down at Asuka, his expression softening just a bit. “You should be doing rookie gigs. Simple stuff, until you’ve got the experience to handle something bigger.”

Asuka sighed, leaning back on the table. She hated being told to slow down, but there was no denying that Viktor was right. She glanced at Jackie, who nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, Vik,” Jackie said, standing up with a groan as he stretched his arms. “You’re right. We got in way over our heads.”

Viktor crossed his arms, his tone softening now that the scolding was over. “Look, I get it. You wanna prove yourselves. Make a name. But there’s a process. Do the small gigs first, build up your rep, your skills. Don’t go klepping corpo convoys until you’re ready. And for god’s sake, vet your intel next time.”

Asuka cracked a small, sheepish grin. “Got it, Dad. No more Militech convoys until I’m a big-shot merc.”

Viktor’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “You’re lucky I don’t bolt you to the damn floor to keep you from running off on some other death wish.”

Jackie laughed, shaking his head. “We’ll play it smarter next time, promise.”

“Yeah,” Asuka added with a wink, “I’d hate to mess up all your hard work on this arm.”

Viktor just rolled his eyes, though there was a glimmer of pride beneath his stern exterior. “Alright, get outta here before I change my mind. And try not to get yourselves killed.”

They both stood up, still sore and tired, but grateful to have walked away from the job alive. Asuka gave Viktor a quick hug—something she only did when it was just the two of them.

“Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, feeling the weight of the day lift just a little.

Viktor patted her on the back gently. “Take care of yourself, kid. I don’t want to see you back here on that table any time soon, alright?”

She gave him a lopsided grin. “No promises.”

As Jackie and Asuka made their way out of the clinic, they exchanged a look.

“So,” Jackie said, smirking, “easy gigs from now on?”

Asuka shrugged, her grin returning. “We’ll see. Can’t make it too boring.”

Jackie laughed, shaking his head. “Chica, you’re gonna be the death of me.”

With a smirk and a quick flex of her newly repaired arm, Asuka replied, “Not today, Jackie. Not today.”