Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

The sun glinted off the glass towers of City Center as Asuka and Sasha walked through the bustling streets. Asuka’s chrome limbs caught the light, her pink accents glistening amidst the sea of gray and steel. Sasha, meanwhile, walked beside her, her eyes constantly moving—watchful, observant, always on the lookout for trouble or anything out of place.

As they turned a corner, the skeletal structure of the new Arasaka Tower loomed in the distance, still under construction, its framework casting long shadows over the street below. Workers moved like ants, machinery clanging and booming as they worked on rebuilding what had once stood as a monument to corporate power and control.

Sasha’s lips curled into a grimace, her gaze lingering on the construction site. She shook her head, her voice dripping with disdain. "Can't believe they're rebuilding that damn thing. Like they didn't learn anything from the first time it got blown sky-high."

Asuka glanced over, her expression neutral, her shoulders shrugging casually. “Yeah, well, it’s Arasaka. They don’t know how to quit. They just keep coming back, no matter how many times they get smacked down.”

Sasha huffed, her eyes narrowing. “And people just let them, you know? Like it’s fine for them to keep putting their claws into this city. Just looking at that tower makes my skin crawl.”

Asuka smirked, nudging Sasha’s shoulder lightly with her own. “You’re all worked up, Sasha. It’s just a building. Corpo drama doesn’t faze me much. As long as I get my gigs and my eddies, they can build as many towers as they want.”

Sasha looked at Asuka, her mouth twisted in that familiar sarcastic smile of hers. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re just happy as long as it’s paying for more pink chrome, right?” She eyed the polished silver and pink of Asuka’s arms with mock disapproval, though there was a hint of a smile there too. It was Sasha’s way of dealing with how indifferent Asuka seemed about things that drove her mad.

Asuka laughed, the sound carefree, her eyes twinkling as they moved past the tower and down a quieter street towards her favorite clothing store. “Pretty much. Speaking of which,” she said, her grin widening, “time to pick up my latest gear. Can’t stay on top without looking the part, right?”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless, you know that?”

They arrived at the store, its neon pink sign glowing brightly, reflecting off the polished windows. Asuka pushed open the door, the sound of a small bell chiming as they entered. The employees glanced up, their faces lighting up with recognition. One of the salespeople approached them, his smile wide.

“Asuka! Glad to see you again,” he said, his tone cheerful. “Your custom pieces are ready. We’ve got everything prepped—new pink vinyl jacket, reinforced leggings, and some other pieces you requested. I think you’ll love them.”

Asuka grinned, her eyes lighting up. “Perfect. Been looking forward to this. Let’s see ‘em.”

Sasha leaned back against a display, crossing her arms as Asuka went through her new clothes, trying on the jacket, the bright pink material shimmering as she adjusted it. Sasha watched, her expression amused but faintly exasperated. "You and your obsession with pink. One day, Asuka, you’ll surprise us all by wearing something black."

Asuka gave her a dramatic gasp, her eyes widening with mock surprise. “Black? Me? Sasha, that’s sacrilege. Pink is life, you know that.”

Sasha smirked, shaking her head as Asuka paid for her clothes, the employees giving her bags filled with her new gear. “Alright, alright. Let’s get out of here before you buy the entire store.”

Once the bags were loaded onto Asuka's bike, they took off towards Watson, the city flashing by in streaks of neon and chrome. The ride was smooth for a while, the wind whipping past them, Sasha's hands gripping Asuka’s waist to keep steady as they maneuvered through the city’s twists and turns.

That was until they found themselves behind a sleek corporate car, its black body glinting ominously under the streetlights. Asuka narrowed her eyes slightly as they trailed behind, her engine purring steadily. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an Animal’s car sped into view, skidding across the asphalt before positioning itself directly in front of the corpo car. Gunfire erupted, flashes of muzzle light cutting through the dusk as the Animals opened fire on the corporate vehicle.

Asuka sighed, her annoyance clear as she twisted her head just slightly, enough for Sasha to hear her. “Typical night in Night City, huh? Can’t even head home without some gonk trying to start a firefight.”

Sasha leaned in, her voice dry and unimpressed. “I swear, we’re like magnets for this crap. Corpo gonks and Animals—don’t they have better things to do?”

The corporate car, heavily armored, took the bullets with ease, the rounds barely scratching the surface. Asuka and Sasha watched as the Animals grew increasingly frustrated, eventually pulling out a rocket launcher, the telltale tube peeking out the window of their car.

Both Asuka and Sasha sighed in unison, exchanging a knowing look. Without a word, Asuka twisted the throttle, her bike roaring as they sped up, swerving around the two cars. Sasha glanced back as they picked up speed, her eyes widening slightly as she saw the explosion light up the street behind them.

The sound of the blast echoed through the night, followed by the sight of the corpo car being thrown up into the air, its frame twisting in a burst of fire and smoke. Sasha shook her head, letting out a small, frustrated laugh. “Every damn time. They really don’t know when to quit, huh?”

Asuka just grinned, shrugging as she focused on the road ahead, her voice carrying that usual cool detachment. “Yeah, well, not our problem, right? Let’s just get home, Sasha.”

They sped away, leaving behind the chaos, the flames flickering in the distance. Night City was relentless—always throwing danger in their path, always ready to disrupt even the simplest of plans. But as long as they kept moving, as long as they kept laughing at the insanity of it all, Asuka figured they’d be just fine.

Sasha tightened her grip around Asuka's waist, her voice still carrying that dry, sarcastic edge but tinged with warmth. “Just another day, right?”

Asuka smiled, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Exactly, just another day in Night City.”

The hum of the bike finally died down as they parked outside the apartment complex, the neon sign above flickering faintly. Asuka and Sasha walked through the familiar hallways, the chipped paint and graffiti on the walls feeling almost like a comforting sign of home. It had been a long day—between dodging rocket-launcher-wielding Animals and picking up some new threads, they were both ready to unwind.

They opened the door to the apartment, stepping into their shared space. The air was cool, and the soft hum of electronics echoed from the far room—the netrunner’s room that Sasha had set up for herself and Lucy.

They both headed in to check on Lucy, glancing through the open door. What they saw made Asuka stop for a moment, blinking in surprise, before a familiar smirk spread across her lips.

Lucy was connected to the Net, her eyes closed in deep focus, but instead of being seated in the ergonomic netrunner chair they’d set up for her, she was lying in a goddamn bathtub filled with ice, wires trailing from her temples and her deck balanced precariously on the edge. The stark cold contrasted with her calm expression, her breath leaving small puffs in the cool air.

Asuka shook her head, chuckling. “Lucy, seriously? Bathtub with ice? Again?” she muttered, though her voice carried more amusement than irritation. It wasn't the first time they’d found Lucy like this. Over time, it had become clear that she had an aversion to the standard netrunner chairs—something about them made her restless. And so, Lucy had found her own way, preferring the cold shock of ice to help her focus.

Sasha rolled her eyes, leaning in the doorway for a moment, her hands on her hips. “You really are a weird one, Lucy. But whatever works, I guess,” she said under her breath, before turning away.

She gave Asuka a sideways look, shrugging slightly. “Well, at least she’s comfortable. I’m gonna head to my room. Got a new episode of that drama I’ve been watching,” she said, her voice casual, though Asuka caught the faint hint of excitement there.

Asuka raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. “The Japanese one, right? You know, for someone who’s all ‘anti-Arasaka’ and ‘down with the corpos,’ you sure like your Japanese dramas, Sasha.”

Sasha shot her a glare, though her lips twitched into a half-smile. “Yeah, yeah. They’re good, alright? Don’t judge me.” She waved her hand dismissively as she walked down the hallway. “See you later, Asuka.”

Asuka watched Sasha disappear into her room before shaking her head, the sound of the drama already starting to play through the walls—some cheesy line about unrequited love, no doubt. She chuckled to herself, feeling a warmth of camaraderie in their weird, cobbled-together crew.

She headed towards the armory, stepping into the compact room filled with racks of weapons and ammunition, its walls lined with gear she’d collected over countless gigs. Asuka grabbed her set of knives, their blades gleaming under the dim lighting of the room, the edges honed to perfection.

She faced the target set up at the far end of the room—human-shaped, with markings indicating vital spots—and took a deep breath, feeling the familiar tension in her muscles. Asuka focused, her eyes narrowing, her senses sharpening as she prepared herself.

In one swift movement, she drew her arm back and let the knife fly, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly accuracy before embedding itself in the target’s chest. She repeated the process, each knife finding its mark with precision. Her chrome limbs moved fluidly, the upgrades giving her increased control, power, and the finesse that came with her refined, elegant aesthetic.

As she threw each knife, Asuka let her mind wander, imagining herself in the middle of a firefight. The chaos of a combat zone, her Sandevistan kicking in, time slowing to a crawl as she moved through the battle like a ghost. She pictured herself, knives in hand, her enemies moving in sluggish, predictable arcs as she leaped and twisted, each throw perfectly aimed, each strike ending in a flash of metal and the satisfying sound of a target hit.

A grin spread across her face at the thought, the thrill of it all making her heart race. The sheer speed, the power, the control—it was intoxicating, and the knives were just an extension of herself, a way to bring her lethal intent into the physical world.

She imagined the look on some gonk’s face as he watched her materialize out of nowhere, her knives already in flight, her pink chrome glinting under the streetlights. The fear in their eyes, the helplessness as she moved faster than they could react—it made her blood sing.

Asuka threw the last knife, watching it bury itself into the target’s neck, dead center. She took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline still thrumming through her veins, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. She’d need to put this to the test in the field soon—maybe during her next gig. She was itching to see just how deadly she could be now, with her new chrome, her new Sandevistan, and her ever-improving skills.