Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

Asuka woke up with her head pounding like a jackhammer, the bright sunlight streaming through the shattered windows of Kerry's villa feeling like a personal attack. She groaned, rubbing her temples as she tried to piece together exactly where she was and what had happened the previous night. Her eyes drifted around, landing first on the destroyed living room—a couch overturned, bottles scattered everywhere, and glass crunching beneath her feet as she stood up.

It wasn’t until she glanced to her left that she noticed the car—one of their stolen joyrides from the night before—sitting partially inside the villa, its front end sticking out amidst broken glass and debris. Asuka blinked, groaning again, her fingers pressing into her forehead as if she could physically squeeze out the headache.

“What the hell did we do…” she muttered to herself, her voice low and gravelly from dehydration and exhaustion.

Before she could process much more of the chaos around her, Yorinobu appeared, stumbling out from one of the other rooms, looking just as hungover. His disguise was off now, revealing his usual sharp features, though they were less composed, his hair mussed, and his eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. He held a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet as he approached her.

“Shhh…” Yorinobu whispered, his voice barely a breath. He pointed a shaky finger towards Kerry, who was sprawled out on the floor, an empty bottle clutched in his hand, snoring softly. He looked completely passed out, oblivious to the chaos around him. Yorinobu shot Asuka a grin that was halfway apologetic and halfway conspiratorial. “Let’s get out of here before he wakes up and realizes… all of this.”

Asuka couldn’t help but chuckle, despite the dull throb in her head. “Yeah, probably for the best,” she whispered back. She looked around once more, taking in the complete and utter mess—broken bottles, cigarette butts, the stolen car awkwardly parked inside the villa, and Kerry’s form among it all. It had been one hell of a night, but she wasn’t about to stick around for the aftermath.

The two of them tiptoed out, avoiding stepping on the shattered glass or anything that might make noise. They crept through the villa, managing to get out without waking the slumbering rockerboy. Yorinobu glanced around the quiet street, and with his usual grin, he gestured towards another car parked down the block—a decent-looking sedan, nothing flashy but certainly fast enough to get them out of here.

Yorinobu picked the lock, and they slipped inside, the engine coming to life with a low hum. Asuka settled into the passenger seat, sighing deeply as she leaned back, closing her eyes against the pain radiating through her skull.

The drive back was quieter than their antics from the previous night, both of them too hungover to manage much more than the occasional groan. They drove through the city, the early morning sun turning the highrises golden, casting long shadows over the empty streets. Finally, they pulled up in front of Asuka’s apartment building, the car coming to a gentle stop.

Asuka turned to Yorinobu, giving him a tired grin. “Thanks for the ride, Yori. Last night was… well, it was something.”

Yorinobu grinned back, his own expression softening in the aftermath of their wild night. He nodded, glancing down for a moment before looking back at her. “Honestly, Asuka, I’m pretty happy Hanako picked you to be my giri no shimai.” He paused, his grin turning slightly mischievous. “Finally a kazoku no ichiin who knows how to party.”

Asuka snorted, shaking her head slightly. “Well, I’m not sure if ‘party’ is the right word for what we did, but it was damn fun.”

Yorinobu’s smile widened, his eyes holding that sharp glint despite his obvious exhaustion. “Damn right. We’ll have to do it again sometime—maybe without completely wrecking a villa, though.”

Asuka laughed softly, wincing a bit from the pain the laughter sent through her skull. “Yeah, let’s aim for a bit less property damage next time.”

Yorinobu nodded, then raised his hand in a small wave as he pulled away from the curb. “Take care, Asuka. And remember—keep it quiet about last night. Especially around Kerry,” he added, his grin flashing one last time before he drove off, the sedan fading into the morning traffic of Night City.

Asuka watched him go, shaking her head as she made her way up to her apartment. The events of the night felt like a blur. She opened her apartment door, tossing her jacket onto the couch, her chrome limbs feeling heavier than usual.

Collapsing onto the couch, Asuka sighed deeply, her eyes closing as she let herself sink into the cushions.

Asuka woke up sprawled across the couch, the headache that had plagued her earlier gone, though her muscles still ached from the previous night's chaos. She heard the apartment door swing open and looked over to see Lucy and Sasha walking in, each carrying a few bags—probably groceries and whatever else they’d picked up during their errands.

Sasha took one look at Asuka, her eyes narrowing, suspicion obvious in her voice as she dropped her bags onto the kitchen counter. “What the hell happened to you, Asuka?” she asked, her tone half concerned and half incredulous.

Asuka smirked, stretching her arms above her head, her chrome glinting in the morning sunlight. “Oh, y’know,” she said casually, “just went out and partied with some new friends.” She left it at that, the grin on her face refusing to fade.

Sasha raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with the vague answer but unwilling to press. “Yeah? Well, looks like you’ve been run over by a cargo truck. Just... don’t drink too much next time,” she said, shaking her head as she moved towards the kitchen to unpack.

Lucy gave Asuka a small smile before following Sasha, and Asuka slowly got up from the couch.

She left her apartment, making her way through the bustling streets of Night City until she arrived at Judy’s place. She didn’t bother to announce herself, just knocked a few times before letting herself in—Judy had told her she could do that any time. She found Judy in her usual spot, seated at her desk, working on her latest braindance projects, her screens filled with a blur of video editing software and BD sequences.

Judy looked up as Asuka entered, her lips curling into a soft smile, her eyes brightening. “Well, look who decided to show up,” she said, teasing but affectionate. She gestured towards the chair beside her workstation. “C’mon in, sit down. I’m just working on some stuff.”

Asuka took a seat beside her, watching the screen without really understanding the details, just enjoying the moment.

As they talked, Judy kept getting a little touchy, her hand resting against Asuka’s thigh whenever she could, her fingers lingering. Asuka felt her breath hitch a little every time—Judy had this way of being both gentle and bold, and Asuka couldn’t help but feel the warmth of her touch even through the chrome.

Judy gave Asuka a mischievous grin, her eyes glinting as she noticed how Asuka tensed under her touch. "Still ticklish, huh?" she said playfully, her fingers tracing the spot gently.

“Shut up,” Asuka muttered, though there was no bite to her words, only the ghost of a smile.

They were both too caught up in the moment to notice Judy’s grandmother stepping into the room until it was too late.

“Ay, niñas, I brought some snacks,” Judy’s grandmother said, her voice cutting through the moment, and Asuka almost jumped, her eyes widening slightly in embarrassment. She quickly straightened in her seat, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, while Judy pulled her hand away, looking up at her grandmother with a sheepish smile.

“Thanks, abuela,” Judy said, taking the tray of snacks her grandmother handed her. The older woman eyed both of them, her lips twitching with a knowing smile, though she said nothing. She gave Judy a pat on the shoulder before heading back to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone again.

Asuka let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, shaking her head. Judy was laughing softly beside her, her eyes meeting Asuka’s with a twinkle of mischief.

“Caught in the act, huh?” Judy said, her grin widening.

“Shut up, Judes,” Asuka muttered, though she couldn’t help but smile back

The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the buildings as Asuka and Judy stepped out of Judy's apartment, making their way to Asuka's bike. The chaos of Night City was immediately apparent, a symphony of mayhem playing out right in front of them. Just a few steps away, a Maelstrom car sped past, the driver firing an automatic weapon out the window, bullets peppering the street. In pursuit was a Tyger Claw vehicle, its tires squealing as it weaved between pedestrians, trying to keep up.

Not far from that commotion, two random guys were beating the living daylight out of each other, their fists flying as a small crowd formed around them, cheering and jeering as the fight escalated. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting bright colors over the scene—pinks, greens, and blues blending into an almost dreamlike chaos.

To their left, someone set off a firework—likely stolen or bootlegged—that went soaring into the air, exploding in a brilliant burst of red and gold that drew the eyes of passersby for just a second while also starting a fire.

Asuka took in the scene, her lips curling into a grin, her eyes glinting with excitement. She turned to Judy, who was watching the madness unfold, her expression a mix of awe and exasperation.

“This,” Asuka said, her voice carrying a hint of pride, “this is why I love Night City.”

Judy glanced over at her, her brow raised, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile. “You love it because it's insane,” she said, shaking her head.

Asuka laughed, her chrome limbs glinting in the dimming light. “Exactly! Where else are you gonna find this kind of action, huh? The chaos, the unpredictability—it’s alive. It’s like… the city itself is just one giant gonk, constantly doing stupid shit, and I can't help but love it.”

Judy rolled her eyes, though her smile grew, her hand slipping into Asuka’s, giving it a small squeeze. “Well, as long as it doesn’t get us killed one day, I guess I can live with it,” she said, her tone teasing but with a trace of seriousness.

Asuka squeezed her hand back, her grin softening for just a moment. “Nah, we’ll be fine, Judes. I got you, you got me, and we got this whole crazy-ass city at our feet.”

Judy smiled, leaning into Asuka for a second, her head resting against her shoulder before she pulled away. “Alright, let’s get outta here before we become part of the entertainment.”

Just as Asuka and Judy were about to get on Asuka's bike, some random gonk thought it would be a good idea to try and grab Asuka's rear. He barely got his hand halfway there before Asuka's fist shot out—bam!—a chrome-knuckled punch landed square on his jaw.

The guy crumpled instantly, falling back like a ragdoll, out cold before he even hit the pavement.

Asuka barely even blinked, her expression indifferent as she shook her hand loose. "And stay down, choom," she muttered, more annoyed than anything else.

Judy just stared, then burst out laughing, covering her mouth. “Wow, Asuka. You handle that a lot?”

Asuka rolled her eyes, giving Judy a lopsided grin as she climbed onto her bike. “You’d be surprised, Judes. Gonks like that are everywhere.”

Judy hopped on behind her, wrapping her arms around Asuka’s waist, still grinning. “Well, I gotta say, you make it look easy.”

Asuka smirked, revving the engine. “Yeah, it's almost like a sport now. Alright, let's get outta here before another one pops up.”

And with that, they took off, leaving the unconscious gonk behind on the sidewalk.