Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

As they continued watching the anime, Asuka glanced over at Smasher with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hey, Smasher, you ever watch Baki?"

Smasher turned his head slightly, his cybernetic eye glowing faintly as he responded. "Baki, huh? How do you even know about that one? It’s five times older than you are."

Asuka smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. "My mom gave a copy to my dad when she found out he liked boxing. They used to watch it together."

Smasher nodded, clearly remembering the series. "Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. The fights, the violence… pure strength on display. The only downside is..." he paused, as if contemplating how to phrase it, "...they’re all meat. You can’t bring your meat body to that level in reality. Chrome? Now, that’s real power."

Asuka chuckled, thinking about the absurdity of some of the scenes in Baki, and she leaned forward a bit. "Yeah, you’re probably right. But you gotta admit, those insane battles are fun to watch, even if it’s all just fleshy stuff."

Before Smasher could respond, the door to the room slid open with a soft whoosh. Both Asuka and Smasher turned to see Hanako and Yorinobu standing in the doorway. Yorinobu was the first to speak, his voice sharp but relaxed. "Smasher, we have to go. It’s time."

Smasher grunted, clearly not in the mood to leave his anime session but knowing better than to argue. He stood up, towering over the couch as he shot one last glance at the TV screen. "Guess that’s the end of the fun."

Hanako’s eyes shifted to Asuka, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Asuka-chan, come with me. There’s something we need to discuss."

Asuka nodded, quickly rising from her seat. "Sure thing, Hanako," she said, giving Smasher a quick, playful salute. "Guess we’ll have to finish Jojo some other time."

Smasher grunted again, noncommittal, before walking out with Yorinobu, his massive form casting a long shadow as he left.

Following Hanako into another room, Asuka noticed a sleek black box sitting on the table. Hanako approached it with her usual grace, gently opening it to reveal a small, polished cyberware implant inside. Its design was minimalist but unmistakably high-end, radiating a certain intensity that even Asuka could sense from across the room.

Asuka raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is it?" she asked, leaning in for a closer look.

Hanako’s eyes sparkled with a mixture of pride and seriousness as she answered, "The most powerful ICE in the world, Asuka-chan."

Asuka blinked, her curiosity deepening. "How powerful are we talking?"

Hanako gently placed the implant back into its box, closing the lid with a soft click before looking directly at Asuka. "It's powerful enough to protect you from even the most dangerous threat—AIs," Hanako said, her voice lowering slightly as if speaking the truth of a secret not meant for many ears. "Every member of the Arasaka family and our highest-ranking enforcers have one. You know as well as I do that AIs are more than just myths or nightmares. They’re a real threat. We also know that Night Corp is using AI to control people... and is likely run by one."

Asuka's eyes widened. She had heard rumors about Night Corp's AI involvement, but it was different hearing it confirmed by someone like Hanako. She frowned, processing the implications. "So... this thing protects you from AIs?" she asked, glancing at the implant again. "Is it for me?"

Hanako’s lips curled into a soft smile as she stepped closer, slipping her arms around Asuka’s waist in a gentle, yet possessive, embrace. "Asuka darling, I’m a netrunner, and I know firsthand how powerful these things are. You, with all the chrome you carry, need this more than anyone. Imagine, you’re fighting an AI. It gets inside your systems, shuts down your cyberware, and you’re left defenseless. Without this implant, you’d be dead."

Asuka’s heart raced slightly, not out of fear, but out of understanding the weight of Hanako's words. She stared into Hanako’s eyes, seeing the genuine concern behind her normally composed expression.

"This implant will stop any AI from playing with your systems, from deactivating your cyberware, and turning you into an easy target," Hanako continued, her voice softening as she gazed up at Asuka. "I want you to have it. I want you to be safe."

For a moment, Asuka was caught between the intensity of Hanako’s words and the warmth of her embrace. She had never been one to shy away from danger, but the thought of facing an AI capable of shutting her down in the blink of an eye gave her pause. This implant could be the difference between life and death.

"You’re always looking out for me, huh?" Asuka said with a small, appreciative smile. "I’m not used to that, but... thanks. I’ll take it."

Hanako’s smile widened, relief flashing in her eyes. "Good," she said softly, resting her head briefly against Asuka’s chest. "I don’t want anything to happen to you. Not when you mean so much to me."

Asuka, feeling the weight of both the implant and Hanako’s affection, nodded. "Alright. Let’s get this thing installed."

Hanako pulled back slightly, her eyes glinting with affection and a hint of playfulness. "I’m glad you’re smart enough to listen, Asuka-chan."

Asuka stepped out of Arasaka Tower, feeling the familiar weight of her chrome but with a sense of newfound security. Beneath her skin, she could feel the subtle presence of the prototype subdermal armor recently installed—a gift from Hanako, offering her unparalleled protection. It was top-tier, covering her from heavy-duty rounds to fire and even electricity. She couldn't help but smirk, knowing this upgrade would make her even harder to take down.

In her hand, she carried a sleek, black box, containing something she was eager to pass along—new Gorilla Arms, straight from Arasaka's R&D labs. Hanako had mentioned giving them to Jackie, and Asuka was already imagining how stoked he’d be to get such an upgrade.

She hopped on her bike, the cool wind hitting her face as she sped away from the tower, her mind buzzing with thoughts of Jackie’s reaction. It felt good, knowing she was heading to see him with something that would level him up even further. Sure, they lived dangerous lives, but with these new arms and her own upgrades, they were going to be practically unstoppable.

As the towering skyline of Corpo Plaza began to shrink behind her, she couldn’t help but think about the future—what Hanako had mentioned about AIs, and how the self-ICE would protect her from the kind of digital warfare that could take even the most powerful edgerunners out in an instant.

The streets of Night City flashed by, the neon lights blurring as she pushed her bike to its limits. Arriving in Heywood, she parked outside El Coyote Cojo and grabbed the box, heading inside.

Jackie was already there, seated at the bar, chatting with Pepe as he downed a drink. He noticed Asuka as she walked in, immediately grinning when he saw the box in her hands.

“What’s that, chica? You bring me a gift?” he asked, his usual boisterous tone filled with curiosity.

Asuka smirked, setting the box down in front of him with a satisfying thud. “You could say that. Courtesy of Hanako and Arasaka’s R&D team—new Gorilla Arms, straight from the lab. These babies will turn you into a real beast.”

Jackie’s eyes widened as he flipped the box open, inspecting the sleek cyberware inside. "Holy shit, chica! These are insane!" he exclaimed, his grin growing wider. “Hanako gave you these? You sure you’re not her esposa now?”

Asuka laughed, leaning against the bar. “Guess I’ve got my perks. Thought you’d appreciate them, though.”

Jackie gave a mock-serious nod. "You know I do, chica. With these, I’ll be punching through walls in no time. Can’t wait to get these bad boys installed.”

Pepe, who had been watching the exchange, chuckled. “Man, Jackie, you’re gonna be unstoppable with those. Maybe take it easy on El Coyote’s doors, huh?”

Jackie raised his glass in a toast, grinning at Asuka. "You’ve really outdone yourself this time, Asuka. But I gotta say, if we’re both getting these crazy upgrades, we’re gonna need some bigger jobs to match."

Asuka smirked, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Bigger jobs, bigger payouts. You know the deal. Now let’s get these installed, and then we’ll hit the city harder than ever."

As Vik finished installing Jackie's new Gorilla Arms, he leaned back in his chair, wiping his hands. "So, where’d you get these beauties from?" he asked, raising an eyebrow before immediately waving his hand. "No, wait, don’t answer that. I know. My daughter and her... older-than-me girlfriend, Hanako."

Jackie burst out laughing at that, shaking his head as he flexed his newly installed arms. "Damn, Vik, you really don’t miss a beat, huh?"

Vik smirked, but his tone turned more serious as he looked at the new chrome. "Alright, all jokes aside, these are some serious pieces of work. Best I’ve seen. They’ve got even more precise control and strength than military-grade ones. Built from some seriously durable materials too. These’ll make you a walking tank, Jackie. Just remember, with great power comes great... well, don’t smash up the clinic like Asuka, alright?"

Jackie gave a playful salute, grinning ear to ear. "You got it, Vik. I’ll try not to punch through the walls unless absolutely necessary."

Asuka, watching the whole interaction, couldn't help but smile. After the installation was complete, Vik advised them to take a break. "Give yourselves some time to adjust, especially you, Jackie. Don’t go testing these out by lifting cars just yet."

"Got it, Vik. We’ll behave," Asuka said, patting Jackie on the back as they left.

Back at Asuka’s apartment, she was feeling curious. She wanted to see just how effective her new self-ICE implant was. As soon as they stepped inside, she turned to Sasha with a glint in her eye. "Hey, Sasha, can you do me a favor and hack me?"

Sasha raised an eyebrow, looking slightly confused but intrigued. "Hack you? You sure about that?"

"Yeah. I want to test out my new self ICE. Just... don't go too hard," Asuka said, smirking.

Sasha shrugged and sat down. As she initiated the hack, Asuka could see something she had never noticed before. It was like an invisible stream of data flowing toward her, something she wouldn’t have been able to sense before the upgrade. She could feel the hack coming, the signals trying to breach her systems.

As Sasha pushed the hack further, Asuka suddenly felt it—Sasha trying to break her ICE. But the new ICE was incredible. It was indestructible, locking Sasha out at every turn. Asuka raised her hand, a sudden instinct kicking in. She reached out toward the hack like it was something tangible and ripped it apart.

The moment Asuka did that, there was a sharp crackle of energy, and Sasha gasped, wincing as a small shock ran through her system. Asuka immediately jumped forward, concern flooding her face. "Sasha! Are you okay?" she asked, hugging her tightly.

Sasha rubbed her temples, recovering from the slight shock but smiling a little. "Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just... a little zap. That’s some serious ICE, Asuka. I couldn’t even get close to trying to break it."

Asuka let out a sigh of relief, holding Sasha close for a moment longer. "Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to hurt you."

Sasha waved her off, grinning. "Nah, no harm done. Actually, I’m impressed. That’s some next-level stuff you’ve got installed. Even I wasn’t expecting it to shut me down like that."

Steffen

Hey everyone, if you were reading my original story, you might have noticed I deleted it. But don't worry, it won’t be gone for long. I’ve already written two new chapters, and they’ll be posted once the novel is approved. I’ve made a lot of changes—some big, some small—but Stephanie (formerly Stefania) and Harley are still in it. If you didn’t catch it before, I hope you’ll give it a try this time around!