Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

Asuka stood outside Lucy's megabuilding in Santo Domingo, her heart heavy as she stared at the door. She knocked several times. The dull thud echoed down the dimly lit corridor, but all she got in return was a sharp voice from inside.

"Leave me alone!" Lucy’s shout pierced the quiet.

Asuka frowned, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away just yet. She knocked again, more softly this time, unwilling to leave without at least trying to talk. 

The door slid open suddenly, and Lucy stood there, her face a storm of anger and betrayal. Her normally soft eyes were now cold, the warmth nowhere in sight.

"Leave, Asuka," Lucy said, her voice as sharp as a blade. "I don't want anything to do with you. Not while you're mixed up with them."

The words stung, sharper than Asuka expected. "Lucy, wait—" she started, but Lucy cut her off before she could finish.

"With Arasaka? You’ve sold out," Lucy spat, the door already starting to slide shut. "Just leave me alone."

And with a metallic thud, the door slammed in Asuka’s face, leaving her standing there in the hallway, frozen by the weight of Lucy’s anger. She hadn’t expected Lucy to react like this, but then again, Lucy had always hated corpos, especially Arasaka.

With a heavy sigh, she turned and began walking down the dim corridor. 

Just as she stepped outside into the cold, gritty streets of Santo Domingo, she was called by Jackie.

"Chica! Come down to El Coyote. I got somethin' for ya," Jackie’s voice rang out, cheerful as always.

Despite the weight in her chest, Asuka couldn’t help but smile at his timing. "On my way," she replied, grateful for the distraction. Whatever was going on with Lucy, it had to wait. Lucy needed time to cool off, and right now, Asuka needed a drink and a friendly face.

Asuka stepped into El Coyote Cojo, the familiar haze of the bar’s dim lighting and the hum of conversations greeting her as she scanned the room. Her eyes landed on Jackie at the counter, sitting with a woman she didn’t recognize. The woman was striking—tall, about 183 cm, with a fierce, wild look about her. Her red hair was cut in a wolfcut, messy but stylish, and her body was toned and athletic. Asuka couldn’t help but notice the full curves of her chest and the strong, muscular thighs that peeked through her combat gear.

Sliding onto a stool next to Jackie, Asuka couldn’t help but glance at the woman’s face more closely. Her grey eyes were framed by black eyeshadow and eyeliner, giving her an intense, almost predatory gaze. Freckles dotted her cheeks, and her full lips were painted a striking red. The woman noticed Asuka’s gaze and gave her a knowing smirk.

"Looking for some good time, doll?" the woman asked, her voice low and teasing as she caught Asuka staring.

Before Asuka could respond, Jackie, noticing the tension, let out a hearty laugh and clapped a hand on the woman’s shoulder. "Whoa, hold up, V. That’s Asuka. She’s no doll." He turned to Asuka with a grin, his usual playful energy on full display. "Asuka, meet Valeria Price—V. She’s the sister of that corpo gonk Vincent I saved in Mexico. And trust me, chica, she’s a damn good merc."

V gave Asuka an appreciative look, her smirk turning into a smile that softened her otherwise wild appearance. "So, you’re Asuka, huh? Heard a lot about you." She extended a hand, her grip firm and confident. "Nice to finally meet you."

Asuka shook her hand, matching her smile. "Nice to meet you too, V. Jackie’s mentioned you… well, sort of," she teased, shooting Jackie a look.

Jackie shrugged with a grin. "Had to save the best for last. Figured you two would hit it off."

V chuckled, leaning back against the bar as she took a sip of her drink. "So, what brings you here? Besides watching Jackie throw back tequila like it’s water."

Asuka leaned against the counter, glancing between the two of them. "I was in the area. Thought I’d see what my old crew’s been up to."

Jackie nudged her playfully. "Glad you did. You’re just in time for a few rounds and some stories. Valeria here’s got plenty of those."

V smirked. "I might have a few, but I’m more interested in hearing yours, Asuka. I’ve heard you’ve been running with the big dogs in Arasaka."

Asuka chuckled. "Something like that. But I’ll take a drink before diving into that mess."

The trio moved to a table with a comfortable couch, Asuka settling in between Jackie and V. The conversation flowed smoothly as the drinks kept coming, but Asuka couldn’t help but notice how touchy V was getting. Her hand would brush Asuka’s thigh casually, and there was no shortage of subtle—sometimes not so subtle—flirting.

Asuka raised an eyebrow and turned to Jackie with a half-smirk. "Is she always like this?"

Jackie chuckled, clearly amused. "Oh yeah, chica. If V sees a hot woman, she turns into a complete gonk. Lucky for her, she’s a woman. If she was a guy like that idiot Pilar, she would've been flatlined long ago."

Asuka snorted in laughter but then turned to V, who had that mischievous smile still on her face. "You’re hot, V, I’ll give you that, but I’m taken," she said, leaning in with a playful yet firm look. "If we want to do something, I need to get permission first. So, until then, keep your hands to yourself."

V’s grin widened, and she leaned back, putting her hands up in mock surrender. "Preem, Asuka. No worries. Can’t blame a girl for trying," she said with a wink.

Jackie laughed harder, shaking his head. "Told ya, she’s a gonk when it comes to this. But, hey, at least she’s not the type to push it."

As the night wore on, the conversation drifted toward more personal topics. Asuka, curious about V’s background, asked, "So, V, how’d you and your brother end up on such different paths? Vincent’s a corpo, and you’re out here living the merc life. What happened there?"

V leaned back on the couch, her arm casually draped across the back, brushing Asuka’s shoulder. She took a sip from her drink before answering, her voice casual but with an undercurrent of something deeper. "Vincent and I grew up as street rats. Nothing special, you know? Living in the gutters, scraping by. But we were lucky—talented, at least. Vincent had this knack for schmoozing, always knew how to play the game. One day, some corpo spotted him, gave him a chance, and he took it. Climbed the ranks faster than I thought he would."

She paused, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she continued. "The corpo who helped him wanted me to follow him into that world, too. Said I had potential, could be ‘something big.’ But…" V chuckled, shaking her head, "I just don’t have the patience for that life. Too many rules, too much hard work, and you can get fucked over by your boss in a second. No thanks."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, why the merc life instead?"

V’s grin widened. "Merc life’s simpler. You take a job, you get paid, you move on. No backstabbing corpo politics, no suits breathing down your neck, just you and your crew. And if something goes sideways, you can shoot your way out." She glanced at Asuka with a playful smirk. "Plus, it’s a hell of a lot more fun than sitting behind some desk."

Jackie laughed, nodding in agreement. "Can’t argue with that, chica."

V turned to Asuka again, her smile turning teasing. "Besides, I’ve seen how you handle your gigs. Sleeping with a rich grandma, getting all those corpo connections without having to put on a suit? That’s preem. Maybe I should start taking notes."

Asuka nearly spit out her drink, laughing at the comment. "Hey, it’s not just that," she said, smirking. "But yeah, I’ve found a way to make it work. It’s a balance, y'know?"

V chuckled, clearly enjoying herself. "I’ll stick to my way for now, but I gotta say, your methods have a certain… appeal."

Asuka leaned forward, intrigued, her eyes moving between Jackie and V. "So, what have you two been up to while I was away? Anything exciting happen?"

Jackie leaned back in his seat, folding his arms with a laid-back grin. "You know how it is, chica. Gigs here and there, merc parties, hanging out at the Afterlife—same old hustle. I’ve been keeping busy with some boxing matches, too. Gotta keep these guns in shape, right?" He flexed playfully, and Asuka rolled her eyes, laughing.

V smirked and added, "Yeah, Jackie’s been throwing punches, and I’ve been pulling him out of trouble when things get too heated." She shot Jackie a teasing look. "Besides that, we’ve been running gigs, the usual stuff. But there’s a new fixer on the block in Watson—Regina Jones. She’s kind of taken over the territory."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Regina? What kind of jobs is she giving you two?"

Jackie took a sip of his drink before responding. "Mostly Cyberpsycho hunts. But here’s the catch—she wants us to catch them alive, not flatline them. Says she’s trying to help them, get them the treatment they need instead of just taking ‘em out. It’s not the easiest work, but it pays decent."

V chimed in, a grin on her face. "Yeah, Jackie’s right. Catching Cyberpsychos alive is no walk in the park. You gotta disable ‘em without flatlining ‘em, which takes some finesse. And sometimes, you get a psycho with chrome so heavy they can tear a tank apart. But Regina’s paying extra for that kind of restraint."

Asuka's eyes widened slightly. "Damn, catching them alive? Sounds intense. I don’t think I’ve ever had to not kill someone in a gig. You two must have had your hands full."

Jackie nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, no kidding. Had this one Cyberpsycho the other day—guy had arms like hydraulic pistons. Took both of us and a whole lot of non-lethal ammo to bring him down without turning him into paste. But, hey, we pulled it off."

V shrugged, a glint of pride in her eyes. "Takes a lot of skill, but we’re getting good at it. And Regina? She’s one of the good ones. Not a lot of fixers out there who care about doing the right thing."

Asuka leaned back, impressed. "Sounds like you two have been busy, then. Cyberpsycho gigs, boxing, and Afterlife parties… sounds like I missed out on some wild nights."

Jackie chuckled. "You know it. But now that you’re back, we can get into even more trouble." He winked, clearly already plotting their next big adventure.

Asuka made her way back to the apartment she shared with Judy. Just as she was reaching the door, her comms rang. It was Kerry Eurodyne. She answered with a smirk, already anticipating whatever chaos he had in mind.

"What’s up, Kerr?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"I heard you’re back in town," Kerry said, his voice laced with that usual rockstar energy. "Thought maybe we could hang out one of these nights—me, you, Yorinobu, and Smasher. Have some fun, maybe wreck something."

Asuka grinned. "Sounds preem. Actually, I’ve got a little surprise for Smasher."

"A surprise for Smasher?" Kerry laughed, intrigued. "Now that, I gotta see. Alright, we’ll set something up. Don’t keep us waiting too long."

"You’ll love it," Asuka teased before disconnecting the call, her grin widening as she thought about what she had waiting at home. She opened the door to the apartment, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and mischief.