Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

Inside, Judy was standing in the middle of the room, hands on her hips, staring at something massive. Asuka’s eyes widened as she took in the sight—a towering, heavily modified IEC Dragoon standing right in their living room. The combat unit was imposing, sleek, and deadly. Its frame, painted in a deep metallic pink, gave it an almost surreal look against the more homey décor of the apartment.

The Dragoon was a military-grade cybersystem, designed to be the deadliest thing on the battlefield—over 8 feet tall and weighing a good 620 pounds of pure chrome and cybernetics. The fact that it was standing in their apartment was as surreal as it was impressive.

Judy turned to Asuka with an exasperated look, pointing to the monstrous machine. "Asuka, what the hell? Help me find a place for this thing before it tears through the ceiling."

Asuka grinned, walking over to inspect the Dragoon. "Arasaka ninjas delivered it for me, huh?"

Judy gave her a sharp look but softened after a second, shaking her head with a small smile. "Yeah, sneaky corpos. They just dropped it off like it's some kind of gift. Now explain to me—why do you need something like this?"

Asuka crossed her arms, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "To be cool, obviously. And..." she paused, her smile turning sly, "it’s a surprise for a certain someone."

Judy raised an eyebrow. "A surprise for who?"

Asuka's grin widened. "Smasher. He’s going to flip when he sees this bad boy."

Judy laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Of course. Well, as long as it doesn’t break the apartment—or me, for that matter." She walked over to the Dragoon, running her hand along the sleek pink chrome. "I gotta admit, though. It’s kinda impressive. Insane, but impressive."

Asuka stepped beside her, admiring the massive war machine. "It’s preem, right? We’ll stash it somewhere for now, but trust me, when Smasher sees this, it’s gonna be one hell of a surprise."

Judy chuckled, shaking her head. "You’re crazy, you know that?"

Asuka shrugged, leaning in to kiss Judy's cheek. "Crazy's what keeps life interesting, Judes."

---

At Kerry's luxurious villa, Smasher stood before the towering pink Dragoon, his cold, calculating eyes scanning the machine’s sleek and deadly frame. His chrome face twisted into something like a grin as he spread his arms wide, his voice booming.

"I knew it," Smasher declared. "I knew you would abandon the weak meat body and fully embrace the machine."

He paused, clearly expecting some dramatic response, but instead, the room filled with laughter. Asuka, now fully integrated into the Dragoon’s system, burst out laughing through the unit’s speakers. Kerry and Yorinobu were right behind her, their laughter echoing through the villa.

"Smasher, you sound so corny," Asuka managed between laughs. "Like some wannabe anime villain! I can’t believe you just said that."

Smasher’s grin dropped instantly, and his eyes narrowed. "Fuck," he muttered, his irritation clear as he crossed his arms. The laughter only seemed to intensify around him, and for a moment, it looked like he was about to storm off. But instead, he clenched his fists, calming his rising anger.

Once the laughter died down, he looked back at the Dragoon. "You know what? Forget that," he grumbled. "We should have a cool anime battle, though—something epic. Like Naruto and Sasuke. Or Jotaro and Dio. Yeah, that’s what we need. A real fight."

Asuka, still grinning through the Dragoon’s speakers, responded playfully. "We could totally do that, Smasher. But not now. Give it some time—we’ll set it up when we’ve got a real audience." She gave the Dragoon a little spin for effect, the pink chrome gleaming under the villa lights.

Kerry shook his head with a smirk. "You two are ridiculous. But I’ll admit, I’d pay good eddies to see that showdown."

Yorinobu raised an eyebrow, his usual calm demeanor showing a flicker of amusement. "Perhaps we can plan that... for the right occasion."

Smasher huffed, but his anger had already faded, and there was the tiniest hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Fine. But don’t think I’m letting you off the hook, Asuka. You and me, one-on-one. It’s happening."

Asuka chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Smasher. Just make sure to bring your A-game."

Kerry watched Asuka and Smasher, both now fully integrated into their customized Dragoon bodies, as they playfully bantered. Their pink and chrome frames gleamed in the dim light of the villa. With a teasing grin, Kerry raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, what are you two now? Chrome rivals? Chrome friends?”

Asuka, without missing a beat, swung her massive Dragoon arm around Smasher’s hulking frame. “We’re chrome best friends,” she said with a laugh, leaning on him. Smasher, for once, didn’t protest, even though he looked like he wanted to roll his eyes.

Later that night, after far too many drinks—thanks to a custom function that allowed them to let alcohol hit their brains, even though their bodies were full-on cybernetic—things got wild. As Yorinobu and Kerry walked ahead, their conversation turning into amused chuckles, Smasher and Asuka stumbled behind them, clearly intoxicated despite their cyber-enhanced control.

"Chrome best friends... walking like drunks... in tanks…," Smasher muttered, swaying as he walked, his heavy cyber-legs tripping over a curb. He lost balance, and with an almighty crash, fell straight onto the hood of a luxury car parked nearby. The vehicle crumpled like tin foil under the sheer weight of his Dragoon body.

Asuka burst into laughter as she tried to pull Smasher up, but her own drunken stumble had her falling as well—straight onto another nearby luxury car, destroying its roof. The sound of twisting metal echoed through the street as the two cybernetic giants lay sprawled across the wreckage.

Kerry and Yorinobu paused, turning back to look at the chaos behind them. Both shook their heads with amused disbelief.

"Should we... do something?" Yorinobu asked, smirking.

"Nah," Kerry replied with a grin, "Let them figure it out. Besides, I don’t want my AV wrecked next." Without another word, they stole a nearby car and drove off toward the bar, leaving the two wrecked vehicles—and the drunken chaos—behind them.

As Smasher and Asuka pulled themselves up from the destroyed cars, they saw Kerry and Yorinobu driving away. "Those bastards," Asuka muttered, stumbling toward a nearby Caliburn, a sleek and impossibly expensive sports car. Smasher followed, but in their drunken state, they struggled to get in. The car was simply too small for their massive frames.

“Fuck it,” Smasher grumbled, grabbing the door and effortlessly ripping it off its hinges. Asuka followed suit, tearing off the opposite door. But even with the doors gone, they still couldn’t fit inside.

“Hold on,” Asuka said, grabbing the roof of the car. In one swift motion, she tore it clean off. Now exposed to the night sky, the car looked like a crushed tin can. With awkward movements, the two cybernetic giants squeezed into the wrecked Caliburn, sitting far too high for the seats, their heads poking out over the top.

The sight was ridiculous. As they started the car, driving down the street with their giant frames squeezed inside the destroyed vehicle, pedestrians and onlookers couldn’t help but laugh—even as a few of them backed away in terror. It was like watching two massive mechs driving a toy car, and it quickly became the talk of the night.

From that point on, a new legend began to spread through Night City. The infamous Adam Smasher, the so-called Night City boogeyman, had a new partner in crime—Asuka. Together, the two of them tore through the city, leaving a trail of destroyed cars in their wake, and their chaotic, drunken escapades became the stuff of urban legend. Night City would never forget the night two cybernetic giants smashed their way through its streets in broken-down cars.

The bar in Westbrook was alive with noise and energy as Kerry, Yorinobu, Asuka, and Smasher continued their wild night. Drinks flowed, and the friendly shoving match between Kerry and Yorinobu escalated.

Kerry playfully pushed Yorinobu. Yorinobu, not one to back down, shoved Asuka next, laughing as the chaos unfolded. But Asuka, still adjusting to her Dragoon’s sheer power, pushed Smasher back with a bit too much force. The next thing they knew, Smasher was sent flying, crashing straight through the bar’s large window with a tremendous shattering sound.

He fell one floor below, landing hard on a parked Tyger Claw car, the vehicle crumpling under his massive weight. The roof collapsed inward, and one unfortunate Tyger Claw inside was crushed instantly, his chrome body sparking as it was flattened under Smasher’s mechanical bulk. Smasher stood up, brushing off the debris, and glanced at the wreckage.

The rest of the Tyger Claws standing nearby rushed forward, shouting and trying to help their crushed comrades, though it was already too late for most of them.

Just as Smasher glared down at the ruined car and the mess of chrome and blood around him, Asuka came hurtling out of the bar, pushed by Kerry and Yorinobu who were laughing and stumbling near the window. Asuka, still tipsy and unbalanced, lost her footing and fell right on top of the Tyger Claws who had rushed to help their friends.

The weight of her Dragoon chassis was too much—her fall crushed the Tyger Claws instantly, leaving a pile of broken limbs and crushed chrome in her wake. She groaned, sitting up slowly and realizing the mess beneath her. "Oops," she muttered, shaking her head.

Kerry and Yorinobu, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, jumped down from the broken window, landing behind Asuka and Smasher as they crouched, using the two cybernetic giants as shields.

A dozen or so angry patrons came flooding out of the bar, shouting and brandishing weapons, furious at the destruction of their beloved drinking spot. But the moment they stepped outside and laid eyes on the towering, heavily armored figures of Asuka and Smasher, their fury evaporated. The sheer sight of two massive Dragoons standing over the ruined cars and bodies of the Tyger Claws was enough to make even the most hardened gangers rethink their decisions.

There was a brief, tense silence as the group of angry patrons stood frozen. Then, slowly, one by one, they backed off, disappearing back into the bar as if nothing had happened. The street, now littered with debris, crushed cars, and the remains of the Tyger Claws, became eerily quiet.

Kerry, peeking out from behind Asuka’s armored leg, chuckled. "Well, that escalated quickly."

Yorinobu laughed, slapping Kerry on the back. "This is what happens when you drink with two Dragoons, I guess."

Smasher, now standing beside the wreckage with a smirk, brushed himself off. "Guess we need a new bar," he grumbled, still eyeing the ruined Tyger Claw car. "And maybe a new set of gangers to fight. Those guys barely put up a challenge."

Asuka, still sitting in the rubble, sighed. "Yeah, we might want to tone it down next time." She glanced at Kerry and Yorinobu, still grinning like maniacs. "But this was fun."

---

The cramped interior of the Caliburn creaked and groaned as Asuka and Smasher, both squeezed inside the poor vehicle like oversized dolls in a toy car, argued relentlessly. The sleek sports car had long since given up on maintaining any semblance of structural integrity and now ran purely on willpower, its engine whining in protest as they sped through the City Center on a suspended street.

Asuka was gesturing wildly, her tone playful but insistent. "I'm telling you, pink is better! It’s bold, it's fierce, and you should totally make your Dragoon pink, Smasher. You’d be the most terrifying—and fashionable—thing in Night City."

Smasher's chrome face twisted in something close to fury as he gripped the steering wheel with his oversized hands, which barely fit inside the car. "Pink is for gonk clowns, Asuka! I’m not turning my Dragoon into some kind of fashion showpiece!" His voice rumbled with pure disdain, and for a moment, it looked like he might rip the wheel clean off the dashboard.

Asuka, undeterred, grinned. "Come on! Imagine the terror in people's eyes when they see the Adam Smasher roll up in a pink war machine! No one would see it coming. Ultimate psychological warfare."

Smasher visibly twitched, his frustration reaching boiling point. "If I paint anything pink, I’ll lose whatever credibility I’ve got left in this city! It’s bad enough that you’re parading around in that metallic nightmare!"

Before Smasher could finish his thought, the Caliburn—running on the sheer force of their argument—screeched as it veered off course, plowing through the guardrail of the suspended street. The car spun wildly in midair, and for a brief moment, the world slowed down. Asuka glanced at Smasher, who looked like he was on the verge of an aneurysm from  the conversation.

With a heavy crunch, the Caliburn slammed directly into the side of a pristine Militech AV, knocking it out of the air and crashing it to the street below. The sound of bending metal, shattered glass, and alarms filled the air as the car came to a halt, half-crushed beneath the wreckage of the AV.

Smasher, stared at the scene in front of them. The Militech executive who had been inside the AV stumbled out, dazed and furious, his expensive suit now a mess of debris and smoke. He opened his mouth to scream, but before the first sound could escape, both Asuka and Smasher exchanged a glance, knowing exactly what needed to be done.

"Shit," Asuka muttered under her breath, activating her sandy.

Smasher grunted, his face still a mask of barely-contained rage. "We run," he growled, activating his own sandy.

In an instant, time slowed to a crawl as the world around them blurred. The executive, raising a hand to point accusingly at them, suddenly found himself staring at an empty wreck. Asuka and Smasher had already bolted, leaving the smoking mess of crushed metal and a furious Militech executive behind them.