“Stealth is still the superior tactic.” I argued and once again Rebecca scoffed.

“Some gigs you need to be sneaky, but nothing beats overwhelming firepower!” She argued. It turns out that Rebecca didn’t have a lot of chrome. Besides the obvious Chem skin and stuff, but she had all of her chrome plotted out. Like how people would plan out every part of their perfect car, or all the pieces to make up their perfect gun.

Funnily enough I already knew most of her desires, having seen her future self.

“Firepower is great, I carry my Burya around in case I run into some borg fuck. But there is nothing better than sneaking up on somebody and just flatlining them without them noticing.” I argued. And she scoffed.

“Optical Camo is mid.”

“You take that back!” I demanded and she just cackled as she was going to nothing of the sort.

We had moved away from Maines crew after a client had shown up, so Becca and I were hanging out at the bar, and to my delight we were getting along much better than we had at the start.

“Hey. Listen, I’m pissed that Rogue hasn’t given me an invite yet, it has nothing to do with you specifically. The fact you were able to get an invite is preem.” She admitted suddenly, swirling around her drink and I realized she must have been a bit embarrassed at how she had acted.

“It’s fine Becca. I have another choom Jackie that gets the same way. I don’t take it personally. It’s gotta be frustrating.”

“It is! I go on some of the gigs with Maine, but… Fucking Pilar makes sure I can’t get involved. Maine brings me in as a distraction or some shit sometimes, but I’m never a shooter.”

“Did you talk to Maine about it? Did he say why?”

“Apparently I’m too fucking short and shit.” She grumbled. Yeah that was true. Rebecca was very smole.

“You could fix that with chrome or bio.”

“Tch. I don’t… I don’t hate that I’m short. It’s fun sometimes. I just want to blow gonks fucking heads off. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m eighteen!”

“Ever think about… Branching out?” I asked and instantly got a look from her

“You asking me to join your crew?”

“Not specifically like that. See I got my core crew, but we don’t have every skillset. We got a driver. A Fixer, and a secondary Solo. While I cover the net, and solo duties. But I have my choom Jackie that’s a big fuck he’s a solo I brought him in once, and I want to do it more, and I want to increase the size of my team, even if it’s just temp mercs… How about it? Want to go on a gig with a different team sometime?”

“I… I don’t know. Maine is being a shit, and Pilar is a fucking scumfuck gonkfucker… But I owe Maine.”“Hey, I’m not saying to betray your chooms. Just a job offer. Make some eddies, get more chrome, get some experience.”

“Let me… I’ll think about it. Can’t say I really want to work with kids though.”

“Hey! We made hundreds of thousands of eddies on our last gig. Mostly from selling off loot, vehicles and weapons.”

“Wait. How much!?” My Answer shocked Becca and I couldn’t help but laugh as I went into some detail on how Section 9 functioned.

“Fuck. Maine never loots the place like that… I’ll have to do that next time.” She muttered to herself, hand covering her lips.

“It takes time, and you have to have people to haul stuff out. You can’t exactly wait around.”

She scoffed and nodded downing her drink.

“You’re not bad Kitten.”

“Wha Kitten!?”

“Hehe! You told me about your helmet.” She pointed out with a wicked grin and a pointed finger.

“It’s completely accidental that it looks like cat ears! I already told my chooms that it’s not cat ears!”

“Well too late. Just like with Whiskers, you’re Kitten now.”

“Ugh.” I denied crossing my arms in an X. “I refuse.”

“Too late!”

She cackled as I pouted at her. Rebecca was fun.

We continued to shoot the shit for a while until Maines crew finally got up to leave and Rebecca followed. All of us waving a goodbye.

It was time to get back to work.

—--

“Are you serious? No!” I demanded arms crossed into an X in absolute denial. Hiromi just rolled her eyes at me.

“I already talked to the dealer. We got a trader pass to get through the checkpoint.”“Hiromi. I am not taking you anywhere near the combat zone! That place is full of Cyberpsychos!”

“Dogtown is the best place in Night City to get gear Motoko, and you were the one that wanted the ECM system. I found someone selling them, but they are in Dogtown and they aren’t coming out.”

“Then we do without, or find a different seller.” I argued.

I didn’t know much about the Combat zone. At least not the modern version of it. What I did know was that NCPD didn’t go in there. That death was everywhere, and it was rumored that’s where all the Cyberpsychos were ‘put’ but the corps. Either as a test, or some sick experiment.

But Hiromi wasn’t going anywhere near it.

“Motoko, you are being a total rust case here.”

“Hey!”

Hiromi raised her hands to silence me and took a deep breath. “Right. Sorry. That was mean, but you are way more dangerous than some gonks in the Dogtown. Plus we are going to the arena. Lots of trade goes on there. It’s got the biggest blackmarket in NC.”

“It’s a fucking combat zone Hiromi!” I snapped at her pacing around the front of the Quadra. She had asked me to come pick her up, but there was no way I was driving into the Combat Zone!

I wasn’t crazy!

“Ugh.” Hiromi groaned as she followed me around as I paced around the car. Hiromi’s parking garage was thankfully empty so no one was able to hear our fight.

I ran a chrome palm over my face, the cool metal soothing my temper. Seriously! Going out and fighting Raffen was one thing, but going into a damn combat zone was another!

“We need the ECM systems.” Hiromi argued, and I instantly knew what was happening. She was trying to attack the conversation from the side.

Luckily I gave zero fucks!

“Not enough to go into a combat zone. This isn’t a life risk level thing Hiromi.”“It’s not dangerous! Well not that dangerous. Going into Dogtown is perfectly normal Motoko!”

“For Cyberpsychos!”“Motoko, that is just a weird rumor, and not at all the truth. I even got information on Dogtown at the academy. As long as we stick to the main areas we will be fine. Barghest want people to come in and out. Dogtown is a wonderful spot for some black market trading.”

I grit my teeth and wanted to yell at her some more. Didn’t she understand!? I’m normally all for jumping into danger, but I knew nothing about the Combat zone. Which was called Dogtown apparently. All I knew is that it was super mega dangerous and you don’t fucking go there, so why was Hiromi so eager to run right towards it?

“Fine.” She offered and I felt my breath come out in relief. Finally! I had gotten through to her! “We’ll just hire some additional protection. Problem solved!”

“That doesn’t… Dammit.” I grumbled because it was sort of the answer. “Fine!”

“Good!” She offered in return smiling as if she had won.

I grumbled under my breath as her eyes went yellow as she made some phone calls.

—--

“Hey Jackie.”

“Hermanita! I hear you are heading into Dogtown and want some guards huh?” The big man offered with a hearty chuckle. We were all meeting up at Hiromi’s place, including the extra guards.

“More for Hiromi than anything. The combat zone is dangerous, and I know very little about it.”

“Eh, it’s not so bad. The Barghest pendejos are annoying, but as long as you aren’t causing trouble they leave ya alone.”

“What’s Barghest? A gang?” I asked curious never having heard the name before.“Eh? Yes and no.” Jackie offered waving his hand. “Barghest are ex-Militech. They came to attack Night City during the war, ended up being ordered to leave because of Arasaka, but they never did. Just settled into Dogtown. Took it over. They live like the kings of Dogtown.” Jackie offered with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “They mostly just keep the peace, and earn eddies from the blackmarket.”

I scoffed and wanted to growl and snarl. Hiromi was still coming, and I still had very little knowledge of what we were heading into.

I shook it off. Hiromi was driving in with Malcolm in the Caliburn. I was leading in the Quadra, and Jacke and Ichi would be our tail.

A three car cavalcade to ensure that anyone that noticed us would think twice before trying anything.

I still wasn’t comfortable bringing my chooms into a Combat Zone, but they all had smart weapons, besides Ichi who hadn’t gotten a Smart Link yet, but he had his truck.

“Relax Hermanita, you are too tense. It’s just Dogtown yeah?”

“Never been before, and I’ve only heard horror stories.”“Eh. It’s not like that. Lot’s of folks head in for the Black Market, Hell maybe you’ll find something you want as well. They have some real preem black market chrome there.”

I just grunted as finally Malcolm arrived with his Caliburn, and we all synced up. I slid into the Quadra, and soon after we were all driving through the city towards Pacifica.

There was a low level chatter as my chooms talked amongst themselves, but I kept quiet, Too anxious to really want to talk to anyone. Especially since I didn’t want to do this.

But I pushed it away and focused on protecting my chooms.

We drove through the city reaching Pacifica and I made sure to double my watch. The roads were quiet though. No NCPD around to cause trouble, and no Voodoo boys jumping out to rob us. Instead we drove through the streets as we came to the checkpoint to the Combat Zone.

Dogtown. I only vaguely remembered the name being used, so I really knew nothing about this place. It hadn’t existed in the game that I played.

We pulled through a guard checkpoint, men in armor standing around. All of it painted and non standard. Skulls were common as were images of snarling dogs.

Barghest was it?

Eventually we pulled into an entrance way and slowly we were allowed through. The entrance was covered in defenses, HMG turrets, and weapons of all sorts. Since I went in first, I got to see it all. They stopped my Quadra did a scan and after checking the access token that Hiromi had set up, they waved me through.

Into the Combat zone which… It was run down, but not really more than Pacifica itself. And there were people just hanging around. Normal people. A scan showed they weren't the super chromed out borgs I was expecting…

Was this it? Where was the dark hellscape full of the screams of people being torn into pieces by cyberpsychos? Gangs constantly fighting and dying for eddies or something? That was the image I had in my head of a Combat Zone. Not… This.

I pulled to the side until Malcolm’s Caliburn, and then Ichi’s truck all pulled through the checkpoint, and I followed the guide path Hiromi had set up leading us through the streets towards the massive stadium the place that dominated the skyline, apart from the massive pair of skyscrapers.

The Stadium was apparently where the black market was run out of. The entire place was one big blackmarket according to Hiromi.

It was quiet. The streets weren’t full of gunshots, and nothing really happened. I pulled into a parking garage just off the arena, and we all parked in a corner off to the side, Ichi’s truck parked in just the right way to have his turrets be usable in case of any trouble.

“See! I told you there was nothing to worry about!” Hiromi called out as she ran over and nudged me with her shoulder. I just glowered a bit at her, but that only made her smile wider.

“Alright, Hermanita, little boss. You ready to go?” Jackie asked and Hiromi smiled brightly at being called boss.

“Yes. Ichi and Malcolm will guard the vehicles. Motoko and Mr. Welles please follow me.” Hiromi said with a big smirk on her face as she sauntered forward.

I didn’t grumble, instead quickly taking up position on her right. Armed and armored although just in my Kang Tao equipment, and not the Arasaka stuff. It wasn’t ready yet, even if it would be better armor.

Jackie easily took her left, and the big man did a lot to make sure our path was clear as we crossed the street, and then walked up the many steps into the old stadium.

Barghest checkpoints dotted around, but they ignored us. Simply standing around in armor to keep the peace I guess.

Hiromi guided us in. Her face casual as she walked through the small crowds that littered the entrance of the arena. We walked past a few food stalls that surprised me. Then into a lobby, and Hiromi took only a moment to pick a direction leading us to the left and then into a long hallway that was full of more than just food stalls.

Weapons, equipment… Everything. I was thankful for my tech gogs as it hid my rapidly scanning eyes as I took in all the equipment laying around. We walked into a space that was absolutely loaded with weapons. HIgh end stuff too. HMG’s and rifles. Militech surplus, and more.

Hiromi walked right up to the woman that was behind a counter.

“Here for a pick up, under Mitsunashi.” She offered and the woman scanned her, before nodding. A nodded head to one of the toughs that seemed to be her guards and he went into the back area, coming out with a crate that he dropped on the ground in front of us.

“Motoko check it.”

I nodded without a word, and popped the latches. Inside was exactly what we expected.

Multiple Militech ECM systems. I quickly checked them all, and while not in perfect condition, they were all functional, and repairable.

I gave Hiromi a nod, and that was that. Her eyes went blue, and some eddies were passed over, and then Jackie did the gentlemanly thing and picked up the crate.

We headed back out the way we came.

Honestly my surprise only grew when we met back up with Ichi and Malcolm.

“Things are quiet. Not even some of the druggies over there came to bother us.” Ichi told me as we were loading the crate up into his truck.

“That’s so weird. I expected… Something.”“Barghest doesn't want people messing with the black market. That’s where they make a lot of their eddies.” Hiromi cut in, once more reminding me, that my understanding of this entire section of the city was off. “C’mon let’s get out of here. Unless you want to go back in to look around.”

I instantly shook my head. I can’t say I wasn’t interested in looking around, but not with Hiromi and my chooms hanging around.

“No, let's get out of here… And you were right. Sorry.” I told Hiromi who blew into a massive smile at my admittance.

“Of course! You should know by now that I’m always right!” She cheered herself bursting into full on ojou laughter after which it took me a moment to realize she was doing specifically to fuck with us.

I just rolled my eyes and nudged her, sending her almost sprawling. “Alright get loaded up then Ms. always right. I want to get out of here.”

“Hehe!” She offered as she ran to jump into Malcolms Caliburn.

“Thanks Jack. For backing us up.”

“Eh, not a bad gig. You’re little choomba boss pays good.” The large man admitted rubbing a thumb over his nose.

“Good. I trust you. So I hope you come join us for gigs in the future too.”

“Heh! I just might Hermanita. Just gotta get used to working with kids.”

I shrugged. I get it. Jackie was almost thirty. Still stuck doing shit gigs. He never made it to the Major Leagues in his own words until the end.

Hopefully I could drag him along, because he actually was a solid solo.

“C’mon let’s get out of here before my nightmares of wild Cyberpsychos come true.”

—--

Jackie was paid, the chooms split off and I had a crate of Militech ECM units to adapt to our armor.

I spent an hour going over the first ECM unit. Checking first the hardware making sure everything would work, while performing some minor maintenance mostly just cleaning out the things, as it was obvious they had been in storage for a while.

Then I pulled open the program that ran the ECM and narrowed my eyes as I looked through it. I had my suspicions that Militech would have some way to get around this. Either an outright backdoor. Or more likely, a master code that would make the ECM useless against their own smart rounds.

It wouldn’t be easy to find though. It would be hidden deep into the code.

Which…

Well fortunately for me, I was just getting an idea on how the program worked, and then I grabbed my laptop, plugged my personal link into it, and started writing a new program from scratch.

If I couldn’t trust the program, then I would just make my own.