The night life buzzed above me as it came to life...lights galore

A cool breeze danced around me like a gentle kiss on the cheek...I welcomed it as the days grew hotter...I closed my eyes to take in the chill that made its way down my spine, and took one last puff of the cigarette I wasn't yet ready to part with.

I was cyber-tech, a special branch of law enforcement who's left arm is melded with some of the best tech military can buy...as such I give off a distinct blue glow from left breast down to my wrist...not something I can hide easily when on missions...but my leather bomber jacket seems to do just fine most days...hot days though are the worst...the only good thing is most people have tattoos nowadays so mine could pass as being just that...unless looked closely upon.

The haze of the city, and the glow of the dump as it burned...Carbon had it's charms...but southside or Komodo as some call it.

Replacing my mask I ditch the butt of my cigarette and proceed inside the Ramen House.

Trying not to draw attention, Hanako bundled her bomber jacket up and proceeded to look for Brianna, the Brain Wizard, aka Top-shelf Bri...she was very secretive and in high demand by all...she could twist your mind up for hours, in pleasure and pain. While back she created a virus or a persona called 'netro' that crashed the whole system just because she was bored.

Han wasn't thrilled about working with those in the dark net, but she had little choice...she was currently stuck on a case and Bri was her only hope of clearing it.

She made her way down three flights of stairs...beyond a night club and what appeared to be a stripper club for the extremest...she approached the door her CI told her, and was instantly overwhelmed by a shock wave that went through her entire system. She could feel her circuits beginning to fry...it was killing her.

"You have less than a minute to tell me who you are and why you're here, before my lil gem rewires your system," that sultry voice must belong to Bri.

Han's body jolted so bad she could barely stand anymore let alone form a sentence. She attempted the latter and collapsed on the floor. 

Bri, stunned at what she just witnessed, wondered if she'd turned it up too high? She'd recalculate it later, for now she had an unknown being at her door and she needed to move it before any unwanted attention appeared.

She dragged Han's body into her room and laid her out on the cot in the back..and waited for her to come around.

Four hours later…

Hanako awoke feeling drained and stung from her electrical shock, her cybertech ached beyond comfort, and a few spots she noticed had fried...which angered her as she was going to need to put in to replace it and she would have to decommission until she was certified whole again.

She now had a rage to find Bri for her overpower usage against an officer of the law, but it was personal, as she laid up on a cot in an unknown location.

"I see you've awoken," Han heard her sultry voice and it brought her back to the reality of the situation.

"Where are you? We have a few things to discuss?" Han sat up on the bed, but moving practically killed her in pain, she tried her best to not show it.

"I'm... around, not sure I want to show myself just yet as you seem to want to bodily hurt me at this moment...and don't deny it I can see it in your eyes and I can read your vitals."

"You fried my cybertech and almost killed me! Yes I'm very angry with you, but as much as I'd like to, I couldn't kill you...as much as I hate the idea now, I need your help." 

Bri, a room over, watched Hanako on a screen through the hidden mirror window that separated their rooms. Bri had Hanako's badge, cigarettes and a locket she found in her pocket. She was trying to see what type of person Han was as she was sleeping. She found her career record in the archives, which was most impressive; and a military career prior to it, which was short-lived due to an injury she received making her change careers to law enforcement...but...she wanted to know the true person, the person that isn't seen on paper.

Bri sat staring at the gun sitting on her desk as she lit up another cigarette...what was she going to do?

The cold air touched her face as she cradled her arm...and her pride. She had a sleazeball that was using the darknet to spike the headports while users we're playing the game O-TRON...they even managed to hack headports if users weren't playing so long as they had the game on the system.

Bri had let her go and provided her with 2k cred to fix her arm, which Han turned down, as arm was still under warranty and she was on duty when the injury occurred. 

She tried to talk to Bri about the whole reason she was there in the first place but Bri wouldn't have it, she stated she's swamped as it is and wouldn't have time to take on a LE problem.

So tail tucked between her legs, and one broken arm later, Han was trucking it to her car to head home, and file her report...she knew she'd never hear the end of this.

Morning came all too soon, she'd only gone to bed three hours ago. She spent two hours looking for her prosthetic arm she'd used back in her army days before the techno, since she was going to have to send this arm in for repairs. And then another hour reattaching the wiring so it would be functional.

She showered, grabbed a protein core and headed to the station.

Two hours later she exited her Captain's office after a good remming about careless use of government property and submitted her repair request. 

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She sat down at her desk and figured she better get used to this spot, for the following week she was benched until her arm was back. She pulled up her email and noticed she had an encrypted one amongst her work, she debated clicking it and noticed the address and had a feeling it was from Bri. With caution she opened it.

Detective Solho,

Don't ask how I acquired your email, I'm not sure why I am even writing this but since you left you've been on my mind. Can't say that I like that thought. I looked into your records and such to see what kind of person you are...and it was impressive...but what could be hidden and not seen?

However...I took the information you gave me and plugged it into my contacts...I'll be in touch with the findings

-TSB

Well that was at least something...and what did Bri want with her past? For now she had to wait, but she planned on asking later.

A chuckling came from behind Han, it was her partner Chobada, "will you ever learn?" He sat down across from her desk, "every time you run off on your own something bad happens, and this time it was serious. You need to let others help you. I am your partner after all." He drank what was supposed to be coffee but here at the station she never trusted it; this one appeared to be sludgy.

"I had a lead and I acted on it," pulling the file out she passed it to him, "I went with my gut and I might have found some information out...I'm just waiting on my source."

"Damn it Solho! I'm your partner, you could have at least given me a heads up," he stood up angrily, "I would have backed you up."

"It wasn't a situation that needed backing, I was checking on a lead and mistepped. Had you been there with me there was nothing you could have done to stop what happened." She tried to keep a calm voice as two raised voices wouldn't do any good…or go unnoticed.

"Yeah, go on thinking that way...you always do," he turned to walk away and stopped at her door, "you need to learn to let others in, it's called trust," he opened the door and looked back, "if you can't seem to trust anyone how are you going to be able to do anything." And he left.

It's not that she didn't trust anyone...it just took awhile TOO trust people. She learned the hard way in the military, trust isn't freely given...and it could get you killed. She and her unit were stationed in one of those sandy and deserted wastelands...or so they thought...they found out too late that the building they bunkered down in used to be a children's school...and the children were still there...she tried to protect those children but her unit disregarded them as to complete their mission.  

During one of the moments that she replays in her head constantly...the opposition started throwing hand grenades at them and she wouldn't stand for that when children were caught in the middle. Her team decided the children were a 'needed casualty' to complete the objective.

Han wouldn't stand for that, and when one of the grenades lofted right into the kids she grabbed the lid of a trash can, jumped on the grenade and told the kids to keep their heads down...she saved all but one...and lost her arm in the process...however...she disobeyed commands given to her causing her to be discharged from duty.

She thought about that moment often, and she wouldn't have changed her decision...but...it also made her realize she truly was on her own and it took more than a uniform to prove to her that she could trust. She sat on the roof of the station, looking at the locket around her neck; it was a picture of the kids she saved... looking out at the city...glowing lights, busily vehicles, smells of the different food stalls, and the hovering fog of greed and want. She put her cig out, let out a sigh she had been holding in and went back inside.

4am from a deep sleep Hanako abruptly awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. Squinting she looked to see who dared to disrupt her sleep...it was Bri.

"Hello?"

"Hey...it's Bri...sorry for calling so late...or early depending how you look at it." Sounding heistant.

"It's fine, are you ok? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Bri shifted the phone, "I just wanted to let you know I have found something out that might help you."

"Yeah? That's great!"

"Do you think you can swing by in a day or two to discuss it?"

"Yeah definitely! I'm supposed to be getting my arm back in two days, I'll come by then."

"Great...great...see you then." And she disconnected.

Hanako looked at the phone, 'bye.' She put the phone down and tried to go back to sleep...which did not prevail. 

Two days passed and she was given back her arm, with a reprimand and a reminder that she only has two more warranty claims left on this arm before she would have to pay and get a new one. She also was required to sit a day off in the hospital to make sure the arm re-took to the body as it over-takes her nerves to even function...and it's painful.

As promised Hanako showed up to the club, she walked up to the bar and asked Oscar the bartender what Bri's favorite drink was, he gave her two glasses of tequila. She proceeded to head down the hallway to Bri's hideaway when approached by a southside corpo goon, they had no respect for anything that wasn't them...especially women...they dealt mostly in black market tech and drug paraphernalia...the goon approached her and wanted to buy her a drink, Hanako informed him she already had a drink, as indicated by the two in her hand, so his wasn't needed. He crowded her and warned it was not wise to refuse him. Hanako put her hands up against his chest and informed him further that just because he can't handle rejection doesn't make the situation change and tried to walk away. One of his side goons walks up to her and slams her face into the wall, breaking the glasses she was carrying and sending glass in her face and shoulder and the drink down the front of her. 

At the commotion, Bri comes out of her den and sees Hanako sitting on the floor with two goons over her and blood running down her face and all over her white shirt under her blazer. 

"Is there a problem here?" Holding her pad ready to jolt them and call security.

Hanako gained some composure, "No, no problem," and turned to junk punch the guy closest to her. As the second saw what happened he kicked her in the face, knocking Hanako down. Bri started to walk towards her when she noticed a look on Hanako's face and stopped. Hanako got back up and before he could hit her again she spun around bringing her foot to meet his jaw; he fell to the ground in a thud... adrenaline gone and suddenly feeling light-headed, Hanako fell backwards.

 Bri caught her and helped her into the office. "You look a mess," arm wrapped around her waist.

"You should see the other guy" Han smiled at her, Bri chuckled.

"We need to get you cleaned up" she sat Hanako down on a cot.

"I was attempting to bring you a drink," looking down, "sadly, I'm wearing it at the moment"

Bri looked her up and down, and helped her remove her jacket and undo her shirt so to see her shoulder, "It looks good on you" she smiled. She starts to take the glass out of Hanako's face, "it missed your eye thank God, but it will leave a scar." 

Hanako finally noticed what Bri looked like since it technically was the first time she'd laid eyes on her; long brunette hair with some warm tones highlighting pulled back into a ponytail except one little curl that escaped and rested above her amber hazel eyes...she was gorgeous.

Hanako touched Bri's hand as she touched Hanako's face, they locked eyes, "you're so beautiful," Han smiled again at her.

She blushed and stopped, looking away unsure of her feelings, she put the gauze down and looked at her hands. What did she feel? a moment passed, she turned and looked Hanako in the eyes and walked back over to her, bringing her head down and lightly kissed Hanako, and rubbed her cheek.

She bandaged her shoulder and stitched the eyebrow.

"Rest now," she nodded and Hanako laid back and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.

"Hanako!" Han awoke with a startle, covered in sweat and panting hard...a nightmare. She felt nauseated and sat up leaning over the bed holding her head, "easy, easy now. Don't move too fast." Bri was there at her side rubbing her back unsure whether to calm Hanako or herself.

"I'm... sorry." Hanako felt embarrassed and tried to pull away.

"No no no," Bri grabbed her hand and held it, "don't pull away from me...talk to me." Still holding her hand Hanako looked down. She had awoken, then she noticed Bri's hair was ruffled and falling out of her braid...she had on a sport bra and shorts...showing her thinned body in the moonlight.

Hanako sat back down, and looked down at their hands, "I'm sorry I woke you up." 

Bri realized she was seeing the raw side of Hanako, which is what she wanted to see, to know who this being was...truly was. 

She was falling for her… "hey," she touched Hanako's face, "it's honestly alright. I know you've been through a lot and that weight carries baggage," Bri scooted closer to her, "and baggage is not always easy... especially traumatic ones."

Hanako didn't say anything, just nodded as she still looked down at their hands, she made small rubbing circles over Bri's fingers, "thanks...thanks for being here... here for me." Hanako quietly and slowly thanked her which made her feel weak.

"Hey," Bri touched her cheek making Hanako look up at those gorgeous amber eyes, "you're an amazing person, you have nothing to be sorry about...I thank you for being who you are...and that is strong...but you can only hold onto things so long before you crumble, and you need to find a way to let it out and let it go before it destroys you."

"That's hard," a tear ran down Hanako's face and she tried to look away again, but Bri wouldn't let her…

Bri brought both hands up to her face now and made Hanako look at her, "don't pull away from me...I'm here for you, now use that." She wiped the tear from Hanako's cheek, " I won't judge you, I'll listen to whatever you need to get off your chest. Whenever you're ready to do so...if you don't want to talk that's fine, I'll still be here for you."

"I truly appreciate that...not many would be."

"I highly doubt that, it seems more to me that you had something happen to you that shook your core and now you won't let anyone in." Bri wasn't wrong, she didn't want to get hurt again and trust was a big thing to her. However she felt she could trust Bri...and that scared her.

"Let's lay down and we will get into it more in the morning...I'll be here with you...for you." Hanako nodded and laid down, Bri laid next to her on her side. 

Bri played with Hanako's hair trying to soothe her. Hanako looked up at Bri and smiled, "thank you."

Bri leaned down and kissed her gently, "you're welcome...now sleep." Hanako took Bri's hand and rolled over snuggling in and was asleep.