Chapter 72: Dumpz and Humpz
Internal Chat Log of Metal Heavens Sub-group
BobSlicer: Yo, u gearfuckers heard of this babe called Diana Ulrich?
Litmus: Which club the bitch workin' at? She any good? Broke my last one.
AftyPark: Nah Litty, boss was talkin' bout her. A cop, with a hell of a bounty.
Litmus: How much?
AftyPark: 35 Million Sheds.
Litmus: 0_0 so when are we killing this bitch?
BobSlicer: Fr, bounty like that could do me a lot good. Heard Skelly wants her alive tho.
Litmus: I need new guns, got some mad Diablos bitches I need killing. Alive, right? Doesn't matter if we break her then, cops don't need no fuckin' hands. Dirty pigs is all they are.
AftyPark: Agreed to that, cops don't need Golds. Fucking pigs they are with our tax money, glad I never paid my shit. Hell, once we get money, we'll be so rich we don't need to pay taxes.
Litmus: Is that how it works?
AftyPark: Does it fucking matter? I'll be living like a king. Kings don't pay taxes.
BobSlicer: Alright bois, we got a fucking plan. But let's make a promise, that orphanage we grew up in... if we're gonna live our lives like kings, let's at least give something back.
Litmus: Fuck no.
AftyPark: My money, my rules.
BobSlicer: Eh, you're right. That place sucked ass anyway.
Litmus: Let's burn it down instead, lol.
BobSlicer: Let's buy a fucking flamethrower!
AftyPark: First, we'll need to become electroproof. I'll call Dumpz and Humpz's group over, just don't tell those dumbasses about the bounty.
August 20th
Diana
Standing inside the ruins of my home, I felt a deep pain scratch away as I calculated the cost of every bit of scrap left under my feet. The worst thing, Ripley was right, when I’d smashed one of my light bulbs since I used it’s changing colors with NetAccess, I found an odd little rod pieced inside of it. A bug, and not the Implant kind.
I felt like an idiot, how long was this place being wire-tapped? Who put it in the first place? The Uncaged? The police? Someone else entirely? There was no use in panicking though, I’d used my vision to root out electricity access to my apartment and planned to stay in a hotel for the time being. Multiple hotels.
”Fuck.” I whispered to myself. The only benefit to all of these developments happening one-after-another was that it helped me focus on something other than my guilt and grief. “What should I do? Yvette?”
I stared at my hands, as much as I hated it, I couldn’t strike up the nerve for any combat related assignments. Remembering what I did to her, it just… I was scared. But it was looking more likely now that a fight was incoming, and I had to choose my options carefully. And most likely, lethally.
”Breathe.” I said. “She should want you to breathe.”
Long and deep sighs went in and out, I reclaimed my hold on my mind. Now, it was pretty damn obvious I was a target to too many people to count. I was lucky most of my cases were relatively safe, I’d been extra careful since Ripley pointed out my bounty.
“You can do this.” I solidified that statement in my head. “Whatever it takes.”
———
I met my first harassment of goons as I left to drive, my parking lot was turned into an ambush spot I saw through with my radiation-sensitive eyes. Metal Heavens, it seemed from the thick chunks around their arms, face and legs. Great, now the question was whether I should avoid them or…
No. I had to send them a message. I pulled out my guns, the heavy pistol and the lighter Braceshocker lined up and charged. “I know you’re there!”
”Shiz, you see through wallz or som’n?!” The first mohawk-headed goon pulled out from behind a wall, and I fried that turkey-head in one shot.
”Get her boys! Priest said alive, remember!” They charged at me, some on the back rows loading their guns. I counted a number of eight including the man I’d downed. All Irons from the look of it.
”Stab ‘er dead!” One of them yelled.
”No! Not dead!” A second one argued.
I landed shots on both of them by the time the return fire had started. Down to five, this was easy pickings, I was more powerful than ever.
Two of them had twisted metal arms, and both hammered their way to me. I dodged and weaved, my searing thoughts focused on the three shooters as I slipped away.
One shot. Two shot. Three- shit!
One of the hammering men suddenly picked up speed, an Overclock BUG of some kind, whacking me in the shoulder enough to toss my heavy pistol aside. I aimed my Braceshocker, launching a max-powered pulse of blue into the man’s head. He screamed and lurched back, then laughed as the skin on his cheek peeled off, a metallic skeleton gleaming within.
”We knowz your trickz little lady! Humps and Dumps got electroproof skellies in our systems!” He cackled, launching himself at me with a quick burst of speed through the servos in his legs.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Fine, then I’ll fight them. Electricity charged through my body, running down my shoulders, around my arms to nestle at the tips of my-
My breath hitched as I hesitated bringing out my full power, instead I focused on the muscles of my arm, meeting his punch as my bones-
’Crack’
Blood shattered over me, a terrible sensation sprawling up my body as I stared at the mangled hand that crumpled against his reinforced fist.
”You thouz we waz a simple Ironz?” Humps, or was it Dumps, laughed like a mania. Bronze filtered up and down his body’s augments. The Shardware steamed, radiating an intense heat that I knew came from no simple Tier I. “We’z no chumpz!”
They cornered me, both of them moving in perfect synchronization as there was no more fire to thwart their assault.
”We’z let you in on a little tweady secret. We’z got a fine Network. We can feelz eachotherz!” One crushed my arm, the other slamming me into a wall, I coughed up blood as my body snapped broken bones in place with my regeneration.
”That’z freakkyyy! So we can break youz as much as we wantz! We’ll crush youz dead!”
”No! Don’t kill her!” The last remaining gunmen kept an open scope on me.
”We’ll crush her… unconzciouz!” I shot myself in the leg with my pistol, the cloth searing as it burned through to my flesh. Nurturing the limb with energy, I kicked into the closest twin, feeling a resistance I very rarely met during my attacks. What were their endoskeletons made out of?
Left vulnerable, they wasted no time smacking me into each other. Each of them tossed me around like a pinata to break open, I just took each hit, but deep in my skin and muscles I felt a deep tension building up. Like a spring waiting to explode free.
They might have had strong skeletons, but there were plenty of structures not protected by them. Like their windpipes. I slammed the bottom of my palm into one of their trachea’s, the cartilage snapping as blood gurgled out from the trauma.
”Bumpz!” He charged straight forward, but my right side craved release from all that throwing around. The back of my hand met his cheek, and it continued going until his head twisted the other way around.
”Oh shit!” The last gunmen tried to take sight, but I released the springlocks of my right leg, before converting all of the stored energy of my left limb into a whip of electricity.
His head exploded with my kick meeting it. I felt a bitter release, a cold warmth of being alive, but then as that blood stench filled my nostrils it quickly evaporated. I’d done it again, pushing too hard unknowingly…
There was no time for this. Gathering up my things, I hurried nearer to my car before stopping short, something was off. The electronics of my car were largely the same, but what was that odd bump beneath it?
A bomb.
It exploded mere feet from me, shrapnel and heat clawing at me but I was unhurt thanks to my Integrity Mutations. Shit, someone was still here? I searched around, finding noone, but there was an odd swell of electricity in one of the cameras… it flickered to a close as soon as I laid eyes on it.
I stared at the wreckage of my car, the apartment was fine… but that car had been mine from my first paycheck. Gritting, I turned around, was I really going to have to use public transport?
———
Using public transport was a bad idea, one of the Scrappers who always lurked nearby perked his head at the sight of me in recognition. It wasn’t long before the others of his flock all tried to lure me in.
It was an easier fight, the Scrappers weren’t well organized and relied on their numbers. That was easy enough to deal with.
———
I decided a taxi would do, calling up an automated taxi to take me to the first hotel, the ride was smooth at first. Then it took a wrong turn, I recognized this road, it would lead straight to Little Requiem. Had they even infiltrated the automated taxi service?
Pressing the emergency buttons didn’t do jack shit, so I resorted to charging up both my kinetic cells and muscle cells in my legs. Then I kicked the door open, it burst off and flew into a sidewalk, numerous passer-bys screaming at me.
The taxi picked up speed, but I took that leap. My skin burned as the asphalt’s rough texture ripped into me, even my kinetic absorption didn’t save me from friction. Dusting myself off, I decided to just walk.
———
I decided to leap from roof to roof once a strange man with tattoos began whispering to his friends as I passed by. As soon as I travelled by an alley, a strange fleshy vine grasped my throat and dragged me.
It would have choked me just fine if I didn’t pour an entire load of my gun onto it. Thank you, concealed carry permit. This time, it was a mix of Mutants and BUG Adapters, but one of them was my very first Esper. He called upon the wind, using rough slashes that extended from the tips of his fingertips.
He was too slow though, my knee shattered his hand.
———
Fuck! They were waiting by the hotel? Shit, Los Diablos must have been the one to hack the taxi! I just ran away as soon as I sensed them, I guess I would be joining Choirmen and spend my next few days at the police department.
———
There were a surprising amount of pillows in the wellness centers, enough that I could fashion a fine mattress from them. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but this was a far cry from my month living on the streets. I could do with this for now.
My frame beeped, I’d received a message… from Simon Jugosla.
Dearest Diana Ulrich, you are invited to attend an auction for fine foods on 22nd August. I apologize for the late invite, some guests canceled last minute, I would love to have you there as a fellow gourmet.
An address was attached, it was about time I got answers.