When Cyclop regained consciousness, his body was of fear and pain, he was tied to a table on the stomach, he could hear someone talking.

-Go get me more tranquilizer! He’s gonna wake up if I don't get this asap!

Pain shot up his back and a sound came out of his mouth, he couldn't even hear himself, just the electrical impulse that ran down his spine. Overcome by pain, he fell back into unconsciousness.

******

In a tiny room the sound of songs could be heard, it was French. When Cyclops opened his eyes he did not feel the pain anymore. The flames, the bullets, the electricity, the truck... There was nothing left after the truck. He was dead. That was it. He had lost his limbs, even his mantis arm was not responding. He could hear screams. But he couldn't understand the words. Before he fell back to sleep.

******

Once again this paralysis, once again the songs, Latin, French, English, from old single to recent. Cyclops felt weak, seek. His eyes opened on the blackness of the room.

He was in a bed. After a minute he got used to his surroundings, small lights still illuminated his "room", especially the button for the door. There was no opening other than a door and the rest was almost empty. After the bed there wasn't much there either. An IV was sticking into his arm. He looked at the walls, the floor, and on the floor there were some bags, some things he presumed.

Cries again, behind the door. A family quarrel, a man and a woman. For a long time, then a last argument and silence.

Remaining in his bed, paralyzed, Cyclop looked at the door in front of him, he could not access his quick hacks. But a moment later the door opened with a beep, making him jump. Was he going to die?

In the doorway, a woman entered. Old, with beautiful blue hair and a green pearl necklace around her neck, red lipstick, and wrinkles, this lady had her arms fully tattooed, in shape and with generous forms, she had a basin in her hand. As she turned on the light she looked up from the basin and saw that Cyclops was awake. Taking a breath she immediately put the basin down to get closer to him. Cyclops was still not able to move. She could see fear in his eyes. Seeing this, the woman sat down at his side and said in a reassuring voice.

image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1178789115622326365/1210602050195562576/Mere_de_Tubio_Elizabeth_Moreau_Riviere.jpg?ex=66101204&is=65fd9d04&hm=a29b752a2618f76734141d4a5be59bfc77c5c57d97ebfd6303c35995608258e1&=&format=webp&width=597&height=597]

-Calm down, everything is fine... It's all right.

She put her hand on his face to look at him, Cyclops could not speak, he was terrified, he could not move, he was alone and did not know what to do. The woman continued to speak with the calm and kindness of a mother.

-Everything is fine. You had an accident, my son brought you to me for treatment. You had terrible injuries, if you can't talk it's normal, you've been in a coma for almost seven weeks. You had a cracked spine, your leg segments were good for the garbage can, crushed, I had to remove them, the arm that was pierced was in better shape, but the damage was there and I had to remove it too, the other one I removed to prevent you from hurting yourself in your sleep or when you woke up, they're all in the bag there. Even your helmet and armor, that's why everything is fine, you're with friends.

Cyclops was crying. He already saw himself being dismembered by the boners for his chrome and left for dead, or worse.

-I'm sorry I left you like that but it was for our own safety. But now that you're awake, we'll be able to get you to a full recovery. It will take time, but we should get there.

Trying to speak, muffled words came out of Cyclops' mouth. But this lady was calm and gentle and in no hurry she brought a bottle of water with a straw. Making her drink, he couldn't help but look embarrassed.

-I wanted to apologize too. Mi hijo, he told me that you wanted to keep your identity anonymous, but... In order to treat you I needed to remove all your equipment. That's how we found out you were a girl. Don't worry, the moment I saw it, I kicked Tonio out. He shouldn't see a woman in such a weak state.

Cyclops looked at the woman in front of her. She didn't even realize that she was no longer wearing her visor, she had been discovered, who would respect a woman as much as a man in the street. Gaton had planned everything, even the latest gear, and the suit. All this so that on the first night of his disappearance, she would be killed. She thought she was pathetic, so much so that she started crying again. The woman dried her tears still in that motherly attitude.

-Hush, don't cry, everything will be fine. You know, I don't know where you come from, but my son has changed. I thought I had lost him months ago. And here he comes back with scars, maturity, more balls than my ex and a woman. I don't know where he was, he didn't tell me. But I know gangsters when I see them, and you are one of them, mantis blades don't grow on trees. Maybe he has become one too and I don't want to see it. I took care of you because he begged me, he paid me, his own mother to take care of you. And I can't help but think that this is the same young man who a year ago was in this room, who knew nothing but to sing songs. but i don't care about that. What matters to me is that he came back to me safe and sound.

Helping her to get up in her bed she took out of the bag the arm mantis intact.

-Your arm is beautiful, I'm sure it took you a long time to take care of it. I've got some replacements for you while you're recovering, nothing as cool as that, but as soon as possible I will reinstall it for you, I promise.Tonio has already paid enough for your second arm. However, your legs are in pieces, I won't be able to fix them myself since I don't have my operating room anymore.

Cyclops listened to her and realized that she was talking to herself and dropped the subject.

-Long story, I was going to clean you up. Do you want me to bring you a TV or something?

******

The time in recovery is long, very long and you don't necessarily have much to do.The days passed and slowly the two women got to know each other. After waking up and washing up, the woman presented herself more formally. Elizabeth Moreau, mother of Tubio, Antonio Moreau. Tubio had brought him home, her mother was a charcudoc, but stopped practicing for a reason she didn't say. Sold her salon and became a tattoo artist. She started to talk to herself about everything and nothing, talking about her daughter Sabrina, her ex-husband Doug, Tubio's father-in-law.

At first Cyclops understood that they had separated because of Tubio or something like that. Tubio himself had not come to see her, but as Elizabeth said, the fact that he was paying for her care made Cyclops very uncomfortable. Especially since she had money and Tubio didn’t reply to her call. After two days she could already talk again, even if it was complicated. Elizabeth was very passionate when it came to conversations. The TV was good, but Elizabeth was a TV novela by herself.

Cyclops finally had an idea of where she was. Megabuilding H2, In a the French community, the floor 33 of the mega structure was filled with the population. Each megabuilding served as a city in its own right, each megabuilding had everything a population could want, from schools, stores, homes, medical offices, armories or brothels. It's just that on this floor and the ones closest to it, it was run by populations of different origins. Even though the majority of the population of this area is of Latin origin. Elizabeth explained that Tubio's father, her first husband, brought her here at their wedding, and she has been here ever since. Raising Tubio and his half-sister Sabrina after getting remarried.

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Cyclops wasn't sure where to put herself in all of this and was a little afraid to speak up knowing that she was a killer, and she didn't want to ruin the relationship between Tubio and his mother. Who was clearly doing them a great favor, even if she wasn't fooled about her son's and her activities. She tried to keep them on the straight and narrow, even if life is what it is.

Cyclops didn't want to be rough, she wanted her legs and arms back. Being a trunk woman, even for a moment was horrible, at least Tubio's mother was nice.

Almost every day screams and insults came from the other side of the door. Elizabeth's second husband. Doug Moreau, Sabrina's biological father, couldn't take the fact that Elizabeth didn't want him around. In every sense of the word. And like a leech trying to get into the apartment. All the stages are passed there, the denial, the bargaining, the discussion, passing by the gifts, the blackmail, the anger, the insults, the cries. At least soon there will be the crying.

No one knows why, but even Sabrina was not allowed to let him in or she will be cut off. The fact is that Cyclops suspects that Tubio's return to his family may have put a damper on things. Something to do with the fact that he didn't give any news to his mother? Or the stepfather is a shady guy and hid something inside the apartment. So much suspense...

******

After more than a week, Elisabeth agreed to give her back her chip with demon's hack and her arm. But no movement! Spinal cracks should not be tested, even with chrome.

But the same question was there: what to do. Since Gaton's death, she was lost. All she had done since then was to react to the events. It was perhaps a blessing in disguise. She wouldn't have to be Cyclops anymore. Working as a mechanic or netrunner for a corpo was often very lucrative.

And anyway, what would I say, hey, sorry for being silent for weeks but I was in a coma after an ambush that almost killed me and if I hadn't been saved I would have died in the street bleeding to death. Oh our business is about who is the strong and dominate the people around him? Well after that night I guess I fucked it up, my bad sorry better luck next time. Otherwise it's all good for business? Cyclops who? Oh another weakling i guess.

The television did not arrange anything, murders, money and sex. Food, drama and fatal accidents. More than once Cyclops wished Elizabeth had never opened that door, leaving her in darkness and silence.

Can’t stand by and do nothing.Taking her courage in both hands, she tried to reach Tubio, again, the only one who knew the situation she was in.She again put on a holo. Breathing deeply, she came across the answering machine.

-Tubio. This is Cyclops, you... Could you come over? I want to talk. I... I need to talk to you face to face, or not. I just need to know if... Well, whatever. Your mom's great, but there's some things I need to discuss with someone, who knows... That's it...

The holo closing the silence of the room was good, except when the sound of your thoughts is suffocating.

******

Night city is always moving, a constant movement of machine and light, clouds and rain passing between the cracks of concrete and steel. Each person moved too in this strange rhythm that was the city. In an alley. A man had just crossed the piles of garbage bags to stop in front of a door. After ringing the bell he introduced himself.

-Who is it?

-Tubio, I'm the delivery man.

Opening the door, a man with skin on his bones looked at the young man facing him. Tubio could see that the old man had one less case in his head. In shorts with a stained white tank top, he had a long and dirty gray beard, red eyes from fatigue, and the smell coming from inside was more important than the one outside despite the rain. He tried to get to the point.

-The eddies. And I'm giving the package away.

-Of course, of course. Get inside.

-I have other orders.

-Not for a coffee? As you want.

The man's eyes shone and Tubio received the eddies. The amount of money was right. And he validated the transaction. Taking a box out of his bag. He gave it to the old man who waited only a second to open it.

-Ah, pastry of Glorus muffin. The only ones of night city to be perfect.

-Good appetite.

Tubio turned to leave before the man invited him back. Excusing himself quickly he went back to his motorcycle. Before contacting his fixer. Ferak.

-Tubio? Is the delivery done?

-Yes, the old man was at the height of happiness.

-Good, you've earned your bonus. I'll get back to you.

Putting on his helmet, Tubio closed the holo and went on the road. When he received the call from Cyclops he hesitated to answer. So far he had been dodging his house and her. His mother gave him updates on her condition. But at the end of the call he knew he had to... He needed to check in with her.

Driving in Night City was special, you have to be careful with a lot of things. Like not leaving your bike in the open, gangs, cops, crazy peoples. Going to a garage unit near the megatower to put the motorcycle safe. He walked to get to one of the elevators to go up he ran into gang members. One of them a tall skinny men with a green snake tattoo running up his face to his lips, spoke to him.

-It's Tubio, right?

-Sirio.

-Yeah, I knew I recognized you. What have you been up to? Mama Elizabeth has been worried sick about you. My brother was really pissed off, your father showed up while she was tattooing him. It was a mess. And since then she only takes appointments.

-Yeah. They're not together anymore.

-What happened.

-He left me to die.

Sirio opened his mouth before holding back. The others knew Tubio as the tattoo artist's son, a good guy. Unlike his father-in-law, who tried to make a fortune in shady schemes and odd jobs. The fact that he left him for dead. It was clearly none of their business. The elevator arriving on the floor. Sirio and his buddies gave their contacts to Tubio if he wanted to come by.

-Sorry again.

-It's not your fault, big guy.

The megatower was simple. Floor upon floor, joined by stairs and elevators. A large void in the middle and the apartments around it facing the void inside or outside. Variation in structure, community, density, business, product and activity. One floor could be a gang den, the other a market.

That's where it gets out. Going up some stairs, to find stores and stuff, vending machines all along the wall, garbage and rubbish bags abandoned in what could be called the street. An outdoor gym, where several men were training. Pull-up bars, benches with weights, all that under the artificials lights. Tubio passed by without stopping. He was thinking about what to say, owing explanations to both Cyclops and his mother. She had graciously agreed to look after her. But the fact that she'd kicked Doug out meant that there had to be some explanation of what had happened. Serves him right. Finally arriving in sight of his mother's apartment, which doubled as a tattoo parlor. He was greeted by a scene he wouldn't have believed possible less than a few months earlier. Doug and his mother shouting at each other outside the door. His mother blocking his way with her body.

Tubio felt rage welling up inside him, who before would never have hurt a fly. Approaching Doug, he grabbed him by the jacket before throwing him to the ground on the side. Doug was a gray-haired man with a bald spot, wearing old-fashioned glasses, a vest and sweat shorts, and was the very definition of an old flirt who'd aged badly. His only feature was the prosthesis that replaced his left leg.

Turning to see who had thrown him to the ground, he paled when he saw that it was his son-in-law. Standing impassively, Tubio since that night had dropped his Maelstrom mask to show his face, with no implants other than his eyes, he had let his hair grow, making him unrecognizable. He was no longer the boy he had been, the child had died. He had become a man. Looking down at his father-in-law, he placed his hand on the large pistol at his thigh.

-This is the last time I'll see you here. Next time I'll shoot you on sight.

Leaving him on the landing, Tubio turned to his mother, who looked at him tenderly before letting him in. She took one last look at Doug and closed the door.

image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1178789115622326365/1210602648848572486/Tubio_face_01_Antonio_Moreau.jpg?ex=66101293&is=65fd9d93&hm=109f537bdfeb556258cea7b4222ffd552b1024c3e7daad8e8bd9e0ab72c25c9f&=&format=webp]