The security on the hotel wasn’t impressive. Pressing myself against the rear door as the camera swiveled above me, I took a few seconds to breach the security pad, I knew the design, and I knew how to get through without problems.

They all had a factory default admin code from the producers.

I entered it and it popped the door open without even needing to breach it.

Sliding inside, I ducked down and hurried down the hall, the large window that had a staff break room didn’t even see me as I moved right past.

The security room was three doors down, and I made it without seeing anyone.

Security here was tougher, whoever had set up the secure room knew what they were doing.

Unfortunately, the security guy was probably from ten or more years ago and long since fired.

The security panel was top of the line about that long ago. I hit the button on the bottom of the panel, flipped it open, licked my fingers and pressed against two of the wire ports.

A zip went through my arm, and the door popped open.

Security, security never changes.

Flipping the panel closed again, I slipped inside, and pushed the sliding door closed. Then as the room was empty I walked over to the rolly chair and slipped inside.

*I’m in the security room. Giving you all credentials now. Go ahead and move towards the elevator.* I spoke into the call that all of us were in.

I did a few checks to find out if there was a netrunner connected to the system, but after nothing pinged me back I relaxed, mostly.

Time to get to work. Entering in elevator credentials was super easy, something done hundreds of times a week.

I easily added the group in, and then started accessing the rest of the system. Locking down any NCPD alerts that would be sent out was almost childs play. It was literally on a toggle. I guess the hotel owner wanted to be able to ensure that sometimes his residents weren’t able to call for help through the hotel security.

Moving on I accessed the camera system, and hooked in.

I was the eye in the sky, looking through the camera system on the top floor. The animals were still wandering around, most of them were doing a pretty good job on keeping watch, but at least half were fucking around. One was working out, pumping a dumbbell, another was making a sandwich.

It worked for me. Made it easier.

*Pinging all enemy locations now. Please let me know if there are any optical glitches.* I spoke into the call and then sent a ping through. The golden lights were a bit weird from my perspective, considering I was so many floors below, but it would look fine for the team.

*Wait, each of these lines is an Animal?* Mira asked, suddenly sounding eager.

*Or the target, he is on the security channel with the Animals as well.*

*Huh.*

*Never worked with a runner before Mira?* Sam asked over the line and I heard her scoff in return.

Then it went silent, as I watched through the cameras as they accessed the elevator.

*Straight run to floor 19, best access point looks like room 196. It’s empty at the moment, door is unlocked.* I mentioned, as I prepped their path forward. Then I had nothing else to do but focus on the top floor.

Switching between the different cameras I checked where all of the Animals were located as best I could.

Unfortunately there weren’t a lot of cameras to access up there.

Instead I started getting things ready.

Weapon Glitch uploaded and sent, letting it bounce around the animals up there. Preparing for the eventual gun fight.

Then I waited. I lost the team on cameras, so I just followed them with what I knew of their route.

Waiting wasn’t fun, but it was what I had to do. I was the woman in the chair this time. It was an interesting experience, but I didn’t much like it.

The sound of a gunshot coming through the camera meant it was time.

I dropped the Short Circuit into the group, and watched multiple Animals fall over.

Waiting, I saw Hakase for a moment, his Katana shining as it cut through an Animal like butter.

Then it was basically over. I watched on the elevator camera as they dragged an unconscious man into the elevator, and then they were down. The Animals were injured, dead, or still being shocked prone.

I quickly cleared footage, deleting the entire days recordings, and left a small apology message for the netrunner they would bring in to find out what happened.

Then I disconnected from the system and walked back out the way I came. Hitting the alley, I jogged down a bit and slid into my Quadra.

*I’m out.* I confirmed into the line, and started driving. The meeting place after was the Afterlife.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

—--

I got there first, which wasn’t a shock. They had to drop off the package for Rogue to pick up. Waiting for only ten minutes was no big deal when finally Bishop and his crew came sauntering down the steps. Swagger on full blast.

“Gig complete!” He called out as he walked past the bar, and grabbed a bottle of Brosef that the bartender passed him, then another couple for each member in his gig.

Then Bishop walked over and stood on top of a table bottle in the air.

I was kinda curious about what was going on as he raised the bottle up, his team mimicking him.

“To another gig! To survival for another day! For another blaze of glory!”

“To another!” His team repeated at the end, and I watched on a little discomforted.

Edgerunners.

But I was alone. The other edgerunners around us raised glasses, or clapped a few times at his announcement, a few even wolf whistled.

This was the culture that I missed out on, that I never really understood. To these men and women, it wasn’t a celebration of their life, but that the gig didn’t have the blaze big enough to end them.

That they could go on to bigger things.

That was what I picked up from them, and this group I had just met that I barely knew… I felt so completely apart from them it was almost enough to make me nauseous.

“And there is our newest assistant! Infiltrator!” Bishop called out, and the team looked at me as I spun slowly around on the bar stool, a soda in my hand. “You do good work.” Bishop decided, finally stepping down from the table and walking over with his team.

“Thanks.” I offered back, sipping my drink again.

“I’ll be straight with you. You handled everything perfectly, no complaints from me. I ran it past the group, and we wouldn’t mind running another gig or two with you. See how you fit, if you’d like to join more full time.”

I blinked at the offer, glanced over at the faces of the other members, I only saw a smattering of respect.

I was young, but they acknowledged I had done the job.

“I appreciate it. I wouldn’t mind backing you up in the future, but I don’t think I'm really a joiner.” I decided. “I have my own crew that I work with usually. Today was just me being bored and deciding to earn some eddies rather than be lazy on the couch.” I explained honestly.

Bishop blinked his glowing eyes flickering for a moment before he chuckled.

“You hear that? The infiltrator takes gigs to not be bored.”

“Well damn, I can’t blame her. Sneaking into a comfy office and watching through the cameras must be a real preem gig. Kinda wish I was a runner now.” Mira offered, but it was joking, she smiled toothily, which I returned in kind.

“It was an easy gig for an infiltrator, but it could have taken much longer, and been more difficult for the rest of us.” Samuel the corp offered nodding towards me, as he raised his Brosef taking a seat a few down the bar. “To long developed skills.”

I raised my drink in exchange. “To no doubt dealing with really annoying people on the daily. I don’t envy your skills.” I sent back and the previously cold man, broke into a smirk at my words.

“See at least someone acknowledges the difficulty of working with people.”

“Oh God, don’t get him started. He’ll whine for hours about all the assholes and make us listen to it.” Mira begged.

And slowly the group melded into the bar, and I realized why on the flipside why Edgerunners were what everyone wanted to be.

There were few friendships stronger than those forged in the heat of combat.

“So what’s with all the chrome anyways? No Realskinn?” Mira asked a few minutes later as the conversation turned to everyone simply chattering about the gig. I had thought about leaving, but I was being included enough that it felt nice.

“I like chrome.”

“Gross. Should get some Bioware! You’d look great as… A lizard maybe? Get some scales? Oh no! I know, maybe a wolf, there is something lovely about a cute wolf girl!” Mira gushed and I realized with horror what she was.

“Exotic!” I snapped finger pointing, she didn’t just have shark teeth as an aesthetic choice, but because she was one of them!

“Heh? Yeah duh? Didn’t the teeth clue you in.”

“No! Ugh.” I groaned as I remembered the stupid Exotic club, and the failed gig. How annoying that had been. I had been forced to watch that club for hours trying to find a way in!

“Oooh? You got a problem with Exotics?”

“It’s so annoying! Can’t hack them, can’t stealth by them unless you do something about scent. They tend to have upgraded bioeyes, so even normal stealth isn’t as good. Again, you can’t blind them with a quick hack! It’s so frustrating!” I whined and looked at her, eyes meeting hers with a glare.

Her own glare went from harsh to blinking in surprise and then fighting back a smirk.

“Wait… So you don’t like exotics cause-”

“Cause they are so hard to stealth around! I had a gig I failed because it involved an exotic bar that I couldn’t infiltrate! I ended up having to call Regina and tell her I couldn’t do it. Never heard from her again.”

“Wait. The Lions Den?”

“Don’t remind me! I spent so long trying to find a way in!”

“Pfft! Ahahaha!” She broke into laughter and I glared at her, but she didn’t care and just laughed harder.

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s hilarious! Okay! Okay! You are officially invited, you should join me at the Den sometime. You’re a bit young, but fuck it, you’re an Afterlife merc. You should enjoy yourself. I have to bring you around, and tell everyone!”

“Hell no.”

“Aww c’mon it’s great! So many people to pet!”

“Mira, lay off. The kid’s a teenager.”

“So? There are kid’s her age that are Exotic!”

“You know that wasn’t what you were offering.” Bishop responded rolling his eyes, and I just huffed.

“If I ever have to sneak in, I’ll remember you.”

“Hah! Good luck. We got some great security… As you know!” She cackled teeth flashing wide.

Tsk!

—--

Back home with a fresh pocketful of eddies, I realized that my sense of money was skewed.

I had been given a couple grand of eddies, not a bad payout I think? But for me it was kinda light for a full gig.

If it had been Section 9, the weapons, and equipment the Animals had ‘left’ behind would have been another couple grand easy.

But that was fine. We were a bit different, more willing to scrounge for the eddies. I had a feeling it wasn’t considered ‘cool’ to do that sort of thing.

I shrugged. I didn’t care about being thought of as cool, as long as people know I wasn’t someone they could fuck with.

Home again, I noticed Jun wasn’t home, and I was once again feeling bored. Grabbing my guitar I strummed a few notes thinking about what to play.

I was feeling pretty mellow, something chill…

Fingers started strumming and I smiled as I heard the notes. I knew what to play.

“Underneath the bridge. Tarp has sprung a leak. And the animals I’ve trapped. Have all become my pets.” I mumbled aloud, as I just let myself remember another Nirvana song.

‘Something in the Way’ was very simple, but it just… Felt nice.

I played through the song once, and then just let it trail off.

“Need to actually record that… And the rest of the Nirvana songs.” I hummed a bit, a familiar refrain and I laughed as I decided I might as well.

I grabbed my music box, plugged it all in, and started working. My Cyberdeck handled the cutting and editing of the tracks, adjusting the sound levels as I sang and sang and sang.

—--

“No, I don’t have a gun! No, I don’t have a guuuun!” Come as you are belted out with all the emotion I could pack into the song continued on. Every riff was locked into my brain, burned into my memories and the emotions I remember with every sung word coming out as heavily as I could.

Which is when the door opened.

“Sorry.” Jun greeted me as I stopped mid word.

“That’s okay. Welcome home!” I greeted as I stretched, but then I looked over and frowned. “Jun?”

“It’s nothing Imouto.” He responded back, but I could tell he wasn’t okay. I rose up and padded after him, as he went to the fridge and grabbed some food, and he rolled his eyes as he noticed me looking at him. “It’s just Yuto, I tried calling him, and haven’t heard from him… I’m worried he’s doing something stupid.” He tells me and I relax.

“Oh okay then.” I moved away, if it was just worry about his choom that wasn’t something I could really help with. I headed back to the couch, and picked up my guitar might as well finish the song, when Jun settled in.

“That tune… You played it before right? A long time ago. You’ve improved a lot.”

“It… Yeah, I’ve gotten a lot better. Figured it all out basically.” I muttered, feeling my ears redden, Jun remembered me playing badly!

He laughed at my embarrassment and then settled onto the couch, but I could see that he wasn’t relaxing, his eyes flashed as he was making calls.

So I did my best not to disturb him, focusing on editing some tracks and getting it right.

I had finished Something in the Way. So maybe I’ll play that for Jun once he was done?

But before I could jump into it, Jun stood up with a sigh, and started leaving.

“Jun?” I asked, but he didn’t say anything just dropping a heavy hand on my head to reassure me, before heading right back out.

It was going to be one of those days then huh?

Jun left, and I got back to it.