I started running again the next day, and almost instantly got a level up.

*Athletics skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

I slowed for a moment but decided to keep jogging as I pulled up the stat screen to check through the perks.

Most of them were what I expected. Runners high. To let me zone out and keep running to push myself pretty hard for long distance running. Parkour. Which was obvious. High jump. Interesting. Increase the height of my hops.

Unlike my other skills athletics didn’t have any direct combat stuff I noticed. It was all calm things that would just be useful or to enhance my ability to move.

I picked Parkour. Always pick Parkour. In a city like Night City? Easy pick.

The moment I did I started noticing things. Paths through the city opened up to me as if I had run them all. If I jumped onto that cart, I could hit that overhang and climb onto those window bars. Which would put me on the roof of that building.

That sort of thing.

It was fun to imagine even if I didn’t do any of it for now. Just finished up my jog, yet since I wasn’t that tired, I decided to do a second lap which by the time I was done had worn me out quite a bit.

I would do a quick shower since I had already eaten some lunch at the vendors around the block. But then? More crunches! Yay!

I think I was starting to become one of those weirdos who go to the gym.

Wait, I actually did need to go to a gym and I had money… Oh right I had a map in my head!

—--

After cleanup I decided I was going to find a gym nearby. So I did a search using my cyberware map system.

A few options came up, although I noticed most of them were tiny places with obvious Tyger Claw symbols on their front.

I didn't want that. I wanted a big impersonal gym so people wouldn’t notice me or talk to me.

I wasn’t a loner. I was just worried about improving too fast!

So I found a corporate gym a big glass and metal thing with shiny equipment, and in the pictures everyone is fake smiling. Obviously a place completely devoid of any soul.

Perfect.

Only thing is that It was a bit too far to walk. I would actually need to take a train. Pysching myself up, to wash away the slight nervous feeling I had. I hated the feeling of getting on the wrong train or something, but with my map guide I was easily able to figure out the right train and get on. It was a peaceful trip, but I remained on guard, making sure to keep a close eye on those around me so no one could steal my eddie shard.

Lucy might or might not be in the city at the moment, but I wasn’t about to risk it.

In the end I made it to my destination without issue.

A big honking building. “Chrome Ring Gym. Huh.” I muttered the name as I walked under it. Entering inside I looked around, and just as I hoped there were tons of high end machines that would increase weight and as such would let me push myself further than just some push ups would.

Inside a receptionist with a fake smile greeted me, and after I ignored most of her sales pitch I paid for a monthly subscription that wasn’t overly expensive before getting an access shard and I entered into the gym.

Unfortunately before I could take more than two steps in I was greeted by a massive guy in a suit.

“Weapons must go in the locker.” He ordered pointing towards a set of armored lockers next to him.

Oh right I was packing.

I nodded and headed over placing my Unity and my knife into the locker and taking the shard.

With that he stepped aside and I walked in.

So many activities! Considering I would have to walk home after I decided to focus on my arms. I really didn’t want to have to stumble home with dead legs.

With that decision made, I settled in to pump some iron off a machine, and nearly instantly I could see my alerts come flooding in.

*100 Body XP Gained.*

*100 Body XP Gained.*

*100 Body XP Gained.*

I smiled even as I grunted, pushing further and further.

Sure my arms felt like noodles and hurt like hell on my way home. But I gained nearly another level in body in that one session.

—--

With that initial hurdle out of the way I startled exploring a bit more of the city. Taking the train out to places that I wanted to see or visit.

I may have walked past V’s apartment in Megabuilding H10 just to see it. Although it wasn’t actually their apartment yet. Wherever they were, they didn’t move into this apartment until after the start of the game.

Either way it made me feel like I was actually part of the world and not just hiding away in my apartment.

I just wasn’t at a point where I felt I could do anything. It’s sorta weird that with the gamer system I sort of expect to be able to make changes to the world, even if I know that is still unlikely. There was so much corruption and… evil.

I would have to see if I could actually cut out even a little of that evil.

Mostly Scavs. Fuck Scavs.

—--

“Hey hey!”

I sighed. “Hey Hiromi.” I grunted, my arms hurt and I was walking down the street heading home from the train. Hiromi pulled up beside me. On the sidewalk of course because what does she care about laws gently driving next to me.

“What’s got you so down?” She asked leaning over the handlebars of her bike.

I turned to look at her, pouted a bit and flopped my arm at her. Exercise hurts. I hit Body 4. But not without absolutely shredding myself to get there. Now all I wanted to do was go home and sleep.

“Huh Still doing that exercise thing huh?” She asked, looking over at me as she gently walked her bike along with me.

“Yes. It’s important.” I informed her but she just made a noise of fake agreement.

“Well anyways. I was just driving by and noticed you. There is a party at the club if you want to come.”

“Pass. I want to go to sleep, arms hurt.”

“Hehe alright alright. Hey listen tomorrow Ichi is hinting we might have another gig. Whoa don’t give me that look. Way more low key okay? Apparently the boss wants some eyes on somebody so we will be those eyes. Ichi asked if you could come.”

“I’ll… Okay. I’ll come. What’s the pay like?”

“Terrible! Especially split so much, but it will keep us from being bored with more people. So-” She offered waving both of her hands which made me reflexively try to reach out to grab her bikes handlebars only for my arm to flop around.

She didn’t have any trouble though before she took control of her bike again. “Want a ride home?”

I sighed it was only another block… “Okay.” I grumbled weakly climbing onto her stupid swoop backed bike, she cackled and floored it a bit once I was on making me grab her only to moan in pain at moving my arms.

“Bitch!” I grunted quietly at the feeling of my burning muscles.

“Sorry choom!” She giggled. She didn’t sound sorry.

She dropped me off at the front of the apartment and was about to head out when she called out. “Hey you should think about getting your hair done. It’s getting messy!” She said before driving off. Making me blink. I mean, it was getting a little long, but messy?

Was my hair messy?

I weakly reached up to mess with my bangs. They were a little rough. I hadn’t exactly gotten a haircut after spending time in a coma… I guess I would have to check the map again.

—-

Ichinose

Another job, another chance to prove he had what it takes. To move out of being just another kid on the street into being someone important.

He may lead a small group, but it wasn’t like a gang, more like herding cats. Sometimes he would take a job only to have none of the group able, or willing to help.

He had learned his lesson with that. If it didn’t involve something preem, Malcolm and Omaeda would just bail, and Hiromi was only around half the time.

He often had to incentivise them to show up especially if it was a boring job like this one. So he had to stake out a guy. Keep an eye on him for Shobo-Sama, so he of course invited his team.

Most refused, until he offered to bring some beers from the club and make it a small party. That got the attention of his herd of irritable cats.

He sighed even if the pay was gonna be shit, and his portion was mostly already gone thanks to the beers. With his group there would be less risk. No one liked to be staked out after all, and he would have extra eyes to keep an eye out.

That had been the plan anyways. Before the old saying of plans never surviving first contact with an enemy.

Now he had to deal with a drunk Malcolm. Omaeda getting so annoyed with drunk Malcolm, he had to put a stop to three fights already. His own horrible boredom sitting here on a stairway watching the front of a bar for a guy who was probably having a good time inside.

Hiromi, who hadn’t even shown up yet! With the only explanation he had gotten was that she was picking up Motoko.

Motoko… That…

That was something he wasn’t sure how to feel about. On one hand in a single moment she had proven herself to be someone reliable. Even if it had screwed up the job… No, the job had already been screwed up. But that definitely ended it. She had saved him. Covered his back in ways that he honestly didn’t trust the rest of the crew to do.

Even if she kinda scared him.

All the street kids joked, or lied about how many gonks they had flatlined, but it was a rare kid to actually have any deaths at their hands especially ones that were definitely not an accident.

His own first kill had been an accident. He had been running from a bad gang fight when some homeless gonk had grabbed him.

He had fired without thinking. Pure adrenaline and reaction.

But Motoko? That isn’t how her first kill went at all.

The sound of a Kusanagi’s engine caused his head to tilt up as Hiromi’s bike finally pulled up onto the sidewalk below them. Motoko behind her.

He blinked because that was not a girl out for the town or a wannabe ganger like Hiromi.

Motoko? She had come to a casual stake out gig dressed ready for war.

An SMG slung in her arms, a pistol on her belt, and her big ass knife on her hip. She walked up the steps onto the walkway they were all waiting on with their cooler of beers and gave them all that look that she always had in her eyes as if she was searching for weakness.

Or maybe that was just Ichi’s imagination after that night.

She nodded to him.

“We are heeere! Let the party start!” Hiromi cried out, personality so different from her choom.

Motoko though wasn’t here to party she refused a beer and simply switched to checking around like she was ready for an ambush. He pointed out the bar to her. The target’s car was out front of a bar that they were parked across the street from.

“I like your hair.” Ichi said after a moment, unable to figure out what else to say to her once Motoko settled in.

She blinked before giving him a tight smile. “Thanks. I based it off someone I really look up to.” She answered before turning her face back towards the bar. It was cut, short in the back showing off the very nape of her neck, but longer in the front with long bangs.

“I still don’t know why you went with purple though. There are better colors.” Hiromi grumbled beside him pointing at her own riot of hair color.

“I don’t think Neon Green works for me.” She replied simply but she smiled at Hiromi.

“Your loss.”

“Details of the gig?” Motoko asked him suddenly, “Hiromi was sparse on details.”

“A guy owes the boss some money. He took a loan and is past due on his payment. The boss already had a talk with him, but the worry is that he will try to rabbit instead of getting the money together. So we are watching him. If he starts running we track him long enough for the boss's men to take care of it.” With that Ichi sent over the image of the guy that the boss had given him along with the picture of his car.

“Any other exits?”

“What?” He asked looking to the girl.

“Does the bar have a back door?”

“Yeah. Probably.” He said before realizing what she was getting at. “Shit you think he slipped out the back?”

“Probably not. Depends on how scared he is?” She asked before shrugging. “Did he have any guards?”

“No. He isn’t like Gonzales.”

“Good.” She offered simply before standing back up from where she was resting. “I’ll go keep an eye on the back of the bar. Call me if anything changes?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” He answered simply because Motoko was already moving. She hadn’t asked if that is what she should do. She just… Did it.

He wasn’t sure if he appreciated it and wished the rest of the team would be as helpful, or just wanted her to look to him for leading this gig.

He sighed. He would just take what he could get. Honestly he was kinda glad the way too serious girl was’t standing next to him anymore. She was making him look bad.

—--

It was so awkward. Was the SMG too much? It was probably too much. I had done my best to keep my face flat when I walked up to everyone because I was too embarrassed to admit that I brought the SMG mostly for comfort. No one else had any heavy equipment!

Stupid Motoko. I had quickly found an easy excuse to run away so I could be alone and not under everyone's eyes. Of course now I was creeping at the entrance of an alleyway holding some serious firepower getting stared at by everyone that noticed me.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Luckily the alley way was empty, and so I was able to just hang out inside the alley in the dark and stare at the back door.

Ugh and right after I got my hair cut too. I was sporting a Motoko Kusangi haircut. I figured why not? I was already using the name. The Major was a badass cyborg in a cyberpunk world. So I could too!

Well you know. If I could get over how embarrassing it was to bring a fucking machine gun to a stake out.

*Ringing*

*Moshi mosh!*

*Hiromi. What’s up?*

*Nothing just boring up here. The boys are all getting drunk other than Ichi, but he is super mega focused now that you rubbed his face in the fact he wasn’t doing a perfect job.*

*I didn’t!*

*Pfft I know I’m teasing! So how is the alley?*

*Dark, smelly. But quiet I guess? Could be worse.*

*Boring! You should come back up and we can see how drunk we can get Malcolm!*

*We are on a job Hiromi. We really shouldn’t be drinking at all. Plus I need to watch the back door.*

*Ughhhh you are so boring! Seriously you are no fun at allllll… Wait oooh our guy just came out the front door.*

*On my way.* I finished the call as I hurried out of the alley, towards the entrance to the bar. I slowed as I came around the corner seeing the target drunkenly slide into his car. I winced at just how obviously drunk the guy was as he slipped into his car. I didn’t even bother hiding myself after that. Just sighing as I crossed the street as the man failed to get his car in gear.

The others were already on their bikes, or in his van like Omaeda. Thankfully Malcolm was in the passenger seat.

I slipped onto the back of Hiromi’s bike without a word as I gave Ichi a nod. Which he returned after a stilted moment.

“Let’s go.” He said and started off following the drunk driver.

I was ready to do something just for that. Drunk driving was really really bad!

But in the end, the job was… Easy. We followed him to what Ichi confirmed was the guy's apartment after he nearly crashed into everything on the way there, he crawled out of his badly parked car and went into his apartment complex.

“Alright, that's the gig.” Ichi said then as we all pulled up together on the side of the street. “We just needed to make sure he didn’t flee town tonight, and considering how drunk he is, I don’t think that’s happening. I already spoke with the boss and the gig is done. Good job everyone.” He says as he passes over, frankly pocket change, probably wouldn’t even cover gas for everyone, but I shrugged, I understood. We were the lowest on the totem pole. Had to work our way up.

I was glad that Hiromi was driving me home after because she couldn’t see my face. I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed.

There was a part of me that was hoping. Wanting… To get some more XP tonight.

To kill.

—--

The knife thunked into the board with a solid sound and I smiled. I was getting pretty accurate!

“What are you doing Imouto?” Jun asked, sticking his head out from the bedroom looking pretty exhausted.

“Oh! I’m sorry Jun-Nii. I got this piece of wood and I figured… It would be a good target practice with my knife! I wanted to learn how to throw it just in case, and it’s actually pretty easy. I didn't realize it was making so much noise.”

I grimaced. I hadn’t meant to wake up Jun. The piece of plywood I had found on my morning jog had given me the idea and well… It worked. I already gained two Reflex XP alerts from this!

Jun blinked sleepily before looking over and noticing the combat knife he had got me sticking out of the wood.

“Just don’t hit the walls.” He muttered before turning around and slipping back into his bed.

“Okay. Sleep well Jun-Nii.” I call out softly before turning back to the board.

I was so close.

I threw it again. It was interesting because Ninjutsu had actually given me some knowledge on how to throw it. But it was giving me Reflex XP not Cool.

Man this system was so weird.

But it was great, because I only needed a little more!

Another thunk as I aimed and tossed the knife spinning and hitting wood.

*Reflex Leveled up!*

I covered my mouth so I wouldn’t shout and cheer but I did a little dance as I celebrated. Reflex 3! That meant I had so many skills to grind out again! Plus I could feel how different I felt. Reflex just like body, was making changes. Where Body changed my physical fitness Reflex changed so much else. My balance, sense of distance and how deft my hands were.

It was awesome! Especially since Reflex 3 was the bare minimum in my opinion.

I stretched, feeling my body shift. Hitting Body four had made changes as well. I had actual muscles! I wasn’t quite at super athletic level, but going from wheelchair bound to this in such a short time would have been impossible.

I brushed my hair back a bit and grinned. It had been a sudden urge to dye it purple, but I think it worked. Now I just needed to update my wardrobe, but I had promised Hiromi I would go with her to buy new clothes so I was just waiting for her to show up so we could do that. She hadn’t responded to my message, but that wasn’t anything new. She was quiet for long periods and then would send me ten texts about how her days had gone.

I wasn’t going to the gym today since I was hoping to run into Hiromi so I had instead done some light jogging when I woke up and ran across the board.

I was honestly almost tempted to flip the TV on and spend a half hour watching the absolutely zany stuff they broadcast, but it was so full of ads on every show I couldn’t do it. Instead since I had nothing else to do. I decided to go back to something I hadn’t touched in a while.

Netrunning.

I had Breach Protocol unlocked, but hadn’t done any further testing on it once I learned I could exercise my way out of the wheelchair.

But it was quiet right now. So I went into my room and pulled out the box. The teaching shard was slotted and I pulled out the Cyberdeck to start messing with following the instructions that my mother gave me.

A few hours of work and I had something to show for myself.

*100 Breach Protocol XP Gained.*

*100 Intelligence XP Gained*

I nodded. I guess I was getting somewhere.

—-

I was eating a stick of mystery meat as I walked around the block when I finally got a call back from Hiromi.

“Yes! Let’s finally get you some preem threads. I know a place that has-”

“I already know the shop I want to go to… Sorry.”

“Ugh. You aren’t going to let me put any Tyger Claw stuff on you are you? You aren’t like…trying to get out of the gang entirely are you?”

“I still love my brother and support him, but I don’t really like gangs, Hiromi.”

“Pfft. Well, welcome to the club no one does, but I like the gangs that will kill me a lot less than the one that will accept me.” She tells me bluntly. “But whatever, fine. I’ll come pick you up.”

“Cool. Thanks Hiromi I really appreciate it. I’ve been kinda waffling on buying anything new.”

“Good! I have to be there to okay your stuff otherwise you will pick something wrong!”

“Thanks.” I said dryly, rolling my eyes a bit. But well. It’s fine. She was trying to help.

We ended up driving up the road a ways into the shopping district of Japantown. To start, but it was a bust. There wasn’t anything I ended up liking. At least nothing that I wanted for what I was really shopping for.

A job outfit. I already had plenty of casual clothes even if not everything fit me, but I would still need something on the job. The outfit I had worn on our first job was basically rags at this point. The blood had stained it.

And well… If I was going to be a Merc, I wanted to look professional. I wasn’t exactly a fan of Street Kid Flair.

What did they call it? Neo-Militarism? Yeah I kinda liked that.

Anyway we drove around. I did relent and allow Hiromi to go to her clothing store which was a hidden little Tyger Claw place that sold their paraphernalia. I didn’t end up buying anything that Hiromi recommended, but to my pleasure there was a nice pair of fingerless gloves without any Tyger Claw stuff on them that I ended up picking up.

Much to Hiromi’s annoyance.

After that we drove around the city stopping in City Center at a nice store. I found the perfect jacket. It was a tough material, probably some form of Synth-leather. But it was a half jacket, stopping just below my chest. But it had long sleeves and a nice collar which meant it would be perfect for keeping me warm, but not get in the way of my gun.

I bought a dark colored jacket, and found to my pleasure that the sleeves even rolled up and could be strapped down. Meaning if I was too hot. I didn’t have to swelter. I did so immediately, sort of glad I wouldn’t have to wear the jacket covered in Tyger Claw symbols anymore.

Although I could tell considering how it was designed it was probably expected to put some symbol on the back of it. I just had no intention to do that. It was a cute jacket already! I didn’t need anything to make it look better.

Unfortunately that was a big chunk of money. Even with Gonzales stupid chromed out piece of crap. It was still just a revolver in Night City.

And I was trying not to spend too much of the 5 grand that Hiromi’s mother had forced on me.

Anyway, Grumbling Hiromi drove us back to our part of the city. Complaining that I only bought two things and neither of them were actual clothing.

I just shrugged happy with my cute jacket.

—-

Things slowed down for a bit. I spent a week mostly doing my own thing. Grinding Body in the Gym lets me hit Body 5. And I was definitely starting to notice some real changes. Six pack here I come!

Almost. They were getting close though!

And Athletics had hit 4, as I was doing a ton of running back and forth from the gym and just in general. I couldn’t have Hiromi always driving me around.

I was doing a light jog in the gym finishing up my workout when I heard a noise that drew me away. I paused the machine, stepped off wiped my face down with the towels the gym offered and walked out of the main exercise room where I had spent basically all my time into one of the side rooms. Rooms that I hadn’t bothered to look into since everything I wanted was in the main room.

The side room to my surprise had… Well I wouldn’t call them sand bags, they were more tech than that but it was the same thing. The noise I had heard was a man with gorilla arms slamming his fists into the machine.

As I watched I couldn’t help but think it was pretty cool. It was basically a stationary block with four limbs reaching out of it, with round pads on the end of each limb. I watched the machine as it kept altering the pads shifting where they were as the man continued to pummel them down.

A rapid staccato as the machine constantly adjusts for the hits.

I was the dumbest.

I hadn’t even thought about Hand to hand! I didn’t really do the boxing ring missions in the game. I just skipped those missions because I thought they were a little silly. But this was the real world.

Knowing how to throw a punch or better yet, block one?

My arms were still good. Today I had mostly been doing aerobic exercise so I found an open machine. After a few minutes of fiddling with the machine I found its settings and started it on the lightest setting.

The four limbs moved around a bit before I noticed that they actually had little lights.

Oh! I get it. I was supposed to hit the green pads, and not the red ones that were blocking my fists.

Interesting!

How cute! And kinda fun. I threw a few weak punches getting a feel for it. At this setting it wasn’t hard.

On the fifth hit, I got an alert.

*Street Brawling Experience Gained.*

*Skill not unlocked, no XP gained.*

*Street Brawling Unlocked.*

Another Body skill? Yes please.

I tucked in, didn’t matter if I was already near the end of my exercise regiment. I was gonna spend a few hours hitting this machine until it gave me my levels!

The snapping pop of my fist hitting the pad over and over joining the much louder harder and faster hits with the man. But I didn’t care about that. I was enjoying myself. Sweating and learning and as the alerts came in. I felt that need rising up.

Come to mama. Give me that sweet sweet level up.

Finally after who knows how long I had been punching the stupid machine I got the last alert I needed.

*Street Brawler skill level up!*

Level 1. And boy was that a lot of info. I might already be exhausted, but it wasn’t that bad. I had been pushing my body pretty hard for weeks. I had already hit level 5 Body. A half hour of punching a bag definitely had worn me out, but I was still there.

And now? Now I knew how to really throw a punch. Or at least I was certainly a lot better.

I adjusted the machine for the first time, increasing the difficulty. Now it would actually try to block me. I threw myself into it for a few minutes. Just getting a feel for my new knowledge. The higher skill ceiling of the machine meant I even got an alert

*100 Street Brawler XP Gained.*

Before I gave it up. Sweating like crazy I wiped my head down and went to hit the shower. The Gorilla arms guy was still going though.

What crazy stamina.