As I woke up as a baby again, I heard them name me.

Mom: “Colt that’s what well name him.”

Its so hard to think shit I’m back at level zero in my base stats.

Dad: “maybe we should name him Shin.”

I like that better, I tried nodding my head and they looked at me.

Dad: “see he likes it? please.”

Mom: “fine.”

He stomped away.

Over the next two years I learned about my new family. My mom was an raging alcoholic, my dad was a merc he was kind though and talked with me and took care of me. Mom was nice when she wasn’t drinking. I spent these two years also bringing my stats to one each so I could use my bonuses and abilities. And I did just that, trying not to showoff unlike my last life, I practiced in secret. Every thought makes me react, when will I level thought speed again.

So, I focused on my dad who was messing with his cyberware, he had Cyberarms, not large once but ones to help with speed and recoil. He had two hand cannon pistols at his sides, he also had Cyberlegs.

Another two years passed, and I started being taught about the world by my dad, how being a merc worked the highs and lows of it and you can’t trust anyone but family. He never stopped saying that one. he taught me about the streets and the people how to talk, and act around them. And a lot of it was new info, my first life I was a grade a student top of the class loner hiding away. My next life I was a corpo mechanic who helped people. I’ve never been a person on the streets truly before. Sure, I was an orphan, but I had a good orphanage, and my brains made up my lack of money in the end. When I turned six my sister was born baby Beck.

Mom only got worse, this world didn’t have the same mental health that my first life did, and I think mom got postpartum depression. Some days I would run away from home with Beck to hide until dad got back and calmed her. I think that is different from the anime the amount of abuse that mom gave out. Will I be able to survive in this world, it’s so much worse than last time. I look over my stats. I felt like I got to level four in something finally.

1. 1. Max Colson, 2. Seare, 3. Shin: lives lived: 2 : life points 1/1

point balance: 0 points “after every life you get :166 points: for your gained achievements”

body: 2 (2+) “determines raw physical power”

Sub stats body:

Athletics: 2 (2+) “determines your durability and speed”

Annihilation: 0 (+) “determines speed and control for large weapons”

Street brawler: 2 (4+) “increase speed and control with hand weapons”

Reflexes: 2 (1+) “determines evasion and speed”

Sub stats body:

Handguns: 2 (+) “better at reloading and firing faster”

Blades: 2 (+) “quicker and better at handling”

Assault: 0 (+) “better fighting in and around cover”

Technical ability: 0 (2+) “represents technical knowledge, and ability to handle cyberware”

Sub stats body:

Crafting: 0 (2+) “how to find, use, and make things”

Engineering: 0 (2+) “ability to see loot and materials you can use”

Thought speed: 2 (+) "Represents Netrunning ability and processing speed"

Sub stats:

Breach protocol: 2 (4+) “ability to hack people and things, and make hacking daemons”

Quick hacking: 2 (4+) “how many and strength of your hacks on people and things”

Cool: 4 (+) “resilience and composure and control over yourself”

Sub stats:

Stealth: 4 (2+) “understanding of how to hide sneak and avoid.”

Cold Blood: 1 (2+) “ability to handle killing”

Bought ability’s:

“Artists hands” you have complete control over your fingers and hands.

"Keep pumping” your heart doesn’t stop unless you are braindead or mentally unstable, even if its removed blood will keep flowing through your body. Warning can be painful.

"Numbness” you can control what pain gates are open with your thoughts instead of massaging them.

“Fast hands” when working you can move your hands at double speed.

"Remember recipe” remember all cooking recipes you have made.

“Maker” know how to change recipes to fit the stuff you have on hand.

“eyes in the sky” know were camera are around you and be able to breach them faster.

“Rapido” speed is everything when working, lose track of time when working and increase speed in work.

“disassemble” you are able to know how to disassemble whatever your hands touches.

“Parkour” increase speed while moving see the path ahead of your moves.

I have been trying to upgrade equally in this life not doing the focused path. And the ability points are in stealth and cool two ability points, yeah, I hide from mom a lot. While sitting against the back of a closet covering two-year-old Beck’s ears, from the screaming. I look over the different ability’s I can get and decide on blind spot and gag order.

“Blind spot” you can feel peoples range of sight and avoid it easier.

“Gag order” you know how to kill someone silently.

Once it was on, I could feel the eyes outside the closet and instinctively scooted to a corner where it would be harder to see us. it wasn’t a touch feeling or a I can see a cone in front of someone it was I mentally felt like right there was detection if I was right there it’s easier to detect me.

Another year passes Beck turned three. Mom looks more sickly every day. Best not to think about that. Dad taught me how to use a gun and brought me to a ripper to get an input plug. Shit was he bad at it though it always hurt, and I could smell burning randomly but dad said that’s normal. He’s never gone to Vic before. Otherwise, good, now I can make my programmable grenades again when I get materials. I do love my dad, but he is almost never home just gone on jobs constantly to take care of us.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I had no idea where mom was getting alcohol until one day we were visited by the NCPD night city police department. Apparently, my mom was seen stealing alcohol on multiple occasions, but they had to punish her now. Shit, dad was at work we weren’t allowed to call him, so I sent him a text.

Shin: “Mom got arrested for stealing booze, she’s going to be punished they said, I put Beck in her room and closed the door so she can’t see.”

I looked away but stayed in the room they will maybe not kill mom if her son is watching. But this is night city. Luckily, she was just beaten, her screams eventually went quiet at she fell unconscious, when she did, they stopped. I checked her pulse and texted dad again.

Shin: “She’s alive.”

They left without another word. I went to the kitchen and grabbed the first aid kit.

Shin: “mom let’s get you in the shower.”

Her being beaten too unconsciousness didn’t give her the ability to walk so I dragged her to the shower. There I took off her clothes and used the shower to wash the blood around her. After I wiped her down with a towel and looked her over, she was still bleeding from the lip and had a nasty cut along her arm. I grabbed the sewing kit from the box and sewed up her arm. Then washed it again then put on slap patch on it and a then wrapped it with cloth from the first aid kit.

Her leg was dislocated so I carefully reset it. and massaged her in bed until she was relaxed enough to sleep. I put new cloths on her and left her room.

I had been so focused on mom that I didn’t notice Beck watching me in awe and horror at mom’s injury’s.

Shin: “don’t worry she’ll be ok. Let’s go to bed Becky.”

I walked over to her and held out my hand and she grabbed it. we walked to our room, and I laid her down letting her hold my hand and waited for her to fall asleep then I slipped my hand free and waited for dad to come home.

Shit gets worse

While I waited dad texted me back.

Dad: “Are you ok? Is Beck? And how is she?”

I texted back.

Shin: “We are fine just got Becky to bed, I treated mom and relocated her arm, she is sleeping currently.”

Dad: “I’m sorry, well talk when I get back, I’m in the middle of an important job, I’ll be home late tomorrow.”

Shin: “thanks for always putting food on the table. Love you dad.”

Dad: “Love you too.”

Since he wasn’t coming back tonight, I went back into mine and Becky’s room and saw her having a nightmare. I woke her up and she held onto me.

Shin: “what you dreamed of didn’t happen. It’s all ok.”

She seemed to calm as I held her.

Shin: “what was your dream?”

Beck: “I though you tried fighting them and they hurt you. You didn’t hide with me.”

Shin: “don’t worry your big brother will be there for you.”

Beck didn’t let go of me, so we got into my bigger bed, and I held her as she slept. What the hell am I going to do. My previous life seems so simple in comparison to this one. and my first one seems like a cakewalk. I want to protect her. I’m almost at level four in all my stats when I do I get another ability. Another goal is a new mono wire. Sure I can use a gun now but that weapon was a godsend. I slowly fell asleep. I woke to Becky trying to extricate herself from my sleep grip.

Beck: “I didn’t want to wake you, you did so much yesterday. Need anything?”

Shin: “a smile from you?”

She smiled at that, and I did to.

Shin: “thanks, can you grab me food stick.”

I got dressed while she grabbed me one. black te shirt with black shorts, black shoes and black hair, and a black plug in port on my neck.

She came in and handed me one. I ate it quickly.

Shin: “I need to check up on mom, will you get dressed and I’ll meet you in the kitchen?”

I entered her room to the smell of alcohol. Shit she had another store of it, probable drank the pain away from her injures. I tried to turn around before she saw me but didn’t.

Mom: “brat get over here.”

I could run but she’s faster than beck. I could knock her unconscious with a punch in the right place? An option I would wait for, I don’t want to injure her more. I walked over.

Shin: “yeah mom?”

Mom: “where’s the rest of my booze?”

The NCPD took every bottle they could find. I would thank them if not for the fact that I would now have to deal with her angry at me for not finding more booze. Maybe I can make her angry at them instead.

Shin: “the asshole NCPD took it.”

Mom fumed but her body shook at the memory of last night.

Mom: “why didn’t you fight them for it! It’s mine boy, they shouldn’t have take stuff from my house like you greedy vermin!”

That’s when she struck me hitting an empty bottle against my head. My vision blurred.

My neck already in pain from the incorrectly added plug. I felt my hand twitch. I could kill her, tell dad she died in her sleep, that I didn’t get to all her injures. Shit Becky could hear us right now, I cant have her lie to dad for me. My hand twitch, oh I’m going insane, aren’t I? nine years of abuse from her making me insane? I can’ let Becky see me go insane. My hand stopped twitching.

I used numbness on anguish and was fine. Ok what do I do. I scan her mental. She dislocated her leg again while drinking I can see that, and one hand is still in the cast I made. I decide my earlier plan on running would work now.

I ran out the room. I heard my mom try and chase but fall over. To drunk to notice her failing body. I saw Becky outside the door when I opened it listening in. I grabbed her hand, and we left.

Shin: “well come back when dad calms her again.”

I texted dad.

Shin: “mom needed to be calmed we are going to hide until you calm her again. Text me when you do.”

We only stopped when we were in the playground, graffitied and mostly destroyed playground that we hid in a lot.

Beck: “your bleeding.”

Shit, I felt at my face and felt blood running down it. I put my hands through my hair and cut myself on a shard of glass.

Shin: “Shit.”

I slowly pulled the shards out of my hair but couldn’t get one big pieces stuck in my skull it wasn’t deep but pulling it out without medical tools was a no-no.

Shin: “double shit.”

Becky looked worried.

Beck: “what do you need? What can I do.”

Nothing she can do, she’s only three. She was starting to hyperventilating. It calmed me I needed to make everything ok.

Shin: “we go to a ripper, I’ll pay to get them to fix me right up. no need to worry ok.”

I smiled. The blood had dried now I wasn’t bleeding anymore but if I pulled the shard out, I would be. I could go to the hack my dad used, who was good by poor terms. I decided on vic. He’s the best in all cases. How to get to him we are on the opposite side of town from him.

We could take the bus but with how I looked and my age we would be stopped by the wrong people. I could steal a car, ditch it later after getting to Vics and act like I didn’t steal it. I decide on that. But I needed money to pay for helping my head, I already knew dad password, so I took some from his account I’ll get the ok from him later.

We went to a unwatched car cheap and battered could see many dents and the paint was horrible. it’s model I knew, good. I pulled out my multi tool and disassembled the cars lock with ease. Then entered it. then got beck seated and seat belt on. I then used the multiple tool to disassemble the lock in the car, I plugged myself into the car with my port. And drove it too misty shop parked a block away. Beck had a coat so I put it on it was so small for me but with the hood no one could see the blood on me.

I entered the shop and saw Misty look us over.

Misty: “what can I do for you kids, you get lost? I can point you the right way if you need?”

Beck looked scared at her, but I held her hand and she calmed.

Shin: “may I talk with Vic? I need his help for a minute or two.”

She looked at me then went to the stairs and yelled down

Misty: “VIC TWO KIDS ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!”

Vic: “SEND THEM DOWN!”

As I walked down the stairs beck holding my hand like a vice. Every step was harder my legs starting to shake. I saw him Vic it’s had been too long. But he doesn’t know me anymore. That’s ok. Plus, something else is more important. My head, the pain had been building for awhile and my vision was a little clouded around the edges since I started driving the car and now it was going black for moments.

Vic: “hello? You came for me?”

Shin: “I got hurt and needed a doc to help me, can you? I’ll pay you.”

I sent him all the eddies my dad gave me and promptly fell to the ground, I did all I could.

When I woke my hand was numb, I looked and saw that Beck was holding my hand.

Beck: ”thank you thank you.”

She seemed so relived.

I looked towards vic.

Shin: “how long was I out?”

Vic: “About two hours.”

Wait so it was three pm now. I looked at my phone no new messages from dad, so he hasn’t gotten home yet to calm down mom.

I looked at my phone and saw that Vic gave the money back.

Shin: “I need to pay you.”

Vic: “I try not to take money from kids.”

Shin: “thank you. but what can I do, I don’t like owing people.”

Vic: “pass it on one day, save a kid in trouble.”

Ok I can do that. I nodded at him, and he smiled. I felt at my forehead, and it was completely head, pressure healing always got my back and completing the recovery.

I looked around and saw it, the Monowire that I used to have sticking out of a shelf. I looked at dads bank account. We could get it, it costs about half of the money in the account. But it’s not something he would brush off like a hundred eddies to fix my head.

That’s when I saw it. I notification from the NCPD. I opened it and read the message.

Your father was found dead today in Morro bay his body was not retrievable. I reread the message over and over again. mom didn’t have a phone, she wouldn’t know. Shit. I put the phone away my hand twitching.

Shin: “Becky we need to get home.”

We left Vic waving us goodbye Becky thanked him. But I couldn’t react. I went back to the car we klept before and used it to drive back we parked it about a block from where it was before and I brought Becky to the park and sat her down.

Shit how would mom react, she wouldn’t step up, she just drink more. I instantly transferred all his money into my account. Can’t have her waste it. how do I break it to Becky. Shit just keeps getting worse.

Shin: “I got new. Big new, everything is going to change for a while.”

She looked worried.

Shin: “dad isn’t going to come home from work today.”

Shin: “we aren’t going to see him anymore. I’m sorry he’s dead.”

I wouldn’t be able to hide it from her with mom around. So better to do it here where she work through it.

She started crying and I held her. Us alone in this park cry as my only and one of Becky’s two supports went away.

Becky: “You won’t leave right!”

Shin: “never.”

We stayed there for an hour me letting her cry into my shirt.

End of chapter: eleven