I land near some large containers. Lucio and Rousseau are away to my left with a forklift. Rosseau's at the wheel and Lucio's giving him directions. Montreta is to my right, opening a shipping container. I need to take two of these guys alive for APD to get a prosecution.

Lucio and Rousseau. It wasn't even a question. They were the HVTs. I'd done this sort of thing before. Montreta's expendable.

They start to turn around. The explosion definitely got their attention. Lucio and Rosseau are wearing suits, bulges under their arms. They're definitely armed. Montreta's wearing a vest and combat pants. He doesn't need a weapon. That synth shell is a weapon.

Swiveling left, I kneecap Lucio and put another round through Rousseau's shoulder. Enhanced reaction time. They didn't even get thier hands anywhere near their holsters.

I'm using a Smith & Wesson Neo. It's an old piece. Fires six thermal propulsion rounds. Fancy way of saying the bullets are miniature rockets. Packs a hell of a punch. Lucio's kneecap is powder and Rousseau's shoulder is pretty much destroyed. They won't be going anywhere. Still alive though, the screaming confirms that. No biggie. APD will hook them up with some base level prosthetics. They'll be up and about in a couple of months. Just in time for a nice long stay at Rockwood Heights Penitentiary.

Now for Montreta.

I spin to the right, just as he charges me like a freight train. We go crashing through one of the walls of the warehouse and end up sprawling out on the docks. Somehow, I still manage to keep a hold of my weapon, but before I can bring it up, he slams a punch into my gut. It's like a wrecking ball just fell on me. All the breath is driven out of my body and I black out. Seconds later, my health implant kicks in and reboots me. When I come to, he's picked up my gun and is aiming at my head. I'm surprised he managed to fit his finger through the trigger guard.

He leers down at me.

"What are you? Some kind of cop?"

Harsh voice. Mechanical. Cheap circuits. Typical synth.

He snorts.

"Don't matter. You're dumb. Coming here alone, no back up and trying to take us all out. I'm taking you out. Then, I'm gonna drag your body back to the boss and bag myself a nice fat bonus."

He grins.

"Lights out cop."

Idiot. He doesn't know I was a Ronin. Learned tricks dirty enough to give a marsh slug pause.

My anti-personnel charges are still active. I ramp them up to maximum. The sound of the rain drowns out their barely audible hum.

He's a synth. Metal plus electricity plus water equals no brainer.

I grab his leg. The contact point crackles, and he starts howling. The electricity coursing through his body is frying his organic parts. His face is going red.

I keep the contact going. His pants leg starts smoldering where I'm holding it. He starts shaking and spasming. A wild jerk of his arm sends the Smith & Wesson flying out to sea.

Dammit.

His face is getting redder and redder and his shrieks get louder and louder. The fluid in his brain is boiling. Should be any second...Now.

Suddenly his ear splitting shrieks cut off. He stops spasming and flops to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

Death by electrocution.

Haven't had to do that for a long time.

I slowly get to my feet. I'm a little unsteady. My retinal display is flashing amber. That move took a lot of energy. Not to mention that was a hell of a punch. Its going to be a few days before I'm back to one hundred percent.