It hadn’t taken Sophie long to realise she was in Japantown, home of the Tyger Claws. The bright colours and significant Asian presence were clear signs of her location. It also made her suspect that the people who had attacked her were Tygers. So, she was looking for shelter somewhere out of the way in the less occupied areas of the sub-district.

Her body continued to ache, the pain she had woken up with not receding in the slightest. To make matters worse, rain had begun to fall in heavy sheets and the sky was getting dark.

Considering she had no money, connections or really any idea where exactly she was, Sophie wasn’t particularly confident she would find somewhere safe. Still, somewhere she could rest for a moment is all she really needed. She didn’t plan to squat in poverty her whole life after all.

She moved around the streets with obvious unfamiliarity, her inexperience visible to anyone that bothered to look at her. It was at this time however, that one of the benefits her small frame carried made itself known. She could slip through gaps easily and quietly, something she noted for later in the event she ended up in danger.

As she wandered, she was made aware just how loud Japantown was; advertisements blasted from every corner, AI voices promising everything from high-grade chrome to ‘unmissable’ street food, while holographic dancers twirled and beckoned people toward their clubs. The whole district was a mix of glamour and grit.

Sophie ducked her head as she passed a row of street vendors, trying as hard as possible to avoid making eye contact. A few sold fried skewers of…something or little boxes of noodles. She briefly thought about making herself look hungry, in the hope one of the vendors would take pity and throw her a scrap before realising it was a bad idea. She’d be more likely to get chased off rather than fed.

Around an hour of wandering later, she finally passed one of the district’s most noticeable landmarks, the Cherry Blossom Market. More importantly, it was somewhere she recognised from the game. It was the biggest open market in Japantown, stretching through a couple of blocks.

It was one of her favourite spots in Night City when she played the game, though a quick look inside turned her away immediately, in the opposite direction from the massive crowd of Tyger Claws. She decided however, to return sooner rather than later, as she may be able to find an opportunity in the crowded market place.

Nobody batted an eye when she hobbled away from the market as quickly as she could. People were always busy in the city, and most of them wouldn’t look twice at a stray kid. It was weird though, that the whole area felt safer than even the idea of venturing into the upper Westbrook areas, where corpos walked around with shiny, pressed suits and cold, assessing stares.

Eventually she found herself under the looming shadows of the larger apartment complexes in Japantown. Some of the apartments she could see had banners written in Kanji or traditional patterns and paper lanterns strung across balconies. It felt slightly out of place, like someone had grabbed styles from the 20th century and transported it to the future.

Sophie eyed one of the apartment buildings across the way, watching the people moving in and out. She was tempted to try her luck with one, yet she knew the inhabitants would be suspicious of any unfamiliar face; even one as small as hers. Still, it might be a better option than the alleys. If she stayed there, who knew if she would end up dead by morning.

She slipped around a corner and barely managed to avoid bumping into two passing men wearing the classic menpo and biker jackets of the Tyger Claws. She tried to avoid them, keeping her head down and moving past as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side. The two Tygers turned to face her.

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“Hey girlie, you look like you could use some help!” One of the men spoke, his tone filled with undisguised lust.

“That’s right, that’s right. Why don’t you come with us? You’ll get a nice warm bed to sleep in.” The second man’s words might have been convincing if not for the way he licked his lips, staring at her chest.

Sophie panicked. With her heart thumping, she stammered out a reply, “n-no thank you. I’m just on my way to a friend's place.”

“Eh, you hear that? Sounds like she’s tryna refuse our generous offer.”

“Surely that can’t be it. Maybe she just didn’t hear us properly.” The men stepped closer, one of them reaching out to grab her. She ran.

Behind her, an oily voice called out. “She’s running! Looks like we’ve got a live one!” Unfortunately, her damaged body meant that she was moving very, very slowly. The Claws recognised that too, sharing a grin. As Sophie tried to escape, the two men followed behind her, their speed slow.

Fucking bastards! Is this all a game to you!? That was exactly how the two Tygers saw the situation. They were enjoying her pitiful attempts at escaping, knowing that they could catch her no matter what she did. However, she refused to just give up.

"Look at the little rat," one of them sneered, his voice sharp with mockery. His bright tattoos glowed faintly, an array of tigers and flames crawling up his arms. "Thinks she can just limp away from us."

The other chuckled, adjusting the katana strapped to his back. "She's got spirit, though."

Sophie didn’t look back. She didn’t dare. She focused on her feet, every step sending sharp jolts of pain through her body. Fuck, my body is basically crippled. She pushed herself harder, her vision blurring from the pain. She knew she couldn’t outrun them. They were just playing with her, savoring her futile escape.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned down a narrow alley. The neon lights behind her cast a thin shadow along the wall. The smell of garbage filled her nose, making it harder to breathe. The Tyger Claws' laughter echoed behind her, a reminder of how close they were.

"Where do you think you're going, kid?" one called out. "Ain't nowhere to hide."

Her heart thumped in her chest as she scanned her surroundings for an escape, but there was nothing; no doors, no windows, just towering walls and piles of garbage. Tears trickled out of her eyes. A new life and already, she was done for. She hadn’t even lasted a day.

"Still fighting, huh?" one of the Tyger Claws called out, his voice reaching her ears.

She pressed herself against the alley wall, desperately trying to make herself smaller. But when their footsteps stopped just outside, she knew it was over. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Just as she gave up, a hand shot out from the shadows beside her, clamping firmly over her mouth. Sophie froze, her body too weak to resist as she was yanked sideways into a thin gap between two buildings. The space was tight, hidden by a cleverly arranged pile of debris that blended with the alley's general filth.

Her saviour held her close, her back pressed against their chest. A sharp whisper reached her ear.

“Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Don’t make a sound.”

Sophie’s eyes widened, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Who is this? Are they friendly? Or will they use me the same way the Tygers wanted to?

Her pursuers stopped at the alley’s entrance, peering inside.

“Where is she?” One asked.

"She didn’t just vanish," the taller one growled, his voice laced with irritation.

"Check it out," the other replied, nudging his companion forward.

The taller man hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the alley. But the piled trash and dense shadows offered no hints, no clues to where their prey had gone.

"Nothing here," he muttered after a moment, stepping back.

"She can’t have gone far," the other said, frustration creeping into his voice. "Maybe she ducked into one of these other alleys. Let’s sweep the block."

Their footsteps retreated, their voices fading as they moved further away. Sophie didn’t dare move, barely dared to breathe, until the silence stretched long enough to be sure they were gone.

The hand over her mouth eased, and she sagged against her rescuer. The voice spoke from behind her.

“You’re lucky I was here.”

Sophie turned her head slightly, her eyes struggling to see through the shadow.

"Why…?" Sophie croaked.

The figure shrugged. “Didn’t feel like letting those scumbags have their fun. And I know what it’s like to be helpless.”

Sophie blinked up at them, her mind struggling to process everything. "Who… are you?"

“A friend. We can introduce ourselves later. For now, I’ll take you back home. Are you able to walk?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“Nova. Let’s go.”