Since the next job had some unique requirements I decided to visit Wrap.

"Hey Wrap, is this armor going to get me in trouble?" I gave him the blank face of the armor to look at.

"Huh, oh yeah, maybe. Do you really care?" Wrap was unaffected.

I sighed and shrugged, "Not really." Really didn't it was just that good.

"Look Wrap next job needs a heavier touch, I need something rated for vehicle armor, to load into the Kraken. And see what you can do with this?" I handed him the Avenger.

"Okay, I got some schema for a nasty round that'll crack right through. I can whip some up in a few minutes. Haha! Heya Comp, you didn't actually fire the .60 rounds I gave you through this, did you?" He looked worried. He dissembled it, checked every part thoroughly.

"Yup, worked just fine. What's up?"

"It's just, well, this piece is an antique, modern loads could put way too much pressure on it. I tell you what, I'll line up a buyer for this, relics go for big bucks. And I'll go ahead and print you a replica, with all the modern gleam features I can fit in it. New drum mags too, with better loads."

Matter of fact, simple and straight forward, no weird smells, no weird tones, no shifting light. He seemed on the level. I had an idea.

"You saw my under armor right?" At his nod I continued, "It's Spider Silk, line up a buyer for it too. You get 10% of the sale of both. Both stay with me till the sale."

He looked stunned for a second. Then he narrowed his eyes. Nodded.

"Ah, that's why the porta did it? I wondered why anyone would risk heating you up. I tell you this, I'll do it for 15%, but only cause you get Compi deals. And sure you keep the goods, I'm not gonna crack(fuck) you."

"Deal." I wired him 10000 NBs "For the Pistol, a couple extra mags for it and the HMG, split whatever's left between ammo types."

"Sure, done deal. Ready in about an hour. To your room?" He was nodding as he handed me back the reassembled Avenger.

"Yup. While I'm at it, do you know a place where I can get a better ICBD and maybe upgrades for my helmet to keep shit like that bitch did from happening again." The growl in my voice, made some folk back away.

"Right, right you don't do Metal, that's some crazy bio-modding Vick. Yeah, I know a place, Rust heads there like to do everything "retro", be careful they can get all flushed(geeky, geeking out, nerd, nerd raging) with you." He sent a message with the address.

"Alright, Thanks Wrap, I'll catch you later." He gave me a funny look, guess that one doesn't translate.

It was time for food.

I found a burger joint and tried a few varieties of their burger. Not bad, lettuce crisp, meat juicy, sauces smoky and tangy, cheese cheesy, bacon divine. The french fries were crispy, salty with just a hint of sweet.

I tried a different soda this time, called SMILE! roughly similar to Dr Power. Pretty Good.

Went back to the apartment to wash up. I worked on Meowser until the drone arrived. With a damned pallet full of ammo crates.

Either Ammo is dirt cheap or Wrap was playing kiss up.

First was the pistol.

[ Avenger Mk II Metalpunk Edition

Tier: 0

Type: Semi-Auto .60 caliber Pistol

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Capacity: 10 round normal / 30 rounds extended

Damage: Critical to Extreme

Effects: Recoil Compensation II, Baffled III, Strengthen Materials II

Attachments: Revenant Reflex Sight, Cawfield Suppressor, ]

This came with a quick draw holster.

The pallet also had spare mags for my Fire and crates of ammo. Thousands of rounds of each type. Seriously what was up with that? I shrugged it off, it works in my favor why question it.

Nice. I spend 1000 credits and integrate all my new gear. The stats don't change but I notice they seem to be more solid, and have more presence.

I spend awhile loading mags. Just spacing out. Ooo, the rounds for the Kraken look like sabot rounds. Neat. Never tried those before.

My next job, was mobile. Some Slag brained Junkers running around with of all things a Battlewagon (Basically a suped up APC), the BWPD had tried and failed to null their ride, and had to call in an Arbiter. Who was at last report, a couple days away. They called it a lost cause, and didn't want to lose more officers from BeltTac they dropped into the Spiders' webs.

Why they don't send in Drones or Bots? Costs too much if they get scrapped.

Nah, let the Shades handle it. Who cares if they die?

Well, I do, at least if it's me. Which it was about to be.

Now the gun on the Battlewagon is going to be bigger than the Kraken. So Armor or no, I get hit, I'm toast. So don't get hit today, it looks very bad on the after action report.

Images of handling a 30mm chaingun crossed my mind. I wonder if I could? Well, maybe, I'll try some other day.

But their gun isn't automated for some reason. So, I just have to take out the gunner before he can get me. Why isn't the gun automated, or remote operated, I don't know, seems like a dumb move to me, but it's the only reason I'm going to have a chance here. So I'll allow it.

My Anky isn't armored, so I'm not going to ride up to them like a rust brain. No I'll setup above and ahead their projected path and use every bit of the Kraken's estimated 5000 yard range, if I can, and try to take out the gunner first then the driver, then pepper it til it can't move any more.

Clean up any survivors. 20,000 more NBs to me.

To up my chances of living, I burn most of my Exp. I raise Unnoticed to V, maybe if they don't get nulled the first volley, they won't quite know where to return fire. One Shot to V to really make that first strike count. Firearms to VIII and HMG to V, to help with hit anything at that range.

9100 Exp left. Sad times. But I should get an ass load tomorrow, if I'm still alive.

Once I'm geared up, I leave Meowser to watch the place, and head to the Anky.

The Slag brains had been going in a circle for an hour. I was setup at about 1000 yards in the opposite direct of one of their straightaways. On a ten story building, full of law offices. No real loss if they get hit. I joke, I joke. Heh.

This way I'd be behind the turret guy when I started shooting. Given the density of the buildings here between 8-A and 7-E, there was no way to safely make the kill from further away. I'd take it. No plan survives contact and all that.

Even 1000 yards away I heard them coming. I line up. I push mana into One shot, I change my mind last minute and shot the engine compartment with two bursts.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM, BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

Wrap wasn't lying about this ammo, it tore through the armor and the engine, I could see the puffs of the bullets hitting the road on the other side of the vehicle, which still managed it's turn though and got about another 50 yards down the straight away, before stalling.

I was already shooting the turret operator in the back. Well, more like the side he was trying to turn, scanning for where the fire came from. Nope, too late now.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

He's cored by two of the rounds, which just kept going into the cabin. The other ripped into the Battlewagon itself. No clue what it did in there.

I repelled down the side of the building I was on, using window ledges. Then ran towards the wagon. Kraken up and scanning for trouble. I saw movement of the body in the turret, so I sent another salvo, while on the move.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

Damn I love these rounds, hell for the architecture though. Once again the bullets disappeared into the Wagon, I did hear a scream or two this time.

I changed out the mag for a fresh one. 30 up and good to go. Git sum!

I swing around the front of the Wagon to see if there's anyone moving in there. Nope driver, took a round from behind, made an art piece of the front windshield.

Cracks filled with Brains and Blood, A Victor Simmons Original. Eh, too Derivative, you say? Mister Kraken would like a word.

I continued circling the vehicle to the side door. I saw the port there begin to open.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

Stopped that. Still circling, and at the rear door, I send more rounds.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

One shot takes out the door's handle. and the door cracks open a bit. I pull it fully open. Clear.

Woo, I made a mess. The inside of the compartment were splattered in gore, there had been a lot of them in there. This piece, Splattered Junker, was a statement about income inequality in modern times, or rather how much I didn't give a fuck about it.

[ Battlewagon Counts as a Challenge.

5 GC, 5 MC and 5000 creds.

Extra Exp with be received. ]

Does it really? Huh, well good for me. Not going to Jinx it.

[ Guide Coins have reached Lifetime threshold.

Advanced Knowledges are available. ]

Finally, maybe I could get some answers that have been bugging me. I was actually feeling happy about this.

Then something slammed into the back of my head, and I met the darkness.