Ambition

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Heat. Distortion. Layers of flame.

Maine watched those people shout and struggle with everything they had.

This was not a dream. It was something Maine had witnessed with his own eyes: a bloody crime.

Maine had only ever told Dorio fragments of his past.

His childhood had been half happiness, half hardship. He had no father. His mother raised him while singing jazz songs one after another. The thin, weak Maine was often bullied by classmates. The one piece of dignity he could keep was his dark skin, because its color hid dirt and filthy wounds.

He never complained. His mother had told him that true strength came from being strong inside. He believed that.

He had done many things. Worked as street muscle. Fought underground matches. Installed the most fashionable heavy chrome on his right hand and punched opponents into paste.

He had also done security work and knocked down four or five New United States soldiers.

He had served with the NUSA and once crossed paths with Solomon Reed, but the thing that stayed with him most was that village.

The truth was, he was afraid of seeing that village happen again. The cyberpsycho in Japantown and those villagers seemed the same to him, both struggling inside fire, unable to escape death.

Tap, tap, tap.

Someone knocked on the table in front of him, breaking his thoughts. Gloria sat across from him.

Gloria lifted the bag behind her. Inside it, cyberware was sealed in a transparent soft pouch, soaking in clear red fluid.

"Why have you not been answering calls lately? Damn it, do you know how hard this thing was to move?"

Gloria looked around uneasily. Her kid at home could not see something like this. She had spent every day racking her brain to hide the cyberware, and now the proper transaction had finally arrived.

Maine had come alone. Gloria's last batch of goods had gone into Dogtown, and she had not earned much, but every eddie helped.

This batch was different. Maine had asked Gloria to strip it from a cyberpsycho somewhere in Watson.

"This is the Projectile Launch System I asked for, right? Heard you have been contacting other cyberpunks." Maine took the bag without ceremony.

Gloria nervously reached out as if to grab it back, then pulled her hand in.

She nodded. "Some of the lower-end stuff does not interest you. I can only sell that to other cyberpunks who need it. But do not worry. I will prioritize your side, as long as I can reach you."

Maine smiled. "Do not be nervous, ma'am. You are an EMT, right?"

Gloria did not understand. "Yes, Mr. Maine. The pay is too low, so..."

"I have no interest in reporting you, and I am not threatening you. If you get good goods like this, remember to offer them to me first. Money is coming."

"Huh?"

Gloria stared in shock at the fifty thousand eurodollars entering her account.

"I am using this one myself, and you happen to need money. But I suggest you remember that gambling is not a good habit. You have a kid. You should stop."

Maine said his purpose directly and also made clear why he had transferred the money immediately.

Obviously, Maine did not think a single mother should be risking herself to support herself and her child. If she could earn money this fast and still stay short, the only possibility was that she was throwing money away.

Gloria's face reddened. She wanted to explain, but the words stuck in her throat.

"Mr. Maine, you need to be careful. MaxTac shot that guy into scraps. Have a ripperdoc inspect the cyberware and make sure there is no problem."

Maine patted the bag. "Ma'am, at this price, I know what I am buying. But it cannot be broken. If it is, I come to you."

Gloria stood again and called after Maine.

Honestly, Maine was already losing patience.

Gloria said with difficulty, "Um... can I have the bag back?"

Maine's newly bought shades slid down his nose. His expression was pure disbelief.

"Huh?"

Ding-dong.

The doorbell echoed through the hallway of an old Dogtown building.

The automatic door opened. Rebecca held a huge gun aimed at the unexpected visitor, then saw Cade standing outside with a speechless face.

"Oh! It's you. Thought it was those Dogtown locals from yesterday trying to break in and grab money."

Rebecca stuck her head out and looked around. "Where is that guy's corpse?"

Cade pushed her head aside. "I threw it downstairs. Doesn't the smell bother you? Also, why were you not answering calls?"

Rebecca lifted the large gun in her hands. It was painted in bright, messy colors. Certain personalized details along the body of the weapon were rough but strangely cute.

"I was busy. Ever heard of texting?"

Cade had no comeback. He looked at the large shotgun in front of him, smelling of gun oil.

"Guess what it's called." Rebecca blinked, full of expectation.

Cade slipped past her into the room. "Guts."

Rebecca froze. Then she shouted angrily, "Pilar, how big is your fucking mouth? You told Cade that too? Are you going to tell him how many piercings the BD star you watched yesterday had? Freak!"

Cade sat on the sofa and watched Rebecca puff out her cheeks. She had already painted her Gorilla Arms, one side pink and one side green. Her black high-collared jacket was casually zipped at the chest, and Cade instinctively looked away.

Pilar's chair slid across the floor. He poked his head out. "It's you, choom. Here to hit on Rebecca? Big bro can step outside if you need privacy."

Cade covered his forehead.

Really. Spending time with these siblings could take ten years off a person's life.

"Pilar, did you forget what I told you a few days ago? Boss found us a new place. Big space. The Animals in Dogtown helped locate it. We can train there, and the security system is already set up. It is above Luxor High."

Cade sounded exhausted.

Pilar clicked his tongue. "Rent is not even up here yet, and now we move again. What about all my parts?"

He launched into a long ramble. Cade and Rebecca both chose to ignore him.

Cade looked at the gun in Rebecca's hands. "That is Budget Arms Carnage?"

Rebecca nodded hard.

"Modified it myself. Paint too."

Then she lowered her voice mysteriously. "Used my brother's parts and paint. Broke a lot of stuff. Hahaha."

Pilar's voice arrived at exactly the right time, furious. "Rebecca, you dumbass! Everything in this drawer is fused into one block. What the fuck did you do?"

Rebecca lifted her brows. "So? I know a lot about shotguns and SMGs. Want to learn?"

Cade shook his head. "Why are you starting to sound like Pilar?"

Rebecca, rejected, muttered unhappily, "You think I only sprayed some paint on it? The pump action is unchanged, and yeah, it still uses number four buckshot, but I added a little extra. The chemical reservoir can coat the shells, and the ricochet hits harder when it bounces off the floor. You really do not want to use a weapon like this?"

Cade stood and shrugged. "I do not use shotguns. Let's go. Dorio texted. Once you are packed, hurry over. I sent the location."

Rebecca glared unhappily as the smug bastard left.

Pilar laughed weirdly. "Ha! He does not go for that at all."

Cade heard it as he walked out, and the corner of his mouth lifted without him noticing.

Rebecca was already as strong as she had been when Pilar died in the timeline he knew. Cade had no idea what she would become later.

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