Bio Weapon Dystopia

Vomi was taking care of Raven's injuries, putting on some patches and bandages as she mumbled over the mess that the Black Daggers started to cause. Raven wasn't particularly bad in her injuries, but you never know, better be safe than sorry. Vanguard was peacefully sleeping at the singer's lap, Vomi occasionally asking if some part hurt, finishing everything by giving some old school painkillers, not even a syringe or a puff of a MaxDoc, just straight up pills.

“Pills? Those are old.”, She commented while gulping the pill.

“I still don't know how people can swallow pills without water.”, Vomi muttered to herself, amused and annoyed.

“You swallow pills with water?”

“South American custom. Can't do that without water.”

Raven turned to face her, Vanguard being bothered but not leaving his place, “You from there?”

“I'm Brazilian.”, She said, giving a final look at her patches and giving her shirt back, “Anywhere else I should look?”

“No, it's fine.”, Raven waved off, “But you look so Asian! How come you are from Brazil?”

Vomi frowned, “You say that, like Brazil has any breed. We are the most mongrel place the world has any right to be.”

“Really? How so?”

“I was born and lived 10 years in Brazil. Father is Japanese, mother is Japanese descent, but Welsh, moved out and lived on England for a while when eventually I turned up in the N.U.S.A. Good thing, eh?”

“All hail Ma'am Worldwide.”, Raven made a fake bow, “If so you are basically, what, triple nationality?”

“Technically four, but yeah, that.”

Both of them chuckled.

One of the people Raven transported opened the door, forgetting that two women were inside, “Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

“No, go on.”, Raven replied, although her frown was visible.

“There is someone outside claiming to be your sister?”, He said, half disbelief, half unsurely.

“What?”, The singer got up from her seat, wearing her shirt.

“The name Cinthia rings a bell?”

“Of course it does. Shit.”

Before Raven could even go out of the room Cinthia burst the door open, pushing the rescued man aside and slapping Raven's face. The scene was so abrupt that Vanguard and Vomi didn't know how to react. Maybe sibling love?

“What the fuck were you thinking?!?!”, She snarled angrily at Raven, not at all pleased with what was happening.

Maybe not.

Raven rubbed her cheek, glaring at Cinthia, who stood in front of her in a whirlwind of colors. Her hair was dyed bright pink, her outfit an explosion of neon greens and yellows, and her makeup was far too vivid for anyone in San Francisco to ignore. Where Raven exuded dark, brooding energy, Cinthia was like a firework, ready to go off at any moment.

Vomi raised an eyebrow at the sudden tension, while Vanguard groggily opened one eye before yawning and stretching. “Well, this escalated quickly.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Cinthia?” Raven muttered, clearly trying to keep her temper in check.

“What am I doing here?” Cinthia threw her arms up dramatically. “What are you doing here, messing around with these dangerous people and getting yourself nearly killed, huh? You think I wouldn't find out?”

Vomi leaned back slightly, watching the sisters with mild amusement. “So, this is your sister?”

“Unfortunately,” Raven muttered, crossing her arms.

Cinthia turned her attention to Vomi, her eyes widening with sudden excitement. “Oh my God! You must be the famous Vomi! Raven talks about you all the time! She never shuts up about how good you are with guns and tech!”

Vomi blinked, taken aback by the energy shift. “Uh, thanks?”

Raven groaned. “Cinthia, seriously, now's not the time.”

Cinthia ignored her, practically bouncing in place. “You have to show me some of your mods! I bet they’re amazing! Do you have any neon attachments? I’ve been dying to find someone who can make my gun glow like a party light!”

Vomi chuckled. “I mean, I could—”

“Cinthia!” Raven snapped, finally cutting through the chaos. “What do you want?”

Cinthia’s smile faded, and she crossed her arms, staring at her sister with a mix of concern and frustration. “I want to know why you didn’t call me for help. I could’ve backed you up. Instead, you’re running around with shady gangs and getting yourself into deep shit!”

Raven exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “It’s not that simple, Cin. I didn’t want to drag you into this mess.”

“I’m already in it, Raven!” Cinthia shot back, her voice softening slightly. “We are the Green Rhythm! Someone messed up with my sis! Of course we are involved!”

“Ugh, don't even remind me of that gang… I am already trying to detach myself from it…”, Raven seemed visibly disgusted at the mention of the gang.

“Green Rhythm?”, Vomi couldn't help but ask, “Heard about them and their… unique taste in colors. And BDs.”

“Yeah, they have this weird reputation.”, Cinthia conceded, but immediately went back to Raven, “But why did you risk doing it all alone! You could've ask for help and we—”

“VOMI BACKED ME UP! Sheesh!”, The goth girl basically screamed to make her sister stop, “And I won't ever go back to that stupid gang! Stop asking!”

Cinthia instead of bursting out more angrily shouts she just looked… disappointed?

“Maybe you shouldn't even… nevermind.”

The tone suddenly became very, very awkward.

“Thanks for saving Ven. She's way stupider than she looks like.”, The green neon billboard thanked Vomi.

“Fuck you.”, Raven muttered.

Vomi stood awkwardly between the two sisters, unsure whether to laugh at the absurdity or slip away unnoticed. Vanguard had no such reservations, rolling onto his back and letting out a long, dramatic yawn.

Raven shot the cat a look, but it lacked her usual bite. She was clearly exhausted from both the physical injuries and whatever emotional baggage was tied to Cinthia. Vomi had seen Raven’s tough exterior crack before, but this was something else entirely.

Cinthia, now standing with her arms crossed, looked at her sister with a mix of exasperation and worry. “Look, Raven. I get that you want to go solo and keep all your brooding dark loner things going. But we’re family. You don’t have to do everything alone.”

Raven rubbed her temples, her voice quiet but steady. “You’re not listening, Cin. I’m not a part of Green Rhythm anymore. I don’t want that life. I’m trying to do my own thing, figure stuff out, and keep people like you out of danger. Vomi’s got my back, The Refused got my back, and that’s enough.”

Cinthia’s vibrant expression faltered for a moment before she threw her hands up again, the energy shifting back to frustration. “Fine. Fine! Be your dark, edgy self. But don’t come crying to me when you realize you could’ve used some extra neon muscle.”

Vomi smirked. “Neon muscle, huh? You’re really selling yourself there.”

Cinthia grinned, the tension easing slightly as she looked at Vomi. “Well, if you ever need a change of pace from brooding and black leather, you know who to call.” She winked, clearly trying to lighten the mood, even if the underlying tension still lingered.

“God, I can’t with you,” Raven muttered, pulling her jacket tighter around herself.

“Well, whether you like it or not, I’m sticking around,” Cinthia declared, planting her hands on her hips. “I can’t just leave my big sis to deal with these Black Dagger freaks all by herself.”

Raven groaned, “The Refused are a way better company than you will ever be.”

Cinthia sighed, “Just remember that you have a place to go back to, alright?”

Vomi glanced between the two sisters, feeling the weight of their complicated relationship. It was clear that despite all the banter and bickering, Cinthia genuinely cared about Raven—and maybe even more than Raven wanted to admit.

“The Refused, huh?” Cinthia said, crossing her arms and leaning against a nearby crate. “You really threw in with them? How edgy. Like you weren’t already dark enough.”

“They are my friends. My band. You can't judge them.”

The neon sister turned to leave, “Thanks again, Vomi. If you need any help, just ask for my name with the Green Rhythm.”

Vomi, unsure how to respond, shrugged, “I'll keep that in mind.”

The guy who was still there kinda just stranded at the door, “Should I—?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”, He left, closing the door.

The room fell into a brief silence as the door clicked shut, leaving only Vomi, Raven, and Vanguard behind. The tension in the air slowly dissipated, though the remnants of the sisters’ argument lingered.

Vomi glanced at Raven, who was rubbing the back of her neck, clearly exhausted from both the physical and emotional strain. “She’s a lot, huh?”

Raven let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. “You have no idea. Growing up with Cinthia was like living with a human firework. She’s loud, she’s bright, and she explodes over everything.”

“But she cares about you. I can see that.”

Raven rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Yeah, well, she has a weird way of showing it. Always trying to drag me back into that life. The gang, the flashy colors, the neon bullshit. It’s just... not me.”

Vomi leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I get it. Sometimes family doesn’t fit with where you’re heading.”

Raven looked at her, and for a moment, the goth girl’s usual hard exterior softened. “Thanks. I just... don’t want her caught up in my mess. Or dragged into all this Black Dagger shit.”

“You know she’s not going to listen, right? That girl is stubborn.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Raven muttered, running a hand through her hair. “But I’ll deal with her later. Right now, we’ve got a gang of psycho netrunners to worry about.”

Vomi nodded. “So, what’s the plan? You want to go after the Black Daggers directly, or are we playing defense for these people you’re protecting?”

Raven stood up, brushing off her jacket as she tried to refocus, Vanguard unfortunately being negated his lap privileges, “I don't know. All I know is that they need to leave the city.”

“But how? Unless a caravan is passing through San Francisco we won't have much of a chance to get them out of here.”, Vomi said as she paced on the room, Vanguard jumping on the back of her Tank-Top.

“I know a way.”, She said, picking up a dusty laptop on the nearby drawer, “There is a Nomad clan moving to the south. They will pass San Francisco eventually.”

She typed a bit on the net, trying to find the website where the Nomad's posted their work schedule.

“And can we trust whatever clan this is?”, Vomi said as she peeked the screen over Raven's shoulder.

“They are called the Barkers. I believe we can trust them. At least there is no noteworthy report of their actions.”

“There is no reports at all.”, Vomi deadpanned.

Wait… Barkers? Aren't those the clan V could be on the Nomad lifepath?

“Well, regardless of if, we will need to take their lack of word for it.”, Raven nodded at herself, “We don't have much of a choice.”

“Should we call The Refused?”, The scientist offered, pacing plans in her mind as she saw the route the nomad caravan was going to take.

“Please do. It's about time we do a gig that doesn't involve music.”, Raven rubbed the back of her neck, “Besides, you can pay for Blaze's guitar.”

“Don't even remember about it.”, She still felt embarrassed about that.

How could the first strokes on the chords rip them apart?! It made no sense!

“Sure.”, Raven giggled at that, “I'll send a request of transportation. They should probably accept it.”

“How many people are going in this ride?”, Vomi asked as she was already calling the band for a debrief.

“Including the people we rescued? About fifty people.”

“Wow, that's a lot.”, Vomi mused.

“And we saved only six. Of course, these guys will pay us for the rescue, and we can split some of our gains with the Barkers, pay for the trasport.”

Vomi nodded, “Alright, the band will meet at the rehearsal warehouse.”

“Okay. Just gonna wrap this up, then we can go.”

Raven and Vomi arrived just shortly after finishing their scout of the place where they hid the workers. After securing their location, not finding anyone, be them Black Daggers or not, they went to the Refused Warehouse. Thiago, Blaze and Heitor were there, but Nieme was missing.

As soon as they entered, Iron was raised, forcing both women to raise their hands.

“Oh, shit!”, Blaze waved his shotgun down, “Sorry about that.”

“No worries.”, Raven smirked as the others also lowered their guns, “Where's Nieme?”

“Bathroom.”, Heitor replied in his usual way.

“Everyone is this trigger-happy?”, Vomi asked, slightly concerned.

“Nah, don't worry Vomi.”, Thiago brushed it off, “You called us saying it was a serious matter so we are kinda on edge.”

“Guys, enough.”, Raven called, “Nieme! Stop jerking off on the bathroom and get your gonk ass over here!”

A faint yell could be heard, “How did you know!?”

“Ugh…”, Vomi grimaced, understandably.

“Wait, did he actually…?”, Raven was equally perturbed.

“You owe me 10 eddies, Heitor.”, Blaze grinned.

“Crapbaskets.”

“ANYWAY!”, Raven got everyone's attention. She sat at the couch, her jacked failing a bit at hiding her bandages, “We have a big gig ahead of us.”

“What happened to you?”, Thiago pointed at the injuries.

“Long story.”, Vomi didn't offer much explanation, as she sat crosslegged beside Raven.

Vanguard just jumped to the table at the center and laid there.

The band gathered around, their casual banter fading as they noticed the serious expressions on Raven and Vomi’s faces. Even Nieme, who had finally emerged from the bathroom, took a seat without his usual offhand jokes.

Raven exhaled, leaning forward on the couch. “Alright, here’s the deal. We’ve got a group of people who need to get out of the city. They’ve been targeted by the Black Daggers—a gang of netrunners with a lot more firepower than your average street crew.”

Thiago leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. “Sounds messy. Why us?”

“Because I trust you guys,” Raven replied, meeting each of their gazes. “And we owe them. The people we rescued didn’t ask to be part of this mess, and I’m not going to let them die because the Daggers decided to get greedy with new tech.”

Blaze grinned, flipping a combat knife in his hand. “So, we’re taking on netrunners? Gotta say, I’ve been itching for something that isn’t a concert or bar fight.”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t just about busting heads.” Vomi chimed in, her voice calm but serious. “We need to get them out of the city quietly. There’s a nomad clan—the Barkers—that’ll take them south if we can reach them in time. But the Daggers aren’t going to make that easy.”

Heitor nodded, clearly understanding the weight of the situation. “So we’re escorting them to safety? What’s the plan?”

Raven leaned back, her fingers tapping the side of the couch as she thought. “We need to split up. Some of us will go ahead to scout the route and make sure there are no surprises. The rest of us stay with the people, keeping them safe until the Barkers arrive.”

“Sounds like a stealth gig,” Blaze said, his grin growing wider. “I like it.”

“More like a 'stay alive’ gig,” Nieme muttered. “These Black Daggers don’t sound like they’ll play fair.”

“They won’t,” Vomi agreed. “That’s why we need to be ready for anything. We’ve dealt with gangs before, but these guys are on a whole other level. They’ve got cyberdecks, quick hacks, and no qualms about taking hostages.”

“That’s why we have to be smart,” Raven added, her voice firm. “We hit them before they hit us, and we get these people out safely. No heroics, just precision.”

Thiago, ever the pragmatist, spoke up. “And what happens if they come for us while we’re waiting for the nomads?”

Vomi smirked, patting the shotgun strapped to her back. “Then they’ll wish they hadn’t.”

A brief silence settled over the group as the weight of the mission became clear. This wasn’t just another gig—this was life or death, not just for them but for the people they were protecting.

“So,” Raven said, standing up and looking at each of them. “You in?”

Blaze was the first to speak, flipping his knife and catching it effortlessly. “Hell yeah. Let’s show these Black Daggers what happens when they mess with The Refused.”

Heitor nodded, cracking his knuckles. “I’m in.”

Nieme, always the reluctant one, let out a sigh. “I mean, if I have to…”

Thiago didn’t say anything, just gave a firm nod.

Raven looked at Vomi, who was already on her feet, ready to move. “Looks like the band is now a crew!”

“We already are a crew, dummy.”, Blaze said offhandedly as he turned to Vomi, “This better pay me a new guitar.”

“I already told you I didn't mean it!”, Vomi defended herself immediately.

“Pfft!”, He held off a laugh, “Still easy to mess with.”

“Oh shut up.”

“Enough, chooms.”, Raven called again, “We need a truck. Thiago, do you still have yours? I don't want to use our van to transport fifty people.”

Thiago nodded, “Yeah, I do. Still I need to do some checks before getting everyone. Heitor, Nieme, can you come with me?”

Both just gave a thumbs up.

“That means we will gather everyone.”, Vomi commented, “Did the Barkers answered the request?”

“They did. We can hit them up tonight if we are smart about this.”, Raven said as she quickly checked over her agent.

Heitor pointed at Vomi's Colby, “I drive.”

“No problem. We'll meet outside San Fran.”, Vomi told to the boys.

“Alright, C-YA.”, Thiago waved as they left.

As the guys headed out, the room fell into a brief silence, the weight of what lay ahead sinking in. Raven adjusted her jacket and looked at Vomi. “Think we can handle rounding everyone up without the guys?”

Vomi shrugged, adjusting the strap of her shotgun. “We’ve done worse with less. Besides, if these people want to live, they’ll follow us without much fuss.”

Raven cracked a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Let’s hope it stays that simple.”

Vanguard hopped down from Vomi’s shoulder, stretching lazily before trotting towards the door. “If we’re going, let’s go. I’m not a fan of this dramatic waiting.”

Vomi chuckled. “Even the cat’s ready.”

“More ready than most of us,” Raven muttered, grabbing her pack and heading for the exit. “Let’s get moving. The sooner we get these people to the Barkers, the sooner we can stop worrying about the Black Daggers showing up.”

Vomi followed, her mind already running through various scenarios. As they walked, she glanced over at Raven. “Think your sister’s gonna show up again?”

Raven let out a long sigh. “Knowing her? Probably. But I’d rather deal with Cinthia than a swarm of netrunners trying to fry our brains.”

“I guess that’s one way to look at it,” Vomi replied with a smirk. “Neon-colored headaches aside, she seems like she genuinely cares about you, though.”

Raven grunted, clearly not in the mood to dive into family drama. “I’ve had enough ‘she cares about you’ speeches for the day.”

Heitor who was already at the drivers seat, rushed them to enter the car, “C'mon. We can dwell on family matters when… when… when we aren't at the risk of dying.”

“True.”, Raven agreed, entering the passenger seat.

As soon as Raven was in, Vomi slid into the backseat beside Vanguard, who curled up on her lap, looking unimpressed with all the commotion. Heitor floored the gas pedal, and the car sped down the dimly lit streets of San Francisco.

“Where are we meeting the Barkers again?” Heitor asked, his eyes darting between the road and the rearview mirror, always cautious of a tail.

“Outside the city, near the old docks,” Raven replied, pulling up a map on her agent. “They’re laying low, but we have to move fast. If the Black Daggers catch wind of us, this whole thing goes to hell.”

Vomi kept her eyes trained on the buildings flashing by, her nerves tingling with the same unease she’d felt earlier. “Let’s just hope their netrunners are taking the night off.”

Heitor let out a dry laugh. “Knowing our luck? Not a chance.”

The car sped through the quieter, industrial outskirts of the city. The tension in the car was palpable, the kind that settled in before a storm. Vomi could feel it in the pit of her stomach—the inevitability of something going wrong.

As they approached the meeting point, a low whistle came from the passenger seat. Raven was leaning forward, staring at the small convoy of Nomad vehicles parked in the distance.

“Looks like the Barkers are here,” she said, relief mixed with wariness.

The cars were rugged, built for off-road travel, with armored plating and modified engines that hummed with power. Nomads never did things halfway. Heitor pulled up next to the convoy, and as they got out of the car, a tall, broad-shouldered man in a worn leather jacket approached them. His face was lined with age, but his eyes were sharp, scanning them all with the intensity of someone who’d seen too many battles.

“You must be Raven and her crew,” he said, his voice gravelly but calm.

“That’s us,” Raven confirmed, stepping forward. “You the one in charge here?”

He nodded. “Name’s Red Barker. We’re set to head south, but you got a lot of people for a quick getaway.”

“We’ll keep them in line,” Vomi chimed in, her eyes scanning the convoy and mentally calculating how much space they had. “We just need them out of San Francisco, and we’ll make sure it doesn’t get messy.”

Red gave a curt nod. “That’s what I like to hear. We move fast, and we don’t stop unless we have to.”

The rescued workers began to gather, huddling together as they were guided towards the Nomad trucks. The Refused arrived shortly after, and Blaze and Thiago helped organize the crowd, while Nieme and Heitor double-checked the transport vehicles.

Raven turned to Vomi. “Let’s keep watch. If the Black Daggers are gonna strike, it’ll be soon.”

Vomi nodded, her hand instinctively going to her sidearm. “Yeah. I can feel it in the air.”

As Vomi was scanning, something caught her interest. There was a specific car there that just brought her attention. It was a red Thornton Galena. She couldn't help but check the chassis and faintly remember where it was from the game. Then at the side of the car was a single engraving that almost made her realize, if not for the owner of the car showing up.

“You got a problem with my wheels?”

Vomi turned to look at who said that, but before she could say anything, she saw him.

It was V. The same V from Cyberpunk 2077. The same in the promotional materials of the game.

She held up a lot to not just hug him at sight.

“No! Nothing like that!”, She raised her hands in surrender, almost religiously at V, “I just… never seen a Rattler so heavily modified! That's all!”

“Well, it's an old car, but it does the trick.”, V patted the roof of the car, but then turned to Red, “Hey, Barker! Watcha got on the refugees?”

Red turned to V, his face showing both amusement and minor anger, “Nothing much. But expect the Black Daggers to come up shooting.”

“Fuck. Things are never easy.”, V mumbled.

Vomi stood there, trying to hold her composure as V casually leaned against his heavily modified Thornton Galena, looking as cool as the legend he was known to be. The combination of her excitement at seeing him and the tension of the situation was almost too much to handle.

Raven, noticing Vomi’s barely contained enthusiasm, raised an eyebrow. “You alright?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Vomi replied quickly, tearing her eyes away from V and forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. “Just... admiring the car.”

V, seemingly oblivious to her fan-girl moment, lit a cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke into the chilly night air. “Admire it all you want, just make sure we get these people out of here alive. Black Daggers aren’t exactly known for letting people go without a fight.”

“Agreed,” Raven said, her voice tense but steady. “We’re not looking for a fight, but we’ll be ready if they bring one.”

V glanced over at Raven, studying her for a moment. “You’re with The Refused, right? Heard about you guys. Not bad for a bunch of musicians.”

Raven smirked. “We can do more than just play gigs. You’ll see.”

V nodded, flicking the cigarette butt to the ground and crushing it under his boot. “Good to know. Let’s hope we won’t need to see it in action tonight.”

Vomi couldn’t help but chime in, her voice filled with nervous energy. “So, uh... what’s the plan? We just wait and see if they show?”

V shrugged. “That’s about the size of it. If the Daggers want to make a move, they’ll probably do it before the convoy heads out. They don’t want these people getting away clean.”

Red stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. “We’ve got everything prepped. Just waiting for the refugees to arrive before we hit the road.”

Vomi glanced at the horizon, the distant lights of San Francisco flickering like a bad omen. “Something feels off. I don’t know if it’s the calm before the storm, or if we’re already in it.”

Raven turned her head slightly, her voice low. “Stay sharp. They’ll strike when we least expect it.”

Just as Raven finished speaking, the faint sound of engines revving echoed in the distance. Vomi’s heart skipped a beat, her instincts kicking into overdrive.

Heitor, who was still on the Colby, grabbed his sniper suddenly, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“They’re coming,” V said, his voice calm but filled with the kind of experience that comes from surviving countless firefights. He flicked the safety off his gun and looked at Red. “You ready?”

Red nodded, barking orders to his crew to take defensive positions around the convoy. Blaze, Nieme and Thiago didn't arrive, but the Daggers did.

Vomi took her place next to Raven, reloading the Chimera. “This is it. You think we’re ready?”

Raven tightened her grip on her rifle, her eyes focused on the approaching lights. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

The roar of the Black Daggers’ bikes and cars grew louder, and in the blink of an eye, the first shots rang out, shattering the quiet night.

The first bullet whizzed past Raven's head, ricocheting off a nearby metal crate. “Shit!” she ducked instinctively, pressing herself against the cover. Vomi was already crouched down beside her, her Chimera humming with readiness.

"Here we go!" Vomi muttered under her breath as she peered over the crate, scanning the incoming vehicles. She could spot the signature glowing masks of the Black Daggers, illuminated by the headlights of their bikes and cars.

Heitor was already firing off precise sniper shots from his elevated position on the Colby, picking off riders from their speeding bikes with cold efficiency. "Two down!" he called out, voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around them.

Red's crew was quick to retaliate as well. Positioned behind overturned trucks and sandbags, they unleashed a hail of gunfire toward the oncoming assault. The air filled with the deafening cracks of gunfire and the screeching of tires as the Daggers advanced.

Vomi aimed her Chimera, squeezing off rapid shots toward the lead car. Her bullets tore through the windshield, sending the vehicle careening off course and crashing into a stack of crates. The explosion rocked the ground beneath them.

“Nice shot!” Raven shouted, popping up to fire off a burst from her rifle before ducking back down as return fire rained around them.

V, as calm as ever, was already in motion. He darted through the chaos like a shadow, firing off quick, precise shots with his pistol. A Black Dagger netrunner tried to outflank them, but V was faster, dropping the hacker with a single headshot before disappearing behind cover again.

The Black Daggers were relentless. More vehicles approached, and from the corner of her eye, Raven spotted a netrunner plugging into a portable terminal in the back of a van. “Vomi! They’ve got a netrunner trying to fry our systems!” she shouted, pointing.

“Not for long!” Vomi growled, pulling out her own laptop. “Cover me!” she yelled, jacking into the network as Raven laid down suppressive fire, keeping the netrunner's goons from advancing.

Vomi's eyes glazed over as she dived into the digital battlefield, her fingers flying across her interface as she fought to block the Dagger netrunner’s attacks. Sparks flew from the portable terminal as she clashed with the enemy’s ICE, sending back counter-attacks with ferocious precision.

"Got you," Vomi muttered through clenched teeth as her final breach caused the enemy netrunner's system to overload, sending a jolt of electricity through their body. The van’s lights flickered before shutting down entirely.

“They’re down!” Vomi called out, yanking her plug from the laptop.

But before they could celebrate, another wave of bikes stormed in from the left flank. One of the bikes peeled off, heading directly toward them, a crazed Black Dagger screaming as he revved his engine. V glanced up from his cover and calmly aimed his pistol.

Bang. One clean shot, and the biker crumpled, his bike skidding and flipping violently before crashing into a barrier.

“Never gets old,” V muttered with a smug, already searching for the next target.

The battle raged on, each second feeling like an hour as Vomi, Raven, and the crew fought off wave after wave of the Black Daggers. Explosions lit up the night, and gunfire echoed through the empty streets.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the attack began to wane. The Daggers, seeing their numbers dwindle, began to retreat, engines roaring as they sped away into the distance.

For a moment, there was only silence. The team remained tense, scanning the horizon for any sign of a second wave.

“They’re pulling back,” Vomi finally said, lowering her weapon and letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Red emerged from his cover, glancing around at the aftermath. “That was close,” he said, shaking his head.

V holstered his pistol, surveying the wreckage and the retreating taillights of the Daggers. “They’ll be back, but we bought ourselves some time.”

Raven leaned against a crate, exhausted but relieved. “Let’s not waste it. We need to get these people out of here, now.”

“Speaking of the devil.”, Heitor commented as he saw Thiago's truck.

“Sorry for the delay! Everyone is here!”, Blaze shouted from the truck's window.

Red raised his hand, “Alright! Everyone! Gather the people on the cars and trucks. V! You go and see if any of ours are injured. I'll take care of the eddies.”

“Sure thing, choom.”, V nodded, already preparing some MaxDocs to the rest of the Barkers.

As Blaze, Nieme and Thiago pulled up with the truck, the air around them seemed to calm, though the tension from the battle still lingered. Refugees began to gather, their faces filled with a mix of fear and relief as Red’s crew hurried them toward the vehicles.

Vomi wiped some sweat from her brow, leaning against the side of the truck. “We bought time, but not much. Let’s get them moving before the Daggers regroup.”

Raven nodded in agreement, her gaze scanning the area one last time for any remaining threats. “Heitor, stay up high for a bit and keep an eye out for any stragglers. If they so much as twitch, drop ‘em.”

“Got it,” Heitor replied, making his way back up onto his vantage point. He slung his sniper rifle into position, his eyes sharp as he scanned the horizon for any signs of movement.

Thiago jumped out of the truck, heading straight to Raven. “You sure we’re good to roll? I don’t like how fast they retreated. Feels like a setup.”

“Could be,” Raven admitted, watching as V checked on his crew. “But we don’t have the luxury to wait around and find out. We need to get these people to safety.”

Blaze, still in the driver’s seat, revved the truck’s engine impatiently. “Less talking, more driving. Let’s get these edgerunners on the road!”

Red returned, handing a small data chip to Raven. “The Barkers will cover the rest from here. They’ll take care of the refugees. You and your crew did good work, but you might want to stay out of sight for a while. The Black Daggers aren’t gonna forget this.”

Raven took the chip, nodding. “Thanks, Red. We’ll keep that in mind.”

Vomi, who had been checking over the Chimera and securing her equipment, glanced up at Raven. “What’s the plan for us? We heading out with them?”

Raven thought for a moment, looking over at the refugees as they were loaded into the trucks. “We’ll stick with them for now. Make sure they get to safety. After that, we lay low, regroup, and figure out what the Daggers are planning next.”

Vomi gave a firm nod, though her mind was still racing with the tension of the fight.

As the convoy began to roll out, the night sky above them was lit only by the faint glow of distant city lights. The roar of engines filled the air, but for now, there was a sense of calm—a fragile peace that held, even if only for a moment.

Raven looked over at Vomi, her voice low. “Stay sharp. This isn’t the last we’ll hear from the Black Daggers.”

Vomi sighed, tapping the Chimera strapped to her side, “As long as we live in this city…”

“So, are you going to buy me a new guitar?”, Blaze said suddenly as he overheard the conversation.

“Ugh, FINE! I'll buy your stupid guitar!”

“Yes…”, Blaze whispered, although he punched the air shamelessly.

Another Tuesday in Cyberpunk, I guess.