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  V comes to a decision.

  -x-X-x-

  Alt is probably enjoying herself a bit too much here, holding Michiko at ‘knifepoint’ while she and V silently discuss options. Technically, Michiko is in no danger from her bde… but at the same time, that doesn’t mean she isn’t very much in danger.

  Obviously, Alt isn’t there in the flesh… because she has no flesh. But she is still very much there, piggybacking off of Michiko’s cyberware and subtly hacking into her senses to make her feel what Alt wants her to feel and see what she wants her to see. Even if Michiko correctly deduced that Alt’s presence was all in her head though, the AI could still disable Michiko’s cyberware in an instant, either lethally or nonlethally. Michiko Arasaka is completely and utterly at her mercy, the same as Puma Squad is at V’s.

  But… Alt can tell that V is a little impressed by Michiko’s willingness to fight for her people. Puma Squad had ultimately gone down like chumps, but that had more to do with V’s capabilities making everyone else look like children than because the women under Michiko’s employ were truly incompetent. Really, the dies of Puma Squad had never even had a chance.

  And yet, Alt got the impression that for Michiko, it went beyond them just being useful tools in her arsenal. They weren’t just an asset to her like they would have been for the rest of her family. Michiko actually cared about them, and that was clearly earning V’s respect. To be fair, it was earning Alt’s too.

  “… Very well. Yes, I think that would be best.”

  Alt smirks as Michiko straightens up a little bit at hearing V finally coming to a decision.

  “I’m going to let you and your girls off with a warning, Michiko. No one got hurt, so there’s no restitution needed, at least monetarily. In exchange, you’re going to tell Hanako Arasaka what happened here today and tell her I want a chat with her sooner rather than ter. I understand things probably won’t be face to face given the current climate within Arasaka but make it clear to her that if something can’t be arranged soon, I might just decide to arrange it for her.”

  V pauses for a brief moment before smiling coldly.

  “Not to worry though. So long as you make an earnest attempt on your end, I’ll consider the debt between us cleared even if the Princess proves to be… obstinate.”

  Left unsaid is the fact that V will know whether or not Michiko actually makes that earnest attempt. Alt can tell that the woman she’s currently piggybacking off of understands that though. In fact, she can tell a lot about Michiko Arasaka right now thanks to being inside of her cyberware. She’s basically got a direct line to every aspect of Michiko’s body.

  That’s how she knows, despite the situation Michiko finds herself in… the woman is reluctantly aroused. Amusing to say the least, that being held at knifepoint and effectively talked down to, was apparently a turn on for Michiko Arasaka. She does have to wonder which part has Michiko the most aroused, however. Is it V dictating terms to her, or Alt holding her life in her hands? She can’t read the other woman’s mind of course, so she can’t know for sure one way or another…

  “That… sounds more than generous to me.”

  Indeed, Michiko sounds torn between asking V what the catch is and not wanting to know. Noticing her trepidation, he grins a little bit.

  “I know you’re wondering why I’m being so kind about this. I could easily demand more from you, especially now that you’ve shown your hand and revealed just how much you care about these women I captured.”

  Michiko freezes in her chair as V so bluntly spells it out.

  “… But that’s precisely why you’re getting gentler treatment. Because I know you actually do care for Puma Squad, and that’s better than what most in this world could say… especially Corpos. You’re different from the rest of them though. I can appreciate different.”

  Alt can’t help but be tremendously amused as V’s words hit Michiko like a freight train. The seated woman doesn’t even know what to say to… all of that. Amusement flickers in V’s eyes as well and the corner of his mouth quirks up as he leans in a little closer to the screen.

  “Get me my meeting, Michiko. Don’t make me regret this mercy.”

  And then he steps away. Of course, Alt is as much over there with V as she is here with Michiko. That means she watches his final interaction with Puma Squad off screen, even as she also makes a show of leaning forward and bringing her face right next to Michiko’s ear.

  “Good girl.”

  The very adult woman, who at this point is almost seventy years old despite looking like she’s in her early thirties at most, twitches at Alt’s words. Her internal reaction is even more delicious though. Chuckling huskily, Alt makes a show of pulling the bde away from Michiko’s neck and stepping back, ‘vanishing’ into thin air.

  Michiko hesitates for only a moment before whipping around in her seat, her eyes flicking across the back of the office behind her chair. Obviously, she doesn’t see anything or anyone. Not even a flicker to reveal optic camoufge. Alt watches on in amusement as Michiko looks back to the still-connected call with Puma Squad’s safehouse.

  “Puma Squad? Report in as soon as you’re able.”

  There’s a brief pause in which struggling noises can be heard from off-screen. Then, finally, stumbling into view for Michiko while still ripping the duct tape off of her mouth, is Tigress. Alt, having ‘eyes’ on both locations, watches as the others use the knife that V left them to cut themselves and each other loose, even as Tigress slumps down in front of the video call.

  “That bastard… he left us a bde, ma’am. The others are getting free right now. We’re all fine. Nothing hurt but our damn pride.”

  Michiko lets out a low breath of relief before slowly nodding.

  “Alright. Give me a second, I’ll call you back in just a moment when you’re all… presentable.”

  Tigress just grunts as the video call ends. Alt watches on in amusement as Michiko ends the lockdown on her office. The door slides open and Alt raises an eyebrow as the other woman waits several seconds before finally pressing a button. Was she? Oh, that was almost cute. She was making sure Alt had the time to slip out before she did anything else.

  Probably pretty smart of her too, based on her incorrect understanding of the situation. Because the button she presses summons Kenichi Zaburo. Even Alt knew who Zaburo was. The man has been Michiko’s bodyguard since she was four, but more than that, he’s widely regarded as one of the greatest solos to ever live. Rival to Morgan Bckhand, greatest swordsman in the world… and those are just a couple of his accodes.

  Of course, that was all a long time ago and Zaburo wasn’t as eager to repce his body parts with cybernetics as Adam Smasher was. And time… time wastes away all meat. Kenichi Zaburo doesn’t look his age anymore than Michiko does, but he also isn’t what he used to be. He’s still very, very good though and it’s obvious Michiko gave Alt a chance to ‘escape’ the room before summoning him specifically because she doesn’t want a fight breaking out.

  Especially since she locks the room down again a moment ter, causing Zaburo to straighten up and narrow his eyes at the motion.

  “Ken… sweep the room, please.”

  With a sharp nod, the aged solo does as he’s told. At the same time, once they’re back in lockdown, Michiko calls Puma Squad back. This time around, the video call is answered by all five women, who are looking disgruntled and disheveled, but otherwise no worse for wear.

  “Ma’am.”

  Letting out a sigh, Michiko steeples her hands together in front of her.

  “Report, Puma Squad. Status?”

  Lynx clears her throat, grimacing slightly.

  “Still kicking and breathing, ma’am. Nothing more than a few bruises here and there… mostly self-inflicted from escape attempts. Honestly wish we had more injuries to show for it… then maybe it wouldn’t feel like we went down like utter chumps.”

  Alt grins, even as Michiko sighs and shakes her head, leaning back in her chair.

  “Don’t beat yourselves up too much. In case you missed it, they managed to make it into my office as well. They had a bde to my neck for the tter half of that… negotiation.”

  Zaburo whips around at that, having been doing a sweep of the perimeter and checking for any potential listening devices. The outrage on his face makes Alt giggle a little bit. Needless to say, Michiko’s bodyguard is not happy hearing she was in such danger and hadn’t told him. Michiko notices as well of course and just gives the older swordsman a look until he turns back to his sweep, now carried out with far more diligence. Sighing, Michiko looks back to Puma Squad.

  “What happened exactly? How’d they get the drop on you?”

  Lynx huffs, arms crossed over her chest.

  “They waited until we were split up. There were no signs that our cover had been blown and we needed to resupply so I sent Mouse and Pantera out to get us stocked back up. They hit us both here and out on the street I guess, because the next thing any of us knew, we were waking up on the damn couch, tied up and helpless.”

  Lynx’s jaw clenches and her anger is mirrored in the rest of Puma Squad… well, most of them. Alt notices as she’s watching both locations that Tigress has an interesting reaction to the words ‘tied up and helpless’. Namely, she bites her lower lip and squirms a little bit. None of the others notice… except perhaps Michiko, whose eyes sharpen slightly.

  “I see. No sign of what took any of you down?”

  Lynx begins to shake her head before pausing as Pantera suddenly clears her throat and steps forward. Cd in full body armor and a mask, the woman is hard to read… but judging by her and Mouse’s body nguage, the pair were a couple and neither were happy that the other had been rendered so vulnerable by their inability to defend themselves.

  “Based on the ck of physical trauma and no lingering symptoms contingent with chemicals of any sort, I believe we were quickhacked ma’am. But the speed they used to take us down… it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

  Ah, that was right. On top of being so mysterious and what not, Pantera was also the Netrunner of Puma Squad. Alt grins a little bit at the frustration in her voice. She definitely doesn’t like admitting that she was so thoroughly outpyed.

  Michiko, meanwhile, lets out a shuddering breath.

  “I see. Given what we were experiencing when we tried to hunt V through the Net… that would seem to track. It’s obvious now that we were in over our heads from start to finish on this one, dies.”

  The protests start up immediately from Puma Squad’s end, but Michiko holds up a hand, cutting them all off as she fixes them with an intense look.

  “Girls. None of us has lived this long by being stupid. We have not survived everything we’ve survived by being incompetent or foolhardy. And that means accepting when we’ve been thoroughly outpyed. Things could have gone a lot worse for us today. Just the fact that we’re still alive is worth celebrating. That’s why I’m ordering all of you not to seek revenge in any way, am I understood?”

  There’s a long pause before the members of Puma Squad each signal their assent. At which point Michiko nods decisively.

  “Good. Get your things together and get out of there. I don’t want you all lingering to trigger some sort of secondary retribution. Tigress, a word please.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  As the other members of Puma Squad move to carry out their new orders, Tigress remains behind and transfers the call to her optics so that she and Michiko are having a more private conversation.

  “Ma’am?”

  “Tigress… I am considering further contact with V and his comrade.”

  Alt raises an eyebrow, even as Tigress stiffens up.

  “I wished to ask if you thought you could… help me perhaps liaise with them. If not, that’s alright too. Just say the word and I’ll handle things on my end.”

  “N-No! I mean… no ma’am, I’d be happy to help in any way you might desire. I don’t… think I would have any problem with that.”

  Doing the cyber equivalent of grinning from ear to ear, Alt chuckles darkly, unheard and unseen by all parties involved. Ohoho… that sounded like a lot of fun.

  “Good… very good. Then we’ll speak again on the matter soon.”

  Tigress nods and they end the call. It’s obvious from his body nguage that Kenichi Zaburo has a lot of questions for Michiko… and equally obvious from her body nguage that she doesn’t want to answer them. Instead, she immediately starts up another call, one that is answered immediately by the woman on the other end of the line.

  “Michiko. Good news I hope?”

  Hanaka Arasaka raises an eyebrow as Michiko shakes her head.

  “The opposite I’m afraid. We’ve been made and Danger Gal will no longer be able to carry out this job for you. Your downpayment will be refunded in full, of course.”

  Blinking, Hanako furrows her brow.

  “Wha- you’ve been made? What are you talking about? I’m not just going to let you-!”

  SLAM! Michiko’s fist comes down on the desk hard enough to silence her Aunt, even as she snarls across the call at her.

  “They had us dead to rights, Hanako. One of them was even able to get in here, into my office in Arasaka Tower. They held a bde to my neck while my people were trussed up and completely at their mercy across the city. I spoke with your man through vid call and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I send Puma Squad after him again, it’ll cost all of us our lives. Not just my people, not even just me… he’ll come for you after. And I don’t know where he’ll stop.”

  Silence falls in the face of Michiko’s rant. Hanako is far too disciplined to look too stunned though. Instead, she wears a calcuting look in her eye, no doubt realizing that Michiko’s fear of V is deeper at this point than her fear of Hanako and what she might do to her for continuing to run Danger Gal illegally.

  “… I see.”

  Sitting back in her chair, Michiko smiles sardonically.

  “I’m not sure you really do. He named you specifically, you know. He wants to meet with you, to have a conversation. I told him I would pass on the invitation to you, to see if you were interested and something could be arranged.”

  Hanako’s eyes narrow further at that.

  “That… don’t be ridiculous. The whole point of using you and your little mercenaries was to avoid being connected to it. I’m being watched quite closely right now, Michiko.”

  Michiko just shrugs.

  “He said he understands it probably won’t be face to face, but he still expects it to happen. Otherwise he’s going to come to you himself, Auntie.”

  Hah. She was taking her directive to ‘earnestly’ convince Hanako quite seriously, Alt noticed. But would Hanako take Michiko’s warnings seriously?

  -x-X-x- The Vote: [X] Hanako agrees to face-to-face under the cover of the upcoming Japantown Parade - 67%[ ] Hanako agrees to meeting via proxy shell out in the Badnds - 24%[ ] Hanako is willing to set up a secure call but no further than that - 9%

  -x-X-x- ?A/N: Please check out my newest daily updating project The Age of Chaos (Original Fantasy) if you have a moment! -x-X-x- If you'd like to read more of my work not seen on this website, check out Hentai-Foundry.com and QuestionableQuesting.com where I have over a thousand stories! If you'd like to contribute to funding my writing at all, check me out on Patreon.com/Cambrian

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