Cyberpunk 2021

April 15, 2021. 03:30. Vancouver.

Blake greets us with open arms—or more accurately, a mechanical facsimile of them. His booming laughter fills the room as we step inside, and his imposing cybernetic frame gently moves his harem aside. The low rasp of his voice, distorted by his augmented vocal cords, grates against my ears once again. 

"Welcome back, my wonderful mercs!" Blake exclaims, smiling on his sofa. "Consider me a very happy man. You brought back my boys and even got rid of some Melders too. Well done."

Mister sits down on a chair across from Blake, and we plant ourselves down as well. "Of course, we've delivered as promised. Your men are safe and the railgun has been given to my client."

"Perfect, then I assume that the whole business is over. The weapon was more trouble than it's worth anyways." 

My eyes widen at the response. I wasn't expecting Blake to be so willing to trade away the railgun. My curiosity tugs at me to ask, but I withhold myself from interrupting the business meeting. I'll probably ask later if the situation is convenient.

"Correct, and now we can move on to bar opportunity in Burnaby." Mister pulls out his phone, eager to show Blake additional details. 

Blake waves a massive hand dismissively, catching Mister by surprise. "Not yet," Blake's red eyes focus on me. "We'll get to that. But first… let's talk about you.."

I tense instinctively. "What about me?"

Blake chuckles, his metallic rasp sends a shiver down my spine. "Don't play with me. I know what happened at AXIS' place. I confirmed it with my men." 

The party looks at me with curiosity but Remi is the only one that nods in approval. He doesn't even need to say anything but I know it'll involve something along the lines of "Good, fuck AXIS." 

My stomach churns, but I keep my expression neutral. "And?"

"And," Blake lightly taps the nearby table, the wooden surface expresses a faint discontent with the applied pressure. His smile widens and he looks at me right in the eyes, without blinking. "I'm impressed. Didn't think anyone had the balls to break into that pompous idiot's apartment, let alone steal his Porsche."

I sigh, I was hoping he wouldn't bring that up. I'm basically caught with my pants down and I have nothing but my greed and lack of preparation to blame. Part of me regrets leaving the Dead King gangsters back then alive instead of killing them outright, but I'd rather not have kills added to my collection unless necessary or for money. 

Shock suppresses a childish giggle, her cheeks flushing slightly as she fans herself. "He's so cool…" I raise an eyebrow at her. Is she really idolizing the mechanical fuckboy right now? Her excitement doesn't lighten the mood for me—if anything, it makes the situation even more surreal.

"Shiiii, bro, why didn't you tell me you robbed AXIS' ass too?" Remi nudges me with clear approval in his voice but I bat his arm away. I don't plan on risking another tussle with these gangsters anytime soon. 

"Remi, shut up."

Blake's laughter grows louder after hearing our exchange. "Relax, I'm not mad. Honest to God, I couldn't stand the guy anyway. Always thought he was a pretentious prick. But we needed him for the clout. Now that he's out of the picture…" He faces Remi again. "You looking for work, rockstar?"

Remi doesn't hesitate, he flashes a cocky grin. "Shiii, boss man. What's the detes? Am I replacing AXIS?"

"More or less, yeah. We need a new artist, someone to be the public face of our new entertainment branch. AXIS was promising, until he became a piece of shit, but by then he was our only option." Blake smirks in my direction before looking back at Remi. "And let's just say that I heard someone managed to flatline our previous one. Now, we've got a spot open again." 

"Say less, choom." 

"You'll be given the same resources as AXIS. I gave your tracks a listen and they seem promising. I appreciate good rock and rap." 

"Bet, I also got an R&B and pop album cooking right now."

"We'll sign you on immediately." 

"Cool, and I promise to not be leadhead." 

"Good. As for you…." Blake's gaze shifts back to me; his tone is almost teasing. "How do we make things square? You damaged Dead Kings' property and injured some of my men. Not to mention, you stole something we gave to AXIS. We'll just say that someone else killed AXIS, I'm feeling merciful tonight. And besides, I like a woman of your calibre." 

I hesitate for a moment before asking. "You're serious?"

"Of course. The man was a piece of shit, you did the community a service. Besides, we can also just say that Remi pointed an impulsive finger at you to get my men riled up. Realistically, no one can actually prove you assassinated AXIS. Of course, anyone with a brain would at least put someone like you on the suspect list."

"Fair enough. I appreciate that." I relax a little, feeling more at ease. "I'm gonna guess you want me to pay it back."

"Doesn't have to be through eddies, could be through favours." 

"What kind of favours?" 

"Whatever I'd need you to do." 

I raise an eyebrow and glance at all of his women and then at Shock. "Nothing romantic or sexual, that's off limits." 

The cyborg bursts out laughing, catching everyone by surprise. The coarse sound of gears grinding filtered through a radio box is the closest way anyone can describe what his laugh sounds like. The noise tickles the deepest parts of my hearing. "A shame, but not what I was referring to. I plan on putting you out on a few enforcement jobs. A solo like you is rare to come by, and I'm surprised I've never heard of you until now." Ah, so he doesn't know who I truly am, thank God. 

Shock looks like she's ready to strangle me for outing her interest but she reigns her impulses in. She purses her lips and glares at me with a hint of red on her face still. 

I bite my lip in thought. "Alright, so it's either money or working for you."

"Basically. But, I'm going to take a guess that you stole the Porsche because you couldn't afford legitimately buying one." 

I pause at his suggestion and sigh. "Damn." Actually, I could, but it would take a lot of time to recover the lost money and that's too much effort on my end. I shrug while raising my hands out in feigned defeat, an act I've only gotten better at using. "How about I pay for all the damage done to your men and only half of the Porsche? I'll work off the rest." 

"Alright, pass me your contact info. I'll send you the bill, just did the math." 

I narrow my eyes, tempted to ask if I can just ask for another way to pay back the money but I give up. I'd rather not have a gang leader know my contact info but… I'm too damn tired for this shit. I'll just pay what I can and then work off the rest, hopefully by doing this I'll find a balance between not being too indebted to the Dead Kings and not having lost too much money. 

I hold out my black phone and allow Blake to momentarily connect to it. My stomach churns when I see the bill, if I were a cartoon, my eyes would be bulging outward.

What the fuck, €60,000!? Fuck me. My frugalness kicks in and I let out a low grumble. My bank account app shows the lowering in funds, a bright red, as I transfer the credits without complaint. 

"Pleasure doing business with you," Blake leans back into his plush leather sofa. "But there's one last thing for tonight…" His sharp grin widens, his arms folding across his broad chest.

I cross my arms and narrow my eyes, already feeling the tension coil in my gut. "What?"

"Ever heard of the Gauntlet?" Blake's gaze sweeps over the room, searching for any flicker of recognition from the group. His tone is casual, but there's a challenge laced beneath it.

None of us bite. Mister tilts his head, Azure scowls, Tetra shakes his head slightly, and I glance at Remi, who just shrugs. 

Shock breaks the silence, her voice tinged with curiosity. "Is that some sort of game?"

Blake chuckles. "No, it's not just a 'game'. It's a rite of passage in the Dead Kings for anyone who wants to be highly respected. You complete it, and we won't just tolerate you—we'll respect you. Anyone that does this won't necessarily be one of us, but we'll call you family still."

The weight of his words hangs in the air, heavy and unspoken.

Azure shakes her head first. "I'll pass on this one. I'm not interested in gang politics." She folds her arms, smiling at Blake. "I'm more than happy to have your gang pass by my shop though." 

Mister adjusts himself in his seat, calm and measured. "I'm comfortable just maintaining a professional relationship. I have no need to involve myself further."

Blake chuckles again, shaking his head in a slow rhythm. "Fair. For most of you, staying business associates makes sense. But for the others…" His eyes land on Remi and me. "It might be a bit more... important."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because, my 'friendly' solo, entertainment and bravado are what the Dead Kings thrive on. You've pissed off some of my boys, yeah? You paid the price already, I'll let it go. But this is how you remain on good terms with us. And frankly, I'm surprised you even have to ask. Isn't it obvious?" His smirk persists, sharp and almost amused.

Tetra clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "So, what are the details, exactly? What does this Gauntlet involve?"

Blake grins like he's been waiting for someone to ask that question. "Now, that would spoil the fun, wouldn't it? I promise you that the gauntlet will be a lot more… fun for everyone involved if you know very little about it." He taps the side of his cheek in thought, and smiles at us, teasingly so. "But I guess I'll give you a teaser: it's physically intense. Hella hard, even for the best of us, especially for those who aren't chromed out. Most people, if not all, have landed in the hospital from it."

The room goes silent again. Just what the hell is this?

Shock's eyes widen, and her jaw drops. "Hospital? Um, yeah, I think, that's a no for me."

Blake raises a hand in mock reassurance. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll cover the medical bills. It'd be cruel otherwise."

Remi is the first to break out of the hesitation, his trademark cocky grin spreading across his face. "Fuck it, we ball. I'll show everyone I'm not a pussy."

Blake laughs, the sound echoing through the room. "Excellent! That's the spirit, I knew I liked you for a reason." He gestures for one of his harem members to note Remi down. "You're gonna love it, kid."

I roll my eyes, irritation bubbling to the surface. "Are you seriously not gonna tell us anything useful? No rules, no objective?"

Blake leans back again, his grin never faltering. "Oh, come on. Where's the fun in knowing everything? Let me just say this: your life won't be in danger. But you'll sweat. A lot." His grin widens and he winks, as if he's daring me to say no. "Maybe some bruises here and there." Oh, this smartass.

I glance at Azure, who looks more annoyed than usual. She leans over to whisper to me. "He's screwing with you. Don't do it."

Tetra speaks up, clear hesitation in his voice. "I'm not sure about this. I have my own loyalties to consider. My family—"

Blake raises a hand, cutting him off. "Say no more, friend. I'd never ask you to compromise that. I respect that even."

Tetra nods, visibly relieved, and leans back in his chair.

I exhale slowly, my mind racing with ideas. FUCK. Remi's already volunteered, but the rest of the party seems content to sit this one out. My instincts tell me to walk away, but Blake's words nag at me. I close my eyes, attempting to approach the problem practically. For the past few years, I vowed to remain as neutral as possible in local crime, but tonight a lot of things changed. 

Blake chuckles and calls me out. "Well? Miss solo?" 

"Give me a minute." I groan and massage my temple. I can feel it, my brain is fucking fried.

Thoughts of how I ended up in this situation flood my mental space first, and then what I gain from doing this. It doesn't help that I stole an expensive car and got caught for it, unprepared. I'm luckier still that the suspicion of me being the actual assassin of AXIS is being swept under the rug. I'm already associated with the Dead Kings just by offering my services to Blake to repay the Porsche, even if it's for a limited time, the other gangs won't care. I might as well be screaming to other gangs that I'm fucking the Dead King's leader too. 

The Dead Kings aren't saints, but at least they stay clear of trafficking and worse. The Melders and Banshees make them look tame in comparison, and while the Velvs might be the "cleanest" gang around, they don't have the resources the Dead Kings or The GTown Boys do. If Blake's crew expands further into show business, it could even help my modelling career. But mixing identities would be like juggling knives—one slip, and it's over.

I open my eyes, noticing that everyone is waiting for my response: my team, Blake, and his associates. Fuck it. There's a chance to not just fix my reputation but also to boost it with the Dead Kings' help. Ugh, I can feel my tired brain frying quickly. 

I meet Blake's gaze, my expression remaining guarded. "So what happens after I say yes?"

His grin turns wolfish. "You'll be someone we view with high regard. No questions asked. Need favours done? Easy. Get into shit? We'll come running. Hell, we'd even throw a birthday party in your honour."

I sigh and check my phone. It's 4 AM, and all I wanna do is to rot in my bed. But if I back out now, I'll be closing doors I might need open someday. The rewards outweigh the risks—or so my sleepy thoughts insist. "Fine, I'll do it."

Blake claps his hands together, the sound of metal slapping against itself. "Good shit, that's what I like to hear!" He looks back at his women, beckoning a few of them with his finger. "Girls, get these two prepped. Let's make this a night to remember." 

The harem behind Blake rises and steps forward to escort us, I exchange a glance with Remi. He grins at me, his confidence unwavering. 

"Aight, we're locked in." 

I roll my eyes. "Right…" Glad to know that he's doing fine. Meanwhile, I feel like I just signed up for the worst night of my life. 

Blake watches us with a predatory gleam in his eye. He's clearly enjoying every second. "I'll see you in a bit! Don't chicken out now!" His laugh echoes even as we're led out of the room and down to the elevator, taking us to a new section of the building. 

Shock runs after us while the rest of the party is escorted by another group of people. "Good luck! We'll see if we can find a place to spectate!" She gives us a quick salute and then rejoins the rest of the team. 

As we descend further, distant cheers grow increasingly loud, and a low rumble vibrates through the walls like the growl of a beast. The muffled roars of excited chatter send a chill up my spine. It's almost celebratory, but there's an edge to it, like a crowd knows that blood is spilling tonight. Absolute raw, unfiltered energy awaits me down there, and I am not ready for this in any way, shape, or form.