Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System

"We're home~"

The sweet voice was like an angel's psalm, pulling him from the dream world and back to the real one. Even without looking at the clock in the corner of his vision, he could tell it was four past noon, the time when life returns to his home.

"Daddy! Are you awake!!!"

Pretending to still be asleep, he heard the patter of small footsteps heading in his direction. Light filled the room a moment later, and an angel stepped in, her smile illuminating the room.

"Daddy!"

Leaping onto the bed, she tackled him with every inch of her tiny body.

"Daddy! Wake up! Wake up!" She called in her high-pitched voice, patting his face repeatedly. "You're going to be late!"

He pretended not to notice for a moment, letting her attempt to continue. After some time, the child stopped, and a confused look took over her face.

"Daddy?"

Hearing the worry in her voice, Nate tore his eyes open and lunged.

"Arrr!"

"Eeeeep!"

In an instant, he grabbed the little girl and swapped their positions, tossing her on the bed. His hands reached for her sides, and right away, laughter filled the room.

"You fell for my trap!"

"Hahahahahahaha! D-daddy!! S-stohahahahhahahahah!"

The little girl squirmed, but she had nowhere to run. Nate continued tickling her, enjoying the spirited giggles. Unfortunately, she soon ran out of breath, and he had to let her catch her breath. Leaning down, he kissed her plump baby cheeks, then stood up, lifting her in his arms.

"So, how was school today?"

"I got an A!" The little girl beamed. "I'm best at times tables!"

"Ooooh! Very good!" Nate patted her on the head. "Let's get some ice cream to celebrate!"

"Yaay!"

"Only one scoop, though." Someone said as they entered the kitchen.

"Whaaaat!!? Only one scoop!!?" The little girl protested. "That's not fair!!!"

"Yeah!" Nate protested as well. "Not fair!"

"Then no ice cream before dinner."

"Whaaaat!!?"

A woman with the same dark green hair as the girl walked over and took her from Nate's arms. He leaned in toward her, going for a kiss, but she turned away with a huff.

"Brush your teeth first."

Though he was used to the cold reaction, it still stung to have his efforts rejected like that. He went and took a quick shower then brushed his teeth then returned to the kitchen to find his wife, Julia, placing plates on the table. Just as he took his seat, she leaned in and gave him a kiss.

"You're free until eight, right?" She asked.

"Yeah," He picked up his fork. "Don't worry. We got some newcomers, so I'll probably be back by three."

"Great."

Smiling, Nate ate in silence, finishing the eggs and synthetic bacon in just a couple of minutes. No sooner was he done than his little girl came running.

"Daddy daddy! Let's play!"

She held up a game controller to him while bouncing in her place. Checking the clock, Nate saw that he still had some time, so he decided to humor his little girl.

"Alright, but I get to choose the track."

"Wha- no! You'll choose the ice one!"

"Of course. I want to win, you know."

The little girl, Anne, puffed her cheeks and glared at him.

"Fine. I'm still going to win."

The two raced to the living room and plopped on the sofa, controllers in hand. The projector was already on, casting a wide screen on the wall. It displayed a selection screen with cartoony characters, each one with their own car.

A few minutes later.

"I won!!!" Anne jumped around, her arms raised high.

Nate leaned back into the sofa, watching her with a faint smile. This was their third game, and she already won the one before it, meaning she won today's competition as well. Checking the clock once more, he saw that it was already 17:25.

"Daddy daddy! One more! One more!" Once again, the little girl came up to him, making another request. Smiling wryly, he patted her on the head.

"Sorry, little bunny. Daddy needs to go to work now."

The girl's expression dropped, and she lowered her head.

"But…"

"Don't worry, we can play tomorrow, too." He said, picking her up. "And we're going to see grandma the day after."

"Grandma!?"

"That's right." He kissed her on the forehead and cheek. "We're going to visit grandma, so you better behave, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Do your homework and don't cause trouble for mama, okay?"

"Okay!"

Kissing her one more time, he handed her to Julia before leaning in and kissing her, too.

"I will be back." He said.

"Stay safe." His wife replied.

~[ ]~

Being one of the wealthier districts of Neo-Vatra, New City was full of establishments targeted toward people with deep pockets. Restaurants, casinos, bars and nightclubs. Each place had its own rules, and to ensure those rules are followed, each establishment needs muscle for protection.

"Your pass." Nate held his hand out, his voice even and his expression calm.

"Pass? What pass?"

"If you don't have a pass, please step aside."

The urge to sigh overwhelmed him, knowing what was about to follow.

"Hey hey hey! What are you talking about!? Don't you know who I- huh? Wha- hey! Wait! What do you think-"

Though his shift had just started, Nate was already feeling exhausted. Due to the nature of his job, he was always forced to deal with rich assholes all the time. Today was different, however. He was on door duty, which meant checking the pass given to those invited to Eternia, the nightclub he works at, and rejecting anyone who didn't have it.

Though there was a sign at the front explaining it was a members-only club, some idiots still tried to force their way in. The worst are those who think papa's money is enough to get in. One would think they know better than to humiliate themselves, but as it turned out, money doesn't automatically make one smarter.

This night alone, Nate had to turn down eight idiots. One of them returned with his friends and bodyguards, wanting revenge, but in the end all they did was get their asses kicked. The police picked them up soon after.