Sunday, March 10, 2097
Not much to report. It’s one of those rare days where everything just… stops. No action, no intrigue. Just a slow exhale after the storm that was Isle of Wonders.
Morning starts with everyone in Victoria winding down, packing up, and getting ready to head back to Seattle. The models and execs are all still buzzing from yesterday’s craziness, but I can see the fatigue starting to set in. It’s been a wild week, even for someone like me.
Zara catches me before we leave. She’s got that cool, collected air about her, but I can tell she’s still shaken from the near-miss. Can’t blame her—almost getting blown up in front of the world’s not something you brush off easily. She mentions heading back to Aztlan for a few days. Corporate’s happy with the acquisition and the ratings, but not so much with her being on the verge of becoming a splatter pattern. We set up a meeting for Friday, her and Mr. Black. She wants to discuss a little side job. Black’s old-school—he only does deals face-to-face.
The ferry ride back to Seattle’s almost peaceful. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this… calm. Maybe it’s the company. Maybe it’s just the exhaustion catching up with me.
Back in Seattle, it’s all about downtime. I take a few days off work, try to play the civilian role with Evie. We hang out, hit some spots in Tacoma. It’s nice. Almost feels normal, like I’m just a guy and she’s just a girl, and there aren’t any dragons or corps or terrorists lurking around every corner.
But the shadows never really go away.
Friday, March 15, 2097
Back to business. Redmond, the Black Wolf. Zara’s got that air of authority, walking into the place like she owns it. Maybe she does, in a way. Mr. Black’s already there, in his usual spot. It’s like watching two predators size each other up.
Black only does deals face-to-face. No exceptions. So there they are, him and Zara, hashing out a plan to grab a certain Renraku employee. According to the intel I handed her last week, this guy’s got a leading role in ProEvolution and the whole attempt to turn the Isle of Wonders into a bloodbath.
Deal’s made, and then we hit the town. Zara’s got a dark edge to her tonight, like she’s trying to shake off the near-death experience by dancing it off. I get it. Everyone’s blowing off steam, living it up like we didn’t almost all get wiped out last week.
Sunday, March 24, 2097
Nine days later, and we’re back in the thick of it. Renraku guy’s got a routine, and today’s his day to visit some grave. We’re not there to pay respects.
Eclipse kills the surveillance. Tag’s on overwatch, eyes in the sky, drones humming quietly. Vanya’s close by, ready to do her thing. And then there’s me, waiting in the wings.
Renraku guy’s got two bodyguards with him. Pros, but they’re no match for Vanya. She takes them down in seconds, all fire and fury. No finesse, but that’s Vanya style. Then it’s my turn. I grab the guy, and he tries to go all samurai on us, drawing a blade and going for the harakiri move.
For a second, it’s chaos. Blood everywhere, him slumped over, bleeding out, and I’m thinking this is it, we’re gonna lose him. But we patch him up, just barely keeping him from crossing over. Enough to keep him breathing, enough to hand him over to Aztechnology.
Zara’s people take him off our hands, and just like that, it’s done. Another job, another payday. Except this one feels different. This wasn’t about money or power plays. This was personal for Zara. And maybe, just maybe, for me too. I really don't like those Provolution creeps.
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