Neon Cogs Acts 2 Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Act 2 Chapter 5

As an Edgerunner, Rebecca had to develop a thick skin just to get by; even more so once she started dating Hiro. Oh sure she hads quite the temper, but she had learned to deal withtemper it and she was pretty confident that it tookakes quite a lot to get under her skin these days… or so she thought. She wasn’t quite prepared for what she was’s about to face as her plane finally landed at the Incheon International Airport.

“So we’re just here to go meet the Song Heavy Industry, Arasaka, and Reviere Courier Representatives before we go do our mission,s right?” Dorio asked with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes.

“That’s what the big man said. Just some babysitting job really, nothing too special aside from crossing the ocean on a cargo ship. We’ll be back in no time,” Maine replied with a grunt as he stretched and shook his legs awake.

Rebecca smiled tiredly seeing that she wasn’t the only one that chose to stay awake so they didn’t have to deal with jetlag. When they left California, the sun had just set and when they arrived in Korea, it was still dark. 12 hours of flight and the moon remained high up in the sky.

She couldn’t help but find herself yawning as well once they walked out of her plane amidst much fanfare. The Arasaka representatives of Korea gathered in force to welcome her and her crew as they greeted them warmly while shepherding them to their ride, a much appreciated gesture considering her state right now. She was tired, eyes droopping from the restless trip, and the Aerodyne transport prepared for her was a sight for sore eyes.

The non-stop flight took its toll and every last one of them, even the normally upbeat Sombra, was down and ready for a long nap.The only person that chose sleep throughout the flight was Pilar who grinned smugly as he stuttered ahead. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and they were about to board their ride when trouble arrived.

“Make way! We demanded a meeting with the representative our beloved hasd sent and we shall have it now!” Ccame the grating voice of a young girl as the security detail tried to intercept whoever it was, but they would prove unsuccessful when a young woman her age pushed through the crowd before glaring at Rebecca. She certainly caught her attention with the way she dressed, wearing something akin to a kimono but clearly not.

Raising a brow, she turned to the main Arasaka representative who bowed profusely at her before turning to the girl,. “Miss Song, they’ve just arrived from a long trip. There’s plenty of time for you to meet them at the meeting so please, reconsider,” The corporate executive tried reasoning to this girl but he was brushed off as the teen strutted up to her with all the confidence in the world. They spoke in rapid fire succession in a language she was unfamiliar with so she could not keep up, much to her annoyance.

“Woah there missy. If you want an autograph, you’ll have to wait,” Pilar greeted the girl only for her to brush him off, pushing his much taller frame aside with an annoyed grunt,. “H-hey!”

She snickered at her brother's misfortune up until she found herself blocked by the very same girl who glared at her as she stood there. She raised a brow at the girl before shrugging as she tried to walk around her but the girl followed her, stopping her and refusing to go away. Rebecca’s eyes narrowed as she felt the girl’s eyes on her, giving her a once over before scoffing.

Glaring up at the slightly taller girl, she growled warningly, “Oy! What’s the big idea?” She gave her all the chance in the world to back away, doing her best not to be too confrontational, but the girl merely raised a brow at her. Gritting her teeth, she then added, “I don’t care who you think you are or what the fuck you want but back off.,”

This girl was just looking for trouble; she could feel it as both of them locked eyes. Normally, she would have brushed it off and ignored the girl afterwards, but there was something about the way this girl held herself which ticked her off. It was as if she owned the place and everyone wereas just servants to her. The fact that the welcoming party intended for her and crew did little to stop her, or rather could not do much against this woman, infuriated her further.

Maybe it was just the lack of good sleep or maybe it was the girl but she was not in the good mood at the slightest and this girl seemed determined to piss her off even more. She did not have time for this kind of bullshit.

“So, you’re the mistress that my beloved hasd taken interest in,” Tthe girl started, walking forward up until they were face to face. Rebecca stood her ground, refusing to be cowed as she faced off with this princess thatwho looked like she hadn't lifted a single finger her entire life. The girl then sneered at her in disgust as she added, “Just as I expected. Mere eye candy, nothing more. You don’t even know who I am, do you?”

“Quite brave of you to say that to my face whileen you're in knife stabbing distance, bitch,” She snarled back at her through gritted teeth. She clenched her fist as she did her best to stop herself from taking a swing at the girl's pretty little face and breaking something, but before things got heated however, both of them were pushed back away from each other as their security detail finally intervened.

Pilar made a lunge for the girl but was quickly held back by Maine who grabbed him by the scuff off the shirt whilewith the rest of the security mobbed him,. “What the hell did you just call me my sister you two bit bimbo?!” Hher brother shouted.

“Oy! Back away, princess, if you know what’s good for you,” Sombra warned the girl as she rested her hands on her SMG.

“Pilar, knock it off. It ain’t worth it,” Miane called out, using his bulky arms to trap Pilar’s gangly frame.

Pilar, however, was not so easily dissuaded as he bared his teeth at the girl, “You think you can just walk up to my sister and insult her?” Pilar shouted while he tried to free himself from the security’s grasp, veins popping while spittle flew out of his mouth,. “Let me at em Maine! I’ll show them how we treat people like her in Night City! ”

The girl remained unphased, remaining stone faced and seemingly unimpressed about everything. She stirred shit up to cause a scene and she got it but thankfully, cooler heads prevailed,. “Damn it, we’re not in Night City!” Dorio scolded him as she placed her hands on Rebecca, shaking her head before pulling her back. Rebecca backed off, crossing her arms as she glared at their useless security detail.

“Mister Hall, we apologize for the inconvenience but please calm down. This is not the time for violence,” The Arasaka representative told them, bowing lowly in apology before turning to the girl and started scolding her,.  “Also, Young Mistress, this is highly unbecoming of you. You represent the face of Song Heavy Industries, not some school girl looking for a school yard scuffle.,”

The girl scoffed before she flicked her hair as she looked away while Rebecca’s eyes widened. She was the Song Heavy Industry Representative? Why was she here? Her realization didn’t go unnoticed as the girl smirked at them.

“Oh, so you do know me, but in case anyone missed the memo, allow me to introduce myself,~” The slightly taller girl purred out, looking down at her with her chin held high and her arms crossed beneath her chest to emphasize the part where Rebecca was quite lacking. Extending a hand to her, she then introduced herself, “My name is Hana Song, Song Heavy Industry Representative, nice to meet you.”

Rebecca’s eyes twitched but she forced herself to return the greeting. Grabbing the girl’s hands, she gave it a squeeze, making the girl wince slightly, but she hid her pain well even as she felt bone creaking under her grip,. “Rebecca Hall, Hiro Arasaka’s representative, and this is Maine, the leader of my crew,” She greeted back with a feral grin, watching as the girl pulled back her hand a bit too hastily.

Giving them a fake plastic smile, shen then fired back, “I’m glad that we can finally meet each other. I’ve heard many great things from my beloved and I say, I expected something more… and maybe someone a bit taller.”

Rebecca sucked in a breath, about to cock her arm back before a sudden message appeared over her vision. She then smirked as she opened it up to see Hiro asking if she had arrived. Ignoring her for a bit, she then looked back at her before asking, “Hmmm? What’s that? I was kind of busy reading a message from Hiro.” It seemedThis seems to have struck a nerve in the girl as the girl's teeth bared her teeth. Grinning widely, she pushed in the knife further and relished at her anger, “Oh, you don’t get those often? Bless your heart.~”

The girl was not one to be outdone, replyingthe girl then replied, “Oh that’s cute. As much as I want to keep talking, I still have far better things to do. It’s just your typical stuff like running a company and making sure my beloved’s operation here in Korea runs smoothly, just the type of thing that’s perfectly suited for a future wife. No big deal.~”

Rebecca remained quiet, glaring defiantly back defiantly at the girl and refusing to give her any more reactions. This girl tested her nerves, showing off everything that she had that Rebecca didn’t, all to show her up to Hiro; who wasn’t even present. She had enough. Leaning close to her, she then whispered, “You’re just as fierce as Hiro described you and I like that.~ I’m looking forward having you on your knees calling me mistress when the time comes.~”

With those parting words, she turned around and left, barking orders in Korean as she strutted off, leaving Rebecca standing there with a blush on her face, unsure on how to process those words. Did she just insult her and hit on her at the same time? She was one confusing girl, that’s for sure.

“What a bitch…” Sombra piped up as she watched the girl get escorted away.

“Fucking hell Rebecca, we’re supposed to coordinate with that bitch on this delivery?” Pilar asked as Maine finally let him go once the Corporate girl was well away and out of their hair.

“Unfortunately,” Rebecca sighed as she scratched the back of her head. They have a shitty boss, just your standard stuff. There’s nothing that she should be angry about, she reminded herself. “Let’s just get this over with so we can get this delivery started,”

“This is going to be a long trip I swear,” Pilar then said before he threw his hands up. “Fuck it, I wanted to get more sleep but might as well enjoy myself before I get stuck on a bout for weeks on end with that one. Going to cool off for a bit, just grab a Combat Taxi for me if I don’t come back!” she shouted as she walked away from the grab, fully intent to enjoy himself despite being far away from home.

She honestly couldn’t blame her brother for it, finding herself tempted but she had someone to come back too at home and a job to do. “This shouldn’t take too long right?” She silently whispered as she boarded their ride.

-x-x-x-

Rebecca groaned silently in frustration as she sat there, forced to watch the presentation given by none other than Hana Song herself. Gone was the bratty bitch she met at the airport and in her place there, standing confidently before her and representatives from three companies was the heiress of a local megacorporation. Was she surprised? No, given how two faced most corpo’s are with the cut throat environment they operate in. One moment she was dealing with the bitch, the next she’s dealing with a deadly monster in sheep's clothing. It’s just a matter of finding out which one is the mask under all that bullcrap.

Leaning back, she watched as the girl stood there confidently in her sharp suit and scandalously short pencil while she debriefed them on the planned shipment route along with what Hiro had intended for them to guard. At last she wasn’t alone as she glanced over to her crew mates. Maybe Kiwi had the right idea about staying back home. She held back as she watched Pillar nodding on and off to the side.

Thankfully, they were in the back and away from prying eyes else she’d have knocked some sense into the man especially with who were present. Corpo’s from not only Arasaka but Song Heavy Industries and Revere Courier Service as well sat in attendance both in person as well as in holograms. Even Hiro and most surprisingly of all, Saburo Arasaka, was present in the meeting.

Sending a message to Hiro, he grinned at him before waving as his gaze shifted to her. Seeing him smile helped her pass the time as the woman started, dimming the lights until she was the one visible in the darkness. “Once upon a time, before the war that ravaged our world, we mastered the seas, tamed the monsters that lurked in the edges of mariners maps, and made it our playground. Shipping cargo crossed the ocean at breakneck speed, connecting us in ways long thought impossible,”

A globe then lit up behind her, the holographic model spinning slow as oversized boats crisscrossed the oceans, trailing shipping routes. It was a peaceful image up until red areas started popping up with ships getting sunk and bombed, lanes getting mined, and ships seized. Slowly, the number of ships dwindled until all that’s left were airplanes flying overhead.

“Those, however, have long since passed,”  The girl then said as she gestured at one of the red areas where images of underwater drones and unexploded mines were shown off. “The oceans are littered with mines and patrolled by rogue autonomous drones, our once free ocean becoming the same hostile oceans that our ancestors once faced. Prices since then have risen as we grew disparate, our economies linked through fragile trading lines restricted by rail and by air suffered as a result. Globalization has become a pipe dream but what if we can take back that dream. What if…”

While she listened, she noticed Dorio trying to shake Maine and call to his attention to no avail. Frowning, she poked the man’s side making him jump as he looked around in confusion. Frowning, she asked him silently, “Hey Maine, you doing good? You’ve been staring off quite a bit.”

“Mmm? Huh, yeah. I’m good. Just still a bit tired from the trip.” Maine replied as he yawned but Rebecca wasn’t convinced. Something was off about him right now but she couldn’t quite figure out why.

“You know, you didn’t have to come with us since everyones still being paid regardless of participation. Besides, it’s just been a week or two since you got shot?” She whispered, reminding him how Kiwi was getting a cut as well despite staying back to hunt for Lucy. Given how nasty the microwave blast was for those with chrome, she half expected Maine to back out but here he was, standing with them for another job as if nothing had happened.

“As if this bone head would listen,” Dorio muttered as she crossed her arm and glanced away.

Maine leaned in closely, wrapping his arms around his input only for her to shrug him off. “Oh come on, don’t be like that.  I’m good, seriously. Besides, what’ll I do back home without my girl?” he whispered to her, making Dorio blush despite the tough act she put up.

“Awww,” Rebecca squealed out silently, as she fought back the smile creeping up her face. She wished she had Hiro to hug there with her…

Her attention would soon be called on once more as the large, imposing figure of a ship replaced the slide show of dangers that filled the seas.“Introducing the Arasaka Heavy Freighters, a ship designed to withstand even the harshest and weathers and the most hostile oceans. Designed by Arasaka’s best and brightest and manufactured by Song Heavy Industries, this ship is designed to navigate the dangerous waters of the Northern Pacific. Thanks to its adamantine hull…” The girl stated, gazing up at the model with pride as she listed off all its features.

“This looks like a floating castle,” She noted and Sombra nodded in agreement. The numbers seemed… big. At nearly half a kilometer long, this thing looked like a stretched out city block as much as it’s a cargo.

“It does but I feel like it’s more like they took a chunk out of the docks and made it float,” Sombra replied as the ship was animated to take several hits from rockets. “Makes you think though, what are they going to carry? A whole city?” She joked but her answer wouldn’t be too far off as the image of a factory complex being hollowed out was shown off.

“While the ship has some serious cargo limitations given the armor required for the ship, it has more than enough capacity needed to carry out the task in hand, that of the transport of the on of the manufacturing plants for Arasaka’s weaponry. The ship will also be tasked to carry a large shipment of arms and servitor legions for the pacification of the construction site…”

Rebecca shifted in her seat and leaned closely as she watched in keen interest. A whole factory to be set up in Night City? While nothing too out of the ordinary but to see it occupying the former Pacifica Territory even in just a presentation definitely caught her attention. He’s definitely going to end the war once nothing is left in its place. “I expected a weapon or super robot of sorts but an entire factory and an army? Man, your input doesn't half ass things huh?” Sombra whistled

“Let’s see if NUSA kicks up a stink about Arasaka opening up another factory in Night City.” Oh sure the Servitor Legions being shown off in the screen was concerning, but they were a drop in the bucket of soldiers Arasaka already had in Night City. The factory meanwhile would need people and that meant it would pull people from the streets and given a choice between being pacified through force or through peace, would they really continue fighting if an option to go out was offered?

“You know… I wonder if there’d be a job opening for security,” Maine mused out as he leaned closely, rubbing his chin as he stared at the mega complex that would soon dominate the ocean view.

Rebecca turned to Maine in surprise before grinning. “Are you seriously considering retirement, Maine? You know that’ll jinx ya?” she asked the man with a bit of apprehension. Retirement was often seen as a harbinger of bad things to happen and not something to be talked about lightly.

Maine shook his head as he kissed Dorio’s forehead who now snuggled up to him. “Me? Naw. Think of it as a lateral promotion of sorts. A man needs to think about the future after all,”

“But you don’t want to continue fighting in the streets huh?” Becca whispered with a sad smile across her lips. It really did seem that Maine wanted an out. She couldn’t blame him as after all, people die all the time in their line of work. Not everyone could become a Night City legend, some just either faded away or found a way out and it seems that Maine found his.

Maine just nodded as he hugged Dorio tighter. “... Yeah, I had my time Becca. I thought I’d keep on running until the road stops but for once in my life, I think there’s a home waiting for me at the end,” He whispered before grinning back at her, “Still, a few eurodollars more wouldn’t hurt so don’t think I’m going to away just yet. You’ll still see this ugly mug for a bit,”

Rebecca chuckled before she turned her attention back to the presentation at hand to get her mind off the subject. “We’ll also be accompanied by a detachment of Arasaka’s own fleet along with some of their best to protect us in our journey…” Still, her mind did wander off as the future of the group was starting to look uncertain. Lucy went rouge, Maine was looking for a way out while Kiwi was starting to drift away. Everything eventually ends but she didn’t think it’d end this soon. What was she going to do? Did she really want to keep fighting?

“Despite all the the precautions we’ve taken, all the time and effort designing and constructing these cargo freighter, all the ships we armed for the flotilla and all the men and women tasked in guarding our precious cargo, the journey would still be impossible without the Revere Courier Service,” The polite applause that followed helped cleared her mind or a bit as she as the answer stared right at her in the face. “Thanks to their effort, we now have on our hand the most complete map of every last mine, autonomous drones and hostile pirate basses of the entire pacific rim,”

Yes, she wanted to keep fighting because she still can fight the good fight. She could help make a future even if all she knew was blasting whoever was on the other end. Besides, it’s not like she’s going to have a big family anytime soon. She still wasn’t ready to settle down, not when she still get all excited for the prospect of a fight.

“With these tools, we will open the northern pacific passage and provide a volume of trade unheard of in our post Corporate War world. If, no, Once we succeed, we will bring a new age of prosperity to the Pacific Rim Alliance as well as clear some of the waters that had long been deemed too dangerous to venture into.” Rebecca nodded, she still has a long way to go but since her friend's time was drawing to a close, she wanted to make sure she enjoyed it every step of the way.

She winced as the lights finally turned back on as Hana Song smiled at the audience. “And that concludes my presentation. Now, any questions?”

Rebecca chose to stay silent as the corpo’s in the room made their rounds of questions mostly involving the profits and feasibility of the project. While Rebecca wasn’t that knowledgeable in such topics, she did see just why such a project would be questioned quite heavily. The danger was just too great but for her, the reward was simply just enough that she saw why Hiro was willing to risk a lot in this venture. The fact that more jobs were going to be opened up for Night City made this venture that she had vested interest in.

As the questioning finally started to taper off, she now had her time. “How long would be the expected time of delivery?” She asked her, wondering how long this job was going to take her.

“We’re projecting a time table of 3-4 weeks, a week extra on the historical route given that we’re skirting around Hawaii and Midway,” Hana explained, making her wince a bit. Damn, she really was going to be out at sea for a month.

“Damn it, this is going to be one boring trip. Are we just supposed to sit on our thumbs and wait for something to happen?” Pilar then groggily piped up making her cheeks burn as she turned to his brother and glared at him.

“Pilar!” She scolded him, wishing the earth to swallow him there and then.

Hana smiled as she replied, “Oh, on the contrary, I say it would not.” Rebecca paused, turning to the woman as she started showcasing some amenities for the ship. “Given the protection afforded to us by the thin Adamantium Hull, we’ve managed to free up enough space that we can afford to give some luxuries and entertainment for the ship's crew. These facilities include a gym, swimming pool, gaming room among other things.

There were murmuring among the crowd but the woman was quick to pacify them as she said “While more cargo would mean more profit, a happy crew is essential in keeping the ship running. These are dangerous waters they’re threading after all and the profits alone from the journey should more than make up for those invested back into the people manning the ship,”

Rebecca nodded appreciatively for the girl's unorthodox actions. Those same amenities would serve to attract mariners. It’s not everyday you can get a crew that’s willing to brave the waves in such drone infested waters. Hiro definitely included those in but she had to give props to the girl for going through it even if it meant she had to fight for it to be included.

As she stared at the ship, she started to think that maybe this trip wouldn’t be that bad after all. At the very least, it wouldn’t be mind numbingly boring.

-x-x-x-

It was one thing to see a ship in pictures and it was a matter to see it in person. Rebecca whistled as she watched the massive ship, named the Maguro Maru, getting loaded up with containers from a veritable mountain of them piled up just beside the beach. It was a truly impressive sight, with the ship's structure jutting out like a castle sitting atop its fortress-like hull. It wasn’t just one ship being loaded up but three more as well, each occupying an entire area in the docks.

“Now those are some big ships,” Rebecca whistled, watching the ship from the edge of the pier. Her friends had already boarded the ship and she’s the only one left in the docks where she stood with the most unexpected of guests. “They’re like half a kilometer long right?” She asked as she turned towards Hana.

Hana snorted as she proudly replied, “More or less. They're the first of their class and they're unlike anything this world has yet to see. The fact that Hiro decided that they’re going to be produced here fills me with pride.”

Gone was the sharp suit she wore in the meeting or stuffy dress she wore in the airport, instead, she wore a tight fighting flight suit fitting that left little to the imagination; a perfect dress for combat she noted. “You’re really going to come with us, huh. Don’t you have a business to run? She asked.

“Why of course, how can our investors trust the products we make if I myself am not willing to ride the ship’s my beloved designed,” Hana replied.

Rebecca smirked as she fired back, “You just want to meet Hiro don’t you~”

The girl became a blushing mess as she stuttered out, “W-why that’s simply just a coincidence, nothing more,”

Rebecca snickered before she schooled her feature and gazed out to the fleet gathering to escort the ships. “Hey Hana, let me ask you something,” calling out to Hana, she then asked her, “Why do you really want to pursue Hiro? Is it because your company need Arasaka money or-”

Before she could finish her question, Hana quickly cut her off with a growl, “Don’t you dare imply I’m just after his money.” Rebecca took pause as she looked at the girl curiously, her interest now piqued. “Hiro’s more than just one of the scions of Arasaka. He cares about people, he cares about the future and he wants to build that future. Whenever he talks about his dreams, his passion, he just…”  she declared passionately before she started trailing off, catching herself.

Rebecca smiled softly as she finished her sentence, “Hiro does have a way of taking your breath away from you,”

She watched Hana hesitate, eyes shifting before she sighed as she nodded, “He… he truly does and that’s why he only deserves the best,”

“You truly love him huh?” Rebecca noted before grinning and crossing her arms behind her head, “Well, that clears up a lot of things,” she declared, finally seeing just why this girl felt so strongly about her. It was no wonder she’s a bitch. Hana turned her head away, refusing to comment any further which just answered Rebecca’s suspicion.

“Hey Hana, I know we didn’t have the best of starts and I can’t say that I’m looking forward to spending this voyage with you but for the sake of the person we love, let’s work together to get this done.” Rebecca then offered as she extended her hands out.

Hana looked at her offered hand in suspicion for a bit before she reluctantly reached out and shook it. “Let’s see where this voyage takes us then,” Hana replied as she gave her a firm shake before declaring, “But don’t expect me to give up on pursuing my beloved so easily. I will get his hand eventually,”

Rebecca grinned back at the declaration of challenge as she then said, “Hiro does love a girl with a bit of heat in them so you’re definitely on the right path,” She hated this girl but she respected her for fighting for what she wanted. She was willing to give her a chance at the very least.

-x-x-x-

The first night out at sea was spent in the recreation area, specifically the indoor bar that served alcohol. While the mechanical bartender wasn’t much to look out for, the selection of drinks they sold was decent enough. Most of the crew were watching one of the combat sport matches so they had the whole bar to themselves. Everyone was enjoying their time or almost everyone as Rebecca did her best to ignore the fight between Dorio and Maine.

“God damn it Maine, how many times do I have to tell you that it’s not too much to ask for help from Becca with your chrome?” Doroi hissed out not too quietly. It was a bit awkward hearing her name being called but she elected to ignore it to continue drinking with Sombra. “Also, how many times have I told you that you need to get rid of that thing? It’s so old and outdated that you’re burning money maintaining that thing!”

“Dorio, bae, we’ve been through this a hundred times, I can afford the upgrade and before you go on about that offer for better chrome, already took her offer with getting my stuff fixed, isn’t that enough?” Maine replied as he held his arm close to his chest.“Also, why try to change it if it still ain’t broke?”

Doroi pinched the bridge of her nose as she then said “Why are you so against getting free stuff? Becca’s been with him and he has yet to mess with us. He’s not adding strings to his offers, he’s just being nice,”

“I don’t want us to depend on her for everything. We can do things on our own and I’d rather not go to her everytime we need something.” Maine fired back, remaining adamant with his choice.

“It’s just your chrome Maine,” Doroi then said, starting the whole cycle all over again. Rebecca groaned, her mood slightly dampened by the two’s fighting. She respected Maine but man, can he stubborn at times.

“Trouble in paradise huh?” Sombra whispered as she nursed a glass of lime and tequila.

“Yeah, Maine’s being a dumbass. Prideful son of a bitch,” Rebecca shook her head as she then muttered, “Offering any help would only make him double down on his stupidity so I just stayed away. Only Dorio can get through his thick skull by bashing it in with her own stubbornness but that causes some friction,”

“No shit,” Sombra snickered as she glanced over Doroi who stormed off leaving a fuming Maine all alone.

“Don’t worry though. Maine will eventually come to his senses and they’ll make up,” She replied, and right on cue, Maine stood up to follow Doroi.

Rebecca sighed as she slumped down on the bartop, groaning as she presse the cold bottle up against her cheeks but she found the bottle too small to hug and nuzzle up against. Not having someone to cuddle up to was taking a bit to get used to.

“Miss him already huh?” Sombra asked.

Rebecca turned to glare at the grinning Latina. “Isn’t it obvious? Fuck, I miss my cuddles and Mr. Subaru. I want my dick and my duck!” she exclaimed as she threw up her hand in frustration before knocking her drink to drown out her frustration.

Sombra looked at her in confusion as she asked, “What’s this about a duck and your grandfather?”

She choked laughing, almost blowing alcohol down her nose, as she swallowed before replying,  “No, you’re thinking about Saburo. My pet duck is named Subaru. Totally not named after the stubborn old goat,”

“You named a duck Subaru?” Sombra asked to which she nodded in confirmation earning a laugh from her. “Chica, have I told you how crazy you are? Naming your pet so closely to your in-laws; Only you Becca, only you.”

Rebecca just nodded, moping about as silence descended once more with only Pilar playing darts to serve as distraction now that Dorio and Maine were away. She was content to drink away and wait for the next time she could call Hiro without sounding too needy when Sombra offered, “Say, I heard they have an entire arcade on the ship? Why don’t we go check it out. A friendly competition perhaps? We can toss in a few eddies to spice things up,”

Rebecca gave her a look before replying, “And go up against someone with a functional cyberspine?”

“So what? It’s not like you can’t wear that armor of yours in there,” Sombra fired back to which Rebecca frowned. She could use her armor like that among other things now that she had some time to think about it.  “Oh don’t give me that look. That thing’s definitely helping you in combat so it can help with a lot of other shit.”

“You know… I haven’t thought about that,” She admitted. Maybe she could use that to rearrange her neglected apartment, move some things out as well as pack things up. It’ll definitely help speed things up.

“Wait, you haven’t used that in bed? All those moves you can pull off dominating your input?” Sombra then asked, making Rebecca pause, mouth hanging open as she realized something. Was the boob plate more than just for show? “Fucking hell, and here I thought you’re the hornier one between the two of us.”

“S-shut up! I was going to think about that, eventually,” Rebecca sputtered out.

“How about you make me then~?” Sombra purred out even as she growled at her warningly. “What? It's just a game after all? Are you really going to chicken out cause you know you’re going to lose?” she then taunted.

“Ok, fine. Let’s play,” She shouted back. As much as she hates to admit it, Sombra had a way to get under her skin. “Just don’t go crying once I beat you to a pulp!”

“This is definitely going to be fun~” Sombra replied as she grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the bar.