Bonus Art (Plus 'Short' Story) - Super Ultra Cyberpunk (Patreon)

Perched on top of a roof with her feet idly swaying off the side and feasting on a cup of instant ramen, Ren took in the sights of the neon-lit cityscape that stretched on for miles all around her. Advertisements projected into the sky and the constant traffic of flying cars and airships overhead blotted out any hope of ever seeing the natural, starlit sky--but in some way, it was still a beautiful sight to behold all the same.

Neo-Rhan--the place where people came to make their fortunes, live out their wildest dreams, and in many cases...meet their untimely ends. Sometimes all in a single night. It was a hotbed of sin. Of decadence. Of outright indulgence. Criminals ran rampant all hours of the day and were at a constant clash with the enforcement teams in a perpetual war. Average life expectancy of an individual was slashed in half simply by stepping foot across Neo-Rhan's borders. And yet...despite all this...Ren had never felt more at home. This was the life she knew. What she was born into. Where she was raised.

In terms of importance in the world, Neo-Rhan was effectively THE city. A mega metropolis that stood as a country in its own right, governed not by high-ranking politicians, but rather by the faceless corporations that each had an iron grip over different portions of the city. Neo-Rhan stood independent from the rest of the world. It was a essentially a world in and of itself where you had to leave your old notions of morality and logic at the gate upon check-in if you ever had any hope of surviving within the city that seemed to be plunged into perpetual night.

[Ren--do you copy? A new mission has come in.]

A stern voice crackled to life in Ren's ears--delivered by the OS chip embedded deep within her brain, and fused into the very fabric of her being in an amalgamation of flesh and machinery, like most people who lived in this city. She ignored the voice and continued to slurp on her ramen. Nosily, at that. A small grin tugged at the corners of her lips.

[...Ren? I know you can hear me! Stop being so childish and answer me already! I'm not going to call you...that!]

Again, Ren ignored the increasingly exasperated voice on the other end. A subtle thought was all it took to interface with her internal OS and crank the volume down so they didn't rupture something in her head. A lesson she'd learned nice and early when it came to teasing this particularly grumpy individual.

She heard a deep breath on the other side of the line--and for a moment, it seemed like they were really about to lose it...but after some grinding noises that followed, they finally relented with a sigh, defeated, and said the magic words Ren wanted to hear.

[...Fine. Super...ugh...Ultra...Ren. Do you copy?]

"Loud and clear, grumpyboobs! What's up? Who do you want me to kill today?" Ren chirped back almost immediately, having coincidentally just finished her ramen. She tossed the cup down into the streets below where cars whizzed by incessantly in streaks of multi-coloured lights. With how filthy the lower levels of Neo-Rhan were--both metaphorically AND physically--an extra cup or two didn't make much of a difference.

[Ugh. I wish you wouldn't phrase it like that. We're more than just a roving pack of thugs that do the dirty work for the highest bidder! As the Royal Guard, we have standards!]

"But...you DO want me to kill someone, right? And we ARE being paid for it, riiiight?"

There was silence on the other end. Looks like they couldn't refute it. Ren took great satisfaction in this. After a few more moments, the voice finally continued.

[...Anyway...I'm sending you the details. Luckily this time around we have fairly comprehensive information on our target.]

"Roger, roger~ Send away! Feel free to send me more nudes, too! I wanna add to my collection!"

[A-ah..th-that...! R-Ren! Th-that only happened ONCE, and it was a...system glitch! And what do you mean 'collection'?! You told me you deleted it!]

"Yeah, heehee... And I'm amazed you believed me! I mean--we're talking about me here! Me! You'd best believe the moment I got that steamy pic I'd made about a hundred backups and had it posted across the web!"

[N-nnghhh... L-let's just focus on the mission, shall we...?]

Ren shrugged and kicked her feet, still dangling them off of the ledge of the towering building she was perched up on. "If you say so. I was having a lot more fun with this, though!"

[...Let me just make EXTRA sure that what I'm sending you is...okay. Yes. Good. Here.]

With a melodic chime echoing in her head, a small notification popped up in the corner of her augmented vision. She focused on it with a thought, and the bubble expanded, taking up a large portion of her vision in a series of windows projected within her eyes. From someone else's perspective, they'd see her large green eyes shimmering with a stream data as it scrolled by.

'Receiving files from user: KNGHTCYN' the screen before her said briefly as a bar crawled along at snail's pace. Ren flopped her head to one side with a groan; even with all of the technological advancements in the world, if you were in a rough enough spot in the city...upload and download speeds were still pretty abysmal.

Finally, the files came through, and an array of dossiers flitted out around her--each adorned with photos and packed with information on her potential targets. Sadly no scandalous nudes to be found.

"Okay, so what am I looking at here, hmmm~?" Ren asked as she leaned in to better inspect things. Though, given it was projected over her eyes anyway--all she really had to do was will the files to be zoomed in instead. By leaning forward, the only thing she achieved was almost falling off of the building she was on.

[This is your main target tonight,] the voice in her head began as the central file took precedence over the others and expanded out. [We don't have much on his past, but he goes by the name 'Redd' these days. He's the leader of the Fallen Phoenixes.]

The picture in question was of a man in his late twenties or early thirties at most. He had a fairly lean build and a head of scruffy brown hair that veiled one eye--the other visible eye cold and narrow as it glared beyond the realm of the photo, as if looking directly at Ren herself. The largest point of interest, however...was the rather prominent burn scar that ran down what appeared to be one side of his body--from the face that the hair worked so hard to conceal, down the arm, and possibly trailing far further down below. The combat vest he wore did little conceal just how raw and red his muscled arm really was.

Ren scrunched her face up at the grisly sight. "Yuck. Bit crispy, isn't he? What happened to his face?! And his entire left side, for that matter!"

[I can't say... Ultimately there are too many conflicting reports on how he obtained those scars to even humour a theory. Know that it matters very little in the grand scheme of things, however.]

So they said...but Ren still couldn't help but pore over the extra crispy picture in question. This time, with a far more analytical gaze.

"It's just...weird, though...y'know? Especially with how cheap and easy it is to get synthetic skin these days! Why would he willingly walk around looking like he'd tripped and fell face first on the grill?!"

[Hmm... Yes... Indeed. I suppose you WOULD be an expert on synthetic enhancements, wouldn't you, Ren?]

Ren snickered at that, and how their tone was positively DRIPPING with derision. There was the sassy side of her comrade-in-arms that she loved so much!

"Heehee... Why, I have no idea what you mean! My body is...ahhh...100% natural and home-grown!" At that, she emphasised her rather ample and springy chest with a cup of her hands, even if they weren't on a videocall. It was still important!

[Mmhmm... Anyway--while most of Redd's men are largely of little importance, I did want to draw attention to his left and right-hand men. Or in this case, women.]

Redd's file shrunk back and the other two dossiers expanded side by side. On the left was a picture of a blonde-haired woman making an extra sour, pouty face, and to the right was pallid, scrawny woman with a bob cut and a sleepy expression pulling at her eyes.

[Vanessa and Gwen. They might not look like much, but I assure you, they're more than arm candy for Redd, each of them handling various logistics of his criminal operation and dangerous in their own right.]

The picture on the left pushed to the center and gave more detail on the blonde-haired one, Vanessa. Voluminous, glossy lips pursed together as if she were sucking on something sour--while simultaneously looking like she was posing for a magazine--she was the very picture of beauty. Her long, silky locks fell to her back in perfectly combed waves, standing out in perfect contrast with her sun-kissed skin. Purple eyes--possibly augmented contacts--lent a certain amount of youth to her smooth, flawless features, though as Ren had already established--these days with how affordable synthetic enhancements were...it was very difficult to discern someone's age.

"Speaking of 'enhancements'...wowza..." Ren murmured to herself, letting out a whistle the lower her eyes roamed. Wearing little more than a corset, a small jacket thrown on overtop and incredibly short shorts, Vanessa was clearly proud of the voluptuous body she was either gifted with...or spent a small fortune on obtaining. She was thick in all the right places, slender in all the others, and had a chest that was positively bursting against the confines of her skimpy attire. Now THAT was confidence.

[...Are we going to move on to Gwen next, or should I give you a moment, Ren?]

"Huh? What--I was just...appreciating the beauty, heehee... Not very often y'see a gangster with bazookas like that!"

...Her contact sighed and casually swiped Vanessa's picture aside before pulling up Gwen's.

Gwen shared the same purple eyes as Vanessa, albeit considerably sleepier looking ones that matched with an equally sleepy smile--an expression that suggested she had absolutely no idea where she was. Or even what planet she might have been on. In comparison to Vanessa's impressively busty frame, Gwen had a near skeletal frame with hard a scrap of meat on her, the tight dress she wore doing most of the work to compliment figure as it hug to what few curves she had with a vengeance.

"She looks pretty blitzed... Drugs?" Ren asked as she brought back up Vanessa and Redd's files too and began to go over the finer details of each. It was always a good idea to know as much about her targets as she could before she got to work.

[Something like that. As I understand, Redd's organisation moves a lot of 'fairy dust' around the city. Among other things.]

"Ahhh... Right. That explains it. One whiff of that stuff and you'll be sky high for days! Not that...I've ever tried it or anything, heehee~"

[Mmhmm.]

That was the most judgment noise Ren had ever heard from her sassy comrade. She did her best to ignore it and swiftly changed the subject.

"So, uhm... What else do these 'Fallen Phoenixes' do, anyway? It can't just be for pushing drugs, right? Otherwise we'd be going after practically ever person in this city!"

[Narcotics...weapon smuggling...human trafficking...the list goes on There is even talk of organ harvesting going on--though the reports on that are hazy at best.]

"Sheesh... Dipping their toes into a bit of everything, right? Aren't they stretching themselves a little too thin?"

[You would think so... But after making a sudden appearance on the street, it seems they have quite an urgent need for building up their funds. Naturally, I cannot say for what...]

Ren brought a hand to her chin and 'hmmm'd. Either way, the result was going to be the same--this scruffy, burnt bacon leader of theirs falling on her swords...but sometimes she did wonder. What was it that drove people to crime? Sometimes it was simply for survival. Other times it was for far more petty, selfish reasons. Could the same be said of Redd and his cronies? It wasn't as though the corporations that ran this city were shining paragons of virtue. One thing was for certain, though--Ren was FAR too sober for these kinds of thoughts.

[As a result, their rather rash actions have quickly caught the attention of those higher up on the food chain--...]

"--the very same people who pay our bills, right~?"

[...Yes. Indeed. While we, the Royal Guards have no direct affiliation with any of the ruling corporations...we effectively act as an arm of the law for them, called in when the jobs are deemed far too hot for their more basic security forces. Although I'm not sure why I'm telling you this, since you should probably already know it, but somehow I get the feeling...]

"Hmm? What was that? I was checking out Vanessa's rack again! Whoa--if you zoom in, you can see the sweat racing down her cleavage! I can't wait to see her in person, heehee!"

[...That of course...you're not listening. Again. Ahh...]

A breathy sigh tickled the inside of Ren's head as her comrade-in-arms died just a little more inside. That was just part of the whole 'Ren' experience though, really.

Hopping to her feet and teetering dangerously on the ledge of the very VERY high building she was on, Ren swiped all of the pictures off of her integrated display and stretched--a full body, cat-like stretch that really flaunted just how flexible she was, and served to thrust her immense chest out with a jiggle. Again, completely unnecessary given there was nobody here to see her--but hey, maybe she was giving some lucky guy the sight of a lifetime who may have been peeking at her from one of the high-rise apartments across the street.

"Okay, I think I got all the important stuff down. Just point me in the right direction and I'll be done before sunrise!" Ren slapped a dainty fist into the palm of her hand, electromagnetic force erupting out from her knuckles in a ring. She grinned, cracking her neck from side to side and then hopped from foot to foot to limber up. The anticipation of a mission bubbled up inside of her, filling her with adrenaline and excitement as her enhanced eyes took in the cityscape beyond her--filled with criminals just waiting to be punished.

[Before sunrise would be ideal, given our current intel suggests that they're gearing up to move some serious hardware across the city. Hardware that will spell bad news for our benefactors if it's distributed around. You'll find Redd, his most trusted cohorts, and a small handful of footsoldiers just a few blocks away in the warehouse district.]

Coordinates were sent to Ren through her embedded OS with a ping, and then an arrow blazed to life in her vision, pointing the direct route forward. It was just like a videogame, really, when Ren LOVED.

[He'll most likely have the largest concentration of men--and equipment--set out by the main gates to intercept any traditional enforcement squads. Which is why in this case we're just sending you. You'll be met with less resistance if you find a side route in.]

Ren's grin stretched ever wider, to the point it barely fit on her face. She struggled to contain the excitement that was pulsing through her veins. "So the super ultra sneaky route, then, hmmm~? I wouldn't have it any other way!"

And after slapping on her facemask--because all heroes needed a mask--Ren was off. She leapt off of the building with a muffled laugh, arms stretched wide as she plummeted down into the streets of Neo-Rhan. Her manic cackle of glee echoed deep into the night as the ground grew closer, and closer still, her pace accelerating with every split second that ticked by--to the point it looked as though she was going to simply splat onto the sidewalk below. She relished the feeling of the wind rushing by, whipping her short brown hair back wildly. Then, just before the point of impact, she gave a twirl and let her boots take the brunt of the impact. What should have been a bone-shattering, flesh-pulping landing was instead absorbed in its entirety by her specialised shoes, and the force was converted into a blast of pure electro-force that exploded out of her tiny--if not incredibly buxom--body. People, cars, and every other object that wasn't thoroughly welded down were taken in the blast, flying amid panicked screaming and alarmed honking.

[...I wish you'd stop doing that in public spaces, Ren. Do you know how many complaints we get about you on a day to day basis?!]

"Ahahah! Can't hear you! Too busy making the world a safer place! Whooosh, whoooosh, whoooooosh!"

Boots still charged with a good amount of energy from the fall, Ren rocketed ahead towards the destination marked on her visual display. Each super charged step she leapt forward caused her boots to glow blue, crackling with raw power. They propelled her at an accelerated pace, letting her zip her way through the grimy streets with all the speed of a luxury sports car. Two steps cleared an entire block of buildings. Four steps let her blast her way past another, plasma crackling and sparking in her wake in what Ren considered to be a very cool trail.

This hyper-charged journey carried her all the way to the warehouse district--which regrettably meant she finally had to put the brakes on these wondrous boots of hers, lest she attract too much attention. Bordering the edge of the sparsely lit district from the neighbouring street, Ren crept in with light steps. She cut in from the side, instead of the main road that was of course, being heavily monitored by Redd's cronies by way of military vehicles and heavy guns.

[Looks like they've locked the district down tight. Did you get in okay?]

The voice cautiously asked in her head--their tone quieter than usual. Which was silly, because it was a line directly integrated into her OS. Nobody else could hear them but Ren. But she appreciated it for the roleplaying aspect all the same.

"Yup! There's no spot too tight for ME to wriggle my way into--even WITH my super ultra huge bust, heehee~"

Ren boasted as she reached a metal mesh fence that boxed the majority of the warehouses in. It looked like this was the extent of the security she'd face--on the outside at least. The fence wasn't even electrified. Which was a relief, because she'd neglected to check for that BEFORE she took a firm grip of it to hop herself over.

Once across the fence, she kept low, to the shadows, and crept from building to building the deeper she ventured into the compound. There were a good many warehouses, and an assortment of shipping crates scattered about...but the arrow on her HUD was pointing to something far deeper within, so she paid them no mind. It looked like there was one warehouse in particular that had caught Redd's eye, as a good number of vehicles and men were crowded around the front of it, idly talking amongst themselves as others loaded stuff into trucks. Conveniently, an assortment of headlights lit up the front half of the warehouse like an amusement park, making it abundantly clear that Ren was NOT to go that way, even as tempting as it was.

"Okay... Checkpoint reached!" Ren pumped her fist, having reached the floating arrow. It vanished as she crossed under it, positioning her to the side of the large building. "Redd and the glamour babe--and her druggy best friend are inside right? Think there'll be more?" She sidled up against the corrugated metal wall and slunk along towards the back of the warehouse, searching for a way in.

[Most likely. But a smaller detachment at best. Most of them are focused on loading up the goods at the front. If you can take care of Redd before they notice, though, that will throw their entire operation into chaos. Without a leader, they'll be aimless.]

"So you say... But even aimless, there's still gonna be a lot of big, scary guys with guns!" By this point, Ren had reached the far side of the warehouse where she wrapped around the corner. She continued to search for a way in.

[...We'll be ready to move in, don't worry. But as it stands, this is our best chance at taking him out while we have the element of surprise. As of right now, a head-on attack would give him more than enough time to flee.]

"Sometimes I think you just want to see me get shot to pieces, y'know that, grumpyboobs?"

[Don't worry. I wouldn't let someone else steal that opportunity from me.]

"Awww, I love you too~"

[Hmph.]

"Oooh... I think I found a way in!" Ren exclaimed with a rather loud whisper as she spotted a ventilation fan struggling away. Pulling out the handle of one of her katanas from the holster on her belt and extending its blade out with a click of a button, she used the end of it to pry the fan off. It fell away from the wall without so much as a fight, revealing a square hole inside.

"Hmmm..." Ren narrowed her eyes and sized the hole up. It LOOKED like she would fit if you took into account just her general width, but...

[...Ren, is there a problem? I thought you found a way in?]

Ren clicked her tongue. She supposed they didn't have direct video feed of her, but at the very least, they were able to monitor her GPS location and saw that she was idling right by the side of the building now.

"N-no problem, heehee... Just making sure the coast is clear is all! Y'know, being careful...?"

[...That doesn't sound like you. But make it quick.]

"Okay, okay! I'm gonna--I just...oh...jeez! Hup!"

She would have hated to go back on what she'd said just a moment ago...so for the sake of her pride, she leapt up to the square hole in the wall and...squeeeeezed herself through.

Her slender arms and head poked through the hole with no problem at all, and she was greeted with a gloomy expanse of shelving units and distant, clattering noises within. It was just...getting the rest of herself through that proved to be an issue.

"A-ahaha... Nnn...!"

Gripping the sides of the wall from the other side, Ren gave a mighty heave. She was sure she felt the entire corrugated expanse of the wall flex and bend against the heft of her super ultra bust trying to cram its way through the hole. She heaved, and she heaved and she heaved--and it truly felt like an impossible task--the hole just too small, and her boobs just far too large. Sweat was quick to claim her red face the more she exerted herself.

"S-so...tight...nnn...aaahhhh~! I-I think I'm gonna...nnn...g-gonna...oohh...a-ahhhh!"

One last mighty heave and she was somehow able to squeeze the entirety of her super-sized bust through the wall. Though, given she was straining so hard, she practically SHOT through the hole as she did and crashed into a nearby pile of boxes that conveniently cushioned her fall.

[...Do I even want to know the context for those noises, Ren?]

She sat up and wiped the sweat from her brow, boxes tumbling off of dazed form. "...Better you don't, heehee... A-anyway, I'm in! Redd and friends will probably be in an office or something, right?"

[Most likely. Just don't get careless now that you're so close. Anything could happen.]

"Who do you think I am, hmmm~?" Ren said as she hopped to her feet, hands on her hips. The voice on the other side simply sighed.

[I wonder...]

This was it. End game. Ren grinned from behind her mask and took both katanas out from their holsters. Blades shot out from the ends--it was far easier to keep concealed weapons on her person like this--and crackled to life with kinetic energy. Light on her feet, the braved the gloomy expanse of the VERY large warehouse.

Rows upon rows upon rows of shelving units housing all manner of dusty goods, lighting was sparse overhead, and what few lights did exist flickered intermittently, their dull orange lamps coughing and sputtering with the the remaining life they had left. Ren used such faulty lighting to her advantage, dashing under the lamps as they cut out, and making it across just before they could flicker back on.

Just as her support had surmised, security was essentially non-existent this deep into the warehouse. She found little more than a handful of men, lightly armed, able to dance past them without any worries of being spotted. The tall metal shelves that split the warehouse into dozens of smaller corridors of sorts provided the perfect cover for one so attuned to stealth. It was almost as thought this place was MADE for Ren--one big playground for her to live out her videogame-fuelled dreams. It was almost TOO easy.

Finally, she reached her destination--a small, segmented room off to the distant corner, like an enclosed box with a low ceiling and a door and a window. A far brighter light than the ones present in the main warehouse illuminated the interior. Shadows could be seen amid muffled voices--one gruff, and the others far more feminine.

"Looks like I've found them, at long last~ But..." Ren's mood fell as she flattened herself against a crate close to the office. Two heavily armed men were posted at the door, looking far more vigilant than the lethargic goons she'd slipped by on the way here. No matter how she looked at it...a fight was inevitable here. "So much for a perfect stealth run..." Ren bemoaned, head drooping down.

A sudden thought came to mind, however, which she was quick to relay to her grumpy comrade.

"If I start a scuffle this deep into the warehouse, do you think the others'll come running?"

[With engines running, and heavy machinery and generators churning away as they are...you may be able to get away with a few scraps before someone realises something is amiss. But the moment the guns start firing, your time will be limited. So I'd make every second count.]

"Heehee... I figured as much. Guess I gotta be quick, huh? Cut down the doormen, burst in, and take care of Redd and his wives?"

[If anyone can do it...it'll be you. Good luck, Ren.]

"Aww--I'm tearing up over here, grumpyboobs--I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!"

[Just get on with the damned mission!]

"Gladly. This'd be a good time to play my theme song by the way! Play something with lots of synth!"

Pushing away from the crate she'd concealed herself behind all this time, Ren tightened her grip on her katanas before winding back a foot, letting energy crackle deep within it, and then swinging it out in a mighty, super-charged kick. The kick connected with the crate with explosive force and sent it hurtling towards the goons at the door. It erupted into a million splinters on impact and dazed both men. Not enough to truly hurt towering hunks of muscle like them, but at least enough to leave them reeling. Which was all the opening she needed.

"Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!" Ren cried as she burst forward, energised katanas crossed over her arms. One powerful bound was all it took to reach the office door. Two swipes was all it took to send both men toppling down before her, blood spraying from their torn throats. All the padded armour in the world didn't mean a thing if they left their necks exposed like that!

"Sorry, sorry, I know this is invitation only--but I just HAD to see Vanessa in the flesh, y'know~?" Ren winked at one of the wide-eyed doormen who clutched at his throat and could only gurgle in response as he slid down the wall, smearing a crimson trail behind him in his wake. The other man was already long dead.

One hurdle down. Next came the toughest part--just beyond the door. Ren steeled herself with a soothing breath, regulated through her mask, before she wound up another powered kick and hammered in on the door.

Whether it had been locked or not was of little consequence, her super-ultra boot ripping it clean off of its hinges as it bent, buckled and blasted forward into the office, slamming right into the wall on the other side. Such a forceful, dramatic entry startled the three on the inside who had been  huddled around a desk, going over some boring manifests or another.

Redd. Vanessa. And Gwen.

[This is it, Ren. Be careful. We have no information on what sort of hardware or software they might be running. You're in the dark from here.]

As expected, Redd was the first to get over his initial surprise--that brief flutter of his eye lasting only a second before a cold, steely look set in as he straightened up. "...I was wondering when they'd send the Royal Lapdogs..." He brought up his reddened, scorched arm and curled it into a fist.

Vanessa was the second to process the situation. Standing to the side of Redd, and presently leaning over the desk to the point her huge, tan assets were squashed up against the paperwork they were reading, her glossy lips pursed up into that sour look that seemed to come so naturally to her. "Huuuuh? Excuse me?! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!"

And Gwen...well...she hadn't even been startled to begin with when the door slammed in, just narrowly avoiding her skull as it buckled against the wall. With all the reaction time of a sloth, she simply glanced between the door and Ren before her lips parted in mild, incredibly lethargic surprise. "Oh, dear..."

Feeling she should spare the banter for later, given how the clock was ticking here, Ren zipped in towards all three with blades whirling.

Ideally, she'd cut each down in turn and then barrel out the window, and slip away before the main forces ever found her. The cramped conditions of the office weren't ideal, admittedly, but as long as she focused, she'd--...

A red fist flashed out with surprising speed and force for something she'd deemed to be organic AND weakened from the burn. Redd had struck her right in her exposed midriff, catching her by surprise and winding her in the process. The raw fist lodged deep in her gut, twisting with agonising force before it sent her flying back. She yelped and brought her blades in over herself to try and shield at LEAST some of the impact as she blasted through the office window in a shower of glass and was sent tumbling back into the main warehouse.

[Ren?! What's going on?! I'm getting alarming readings from your vitals! Are you hurt?!]

"N-nnn... It's okay... J-just a lucky...cheap shot..." Ren grimaced, using her blades to prop herself up on one knee. She spat out a healthy helping of blood and pushed down the warnings that blared in her peripheral, citing damage in her body. It was just a bit of internal bruising and bleeding. Nothing to worry about!

Focusing her hazy, augmented gaze that crackled with light static now and then, she looked back to the window she'd just come through. A window, that for once, she hadn't voluntarily smashed through. There was a first for everything!

Both Redd's women were peering through the window--Vanessa cackling like a madwoman, while Gwen simply tilted her head. The big bad himself was still right at the desk where he'd been before, shaking his fist as if to cool it down.

"Kyahahaha! Nice one, boss! A homerun! Serves that little brat right!" Vanessa cackled some more. Ren was very quickly becoming disillusioned with any image she may have had of the haughty model in her head.

"Finish her off. Looks like we have to wrap this up sooner than we expected. I'll handle things here." Redd motioned with his chin towards Ren before leaning over the desk to pack various things. Vanessa hopped over the shattered window frame with grace while Gwen took the door--or what was left of it--joining back up with her companion.

"You got it, boss! Leave this little upstart to us!" A malicious grin spread wide across her pretty, tan face as she sauntered forward. Even when her deep purple eyes were shining with so much malicious intent, she still walked with such elegance--as though the entire world were her catwalk.

Gwen was the most alarming, though, for how LITTLE she exuded any kind of bloodlust. She had an innocent smile about her dozy features and looked like she was simply happy to be here--not that she was about to engage in a fight to the death. Just what did fairy dust DO to peoples brains?!

Alarm bells ringing in her head--literally, even, thanks to all her OS warnings--Ren forced herself up to a standing position and bit back the pain. Adrenaline steadily dulled the damage in her body, along with a number of internal healing systems that were working to repair her as fast as they could...but such technology was incredibly slow.

Katanas swept out as Ren took up an aggressive stance. Not quite how she imagined this going...but victory was still in her grasp.

"You're way in over your head, little girl!" Vanessa taunted as she took to the left side. Gwen mechanically took to the right. It seemed they had experience fighting together, given they hadn't even needed to communicate with one another...which...wasn't good. But it was fine. Ren was a hero--and heroes always prevailed!

With a flourish, Vanessa reached into the inner pocket of the jacket that just barely covered her busty frame and produced a small dagger--the kind whose grip had separate finger holes to wield. It was of an ornate design that curved in a cruel, hooked way, with a worryingly neon green coloured edge. Ren mentally took a snapshot of it and send it her comrade-in-arms' way, just to be safe.

...And of course, Gwen had nothing. No weapon in hand. There was no aggressive stance to be seen. Just that same lazy smile that Ren was getting increasingly sick of seeing.

Still--it was a short dagger up against Ren's longer blades. She had the edge no matter how you looked it, tag-teaming on her or not. She swallowed down the doubts and the fears that were welling up inside her and fell back into her usual self in an effort to try and maintain control of the situation.

"Big fan, Vanessa! A shame it had to turn out like this, though...ahhh... Maybe before I'm done with you, though, you can share the name of the doctor who does all your plastic surgery though, hmmm~?" Ren's mouth was covered by her mask so she couldn't grin or stick her tongue out to really rile the model turned criminal up, but she still winked all the same.

Gwen giggled off to the side while Vanessa's smirk twisted into a sneer. She took up an aggressive pose with her blade and spat. "Ohh--I'd almost felt bad about cutting up a little girl who was way in over her head, but now I think I'm going to enjoy it! C'mon, Gwen, let's get this brat already!"

"Okay~" Gwen gave a sleepy salute--and then the battle began.

Vanessa charged forward with alarming speed--but at this point, Ren anticipated it. After all, with a body so pumped full of 'enhancements', why wouldn't she have all her internals reworked as well? Her blonde haired danced amid a series of lightning-fast swipes that seemed frenzied and random at first, but to the trained eye, there was clear purpose behind every swing. Every slash. She never over-extended or took more of a risk than necessary, always able to pull her dagger back to intercept any incoming attacks as needed.

Ren met her strange, green-tinged blade in turn with her lightning blue ones, clashing against some of the more dangerous strikes while twisting and weaving to avoid the others. For anyone watching from the sidelines, she was sure it would be quite the spectacle of buxom beauties dancing between one another, assets jiggling from the sheer exertion on display.

Vanessa clearly knew what she was doing with the dagger--Ren would give her that. Far more than what she expected of someone that exhibited all the traits of a spoiled princess. Sparks flew every time their enhanced weapons connected and she could see the frustration growing on the tan beauty's sweaty face.

[Ren--about that dagger you sent me, I just got an analysis on it, and whatever you do, do NOT let it cut you!]

The voice screeched in her ear, almost throwing her off balance as that very same dagger came close to nicking her on the nose. She stumbled back with a sigh and brought her guard up against.

"Good timing!" she grumbled internally, ducking under another swing from Vanessa before battering her back with a charge of her shoulder.

[It's laced with a fast acting poison that will shut your body in a matter of seconds once it reaches the bloodstream. And then it'll effectively dissolve you from the inside out. That...that kind of poison was never supposed to leave the testing phase! If this is the kind of gear they're smuggling out...]

This was all riveting, and surely worthy of discussion at another time, but for now, Ren found herself locked in a clash with this cackling sadist.

Two blades pressed against her far smaller one, and yet, she was still able to keep an equal amount of strength up, fighting back against the katanas and winning more ground with each passing second. "Kyahahaha! You put up a good fight, brat, but it ends here!" Her grinning face loomed in closer, and closer still, seeming to take up the entirety of Ren's field of view she more she found herself buckling back under the pressure.

The sensible thing to do would have been to break out of this clash. To tumble to the side. To try to sweep her legs. To do ANYTHING to get the edge. But she was between a rock and a hard place. Bent too far back to attempt any fancy manoeuvre. If she tried anything too risky, she knew she'd suffer at least a scratch or two...which normally would have been fine...but in this scenario? It'd mean instant death.

She supposed it wasn't all bad, though. At least she only had to deal with Vanessa...which...

Wait.

She blinked, almost losing the clash there and then as yet more ground was lost against that green blade. Her back was bending to uncomfortable degrees.

Gwen...? Where was Gwen?! Ever since the fight had started, she hadn't--...

"Sorry about this~"

A voice drifted from behind her. A sleepy, almost melodic voice. The telltale sound of a gun's hammer clicking turned Ren's blood to ice. And then the trigger was pulled.

Time came to a standstill the moment the gunshot boomed out through the warehouse--the bullet no doubt trained right for Ren's skull.

At this point, she had nothing left to lose, so her body acted on autopilot--quite literally, after sensing mortal danger--and something deep inside her ignited.

The very concept of time seemed to break before her very eyes. Her mind processed things far faster than humanly possible. Her body was able to move just as fast--in sync with her mind.

It was an exhilarating feeling. An incredible rush. The high that came from knowing she had literally been at death's door, mingling together with the electric currents working overtime through her system.

This all culminated in her being able to push back against the seemingly impossible clash before, lodge a foot deep in Vanessa's exposed midriff, and pull her up, and over her head in a cartwheeling kick, sending her on a one way trip to her partner Gwen, who had somehow gotten behind Ren during the initial scuffle. Then, tumbling off to the side to avoid the bullet that was just barely sailing through the air.

All of this happened in just under a second, before time lurched back to its usual pace and the bullet wedged itself in the ground in a spray of concrete and a thoroughly confused Vanessa and Gwen collided into one another.

Flat on her back and chest heaving, Ren took in a deep breath as nausea set in. Effectively, she had cheated death. Artificially twisted fate. But it came at a great cost. The human body wasn't meant to be pushed to such extreme heights. Even a single second of accelerated time was enough to destroy a person from the inside out if they weren't physically and mentally prepared for it.

And with the way her vision was swimming and how it took every ounce of willpower not to throw up...Ren was sure even SHE was just barely suited for such experimental technology.

"Well...THAT sucked," Ren groaned. Thankfully, her would-be opponents were far worse off. Sitting herself up, she gave them a quick look over, just to be sure. They were tangled together in an incredibly suggestive way, both out cold. That was no surprise, given the sheer force of the kick that had thrown them together. It would have hurt enough at regular speed... But through that reality shattering super speed? It probably would have been akin to them slamming up against a wall at 50 miles an hour. Enough to pulp most normal people...but if their bodies were enhanced as she suspected, then it'd stun them for a good long while.

[Ren! Ren?! What on earth is going on over there?! First your vitals spiked--and now I'm getting alerts that you used 'that'?! Have you lost your mind?!]

Ren willed her body to stand, katanas in hand. The internal systems worked overtime to patch her up...but with how much 'that' had strained her body, she knew full well she was pushing up against her limits. If it even TRIED to activate against, her entire system would be fried in an instant. Which was fine with her. She'd always seen it as a cheat, anyway. And what kind of hero cheated? A pretty bad one, she admitted.

"Didn't have much of a choice, grumpyboobs! They kinda had my back to a wall. Or a gun, if you want to be more specific. Still--ditzy and glamorous are taken care of. I just gotta get Redd now!"

Giving one last glance towards the tangled pair, she contemplated finishing them off while they lay there, unconscious as they were...but ultimately relented. She HAD some amount of honour, being somewhat of a hero and all! Redd was the real threat, after all.

[Fine. But this is getting out of hand. I'm going to start mobilising the units we have on standby--just to be safe.]

"Mmm... Please do. I feel like I'm gonna puke--so any contingency plan is welcome! Lemme just...heal up, and then I'll end this!"

Reaching into a pouch on the side of her belt, Ren pulled out a syringe and didn't hesitate to jab it into herself. A fresh surge of energy flowed into her, and revitalised her weary body. It wasn't a magical healing jab by any means, though. It simply tricked her body into thinking it had more energy than it did, and helped numb yet more of the pain that the adrenaline couldn't reach.

Effectively...this entire mission had left her ragged. She was falling apart. Running on fumes. But she couldn't left a job half-finished--not when the final target was so close by.

"Wh-whooosh...!" she cried in an effort to rally herself for the final fight. She bounded towards the shattered window frame which she'd been so rudely ejected from before, katanas in hand. This time it'd be different. "F-final boss time...!"

Amazingly, Redd was still in the office, having just snapped a briefcase shut. He spared a glance towards the battered Ren, before the two girls tangled together just beyond her. His expression didn't change.

"...Tch. Useless. I guess it's true what they say...if you want a job done right..." He dipped behind the desk with the briefcase in tow. Ren tensed up, suddenly sensing danger in the air. "You do it...yourself!" He popped back up with both the briefcase AND a shotgun newly in hand. Ren twirled to the side and against the office wall to avoid the spread, the roar of the gun like a dragon as its muzzle flash lit up the entirety of the window. The pellets that erupted force out into the warehouse left sizzling scorch marks wherever they hit. Incendiary rounds. How thematic, Ren thought.

A few more shots from the lethal shotgun rang out, forcing Ren to the ground as the office wall got progressively more chewed up with each blazing cluster of pellets. Embers began to dance from crate to crate within the warehouse, and it wasn't long until a good few fires claimed hold of the interior.

"I don't have time to play with you anymore," Redd could be heard grunting as he leapt over the window frame, pushing through flames as if it were nothing. Given Ren was flattened to the ground as she was, she couldn't get up to her feet fast enough to intercept him. Especially not when he was lining up another shot on her, even as he was racing away. "...Not when the rest of the royal lapdogs must be en-route."

Ren could only yelp as he shot one last time and forced her to roll off to the side. By the time she was able to lift her head back up again and hop to her feet...he was gone. Or, at least lost to the gloom of the warehouse and the acrid smoke that was billowing through it as a result of the insanely overpowered fire shotgun he'd been waving her way. And with a double take, she saw that even Gwen and Vanessa had vanished from view, too.

"Uh-oh..." was all Ren could say, thankful for the mask she wore to help ventilate against the smoke.

[...Ren...why am I getting reports of FIRE in the warehouse district now? Ugh...no matter. This has ceased to be a stealth mission. The frontline has been dispatched to try and contain the situation before it gets any worse.]

At that, Ren heard panicked cries and shouts from the front of the warehouse as the Royal Guard grunts made their move. Gunshots and explosions ensued.

[Please tell me you at least still have a visual on Redd?]

"Uhh... Define 'visual'...?" Ren blinked, eyes stinging as the smoke continued to fill the warehouse. A portion of the ceiling caved in on itself as fire crawled up ever higher. Exasperated noises were quick to fill her head as her comrade-in-arms slowly lost their mind.

[Just...see if there's an alternate way out. There's no possible way he would have left out the front entrance if he knew we were coming. Maybe you can still catch him out. I'm keeping a close eye on your location, too, since you've made a large enough mess of this as is.]

Ren did exactly that, feeling more revitalised than ever now with a glimmer of hope that not all might be lost. Or maybe it was just the drugs fully kicking in. Okay, maybe mostly the drugs.

Boots powered her movement, she swept through the veil of acrid of smoke in might bounding leaps, paying little mind to the straggling minions that were staggering around the smoke in confusion as war raged on outside.

Exit, exit, exit... She repeated the word in her head, as if it were a magic incantation--until finally, she found it. Off to the side, opposite the way she'd snuck herself in...was a smaller shutter door. Wide open, smoke flowing out as if to beckon her to charge out too to get the fresh air her lungs so crazed; her mask only able to filter so much before it became uncomfortable to breathe.

Skidding out into the open and taking in a breath of fresh, clear air--or as least as clean as it got in Neo-Rhan--Ren wasted no time in looking around for any sign of--...

"Bingo!"

Just a short distance ahead, she saw Redd getting into a truck. Vanessa and Gwen were piling into the back of it, looking thoroughly dazed still. Had Redd dragged them all the way over here, she wondered? Maybe he was more sweet on them than he wanted to admit. The criminal leader didn't even spare Ren so much as a glance as he started up the truck. With all hell breaking loose a short distance away, it was no surprise he wanted to flee.

"Got a visual on ol' Redd!" Ren chirped to her comrade-in-arms, running as fast as she could to catch up with them. "But, uh..."

As the truck accelerated and barrelled through one of the mesh fences that enclosed the warehouse district, Ren realised there was no way she was going to be able to catch up. There wasn't a spare vehicle in sight, and her boots--as useful as they were--were all out of juice now. She was fast even in her own right, sure, but not fast enough to match a speeding truck. All she could do was jog towards where it'd smashed through the fence and watch on forlornly as it drove towards the main city districts, bound to be swallowed up by the night and never seen again.

"...Ah...well... Almost had 'im..." Ren sighed, a sad smile surfacing behind her mask. "Maybe next time..." She was just about ready to flop back onto her back and let the weariness claim her body, considering it a mission well and truly failed, when...

"...Ren!"

A familiar voice boomed down at her as if from the heavens. A bright light shone on her exhausted form as the wind picked up all around her. Ren blinked and gazed up, too dazed to comprehend what she was seeing--and hearing.

"Tell me you still have a visual on him!" the voice said again, magnified by a speaker as the light descended on her and the wind got ever more violent. It was all Ren could do just to keep herself sitting upright.

She knew that voice. That powerful, commanding--yet at times surprisingly feminine--voice. But she was so used to in her head that she'd almost forgotten it had an actual body attached to it.

"Cyn...thia...?" Ren squinted through the light, holding a hand to her eyes for good measure. Her mind finally registered that it was the search light of a dropship--a hovercraft of sorts designed to ferry military units through the air, both in AND out of hostile environments. A shield was emblazoned on the side of the large vehicle, the insignia of the Royal Guard.

As the dropship descended just before Ren, the side door slid up and a hand reached out to pull Ren in. She made no attempt to resist, grateful to see a friendly face after what felt like an eternity in that warehouse.

"Tch, look at you! All covered in soot and covered in scratches. This is no way to represent the Royal Guard!"

...Was the first thing her supposed best friend said to her as she hauled Ren in and dropped her casually on the cold, hard floor. Almost immediately, Ren felt the dropship take back off again--though the side door remained open.

Squinting through bleary eyes, it took a good moment for Ren to adjust to her surroundings--the metallic interior of the ship, adorned with all manner of colourful monitors and gadgets as it was, with a cockpit at the far end presently being piloted, and plush seats lining either side. And of course, it was hard to miss the grumpy comrade standing over her.

Arms crossed over the heft of her ample bust and a serious look burned into her crimson eyes, Cynthia was indeed a sight for sore eyes. She was like a modern-day valkyrie, blessed with silky blonde locks that could rival Vanessa's. Though Cynthia's hair was far more golden and pure than that haughty model, and she boasted body that was equal parts disciplined, and more than blessed in the chest department. The skin-tight body suit she wore--with the zip down just enough to let her cleavage breathe--certainly helped in emphasising her figure, too.

"Ahh... I missed you, too!" Ren mumbled as she stood up, shaky as ever. She lurched to the side as the dropship took a turn and had to grip at a handle on the wall just to keep from falling back on her face. It was like being drunk with none of the fun benefits!

"Redd. Did he flee this way?" Cynthia thrust with her chin out the sidedoor, towards the road that the criminal had fled down. Her arms remained firmly crossed, as though they were the only thing that could keep her immense chest from spilling out of the bodysuit. Ren nodded. If she attempted anything else she may have very well been sick. Which would have been hilarious at Cynthia's expense, but bad for the mission. "Good. Then we're ending this now. Nobody escapes the Royal Guard!"

"Hmm... I do like when the final boss is just a big ol' showdown in a 1 v 1 setting...but I guess a final chase sequence can work too!" Ren mumbled as she plopped herself into one of the seats. Cynthia simply sighed and remained vigilant, keeping a grip on an overhead handle as the dropship began to descend onto the streets below. There was just enough stretch of road before joining back up to the main districts that they were able to pick up on the truck before it could vanish into traffic.

"It's like you live in a different reality sometimes, Ren, I swear. Just...be ready. You never know what these sorts might try when backed into a corner." Cynthia finally untucked one hand from behind her huge bust and thrust a finger out towards the truck down below. "Get us closer to it--but be mindful of a counter-attack!" Ren, with all of her priorities in the right place, couldn't help but notice just how much Cynthia's cleavage quaked and jiggled the more the dropship jerked around in the air.

The airborne vehicle was able to keep up with the truck with no trouble at all, quickly getting to the side of it as the streets rushed them by. It was a dangerous task, driving a vehicle like this so low to the ground, but Cynthia clearly had full trust in the men she'd chosen for this mission.

Close to the truck as they were now, Cynthia hoisted up an assault rifle from the nearby rack and took aim. It looked like this was her mission now. All Ren could do was recline in her seat and relax.

Cynthia brought the rifle up. Took careful aim with one eye closed--and her crimson iris blazed to life with an array of data, searching for the optimal shot. And then she squeezed the trigger; short, controlled bursts of fire of which the recoil barely affected her at all. (But did, cause her chest to jiggle each time, as Ren took special note of. Very important to know.) The bullets found their mark, peppering the truck's exterior and shattering glass. A tire was shot out, causing it to swerve recklessly and almost crash. But it held strong. Ren was impressed with just how well they were holding out down there on the road. No matter--just a few more controlled bursts, and this would all be--...

Cynthia blinked as the back of the truck swung open. A familiar sleepy girl pointed a very familiar, and dangerous weapon the dropship's way. Yes... Much to both Ren and Cynthia's horror...hoisted over her dainty shoulder, Gwen wielded what was unmistakeably a rocket launcher. One equipped with a laser sight that locked right onto the dropship, no doubt complete with homing technology.

"Tch... You've got to be--... P-pull up! Get ready for an emergency--..."

Gwen fired the rocket. The sheer force of it sent her flying right back into the truck as the door swung shut behind her. There was little time to react. No time to intercept. All everyone in the dropship could do was hold on for dear life as the missile stuck, and the entire vehicle shook violently. Alarms flashed on every panel visible while the ever professional pilot stabilised things.

"...L-looks like we survived, captain... But if we take another hit like that, we're done!" one of the men at the cockpit croaked, clear terror in his voice. Cynthia ground her teeth and looked towards the truck. It had gained a little ground on them, but it'd be trivial to catch up again. It was almost like a warning shot. It'd take Gwen seconds to swing the door open and fire again--provided they had the ammunition. But was it worth the risk...?

Ren, meanwhile...had made up her mind. Katanas in hand, she stepped back up from the seat she'd so cozily resigned herself to and joined Cynthia by the open side door. Of course it had to end like this! What was she thinking entrusting the final boss to someone else?!

"Get me close to the truck! I'll handle the rest and let you guys fall back again! Don't worry--I'm all rested up!" She thumped a hand to her chest as if to prove this, but immediately regretted it as a wave of pain shot through her battered and torn body. It was just lucky she had the mask to veil her grimace. Cynthia was understandably skeptical...but the more time they wasted, the more chance Redd had of escaping. With a sigh, she nodded and motioned towards the cockpit.

"You heard her."

It was with great hesitation that the pilot agreed, and with a clunk and a clank, the smouldering dropship closed in on the truck. It had merged into a highway now, so the risk had become ever great of involving civilian lives--but hopefully that wouldn't have to matter for much longer.

"Do I get a kiss for goodluck~?" Ren winked as she poised herself over the side door, wind whipping at her hair. She was sure she saw Cynthia's hand twitch, perhaps resisting the urge to just shove her out of the dropship herself. Ahhh...true love!

"Just don't get yourself killed."

"I'll see what I can do. Now--here we go. The REAL finale--whooooosh!"

Ren leapt. She timed it perfectly. The trajectory was marked out in her augmented view, taking into account the speed of both the dropship, the truck, and her own propelled leap which was boosted by the sliver of energy left in her boots. The ship rattled behind her as she launched, and flung herself towards the back of the truck, just as the door swung open for a second rocket. And for the first time, Ren saw surprised flash across Gwen's face, right as she landed on it with heavy boots and knocked her flat out in a single go.

"I'm in!" Ren chirped cheerfully back to Cynthia, freshly revitalised after such a clean manoeuvre. "I can't believe that really worked! No more anti-air to worry about!"

[Yes, well... That means nothing to us if you're IN the truck with them now. We can't shoot it like before!]

"Heehee... Just keep on our tail then! I'll see what I can do from inside!"

Now 'safely' in the truck as she was--the doors still wide open behind her and rattling from the insanely fast speeds they were reaching on this highway, Ren waved cheerfully towards both Vanessa who was at the far end of the truck's cargo hold--and Redd, who was in the driver's seat just beyond.

"Yo! Sorry to drop in like this, but I think we have some unfinished business, right~?"

"Y-you've got to be--... V-Vanessa--get her OUT!" Redd roared from the front seat, any composure he had before completely lost now. Vanessa was just as rattled as him from Ren's sudden intrusion, but nodded all the same as she charged forward.

"R-right, boss! I'll just--ahh..."

She shuffled past a variety of crates that had gotten scattered about in the chaos and slowly approached Ren. Thankfully, she didn't have any scary dagger in hand this time, and looked utterly unsure how to handle the situation. It was funny how being thrown into chaos could rattle people so much. But for Ren--chaos was where she thrived. The haughty criminal princess even tried to search some of the crates for a weapon to use against her--perhaps it was the source of Gwen's rocket launcher--but she managed little more than rummaging her hand in a single box before Ren bounded off of the narrow walls of the truck and brought her head down with a single kick, instantly knocking her out and sending her sprawling towards Gwen. A familiar sight. Ren was almost getting nostalgic here.

Redd glanced back at the situation. And then from the expression that claimed hold of his face...it looked like he really wished he hadn't. He even tried hoisting up the shotgun from his lap and aiming it back with one hand--the other one the wheel--but from the near-collision he had with an oncoming car, he quickly realised he was running out of options here.

In a 1 v 1 situation, on an even playing field...Redd most certainly would have had the advantage. But not right now. Not when his attention was split between the road, avoiding traffic, and keeping the manic girl that was steadily approaching him at bay. She could see sweat begin to trickle down his charred face, and it filled her with glee. At long last...she'd triumphed!

"Stay back you stupid girl! If I crash, we all die! What are you hoping to accomplish here?!" he growled, still looking back between both the road and Ren. At this point, Ren was cautiously approaching--fully aware of what might happen if she got over-eager. But she had to play it cool. Convince him that she really didn't care, even if some SMALL part of her wanted to cling to life still.

"Y'know--there's a third option. Just stop the truck and surrender. Everybody walks out alive!"

Redd scoffed and throw a vile look her way as if she'd just told the most inappropriate joke in the world. "You're truly naive if you think they're going to let me live."

Ren shrugged. "I dunno. I don't really keep up with all these fancy politics. It's boring to me. But maybe as long as you're not causing trouble on the streets, they won't mind? It's better than getting your brains dashed across the tarmac, right?"

The truck got even faster. Redd lost even more of his composure that he once seemed to have an endless supply of. "You think I'm just going to...to hand myself over to those monsters, after all they've done to me? I'd rather die than...than..."

"H-hey--easy now--I don't know what's getting you so worked up, but we can still--wh-whoa...!"

He began to swerve dangerously. Cars screamed left and right as he just narrowly avoided them--the highway becoming even more crowded the deeper he drove into it. Ren had to prop herself up against one of the walls just to keep from tumbling out as cargo jostled to and fro.

Then the truck lurched violently. Ren saw a stray wheel tumbling down to the road behind them. A wheel Cynthia had shot earlier, perhaps...? Either way, what little control the truck had was gone now, and both Ren and Redd could only share in a scream as it suddenly spun into the air.

...Ren wasn't entirely sure what happened in the following moments. Only a little while after as her vision booted back to life with the familiar hum of the OS in her mind. It cited something about a 'catastrophic' failure, but had managed to recover. She grunted as her achy, scarred hands scrabbled at the ground around her. Rough, uneven ground. The road. Pushing herself up off the ground, she became immediately aware of a sweltering heat all around her. Flames roared around the twisted wreckage of a truck. Sirens wailed in the distance. She could hear fragments of Cynthia's voice trying to reach her--but her OS was too scrambled to fully receive it.

...At the very least though, she'd survived the crash. Somehow. Just how many times had she cheated death tonight? She was going to seriously consider asking for a holiday after this, even if it would be denied. It was the principal of the matter though, darn it!

...Well, at least her head had recovered enough to be roaming silly places. Standing up, every muscle in her body screamed in protest. The heat of the fire that enshrined her in a circle made her dizzy. Between the burning wreck and the flames from the gasoline that had spread out...was she trapped...?

She pulled her mask off, cracked and chipped as it was. It was easier to breathe without it now, even though the smoke was so thick in the air. Wobbly legs carried her into the center of the fire, where she could more safely wait to be rescued. Providing the fire services ever actually made. Honestly--just how far away were they?! She could hear the sirens sure, but...

Scorched ears perked up immediately at the sound of shifting wreckage. She'd figured it'd just been the aftermath of something settling...but...her heart froze when she saw a charred arm pushing a warped door aside. It was like something out of a horror movie. The crash had been so bad...she hadn't even considered the possibility that he'd made it out in piece. It'd been a miracle enough that REN had made it out. She didn't even want to think about the other two.

The burnt man--now even more burnt than before--slipped out from the upended metal chunk of scrap that had maybe once been the front of a truck. He hit the ground wordlessly, and dragged himself along. His shirt had burned away entirely, leaving just his pants and melted shoes, showing the full extent of the fiery wounds across his chiselled frame. Old burns merged with new in a sickening, sizzling display. And he somehow found the strength to rise to his feet. Exhaling through gritted teeth, he threw a manic look Ren's way, his scruffy hair singed and smouldering.

"It...it must really hurt to move like that...huh...?" was all Ren say in such a baffling situation. It was all she could do to keep herself upright. Somehow, Redd seemed more stable on his feet than her, despite clearly getting the worse of it. The scorched man shrugged.

"You get used to it after a while."

"O-oh..."

Silence loomed in between the two. Tension hung thick in the air. Was this...the TRUE, TRUE final battle...? Ren hadn't pictured it being quite so...gruesome.

Redd's gaze wavered...it roamed around the wreckage as if searching for something before finally settling back on Ren. He sighed, and his breath came out like ash. "...I've lost everything now. Even...Gwen and Vanessa... All I have left is this life." He tightened a scorched hand into a fist, both his arms as burnt as the other. "And even that feels like it's running short."

Suddenly, a fresh fire burned in his eyes--truly like a phoenix reborn. He curled his other hand up into a fist and shifted his melted shoes across the tarmac, issuing a challenge Ren's way.

"If I have to die...I want to go out on my own terms. In a blaze of glory. Can you grant me that, royal lapdog? I...I refuse to be locked up. Dragged kicking and screaming. Subjected to any more of their torture."

Ren blinked. Every muscle in her body was on fire. Her lungs burned. Even just moving her fingers sent immense, stabbing pain through her system. And just standing up took everything she had, and she constantly felt the familiar void of unconscious bordering her vision. And yet...all the same...she grinned back at Redd and assumed the best hand-to-hand stance she could muster.

"Heehee... I wouldn't have it any other way. But enough of this 'lapdog' stuff, huh? Call me Ren! Super Ultra Ren!" She stamped her foot down and tightened her stance, brows knitting in a fierce look--even if her grin served to betray it.

Redd blinked incredulously before shaking his head. The faintest of smiles graced his charred features. "Very well... Super...Ultra Ren. Let's end this."

And so...enshrined by flames like a hellish arena with no escape in sight...the two fought. There were no techniques to be found. No tricks. Both sides were far too exhausted for that. It was as pure a fight as could be--an exchange of fists. The two of them slugged it out. Fist cracking against fist, punch connecting with face. Elbow driving into gut. At a certain point, it felt like they were simply just letting one another take a turn at hitting them.

And when Cynthia and the emergency services finally did show up, Ren forbade them entering the scene, or putting the fire out. Not until the fight had ended. As she felt she owed Redd this much at least--even as much of a criminal as he was.

Because in this particular case, this wasn't a hero versus a villain. It was simply two battle-addicted junkies doing what they knew best. Settling the score the only way they knew how.

...In the end, Ren got the final hit in. One final blow to Redd's sizzled skull sent him twirling to the ground. It should have come as no surprise that Ren ended up winning, given she'd come out of the crash relatively unscathed, while Redd had practically been melting...but for a man on death's door...he put up a considerable fight.

And from the punch she experienced of Redd's way back at the warehouse, when he was at his 'peak' so to speak...she knew full well that if they'd been fighting in more favourable circumstances, the outcome could have been very, VERY different.

After making sure that Redd had really been defeated...and she was truly the victor...Ren pumped her blooded and broken fist in the air. A roar of triumph escaped her--a primal noise unlike anything she'd ever made before. And then all of the adrenaline that had carried her to this point escaped her in a single, rushing wave, and she passed out.

--

In the aftermath of what was SUPPOSED to be a simple stealth mission...that ended up escalating into a street-wide car chase and fiery brawl...Ren spent her days recovering in hospital. She'd insisted it was all unnecessary, and that she'd be fit for work the next night, but after a few preliminary scans revealed that she was essentially a walking corpse with how battered she was, externally and internally, she reluctantly remained where she was. Because she knew if she DID sneak out, Cynthia would drag her right back. And then strap her to the bed.

...Because that most certainly didn't happen before or anything.

A few interesting facts came to light after these dramatic events, too:

Firstly, the Fallen Phoenixes were no more. They'd all but disbanded the moment the Royal Guard hit the bulk of their forces at the warehouse and Redd had fled. Without a leader to guide them, they were just aimless vagabonds. So they all quickly surrendered after an initial skirmish. This, of course, greatly pleased the corporations that had requested their disbandment. A happy end all around there, Ren supposed, even if ultimately after all of this, she could only feel ambivalent.

Secondly...Gwen and Vanessa survived. Just about. Churned out of the open door of the truck just as it flipped over, they were spared the worst of the carnage and flames, but remain in critical condition. And if they do wake up...? Well, their fates are undetermined.

Lastly...Redd... Well, despite his wishes to die on his terms. He survived as well. In severely critical care just like his gals, to the point he resembles more of a mummy than a man...but breathing all the same, and seemingly getting stronger by the day. The reports say that he's been heard muttering about wanting to challenge Ren to a second round--where hopefully this time she can finish the job.

Ren could only grin at this. It looked like in spite of it all...she'd made a new friend.

For now, though, she had to focus on recovering. Both for the sake of her grand rematch, AND for her role as a Royal Guard. Because Neo-Rhan was a city that never slept. And for every criminal warlord that was taken down, at least three more rose in their place.

That night, however gruelling it may have been, would simply end up being another chapter of her life. Not the defining one by any means. She was certain that more gruelling battles would lie ahead. Fiercer opponents awaited. And she couldn't have been more excited.

This city...truly was the best.