The days, months, then years rolled on as I grew accustomed to this new world. My pudgy little hands had went from bottles to cheap toys until I was deemed big enough to go outside with the older kids. It had taken three years before I could finally really see just how different this world was.
I never thought the change would be so apparent but holy shit man, every five minutes you see someone walking a dog or a flock of birds over head. It was wild seeing so many other living breathing creatures on something other than a screen. As amazed as I was, I wasn't an idiot, the world I'm from had no chance at all of these little critters coming back from the brink of extinction, if the superpowers didn't confirm it this definitely fucking did. I'm on a completely different earth. None of the same people I wanted to tear from their towers and fill with lead. I couldn't say I held much attachment to my old on past my crew and well, there's nothing left of em. Nothing to look for a way back for.
I might as well enjoy this super power comic book world I'm left with.
Speaking of super powers mine was set to manifest any day now, if I didn't have complete shit luck. But looking at my rap sheet I shouldn't hold my hopes to high…
Whatever, back to more pressing matters. Like the emerald mop of human flame currently trailing behind me.
" Davi! C'mon you gloomy gonk where are you even going in the woods like this?!" Describing Moe as a tomboy was an understatement, sometime she seemed more like a dude than the rest of the guys in daycare. Always rough housing, sometimes with me, mostly with that muscle head Hachi who was in a dick measuring contest with everyone. Seriously, how can a kid that's not even ten yet be so goddamn uptight.
They usually buttheads over Ms. Flambé over here doing whatever the hell she wants and usually getting away with it, as long as she isn't caught in the act by the matron.
*THWACK*
A sharp sting to the back of the head brought me from my thoughts on our little orphanage conflict.
" Hey, your older sisters asking you something ya damn headghog! Where are we going?!"
Now, I may technically be a grown man by mental years, but the kid part of you that night city kills early on? It was very appeased actually seeing all this nature from something other than a BD, actually feeling soil instead soulless concrete everyday. Another thing, those fake trees in the city could never properly do the live ones justice.
So yes, David Martinez, legendary merc of the Afterlife, was taking a walk in the woods to admire the beauty of a world that doesn't seem like it was already 99% desolate. It was just something he never got the chance to see. It was nowhere near the marvel that was the moon but it was nice enough.
" Duh, to get out from that gonk ass building because people like you can't keep their digits to themselves. Plus the airs fresh and the suns warm, might as well chill outside for a bit."
"Why not the playground? The others all wonder why you never play with them."
I finally turned my little four year old self around, leveling a tight stare at the little gonk who wouldn't buzz off.
"Cause you're all boring? All you guys do is prattle on about the cool hero of the week and having dick measuring contests with your powers."
Kinda slipped into english around the end, earning me a confused glare, but I did have enough of a conscious to not give this eight year any more profanity. I already think she raises the matrons blood pressure enough.
"What was that last bit?" " Don't worry bout it."
" But what's wrong with liking heroes man? They save people, kick villain ass and get paid a fuck ton doing it. Who wouldn't want to be one!?" Her bright yellow irises practically glowed at the thought of it, and I could understand it. Being a kid and having the actual option to choose a comic book occupation would entice damn near anyone. It was just… a night city denizen could never forget what the smell of propaganda stank of.
Sure they were glamorous heroes on camera but at the end of the day they're human and answered to bosses and paychecks. I would bet my left nut there's some shady corp or something using these superpowered attention whores for the work they don't want public. I already had a feeling when I heard about the hero rankings being based on popularity. It stank of home, like corruption.
I winded up for an answer but didn't get the chance to, a sharp crack of wood made the hair on my neck stand at attention. It wasn't like the occasional twig or branch we heard. It was the sound of something dense, like a felled log giving way.
It wasn't Moe for sure she still hadn't moved, awaiting my answer. She looked just as spooked with her head darting around, trying to understand if there was an actual threat or not. Nothing that large should be in these woods. Not anything that breaks trees, I mean it's fuckin Japan, most of the wildlife problems are in the water.
My eyes flew into combat mode, scouring the area around me and locating the source of the snap. What the fuck is that thing?!
As far as I knew, and I had been made painfully aware about deer because of my Arasaka education, y'know pride about the old homeland of the company and all, but none of them are supposed to look anything like the beast in front of us. A big ass buck of a deer with massive human like hands instead of antlers huffed towards us. Beady dark eyes glared forward, teeth bared and frothing, I had interacted with the gang in night city enough to know the look of a rabid animal, one ready to tear through everything just because.
I had to give her credit though this kids got balls, she barely even flinched before she went to grab me.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS EVEN THAT?!? Get behind me now Davi!" Her luminescent hair blazed as she put herself between myself and the immediate threat. Shit what can I even do? That thing'll probably just run through the meager flames Moe can use right now and crush us like a can of soda.
It gave another step forward, the tension rising in its hind legs as it burst forth, rushing down on our position before it tried to go in for a wide backhand slap. I dove into Moe forcing the both of us to roll forward and off to the side of its charge, I recovered much faster than the deer trying to dig its hooves in to stop itself and with as much strength as my little four year old self can handle I jabbed the fucker in the balls.
An angry groan erupted from the deer as my second hit was interrupted by a hoof slamming into my chest, hard. Like I felt my collarbone crack hard. I went flying, skipping off the ground once before my back met bark roughly.
Fucking useless meat. If I just had my PLS I'd turn this fucker to pink mist before it could blink. I had felt worse though, as long as there ain't no internal bleeding I should be alright. So I stood back up and got ready to try again, this time I'll yank and twist, really try and castrate the bastard this time.
The deer now had full attention on the glowing mop of green I had come to cherish as one of the few people I gave a shit about, hands outstretched to strangle. She flared her hair in panic, the small swath growing into a bonfire that just had lighter fluid dumped on it. It slightly scorched the deers hand antlers and face, forcing it to use them to shield its face or risk damage to its second most sensitive area.
I wasn't relieved though, I had been around the flashy brat enough to know she can only output that much fire for a for seconds at most before she's spent. She usually only used it for attention or when emotional, never in actual life or death circumstances. Thedeer was noticing too, the desperate look on her face and the weakening of the flames. What the fuck is wrong with this thing, why won't it just run? Since when the hell were deer this aggressive?
The emerald flames got smaller and smaller dying down until they fell back to their neutral resting shape. The hands unfurled reaching out to snuff the fire that had burned this accursed creature. She stood defiant, eyes locked with resolve astounding for an eight year old. Damnit she's just like Bex, well almost, not many could match that gremlin in terms of chaos. But grit? It was like looking at her silhouette all over again before she… flatlined.
She kept backing up with her fist balled but she was running out of space. The only reason the bastard hadn't pounced yet was probably him being cautious of getting burned again.
"Fuck that choom, ain't nobody taking from me again."
A static itch rose up my left forearm, my whole arm felt like it was buzzing. My body was trying to tell me something, it felt like my only choice was to listen. Finally, my fucking quirk!
Small teal sparks lit up my hand and arm and when they faded, a child size PLS, same model that Maine had and later I inherited only shrunk down significantly to fit my frame. Excitement lit my frame, it felt like having part of me whole again.
Whatever, I'll think more about it later, for now, though… I got a gonk to save.
I leveled my fist to the deers center mass, my forearm splitting open, exposing the gleaming barrel of my PLS.
"HEY COCKSUCKER!" The deers head snapped in the direction of my profanity, hands reflexively going to block the weirdos vulnerable underbelly. Moe looked terrified, thinking it would charge me, unable to see past the things massive digits the military grade armament attached to my arm.
" EAT SHIT AND DIE!"
*FWOOM*
The spent casing popped from the slot, at the same time the slug made contact, tearing a watermelon sized hole through the hand covering its ribs before the charge erupted.
*BOOM*
The entire midsection of the deer was turned to a crimson mist, blowing its limbs in all different directions. The other hand was blown into a tree the front legs were vaporized along with center mass and head, while its back two were both unceremoniously splattered to the floor, shattered and brutalized right on the edge of the impact zone.
I didn't feel any strain, well other than my throbbing collarbone, but I definitely was fucking starving. First I had to check on the spicy booger who was probably traumatized. I just thought about putting the smoking barrel back in its slot, but when it closed up the teal sparks came back, swallowing my cyberware before all of it, the PLS, the sparks, disappeared like smoke in the wind returning my arm back to its sad fleshy state. Well now I know what I'm working on first with this super power shit.
Ah right. The neon nuisance. She smelled like warm iron and trauma, eyes betraying that last bit kinda heavily. Ah whatever she'll get over it, first bloodbaths just a bit shellshocking is all.
The poor girl sat there, eyes wide in shock, awe, and terror while covered head to toe in venison blood. She was unable to get any words out, fumbling over a few ineligible ones before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.
Geez, I save your ass and now you make me carry you back? What a freeloader.
Wonder how the matron'll react to this? I hope not too crazily, that old bitch scares me.
Whatever, problem for future me. I scooped up the poor kid who's bigger then me in a piggy back and start my trek back to the orphanage.
I think I'll cool off on my nature walks for a bit after this…this shit is annoying.