23.6

February 29, 2070, at 0242

Heywood, Wellsprings, Bulwark, Submerged by the Pier

Rabbit dipped into the sea’s shadows, the RV immersing itself beneath the neon-tinged waters under the chrome pier. With their water tight interface humming to life, the AI jacked into the Net via a fluid virtual dance, dodging the grid's standard I/O ports that most would use. Unlike meatbags, it operated at speeds incomprehensible to mere mortals.

Inside the submerged RV, a scene straight out of a casino cyber dealer’s wildest fever dream played out. A neon-hued chicklet, enchanted for extra IQ, faced off against a pinked-out vamp in a frenzied match of CyberFish. By the glow of the retro holotable, a stack of glinting eurodollars on the bird's side painted a neon story of the game's current win bias.

"Gear up for a digital apocalypse!" Crystal, the vamp, broadcasted in full glitz mode as she dealt what she thought would be the crushing blow.

"Your edge-running the rules," chirped Fluffyfeathers, her model organic optics narrowing with a laser-focused suspicion.

"Got any creds to back that claim, tweet-heart?" Crystal's voice dripped with mockery, the cold shine of her predatory fangs, catching the ambient glow.

"Rabbit," Fluffyfeathers pinged the RV's onboard AI, hoping for a replay from the covert cams scattered throughout the interior.

But Crystal's grin only grew, a smirk stretching across her crimson-lipped visage as the digital feed showed nada, zero, zilch. Lightning Reflexes weren’t just for the back-alleys of Noir City combat, they had practical uses, too.

"Netrunner or not, I'm calling a foul. Just wait till I get my beak on some concrete deets," Fluffyfeathers chirped before conceding, her feathers ruffled, as Crystal swiped the glistening Eddies, a digital symphony playing from the vampire’s vocal cords. “My preciousssssssss.” Crystal hissed with sinister glee as dollar signs flashed in her crimson eyes.

“Creepy.” Fluffyfeathers said with an eye roll.

"As much as I love emptying your feathery pockets," Crystal leaned in, her voice dropping to a synth-hum, "we've got bigger fish to fry. We need a strategy that'll get us rich, drop the big bads on General K's feed while keeping our own alive, and stick a malware-loaded middle finger to Arasaka. Ideas?"

Fluffyfeathers, her feathers now glinting with a neon sheen, preened herself for a second before locking her cunning eyes on Crystal. "First, we need some deep creds. Arasaka's got an underground data vault in Little Tokyo. Rumor in the digital alleys is that it's loaded with enough Eddies to fund a small rebellion. I’d be willing to bet that’s their source for purchasing mercs to repel the NUSA forces."

Crystal's lips pulled back in a smirk, revealing her silver fangs. "A corp-run vault? Sounds like a challenge. But breaking into an Arasaka fortress isn’t exactly a walk in Kabuki Market. We need a plan. Even with your skills you cannot be everywhere at once."

"Lucy and me can handle it, with Rabbit helping." Fluffyfeathers chirped. "We’ll have to cut the payout pie more ways, though."

"Done. What about the gang leaders on General K's list?" Crystal asked as she shuffled and dealt another hand.

Fluffyfeathers' neon eyes glinted. "How about a Feast at Swan Goose Gate? Pick a popular club. One every gangster worth their chrome wants to visit. We host a party. Invite them. One big bash. Have the food laced with blood alchemy imbued hacking nanites. I’ll ensure their slow digital demise, one that won’t be traced to us."

Crystal leaned back, her chromed fingers tapping a rhythmic beat on the holotable. "I like where this is heading. And after we hit the vault and knock off the gang leads, only Arasaka remains."

"We send a direct message to Arasaka, a virus I’ve been working on with Nota named 'Reckoning'. Not only does it fry their mainframe, but it also broadcasts their dirty laundry all over Noir City," Fluffyfeathers grinned with her tiny beak.

Crystal's eyes danced with mischief. "We need to adjust Reckoning to only target those who were in favor of the bounty on us. That alone will produce even more corpo infighting."

Rabbit's voice echoed from the shadows, "While you ladies are plotting the future, don't forget the here and now. There's a NetWatch tail on us. How to proceed?"

Fluffyfeathers, her plumage slick with iridescent neon oils that added a layer of flamboyance, tilted her head in a bird-like manner. “NetWatch? How close?”

“Too close,” Rabbit responded, its AI voice carrying an edge. Visuals on the a nearby holo-screen showcased a sleek black submersible drone, its lights scanning the waters. “We’re almost in their sight.”

Crystal swiped her hand over the holotable, revealing a 3D map of the undersea terrain. "We need to give them the slip. Rabbit, can you jack into the old Noir City sewage tunnels? They've been flooded for years."

Rabbit's voice was clipped, "Already on it. Hold on to your feathers and fangs."

The RV’s engines whispered to life, jettisoning towards a shadowy opening barely visible among the ocean floor debris. A series of cat and mouse manuvers ensued, the pursuing drone relentless, the underwater topography treacherous. The once sunken remnants of Noir City were now an underwater maze of dilapidated skyscrapers and winding alleyways. Neon shadows danced with predatory sea creatures, and the RV narrowly dodged them while maintaining maximum stealth.

In a calculated bid for an escape, Fluffyfeathers initiated a program she named 'Siren’s Call', which sent out a deceptive pulse of sounds mimicking the mating calls of deep-sea creatures. Instantly, a swarm of grotesque, bioluminescent beings swarmed towards the NetWatch drone.

Seizing the momentary advantage, the RV slipped into one of the larger sewer tunnels, eventually docking in a hidden underwater cavern. Rising from the water like a cresting wave the RV cooked the exterior with microwaves removing all life before nanites swarmed the exterior clean.

The two organics inside exhaled in unison, the tension palpable. The adrenaline-soaked silence was broken when Fluffyfeathers let out a defiant chirp, "That was too close. NetWatch has upped their game. Rabbit, implement the Double Helix protocol. It’ll mask our signatures."

Crystal’s vampiric eyes glinted. "Before they can lick their wounds and come back for us, we need to get moving on this plan. I’ve got the perfect avenue at 7th Hell. Let’s set the trap there outside our usual haunts.”

As Rabbit navigated the labyrinthine underbelly of submerged Noir City, the inside of the RV transformed. The walls became translucent, augmented-reality screens showcasing layers of data, blueprints, and cyber intel. Crystal and Fluffyfeathers pored over the visuals, plotting, planning, and revising.

"Rabbit, prep the Net to reach my contacts," Crystal commanded. "I need a direct line to Djinn. He’s the gatekeeper at 7thHell."

Moments later, a deep voice resonated through the space, carrying a hint of mischief. "Greetings, to locate my private line is quiet impressive. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Crystal smirked, leaning into the comms. "I want to host a party, the kind that would be legendary even by Noir City standards."

The line went silent for a second. Then Djinn's chuckling echoed. "What's in it for me?"

Fluffyfeathers, impatient, interjected, "An exclusive advance on a revolutionary crypt-chip, built by yours truly."

Djinn's interest was evident. "Go on..."

"The chip enables instant transfers, even through firewalled accounts. No traces, no delays," she boasted.

Crystal added, “Consider it your cut, Djinn, for hosting the grandest event, one that will be the talk of the city for years.”

Another pause, longer this time, before Djinn acquiesced, "Alright, you’ve got your party. But if this chip doesn't live up to the hype, I’ll take the difference out of your meat."

As the communication line cut, Fluffyfeathers turned to Crystal, "It looks like we’ll need to add another target to the list."

Crystal nodded, her fingers caressing a silver dagger in her right hand. "The stakes are high. But if we don’t act now, Arasaka's grip on Noir City will be unbreakable once they shatter the NUSA offensive. General Kress is nothing like her mother, the former president. Let’s get back to planning. Heist, party, viral outbreak in that order."

Days sped by, and the night of the heist arrived.

"The Eddies inside that vault can not only make us rich but change the balance of power," Crystal remarked, adjusting her augmented optic goggles. Her voice soft yet assertive, added, "Arasaka's main entrance is fortified, but there's an old sewage access they sealed off years ago. It’s our best way in. Actually, from everything we could find it’s our only way in."

Fluffyfeathers sighed in agreement and said, "Time to make a corpo executive have a heart attack."

Crystal nodded her head, her currently silken black hair reflecting the glimmering neon lights. "It will be easy. The vault has a two-tier security system. Physical guards and an AI-controlled cyber defense."

Fluffyfeathers smirked, "That's where I come in. Once I get close enough, I can jack into the Net and gut their AI. But it'll only buy us a few minutes."

“A few minutes is more than enough.” Crystal said her eyes flashing crimson. “All I need to do is pull the robots from the dungeon space, and let them work. They’ll box everything, then I’ll dump the boxes and bots back to the dungeon space.”

The duo set their plan into motion. By nightfall, they reached the sealed sewage access with Rabbit’s ability to reconfigure the RV’s shape at will. With vampiric brute strength, Crystal forced their way through, delving into the damp, forgotten catacombs below Little Tokyo. They journeyed for hours, evading patrol robots and laser tripwires. The security was admittedly decent, but nothing a phantom like Crystal couldn’t bypass.

Finally, they reached the vault’s antechamber. Crystal expertly disabled the camera surveillance, and Fluffyfeathers prepped to breach the cyber defenses.

Just as the access door slid open, alarms were killed in the cradle. Their window of opportunity expanded rapidly.

"Go! I'm throttling the AI," Fluffyfeathers whispered her voice taunt.

Entering inside the penetrated vault Crystal was a whirlwind, swiftly pulling out the robot crew she had stored in the Dungeon. They all bore strange scratch marks, acidic burns, and scorching. Crystal’s eyebrows rose but she didn’t hesitate to give them orders. Fluffyfeathers, in a trance-like state, was battling the AI in cyberspace, her avatar clashing with the digital sentinels of Arasaka. First one, then two, then finally three AI attempted to sweep past the chicken.

It wasn’t a battle that could be won, but only extended.

Minutes felt like hours, but with the robots brutal effiency and speed the heist was successful in just under ten minutes. Crystal pushed all the robots and their boxes back into the dungeon before she sprinted to their escape route.

Leaping into Rabbits open hatch, Crystal plucked the shivering little chickling and placed her in a small compact heater. Fluffyfeathers had been forced to uses cybernetic icing equipment for this gig. Battling multiple AI’s required nothing less than every ounce of output possible.

In exchange the tiny bird had held her own for one sixth of an hour against no less than three Arasaka AI in the net. There was no doubt they thought it had been a custom-made AI countering them. Organics, almost exclusively, couldn’t sustain effective defense against what amounted to deities in the digital world.

“Now that we have money. Time to make more and tie up loose ends. Valentino and Tiger Claw are enough for this city, for now.” Crystal said as her eyes glinted crimson. Offloading the vault’s heisted funds was the work of a few days. Once the money had been properly laundered through Valentino channels, she was ready to take the next step in the plan.

The 7th Hell was transformed into a cyberpunk wonderland. Holographic cherry blossoms floated in the air, laser shows painted the dance floor, and drone bartenders served neon-hued cocktails.

Djinn, true to his word, had summoned every gang leader, influential fixer, and chrome-plated mercenary in Noir City under the guise of testing new equipment in the club. Few could resist the allure of free luxury. Fluffyfeathers was in her element, overseeing the discreet deployment of hacking nanites in food and drink, ensuring every bite and sip would later give her unparalleled access.

Blood alchemy ensured they were undetectable, even with mana sensing. It had taken a day of testing with Misty’s input to create the perfect disposal method. The only downside is they had to be ingested to remain both stealthy and successful.

Crystal, on the other hand, was the face of the evening, engaging guests, and ensuring everyone was having the time of their lives, all the while keeping her vampiric urges in check. She had shifted into a stunning copy of a popular international model. It was clear she wasn’t the actual model, but the work required to reach her level of mimicry made a wonderful impression.

It wasn’t every day a platinum level braindance star was copied.

As the night waned, Rabbit’s voice echoed along their spiritual link, "NetWatch is sniffing around. They’re outside." The AI had been tasked with overwatch, as it didn’t get tired, nor did it have a lapse of bad judgement.

Fluffyfeathers looked at Crystal, "Let’s implicate them. We combine Reckoning with the nanite attack."

Crystal grinned wide, teeth bared. "Make sure they take the fall when we activate the nanites. It’s time to send a message to the investigative elite of Netwatch."

As the group prepared to activate the nanites, Fluffyfeathers tweaked their functionality. “The nanites will send false data packets to NetWatch. Once they investigate, they’ll trace the intrusion back to Arasaka and General Kress not us. Reckoning will open the digital firewalls of both parties, NetWatch won’t be able to resist it.”

Rabbit chimed in, “This is the perfect diversion. As NetWatch is preoccupied with Arasaka and NUSA, we’ll kill two birds with one shot.”

Fluffyfeathers glared at the AI’s poor word choice before being soothed by extended petting. Crystal, trying to be meticulous with details, questioned, “Are we sure this won't come back to bite us? NetWatch isn’t just another corporate watchdog; they’re the apex predators of the digital realm.”

Fluffyfeathers replied, “That’s why it’s crucial the breadcrumbs don’t lead directly just to Arasaka alone, but to General Kress as well. With both taking the heat, even if NetWatch suspects foul play, they won't have the resources or the time to chase all the leads down.”

Crystal nodded, her eyes fiery with determination. “Do it.”

With a flurry of code alterations, Fluffyfeathers unleashed the nanites. Within seconds, NetWatch's systems were flooded with false data, all pointing to Arasaka’s alleged treachery. A less visible trail let out of the city towards the NUSA forces.

Using the chaos to escape, Crystal fled with Fluffyfeathers to Rabbit’s nearby parked form. Once inside, the trio watched as chaos unfolded in real-time. Newsfeeds lit up with breaking news about a major cyber-attack on NetWatch, allegedly orchestrated by Arasaka. The corporations, always eager for a power shift, amplified the narrative, causing public sentiment to turn hostile against both parties. With enemies at the door, the two corpos were still jockeying for power!

Crystal, remarked, “We might have just ignited a corporate war. Oops.”

Fluffyfeathers whispered, her voice a mix of concern and satisfaction, “Sometimes, to bring about change, you have to burn the old structures down.”

“I still advocate for nuclear strikes.” Rabbit said causing both of the others to cover their face in despair.