Toby’s timing sucks.

Or maybe mine does, I dunno. One of the above.

Anyway, life just gets better an’ better. Toby left the other day, didn’t say where to or why, but he does that occasionally. He’s my chummer, so I don’t pry into his life any more’n he pries into mine. What he does on his time is his biz, not mine.

I just wish he’d been around for this. ‘This’ happens to be another of the runs from hell, which defines practically anything involving Twitch, Templar, and Kat. Started when I got a message to meet a Mr. Johnson in the back room of some restaurant somewhere. Time, place and an ‘or else’. Suspicious, neh? Well, it’s not like I had anything else planned, so I went.

After a rousing game (ooo, sarcasm) of broccoli toss with some noisy rugger, I hit the back room to find Johnson and the rest of the team there. I could hardly contain my delight. Apparently all the slot wanted was a chip of some sort, quiet infiltration, no deaths. Even had someone on the inside. Is it just me or does this scream ‘cakewalk’? Well, the nuyen looked good (again, too good), and Johnson was in a threatening mood. Had to tell Kat he’d get her out of Daddy’s will to get her to cooperate, though. Damn, when that slitch gets it from the corp, it’s gonna be hard. Corpers. Pathetic.

Anyway, when I got home, I jacked in and checked out their system. Didn’t take long to get the info on the security. At that point, normally I’d have Toby as a sounding board, to help remind me of the stuff I’m supposed to be getting and anything I might’ve missed. Since I didn’t (miss ya chummer) I dialed up Twitch and used him instead. Got the stuff on location of the chip, set up a temp back door, and then crashed. I did my part. I was done until the actual run itself.

The run was the next night. Sleezed in smooth as silk, turned off the electricity to the fence, then Twitch chameleoned the team through. He likes that spell waaaay too much. After everyone was back to normal (HAHAHAHAHAHA! Well, close as they’ll ever get. Me, I pride myself on being weird.) they went to the door. Bout that time the twip inside started talkin’ out the window and threw down a rope for ‘em. While they were climbing, I was looping the sec cameras. No need to get on Candid Camera. Anyway, Dr. Hersh, Hertz, or whatever the frag his name is, wanted to go down the elevator.

Seriously.

Thankfully, the others voted for the stairs. While I was freakin’ out over the guards (rent a pigs. pathetic), the twip and Kat spent their time starin’ at (guess who took point) Simon. Mind you, while I might occasionally agree with ‘em about the view, there’s a time and place for that and the run ain’t it.

It’s really buggin’ me ‘bout how easy this thing was. The twip used his sec card, they got into the lab, grabbed the chip, and left (after a few seconds of freaking when the twip forgot he needed to add a numerical code to the card to leave. Even I got torqued at that; I can only do so much without alerting the system), with the twip and our bonus. Didn’t even take me long to erase our tracks.

Later Twitch brought me the chip to look over. Not much, really, just an old flatscreen vid of some sorta talk show or somethin’, with this dude ‘Jerry’ that seems to like fights. I dunno. Fits the ‘security’ we faced, but not the pay from Johnson, or the deadline.

Thursday, day before the deadline, we met Johnson back at the restaurant. Would ya believe it, the mom of the rugger I got in a food fight with last time was there and threatenin’ to sue me ‘cause her precious bratling wouldn’t stop. I’d like to see her try. Her electronics are gonna be major fried, not to mention I can’t figure how she’s gonna get a SINless inta court. Maybe if I get stupid enough to get a temp SIN from the Star for breakin’ the law, but if that happens Mrs. PMS is the least of my worries.

Anyway, we handed it over, got our pay, and Johnson left with the twip (heh. Wonder if he had fun spending the night with Templar, along with Kat. Kinky!). but it turns out he tried to stiff us. Templar blew up at that (the ‘principle of the thing’ my hoop. Rich boy’s gotta learn ya make do with what ya got. And I could always pull more from the drekhead’s account. Duh) and charged out after him. Out of morbid curiosity we went along too.

Usual argument you’d expect, up ‘til I noticed Johnson’s eyes were glowing. Big fight after that. Drekhead took a lotta narcojet hits without blinkin’ and managed to scrape Teamplar’s ribs with some ‘spurs (eh, after some’a the hits I’ve taken, I have very little sympathy for corp boy, not to mention he’s prolly more irritated ‘bout th’ damage to his suit) before Kat decked him. Looks like she might be useful after all. Aside from malebait, that is.

Well, then we took Johnson and the twip (Twitch says he’s brainfried. Before, or after?) to Kat’s place. Most security, least questions. We went inta the woods for a bit, to get away from any eyes, then Kat an’ I took Johnson to a guest room, while Simon went to the infirmary and Twitch wandered off to commune with nature or somethin’. Prolly has somethin’ ta do with the fact that a horde of squirrels were glaring at us while we were in the woods.

Well. Now I’m stuck babysitting Johnson, which isn’t too difficult seeing as how he’s tied up and stripped. Kat got kinky. He woke up awhile ago, after Kat and Templar left to see if Twitch is still breathing, but why is it men don’t like to be welcomed with ‘morning, sunshine’ and my cheery face? A girl’s feelings could get hurt.

Yeah right.

Sigh. God, I hate this. Hope Sleeping Ugly wakes up soon. Glowing eyes are bad, especially after the last incident remotely like this. Makes ya wonder if somethin’s after the team, the way evil glowing entities’ve been showing up.

I hope not. I hate life when it gets ‘interesting’.

Get me out of here!!!! A.K.A. Home

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Send me all complaints, questions, and (well, if there are any) compliments at Norcumi@backtick.net.

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