"Yes we are here on business." Panam repeated for the tenth time to the bored customs agent. We had been stopped on the highway into Seattle at a border checkpoint.
The fact the border was just a city border and yet was treated as important as a country border told me a lot about how Seattle saw itself within the 'Free' state.
I was bored. It wasn't like I was the one in charge here. Looking around the dark barely air conditioned room, I noticed the most interesting thing was the flags painted on the wall.
First was the Pacific Northwest free state flag. It had faded over the years, but was still there.
Then in much fresher paint was the NUSA flag. Something they probably added after the Unification war ended.
Not that it had really done as it was stated. The Free States were still basically free just gave lip reading to the NUSA as their federal government.
And because of it Arasaka was back in Night City. Which had seceded from California entirely to become its own little city state.
As if Arasaka didn't rule Night City.
I noted Panam adding some bills to her papers almost in aggravation and a moment later those bills were pocketed and we were sent on our way.
"Fucker." She hissed as she finally climbed back into the Warhorse.
"Let's be honest. A bribe was always going to be our path in."
"Fucking bitch said the papers would get me in without trouble." Panam argued as she slammed a fist into the steering wheel to let out some irritation before hitting the gas as we got the green light to leave the border and be allowed into Seattle.
Ice covered mountains, and large buildings. It was just like NC in a way. The same food, the same malaise.
I shrugged. Glad we were through, now we just had to drop off our delivery and our gig was complete.
"I'm going to find a motel to stay at." Panam offered and I perked up instantly.
"Yes please!"
She laughed at me a bit as we drove in between the first of the big buildings. I could really use that shower.
—--
The motel we found was the same as every motel I had seen in Night City. Really there just wasn't much difference. A bored attendant at the door, overpriced payment for basic things that we didn't need. And thankfully a warm shower, if it wasn't the cleanest place I'd ever been in.
After using up all the hot water I could and finally feeling sand free, I slipped into some fresh clothes, loaded up on my normal outfit, and headed over to Panam's room.
"Hey I'm going to explore for a bit." I called out after I knocked. I heard some thumping and Panam appeared at the door wearing basically the same thing I was, only she still had a towel in her hair.
She opened her mouth probably to argue but after a moment she stopped herself. "Be careful. This isn't Night City. Things aren't done the same way here."
"I'm just going to wander around a bit. Maybe find a club and meet some locals. I've never been to Seattle before."
"Like I said. This isn't Night City. Police, gangs, everything is different." She warned but I just nodded happily.
"I know! Exciting isn't it?" I asked with a smirk that had her scoffing but she nodded.
"Be back tomorrow morning. We will have our drop off around noon."
I just nodded as I walked away and then out of the motel, onto the mean streets of Seattle.
I took a moment as I hit the street level to just look around. First thing first. The entire city was less populated than Night City. Not by a huge degree. I mean there were quiet spots in Night city as well, but having spent so long in one city almost completely overpopulated you got a feel for it.
I turned and walked down the street. Street level wasn't quite as bad as Night City with how many adverts were around, but it was still pretty bad. Very few sections of the street were dark. Leaving the whole place a diorama of neon lights on concrete.
Yet it was less populated. Instead of pushing through a horde of people moving one way or the other depending on the time of day. I only had a few people wandering past me.
My goal really was just to look around. As I wandered I realized that moving around a city without a car was kind of a pain in the ass. The side eye I gave a parked car only lasted a moment before I shook it off.
Casual theft was kinda rude. I preferred looting…
Ah, it would be hard to find some scavs or something here.
I groaned as I continued walking, just going down the street and seeing what was here. The whole city was laid bare. Surely something was happening around here?
—--
Liam Tremblay
"I already told you. We aren't working for the rats. Put it out of your head." He snapped at the continued questioning.
"C'mon Leem, Think of the edd's!" Maria begged as she followed after him out onto the street from Habblock P10.
"Not going to happen Mary. The Rats are scum suckers. We won't see nary a touch of the edd's."
"Uuuugh. They can't betray everyone that wants to work for them Leem, if they do, then none will even want to!"
"I'm pretty sure they do betray everyone that wants to work with them. That's why they are the rats." Liam argued with a sigh running a hand through his barely styled hair. He had been up for hours trying to keep his little gang from going into the Rats.
"Piece of shit!" A voice cursed out as a loud thawk echoed through the alley and they both looked over to see a teen neither had ever seen before kicking the shit out of one of the drink vending machines for a moment. "Never should have given it any eddies!" The girl snapped as she continued to kick the ever living shit out of the machine.
"Who the fuck? Some outsider?" Mary asked and Liam shrugged. Definitely not a local. Her accent was all off, and she wasn't anyone he had seen before.
She was armed though. A pistol on her back, and a knife. Chrome arms, fully on display, which was definitely a choice.
"Hey! Outsider bitch! Stop kicking our shit before I kick the shit out of you!" Mary called out as she stomped over. His red haired friend as always, quick to jump into shit at a moment's notice.
"Huh? Oh… Yeah, probably pointless." She agreed and stepped back from her attack. "Hiya."
"Yeah hiya ya too fucking-"
"Mary, let it go, she stopped." Liam cut in, trying to keep Mary from picking another pointless fight. "Hey. This is Cougar Claw terf. I don't know you, so you better clear off. Stop smacking up our shit."
"Pfft." The girl, despite keeping a flat face that was reddening a little let out the noise of a tire letting out air before faux coughing and shaking herself a little.
Was she fucking laughing at them? Liam felt his own quick temper lighting up. At the thought.
"The fuck you laughing at?"
"Sorry sorry! It's just Cougar is slang where I come from… You know Cougars? Like older women that prey on-Yeah you don't care, I just had that thought and it made me laugh a bit. Sorry. I'm sure your gang is preem. Don't mind me."
"I'll show you just how much I mind!" Mary looked like she was going to start swinging but Liam quickly grabbed her.
"Let it go Mary. Let's go, we have to deal with the Rats, don't have time to deal with some random gonk."
The girl wasn't looking at Mary or Liam, he suddenly realized her high end optics were looking behind him. Kiroshi? He thought pointlessly as he turned and stopped cold. At the end of the street was a Villefort Alvarado. But that wasn't what made Liam realize something was up.
Because the tags on the car were little cartoon rats.
The Rats were here.
"Fuck, Mary!" He demanded and she turned and noticed the same thing. The door opened and Boss Franco stepped out. A moment later one of the gonks stepped out and threw a long coat over his shoulders.
Of course he just had it thrown over and didn't actually put his arms in. It was meant to hide his hands behind his back so he could shoot you without warning.
"Well well! If it isn't Kitty Claw Liam! Come on boy. We got some chatting to do!" The older teenager called out and Liam felt frozen.
The only reason the Rats would be here is if someone from the gang had ratted Liam out. That he was going to refuse to be part of the Rats little gang group.
"Liam!"
"Get out of here Mary." He whispered to her quietly, realizing what was about to go down.
"Fuck dat! I'm not gonna be a fucking Rat!" She snapped and Liam wanted to argue that running to save your life didn't make you a rat. Especially when they were fucked.
He adjusted his jacket, loosening up so the holster of his Unity would be free. Hopefully…
Hopefully he could draw faster than Rat Bastard Franco. Fuck, even if he did that meant the SPD would be on his tail after. He didn't have the eddies to make them stop caring like Franco did.
"I feel like a tumbleweed is about to cross over." A voice behind him muttered and he scowled at the distraction but ignored it. He didn't have time for the gonk outsider. Much less one that was likely about to be silenced after he was killed too.
He took four steps forward and stopped, putting the entrance to his block to his right, as the Rat continued sauntering over.
"I heard you ain't happy with my offer! Now what part about it made you think it was something you could refuse in the first place?" Franco asked as he stopped a few feet away. His goons, all had shooters. All were ready for war, and here Liam was with just a pistol and Mary who didn't even carry Iron.
Just a knife.
"What are you doing here Franco. It's only been a couple hours, your message said we had a few days to discuss your offer."
"That was before I heard you cut off your crew and told them you were refusing. Bad move little cat. See I want all of Ten to listen when I say something. That doesn't mean some cats can tell me no."
"The Cougar Claws are sti-"
"Pfft." The noise of air escaping a tire came again from behind him, and he noticed that Franco wasn't happy about it either. The man's eyes narrowed as he looked behind them.
Then he heard the sound of a can popping open.
He looked back and the girl was popping open a can of Orange Cybershock that she had gotten from the Vending machine.
Wasn't that machine broken?
Once she took a sip she cleared her throat. "Sorry, don't mind me."
"Who the fuck is this?"
"Some rando." He responded back, but he knew Rat wouldn't let it get away. So he didn't say anything. Watching as Franco obviously considered how he was going to murder the girl.
"That's a nasty glare there pal. You might want to put that away." The girl said suddenly her own eyes locked onto the Rats.
This of course only sealed her fate.
"Yeah? You think some jumped up nobody bitch, has the right to tell me where I place my optics? How about I-"
"Bored now." And Liam gasped, as within a single moment she had a gun in her hand. A Lexington, and despite Franco's attempts to dodge she pulled the trigger and gun fire echoed through the alley.
Liam leapt away. The Rats guards would retaliate and they tried. He hit the ground hard and looked up in time to see the two men that had followed Franco into the alley raise their weapons only for them to click without any bang.
Then they were gunned down casually, with almost disinterest, the girl wandered over and put a few more bullets into them. Seemingly to make sure.
"Hey, you know of any Ramen joints around here?" He blinked as she walked over to him and kneeled down. Squating right in front of his face without seemingly a care in the world.
"Uh… huh?"
"Raaamen. Ramen. Noodles in broth. Tasty shit. You know of any places around here?"
"Umm. Yeah?"
"Great send me the deets ya?"
He scrambled to do so. He honestly wasn't sure if she was threatening him with the way she was tapping the pistol on her knee, but he wasn't going to find out.
"Hmm. That's kinda far… Oh hey! New car!" She chirped as she walked over to the men, and pulled the car keys off the guard that drove Franco around.
He watched her go for a while. Bloody foot prints leading out of the alley with every step.
"H-hey!" Mary called out startling Liam as he noticed she had jumped into a bunch of trash to avoid getting shot too.
"Huh?" The girl called out turning.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before!"
"Yeah I'm just visiting, I'm from Night City!" She called out with a guileless smile as she waved a chrome arm over her head and turned back towards Franco's car.
Which she promptly stole. Driving off.
"I've heard rumors about people from Night City." Mary said, looking to Liam, and he just nodded.
If that was the level of Night City teens, he was suddenly feeling even less confident than before.
A belly full of good food that wasn't XXL burritos or nomad chili was exactly what I needed. Sure I had killed some gonk for it, but he threatened me first! If he didn't want to get shot, he shouldn't threaten people! Duh!
I would have to ditch the vehicle soon though. I wasn't sure what the rules for this kind of thing were here in Seattle. I mean in Night City I wouldn't even worry about it, but this was a whole new place. People were… Different here.
The sharp suspicious eyes as people kept an eye out all around them was gone. Instead there were more people hanging out on the streets. Fucking around, stopping and chatting. It wasn't the constant get to where you need to be like it was in NC.
Also I had expected that arrogant fuck to be tougher. He had some chrome sure, but not enough protecting his skull. His goons were nearly pure meat. One of them had even tried to run once he realized his gun wasn't working.
Which was kinda weird. Normally they would have dropped their weapons and attacked as one, or at least took cover and pulled a side gun.
Seattle was a really weird place.
*Ringing.*
I blinked at the call.
Huh?
*Hiromi?*
*Motokooooo! Are you in Seattle!? I've been calling for like two days! How was the trip! Panam didn't do anything weird to you right?*
*Whoa slow down. It's nice to hear from you! I'm in Seattle. I'm eating at a ramen joint over here. Food's about the same, which is nice. We had to go around a big Raffen Shiv movement so it took a bit longer to get here, this is our first night.*
*You aren't hurt?*
*Nah. I shot at them a few times and they took off. We were a bit too tough for them to bite into. How's everything going over there?*
*Oh! Well Malcolm crashed his car. He's okay, and the car is fine too. But you should have seen how mad he was. Don't tell him, but it was honestly hilarious.*
*Oh no! That car is his baby. How bad?*
*Not too bad, he took a turn too hard from what I understand, he isn't sharing the whole story of course. Just bashed in the rear end a bit, he hit a light pole. NCPD were not happy.*
*Pfft. I told him he needed to go slow for a while until he got used to her.*
*Yeah well. Everything else is okay. Quiet. I spoke to Jun! He's doing okay, but Fujimura has got him on guard duty so I didn't chat with him for long.*
*I'll have to call him.*
*Yeah… But only after we are done! Tell me about your trip! How is Seattle? Are you taking pictures of everything?*
*The trip was mostly boring and dirty. Don't recommend. Seattle is weird. People are way less worried about getting shot… I shot some punk gangster and his henchmen. It was kinda random.*
*Motoko, how long have you been in Seattle?*
*Umm… Like four hours? Maybe five?*
*Motoko we have to talk about your killing people thing.* Hiromi said with a sigh that came through the call. *You know Seattle isn't Night City! What if SPD comes after you?*
*Wait… Is that even a thing?* I stopped myself because I almost just asked if the police tried to stop murders.
Wow. Is this the feeling you get when you realize your morals are super skewed?
*Hey Hiromi? I think I might be a little weird.*
The line went silent for a while as I slipped on some more noodles waiting for Hiromi to get back on the line. Did her parents bug her or something?
*Motoko. Just… Maybe stick to Panam, and come back… Soon.*
*Yeah, I think I'll head back to the motel and go to sleep. I just wanted to explore a bit and get some chow, but Seattle is kinda wider than Night City, less stuff in walking distance.*
I finished the last of my Ramen slurping it up and headed out to my new car. As I started driving back to the Motel I was still chatting with Hiromi.
*So you have your meeting tomorrow? Are you ready?*
*Yeah, I have weapons and armor, and I'll just be backing up Panam to make sure she gets out. She doesn't think there will be trouble, but you-Oh my god. Is that an arcade!?* I gasped aloud as I did a rather dangerous U turn to find a spot near what I had just spotted.
*Motoko?*
*Hiromi! I just saw an old style arcade! I saw arcade machines!*
*Umm Okay?*
*I'll talk to you later Hiromi!* I hung up as I ran across the street to enter into… Well it looked kinda like a bar, but it had a ton of old arcade machines! I didn't recognize any of the games! Which honestly kind of made it better. Sure I didn't see Street Fighter II, but I bet whatever these games were would be fun!
"Ah… I don't have any quarters." I muttered. None of the machines had updated payment. Just the old Quarter inputs.
"Hey kid! Get away from those! Those are antiques!" The man behind the bar called out pointing a dirty rag at me.
I looked away from where I had kneeled down to check the quarter tray. Desperate for any hope.
"Yeah I know! You got this thing on auto play or something? I need to kick some ass for a few hours!" I called back over the loud ambience of the bar. The stink of smoke and alcohol was heavy, but I could deal with that for some good old gaming.
"A kid like you wants to play the old stuff? Let's see then." The guy behind the bar said as he tossed down a rag and a glass nodding to another worker before coming around. He walked behind the machine and hit a switch and it turned onto free play. "Don't want people to come in and trash my machines. These things are expensive."
"Yeah I bet. This would be almost a hundred years old! Well. If it was original. It's not." The game I was talking about was some fighting game, but it literally looked like an arcade cabinet you would see in the eighties. Cartoonish characters on the side of old wood, with an actual CRT screen fizzing a little from age, but still clear.
"Heh. Interesting you can spot that." He muttered. I looked over the machines, honestly it was mostly the condition. I had seen arcade machines after just a few decades. They tended to be burnt out, and rough.
But these were pristine.
No way you would see pristine machines after nearly a century.
"If you can give me a challenge, I'll let you play on any of them that you want… As long as you don't break anything."
"Deal!"
—--
"Mwahaha!" I laughed evilly just like the character on the screen. Evil Chun-Li basically was my new favorite character.
"Damn kid!" The owner of the shop as it turned out, grumbled as I wrecked him. I hadn't at first, it had taken me a while to remember the controls, but that was like… Two games? Before I was pushing him hard.
I wasn't even really a fighting game lover. I did end up playing a lot, but more as someone to play against than because I was interested.
"Heh. Where did you even play this before? I don't think anyone else in the city even still keeps cabinets."
"Ah. I'm from Night City, so yeah." I answer lying to hide where my knowledge came from.
"That explains it. Wonder if any other games survived over there. Can you tell me where you played? I wouldn't mind finding some new data to make a few new machines."
"Ah… Sorry, they don't exist anymore."
The man sighed, shaking his head. "That's the way of things isn't it. Time erodes it all down."
I frowned. I mean sure, I could see how easy it would be for data to be lost considering how much was lost during the datakrash.
But the data wasn't lost-lost…
"I mean, it's not completely lost."
"Huh?"
"I mean I'm a netrunner. There is tons of data out there on the net, or even on the old nets that would probably be someone's full collection of arcade games and stuff."
"Heh. It's been fifty years, kid. That data is long lost, either gobbled up by AI, or just had the old servers fail. Trust me, I spend a lot of time maintaining this equipment. Imagine a server out in the desert somewhere running 24/7 to keep an AI alive." The man shook his head. "It's why I keep this stuff running. A reminder of all we lost."
Ouch. Old man! Don't hit me with the decay of civilization so hard okay? "Yeah." I muttered, no longer really wanting to play games.
Stupid apocalypse.
I sighed and moved to leave before stopping. Across the street there was an SPD car parked behind the Villefort Alvarado I had stolen.
Wow. That was fast. I popped the key shard out of my neck and tossed it into a trash can. "Well this was fun old man. If I ever get more game data, I'll come see you."
"Heh. Sure kid." He offered as he rubbed down the machine and set it back to pay mode.
I walked out and down the street disappearing out of the cops view and getting the hell out of there. It would be a bit of a long walk back to Panam, but eh.
Better than getting arrested.
—--
"Okay Motoko you ready?"
"Honestly Panam, I've been waiting for hours for this." I offered, we were coming up on the drop off point. The fact it was in an abandoned section of the docks, in an old industrial park that had long been overrun with trash from what little I've seen of it. Made me more suspicious than nervous.
"I'm going to get out early. I'll be watching over you, so don't worry about them doing something stupid. If they try to attack you, just get back to your truck, I'll cover you." I said as I opened the door moving to slip out before she pulled into the park.
"Wait! What do you mean watching over! I hired you to guard me!"
"Panam. Trust me, I'll be way more effective if they don't know I'm here." I offered and only once she sighed and nodded did I jump out of the car as she slowed and then I raced over, Leaping over the barbed wire fencing and then into the industrial park.
I had my suspicions. This is the sort of place I would lure someone for a trap, not for a dropoff.
I quickly found a path up an old dock building. Climbing up a shed, then the window sills to make it up on the roof. Then I crawled forward. Only a little annoyed that it was broad daylight. If this was at night, I would have less difficulty keeping myself hidden..
My approach to the edge of the roof was silent despite the gravel roof. I looked over, and I was in luck. Panam hadn't finished entering the park yet, but there were already two cars parked in a half circle with three men standing around.
Three? With two cars? Obviously there were more. I quickly pinged one of them. Watching as it slipped through. And then a web of connections opened up and I rolled my eyes.
Yep.
Super sus.
There was a sniper up on an old crane. I hefted the Nekomata and aimed it in.
The guy was using an Ashura. A smart sniper…
So the guy was a fucking gonk that didn't know how to snipe.
I considered just one shotting his dumb head, but thanks to my Nekomata's scope, and my Kiroshi, I quickly sent in a Weapon Glitch into his Ashura instead as he was in range.
Smart weapons were even more susceptible to hacks than most weapons.
Actually…
I wonder.
Since I was already glitching the weapon, I bet I could alter the targeting system.
Heh.
Panam pulled in, while I played with it, and only when I was absolutely sure it would work did I pull away.
Okay now to deal with the rest of these gonks. A quick repeat, and that settled it. The hack was in their system. Only one had any ICE defenses, but it wasn't good enough to stop the hack.
Especially not my version.
With that done I sent a message to Panam as she was parking.
*Cleared out the danger. Don't let them fuck with you.*
I didn't want to send something too long as that would distract her, but hopefully that would be enough.
I watched through one eye, the other looking through the scope at the sniper fucker, as the deal went down.
Panam walked out looking a little irritated as she looked over at the men. She started talking, and one of the men responded, the one that didn't have a weapon on him.
Then they argued. Something was going down, something Panam wasn't happy to hear. Slowly my finger strayed closer to the trigger.
If the sniper fired, it would be the last thing he ever did.
Panam would probably need immediate assistance once bullets started flying.
Then to my surprise, it wasn't the fuckers that moved first. Panam, suddenly slammed forward nearly ramming the guy into the car they had brought, and even had a fucking Nova pressed against his chin.
I mean, sure I had seen that she had a DR5 Nova, but I didn't think she had the chrome to actually use the damn thing! Shotgun pistols are no joke.
But to my surprise a moment later the man was laughing, and everything calmed down, he waved his buddies down, and handed over a shard to Panam. She slotted it, nodded, and then stepped back, and to my surprise everything really did calm down.
Panam walked back to her truck and fiddled with something in the back seat, before coming out with a big square package wrapped in bubble wrap and handed it over.
The leader of the group nodded opened it up and I almost wanted to blink as I realized that this whole trip was for a fucking record.
A music record.
He checked it, nodded then turned away. Panam walked back to her truck, and they didn't even shoot her. Sniper dude was packing up his rifle.
"Well I'll be damned."
—--
"That was preem." I called out as I slid into the passenger side of Panam's truck. "I didn't expect you to draw on them." She just shrugged.
"I know these types. They might push on weak transporters if they can, but show them you're dangerous and suddenly they are all smiles and honey. Besides, The fixer wouldn't be happy if the deal went bad. So there was pressure to keep things on the DL."
"Huh. Well, I guess I didn't need to disable that guy's sniper rifle after all." I was barely finished with my comment before she nearly slammed the brake.
"Wait what sniper!?"
"The one up on the old shipping crane. Don't worry, I hacked his Ashura, the first bullet would have gone right into his buddies head." I offered, but that didn't seem to reassure Panam.
"Fuck. That could have gone really bad."
"I thought you said they just needed a push?"
"Yeah, but if they had a sniper on me, then they might have taken the risk if I pushed too far…" She offered nervously bringing up a hand to nibble at her thumb as she seemed to stew in the situation.
"Hey. It's all good. I had your back. You took care of everything, and the deal was done right… You traded that record for the shard?"
"Saw that? Yeah I got what Rogue wanted." She said with a shrug. "Information is already sent so we are all done."
"Wait, Rogue?" I said in surprise although I shouldn't be. Panam had worked with Rogue in 2077, I just hadn't expected her to be so connected this early.
Panam looked a little uncomfortable as she sighed, and started driving again.
"Yeah Rogue has a thing with the Aldecaldos. Old friendships. We all know we can come talk to her for shit. She's like that annoying aunt that makes fun of you and is rude, but will always be there." She offered, and I blinked.
That's right. Rogue had a thing with the OG Aldecaldo leader. Maybe even a son out of the whole thing if the lore was accurate. "That makes sense." I said, earning a weird look from Panam, but then we were on the road.
We had both agreed to just get back to NC after the deal. No reason to stick around and potentially end up in trouble with the one trading stuff.
So we turned, hit a place to grab some food and go to the bathroom, and we were out of Seattle. The large buildings soon disappeared in our rear-view.
—--
It was the third night of traveling back to the city. We were somewhere out in the mountains. I don't actually know if we were back in California or not.
Either way we would get back to Night City in the morning. Considering we were well past the Raffen territory Panam was confident we were in the clear.
I was still on watch, but even I had let slip some of my professionalism.
"So both boys ended up in the river?"
"Completely soaked head to toe, the bike at the very bottom. Saul cussed them out. I swear their ears were burning and they both had to keep diving to attach a harness to get the bike out. Saul made them both work on the bike until it was working again. Took months."
I was chuckling at the thought. Trying to jump a river with a ramp on a 'borrowed' bike? Yeah that could only end in one way.
"They're lucky they didn't break anything."
"Oh yeah, but we have a good doc, so they'd have been alright. Lucky they didn't crack their skulls open."
I looked across the fire at her and caught the look on her face.
We hadn't talked much on the trip once we left Night City. Mostly because despite the long days of driving, Panam was used to the long drives, and I was too busy keeping watch.
But that didn't mean I hadn't caught the stench of regret and homesickness all over Panam.
"We could stop at the camp on the way back." I offered casually only for Panam to snap out a reply.
"No."
I didn't say anything, but I made sure my face told a whole story as she looked at me, and then looked away.
"You still love Saul. You still love the camp, and your family. You aren't exiled, Raffen or anything."
"If I go back I'll be admitting I was wrong." She denied instantly. With all the passion I expected.
"You think so? I don't think seeing your family means you were wrong. Only that you miss your family."
"Saul would see it that way! I would get some sermon about how I was wrong, and I should just shut up and do what he says even when he is being a fucking moron!"
"And when he tries that you tell him you weren't wrong. That you still think that, but he can't keep you from your family just because you both disagree. He loves you too."
She glared over the fire, all the passion and fire flooding her. She didn't say anything, just glared and looked away at her meal.
I didn't say anything after. It was a shame to see someone run from their family. Especially when there was still love and care between them.
Panam was just angry and hurt, and Saul had too much on his shoulders to agree to a ceasefire. He was the leader. It was his way or the highway…
His way or the City I guess was more accurate.
Still, that shouldn't mean she can't go and see her people. But I also couldn't force her. We didn't talk any more that night. It was a shame, but Panam wasn't in a good place. And spending a year or two working for Rogue wasn't really going to help. Especially since she ends up working for that Raffen guy…
That's right. That does happen. I would have to keep an eye on her, if he showed up? Well I had plenty of bullets.