The room was in chaos. Tables had been overturned, glass shattered across the floor, thick smoke filled the air, and the ceiling lights flickered on and off.
The battle had begun in an instant. Lin Mo took cover behind sturdy debris, peeking out just enough to keep his eyes on Brutus.
The man was built like a bear—or rather, as fat as a pig. His left hand gripped the fragile woman, while his right, despite losing its hand, still housed a threatening grenade launcher.
The tension was suffocating. Both men were eager to tear each other apart, but they stood still like two predators sizing each other up, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Despite the silence between them, the fight upstairs had already erupted. Through his communicator, Lin Mo could hear the chaos, the sound of gunfire, explosions, and wild laughter filling his ears.
Rebecca's manic cackling was unmistakable, a pure, gleeful desire to destroy every enemy in sight.
"Hahaha, die, die, die, you idiots! Hahaha—eh, out of bullets! Damn it, bro, throw me some ammo!" Rebecca's voice boomed over the comms, loud enough to drown out the gunfire and explosions.
"Rebecca, calm down! Don't get reckless! Dorio, cover her!" Mann's voice cut through, sounding tense.
Lin Mo listened for a moment, determined that the situation upstairs was under control, and switched off his communicator, keeping only Sasha's channel open. His focus returned to the large man before him.
"Your friends up there are pretty impressive. They've taken out quite a few of my men. Those useless idiots are begging me to come help them," Brutus chuckled, breaking the heavy silence in the basement, like a match falling into a barrel of explosives.
Lin Mo didn't reply, his hand gripping his katana tightly. The bullet that had hit his shoulder earlier was blocked by his armor and had barely scratched him. It wouldn't stop him from taking this man's head.
Brutus smiled calmly at Lin Mo, his left hand yanking on the woman's hair, shaking her head slightly, taunting him. "Now, since your friends are waiting for us upstairs, let's not waste time. If you want to save this girl, you'd better come out here like a good boy. But if you don't, well, I won't hesitate to crush her skull and make it our signal to start."
"Such a beautiful little thing, isn't she? The perfect appetizer for what's to come."
Lin Mo remained behind his cover, silent and still for a long time before finally stepping out. His katana, Black Unicorn, glimmered faintly in the dim light, catching Brutus' attention.
"Good, it seems we're off to a smooth start. Now, can you be so kind as to drop your weapon?" Brutus asked with a wicked grin.
Lin Mo stayed silent.
After a moment of waiting, Brutus sighed in mock disappointment. He adjusted his grip on the woman, wrapping his large hand around her head.
"Sorry, sweetheart, looks like your savior doesn't care much about you. If there's an afterlife, you'll just have to wait and see who follows you there," Brutus said, squeezing harder, ready to crush her skull.
The woman remained expressionless, her eyes vacant. Ever since emerging from the brain-destroying braindance, she had been little more than an empty shell.
Just as Brutus was about to finish her, he winced suddenly, loosening his grip and rubbing his temple. "Damn it, you've got a netrunner backing you up. If it weren't for some past experiences, I might've fallen for that."
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed in frustration.
He had been waiting for the moment to activate his Sandevistan and rush forward, but Brutus had the same implant. Even if Lin Mo made the first move, Brutus' Kerenzikov would react, forcing him to respond in kind. At that point, Lin Mo's advantage in speed would be neutralized, giving Brutus enough time to trigger his own Sandevistan.
"Lin Mo, the hack failed! He's got self-ICE installed. His defenses just reset, and now he's immune to quickhacks!" Sasha's voice came through, sounding a bit anxious.
Lin Mo had expected this outcome. A Scavenger leader who could strike deals with the megacorporations wouldn't be a pushover.
Self-ICE was a type of implant that prevented netrunners from hacking into someone's cyberware, a critical defense against netrunning attacks.
"Smart move not using your Sandevistan, kid," Brutus mocked, slapping his right arm, causing a metallic clank. "A lot of people think once they get it, they're invincible. But those idiots all ended up dead. Killed by me."
Brutus grinned. "Now, if you really want to save her, put down the blade. And tell that netrunner of yours to behave."
"I keep my word," Brutus added with a smirk.
Lin Mo wasn't fooled by the man's lies. He knew these scumbags had no regard for life. Dropping his weapon would be a death sentence, and no one was foolish enough to do that.
As Lin Mo stared at Brutus, trying to decide his next move, he suddenly noticed something—a pair of bright, clear eyes staring back at him.
In that moment, it was as if the woman came back to life, her dull expression giving way to a spark of awareness. Her green eyes, vivid and full of clarity, locked onto his.
For the first time, she showed emotion, and her lips moved, silently mouthing a message.
Though there was no sound, her lips said it all. A final plea, as if she had used the last of her strength to convey her words.
Then, a faint smile crept onto her lips, as if her mission was complete.
Lin Mo blinked, her words echoing in his mind.
It was a short phrase, but its meaning was simple.
"Please, kill me."
Lin Mo hesitated, unable to comprehend it at first.
She was so young. With her whole life ahead of her, why was she asking to die? What kind of torment, what unimaginable horror had she endured to make her beg for death so easily?
Lin Mo didn't know the answer, and truthfully, he didn't want to.
Seeking answers, showing mercy, saving people—that was the work of heroes.
He wasn't a hero. In the future, he would kill many more people, spill much more blood. The word "hero" didn't suit him.
In this twisted world, there was no such thing as a hero who could save everyone. Even Johnny Silverhand, the so-called rebel who bombed the Arasaka Tower, left behind a pile of corpses in his wake.
Right now, if he saved someone, he'd be considered a hero. If they died, it would be his fault.
If they died, then killing the villain would be "justice," and he'd be forgiven.
Lin Mo's grip on his katana tightened and relaxed in cycles, his expression darkening.
There was no right choice. He couldn't save everyone. The third option—the best option—was to kill her and be done with it. She wasn't his mission target, after all. No one would blame him for not saving her.
But was that really the best option?
For the woman, dying at the hands of her tormentor would be like a devout Christian being forced by Satan to commit suicide. Powerless, she would rather die by the sword of a witch hunter and return to her God.
Time passed slowly, Brutus growing impatient as Lin Mo's mind calmed, becoming as still as a quiet lake.
Without warning, Lin Mo activated his Sandevistan for the seventh time.
The world slowed to a near standstill. Lin Mo gazed into the woman's eyes, committing the pleading look in her eyes to memory.
He had made his decision.
...
That decision was to take the fourth option—one that didn't exist.
Lin Mo would kill her himself.
Then, he would kill every single one of the villains responsible, crushing all the sins beneath his feet.
Drawing the Kang Tao Smart Pistol from his waist, Lin Mo aimed the weapon. His gaze shifted slightly, not wanting to look directly at her face. He moved the barrel slightly off-target, locking his sights onto her limbs instead.
His finger tightened on the trigger.
He fired. She wouldn't die immediately, and as long as she still had a pulse, Lin Mo could save her.
But if he let the situation drag on, her fate would be sealed, and no miracle would save her.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out, and someone fell.