“GOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, NIGHT CITY!”
“Yesterday’s body count lottery came in smokin’ at sixty-eight—hope you bet high ’cuz today’s your lucky day. BIG thanks to the Tyger Claws, who generously donated over HALF of that number right here in Watson, down in Little China. Word is somebody crashed a ‘private training session’ at the Deravaja Dojo—my condolences to whoever’s stuck mopping up those paper walls.”
“And heads up in Kabuki—people are losin’ their minds this morning over a ‘ROGUE AI’ scare. Some gonk netrunner blasted fake warnings over public screens and jacked a couple traffic lights for laughs.
“But here’s your BIG one, folks.”
“Arasaka Academy is officiaaaally finished! That’s right—those corpo walls are up, shiny and suuuu-per bulletproof, enrollment is now open, and they’re promising you the world.”
“Just remember, kids—Arasaka’s got plenty of room at the top. Wayyyy up there. Real nice view from the tower… if you don’t mind the drop.”
“THIS has been your man—Stan! Join me in another day in our Cit-y of DREAMS!”
…
The radio kept shouting even after Gloria’s shift ended.
She stood outside the clinic loading bay with her jacket half-zipped, staring at the morning until she could make her feet move. Cold air cut through her clothes. A vending machine buzzed near the dumpsters.
Gloria flexed her fingers.
There was still dried blood under one nail. She’d scrubbed until the skin around her knuckles felt raw. It didn’t all come out.
“Hey.” A voice snapped her back. “Martinez.”
Gloria blinked. Once. Twice.
Her coworker—Priska, eyes puffy, hair held up with whatever band she’d found—held out a plastic bottle.
Coffee.
Gloria took it with a nod.
“Thanks,” she said. Her throat was rough.
Priska studied her for a second. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh.” Priska jerked her chin toward the bay. “You hear the radio?”
“Yeah.” Gloria’s eyes flicked away. “We’re the ones who had to clean up that mess.”
Priska snorted. “Not that. The other thing. Arasaka Academy.”
“Oh.” Gloria took a sip. “Yeah. What about it?”
“Your kid’s what—fourteen? Fifteen? He still at Rancho Coronado?”
“Yeah.” Gloria tightened her grip on the bottle. “Closest to home.”
Priska nodded. “He’s smart, right?”
“He’s…” Gloria paused, then let it out. “David.”
A faint smile tugged at her mouth.
Priska snorted. “That’s a yes.”
Gloria looked past her—past the slick pavement, the dumpsters, the service road. Towers and screens packed the skyline. Traffic hissed somewhere in the distance.
Priska took another sip. “You think you’re gonna try for Arasaka?”
Gloria’s first instinct was to say no.
Not because she didn’t want it. Because she hadn’t even checked the price yet, and she already knew she couldn’t afford it.
“Don’t know,” Gloria said. “I haven’t looked at the cost.”
“Yeah.” Priska’s mouth twisted. “That’s the problem.”
For a second, neither of them said anything.
Gloria took another sip, then put the cap back on.
“I should go,” she said. “Gotta drive David to school.”
Priska nodded, like she’d expected that. “Yeah. Go.”
Gloria hesitated just long enough to meet her eyes.
“Get some sleep,” Priska said. Then, as if she had to tack it on fast before it sounded soft, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Gloria gave a small huff. “No promises.”
Priska rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. Drive safe.”
Gloria lifted the bottle once in lieu of a wave, then headed for the lot.
…
While she drove, Gloria’s mind slid back to the dojo.
The Deravaja Dojo sat behind a low wall with a small courtyard out front. One entrance.
She’d walked in with a REO crew and two NCPD officers as escort. The first dead body was the guard at the entrance. Past him, the main room opened up—wide floor, mats, mirrors, a few racks along the wall.
That’s where most of the bodies were.
It looked like it started mid-lesson. Bodies in the open, where they’d been standing. Some sprawled at the edge of the mats. Some half-turned like they’d tried to run and didn’t make it.
One of the bodies was different from the rest.
Most of the Claws seemed to have died with two shots: the chest, then head.
This one was different. They’d found him in one of the side rooms off the main floor, crumpled near a locker that was half-open. Shot from under the chin. His face was… ruined. There was blood on the ceiling. His pants were soaked like he’d pissed himself when it happened.
There were more bodies near the basement stairs.
That part stuck with her, because it meant they’d tried to get downstairs. Or someone had been coming up when it went loud. The steps were narrow, and the stairwell boxed the noise in—shots and shouting would’ve bounced around down there. You could hear everything from that spot.
She remembered the basement smell—concrete and damp, mixed with cheap incense. The lights were harsher down there. Cameras in the corners. A couple bodies dropped in the open near the stairs. Two more further in, near a room with a chair and a screen still running static.
Someone had been watching something. The TV was still on when Gloria got there. Nobody bothered to turn it off.
They counted as they worked. Thirty-four. Give or take. Some of her coworkers kept their faces blank. One muttered, “Fucking animals,” and nobody asked if he meant the Claws or whoever had done it to them.
Gloria’s hands tightened on the wheel. She glanced at the rearview mirror.
Tired brown eyes stared back at her. Vivid red hair pulled into a ponytail. Skin looked flat under the morning light, like she hadn’t seen real sleep in days. High cheekbones, a clean nose, full lips—the exhaustion softened her features in a way, adding a layer of quiet charm she wasn’t sure she wanted.
She looked away.
In the dojo, every time she’d bent over a body that was close to David’s age, her brain kept trying to change the face. David’s face.
It wouldn’t stop. It followed her out of Westbrook and into Santo Domingo—every stoplight, every lull in traffic. Each time she lost focus, it was there again.
Gloria tried her best, to keep her eyes on the road.
…
Gloria stepped through the door, and the apartment hit her with that familiar smell—stale air, and detergent. David was waiting by the door, backpack slung over one shoulder. His uniform sat a little crooked and his mouth was already set in that small, impatient frown.
He wasn’t still or pale or silent.
He was alive, annoyed… but alive.
Gloria felt something in her chest loosen. She let herself smile.
“Morning, mijo.”
David shifted his weight. “C’mon, Mom. I’m gonna be late.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Gloria reached out and tugged his collar straight. “You’re gonna be late, the world’s gonna end, I know.” She jerked her thumb toward the door. “Let’s go, Dee.”
He huffed, but he was already stepping out with her.
They headed down the hall together. Gloria glanced at him as they walked.
“Hey.” Her voice came out quieter than she meant. “You know I love you, right?”
David’s steps stuttered for half a second. He looked at her like she’d started speaking another language.
“…What? Yeah. I know.”
“Mm.” Gloria nodded once, like she was checking a box. “Just sayin’ mijo.”
David’s ears went a little pink. He stared straight ahead. “Okay.”
Gloria watched him for another moment, before looking away.
Arasaka Academy…
…
GLORIA MARTINEZ | REO MEATWAGON
INT 5 | REF 3 | DEX 3 | TECH 4 | COOL 5
WILL 7 | LUCK 4 | MOVE 4 | BODY 4 | EMP 6
—
A/N: WHERES THE MC AAAAAA, chillllllllllllllllllllllll anyway here’s the mom who deserved better! GLORIA MARTINEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! GLORIA I LOVE YOU!!!! uhhh afew things, yes MC SHOULD show up next chapter, i just kinda trapped myself with the good morning night city part… because i wrote that part first i got stumped, because due to certain plot reasons that i cannot disclose i couldn’t make the POV the MC’s so i just did it to a diff character! Gloria!
ough did you guys know i actually went in game and took pictures of certain locations to get accurate information and stuff, uh where was I yes!
you can see Arasaka Academy JUST opened so we are a bit before canon, ermmm what else oh right, my head hurts so i forced myself to finish it since im a bit late in uploading this, but because of that i wasn’t able to do a final final look over, let me know if there’s any awkward parts or mistakes.
heuheuheu i held back in channeling my inner chinese author to describe gloria as a jade beauty huehuehue jk jk just too many translations and stuff UGHHH AHHHH I SWEAR IM FORGETTING STUFF
SYNOPSIS! haven’t done it yet :p anyway AHHH I KEEP HALLUCINATING THAT THE LIGHTS ARE ON, any the ??? is the MC’s stats yep we don’t know yet! anyway fuck it i can’t remember what else i was gonna say maybe ill remember next chapter bye
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