10 Chapter 5 (Part 2)

Chuckling, I nodded, and together we left the welcoming apartment of the dark-haired beauty. The door immediately shut behind us, returning us to the dingy stairwell. My face involuntarily twisted at the overwhelming stench, which, to my relief, I had managed to forget. Heaving a sigh, I exchanged glances with Marco, who offered me an equally understanding look. Bursting into synchronized laughter, we briskly made our way downstairs, sharing our impressions along the way. Well, to be more precise, it was mostly me talking, while Ramirez just asked clarifying questions.

He shared the story of his encounter with Sister Sue, who, to my surprise, had recently moved into the area. She had been here for just under a year, having relocated due to some friction with the Maelstrom. What exactly happened between them, he didn't know and didn't care to. Other people's lives didn't interest him much, or rather, he avoided delving into others' pasts without good reason. He was too smart for his age, and at 14, I certainly couldn't claim the same.

"Where to now?" I asked the teenager, who had been silent for a few minutes, tugging at the edge of his jacket, awaiting his decision.

"We could stroll around our neighborhood. I'll show you the local sights and tell you who, and more importantly, what to watch out for," Ramirez suggested a good idea.

"That'd be great. You won't always be 'walking' me around," I winked at the guy, who fully appreciated my little joke.

Leaving the building, our colorful duo leisurely walked along the storefronts, occasionally engaging in idle chatter. Marco filled me in on a lot of useful information, mostly about the local gang formations. In Night City, every district except perhaps the central one was controlled by someone. There were six main groups:

1) Voodoo Boys - Not much is known about them, except for their approximate location and line of work, namely the sale of synthetic drugs.

2) 6th Street - My partner had already told me about them earlier.

3) Maelstrom - A gang of cutthroat occultists obsessed with cyber technology, viewing the human body solely as a platform for cyber modifications, one of the most dangerous criminal groups in Night City. Their main base is in the industrial district of Watson – Northside.

4) Tiger Claws - A gang, mostly of Asians, using methods of organized Asian syndicates like the triads and yakuza. They recently took over the entire Japantown district.

5) Valentinos - A gang mostly comprised of people with Latin American roots. They seem like a fiery mix of Mexicans and Italians, reflected in their demeanor and lifestyle. Like any other illicit group, they are involved in racketeering, drugs, and the list goes on.

6) The Animals - Unlike other gangs, they don't have a specific territory. They are pumped with hormones to the extent that they resemble mountains of muscle rather than humans. Fond of participating in illegal fights and working as various types of bouncers and bodyguards. They avoid implants, preferring their natural flesh over cold metal.

And finally – the Scavengers. They're more of a derogatory name than an actual gang with a hierarchy. These freaks decided to make a living off others' misfortune, more precisely – the plain murder of a person and using their body as merchandise. With that, my 'fauna' guide to Night City came to an end. Other minor illegal formations didn't interest me or Marco. Such gangs appeared every day and vanished just as quickly, slamming the door loudly on their way out.

***

Unlike last time, Marco and I were just strolling around. Of course, we hadn't forgotten to be cautious. Even though the Tigers keep the area clean, who knows how much scum they might have overlooked. It's not like you can tell who someone really is just by looking at them.

But setting aside my grievances about local customs, the city was pretty beautiful in its own right, if you could overlook the excessive amount of trash strewn everywhere... Neon signs, futuristic cars, and even the music, all sparked genuine interest in me. Many dream of entering a world of progressive future, but only upon arriving here do they realize whether they really needed this future. In these few days, I've seen enough of the local ways, which are quite at odds with mine. Sure, the old world wasn't without its crap, but here, it felt like the concentration of it had reached unimaginable heights.

"Amigo, don't zone out," Marco nudged me in the side, snapping me back to reality. I had been drifting into my thoughts too often lately. I needed to get used to not pondering too deeply, or I might indeed end up dragged into some basement and stripped for parts.

"Marco, I forgot to tell you. Susan agreed to teach me her craft. From 12 o'clock, I'm all hers. You don't mind, do you?" I turned to the teenager, who looked at me in surprise, clearly not expecting such news.

"Of course not. After 12, there's not much for us to do in the city anyway. We usually do whatever we want at that time. Inga reads or hangs out with someone. I usually wander around the city. And Han and Shiro gather rumors and then tell us in the evening. Their memory is really something else," Ramirez nodded in respect to his own words, glanced briefly over his shoulder, and then turned back to me. "Anyway, if you want, you can work with Sue, but I warn you, she always says what she thinks right to your face. If you mess up, be prepared for a whole lecture about your 'clumsy hands' and a lot more."

"I see you know her quite well," I teased him, emphasizing my hint on his last phrase. "Ever had the pleasure of listening to her 'compliments' about yourself?" Letting out a short laugh, I nudged the Latino in the side.

"Laugh all you want, you're not the only smart one who wanted to learn something from her. As you can see, my limit is dusting off tech and soldering two wires using a handy instruction," Marco snorted in annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest in displeasure.

"Now I understand where you get all your knowledge about various electronic junk. You really do need a good memory to remember all that."

"Knowing Susan's methods, that's not surprising," the boy said, calling the girl by her full name for the first time. "She's a proponent of the 'hard-knock' method of 'hammering' knowledge into the unripe minds of the younger generation," Ramirez parodied our old acquaintance, causing me to burst into uncontrollable laughter. His expression was just too sullenly spirited. I had to cover my mouth to hold back the laughter threatening to spill out.

"Phew, sorry about that, you just looked too funny from here," I said, waving my hands in a conciliatory gesture, noticing his puffed-up face.

"It's okay, just try not to rush and ask her lots of questions, even about the smallest, seemingly insignificant things. You wouldn't guess it, but she likes it when someone is fully dedicated to the task. She's a techno-fanatic's sister, so be ready to hear tons of complaints about the latest slightly-modified 'junk' she gets her hands on."

"I'll keep that in mind," I filed away another important fact about this person in my mental 'notebook,' continuing our walk in silence. We had run out of things to talk about, so we preferred to enjoy a quiet walk. Honestly, it was hard to call it quiet. There was a cacophony of diverse noises everywhere: the roar of car engines, the shouts of passersby, and the blaring of ads promising everything under the sun. Despite all this, I found it somewhat comforting to realize that this new world wasn't so different from mine in some ways.

Our route took us all around the western part of Japantown, specifically its coastal zone. We walked just a couple of streets, then turned back, periodically glancing around to avoid running into another scavenger. According to Marco, they were worse than cockroaches, and even if you got rid of them all at once, they would inevitably reappear.

We returned to our hideout a few hours later, facing Han, who was lounging on the emergency staircase, where I had climbed not so long ago. The boy was evidently bored, hanging around near the house so he could quickly return if needed. Shiro wasn't with him, which seemed odd to me. They appeared inseparable, but apparently, things were more complicated than I initially thought.

"You're back already?" the boy asked, yawning deeply and rubbing his eyes.

"I was showing Alex our neighborhood and told him a lot of interesting stuff," Marco leaned against the wall, taking his time before going inside. "Why are you here without Shiro? Did you guys have a fight or something?" the Latino asked the question that intrigued us both.

"He's upstairs. I just got bored, so I came down," the dark-haired Asian boy shrugged, letting out another long yawn.

"Amigo, you look like you could use some sleep. You must have been running around a lot today," Ramirez said with a hint of concern in his voice, suggesting that the youngster should indeed go and rest.

"Yeah, we'll be up in a couple of minutes, you can go on without us," Han waved his hand and, stretching his whole body, slowly made his way upstairs.

I watched him for a few seconds before surveying the area and, seeing no visible watchers, ducked inside. Squeezing through the narrow passageway, I found myself back in the hideout, noticing Kivi's thoughtful face as she diligently wrote something in her notebook. We didn't want to disturb her and started preparing dinner for everyone. The task of cooking fell to me, and honestly, I didn't initially know what I could make. Our resources were limited, so I had to improvise. In the end, I managed to cook a decent soup, which was well-received by our grumpy girl, whom Marco had coerced into being the first to taste my culinary masterpiece.

Inga, though grumbling, agreed to try it, looking at me in surprise after each spoonful. Understandably, no one would expect such skills from an eight-year-old boy. It turned out quite tasty, especially on an empty stomach. The absence of bread, however, was a downer, and its replacement with rusks did little to lift my spirits. The kids devoured the food quickly, Han and Shiro even scraping their plates clean. It feels good when your efforts are appreciated, especially when expressed sincerely.

"I didn't expect you to be such a good cook," Marco thoughtfully put his plate down, glancing sideways at me.

"Mom taught me," I replied with the first thing that came to mind. Although Hirako could cook, occasionally treating us to traditional Japanese cuisine, it wasn't the food that the kids had just eagerly eaten.

The conversation naturally fizzled out. Perhaps Marco thought the topic was uncomfortable for me, but things were slightly different than they thought. I just didn't want to give myself away with inconsistencies in my story. For a child, I knew too much, and not everything could be attributed to my deceased parents.

"Don't worry so much, Marco. I'm glad I stumbled upon you guys, otherwise, I could already be on some scavenger's table," I said with an encouraging smile to the boy and, clapping my hands, headed towards our makeshift bathroom. I wanted to freshen up before bed and tackle tomorrow with renewed vigor for my meeting with my future mentor. I hope that half of what the teenager told me today is just childish tales. Otherwise, I indeed might be in for some 'interesting' times. But there's no turning back now, so I'll endure and overcome!