Thread: Ronin

So, this was a story I wrote on a whim, that was the first chapter of something I was planning to write, since I lost everything on the particular setting, I don't know if I'll be able to continue it. But I thought I'd post it either way, just to see what people thought. I apologize if it has any sort of funky spacingformatting, because I pulled it off my forum where I had posted it. But uh..enjoy. -- Anywhere you go inside of the Orion spur, it had Nakano Heavy Industries somewhere on it. It was an emerging Japanese corporation in 2440 that had taken itself as a key investor in inner arm goods. Guns, ships, defense installations..you name it, they made it. In fact, many of the most heavily populated ship docks were made by Nakano, which gave them an opportunity to spread their influence everywhere. Even so far south of the spur, in a little planet called Izumo had become one of Nakano's latest little projects. It was a welcome change to everybody, Nakano harbors brought business and people. And if those people were shady workers with too much money and not enough sense..well, who would complain about that? Because of Nakano's influence on much of the outer system transport and trade, Japanese people were often the very first to settle in the Orion Spur with other nations trailing farther outward, this planet was no different...after all. It was called Izumo of all things. The rest of the planet was decidedly unique to Japanese culture and mindset, thousands of buildings were built for space and height in mind. Hundreds of condos with the latest in minimized home usage were placed in spaces of land no bigger than a city block. Showers that simply vaporized the grime away, holo-screens that radiated from the wall..the list went on. Many of these workers were stuck in these living spaces temporarily, and they often frequented the bars that seemed all too happy to serve them an array of Japanese and other assorted dishes. This was probably Ayumi's main reason why she hated working here, before Nakano came..the bar was friendly and she knew she could trust people to keep their hands to themselves, but this wasn't the case anymore. She was from a family that had been one of the first to leave the Solar System for something greater generations ago, and settled down on a simple planet to live simple lives. Simple didn't really pay very well, unfortunately. So Ayumi took her natural beauty to bars, where a charming smile got her more tips than she could remember in the city life of Hoseki. Weary workers who wanted cheap drinks and food loved having a pretty girl to serve them. Hey! Sweet thing! One howled, his face red as a tomato. Get us another beer! His Japanese was awful, so much so that Ayumi's translator simply reverted to English out of desperation. Coming right up! She nevertheless replied with false cheerfulness as she headed back to the bar with a sigh, the only one that hadn't been rowdy or anxious was this..very imposing man. He wasn't really the tallest guy, he seemed a little on the slim side really, maybe built more like an track star than an actual construction worker. Give me two more, Takeo. Ayumi said to the bartender, her brown eyes settled softly on his right arm..his very fake and cybernetic right arm. The Nakano emblem of a rice field was stamped on the shoulder, a specialized worker? Or maybe just a bad accident gone awry? It was rude to stare, but I had never seen such a..detailed prosthetic before, bulky was a good word for it. It almost looked out of place on him. Here you are, Ayumi. The man said gruffly, breaking her thoughts as she put the two bottles of Sake on her serving tray. Well, at least not all of the workers were bad..that guy at the bar seemed to be drinking moderately and seemed decently polite for a Nakano worker. Here you are, sirs. She said cheerfully to the leering group of drunk workers, she bit back her mental grimace and produced a smile. Is there anything else you gentleman need? She almost wasn't surprised at the firm hand on her rear, shoving her onto the table, she grunted as she hit it on her stomach. Panic and pain flared in her heart as she felt her rear being fondled. Yeah! One howled with laughter. Let's see a pretty show! Ayumi's response was a swift and unmerciful kick to the drunk man's groin. The noise that escaped was almost like nails on a chalkboard, the atmosphere around the bar went deathly quiet as the drunk man's face suddenly flared red from something else. You little bitch! He snarled, and Ayumi was already in the process of getting up..she would have did it, if it weren't for the frowning and sympathetic friends that held her down. Ayumi's eyes flicked frantically over the bar in desperation..the only one who could help would be Takeo...and he was between twenty or so drunk workers who could be sympathetic to this man's plight. I'm not some whore you toss on a table, you pig! She replied, spitting at the man's face in fury. You will regret ever touching me! The man wiped the spit off his face with a growl, and slammed his fist firmly across her cheek. You're going to be a whore tonight! He leered, already reaching for Ayumi's waistband while the others laughed and shouted their peace. Ayumi blinked in surprise, squirming desperately to get out of the man's grip as her eyes caught sight of that man from the bar rising up and turning. He wasn't much taller than the other Japanese men, but he didn't look completely Japanese. Still, the few inches the man had made him look all the more imposing as that metal hand rested on the drunk idiot's shoulder. Mao, I think it's time you called it a night. His voice was simple, flecked with experience of a rough life and still dotted with youth. He couldn't have been more than five or six years older than Ayumi. Fuck you, Jin! He spat, battering away the prosthetic hand. Likely because the man didn't want to cause any undue trouble, but it looked as if he was insistant. Ayumi wasn't going to complain..she was grateful for anyone who came to her aid...she was not a coward..but she was deathly afraid of what would happen if she wasn't given a helping hand. Last chance, He said simply, face settled into something Ayumi had a shiver up her spine for. Let her go, or I make you leave.Mao's reply was a turn, and a sharp fist across the man's face. Ayumi blinked as he stumbled back a little and shook his head. ..Alright then, He replied, reaching out with his prosthetic arm and yanking him back. Mao went sliding with a surprised yelp as Jin literally hurled the man out the door, thankfully they were motion operated so the drunk simply sailed out and crashed into the pavement with a pitiful groan. ..Anyone else? Jin replied flatly, dusting off his hands. or shall we all call it a night, gentleman? Ayumi had no idea who this man was, but the display seemingly sobered up the entire bar as the men holding me down murmured in apology and let me go. I was all too happy to rush to the bar where Takeo slid over to embrace me. The older man was always a comfort to me when things got a little too..perverted for my tastes, him having a shotgun currently in his hands helped quite a bit too. All of you, out. He growled deeply, racking the forearm with an ominous symphony of metal. There was a unanimous mutter of unhappiness, but everyone eventually filed out. Jin payed for his drinks and moved to leave, but Takeo stopped him. Wait, He said softly. The night's on me, sir..thank you so much for helping Ayumi. The man cocked his head at them both, giving a genuine smile and a respectful bow. I appreciate the generosity, thank you very much, sir..the next night, I'll just have to come here and get double food and drinks. He said, making Takeo chuckle. I'd be welcome to have you, son..just mind your friends there, alright? Don't worry, He assured easily. I'll be fine, have a good evening, you two. It wasn't anything Jin liked, mind you. Doing things like that made him obvious, pointed him out to people. He knew Mao wouldn't take this sitting down, and that would cause even more problems. He had been doing well for a while now, but maybe it was time to move on.. But..he sighed, hand running through his hair as he stepped out onto the busy streets of Hoseki. He also hated not doing the right thing, and sometimes hiding and being a good guy never went well together. He could only hide for so long before he had to move again, to keep them away. He thought about maybe leaving the spur entirely, but the farther you get away..the harder it'd be to hide. Shit, he had really screwed up here, hadn't he? Sometimes, secrets weren't worth telling..they were about getting rid of and removing entirely. Jin had done all that, the past was the past..and yet it was ever harder to get away from it. But..sometimes? It was good having some insurance. His insurance was a Nakano Arms MJ9 Machine Pistol, it was a relic like he was. They didn't make them anymore, had a nice seven inch barrel that could handle automatic recoil really well, especially when you had a prosthetic arm holding it. In his little temporary apartment, no bigger than a bedroom. He had his weapon settled on the bed, cleaning everything to a shine..even if you couldn't see it with the gunmetal black body. It was a method of calming himself down back when he was doing some unscrupulous things to people, but his peaceful aura was broken when there was a knock at the door. In under a few seconds, his MJ9 was put back together and loaded with a thirty round magazine. Despite all these technological wonders, people still preferred having the ability to simply knock. And Jin didn't blame them either, he preferred having a nice little peephole to peer through, it was amazing how easy it was to hack some of those view cameras. ..Who is it? He called as he peered through the peephole, what he saw was surprising. It wasn't some suited man or twenty ready to mow him down, it was..a girl..if he wasn't mistaken. It was the waitress from the bar? ..It's..uhm...Ayumi, the girl you saved? She said meekly, Jin rested his head against the door with a soft sigh. ...Give me a moment. He said, he hadn't exactly gotten dressed after his flash wash, and he doubted that she wanted to see him naked. ..Well, he could hope. But he nevertheless slid on some simple clothes and padded over barefoot to open the door in curiosity. She gave him a soft smile and fidgeted somewhat. She..had sort of came here on a whim, it wasn't too hard to figure out where he was..there was enough drunken idiots she recognized to ask for a name at the desk and she was pointed in the right direction. ..Do you mind if I come in? She asked idly. Jin blinked a moment, but stepped aside She threw him a grateful smile and stepped into the simple, tiny little apartment. Most of the aforementioned technological wonders were built into the wall or made subtle to maximize space. ..May I ask why you're here? He said politely, he didn't want to be rude. But he rarely got visitors..if at all, the visitors he usually got required a bribe for the local trash compactor. Ayumi shifted somewhat, sitting on the bed somewhat awkwardly. Uhm..well.. She started. I wanted to thank you, personally..I didn't think those pigs would be that bad...and I really owe you one. She didn't like owing people, she felt herself reasonably competent..and capable. But sometimes everybody got in over their head. Don't., He said simply. It was the right thing to do, nothing more..I don't want charity or thanks. Ayumi scrunched her face a little at that, then nodded as she rose up. Alright, She said. I can deal with that..but how about instead of me owing you, I get a question answered? Jin didn't like the grin on her face, but he warily nodded with a cross off his arms. Sure..what is it? He said, feeling dread creep up into his throat as Ayumi pasted that angelic smile of gratitude on her face and nudged to his prosthetic arm. It was so..different, prosthetic limbs in this day and age were just as good as normal arms..if not better..but she had never seen one so..smooth and blocky at the same time. It had the normal muscled look, but then it bulged on the lower elbow and outward. I've never seen an arm like that..where did you get it? Nakano makes it, I know that much. Ah, of course..the one question I couldn't really answer..but I sighed softly at that..I supposed it wouldn't hurt to be a little honest. It's a military arm, He replied. I spent a few years there, injury is what pulled me out of it. It was more than just getting an arm back, there were psychological issues involved as well..and some of them are hard to pass. Even though that wasn't his reason for leaving..he still found himself scratching at the prosthetic when he got stressed. ..Really? She frowned, Jin hated smart girls. Well, he didn't..but he hated it when they decided to be smart with him. He knew his arm wasn't exactly a military standard issue, and it didn't look like it either..but dammit, not many cared! Really, He said simply. It's just a prototype, is all. I never bothered upgrading it, too fond of what I have now...seems like a bit of a trip for plain curiosity, Ayumi. He prodded idly. Not that I don't appreciate a visit, of course. Yeah, I know. She chuckled, rubbing her neck shyly. Sorry for being a little weird..I guess it was just bugging me...you don't really get people like you out here so far away from the core planets, you know? ..People like me? He asked warily. What do you mean? Like.. She sighed. Military guys, ex-military..most of the people like that are on Nakano's payroll, why aren't you? I'd rather not be a mercenary to a company who sees credit signs instead of people. He mumbled. There's no soul to mercenary work, you do as your told or you don't get paid..at least in the military you're following something you believe in, for mercenaries it's whoever pays higher...it's not worth the hassle..besides, I'm doing just fine. I get paid well enough..and I'm not getting shot at. You don't look like someone who hates a firefight, you know. She pointed out, something about him just..attracted the feeling of..death? dread? She wasn't sure, but it sort of made her skin crawl thinking about it. Heh, probably not. He replied with a small grimace. I've had my fair share of close calls, but that's behind me now. I'm just a simple worker who'll be gone once the harbor is done, that's all. Ayumi regarded him a moment, then nodded softly. She felt somewhat disappointed, maybe in herself for letting her curiosity get the better of her over a man with simply an interesting story behind it. Well, I'm sorry for bothering you, Jin. She murmured. Come by the bar sometime and I'll make it up to you, alright? I'd be glad to. He smiled, escorting her to the door. Thank you for stopping by, Ayumi. He said, bidding her farewell as he shut the door with a small sigh, his forehead resting against the door in thought. So much for staying in the shadows, Jin...