章 104: Blackhand vs Blackhand II

In that brief impasse, where both of them aimed their guns at each other's heads. Morgan processed everything that had happened in the blink of an eye, surprised to realize how the boy, even with his latest Sandervista model and a custom Lazarus operating system, had lost sight of him, managing to get close.

Morgan could only defend himself thanks to the similarities between the boy's fencing style and his grandfather Musashi's. Finding himself forced to use a countermeasure that he had developed himself to counter Musashi, against his grandson, which was definitely not normal.

The first thing that came to Morgan's mind to explain Sora's abilities was that he was an "enhanced" individual, genetically modified either before birth or shortly after conception. Considering Musashi's connection with Arasaka, it didn't seem far-fetched to entertain that possibility, which was partially accurate.

However, genetically altering a baby or creating a genetically modified life was incredibly illegal. Genetic modifications, also known as biomodification, were only allowed for those who were of legal age and were more popular in Europe and Asia, but were starting to gain popularity in the New United States of America, especially on the East coast in cities like New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. However, on the West Coast, like in Night City, "Chromo" was still preferred.

Internally sighing, Morgan wondered what the Hell Arasaka was planning, wanting someone like him, in whom they had obviously invested a great amount of time and resources, to enter Lazarus.

After finishing, Morgan refocused his gaze on Sora, and in his right eye blackened with his pupil glowing, visible through the fracture of his helmet, somehow... finding it familiar, while Sora stared at him as if trying to bore a hole into his forehead

Morgan's attention was drawn to the weapon aimed at his face, instantly recognizing it as one of the few handcrafted and personalized Malorian guns made by that "Lazy" for Morgan. But the way Sora tightly gripped the handle, appearing to hold back from opening fire, made Morgan's only response be, "Kid, calm down, alright? Don't do something you'll regret."

However, his words had the opposite effect on Sora, pissing him off and causing him to push the barrel of his Malorian 3516 against Morgan's forehead. In doing so, Morgan opened his eyes for a moment, surprised to relive a déjà vu. "Heh, kid, tell me where you got that gun from?" Morgan asked, remembering when the previous owner of that same gun pointed it at him in exactly the same way, struggling to refrain from shooting him just as the kid was aiming at him now.

Having learned from dealing with him, how to deal with that kind of 'volatile' individuals, Morgan slowly lowered his hands while holstering his weapon, no longer aiming at Sora, who frowned when Morgan put away his gun, without showing any intention of following his example.

Morgan, seeing how Sora didn't lower his weapon or change his expression, looked to the alley, seeking help from the grandfather of the "Lovely Creature" who was still aiming at his face, emanating a clear intent to kill him. That it hadn't diminished in the slightest; if anything, it seemed to have intensified as Morgan withdrew his weapon, making it clear that he wanted to stop fighting.

After a few seconds, could be heard "Sora, lower your weapon" the command from Musash, emerging alone from the alley, with Hiroyuki staying still, hoping to escape this situation without Sora realizing his complicity in the matter

Upon hearing his voice, Sora turned his head, still aiming at Morgan, looking at his grandfather with indifference, fully aware of him and his uncle Hiroyuki as "voyeurs" in the alley since the first Fools hovered over the area, as well as his grandmother Aoi's complicity, seeing them.

After staring at his grandfather Musashi for a few seconds, Sora slowly turned his gaze back to Morgan, intensifying the tense situation. When, without saying a word, he pulled the trigger a little bit, showing that regardless of what his grandfather said, he was unwilling to holster his weapon and end a fight he hadn't sought, one that had pushed his body to the extreme and left him with severe injuries, just for a few words from another person, even if that person happened to be his grandfather.

Meanwhile, Morgan, upon hearing the movement of the gun's trigger and witnessing Sora's defiant attitude towards his own grandfather and obvious fencing master, felt his testicles climb up to his throat.

Bewildered that the stern Musashi had allowed his grandson to behave this way with Morgan, having known his disciplined children and his grandson was nothing like them, Morgan couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Musashi, I see you've grown old. Your children would never have dared to contradict you, and this kid, if I may say..." Morgan glanced at the gun still pointed at him and into the visible eye of the person behind it, before adding with a joking tone, "he seems more like Silverhand's son."

Although this comparison seemed like a random attempt to irritate Musashi, given his strong "opinions" about that particular person, it hit the mark. Both Sora and Musashi opened their eyes slightly, surprised by Morgan's "fortuitous" joke... or perhaps it wasn't so fortuitous after all.

Sora was the first to react, tightening the grip on his gun's trigger a bit more, causing Musashi to speak again. "Sora! Enough! I understand that you're angry about Morgan's surprise attacks, but that's not what we discussed. Your uncle Hiroyuki and I had planned for you to spar with someone of Morgan Blackhand's caliber. I myself learned a lot as a swordsman from my encounters with Morgan, and I wanted you to experience the same." Musashi sold out his younger brother without hesitation, thinking that if he sank, his brother would sink with him, making Hiroyuki come out with a sour expression after his brother had betrayed him in such a way.

Musashi's sincere and slightly apologetic words, and the fact of knowing the legend he was aiming at, caused Sora to relax his grip on his gun. At the same time, Morgan unbuttoned his coat, revealing his weathered face, an unkempt beard with some gray hairs, and deep eyes, adding to Musashi's "sincere" words, complicating things as usual due to his character. "And don't forget to see who would win the bet,"

Morgan casually said as he grabbed one of the metallic cylinders from his chest harnesses, pulled out a cigar, and ignited it with a small blowtorch on his left cybernetic thumb, while Sora continued to aim at his head.

Upon hearing about "the bet" from 'Morgan Blackhand', a person whom Sora respected and wanted to meet until he did so, he looked reproachfully at his grandfather, while Musashi cursed Morgan for opening his mouth and adding something that didn't help. Sora, on the other hand, turned his gaze back to the legendary Morgan Blackhand... and pulled the trigger of his Malorian 3516.

Surprising his grandfather, uncle, and... Morgan, still alive, as Sora moved the barrel of his Malorian at the last instant before firing, narrowly missing Morgan's ear, experiencing the deafening blast of the powerful 14mm shot in his ear, causing him to curse, "Ah, fuck!" as he brought his black hand to his bleeding ear. Surprised when the next instant, without being enough, he saw a black fist rapidly approaching his face.

After shooting and nearly blowing off Morgan's ear, Sora calmly tucked his weapon under his jacket and then, with his cybernetic right arm, threw a punch with all his strength. Demonstrating his stubbornness, insisting on equalizing the score, not being able to let the matter pass, until his attacker and cause of his injuries, if not dead at least that also ended up wounded.

However, when his fist was about to land on Morgan's face and his "stupid" cigar, which remained intact in his mouth even in those circumstances, someone forcefully grabbed Sora`s forearm, stopping him. Musashi halted his grandson's punch, saying sternly for the third time, "That's enough!" as he stared at him intently.

Sora increased the strength in his arm without addressing his grandfather, but when his arm didn't move due to his grandfather`s iron grip, he withdrew the strength of his arm. Musashi sighed inwardly relieved, seeming that Sora had heeded him, but when Sora looked back at him, and Musashi saw his eyes, he knew that was not the case, not at all.

With Sora unclenching his fist in front of Morgan's face and Musashi feeling through the grip on his hand how Sora's cybernetic arm was starting to vibrate, coming to life...

Due to Musashi's hand on the armor plates of Sora's forearm, they were unable to rise, amplifying the power of the mechanism. Nevertheless, the triangular piston of Sora's hand shot toward Morgan's head.

Breaking his "stupid" cigar and making a peculiar noise as the piston forcefully struck Morgan's forehead, causing him to fall to the ground with a triangular wound imprinted on his forehead. Musashi released Sora's arm and shook his head at his increasingly rebellious and stubborn grandson`s nature... and at what would happen now... that one of Morgan's strange triggers had happened.

"Hey, brat... do you know what you've done?" Morgan asked from the ground, not caring about his still bleeding ear or the triangular wound on his forehead, looking solemnly at the broken cigarette on the floor with a hint of sadness. "Perhaps you don't understand the luck you've had in being the grandson of who you are, If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have just made you fall a few meters as punishment for hacking Lazarus' servers. But now... I don't give a fuck who the hell you're related to," Morgan said, losing his temper as one of his peculiar triggers occurred due to the loss of a perfectly smokeable cigar. Standing up and drawing his hands behind his back.

At the same time, catching the attention of the Hatake brothers, who turned their surprised gazes toward Sora due to different parts of Morgan's words. Musashi was surprised by the sudden mention of Lazarus Corporation, while Hiroyuki worried that Sora had hacked again, having spent the past three years lying to Netwatch to cover for him.

When Morgan withdrew his hands from behind his back, he revealed a compact Militech M-31a1 rifle in one hand, and in the other, his Malorian Arms Assault Cannon, a prototype weapon that never made it to the market. With ammo of .75-caliber smart-grenades, these projectiles were actually micro-missiles similar to smart bullets but, with explosive-gel warheads.

Pointing them at Sora, who turned around, seeing through the crack in his helmet as a smile grew on his face. "Come on!, old man, let's see what the famous Blackhand can do because so far I'm disappointed," taunted Sora, provoking Morgan as he confronted him again.

Easily accomplished, infuriated by the arrogant words of a "brat" who was underestimating him, swelled a vein on Morgan`s forehead. "Oh, kiddo, I'll give you the blows your grandfather didn't give you, you'll see what-" Said Morgan airily....

Being interrupted, when one of the numerous crows on the street, which Morgan had not noticed until now, perched on different ledges, landed on Sora's shoulder, starting to caw aggressively and opening its wings

Interrupting Morgan, when it wasn't just the crow on Sora's shoulder that cawed..... If not all the Fools gathered in the street, beginning to caw at once whipping their wings aggressively, as if they were about to launch themselves at Morgan threatening their creator again, at any moment.

Confronted with the sight of the street filled with crows staring at him and squawking in unison, Morgan stood still, recalling the words of the Hatake brothers about the boy's pets. According to the information Lazarus had given him, they were the militarized version of the Iron Beasts created by the company he co-founded.

Observing Morgan's change in expression as he looked at the Fools, Sora asked, "Well, old man, do you want to keep playing?"

Morgan, facing Sora's new provocation, glared at him for a moment before responding, "It's not that serious. I have another smoke here. How about we have a drink?" Laughing and turning to the brothers, changing his attitude as if nothing had happened. Holstering his weapons and taking another cylinder from his harness. Pulling out a new cigar, and lighting it with a satisfied smile.

Musashi sighed, exhausted from dealing with these two "idiots," relieved at least by Morgan's straightforward attitude. Avoiding anything that required more effort, even if it meant not avenging one of his beloved cigars.

Meanwhile, Sora ignored them, still angry at his grandfather and uncle's games. He picked up the fragment of his helmet from the ground, stashing it in his jacket, and when he raised his cybernetic arm to leave the area without saying a word, Morgan spoke again, "Kid, keep an eye on the card you hacked. I'll contact you to help with the preparations for your first mission... Don't you dare miss it, you hear me, brat? Or I swear I'll show you what this old man is capable of."

"Wait, mission? What is Morgan talking about?" Musashi asked Sora, with Hiroyuki behind him, also wanting to know the answer.

Sora looked at them with an expression that said, "What could it be?" before disappearing ascending with his grapple, without saying anything, wanting to get out of the area as quickly as he could, with most of the Fools flying away from the area as well. While Musashi, Hiroyuki, and Morgan watched him ascend, with Morgan being the first to open his mouth; "A really lovely kid. Musashi, you should be proud!" with words filled with sarcasm.

"All of this is your fault! There shouldn't have been a fight without introductions... damn it, Aoi is going to kill me," replied Musashi, defending Sora and thinking about what awaits him at home.

"I'm not saying Morgan is right, but... Sora isn't the most charming person upon first impressions, brother," said Hiroyuki, carefully choosing his words as he recalled his first encounter with Sora and Eco.

"Whatever. Morgan, what were you talking to Sora about regarding her mission? I thought you were still with Militech, working for the government," Musashi asked, and Hiroyuki added, "And what did you say about Sora hacking into Lazarus Corporation?"

Morgan responded with a big smile, teasing the Hatake brothers, "Ah, well, about that... I can't say."

Musashi clenched his fists, while Hiroyuki, in retaliation, reached out his hand and flexed his fingers several times "Well then, pay up, you lost the bet." wiping the smile off Morgan's face.

"I haven't lost. I haven't even gotten serious!" replied Morgan, not lying, as he hadn't used all his weapons or ammunition that he would use in a real fight.

"Neither has Sora," Musashi replied, arms crossed, looking at one of the Ravens still watching them from the street.

"Tch, let me heal first before asking me for money, you usurers," managed to annoy Morgan as he followed Musashi's gaze... while wiping the blood that was still dripping from his ear.

"If you need help with that, I can offer it," said a calm voice emerging from one of the establishments on Urmland Street, greeted by the metallic sound of three gun barrels from Hiroyuki, Musashi, and Morgan, who reacted in the same way, pulling out their weapons and aiming at the person who slowly emerged from one of the establishments.

"You don't have to worry. Okami contacted me to help someone named 'Harry.'" At the irritated expression on "Harry's" face and the laughter of the Brothers, he added, "Sorry, I'm paraphrasing. I'm Viktor, a Ripperdoc. Nice to meet you all."

Viktor said, introducing himself. Watson's beloved Ripperdoc, who locked himself in his clinic while some intense combat was taking place outside, only to find out later that was one of his clients, when he briefly wrote to him to come out and help "Harry the legend"

"Tch, looks like the kid at least has a heart. Well, Viktor, is your clinic nearby?" Morgan asked, pleasantly surprised that the young man had contacted a Ripperdoc.

"Right here," Viktor kindly replied, leading the three of them inside.

"Great, then let's go!" Morgan entered first, followed by the surprised brothers, who also smiled slightly at the fact that Sora had reached out to a ripperdoc. With the raven watching them flying away soon after.

---

Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, Sora lay on the ground, breathing heavily, struggling to move his arm to unlock the safety of his armor and open it. Revealing his torso covered with intense bruises from the fall, with multiple bullet wounds in the left shoulder and abdomen, besides burns scattered all over his body, from his own grenade.

His painful breathing and difficulty in movement were just a fraction of the price he had to pay for overloading his nervous system, literally burning his own nerves in the process. Only by staying alive and avoiding paralysis, thanks to the regenerative enhancements of his cells that regenerated lost nerves, which consumed a tremendous amount of energy. And using his nanobots as artificial nerves, allowed him to keep moving.

A few minutes later, Sora was still lying on the rooftop, struggling to stay conscious while being overwhelmed by fatigue, after his nanobots expelled the two remaining bullets from his body, and his wounds began to heal gradually. However, something made Sora stand up like a spring, and maybe something else.

When he received a new and revealing selfie from Judy, wearing a red hood and her seductive black lingerie, accompanied by the message: ["When is Okami coming to devour me?"]. That question and that image mysteriously filled with energy the exhausted and wounded body of Sora, who, without realizing it, had already relocked the lock of his armor and jumped out of the building...

20 minutes later.

With that mysterious surge of energy having been expended by rushing back to the apartment as fast as he could, Sora now found himself exhausted, leaning his hand against the hallway wall, and with the other carrying his broken helmet, slowly approaching the apartment door.

Slowly passing by the door of his white-haired neighbor, until he finally arrived in front of the door of his own apartment. Opening it, he was greeted by the sight of Judy, bathed in the apartment's indirect light, dressed in a bright red hood and her lingerie set, lying on the sofa in a seductive pose that accentuated the attractive curves of her body. Staring at Sora as he entered, smiling sensuously.

Upon seeing her, a broad smile spread across Sora's face. But as he took a step toward Judy, he collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness, utterly drained.

"Oi... Sora," Judy said, thinking he was joking, until Eco, who had spent the night with her as a form of punishment for all the weapons in the garage, got up to assist him.

She was worried, especially when they removed his armor and saw his body covered in bruises, minor burns, and what appeared to be gunshot wounds on his shoulder and abdomen. Eco reassured her, informing her that Sora was only exhausted and that his injuries were no longer severe.

Judy stepped into Sora's armory and retrieved multiple personalized IV bags, that he had prepared for these circumstances. She administered them to him through a drip after placing him in bed with the help of Eco and Luna. Afterward, Judy cleaned his body and stayed by his side, caring for him until he woke up the next day.

---

3 days until Gala Night.