Chương 89: Mama Bear

Bats comes back to the apartment not long after Ori and Rebecca had finished the first movie, the guy looked tired and haggard, as if he'd not slept the whole night...

The new couple steps out of the shower with water still clinging to them... Not to mention both had forgotten to bring a change of clothes, leaving them walking through the place with only towels covering their bodies, much to Bats' chagrin.

"Er, sleep well Bats?"

"Don't 'er' me, put some damn clothes on!" he exclaims, looking away as he points a finger between the duo.

Rebecca shrugs and heads back to the room, leaving Ori there with Bats, "You not sleep or something?"

Bats lets out a long sigh, "I made a mistake with the hotel... Turned out to be a 'one night stay' kinda place. With walls thin enough that I could smell a guy's balls in the next room, not to mention hearing him and his buddy rail some girl all night... Your night better have been worth my suffering or I might just throw myself out the window."

Ori shrugs and grins, "No complaints on my end."

"And hers?" he inquires.

"Sore in various places... Even made me give her a massage in the shower."

Bats shifts in place uncomfortably, "So, did you..." he shakes his head, "Were you safe...?"

"Safe?"

"I mean, birth control, condoms, all of that..." he quietly asks, glancing at the door of Ori's room.

He rapidly blinks, realisation hitting him... "Uh... Gimme a minute." he states, stepping back into his room. "Hey, 'Becca. Just askin', you are on birth control right? Since, y'know..."

The girl turns to him as she ties up her hair into twin tails. "Hm? Oh, you wanna start picking names then?"

"Names?" he parrots, entirely confused.

"For the kid, I was thinking Reori... Or Orebbeca...?"

"You what!?" he exclaims, his voice cracking from shock. "Y-you..."

She burst into laughter, "Hahahaha! You shoulda seen your face! I mean really, me, a parent? Guts could probably do a better job!"

"... Guts your shotgun?" he asks and she nods as if it were obvious.

"So, you did take care of it then?"

"Yeah, started taking the pills yesterday morning. I did say you weren't getting away, by then I'd already committed to it." she shrugs.

"But you didn't have them back at your apartment?"

"Eh, risks are meant to be taken, I'm sure you would have handled it... Daddy." she says, whispering the last part into his eyes and causing a shiver to run down his spine as she steps past, out of the room.

------------

The celebration for the Biotechnica job was held underneath Lizzie's Bar, mostly to prevent anyone unwanted from finding out their identities. Not to mention the possibility of the Mox being implicated with it...

The Eddies for the job were distributed, and everyone shared a drink for a job well done, along with Sasha joining the crew. There they teased Ori and Rebecca about their new relationship but the latter of the two just turned it back on them. Judy was a particularly easy target with how well Rebecca knew her, after all.

After a long night of drinking, everyone slowly departed. Rebecca headed back to her own apartment, leaving Ori to stumble home with a bottle of bourbon still in one hand.

Once he steps into his apartment however he abruptly falls flat on his face as something hits in the back of his head. He groans and looks up, spotting a tied-up and bound Bats on the floor in front of the couch.

Two people were sitting around, both he recognised... "Kiwi, Pilar... What the fuck is this?" he scowls at what seemed like yet another betrayal...

"Oh, I don't know you little cum-rag. Maybe you should on it harder?" Pilar spits as two large hands wrap around Ori and slip a thick metal cable around him.

He struggles to get free, but he wasn't strong enough to break the stranger's grip on him, or break metal for that matter... "This is not funny."

"Good, or there wouldn't be any point to this." a deep voice says from behind him, prompting Or to turn. He spots the man who must have been seven feet tall and made completely of muscle, he was black with bombastic blonde hair and goatee, and sunglasses covering his eyes.

"The fuck are you?" Ori can't help but ask as his nanites hurriedly clear the alcohol from his sytstem.

"Name's Maine, I run this crew." he states, tossing Ori onto the couch next to Pilar who throws an arm over his shoulder. "I hear you're pretty big shit yourself, or you think so at least. Kiwi told me all about that stunt you pulled on Biotechnica."

Ori scoffs, sending a glare at Kiwi who just shrugs and lights a cig, "So what, you're here to claim the bounty then?"

Pilar nods erratically, "Fuck yeah! Gonna sell you to the highest bidder and have the Eddies roll in!"

"No. We're not." Kiwi idly states, using an empty glass as an ashtray as Maine sits next to her, the couch creaking under his weight.

...

Maine leans forwards, resting an elbow on his knee, "We're actually here to talk about Rebecca-"

"Stay away for my sis you twiggy shit-head nobody!" Pilar exclaims, interrupting Maine.

"It's the 'stay away from my daughter talk', just bear with it." Kiwi remarks, crossing her legs.

"Kiwi, do you gotta ruin it so quick? How're we supposed to scare the kid if you tell 'em everything?" Maine says.

...

Ori just stares at the trio with a deadpan, "That's it...? I get Pilar being here then, but you two?"

Maine shrugs, "Far as I'm concerned she's still part of the crew, but since Kiwi's vouching for ya, you're probably alright..."

"Alright!? I found this guy screwin' my sis in my apartment! No way In hell that's alright!" Pilar shouts, only to get ignored by everyone.

Ori turns his gaze at the Netrunner, prompting her to let out a sigh, "Just making sure these two don't accidentally kill you. Rebecca would not be happy with me if you kicked the bucket."

...

"So... If you're done, could you untie us and leave then?"

...

"We could... Or we could toss you in the river and save Rebecca some trouble..."

"I already know this routine is fake..."

Maine drops a large hand onto his shoulder while tilting his glasses down, allowing him and Ori to lock eyes, "I'm not fuckin' around though, you hurt her and we'll come runnin'. If you ain't serious, drop it, or we drop you... Got it?"

Ori just shrugs, "You think Rebecca would let me go if I played around with her?"

Maine snorts and stands, "Hm, I guess. Remember my warning."