The shouting grew louder as you approached, the hallway free of bodies. The rest of the hideout was cleared out, your chrome & iron having done the job, or perhaps not in favor of a more subtle entrance. With that, your gig should've been done here and now.
But you didn't account for any hostages, or a daemon based on all that screeching...
"YOU MOTHERFUCKERS, YOU'RE ALL DEAD! DEAD! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU WHEN I'M OUTTA THIS!" That rabid threat lead you to the cellar, lock already dealt with once you reached the bottom of the stairs. Moving inside, you're met by grime & dust, almost no light save for weak rays from the stairwell plus the huge floodlight emplaced in the center, aimed at a crappy bed. On it, you discover the fiendish little presence, frantic eyes of rage targeting you at once.
"HEY, YOU, ASSHOLE! GET ME THE FUCK OUT THIS! I'M GONNA KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE GONK BASTARDS UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF THEM! FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT!" Writhing within her bonds, purple electric strands restraining her to the bed, all she had on were her bra & panties. The scene spoke for itself, but based on your unintentionally timely arrival, it looked like the gonks didn't get the chance to go any further. To say this was an unexpected hitch in the equation would be an understatement...
Now what?
John's cyberware searched her face all over the net until it came up on her identity "Rebecca", once a member of a pretty infamous group of Runners. Unfortunately that was months ago, they'd followed a bad lead trying to find her and walked into a trap setup by the group he'd just wiped out. "You're Rebecca. Part of Maine's crew..they hired me a couple of months ago to come and find you, they needed the extra legs and chrome. I'm going to turn off the paralysis field. They're all dead, I killed every last thing that had a heartbeat or powercell in the whole building. Solo. You need to get some control over yourself before you break your chrome or something. Then we need to talk." True to his word, John turned off the device keeping her from moving around too much.
"What. The fuck."
"Oh, you're that shithead... the one who couldn't cut it! Pussy. You had them on speed dial? Figures."
As the shocks stop coursing through her limbs, Rebecca lies there panting for breath. She rolls onto her side and stares daggers at him, hand twitching as if to reach out and slap him across the face. Eventually, she calms down enough to speak, a crooked smile playing on her lips despite herself.
"You know... you're not bad for an old man."
John caught her hand with reflexes faster than she could see, but his expression was only sympathetic "I cut it just fine. I just didn't want to get caught up in the middle of whatever was going on with Maine acting weird at the interview. I dipped and told him he could say whatever..and that was before they caught you." He sat next to her and started to undo the straps that had her tied down. "Looks like they jerked off all over your clothes, too scared of you to actually fuck you, even when you were paralyzed and strapped down." He made a disgusted face at the dried cum on the woman's clothes. "Lets look around for someone to loot some clothes off for you. Better blood then some random asshole's crusty cum."
"Better blood than my own? Now that's just rude." With the pain gone and her body finally free again, she swings her legs off the bed and sits up. Her breasts bounce back to life as she adjusts her posture, hands automatically reaching up to massage them through her bra. "But yeah, I guess I owe you one. For now."
They find some clothes for her in a cramped storage room: plain black yoga pants and an even plainer tank top. After she changes into them, Rebecca heads over to the bodies of her former captors, searching their pockets for anything useful. "These assholes ever say anything about my brother?"
"Well when I busted in they were having a party. You're going to want to sit down to hear me say why." He walked over to a sofa, and pushed the dead bodies on to the floor., he relaxed his posture like he was getting ready to lift something heavy and waited for her to decide where she was sitting
"They were having a party? Well, fuck." With a sigh, she settles down onto the couch next to him and crosses her arms over her chest. "Tell me everything."
John nodded "They were having a party to celebrate killing they're biggest competitors. Your crew. They let one of theirs get caught to feed David and Maine some bad intel that lead them into a trap. They got the intel after they sent me out to look for you, paying enough in advance for me to get some serious upgrades. Otherwise I'd have been there for that shit show. That was a couple of months ago. They did a good job disappearing with you after that. I used every favor with every contact I had, and still needed to earn a dozen more from half a dozen fixers all over the city." John had put in legwork to find her, he'd put his name, and his reputation on the line to rescue the shortstack, and even avenged her friends and family for her
"Fuck me..." is all she manages to say as the whole story sinks in. A part of her wants to be grateful that someone went through so much effort to rescue her, but another part just can't seem to shake the feeling of betrayal. "So, now what?" she finally asks. "They wiped out Maine's crew... and they had me."
"Yup. I didn't know you were here either. I figured they'd killed you ages ago, this was a scorched earth kamikaze run. I was going to kill every living thing in this building, or die trying. Present company excepted of course. I was still on contract to rescue you, even if my employer is in a better place. Eldritch does not quit a job part way, ever." He nodded "So, this rescue isn't over until you're someplace safe, and thinking about what you'd like to do now. We could see who was paying these fucks, which fixers gave them jobs, find out who their friends and family were and go after them too. Or if just killing the guys with blood on their hands for it was enough, we can work together, the two of us." He brought up a map of the city from the cyberware in his hand and showed her the location of several safe houses he had. There was a brief description of each one. One of them was hiding in plain sight in the suburbs with a house with a white picket fense. Another was a decommissioned military bunker under the subway system.
Huh... Never would've expected somethin' like this comin' outta the woodwork. I guess I owe you big time now, huh? Fuck it, we might as well see what kind of mess these bastards left behind... but first, can we stop by my old spot? Pick up some stuff and say goodbye to Pillar?
"Yea, he won't be "there" but I know what you mean." he nodded. He'd previously explained that her whole crew, even her brother had gotten taken out. "So we'll stop by what's left of your old place, you can talk to his ghost, or whatever. He's probably left something for you. stashed away if anything happened to him." John was putting this all as gently as possible for the woman who's just been told everyone she cared about had been killed.
Thanks... I appreciate it, choom... You're a hell of a lot nicer than I ever gave you credit for.
He shrugged "Upgraded empathy chip." It was a joke, but he was still smiling at her. "So we're on the same page, you have me as backup until I think you're safe. So I go where you go, if you're not within arms reach, I can't cover you, and vicecersa. Doesn't matter if I'm pissing, or having a bath. You're 3 feet away from me at all times."
"Deal. I can dig that. I wanna go home and say goodbye to Pillar, then show me those safe houses again?"
John nodded, looking down at her, due to the height difference. She wasn't even 5 foot tall and he was 6'3. "Sure, I know some shortcuts that will get us to that area with as few eyes on us as possible."
"Lead the way, choomba. Let's go give my brother some hell one last time." With a deep breath and a nod, she follows him out of the hideout, her oversized red and blue cyberarms flexing almost subconsciously at her side.
"I know a great doc that can unlock the size changing feature of those. He owes me more than he could ever repay, so he does software upgrades for free." John took the lead, looking out the door to see if there had been a call to the cops or anything over the sounds of screaming and gunfire. "How're your legs? It's a LONG walk and you've been tied down to a cheap mattress for 5 months." He looked over the gorgeous pale shorty while waiting for her answer, he was checking out her cyberware as much as her figure
She snorts. "They'll do. I've had worse." Her gaze shifts to the side as she watches him out of the corner of her eye. "Thanks for askin', I guess." There's a slight blush on her cheeks as she realizes he's been checking her out, but she doesn't mind. Not one bit. It's been so long since anyone paid any attention to her like that...
John looked at her, noticing the blush but letting her have her pride and not bringing it up. "I'll carry you the last leg, then we'll stop by my Ripper's place and have him give you a once over, look for tracking bugs or boobytraps you didn't know about because you were unconscious when they installed them." He walked with her towards her old place, where she used to live with her brother when he was alive, when all of her friends were still alive. Now all she had was John Eldritch, a guy she met once after he left before even finishing his interview with Maine. They could just under half way before Becca started looking tired "You good there short stacks?" Keeping the mood light, even in these circumstances.
She nods, trying to keep up the pace despite her tiredness. "I'm fine. Just... nostalgic, I guess." Her voice catches in her throat as they near the place where she last saw Pillar alive. "Rememberin' all the good times... and the bad ones too." She trails off, her attention drifting as she takes in the familiar surroundings.
While she's distracted John takes the opportunity to pick her up, like she's a princess and hold her in his arms. "You can rest, I'm pretty sure I know the block we're going to. I'll wake you when we get there, and you can show me the rest of the way. Just tell me now if you need the kiss of true love or something to wake you up, cause I don't have that chem on me right now, so I'd have to try it the old fashioned way" There wasn't actually a chem called that, he was teasing her playfully and flirting like she sued to wish David would do.
She glances up at him with a wry smile on her lips. "You're kinda cute when you're charming like that." Her eyes flutter closed and she rests against his shoulder, taking in the feel of his strong arms around her, protecting her from harm. A tiny sigh escapes her lips as exhaustion finally overtakes her.
John nodded and smiled as he brought her to a bench outside the apartment block she used to live in. He rested there himself, catching his breath and getting ready to support his new partner. He spoke softly to her "Hey, Becc's time to wake up. We're at the block, but you need to direct us to which stack and stuff. You don't have to get down if you don't want to. You weigh basically what your hands do." He looked at her huge cyber hands resting between them against his chest. They'd probably actually weigh plenty, but John had all kinds of low profile cyberware going on that was really bleeding edge. "So you point I'll walk. Then when we're inside you can hold my hand while you say good bye to the physically empty apartment."
"Pillar's... was on the third floor..." Her voice is thick with sleep as she forces her eyes open and looks around, orienting herself. "Apartment D. Top of the stairs on your left." Slowly, she pushes herself up to sitting, then stands on shaky legs. "Thanks for the lift," she murmurs, giving him a tired smile before leading him through the desolate halls toward her brother's old place.
John lead her through the halls that hadn't been repaired since an obvious gun battle had gone on outside of her old home. He set her down on her feet and walked along, beside her. Being there to support her through this. When they got to the door, it had been blasted off its hinges and just inside was torn police tape and signs that they were there, just not doing anything about the murder, but John had. He'd killed all the assholes that had killed her brother, her friends, and that had tortured her for almost half a year. He didn't say anything, just standing within 3 feet of her, so she could feel his presence.
She takes a shaky breath as she steps over the debris and pushes her way inside, memories flooding her mind with each step. Pillar's favorite chair is knocked over in the corner; the curtains hang limply from their rods, bloodstains marking them like a grotesque map of where he struggled against his attackers. Rebecca makes her way to the bedroom and collapses onto the bed, her shoulders shaking as she sobs uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, rubbing her eyes with bloodstained hands. "I'm sorry I left you, Pillar... I should've been there to help you."
He sat next to her while she was down and put his hand on her shoulder "They took you first, to weaken them, and then they came after the rest of them. Weren't you off grabbing Chinese take out when they grabbed you or something? Story I heard was there was like a dozen of them, and you took out more than half before they knocked you out." John pulled the crying girl into his lap, letting her sob against his warm, solid body.
She takes a shuddering breath, wiping her nose on her sleeve before looking up at him. "Thanks..." she whispers hoarsely. "For everything... I didn't think anyone could ever take them down like that." She looks around the room one last time, then stands, suddenly determined.
"Let's go get those sons of bitches what's left," she says gruffly, her voice thick with anger and tears. "Give 'em a piece of Rebecca, just like they did Pillar."
He smiled at her "Everyone who had pulled a trigger was in that house, where I got you. Now they're all bug food, unless some mad scientist out there wants to frankenstien them all together to come after us or something, I got them for you. Now we get you checked out, make sure you're okay, then we plan our next steps. I know they destroyed your phone, so we'll share mine for the rest of the night, and once we find out that I don't need to run all over Night City for rare and expensive parts that you need because they boobytrapped your skull to explode at sun up or something, we get you your own phone." He took the lock off his phone and handed it to her. His background was a picture of a fantasy goblin with tits the size of her head. Evidently John liked short girls with big tits. "I've got a bunch of games on there, Pirate YouTube, the usual crap." He smiled at her and picked her up to walk out of there. "You want me to burn this place down behind us?"
She pauses in thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Nah. Leave it as a reminder to anyone who comes after us next." She takes the phone from him, idly fiddling with the screen while they walk back to his hideout. Her expression softens as she looks up at him. "Thanks again... for everything."
As they arrive at his safe house, John leads her down into the decommissioned military bunker and shows her around, explaining how each room is soundproofed and equipped with medical kits and sensors to protect them from any unwanted intruders. It's a stark contrast to the luxurious lifestyle she used to live in with Pillar, but for now, it feels like home.
"So," she says finally, after they both settle into comfortable positions on one of the many couches in the common area, "What's next?"
"Well like I said, I want to get you checked for trackers and boobytraps on your cyberware. You can ask for upgrades while he's here. I've got a stock of spare parts laying around cause I occasionally switch loadouts for a job, but I'm kind of getting attached to this "One Man Army" load out I've got. So I called my Ripper Doc while you were resting on the way to your place and have him come meet us here, about 10 minutes from now. Did you want to have a shower while we wait, or just kill time with my phone and then have as much time as you want to really get clean, after the Doc leaves?"
She glances down at her body, remembering the days of wearing anything she wanted with pride. Now all she feels is self-consciousness about the tank top and yoga pants that cling to her in ways they never did before. "I should probably shower... get rid of this sticky feeling," she mumbles, then looks back up at him, her expression softening once more. "Thanks for understandin'. I don't suppose you could maybe watch over me or somethin', while I do it?"
The thought of being completely alone in the bunker fills her with an unease she can't quite explain. It's not a fear of the dark; she lived in Night City, after all. But something about this place... this sanctuary John built for himself, and invited her in... it just feels vulnerable. Maybe it's because there's no one else here but them. Or maybe she's just being paranoid. Either way, the prospect of facing that fear alone doesn't sit well with her.
She holds his gaze expectantly, willing him to understand and offer some sort of reassurance. Even if it's only an empty promise. Because in this moment, she realizes she needs it more than anything else.
John nodded "I told you, 3 feet all times right? Even if you're having a nasty shit after eating Sushi you found on the couch the next morning after a bender, I'll be there, 3 feet from you. I'll be wearing a gas mask, but I'll still be there, 3 feet close to you." He made the joke because he could see the unease in her face. He noticed the way she touched herself, and wondered if she'd had larger breasts before he'd rescued her and they were stolen, removed from her mostly cyberware torso. "I don't know if anyone's ever told you before but I really dig the choice you've made with your hair and eyes. The marks on your neck and belly are pretty cool too." He lead her to the washroom so she could have a quick shower, he was watching her undress with only slightly obvious interest. They didn't have time to explore either of their interests just yet.
She smiles shyly at his compliment, then blushes deeper when she realizes he's watching her undress. It's been so long since anyone paid attention to her like this... and it feels kind of nice. "Thanks," she murmurs softly as she enters the washroom, not closing the door behind her.
Inside, she turns on the shower, letting the hot water cascade over her body. As she scrubs away the dirt and grime of her captivity, she can't help but feel a little more hopeful about the future. Maybe there's life after Pillar, maybe there's even a chance for love again...
She pauses for a moment, considering the thought. It had been so long since anyone cared enough about her to want to be with her, and yet John Eldritch... well, he seemed genuinely interested in her as more than just a bodyguard or an asset. The idea is both foreign and incredibly appealing. Her mind wandered back to the background picture on John's phone, murmuring to herself under the loudness of the water "you know..I'm about the same hieght.." She blushed thinking about what she was going to do. She was going to ask the ripper to make her tits bigger.
Closing her eyes, she lets out a sigh of contentment. For now, she can be grateful for his presence and protection. And maybe, if the universe is willing to play nice, there's a chance they could have something more...
The alarm that told them someone was outside went off, John waited for Rebecca to get at least a towel on since she'd previously been wearing dirty, second hand clothes and nothing else. When she was in a towel, John lead her to the control room, so they could see the ripper doc looking up at the security camera sitting above an anti-tank gun. John turned on the intercom. "What's the word, bird." He'd waited for the ripper doc to sigh and say "The word of the day kids is Fuck the goverment, and fuck corpo scum." John smiled and looked at Rebecca "That's technically more than one word, but it is the code I gave him." He handed her a high powered pistol "If he gives you a bad feeling, you're welcome to shoot him in the knee until he behaves, but at least give him the chance to be a good doctor when you meet him." He walked out of the control room, side by side with Rebecca and met John's ripper doc at the bottom of a very long flight of concrete steps. "Doc Savage, this is my good friend and new Partner Rebecca. Becca, this is Doc Savage, he does my chrome and software. I trust him not to fuck me over cause I will survive and bury him alive in the basement of his daughter's home while she's on vacation somewhere nice." John was kind to those who deserved it, but was absolutely ruthless when crossed. He kind of hope she liked that about him. "Will you trust him to look over your cyberware and tell you what, if any upgrades/updates are needed?"
She exchanges a wary glance with John before smiling tentatively at the man before them. "Hey, Doc," she says softly, offering her hand to shake. "I appreciate your help." There's an unspoken promise in her words; if she ends up regretting this decision later, she won't hesitate to drag him down into hell with her. For now, though... for now, she'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
With a nod toward John Eldritch, she adds, "And I'll trust your judgment on this."
She can feel his gaze assessing her up and down as they make their way through the bunker; it's almost like he knows what she's thinking. But Doc Savage says nothing further as he leads them deeper into the heart of John's sanctuary, toward a room he calls the infirmary. The equipment inside looks state-of-the-art, more than capable of handling anything cybernetic Rebecca might throw at it.
She gingerly sits down on the examination table, spreading her arms wide and wincing slightly as she does so. "Go ahead," she mutters. "See what kind of mess I am."
The doc hooks her up to the equipment John had there and looked over at the tall blonde man "I'm not even going to ask how you got some of this, I heard that even the Miltek guys have problems getting some of this." John answered his question with a predatory grin "Then don't ask. Then I don't have to find a new doc who's smart enough to focus on making sure my Friend is in the best shape she could possibly get. If she needs a replacement, you tell me, I'll tell you which room to go, and the code for the door. I have a perfect inventory of everything in storage, so don't get any ideas about making a profit when you're on a job for me." He watched as the doc moved Rebecca's towel and exposed her to John, completely naked. Instinctively his eyes wandered over the short girl's body, his eyes were very appreciative of the view. While the doc looked at a display screen listing all the required updates and damage to Rebecca's body. "So, a cheap cybernetic heart when you were a teen stunted your growth..." He trailed off reading more from the screen "Your cyberhands are currently too big for you to get any kind of dexterity out of, but thats because whoever installed them didn't have a pirated activation code. Which, with John's setup I can get for you in a jiff. Alot of your organs are pretty messed up, but looking at the inventory list Mr.Eldritch has here, I can get you good as new, or better if you want. Any additional upgrades you wanted? I can take your eyes and polish them if you like? introduce an electric shock resistant polymer in your already synthetic skin. You name it Miss, your boyfriend's got it." The doc was the one to say what both John and Rebecca were thinking, and John did not correct him
"Well... I suppose that's why my wrists feel so strange," she mutters with a chuckle. "I just wanted to be able to take down anyone who hurt me." There's an almost dreamy quality to her voice as she looks down at the display, gaze unfocused as she imagines herself again in her old life. But that life is gone now, and it's time to move on.
She clears her throat, dragging her attention back to Doc Savage. "Well, since it won't cost me nothing..," she says carefully, "How about we upgrade my girls." She glances at her chest, if her hands weren't across the room on a bench to be repaired, she'd have grabbed them. "I'll trust you to know what's best for me, though" she tells them both firmly. "And I won't hesitate to ask if there's ever anything else I think I should consider." Her words are soft but steady, a declaration of trust and partnership.
John's eyebrows went up, as a male and fan of large breasts in general, he quietly approved. It would have been hurtful and rude for him to suggest it, but since Rebecca thought it on her own, he wasn't one to object. "Nothing crazy in them though, just breasts. We don't need you going cyber psycho because you put a lazer canon in each titty or something." He was chuckling at the silliness of the suggestion and the Doc nodded "Professionally, I am against weapons in the chest, there's not alot of room to install powerplants in there for said weapons, it makes maintaining the rest of one's cyberware impossibly complicated and really prevents basic "do it yourself" maintenance." John was shaking his head in disbelief "I'll be a moment while I get the necessary things from the storage room" The doc said before taking the keycard that would point the Doc to the room and open it, leaving John and Rebecca alone
She blushes deeply at John's amusement but can't help but feel relieved that he isn't objecting to her request. "Don't worry," she says quickly, trying to sound confident. "I'm not interested in anything too crazy. Just... I dunno. Enough that they're noticeable again." She glances down at herself once more, then looks up at him with a small smile. "Think you can help me out there?"
There's an almost flirtatious quality to her tone now, and it feels oddly liberating to be able to express herself like this, without the fear of judgment or reprisal. But then again, she trusts John... doesn't she?
John smiled at Rebecca "That's got to suck, they stole your tits? Beating you and getting your clothes...nasty wasn't enough? They had to take your boobs. Man that's low, even for thugs like that." He chuckled at the thought, it was kind of funny, she'd have to admit. They were all alone now and could talk about what the Doc said, so John broke the silence after his little joke. "I see you didn't correct him when the Doc called me your boyfriend." He watched her reaction, pulling the doc's stool next to her so she didn't have to look up at him talking to her. "He'll be a few minutes, you can speak your mind without worrying about the doc not seeing you as the indestructible gremlin that you have a rep for being."Even after all the damage done to her, and John could see it was plenty, most of her stuff was still at about 15% functionality, so she could live without getting repaired, but another serious fight or any big injuries and she's down for the count.
She shrugs, looking away uncomfortably. "It's just... I never really had time to worry about it before. Pillar was always so obsessed with keeping me safe that no one ever tried anything like that." She pauses for a moment, then adds, almost under her breath, "I mean, it was annoying as hell sometimes. But now..." She trails off, not quite sure how to finish the thought.
The silence stretches out between them, both of them seemingly lost in their own thoughts. It's only when John pulls up a chair next to her that she looks at him again, confusion coloring her features.
"So... what exactly did you mean, back there?" She motions vaguely toward the examination table as she asks. "About me being your partner and all that?" Her cheeks flush pink at the question; she can't help but feel like they're treading on dangerous ground here. But it needs to be asked...
"I mean what I said, we're partners, however deep you want to mean it, I'm comfortable with it. I didn't correct him because I thought I saw you crack a smile when the doc called me your boyfriend. I mean you're cute as hell, and you're a hell of a fighter when you're not held together with spite and attitude. So those are 2 really big boxes on the "what does John like in a girl box" checked." He'd tease her playfully about her request for implants "You'd better tell him what size you want cause its your body Hon." He said in seriousness now "you can't ask me to pick for you. That's like asking me if those yoga pants made your ass look fat. But most women would get mad at me anyways for answering." When he mentioned her ass, she'd decide she could use some more junk in her trunk as well as she laughed at his dumb jokes. "You've got a great laugh Rebecca, I'm happy to hear it."
Her cheeks flush even deeper at his words; it's been so long since anyone has found her attractive... let alone said something like that to her face. She blinks rapidly, struggling to find the right thing to say in response. But before she can form a coherent thought, he's already moved on to another topic, teasing her about the size of her new breasts.
Laughter bubbles up from her chest, filling the room with its warmth and lightness. She grins at him, feeling more relaxed now than she has in weeks. Maybe there's hope for them after all... or maybe this is just a temporary reprieve from reality. Either way, she's willing to enjoy it while it lasts.
As she leans closer to John, her gaze flickering momentarily to the examination table before returning to him, she decides there's something else she wants to know. Something that's been nagging at the back of her mind since he rescued her from Pillar. "There was one thing I wanted to ask you... about Pillar and all this," she says hesitantly. "Are you sure you got the person who killed him?"
John laughed with her when she laughed and took a breath to get ahold of himself after she stopped, and before she asked her serious question. "I'm as sure as the information I got lead me to the hideout of the people who killed your friends. If he was out getting tacos or sold out his buddies and ran, I can't be sure. I wasn't in the room with him when he ended your brother, or they'd have found pieces of his killer's body all over the hall. Pillar was a solid dude. Maybe not a good person, but I respected him and his work on a professional level, and personally? He had his sense of ethics, and I've got mine. We'd never been on opposite sides of anything, which was great. Because that would mean going against you, and that is not my game"
She nods slowly, her expression solemn as she thinks over his words. "I appreciate that," she says at last. "And I'm grateful to you for everything you did... getting me out of there and giving me a chance at a new life." Her gaze meets his, full of hope and trust... and something more. It almost hurts to admit the vulnerability she feels in this moment, but she knows that if she doesn't say it now, she might never find the courage again.
"I wanted you to know," she whispers, her voice trembling slightly, "that I'm willing to be your partner... however you want me to be." Her cheeks flame an even deeper shade of pink as she finishes the sentence, but she holds his gaze defiantly, refusing to look away or show any sign of hesitation.
It feels good to finally have said it out loud, and surprisingly freeing. Even if he doesn't reciprocate her feelings... even if they never become anything more than friends... at least she knows now that she tried. And isn't that what really matters?
"Well, once you get your hands back in working order, we can go ring shopping if you like." *He winked at her, accepting her confession and responding probably more affirmative than she had ever hoped, he'd basically proposed. And she didn't even have her new boobs yet. Rebecca would think to herself that if he liked her now, wait until the upgrades were done. She was thinking of getting her pussy upgraded too, now that she had someone she wanted to use it with. While she was lost in thought the doctor came back with a cart full of equipment and parts. "Okay now, I'm going to need to draw the curtain and put up the sterility zone here." He said as be tied a surgeon's face mask around his. "Rebecca, I'm going to put you to sleep while I work on replacing your damaged organs. Is there anything you thought of while I was gone, that you wanted to add to the list of upgrades?"
She shakes her head, already half-drowsy from the effects of the painkillers in her system. "No... I think that's everything for now," she mumbles. But even as she speaks, another idea flits through her mind, and she almost wishes she hadn't thought of it. The thought of having him put a knife into his hand is terrifying... but at the same time, there's something thrilling about it. Something that reminds her why she's here in the first place.
With a sigh, she resolves to ask him later. For now, she trusts John to make the right decision for her. Closing her eyes, she waits for the darkness to take her away... and dreams of what might be.
John waited right by her side, before she passed out she asked the doctor to make her tits 38 DD, and gave John a wink, it made him chuckle and he watched her fall to a deep sleep. He watched all the gorey wet work the doctor did as the ionizing field they were in stung his skin every fee seconds as it killed all micro organisms in the confinement of the operating room. Work that would have taken less skilled doctors twice as long, Doc Savage had gotten in about 12 hours. When everything was finished, the doc even polished Rebecca's eyes like he promised, and reattached her cybernetic hands after programming them to shift down to the proportions of her body. After he left, Rebecca was still asleep and he started dozing off watching over the now much curvier Rebbeca. She'd wake up shortly after John started snoring on the stook he sat on.
As she slowly begins to stir awake, her surroundings come back into focus: the bright medical lights overhead, the sterile white of the operating room, and...John's strong profile as he slumps beside her chair, softly snoring. The memory of what happened floods back, and she blushes hotly as she recalls asking for her breasts to be enlarged and giving him a wink. It feels like a dream now, but the slight discomfort in her chest reminds her that it's all too real.
When she opens her eyes fully, she glances down at herself, marveling at the sight of her new figure. Her cheeks heat up even more as she thinks about how he must have reacted to seeing her like this. Swallowing hard, she turns her head toward him, ready to tease or apologize...she's not quite sure which one would be more appropriate in this situation.
John was still asleep, the adrenaline of the night before, and then staying up to watch her while the doctor operated on her had wore him out. If she thinks about it for a second, she hasn't seen where the bedrooms are yet. She'd have to wake him so she didn't risk triggering a security system.*
Taking a deep breath, she nudges his shoulder gently with her fingertips. "Hey there, sleepyhead," she murmurs softly, trying not to giggle as he jerks awake, blinking blearily at her in confusion. "Time to show you around the place."
*John blinked as she was sitting up, topless and nude in front of him, the blood from the procedures cleaned away, leaving her skin looking shiny and fresh as ever. He watched her breasts rise and fall as she breathed. "Those are new." He looked up at her and smiled "Did you change your hair? It looks nice" She didn't, but it was a nice compliment anyways
Her cheeks flush even deeper at his comment on her breasts, but she manages to force a laugh. "No, they're not new...well, I guess they are now," she says with a grin, reaching up to touch them tentatively. Turning away slightly as if suddenly self-conscious, she adds quickly, "So about that tour? You've got a pretty sweet set-up here."
"Uh yeah. Sure." *He grinned waking up from his sleepy daze."You've seen the control room. It has the same kind of metal they use in the Aresaka penthouse panic room. It took me forever! To crack that bitch open and ice the fool inside, so I wanted that for my "bat cave" " *He chuckled st his
name* The mention of the Aresaka penthouse draws a small gasp from her; she'd heard stories about that place but had never been there herself. "You're serious? You killed someone in their panic room?" She shudders, admiring his ruthlessness. "And you wanted this for...your bat cave?" she echoes with a giggle, imagining him in such a setting.
As they explore the rest of the lair together, she listens intently to all his stories, hanging on every word. It's clear that he lives a life far removed from anything she could have ever dreamed of, and yet here he is now, offering her a piece of it. She can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude...and something more. Something that fills her with warmth and excitement every time he looks at her.
When they finally reach the bedroom where she's supposed to sleep, she hesitates on the threshold, glancing back over her shoulder at him. He watches her carefully, reading the unspoken question in her eyes. "I suppose you want to shower first," he says with a wink, the grin spreading across his face. "You smell clean enough, but I bet it'll feel good."
Her cheeks flush even deeper as she nods shyly. It seems silly now, worrying about such things when they could be doing so many other things instead...but somehow, the thought of being with him like this fills her with a deep sense of rightness. A sense that maybe, just maybe, they were meant for each other all along.
"Yup, this is my "batcave"" He laughed about the reference to the comic book super hero, he continued to tell her stories of the jobs he'd done and lots of them were above the paygrade she'd done with her friends before she was kidnapped and they were all murdered, and then subsequently avenged. The walk they were taking was bringing the much further away from the only entrance or exit to the bunker she'd seen. They passed through a set of open blast proof doors and the atmosphere was less ex-military and more casual and comfortable, like where she hung out before. "I have a fully stocked by in here too. Got an android bar tender too, her name's 18." He looked curiously at Rebecca "You're old enough to drink right?" His voice was serious, but his eyes were teasing. He'd accept whatever answer she gave him and let her drink anyways.
Her cheeks flush once more at his question. "I'm old enough... I drank all the time and Maine and David and Pilar, and the rest of them." She pauses giving a moment of silence for her dead family. Then she glanced around the cozy-looking lounge area they've entered. It reminds her of a trendy nightclub she used to visit sometimes with friends. She's not exactly secretly hoping that she can continue to move forward with John's help, go with him on his adventures, and missions.
"You know," she says slowly, drawing out the words as they reach an archway leading further into the lair, "I don't suppose you ever need help running errands?" She looks up at him hopefully, not quite daring to meet his eyes for fear of what she might see there. It's a ridiculous question; he practically owns this place and probably has people trained specifically for that kind of thing. But she can't help feeling like maybe, just maybe, there's some small way she could be useful to him...and in return, earn her keep here.
The thought both thrills and terrifies her.
"Well that's good news." He smiled "Not that I care what other people think, but rumors that I was hooking up with a teenage girl would probably have my odd reputation even more strange." He was honestly relived she wasn't a child. Especially with the upgrades she'd given herself. When she asked him about work, he didn't think about it much and offered the first thing that came to mind. "Sure, grocery runs saves me from having to deal with having them drop them off site somewhere, we'll go shopping online for clothes for you first, heels are going to definitely be a necessity for you from now on though, just so I can hear you walking around this big empty place. And since, everything you owned was destroyed when they took out your brother and your crew, it's all on my dime." His expression was saddend, thinking that he brought up a sore subject, about all her friends being murdered after she was already kidnapped. "I've got an arsenal in here too, I heard that you like guns, so you can look at my toys. I've got everything from functional antiques to cutting edge beam and plasma weapons."
She nods eagerly at his offer of running errands; it'll be the perfect way to repay him and earn her keep here. And with him teaching her how to fight, she can defend herself as well...just in case things ever go south again. The thought both frightens and excites her. "I'd like that," she says, surprising herself with how genuine the words sound. "I know my way around a gun; my brother was big on teaching me from an early age." She grins, feeling more at ease now than she has in weeks.
The mention of clothes sends her into another flurry of thought; it's true that everything she owned was gone now...and with John offering to buy her new things, it feels like a chance for her to reinvent herself. "What kind of style do you think I should go for?" she asks shyly. "I never really had much say in my clothing choices before..."
As they continue to talk and wander through the lair, Rebecca realizes that this might not be such a bad life after all...if she can just keep John from pushing her away with his insistence on honesty. She'll have to tread carefully around that one, but for now, she's determined to make things work between them. And if there's one thing she's learned from Pillar and the other members of her crew, it's that you always need to keep your options open.
He figured Rebecca was a decent fighter in her own right that's why he trusted her to go shopping for them, of course he just realized he'd have to go with her, or her PTSD would have her locked up in a panic attack unable to function if he wasn't close to her. He was thinking about her saying he smelled clean and was starting to get kind of hard, watching her big, round, bare tits bounce while she walked barefoot next to him, he'd decided to walk to the bar he spoke of. It was to their immediate left, she'd have seen the name of the bar "18's plus" and if she followed John into the bar, she'd notice right away a tall, blonde and chesty android behind the bar. The female looking machine had pale white skin and glowing blue eyes, it addressed John with a mature and sophisticated tone "Welcome back Master. Was your mission to save "your favorite gremlin" successful?"
Rebecca's eyes widen as they enter the dimly lit bar; the pale blue glow of the android's skin casting an eerie light across the room. The woman's words seem to confirm what John had said earlier, but it's still strange to hear such familiarity directed at her. She glances uncertainly at him, unsure how to react.
As they approach the bar, she can't help but be drawn to the android; its resemblance to a human woman is uncanny. When their drink orders are taken and 18 begins to mix their cocktails, Rebecca leans closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "So... you really treat it like this? Like it's alive or something?" She pauses for a moment, then adds with a giggle, "It's kind of creepy in its own way."
But despite her words, there's an undercurrent of fascination beneath the surface. This place...this whole lair...is so unlike anything she's ever experienced before. And the more time she spends with John and the others here, the more she starts to wonder if maybe this is where she truly belongs now.
"18 is a specialized infiltration and assassination android, her body count is higher than mine. She's also served to help me "relax" after tough missions." *18 having greater than human hearing, thanks to being an android and having audio sensors all over her body, heard them talking and replied to John's mention of stress relief "Master it has been 17 days since you'd come to speak to me as your "therapist", would you like me to help you relieve your stress now?" Android 18 looked at Rebecca "Disregard my comment, the database I have on laws states that performing sexual acts in front of minors is a criminal offence." She was confusing the 4'8 Rebecca with an actual child. John shook his head, really unsure what to say, he didn't know how old Rebecca was, and if she was trying to con him into keeping her as an adult instead of treating her like a child.
She laughs, surprisingly unoffended by the android's comment. "Believe me," she says with a wink, "I assure you I'm all grown up." The look on John's face only serves to make her more curious about him...about their relationship. She takes another sip of her drink, feeling its warmth spread through her as she considers how much he's already done for her and what it would mean if they could continue down this path together.
"So," she says slowly, "what kind of things did you have in mind when you said I could help with errands?" She studies him carefully over the rim of her glass, hoping that whatever he does or says next will give her some clue as to what the future holds for them...and whether they truly belong together.
"Whatever is clever. Not like you'd be going it alone." He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder "I know your PTSD needs me to be close enough for you to grab literally all the time, and there's no fixing that." Not that he wanted to really, he enjoyed that Rebecca was dependent on his presence for her ow mental well being. "So.. I don't really know? I guess just house hold tasks, though I have androids for that since I've never trusted anyone enough to bring them to live with me before." He smiled at her, there was a look of affection and honesty in his eyes. If she was checking his vital signs with her cybernetic eyes, she'd see his blood pressure was a little high and several other hallmarks that he was exhausted and stressed, or if she was sexually interested in him, she may infer that John was more than a little "pent up". "So I guess just keep me company and keep me human? I could get "social" interaction from the androids but it's not the same as having a conversation with a person, they don't have any intuition or ambition, they exist to serve me and protect me, and all of their opinions and suggestions are calculated logically with little care for themselves beyond necessary self preservation."
Her cheeks flush at his words; they touch something deep within her, making her heart race faster than it has in weeks. She nods thoughtfully, considering everything he's said. "You make a good point," she murmurs softly, taking another sip of her drink as she looks up at him from underneath her lashes. "And I don't mind...company. As long as it doesn't interfere with anything you need to do."
She takes his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze, the warmth of their skin making contact seem almost electric. "I mean," she continues with a shy laugh, "you saved me...gave me a new life, practically. I'd be more than happy to repay you somehow." Her voice is quiet but determined; he can see it in her eyes that she truly means what she's saying.
For now, she can only wait and hope that things work out between them...and that honesty continues to be their greatest weapon.