Louise closed the book with a dull thud, a sigh escaping her parted lips.

How many days had she spent here now? She was losing track of time, especially since she had never gone outside in all the time she'd spent in this place. The only way she even knew when day had transitioned into night was by the number of 'Runners' milling about or the numbers in the 'digital alarm' sitting at at her bedside. Right now she could see a lazily blinking '9:37 PM' on the machine, which meant Robin would be back soon enough.

As she'd learned, the 'Runners' preferred doing their tasks at night. The city's alleys and shadows helped mask their activities and it was better than breaking into a heavily fortified building in the middle of the day. Right now she could only see a few of them milling around, most of them watching some type of sport on the miniature stage- er, television. She still found the idea of it - broadcasting images from one place to another - to be very absurd. Robin had been adamant that it wasn't magic, rather a mix of technology and electricity or...actually, she didn't really know and it wasn't a priority right now.

She traced the faded title of the leather book. A book on the various corporations that dominated this world and a brief history on each on. Robin had cheekily commented that it took a while to find since most people used something called 'digital copies' to read rather than hardbound books of paper and ink. Thankfully there was an old bookstore around here that still hadn't closed down so she could get it for her.

She spent her time here reading. Despite her lack of magical aptitude she was always good at absorbing information to keep her grades up and this was no exception. She read through every book she was given like a starving man offered a feast, trying to reconcile everything she knew with the new information she was receiving. As she processed every word she was slowly but surely beginning to take stock in Robin's theory that she was an 'alien', whatever in Helheim that was.

This place - Seattle, as Robin had called it - was in a place called UCAS, the 'United Canadian and American States); one country among many in this world. Supposedly there was a reason for such a name and why whatever in the hel 'Canandian' and 'American' states were had been united, but she took little interest in it. She would focus on this land's general history when she had the time.

Oh, and there were apparently two countries run solely by Elves, but she tried her best not to think about that. Bad enough the demons took the desert back in her home, now they had two of them.

She of course had gravitated towards the magic books, trying to reconcile her lessons with the studies conducted here - It only took a quick glance on what the 'Awakened' were for her to give up on such a notion. As far as she could gather certain individuals simply 'awoke' to the capability of using magic regardless of their race or circumstances. She'd also read about the 'Shamans' and the bonds they established with spirits: Back home they would have been burned as heretics, but here they were an accepted part of everyday life barring the occasional moments of prejudice.

Even more distressing, the act of summoning only pertained to the summoning of spirits from some sort of astral plane. With every book she burned through her hope of finding more information to try and recreate the spell slowly grew dim. Casting the summon spell once more did nothing and as far as she read every attempt at teleportation in this world was a failure, amounting to nothing more than theories and futile experiments.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She could never recall a time she'd so desperately read through so many works of literature in such a short timespan. Whatever this place was it was quite clear that it wasn't her home. She couldn't even imagine what would have happened if the 'Awakening' happened in her homeland; normal humans turning to other races, dragons rampaging across the lands before they were subdued. The chaos would have been astronomical.

She wondered how her family was doing. No doubt they thought her to be dead now, the victim of a magical mishap. Once more she felt the urge to cry before she quickly reined it in. There was no point to it; her tears wouldn't bring her any closer to going back home nor would it do anything except elicit a few more looks of pity. The other 'Runners' had no idea what she was doing here, regarding her as nothing more than a lost little girl that Robin had taken under wing...no pun intended.

Another yawn escaped. She was going to go mad staying here, reading more and more to try and keep herself from going insane. Robin worked for them both, simple jobs so they could afford to eat and buy more books from her. For a supposed criminal the woman was oddly generous; many others would have grown tired of her presence and dismissed her if they weren't her family.

Soft footsteps drew closer. Looking up, Louise gave a tired smile to the raven haired young woman as she walked lazily into their shared corner. Robin returned the gesture, waving her free hand in greeting. Her 'glasses' were gone and given the way she slouched she had to assume the Shadowrunner was planning to sleep despite the early hours. She'd told her earlier that today would have been a big job, enough to temporarily alleviate them from their hand-to-mouth existence.

"How was your task?" Louise asked, trying to remain casual. Robin tried her best to not divulge details about what she did in an attempt to spare her feelings.

"Ah...it was a bust." She flopped down on the bed and sighed, shaking away her boots, "It was supposed to be a simple smash and grab and- Oh, sorry, you probably don't wanna hear it."

"It's fine...being ignorant doesn't change the facts, and it's not as if I have any room to judge given all that you've given me." She shrugged. It scared her somewhat that she so easily brushed away that the money that fed her came at the expense of others, "Listening's the least I could do."

"Well, if you insist." She grinned, adjusting her place on the bed, "So get this. It was supposed to be a simple job: A museum had a scroll in an exhibit and we were going to swipe it. All I had to do was shut off the cameras and alarms and then they would sneak past the rent-a-cops and snatch it. Sounds simple enough, right?"

"In a manner of speaking..."

"Right, well, the fragging troll leading this little squad of goons gets caught by a janitor. Rather than threatening him or tossing a few nuyen to keep it quiet so we can keep going he decides the mission's a bust and hightails it back to the escape point." She snorted, waving her hands in irritation, "They get caught, of course, and we had to run away with Lone Star on our ass every step of the way. I'm lucky the drekhead didn't decide to start shooting or we would have gotten cars on us. Took me an hour to lose em and get back here."

"What happened to the others?" She asked.

"Hell if I know. They could be in a Lone Star cell right now and I wouldn't give a ghoul's ass." She brought a hand through her hair, "I knew I shouldn't have ran with them but that last clusterfrag of a job I had didn't exactly inspire confidence so I couldn't afford to be picky." She gave her a half-hearted grin, "Guess that payday I promised you isn't gonna come, kid."

"As long as you're alright, I don't care." She dismissed, doing her best not to look at Robin's no-doubt teasing smirk, "So what are you going to do now?"

"Now? Well, I guess it's back to the basics." She lied down on the bed, "Gunderson needs a package delivery tomorrow and even if it ain't glamorous it puts food on the table. You're gonna have to wait a bit before I can buy you a new book, okay? With how things are now I'd prefer if we had a little more creds saved up before we go and buy anything more than the essentials."

"It's fine...I think I've had enough reading to last me for quite a while." She paused, taking a moment and considering her next words, "Look, when you go to your job tomorrow...can I...come with you?"

Robin sat up and gave her a blank look. She didn't blame her; Robin had told her of the Barrens, of the dangers present within. It would have been better for everyone involved if she kept her head down and let her do all the work for them, but something urged her to leave...to finally look at this world with her own eyes rather than hearing muted tales from her companion.

"You...wanna go to the Barrens? I'm hearing that right, yeah?"

"Y-Yes..." She took a deep breath and tried to calm her shaking, "Yes, I wish to go with you tomorrow. You told me yourself that the job would be simple, yes? If it's just getting a package and delivering it to someone then it shouldn't be too dangerous."

"Even simple jobs can be complicated, especially in the Barrens." She muttered, "Look, I'm not your mom so I can't force you to stay here but I need to know what you're aware of the risk. It's not just the gangers we have to worry about; You remember what I told you about those Brotherhood drekheads, right? They want you for a reason, and I'll bet it's not because they wanna invite you over to tea. You sure that you wanna go out there with that price on your head like that?"

"You do it and you're in as much danger as I am." She pressed her lips into a thin line. She still recalled the discussion she and Robin shared a few nights prior about the madmen attempting to summon monsters. They wanted her for some nefarious reason or another and they'd made clear that Robin was as much a target as she was for her involvement in that house of madness.

"I can defend myself. You? I'm not so sure." Robin let out a frustrated breath, "Like I said I'm not your mom so I'm not going to force you to stay here, but if we're really doing this then I need to make sure that you don't walk in there with your ass hanging out." She looked her up and down, "That means you do what I say when I say it, okay? I don't wanna hear any complaints or arguments."

"Agreed. You're the expert here."

"Alright, so first things first you need to get a change of clothes." She stood up briefly before sitting next to her, hands on her shoulders and pulling at the fabric"You go out there looking like you just came out of school and gangers are going to be on you like a dragon to treasure. We need something to at least make you look less like a schoolgirl or something."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Hmm...well, my clothes aren't going to fit you, so we're gonna need to buy something small from Jin. Shouldn't be too expensive to get a decent outfit for someone as short as you." She ruffled her hair to try and lighten the mood, "Your hair's fine, you wouldn't be the first one here with weird colors." She licked her lips and took another nervous breath. She wasn't a very good bodyguard so something like this was definitely not her expertise. It would be a miracle if they weren't mugged at least once tomorrow.

Now of course came the harder part.

"We need to give you a gun-"

"Absolutely not." Louise interrupted, her expression aghast.

Robin pinched the bridge of her nose to try and stem the feeling of irritation, "What did I say about following orders?" Louise opened her mouth to say something before she quickly cut her off, "Look, I'm not asking you to start popping heads, but you need something if you wanna walk out there without getting harassed by every damn mugger from here to the end of Seattle. Even a gun in a holster can be enough to tell someone to back the hell off."

"I...well, if you're sure." She bit her lower lip, her hands shaking.

"Trust me, most of these guys talk big but they don't wanna harass someone who looks like they can fight back. The better your gun is the less likely they're gonna try and shake you down so if you go out there with nothing but that stick of yours we're gonna get robbed before we even take a few steps. If we're lucky you won't even have to hold it by the time we get back."

"A-Anything else?"

"Just make sure to stick close to me, okay? Keep an eye out on your surroundings and ignore the catcalls or whatever they try to call you. They're all talk for the most part so don't try anything unnecessary."

"G-Got it." Louise swallowed nervously. Well, it was time for her to see the outside world at last.

The first thing she noticed was the single moon in the night sky.

Louise looked up at the white circle, mouth parted in slight wonder. She'd read about the single moon before in the books...well, it was mentioned briefly, but seeing it herself was another thing entirely. It was so...small compared to the ones from her home. How was the night even bright enough with only that thing keeping them illuminated? Or was that why there were so many lights in the city, because otherwise they would have been smothered in darkness?

"Kid, you there?"

"Hmm?" She blinked and looked to Robin. The older woman was looking at her worriedly, "It's nothing, just...nevermind." She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be discussing the twin moons, "So where are we supposed to go?"

"The docks, it's not too far from here." She nudged her head to the right, "Come on, just stick close and we should be good."

Louise nodded silently and trailer after the Shadowrunner, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her 'jeans'. They didn't have enough money for bulletproof coats or the like so they had to make do with some faded pants, shoes she reffered to as 'sneakers' (were they used for sneaking? They seemed to squeak far too much for that) and a hooded jacket to keep her face hidden. They couldn't change her youthful features but hiding it was better than doing nothing.

She pulled her hood tighter over herself and looked around the slum. The bright neon lights were making her head ache as did the atrocious smell around her. She didn't know how to describe it - It wasn't foul enough to make her vomit, but it was definitely unpleasant all things considered. She wrinkled her nose and coughed, breathing through her mouth and covering her nose with a free hand. The Seamstress Union, for all its smell of alcohol and cheap perfume, was definitely much more tolerable than this.

The people were no better. Many wandered about, a few even manning stalls selling something Robin called 'Donuts and Soykaf' and other assorted foods. Her stomach rumbled at the appetizing smell, "No, not now." She shook her head. Later, when they got paid for this little task.

Her hunger was broken as she caught sight of more people. Beggars sat back against walls, dirty and rough hands raised as they begged for alms. Most ignored them, a few stopping briefly to look at them in pity before going on their way. As Robin had told her no one in the Barrens could afford to be generous; offer someone a hand and they would use theirs to pull you down along with them.

A shiver suddenly ran through her. Looking around frantically, she caught sight of a sneering dwarf looking at her, playing with a knife between his meaty fingers. Sizing her up? She looked to Robin briefly before doing what she was instructed, "Please work..." She pulled up the hem of her jacket, exposing the gun at her side. Robin had assured her that the 'safety was on' and she didn't have to fear shooting herself by accident.

It seemed to work. His sneer was replaced by a scowl and he muttered something to himself before trudging away.

Louise released a held breath and laughed in relief, which drew her companion's attention, "Something funny, Luce?"

"I scared someone off from mugging me...I think." She replied, the smile never leaving her face. It wasn't that she felt proud of threatening violence. but there was a certain confidence that had been instilled now that she knew Robin's instructions were effective.

"Good for you, kid." She grinned and fingered her own gun, something she'd called a 'machine pistol', "Like I said, most of these pricks aren't willing to risk their necks. Chances are if you're here then you're not exactly well-off so it's not worth it if the person you're trying to mug has a gun." She clicked her tongue, "Come on, we're not too far from it now. Once we get it back to Gunderson we can get something to eat."

"Agreed."

The rest of the short trek was more of the same. A few more people stared at them or made disparaging 'invitations', but they weren't willing to push their luck. She wiped the sweat from her neck, the pistol at her side growing heavier with every step. As glad as she was that it acted as a deterrent the metal weapon was still something she would have preferred not to use if it came down to it.

The docks were much less crowded than the streets. Robin gestured for her to keep close as she trudged towards a large metal container of some sort, "Alright, stay here and make sure no one's looking, okay? There's not gonna be any gangers here so it should be safe."

"R-Right." She turned around and let her partner duck into the metal box. Apart from a few workers and what she could assume to be sailors doing their assigned jobs the pier was relatively quiet. She took a deep breath, relishing in being outside the dank streets and getting some relatively fresher air once more. Once Robin got that package they would deliver it and then everything would be alright.

The ships docked in the port reminded her of her home's airships, albeit with more metal and wood. From what she'd managed to read up on them they used a certain substance called 'gasoline' to fuel their movements rather than windstones. Considering they weren't capable of flying - that was another machine entirely they called an 'airplane - she had to consider her homeland's variation to be the superior one.

"I'm back." Robin clapped her shoulder and walked past her in a rush, pressing the package close to her chest. Thankfully no one seemed to notice her bizarre actions and they were able to leave without drawing attention.

"Is that it?" She eyed the brown parcel. She was expecting something more despite Robin's assurances of simplicity, "It's...kinda small."

"What did you expect? They wouldn't be sending a newbie Runner to get something really important, you know. They save those for the better ones." She snorted, "No complaints, right? Any Run that you can do without firing of a single shot is good in my book."

"Agreed." She hummed, hands wringing together nervously. Now all they had to do was go back, "...What's in the package, anyway? It must be something...not exactly legal if they required a third party to pick it up in their stead."

"Frag if I know." She shrugged, "They don't pay me to snoop into the contents and I'm pretty sure losing my payday is the least of my worries if I let my curiosity get the best of me. But hey, if I had to guess I'd have to assume it's drugs or BTL's or something. It could even be weapons for all we know, but I doubt that considering how light it is..." The older woman's lips parted into a grin. Louise suddenly had a bad feeling, "Oh, maybe it's a severed head! I saw this in old trids before; they send you the head of a loved one as a warning if you don't pay back what you owe. That was always a classic."

"Urk!" She used both hands to cover her mouth as the images came to her mind. She couldn't see her reflection right now but she had the distinct feeling she was turning green.

Robin's laughter did little to settle her upset stomach. Glaring at her partner, she muttered a curse under her breath as the Japanese woman made no attempt to stifle her chuckles, "Pftt hahahaha! You should see your face!" She wiped a tear from her eye, "Jeez, I knew you had a weak stomach but really? Didn't they have, I dunno, horror plays where you're from? A little severed head bouncing around in here shouldn't be-"

"Would you please stop talking about it!?" She hissed. It wasn't an image she wanted to keep in her mind, that was for sure.

"Alright, don't get your panties in a bunch." She rolled her eyes, laughter pealing off into an amused smile, "Just wanted to lighten the mood is all. Guess for a moment there I forgot I wasn't talking to another Runner. Sorry, okay? No harm no foul?"

"Whatever." She snapped, "Let's just get back to the Union before I vomit out my lunch."

The rest of the walk was spent in somewhat uncomfortable silence. Robin might not have seen anything wrong with her little 'jest' but she found no amusement in gallows humor. She was certain solders or mercenaries and their like indulged in it but death was something she preferred to not make light of.

Again she felt the weight of the gun on her hip, "No, it's alright. I don't have to use it." She muttered to herself.

Arriving back at the Barrens, Louise's scowl worsened as the faint odor once more assaulted her nostrils. Next time she would pester Robin to buy some perfume or something to wipe away the smell. Brimir knew it was-

"Well, well! Looks like someone's passing by the bridge without paying the toll!"

Louise's head snapped to the source of the voice and she paled. An orc with brightly colored hair blocked their path, his mouth parted into a malevolent grin and exposing his sharpened teeth. Two others of his kind stood behind him silently, both holding onto pistols as well. Heart beating rapidly against her chest, she stuck herself closer to Robin and held onto the back of her jacket. She'd become slightly more accustomed to seeing the other 'metahumans', but the Orcs and Trolls were definitely still intimidating from a purely physical standpoint.

"I didn't realize you owned these streets." Robin spat, eyes narrowing. She didn't miss the way they eyed the package; a rival gang trying to intercept the courier? It wasn't the first time she had to deal with something like this, "Unfortunately for you neither of us brought our wallets so-"

"Oh, it's alright." He stepped closer, his grin widening, "See, I'm a nice guy so I can let you off if you give me that package-"

That was all he managed before Robin unholstered her gun and pressed it against his stomach. On instinct she grabbed her wand and aimed it at the two lackey, which caused them to draw their guns on her in turn. She could see the Orc's grin fading, quickly being replaced by an ugly scowl.

"You have any idea who you're-"

"No, but it's probably either Halloweeners or Screamers; I don't care." She spat, pressing the gun harder against the unarmored flesh, "If you think I'm some stupid courier you can bully into giving this thing up then think again." She forced a smile, "Now, I suggest you and your stooges take a hike before before I lose my patience and empty this entire clip into your fragging stomach."

"You're insane! You kill me and you both die!"

"Yeah, but you'd be dead first, and I get the feeling that you're not the type to put in the sacrifice play. Besides," She gave Louise a sidewards glance, "You're not the one with a Mage as backup, so I think it's safe to say you're outmatched here. So, we gonna forget this ever happened and play nice or you wanna see if I can miss at point blank range?"

If looks could kill then Robin would have long since perished, "Fine, you win this one!" He held up his hands and backed away, his lackeys following his example and lowering their guns, "You just made a big fragging mistake, you hear me!? You better watch your back the next time you walk the streets-"

"You're the third guy who's made that threat, just so you know." Robin pointed out, her gun still trained on him, "Now I suggest you leave before I take my chances and shoot you down right here."

More screaming threats came before the three left, turning the corner with a run. Not wasting any time Robin grabbed Louise's arm and pulled, ducking into the alleys and losing themselves into the winding pathways. Whether his threat was mere bluster or genuine she didn't want to stick around and find out. She didn't feel as confident without her drones, that was for sure.

They didn't stop running until they made it to Gunderson's bar. As dumb as those gangs could be most of them knew better than to shoot up an establishment with a reputation like this; if they came in here guns blazing the patrons would respond in kind.

"Th-That was..." Louise chewed her on lower lip and pulled her hood back, exposing her pink hair for all to see, "I...I wasn't expecting that..." She wiped the sweat from her forehead and gulped nervously. She'd managed to keep herself quiet during the confrontation but she couldn't deny that she felt a certain fear during the entire thing. It was only Robin's presence that hadn't reduced her to begging.

"Yeah, well, comes with the territory." She clapped her shoulder, "You did good, kid. You kept your cool and didn't panic, that's a start." She eyed the wand stuffed clumsily into the pants pocket, "Although next time I'd recommend pulling out your gun since that's kinda what it's for. Trust me in here pointing a 'magic wand' doesn't really do much. Good thing they were dumb enough to buy into the Mage line."

"I...I'll take that into consideration for next time..." She winced. Was she prepared to do this again by acknowledging that there would in fact be a 'next time'? Nothing more than blustering and threats had happened and already she felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest, "I'm just glad we both made it out of there without anyone getting hurt..."

"Yeah, well, if you plan to come along next time then our luck might not hold up." She shrugged, "Look, I'll take this package to Gunderson then we can order something to eat. I wanted to buy you some donuts, but I think we can both agree that staying in here is the better option for now.

"Agreed..."

Hours passed as the two stayed in the bar. Louise contented herself with watching the pixture box mounted on the wall; she had little clue on what the show was about or why that man's tush was getting smacked with a paddle but it distracted her from their current situation.

The bar was quiet, most of the customers eating their meals in silence or nursing drinks. As Robin had assured her Gunderson's establishment was for a more subtle clientele, those who wanted to get away from the loud music and parties of watering holes like the Seamstress Union. She was even tempted to come here again if not for the fact that she would have had to cross the Barrens in order to do so.

The wooden door opening drew her attention. Eyes leaving the television, her mouth parted slightly as she saw Strelok walk inside and converse with the bartender about something she couldn't make out. She saw a credstick exchange hands before he nodded at the Orc and made his way towards them.

"Hey, Strelok, back from a job?" Robin asked casually, her arms crossed. She had no idea what relationship the two shared but it was readily apparent they weren't exactly bosom buddies.

"You could say that." He looked at them both in turn before continuing, "Did you get into a fight with some Halloweeners? When I raided their safe house I heard one of them ranting about a 'black haired bitch and her crazy Mage friend with a stick.' Louise flinched. Oh, they definitely had to watch their backs when they went out there now.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah, they tried to steal Gunderson's package." Robin replied, "I can guess by the way you're talking that they died in this little raid of yours, right?"

"It's what the job entailed, so yes. Be more careful next time."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared." She smiled cheekily.

"I don't, but it's harder to sneak into a safehouse when everybody's on edge. I'd rather not have you make my jobs harder." He rummaged in his pockets briefly before pulling out a small piece of machinery, "Anyway, I'm not here to lecture you. Sutherland told me that he had the Trode mesh you ordered ready but you haven't replied to his email yet." He pressed it against the table. Louise couldn't help but stare at the dark material his hands were made of, "Next time check your emails. I'm not your messenger."

"Thanks, Strelok, you're a real sweetheart." She rolled her eyes and pocketed the credstick without another word as Strelok left. Hopefully Sutherland didn't take everything for the Trodes, "Come on, Luce, we need to see a friend of ours."

"Um...is it safe?" She asked warily.

"You heard Strelok, that prick's dead. If there's one thing that drekhead is he's thorough; if he says he's dead then he's dead." She stood up, "Come on, I didn't waste my money for you to chicken out."

"Wh-Where are we going?"

"A friend's shop, an old Decker named Sutherland." She nudged her head to the entrance, "If you're going to be doing this with me again then you need to learn how to use a fragging gun. I wasn't sure about it at first, but you can't be pulling that stick out whenever we get into a fight." She held up her hand before Louise could interrupt, "I know you don't wanna fire the real thing and all, but I have a way to ease you into it."

"A way?" She looked at her with clear doubt written across her face, "What do you mean."

"Well, Luce." She ruffled her hair and smiled, "I think it's time you got introduced to the Matrix."

Just needed a small break from Twisted Reflections. I'll get back to writing that after this.

Bookworm110 - I'll try, but Robin's character is very sweary. I tried to put in some regular swears as well, assuming they didn't get replaced.

BrazeRancor - Harlequin won't appear for a long while because Louise isn't advertising her presence and the UB is keeping a tight lid. I wanna ease into the adventure.

Indecisive Bob - Sadly Stalker Zero got deleted :( Hopefully it comes back up.

Guest - Not likely. The point of Shadowrun is that no matter how badass you get you're still human, unlike other Reverse summon fics where Louise gets Master Chief armor or Plasmids etc etc. Assuming she does go back even if her mentality is different she's not gonna be some glorified badass.

Isamu - I can deal with the vaccines later, or maybe the Halkeginians just have a good immune system; who knows? Anyway, I didn't realize the UB were shoot on sight as of 2056 cause they still had open joining and presence, right? Even in the Returns series they were able to sweep their indecencies under the rug and while Runners might be able to pick something off about them the average citizen probably wouldn't. Robin does say they'll shoot if they act threateningly but most Runners aren't the type to shoot for no reason.

I'm not the foremost expert on Shadowrun lore, so any help would be appreciated :)