Chapter Fifty-One - Gothic Public Relations


    Chapter Fifty-One - Gothic Public Relations


    Its all about the memes.


    --Emoscythe Mordeath Noir, Seventh-Annual PR Specialist Conference, 2049


    ***


    So whatre you doing here? I asked.


    Emoscythe stared at me. For some reason her lack of armour was bothering me. I mean, she was her own girl, and if that big ship was anything to go by, she could afford some pretty nice shit if she wanted to.


    I couldnt even toss that many stones from my glass house, I had been reluctant to get armour for myself for a while. Id learned better since, especially after my gear had likely saved my ass a few times.


    Im here to kill aliens, Emosycthe said. And to keep an eye on you.


    Me? I asked.


    She nodded. I have access to the records. Youre the third newest samurai in the city. The newest who didnt become a Vanguard in the last forty-eight hours.


    Alright, I said. But I think Im doing okay for myself.


    You think that? she asked.


    Yeah, I said.


    She looked me up and down. I suppose it could be worse.


    Thanks, I said flatly. Look, I dont mind keeping someone company, but I dont do babysitting and I dont need to be babysat. Im guessing you can pull your weight, if youre acting so self-confident.


    Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded. I can handle myself, Stray Cat.


    You sure do have a stick, I said with a gesture to the staff she held next to her.


    Emoscythes thumb ran along the shaft. Its my preferred weapon. Maybe youll get to see it in use. But... that can wait. What are your objectives now?


    I dont know, I said honestly. I got side-tracked when I heard that Grasshopper needed help. Wasnt doing much before that. Well, thats not true. I was setting up chokepoints and ambushes to take out as many aliens as possible before they reached the front.


    She nodded. Invisibility and explosives. I remember. You have both of those and the cat gimmick going on. Youre spreading yourself a little thin, I think, but youre new enough that some experimentations normal.


    Uh, yeah, sure, I said. Anyway, the building I was in collapsed and I got pinned at the bottom. Had to get a new arm. I wiggled my hand around.


    I was expecting some sort of reaction from that. What Id just described had been kind of metal, but Emoscythe didnt seem either surprised or impressed. We should probably head back to the wall. We can plug any gaps in the formation there, and its possible that they need the assistance we could provide. Two samurai not assisting is a huge loss in firepower.


    Youre a bit more... no-nonsense than I was expecting, I said.


    I watched as she easily climbed up the vertical surface, using her mini-scythes as handholds whenever she needed one.


    There was no way her body wasnt modified. Especially not when her knees shifted and more blades slipped out from her legs to turn her climb into a skitter.


    Shes pretty fucking weird, I muttered.


    Her record as a Vanguard is impressive. Several years of constant effort, though it seems that she has discovered what she wanted to accomplish and has turned her focus onto that rather than improving overall or becoming more powerful.


    Is that a bad thing? I asked.


    No. A Vanguard is free to choose how they will develop. If they find a level where they are comfortable, theres nothing stopping them from staying there.


    I jumped up and fired my jetpack thrusters, propelling me into the air and past Emoscythe just as she reached the top of the building and rolled onto her feet on the rooftop. I landed next to her and glanced around for any trouble that might be waiting for us.


    Straight to the wall? I asked.


    We dont need to rush back. Not if a detour might mean more dead xenos or living civilians. Emoscythe pointed towards New Montreal proper, the city acting as a landmark that was impossible to miss.


    I glanced at the map again. We werent too far from a few spots that were darker orange. A few blocks at most. Myalis, can you plot a course over the worse areas while heading back to the gap? I can drop some ordinance from above to thin out the worst of the wave while we pass.


    Not a bad idea, Emoscythe said. Artillery wont strike so close to the city and the wall. The tremors from it and the shrapnel from any big explosion could damage the parts of the city were trying to safeguard.


    Myalis drew a line across the map which zig-zagged a bit on its way back to the gap. Thanks, I said. You got a copy of that? I asked Emoscythe. At her nod, I gestured ahead. Well then, lets go.


    While were going, well continue that talk about your image.


    Really? I asked. In the middle of a warzone?


    You dont seem the type who sits on her laurels and has long discussions about style and public perceptions, she said. She wasnt wrong, but it still felt like this wasnt the place for it. So, why the cat theme?


    Im not the one who named herself Stray Cat, I said. Longbow gave me that name.


    Oh. I named him actually.


    I paused. Wait, really?


    That was several years ago, she explained.


    How long have you been a samurai for? I asked.


    Ten years in a few months, she said. So, you seem to have really leaned into the theme. Ive seen some examples of your armours. It does seem to fit in with your stealth specialisation, which is handy. People think of cats as quiet, nocturnal hunters, so the association is easy to make there.


    I had a hard time keeping up with what she was saying, mostly because I couldnt stop thinking about how long shed been a samurai for. That made her something of a veteran. Which also made her scary.


    And here she was, talking about cat memes while jogging next to me on a rooftop.


    ***