The Aegis arm stared back at Teo in all its silent, mechanical glory. It was a masterpiece of lethal intent and high end aesthetics, bathed in gold plating that caught the flickering neon of the Coyote.
The joints and lining were reinforced with deep green carbon fiber, and the circuitry beneath the translucent casing pulsed with a slow, emerald rhythm.
It was like a god damn magical artifact waiting for a heartbeat to wake it up.
The pressurized plate slid forward, sealing the arm back inside the case with a sharp hiss.
"This gift, Mateo, is a choice," Vane said, his voice dropping as he watched Teo's brow furrow.
'Called it,' Teo thought.
"It is a choice for all of you," Vane continued, addressing the circle again.
"You don't have to accept my offer today. But know this: for those who do, your profits and your lives will become infinitely better." He pointed back at the case. "That arm is the proof. It proves I am willing to invest resources for your votes. One, to improve your bottom line. And two..."
He held up two fingers, his red optics glowing with a sudden, sharp edge. "To make this district better than the others. Because if we don't, blood is going to be running down the sewer drains before the year is out."
Teo remained silent, his eyes narrowed as he took a final drag of his cigarette.
"If you're interested, I'll be in touch," Vane added, his tone gaining a chill that made the hair on the back of Teo's neck stand up. "Cards have been placed in each of your residences with instructions on how to reach me."
The circle went quiet.
The fact that the Architect knew exactly where every gang leader slept was a louder threat than any robot could ever be. Padre stepped forward to end the summit, dropping a final bombshell: he had already taken the deal.
The news rippled through the gangs like a shockwave as they began to disperse, retreating to their vehicles to ponder the Architect's ultimatum, work with me and get rich. Or go against me and get left behind.
Teo let out a long sigh, smoke drifting from his lungs as he approached his bike. He sank onto the seat, exhausted. Jackie walked over, his heavy boots crunching on the gravel.
"Good work on the crowd control, hermano," Jackie said, sitting opposite him on his custom ARCH.
"Whatever," Teo muttered. "Those fucking beasts needed to be muzzled before someone died and started another war."
Jackie let out a small giggle. Mama Welles approached, silent and steady, handing both of them bottles of water. But before they could discuss the madness, the hum of a hover drive signaled that Vane hadn't left.
The Architect approached the small family, his giant robot following and kneeling with a heavy hydraulic whine as the case slid back open. Julian didn't speak, he waited.
"This choice you're giving me," Teo said, his voice impatient. "What does it actually entail? Cut to the chase, choom."
Vane chuckled, leaning back against a stone bench near the bikes. He gestured toward Teo's cigarette. Teo paused, surprised that a suit of this caliber would want street tobacco, but he handed one over.
Vane took a puff, his polished persona seemingly melting away into something more carefree. More human.
"No bullshit, choom. I want you to work for me," Vane said, exhaling a long plume of smoke. "But I'm not talking about putting you in a suit and locking you in a cubicle. Merc work. Runner work. Hell, if you want a desk job at Verdant, you can have it. But that's a waste of your talent."
Vane reached into the case, lifting the Aegis arm and placing it across his lap. He began unhatching the maintenance panels, revealing the gut of the machine.
"This isn't just chrome, Teo. It's a high bandwidth neural interface," Vane explained, his eyes lighting up as he traced the gold circuitry.
"It features a dedicated Micro Verdant core Processor that doubles your RAM for quickhacks, and the fingertips are tipped with monowire sensors for physical touch breaching. But look here..."
He clicked a release, and the forearm plating shifted. "I've integrated Hydraulic Micro Pistons. It gives you the grip and striking force of a Gorilla Arm without the bulk. You can punch through a reinforced door or crush a man's throat just as easily as you can crack a corporate firewall."
"You sure know a lot about it," Teo remarked, his eyes fixed on the emerald pulse of the limb.
Vane grinned, a sharp, genuine expression. "I should hope so. I built the damn thing myself. Every wire, every line of code... I designed it specifically to suit you."
Teo's eye twitched. "To suit me?"
"Teo, you've been causing mayhem all over the Net. Your merc work is exceptional, zero fails on the record. You hack like you're half computer. You're a prodigy, kid. Most runners don't achieve your level of 'Ghosting' in a lifetime. And you're only eighteen." Vane paused, his expression turning serious.
"I need someone with your capabilities if I'm going to do what I want to do with this city."
Teo's gaze hardened. "Right... And you know all of this about me how?"
"Wakako," Vane said simply. "I asked about you and I paid for the info. I don't invest in hardware unless I know the driver is worth the eddies."
The arm pulsed green in Vane's lap, almost as if it were breathing, waiting for Teo to claim it. Teo sat on his bike, the silence of the parking lot feeling heavier than the noise ever had.
"I don't like Corps," Teo said, his voice low and raspy.
"Never have. But there's something different about you." He paused, scratching his chin with his left hand. "If I work for you, I don't want a written contract. No fine print for you to use to fuck me over. I want a verbal agreement, between me and you. Nobody orders me around except for you. Freedom, Vane. That's the price."
Julian smirked. "Agreed."
"Also, resources," Teo added. "And eddies. Lots of eddies, hermano."
"Believe it or not, Teo, you're worth the premium," Julian said, his red optics pulsing. "I will grant you the resources, the equipment, whatever you need, but you have to prove you're worth the investment. I have a few gigs lined up for you. A trial run. Consider the arm a pre payment. How about it?"
Julian held out his hand.
Teo didn't hesitate, he reached out and gripped the Architect's hand with his remaining left. The moment their skin met, Teo's internal sensors spiked. He expected soft, synthetic warmth, but instead, he felt rough, cold metal. It was jarring. Under the suit, Vane's arm looked organic, but the tactile feedback was unmistakable.
Teo's optics involuntarily twitched into a deep scan. Beneath the surface of Vane's hand, he saw a web of circuitry points so dense it made his own cyberdeck look like a calculator. That was no ordinary arm. Vane wasn't just a builder, he was a walking prototype.
"Well," Julian said, breaking the grip. "That's all I have for you tonight, Teo."
He reached behind his ear, pulling a sleek, matte black data shard from his port and tossing it to Teo. "That contains the dossiers for your trial run. And..." He motioned toward the massive robot.
The machine shifted, its hydraulic joints hissing as it delicately lifted the Aegis arm from its cradle. With a startlingly human gentleness, the 800 pound titan placed the masterpiece into Teo's lap.
It felt heavy, unusually heavy, teeming with untapped power.
"Payment," Julian said, standing up and brushing a stray ash from his suit. He began walking back toward his AV. He stopped for a split second, looking over his shoulder.
"Good luck, Teo. And... Happy hunting."
The AV's turbines roared to life, kicking up a final storm of grit as it lifted into the night sky, leaving Teo staring down at the arm that would change everything.
'Teo... I'm already digging into the shard. These aren't just gigs, choom. These are surgical strikes. And this arm? Fuckkk, It's pinging my sub routines like it's asking for me to fuck it. Shit choom we need to find Vik. NOW.' Fucker purred into his brain.
'Relax jeez man you need jesus.' Teo thought to Fucker who just urged him more.
A/N: Sorry needed to finish this long ass meeting scene, action is happening i promise hehe.