Mistrunner 2 (Mistborn/Cyberpunk)

Scavengers

Many things became apparent to Vin as they entered the city. The first, beyond how bright everything was, was the sense of speed. From the large metal vehicles that zipped back and forth and around the roads, to just how the people in the city moved. The people walking quickly hurried about, as if there was no time to waste.

The fashion is radically different from what I would have expected either. Some people wore suits, of a different cut and material than what she was familiar with, but still somewhat similar to what she’d expect from a noble in Luthadel. Many others had far more outrageous fashions, with shorts that seemed more like briefs and skirts just as short. Shirts were open at times exposing plunging necklines. 

Some of these she could tell were prostitutes (far more brazen than that profession had been even under Elend’s reforms which allowed Skaa and nobles to intermingle, but the signs were still there). The fact that a few of them tried to call Elend or even myself, over was a bit of a hint as well. But others wearing almost as little could just be citizens on their way, walking about.

As if to make up for how little clothing many people wore, there were some with massive coats lined with fur hanging off their shoulders, or long but tight body suits. Fashion wasn’t something I concerned myself overly with in my early life, but it became critical when I became Valerie, a noble lady of Luthadel society. I’ll need to master it here too if we’re to blend in; right now everyone we pass by is pointedly ignoring us or turning up their noses in disgust. Though that may be due to how we smell, having just climbed out of the trash.

Vin felt that was slightly unfair, given how bad the entire city smelt. Noxious fumes and pollution were thick in the air, but no one else seemed to notice. Perhaps they’re just used to it.

More of the metal pipes were visible on the people she and Elend passed, and she noticed the other citizens giving subtle glances at those that had them. The men and women in blue uniforms were generally given a wide berth as were a few others like the ones that openly carried long blades strapped to their backs. Assuming those are all proper weapons, then this society must be used to violence. The faint smell of blood on the air past darkened alleys only confirmed that.

And it was a weird assumption for Vin, to think all those metal things they carried could be weapons, but from every sign she could pick up, they were. We’re far from Ruin or Preservation’s reach here. No Allomancers must exist here that could make use of the non-implanted metals, not that they’re short on those either.

Earrings weren’t uncommon fashion in Luthadel, with Vin once possessing one herself. The people of Night City definitely had those and far more. Limbs made of metal, bits of metal sticking out the skin of their collarbones and more. Even their eyes, which would occasionally glow yellow as they talked to the air in a fashion that would have marked them as mentally ill back home were all seen as normal here.

“We need a base of operations.” She stated bluntly to Elend.

“I don’t get how you can be so calm about all of this,” he admitted, gesturing an arm out at the city. Beyond the architecture, vehicles, and people, it had fountains and even a few trees. Greenery carefully preserved within it, the likes of which hadn’t been known amidst the ashes of home.

“I’m not. It catches me off guard too, I just… learned how to focus.” I can marvel over the new world after I know we’re safe. As if drawn by that thought, or perhaps the rather deserted sidestreet they travelled down, Vin heard someone approaching.

“Hey, you looking for some chrome? Got a great deal, a few crates of preem gear fell off the back of a truck.” The man was in his early twenties, a scar running over one of his eyes. He wore dark clothing, and it was hard to tell without Tin to enhance her senses, but Vin felt like he might be carrying one of those pipes within his bulky jacket.

“Chrome?” Elend inquired, likely wondering the same thing she was. Is that Chromium? That’s a metal I discovered beyond even the ones the Lord Ruler hid. Could be quite useful to have that, though a steady supply of the basic metals is what we need to find first.

“Yeah, chrome. Like, cybernetics?” He said, pulling his metal hands out of his pocket, flexing the fingers. “Like I said, got some preem stuff here going cheap. Follow me and I’ll show it to you, could get you a reflex tuner, synaptic accelerator, even lynx’s paws, whatever hits your fancy. Oh, what do you got, by the way? Need to know so I can show you the best stuff to suit ya.”

He added it as an afterthought but that was the main thrust of this conversation. He wants to know that more than anything else. Vin had lived on the streets long enough to know when a con was going on. Unfortunately her husband wasn’t as aware.

“We don’t have anything like that.”

The shady man was baffled. “Like, not even some kiroshis or specs?” At Elend’s blank look and Vin’s neutral one he whistled. “Damn, you like some monks or some shit?” Then he paused and frowned. “Ugh, was hoping to make some scratch off your gear. Ah well, can still grab some organs, maybe someone will want ‘untainted’ goods or the like. Don’t even need to lure you away if you got no chrome.”

As he spoke he began drawing the pipe from within his jacket holster, but Vin was already moving. Down the deserted street she raced towards him, surprising him with her speed. As he yelped and aimed the barrel of the pipe down at her, some instinct told Vin she needed to dodge.

She barely did so as the weapon spat forth a projectile moving far faster than she was used to, faster than most Coinshots could fire. Twisting her head further, it just barely cut a line across her cheek as it whizzed by.

“Shit! What are you? Some fucking biopun-” His words were cut off as she reached him, twisting the barrel of the gun away from Elend or herself and towards him. The motion shocked him however and he pulled the trigger, firing another shot. This one went under his chin and exploded through the top of his skull, the man collapsing, as he fell, dead.

Vin retained her grip on the gun as he collapsed to the ground, blood pooling out around the corpse. Does nearly everyone have this kind of power? The force of a coinshot, carried on everyone’s hips… It was a slightly terrifying prospect.

“Wha- are you okay?” Elend asked as he got over his shock.

“I’m fine,” Vin replied, wiping the blood off her cheek. The minor injury would heal quickly enough, even without Pewter to aid it along. Searching through the man’s belongings, she found a few shards of metal wires and other materials she was unfamiliar with, and a sheathe of metal bolts, the same shape and size as the ones he had fired at her. That must be how they fuel these weapons.

While incredibly deadly to someone caught off-guard, if prepared she could easily Pull those metals away from her. Elend’s had some combat training over the past few tumultuous years, but he could use more awareness training if he’s to be safe. This was, in a sense, her third chance with the man she loved, and without any meddling gods determined to rip him away from her, she’d do her damndest to protect him.

Soon enough one of the vehicles pulled to a stop at the end of the alleyway. It was painted white, with lights atop it that were flashing blue and red, and a siren blaring from it. Altogether quite unpleasant to Vin’s senses, and she distantly wondered if that was the point of the machine. Most of her attention was on the woman that exited.

She wore a dark blue uniform like some of the others Vin and Elend had seen when walking down the city. “What’s going on here?” The woman demanded authoritatively as she strode towards them. She had her own metal pipe drawn and held, but as it wasn’t pointed at them, Vin elected to do the same, keeping her new weapon ready but not threatening towards this person.

Elend stepped in, the one actually capable of diplomacy among them. “This man attempted to lure us away, and then tried to attack us when we refused. He said something about taking our chrome or organs?” He said, gesturing to the fallen man.

The woman’s eyes narrowed in, focusing on the fallen body. “Jakob Zimbasky, fuckin Scav.”

“Scav?” Elend asked.

“Yeah, like a scavenger.”

“Last I checked, scavengers picked from things that were already dead,” Vin pointed out softly, and the woman snorted. 

“Sure, maybe outside of Night City. Here? Punks like him feel free to ‘speed things along.’ Looks like this wasn’t his lucky day, but it is yours. Since he’s got a rap sheet and small bounty you ain’t in trouble for icing the bastard. It’s not much, just some illegal trafficking of cyberware and people but I’ll transfer you the- why can't I transfer you eddies?” 

Her eyes were glowing blue as she focused on Elend and then Vin. What is she doing? Is that some Tineye equivalent? Vin was worried that they had done something wrong, something that would mark them as dangerous or a problem, but the woman just sighed.

“We’ll if you don’t have anything I can connect to, then I suppose I can give you a few eddies. I’ve only got forty on hand though, rather than the eighty you would have received for bagging this guy.” She explained, taking out a few thin green  rectangular pieces of paper. They had numbers and writing on them, Vin noted as the woman passed them to Elend.

“You can keep the iron too,” she said, nodding at the weapon Vin was holding. The Mistborn sniffed, wondering if she'd been mistaken. No, I’m certain that’s not right.

Holding it up loosely (and pointed clearly away from the woman) she said, “But this is mostly made of steel, not iron.” The woman gave her a confused and then bemused look.

“Think it’s pretty clear to say you folks are new to Night City, right?” They both nodded. “Stay safe, don’t break the laws, all that jazz. Maybe try not to stick around dark alleys either? I’d hate to find your bodies here some day.”

With the conversation clearly at an end, Vin motioned to Elend, and the pair swiftly departed the side street, back into the hustle and bustle of the city. “What are you thinking of?” Elend asked her after a long few minutes.

About how little care the people have here for life and death. About how dangerous this world can be. “I think… it’s just like home.”

Elend let out a helpless chuckle at that as they strode off into the city, seeking their place in this bizarre new world.

A/N: Might be making the cop a little too nice by Night City standards but eh, Elend and Vin kinda need the help. Besides we do see people like River, so there are some good people in Night City, even among the police. Just not many.

They also get their first taste of what Night City is like; dangerous. Even a random Scav could have been deadly to them. They definitely need to pick up better gear and some metals if they’re to survive her, but thankfully Night City can provide some of both.