Chapter 19: Entry Shootout
"So, how're we gonna do this?" Ori asks, following Max and Six as they survey the area.
"Think the Fixer's plan'll do," Max starts, jabbing two fingers at the three entrances into the lot. The wire fencing weaved between structures like concrete walls, which would potentially give cover when the shoot-out starts. "Only problem is... Can you hold your own?" the vet pointedly asks Ori.
"I'll have to, won't I? It's either that or dying." Ori retorts, he tries to place a hand on his gun but realises that it isn't there... His head sharply turns and he spots Six looking his Slaught-O-Matic over, his mouth twisting into a scowl.
"This..."
"Kid, you'd probably be better off with your bare hands than that thing. Disposable piece of trash that ain't worth the material it's made outta."
"I know that, I was planning on kleppin' a gun when the fight starts. Targets'll probably have something worth using." Ori explains, catching the weapon as Six tosses it over.
Max shrugs, "Whatever, looks to me that we'll have to cover for you..." he pauses in thought before shoving two cylindrical objects into Ori's hands, which he almost fumbles and drops when he realises what there were.
Fragmentation grenades. Shit he'd only seen his dad use once, not to mention the thing that ended up killing him.
Ori swallows the bile threatening to bubble up and tentatively holds the grenades, looking back up to Max, "What're these for? If you're asking me to play 'Kamikazi' I'ma have to refuse."
"You're gonna use them to push the targets away from your exit. No way you'll be able to hold anyone off with that rinky-dink piece of shit you got there, but a couple grenades should send 'em our way instead." Max gestures to Six who just gives a small nod.
"You sure?"
"This ain't for you, anyone gets past you then none of us are gettin' paid. Shut up, do your job, and we'll see this through. Understand?" Max asks and Ori sharply nods, "Good, then let's go over everything one last time and get the comms set up."
--------------------------------------
Hours pass and just when Ori suspected Speks information to be off, the sound of rumbling engines and loud latin hip-hop blaring on loud subwoofer stereos.
Ori ducks behind cover and activate his Scav holomask as he spots the targets drift around a nearby corner, swerving randomly in the street before making another sharp turn into the lot. The rear of the front car clips the gate, but the driver either doesn't notice or doesn't care about the long scratches left in the paint.
Three cars follows, each halting to a stop in the middle of the lot around the remnants of the campfire Ori spotted earlier. A number of people step out, none with any identifiable gang tats, clothes, or symbols that Ori recognised, meaning they were probably a new gang, or just a group of thugs.
They were boisterous, drunk, some clearly on drugs and fondling heavily modded women who all but threw themselves against the men. A couple had the wherewithal to do a check of the surroundings with guns in hand, but it was shallow, not anything to be concerned over for Ori or his temporary teammates.
[Targets are here, should we go?] Ori silently questions via the linked comm.
[Not yet, let them get some drinks in 'em. If only to savour their last moments] Max's voice orders.
Ori sits there for another ten minutes, stock still and tightly gripping his weapon. Were it not for the bots manually maintaining things, he'd have already been exhausted simply from rapid heartbeats and adrenaline...
Finally though, it seems it was almost time... All of the targets had gotten comfortable and started drinking with one another. One had stepped away to roll over a sut-blackened metal barrel and placed it where Ori had thought a campfire had been placed... Unfortunately for them, just before the man can place it fully, Max triggers the grenades hidden in the ash.
*BOOOOM!*
Almost all of the targets are knocked clear off of their feet, the sudden attack and their inebriation combining to drastically disorient them all. The metal fragments from the grenade ended up killing two or three of them instantly, while many more were injured.
Their initial twelve or so people had been reduced to ten, the remains scrambling to grab their weapons and firing randomly around them, with no real idea of where their enemy was.
Max pokes his head over some cover and drops his LMG on a concrete block to stabilize it, instantly opening fire on the group who throw themselves behind their vehicles for cover.
*DAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!!!*
Spares, paint, and dust fly as the bullets drill holes into the doors and chassis of the cars, blasting out windows and shredding the tires. A few bullets had even found weak points in the cars and managed to go all the way through, kicking up dirt around the now freaking-out thugs.
[Adrenal Systems Activated]
[Digestion and other Non-Essential Systems Resources Temporarily Reallocated]
At the nanites warning, Ori feels a pulse of energy go through him, his breathing picking up as he pushes himself to act. He leans out of cover and lets off a bullet spray of his own, limiting the burst to three or four to conserve ammunition. His weapon couldn't be reloaded after all.
"WHO ARE YOU!? THE FUCK D'YA WANT!?" one man shouts as his buddy tries to start up the car nearest to Ori, he responds by pulling the pin on a grenade and lobbing it.
It doesn't reach where he was aiming, but it rolls to a stop just underneath the vehicle, unbeknownst to the unfortunate man still inside it.
*BOOM!*
Another explosion rings out, almost flipping the car and utterly decimating the man inside it. Ori could see the man's body all but pop like a balloon through the door window, obscuring everything in the front seats from the surprising amount of blood.
[Collective Request Permission to Assist Frontal Lobe and Temporal Lobe Stress response: Flesh Administrator] the bots inform as Ori's breath hitches at the horrific sight.
"Do it." he quickly whispers, feeling a cool sensation wash over him, emotion draining away and allowing him a logical glimpse into the situation.
Wait, the nanites just altered his brain chemistry!
*Bang!*
A bullet cracks a piece of concrete off of the cover he was using, causing him to drop back to avoid dying. His caution over the bot's unnatural familiarity with how his brain works could be sorted out later, when he wasn't at risk of having his skull vacated of grey matter.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Niggross
Niggross Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
Faruk Ereng
VidDav FerDeL
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone