I opened my eyes and I was back again, back in the first experience I’d had on BTLs. It was that night I spent with a lover, her name was lost to me, probably from the chips burning little holes in my brain. The room was faintly lit by a neon sign outside the window and the sound of traffic played in the background. She’d pulled my top off and was straddling me, a wry smile graced her face as she pulled out a pocket knife and opened it. The pink from the sign outside reflected off the blade. I felt my breath get more shallow as she gently ran the flat of it over my skin and slid it under my bra.

She said something, I couldn’t make it out… probably the damage from the chips again. 

With a flick of her wrist the knife cut through my bra and my breasts fell from the cups. She leaned down and ran a hand over my cheek before kissing me. I melted into her, my arms wrapping around her body as we kissed. A few moments passed locked in that kiss before she broke it off. A trail of saliva still linking our lips as she pulled back from me. She looked at the knife in her other hand and back to me, then drove the blade into the headboard. 

She leaned down and whispered into my ear. “Get up Burnout! We got a location!”

My eyes slammed open again and turned towards the door. Slowly, my brain adjusted to the waking world again.

I frowned as there were more knocks on my door. “I’m coming, Dust, give me a moment.” 

“See you soon, Burnout, I’ll be in the garage.”

I threw on the nearest clothing I could find; a black shirt with what must have been a band decal on it at some point and a pair of functional jeans. Dust said they had a location, before I left the room I grabbed the Savalette Guardian and its thigh holster. I hadn’t had to use the thing yet, but I didn’t want to waste a gift from Trix. I stepped out of the room and stopped in the hallway. I knew I’d forgotten something. Once back in my room I returned to the desk and snatched the Banshee patch off it then stuffed it in my pocket. 

I frowned as I realized what I did. “It’s just in case I get torn up, that’s all.” I sighed. “I’m going into a probable combat situation. It just makes sense.”

I closed the door as I stepped back into the hall and cracked my neck before heading down to the garage. When I opened the door Trix and Dust were waiting.Trix was already in the van with an arm hanging out while Dust leaned against the van in her milspec armor, fatigues and combat boots. Her normally loose silver hair was tied back in a ponytail and she raised an eyebrow as she saw me. 

She holstered her shotgun on her left thigh. “Burnout, you’re looking pretty good.” Her eyes glanced to the sidearm that Trix got me. “Actually bringing the Guardian this time?”

I placed a hand on the pistol’s grip. “Yea, I figured I ought to. So we've got a location?” 

The gun felt odd in my hand, or was it my hand that felt odd on it? 

Dust walked around to the driver's side. “Get in, we'll talk on the way.” She got inside and closed the door.

I walked around back and opened the doors to get in. The inside of the van was covered in added armor plating and the heavy turret currently hung down into the cab. I moved around it and took one of the back seats. I heard something click from the driver’s seat, then again and again. Dust hung her head and looked over to Trix, who then turned to me.

“Garage door is busted again.” She looked back to Dust. “Mind uh, getting it before she does?”

I nodded then hopped back out of the car as quickly as I could. When I got to the door I knelt down and unhooked the locks. Once I’d done that the motors in the door opener kicked on and the thing slid open. Dust covered her face with her palm while Trix smirked at her. I turned to the others still sitting in the van and sighed dramatically before climbing back inside. The van’s engine rumbled and we pulled out. 

“Make sure you put the door down, Dust.” Trix laughed.

Dust made a show of pressing the door close button before driving down the alley and into downtown Seattle. “Trix says that she got a bead on the rest of that Howler’s group.”

Trix held up her commlink. “See, it’s a shitty old hotel in Renton.” The image zoomed in to show the building as a 3D model. “Entrances in front and back as well as a forward facing balcony.”

Dust waved a hand. “We’re not approaching a nest of fucking bigots from the front where they’ve probably set up firing angles”

I nodded. “Yea, they’re pretty likely to be spooked since one of theirs disappeared.”

The van turned sharply and Dust stuck her arm out her window, middle finger raised. “Fucker!” She pulled her arm back in. “Burnout, you see what Jesse did to the one he caught?”

I shook a little. “Yea, I did-”

She laughed, but then her tone went very cold. “His rats deserved a better meal.” Trix put a hand on Dust’s shoulder. “Tearing out the mounting for his augment was a good touch.” She glanced over to Trix and softened. “I’m okay, really.”

Trix’s hand slid off Dust and she turned to me. I looked at her and frowned slightly. I knew small tidbits of what happened to Dust before she started running the shadows. Trix knew the full story, but never wanted to go into it. The three of us sat in silence until we were a few blocks from the hotel the Howlers had made a base out of. Renton had certainly seen better days, but at least it wasn't the Redmond Barrens. The section we were currently in wouldn’t look out of place there given the amount of boarded up windows and general urban decay. 

“At least we shouldn’t have to worry about Lone Star getting in the way while we’re here.” Trix seemed to tap at the empty air in front of her. “Got the turret and engine controls hooked up to myself.” 

The barrel of the turret in the back of the van spun and clicked. I turned to face it to see the camera attached to it focus in then back out. Trix was not only our Decker but also our Rigger, she could crack a security system as well as be a security system, assuming she could get wired into it. Her senses would be directly linked with whatever she was currently connected to, allowing her to use the machine as if it were her own body.

Small speakers inside the van crackled. “I’ll be the van in case something goes wrong.”

Dust hopped out of the drivers side and wiped a hand down her face. “She’s been saving that one since last run she went on.”

I hopped out and joined Dust. “Let her have it, it’s been awhile anyway.”

“Yea, let’s get moving.” Dust glanced at some nearby graffiti. “Renton is worse than when I was here a couple months ago, at least the tags were homegrown gangs and even some art… not this crap.” She waved her hand at a Night Howler gang tag. “At least this makes it easy to find the fucks.”

Her demeanor was normally a little cavalier on runs, but this was unusual. Dust was mad and if that set of comments on the way here were anything to go by… I’d be the subdued one on this run.

“So, how do you want to approach this?” I gestured down the street. “We talked about sightlines earlier, back door then?”

She looked back at me. “That would be the best route. They’re probably on alert already if I’m being entirely honest.” She walked over to a cross street and looked around the corner. “Let’s get going.”

I followed behind her as we took a walk through Renton, at this time of night the only people out were those who didn’t have anywhere to sleep. The place was definitely on the way to being another barrens. Most windows were boarded, trash littered the streets that themselves were in disrepair and one of the alleys we passed smelled like a ruptured sewer main. We rounded a corner that would lead towards the back of the hotel when someone called out to us. He was a relatively short human with a ratty jacket and dirty clothing on as well as a face that spoke to growing up on the streets.

He walked up to us. “Hey ladies, you’ve uh… certainly got some gear on you.”  He laughed nervously. “Got a hot date?” A practiced smile spread across his face.

Dust looked down at him. “You could say that. What’s your deal?” 

He wrung his hands and tried to broaden his smile. “Look, I’m familiar with what happens when people as well, er, dressed as you two are in a shithole like this.” He rummaged through his coat pockets for his commlink, it was barely held together, but seemed to turn on just fine. “Look I got connections and if you’ve got nuyen I can maybe give you two a look at what I’ve got.” I moved closer to him and he scurried back. “H-hey, lady, you gonna pay? I can’t just let you see this shit.”

Dust put a hand on my shoulder. “Let me get this one.” She bent over to match the man’s height. “Alright, chummer. You’ve got a deal. I need every bit of info you have on the fucks who shack up in the hotel down the street.”

His fake smile fell away to something that seemed more genuine. “You gals are here to take care of them?” We nodded. “They’ve been terrible for business, tell you what, half off my going rate and I’ll throw in the floor plan too. N-not the one on record, but the one with ah, more recent additions included.” 

Dust produced a credstick and handed it to the man. “Take your usual. If the info is bad I’ll just come back and take each nuyen out of your hide.” 

“A little heavy there, Dust,” I said.

The man glanced at me when I spoke then fixed his eyes back on Dust. “Yea, for sure. You can count on Trusty Tony, it’s in the name.” He laughed nervously as he slotted the credstick.” His eyes went wide as he stared at his commlink. “You two are the real deal, huh?” 

“Yes, we are, Tony.” Dust took the commlink from him and connected it to her own. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Tony took his commlink and stuffed it in his jacket once Dust gave it back. “You ever need some info on anything in Renton, you two ladies hit me up first, okay?” He flashed a practiced smile revealing his teeth, one of them flashed. “I’m gonna get going before it gets loud, gonna have a real nice meal at a proper food joint.” He turned and bolted. “Thanks again!” He called as he ran, nearly tripping over a pile of refuse.

I turned to Dust. “Did he have an LED in one of his teeth?

She nodded. “Yea he did, lady.” She smiled at me.

That felt pretty good, as much as I didn’t want to admit it. “Hey, I don’t mind what people call me, you know that.”

Dust leaned against a nearby building. “I know, but that one seems to suit you. Noticed you smile when he said it.” She flicked through the information on her commlink. “Looks like we’re gonna be here a while, the Howlers won’t all be back for another couple hours and I’d prefer to get them all at once.”

I took the wall opposite her in the alleyway. “Guess you want to talk about that ‘ladies’ thing, huh?”

She looked over to me. “We’ve got time to kill, but only if you want to.”

I sighed. There was really no point in running from this, not like I was any less capable with the changes and I trusted my partners. Both Dust and Trix saved my life many times. I owed them the truth. I found myself shaking a little. 

“Dust, thing is I’ve always been… not comfortable being a guy.” I looked down at a piece of trash on the ground.

“I know, Trix told me what was on the BTLs,” she said without looking up from the commlink.

“And that this new drug, the one I took from Evo Corp, it’s been doing things to my body.” I shifted uneasily.

Dust placed a hand on my shoulder. “Take your time.”

I stayed silent for a few minutes while she silently combed through the data we were sold by Tony. I looked at my body. A single dose had already done a lot, yet not changed anything big. It was small stuff, but it all added up to make a notable difference. Being honest with myself, had I changed my diet and taken care of my skin I’d have been able to look like this without it, though it would have taken months. 

I pulled my now shoulder length hair back. Dust looked up at me and pulled a hair tie from her pocket. She offered it to me and I put it on, keeping my hair in a ponytail. The silence between us stretched on and on. 

Dust put the commlink away. “Come here.” She hugged me.

I tensed then relaxed. “Thank you, Dust.” 

She held me like that for awhile. It was nice, even with all the combat gear she was wearing. 

“Dust, I want to let this continue.” I said into her chest.

She rubbed my back. “The drug?” 

I bit my lip. "All of it, but especially the changes to my body." I said

Dust laughed. "You know if you run out of your stuff you can always ask Trix for some of her old meds." I looked up at her a little dumb founded. "Ah shit, you didn't know?" 

I shook my head as she relaxed her grip on me. "She's… like me?" I asked.

Dust put a hand behind her head. "Ah, yea. She's gonna kill me for outing her though." She laughed. "Hopefully you finally coming to terms with yourself will distract her from that part." She smiled at me.

I blinked. "So I've been living with someone who also did whatever this is and I didn't know?" 

"It's transitioning, the BTLs really did a number on your brain didn't they?" She frowned. "Or was it that your family and the rest of those SINners keep this whole thing a secret?" She tapped the tip of a boot against the concrete. "Leave it to wageslaves to ignore what really matters in life." She mused.

"Mom and Dad were never really home much. They weren't bad parents, just what can you really expect when they worked for Ares?" I shrugged. "You know, I can't even remember their names? Hah, well it's in the past now." I sighed and leaned against the side of the building. "So there are others like me out there? And they don't need the Banshee for it?" I asked.

Dust nodded. "People have been doing that since before the dawn of the sixth world, probably since people became a thing. Just we have a damn sight more ways to change the body now." She looked directly at me and put a hand on my shoulder. "There's even folks that go the other way and those that land somewhere between. It's a wild world." 

My train of thought derailed. People wanted to go the other way? Why? Dust raised a brow as she noticed the look of confusion on my face. I shook my head. It would only make sense that there are people would want the opposite of me too. 

"I'm fine. I just didn't really know about any of this. I thought it was just me in this situation." I hung my head and stared at the cracked sidewalk.

"Don't worry about it, lady." I blushed and she smirked. "I didn't know anything about it until Trix started her transition. I understood a little of it because I'm one of the rare cases where I became well, a troll during puberty."

"What?" I asked, entirely confused.

She waved a hand. "It used to be a lot more common when the meta human races first started expressing. Basically I was a regular human girl until about 13 when I shot up a few feet, turned blue and grew this set of horns. Should have seen my parent's faces…" She trailed off then a moment later laughed bitterly. "They flew me out here, burned my SIN, threw me in the ork underground and tossed a credstick at me." She sighed. "Last I heard they were involved in one of the east coast Humanis groups and I'm their secret shame."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She hugged me. "Yea."