Cyberpunk:Gained a body of steel

Although, to everyone else, the cyber maniac's speed seemed incredibly fast, to Peter, it was nothing more than a sluggish crawl.

As the cyber maniac lunged forward, his needle-tipped prosthetic hand aiming for Peter's face, Peter's world slowed down. His heightened senses kicked in, and time seemed to pause.

Peter's eyes locked onto the incoming hand, and in a split second, he grabbed the maniac's arm with one hand. Without hesitation, he yanked hard.

CRACK! SNAP! POP!

"Wha—?"

Even in his deranged state, the cyber maniac froze, momentarily stunned. He had been certain his attack was about to hit its mark. But now, something was wrong.

His arm was gone.

The cyber maniac's eyes widened in shock as he heard the faint crackle of electricity and the metallic clang of his detached prosthetic arm hitting the floor.

"AARGH!!!"

The pain hit him like a freight train. Though the arm was mechanical, the nerves and connections integrated into his body still sent searing pain signals through his system. For a cyber maniac, whose fusion with prosthetics was extreme, the agony was magnified tenfold.

Peter didn't give him time to recover. He darted behind the man and delivered a swift, devastating kick, sending the cyber maniac sprawling to the ground. Before the man could move, Peter planted his foot firmly on his back, pinning him in place with ease.

The sheer force behind Peter's foot was enough to crush the heavily modified prosthetic body, leaving the cyber maniac immobile.

"Hey, chica! Peter's always been this badass?" Jack muttered nervously, swallowing hard.

When Peter had rushed toward the cyber maniac earlier, Jack had thought he'd lost his mind. After all, cyber maniacs were notoriously unpredictable and dangerous. One moment, you're holding their arm, and the next, they're pulling out hidden blades or weapons from places you wouldn't expect.

As the fight unfolded, the NCPD's hovercars arrived, dispersing the panicked crowd. No one dared to get too close, not even the usual thrill-seekers who lived for danger. This wasn't a fight anyone wanted to spectate.

The hovercar landed, and the NCPD began securing the area. Passengers who hadn't already fled rushed out of the light rail in terror.

"V, maybe we should get out of here," Jack suggested, clutching the package they were carrying. "We don't want to get caught in this mess."

"Go ahead if you want," V snapped. "I'm not leaving while Peter's still fighting that thing."

Peter, overhearing their conversation, called out. "V, Jack! Get out of here now! I'll catch up with you. If the NCPD gets too curious, it's going to be a headache for us all."

Reluctantly, V nodded. Despite her worry, Peter's words reassured her. "Alright. But don't play hero, Peter!" she shouted as she and Jack moved toward the exit with the package.

"You better not get yourself killed!" Lucy added, her face still etched with concern. She had already made her way toward the door but hesitated for a moment.

"Don't worry," Peter said with a smirk. "I've got this."

Just as Peter turned his attention back to the cyber maniac, the deranged man began to thrash violently. His body twisted at unnatural angles, and new weapons and limbs began to emerge from hidden compartments.

"Damn it, can't you stay down?" Peter muttered, his foot pressing harder against the maniac's back.

"You just shut up!"

Without waiting for a response, Peter lifted his foot and brought it down on the maniac's head with enough force to make the entire light rail car shake.

SQUELCH!

The cyber maniac's body went limp, his hands and feet occasionally twitching as the last remnants of his malfunctioning systems sputtered out.

Peter stared down at the unmoving body, unimpressed. "Cyber psychosis? That's it? I thought this would be more of a challenge."

Before Peter could reflect any further, the sound of heavy boots echoed through the car. The NCPD's violent crimes response team stormed in, weapons drawn and scanners ready.

Their leader barked an order. "Where's the cyber maniac?"

The team froze in their tracks when they saw the scene in front of them. A young man in tattered clothing stood over the lifeless body of the cyber maniac, holding the detached prosthetic arm like a trophy. Blood and oil pooled beneath his feet.

"Officer, are you talking about the guy under my foot?" Peter asked casually, motioning to the mangled cyber maniac beneath him.

The response team's tension didn't ease. If anything, it heightened.

"You're not allowed to move!" one officer shouted, his weapon trained on Peter. "Stand still and submit to a scan!"

The team was on edge. They knew from the surveillance footage that the cyber maniac was dangerous, but the man standing before them had taken him down without breaking a sweat. That kind of power was enough to make anyone nervous.

Peter sighed, shaking his head. "You're welcome, by the way," he muttered. "But I don't have time for this."

Before the officers could react, Peter vanished.

"What the—?!"

The team leader's jaw dropped. Their advanced prosthetic scanners, capable of detecting military-grade speed, couldn't even register Peter's movement.

"How is this possible?" another officer whispered, scanning the area in disbelief.

The team leader sighed, motioning for his team to stand down. "Forget him. Let's clean up this mess."

Outside, Peter reappeared in an alley a few blocks away, where V, Jack, and Lucy were waiting.

"About time," V said, her relief evident. "What took you so long?"

"Had to teach that psycho some manners," Peter replied with a grin.

Jack shook his head, a mix of amazement and exasperation. "You're insane, you know that?"

Lucy stepped forward, her expression serious. "You're not just some random guy, are you?"

Peter shrugged. "Let's just say I'm good at handling trouble."

Lucy's lips curved into a small smile. "Good. Because I think we're about to run into a lot more of it."

As the group disappeared into the night, Peter couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was just the beginning. Cyber psychosis was dangerous, sure, but something much bigger was brewing in the shadows of Night City. And he was determined to be ready for it.

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