Ro (A Cyberpunk Retelling of Romeo and Juliet)

20

"My only love sprung from my only hate!

Too early seen unknown, and known too late!"

***

RO MONTAGUE

"Ro! Ro!" Benny rushes in with Mercy, cackling as they tally up the credits between them, tipping out empty pockets to show just how many illicit Monty medicines they sold. Mercy claps one arm around my shoulders, kissing my cheek, breath smelling like liquor. "Look at the numbers. We ran a good game." Her face falls, seeing my own lips drawn into a thoughtful frown, my eyes haunted. "What's that look about? Did you find Mr. Rosaline?"

I shake my head, solemn. "Worse. I found a Capulet."

She checks me over, prodding my arms and ribs. "They let you go, didn't they? You don't look to have been tortured."

"Externally, perhaps." I slump my way down the hill, away from the glittering holo spectacle of the Capulet mansion. Away from the intoxicated abandon of the party-goers, all hoping to feast among the rich before they were devoured and sent back to the slums.

Mercy runs ahead of me, catching me by the shoulders. "What, they stole your cape. Is that what you're moping about? Look at these!" Here, she gestures to the credits screen. "We can buy you fifty new ones!"

I tear away, hugging my arms around myself, remembering where Jules had held me. "I've been played."

"As have we all!" Benny chortles, before Mercy smacks him on the head to get him to shut up.

"Tell." Mercy orders. "Or I'll actually be a cop for once and arrest you. Don't think I wouldn't."

"You'd rat out a friend?"

She pauses, staring for too long into my eyes. "To keep you from destroying yourself? I would."

We make upon the border between north and south. The streets get darker. The hulking robot guards give way to barbed wire fences and open electric wires. The bloodstains glitter and mix with oil on the pavement.

Southern New Verona. Where the Montagues reign. My home.

"I fell for Jules Capulet." I rub my fingers absentmindedly against my lips, still stinging. "No, really." I show them an Eye-Lens memory I took, a screenshot of Jules' face as they told me their name. A close-up of Rose lips and a blood-red cloak. Dark curls and ice eyes. "I think I fell for them. Hard."

Mercy laughs and laughs. She laughs so hard that Benny shuffles his feet, clearly uncomfortable.

"No. This isn't... this isn't who you are. You fight. You kill. You aren't stupid like this, Ro. Not such a damned idiot!" Mercy shoves me, but I don't respond or fight. I just stand there, dumb.

Her lower lip falls and closes a few times in disbelief. Lightning eyes filled with wrath. A storm of red coils and dragon's fire. "Come back to me when you find yourself, Ro. When you know where your true allegiance lies. Come on, Benny. Let's go."

"I didn't ask for this!" I scream, watching their retreating backs as they head towards the barracks. Mercy flips me off, and Benny casts back an apologetic scowl.

I shoot at an empty house a couple times in frustration, screaming at the world. The wall doesn't fight back. I wish it would. A baby cries somewhere down the road, but the mother tells it to shut up quickly.

Right. No one wants to anger the oh-so-scary Ro Montague.

A fight would be easier than this. At least the scars would be physical then.

***

Hey, it's Ro Montague here. Don't forget to vote and comment... or else.

Your daily wisdom for the day?

Only fools fall.