It did not degenerate into a boot to the face and a whirlwind of claws, followed by a chase through the streets of the local Asiatown. As much as Emil wanted to, when dangling from the hand of the biggest anthroform drone he had ever seen like a disobedient cub. As tempting as it was to pop the reflex trigger on his wired reflexes as the rigger patted the smilodon uplift's gut. So he put his ears back, bared his titanium alloy dental work, extended his claws, and growled.

"Hmm," said the canine rigger, eyes obscured by a bulky augmented reality visor. "A little plush for the so-called terror of the ChiPitts Metroplex. But surely someone as well-augmented as you must be able to offer services..."
"Why do you need some urban ronin when you've got that...thing?"
"Don't call the Broker some 'thing'."
"Not like I knew its name."
The Broker shook Emil. "Perhaps the pudgy cat with an excuse for a tail should show more respect."
"Now now," chided the rigger, "we're supposed to be the heroes."
"Okay, really, ow, stop," grunted the saber. "Why the hell didn't you two just go through a fixer like normal people with problems?"
"A friend has some problems that the heroes and sidekicks can't solve. And the League tried a few fixers."
"Heroes? Problems? I'm sure you don't need me."
"It's a matter of a hostage situation. If you promise to be calm, we can find a place better suited for further discussion."
"I need my team. You'll need my team."
"Contact them, then. We'll discuss this over...sushi. Real sushi."

And so there was a with the sidekicks and their towering heroes, about a purple crocodile's big scaly friend who ran into trouble. Apparently there was a running conflict with another group of riggers and a hacker tribe that resulted in a recent defeat and need to change strategy...

Artwork, Emil © of me
Replicas and character modifications © of Leafghost
Live a Hero elements © of Lifewonders

"Drone-rigging vigilantes inspired by some old handbrain game. Probably not the strangest shtick for sprawl gangers, but it's up there."