As my readers know, I am an avid fanfic writer...or at least I am lately. What you may not know is when I'm not writing, I am an avid Role playing gamer. Now I'm not talking about video games, I'm talking about classic tabletop games with character sheets and seven types of dice. Such as Dungeons and Dragons, World of Darkness, and Gamma World (which is my fav!).

In the meanwhile, I have been racking my brain for years for a good idea for a viewfinder fic. After all, how can one compete with such good plot lines? And now, I have found my angle.

This fic is based on the original 1989 Shadow Run RPG and believe that it's a very complicated game. It's kind of a mix of cyberpunk, classic fantasy, and organized crime. I am trying to keep both the RPG setting and Manga in canon, but we're gonna come across a lot of slang and other things that may be quite new to some readers. Though I will do my best to explain everything, which is why we're starting with a bit of history.

My reference for all this is the 1st Edition Shadow Run Player's Handbook, which you can download for free if you're interested, or you can simply leave a review and ask some questions.

Now I will warn you, we're going to get into some heavy stuff. If things like crime, gore,explicit drugs, and or sexual bondage offend you...then I don't know why you're here. Stay away.

If you're into cyberpunk or not, I hope you enjoy.

Cyber Kisses!

TBF101

Shadow Run

A Viewfinder Fanfic

By TBF101

Prologue

The year is 2050, and the world is very different place. The world has always been dark, and that has not changed. It merely the fact that it's shadow has grown longer. And the series of events that led to this lengthened night began with what they call "the awakening."

In a world ruled by science and machine, something happened that roused an unexplainable event, and at the bow of its ship was none other than the estranged sister of science: magic. After three thousand years of being suppressed, the mighty force broke free of its bonds and brought the supernatural back into being. The denizens of earth who were called shed their human skins and gave birth to ancient races: orc, dwarf, troll, and elf. But what followed the awakening was the opposite of advancement. War broke between oppressed and oppressor, plagues and starvation went rampant, and world governments crumbled into dust.

A darker age descended on man, but in death and suffering, one can only learn to be stronger. The humans of the world proved to be a hardy race themselves as they slowly climbed their way back to stability. What followed was the second renaissance of cybertechnology and spiritualism. The old communications gave way to a new creation known as the Matrix. Governments were replaced by Mega-Corporations, and offered protection to those who would submit, while eradicating those who wouldn't with powerful armies.

But in any age, there are always those who deviate from the norm. The outcast, lowlifes of society hold their own place as well, lingering in the growing shadows. And when a corporation doesn't want to do the dirty work, they are called.

The shadow runners.