Chapter 2 Summary

Ronin, muttering "tachi," rips apart a sewer grating and climbs up. The streets are desolate, marked with fires and corpses. Meanwhile, at the Aquarius complex, Casey chastises a repairman for his slowness in repairing Virgo. The technician complains that the bioelectronics, with a mind of its own, is fighting his efforts. The electronics suddenly shock the worker, sending him sprawling. Deducing that Virgo is alive, Casey talks to Virgo, who implores Casey to find Ronin. Meanwhile, on the street, Ronin recovers a red cape from a mass grave, offering a short prayer. Ronin makes his way to an Army food kitchen in a church compound. There, a nun berates a man called "packrat" for not donating a blender. The nun greets Ronin with a mixture of religious rhetoric and passive-aggressive loathing. When Ronin won't eat the shelter's food, the nun is angry. The...