Chapter Eight
July 5th, 2077
Night City, Northern California
Kabuki, Kabuki Favela
Adrenaline coursed through Valerie's veins; eyes fixated down her Unity iron sights. The Night City climate that was infamous for its frigid evenings caused her breath to condense upon contact. The Mercenary was no stranger to Night City's often inhospitable evening climate, having arrived months earlier on the sputtering engine of her Rattler.
Her name was Valerie Vargas, a former smuggler who ran product and supplies for the Bakker Clan. That was before they decided to join the Snake nation, a decision she was ultimately against. Willie tried to convince her to come back, give the Bakkers a second chance.
V very rarely gave second chances to anyone.
So, she decided to break out on her own and find a new way of life in Night City. A life that, in the beginning, was an exhilarating experience. She lived on the edge of her seat; mercenary work in Night City was plentiful and worthwhile. Eddies were good, jobs always came through 'The Net,' and the adrenaline coursing through her veins was something she would forever cherish.
That decision, however, started a domino effect that led her to where she was now. A body containing a ticking time bomb. She almost wished she was back with her Nomad Gang; life was a lot simpler back then.
V and her choom Jackie Welles, had gotten the job of a lifetime, something that would have set her up to live a life of Luxury. Instead, V's best friend died, her contractor dumped her body in a junkyard after shooting her in the head, and finally, she was sifted out of a pile of scraps by an Arasaka soldier.
Her luck had run out finally, and she was in a race against the clock to save her soul.
"I don't like this V." Glancing to her right was Judy Alvarez, a member of the Mox who she had befriended while on a lengthy journey to find the woman that gave her the Konpeki Plaza job.
"Stay close. We have to find Evelyn."
Evelyn Parker had been missing for a little over a week now. Parker's former employer had pointed her to a Ripperdoc on Jig-Jig street. That bumbling idiot pointed her in another direction, and before she knew it, V was outside of the Red Son's hideout. Scavengers in the Kabuki Favela took what and who they wanted without repercussions.
The Maelstrom regularly contracted scavengers to kidnap people off the streets of Watson. No one was safe, not even children. The Favela was still reeling from the kidnapping of a nine-year-old girl taken off the streets a few days ago. Her body was found at a destroyed Maelstrom facility somewhere in Northside. Rumors circulated about what had transpired at the facility, but it was clear that Maelstrom was being hunted like animals. She didn't pity the gangers.
V banished those thoughts as quickly as they came about when they arrived at the Red Son's hideout.
She expected to find a well-guarded location bustling with activity. V was still drumming up a plan with Judy when they pulled up to the scavenger hideout. There was no guard at the main entrance, and all that rang in the air was a bone-chilling silence.
She was not prepared for a house of horrors to greet her.
The corpse's littered the hideout as the duo pushed further into the structure. A great many Scavenger's suffered brutal and agonizing deaths. One, in particular, had their corpse embedded into a wall, hanging by his abdomen. Another Red Son had their right leg cut out from underneath them, dragging himself down the main corridor before bleeding out.
The Mercenary did her best to ignore the carnage around her, barely able to keep her lunch from plastering the floors. Judy was not so lucky; the technician could scarcely stand the smell itself.
After a lengthy search of the hideout's corridors, they came upon two rooms acting as a storage area for the Scavengers. The bodies inside were not Scavengers. Instead, they were the unfortunate souls who had been taken by them.
"Check those rooms. I got these." Gathering her wits about her, V began searching the hideout's holding area. Each room contained a dozen appropriated bathtubs filled with ice. A few of them were occupied by fresh human corpses.
V walked towards the closest tub, raising the human remains out of the ice slowly. A shock of green hair dripped back into the tub, spreading out across the face of a twenty-year-old female. The woman had her cyberware ripped out of her face along with the cybernetic implant previously installed into her torso. V placed her thumb on the woman's forehead, citing a bible verse for the tortured soul in her arms.
"In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love: deliver them now from every evil and bid them eternal rest. Amen." V made a sign of the cross with her free hand before gently lowering the woman into her frozen tomb.
V watched as the body fell into the frigid waters, vaguely noticing the materialized form of her irritating companion. Looking up, V took in his most defining features, wild black mane of hair, a cybernetic arm covered in silver varnish, and an annoying smirk.
"I doubt religion will do her any good now." A snarl graced V's face.
"No one asked your opinion, Johnny." His smirk grew wider.
"Evidently, you didn't ask her opinion either." The Rockerboy leaned against the frozen tomb, arms crossed. "Not everyone partakes in the lord's prayer V."
Judy's frantic voice halted their conversation. "V! I found her!"
Rushing to her feet, V sprinted toward Judy's voice, passing by a dozen other frozen tombs. She came upon Judy with Evelyn's body cradled in her tattooed arms. The Mercenary barely missed the hulking form of Cyrus, watching from the storage room's shadows.
The Headhunter walked into the vacant hallway glancing into the adjacent room where V and Judy now occupied. Thoughts went blank as he regarded the two women attempting to awaken their fallen companion.
It was useless; the scavengers residing in the hideout enjoyed torturing their captors for their amusement. Those who had been dragged into the scavenger safehouse were thrown into a darkened abyss, never to return.
Cyrus had avenged the dead. The child has been avenged.
So lost in his thoughts was the Spartan that he did not notice the mercenary turn back towards the Headhunter. V nearly drew her sidearm in muted surprise when she stopped herself, whether out of fear of curiosity the Mercenary halted her violent reaction. Instead, she chose to observe the hulking form of what she knew to be the Northside Butcher. Rumors and gossip had filtered through 'The Net' about a single unstoppable entity butchering the Maelstrom, and now here she was face to face with that legend.
For a moment, everything went silent, two pairs of eyes locked onto the other in the shadows. V blinked in confusion, unsure of what would happen next until the Spartan nodded in her direction. Unsure of herself, V nodded back, understanding at that moment who had inadvertently assisted in their search of Evelyn.
Judy stole her attention. "V, what is it?"
The Mercenary regarded her with wide eyes before looking back at the doorway. The Mech was gone in the short time V's attention was drawn away from it. V's body relaxed with a visible shudder, gathering a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"Nothing, let's get Evelyn out of here."
Whether she knew it or not, V's curiosity was peaked. Leading her down an uncertain path where her salvation may come in the form of a Headhunter.
July 12th, 2077
Night City, Northern California
Northside, Outcast Camp
A week passed without ceremony or excitement for the Chieftain. The demise of the Maelstrom predictably did not go unnoticed by anyone in Night City. Cyrus had dropped too many bodies and set off too many explosions to make their eradication a ghost story. His act of vengeance was on full display for the city to witness.
Lined along the walls of the Maelstroms final resting place were the heads of Royce and all his lieutenants. The Night City police swarmed the abandoned Second Guard Factory like locusts, and the media immediately followed them.
The myth of the Northside Headhunter had reached a crescendo. New outlets across Night City had been covering the escalating violence in Watson for weeks, but all they had were ghost stories and gossip. The stories rapidly increased when a Maelstrom bar in the middle of rush hour found itself caught in the middle of a war. Eyewitness testimony stated seeing a black shadow butcher the Maelstrom gangers, but no other evidence could be corroborated.
When the dust settled, and the Maelstrom were butchered to a man, pictures of the Northside Headhunter started making its way around the city. It wasn't detailed by any means, but it held enough of an image to turn the myth into legend.
A black shadow with a body of metal stood imperviously, a hand around the throat of a Maelstrom Ganger. The image was not from a security camera but instead came from the mind of a Maelstrom ganger who recently had his cyberware compatible with a Braindance. MAXTAC and NCPD forensic teams were able to retrieve the Braindance before it became corrupted. Analysts went to work on it within hours, trying to corroborate its validity. When it was discovered to be anything but fake, the NCPD released its findings, throwing the city into a frenzy. There had never been a moment in Night City's storied and bloodied history where a significant gang was wiped to a man. Even more rare was the fact a single entity did it.
Forums popped up; citizens created websites. All involved formed a single unified pursuit to find the identity of the Northside Headhunter. Some theorized it was an Arasaka prototype others believed it to be a Militech weapon that had gone rogue. A minority thought it to be a rogue government super-soldier. No matter the story told, the legend only grew larger.
For the residents of Watson, this would be the first time an uninterrupted peace graced their land. Scavengers were running scared, and any surviving Maelstrom had gone into hiding like cockroaches.
Dana Parker didn't care either way, and she was happy it was all over. The Chieftain hadn't realized what she unleashed on the Maelstrom until days after the outcast's first encounter with Cyrus. Nor did Dana understand what he was capable of.
She could only hope that Cyrus's retribution would not come back on the camp. If it did, she had contingency plans in place to ensure the safety of anyone who lived there.
The Headhunter came back to the camp one final time. He gathered his gear and made final somewhat muted goodbye to Dana. Before leaving, the Spartan transferred his contact information to her Kiroshi optic, telling her to call him without hesitation if the outcasts ever needed assistance.
Dana wished he could stay in camp; Cyrus was a calming presence despite his otherwise off-putting demeanor. He was a welcomed addition to the outcast camp, but he was also a dangerous man to be around.
A picture of the Northside Headhunter was making rounds all over the city, and he could not stay there anymore. Hiding a seven-foot-tall super soldier was a near impossibility for the outcasts. The whole city was turning in on itself, looking for him.
Corporations, gangs, mercenaries, and governments were all looking to extract something from him. Someone would eventually connect them to the Spartans.
No secret survived long in Night City.
She just didn't think it would be this quick.
A woman arrived in camp asking questions. She rolled up in a black, and red arch tried to make useless conversation with Dana to get her comfortable. She called herself V, whatever shitty nickname that was supposed to be. Dana was close to sending the mercenary packing when Adam, the little shithead, came running up to V as she was leaving.
"Excuse me, miss, have you seen this man?!" Adam had produced a poorly drawn missing persons poster. Instead of there being a face, there was only the featureless mask of the Headhunter.
Goddamn, kids.
"Yes, actually." The merc asked surreptitiously grasping the crayon drawn poster. "Could you tell me his name?"
Adam's eyes widened in disbelief. Finally, progress was being made. The pretty woman was the first person that hadn't given him the runaround.
"His name is Cyrus, and he looks mean and scary, but he's really nice and is good at shooting games." Adam ignored Dana's pleading look. "I haven't seen him in a few days, and I think he got lost! If you see him, can you please tell him to come home?"
The Mercenary had a genuine smile come to her face as she handed the missing person's poster back to Adam. The child ran off into the camp, calling after his sister to tell her the good news. His mother could only stand in fear and disbelief, only running off when Dana regarded her with contempt.
The red-haired woman looked in Dana's direction with a shit-eating grin. Parker's eyes closed in exasperation; this was why she never had kids. They didn't know when to shut the hell up.
"Fine, let's talk."
"Take a seat."
The Chieftain's tent was more spacious than what the rest of the camp resided in. A single twin-sized bed was nestled in the far right corner, with a large trunk residing at the foot of it. A makeshift kitchen sat in the far left corner, with cupboards and other kitchen appliances spread evenly.
A large table sat at the tent's center, weapons and documents laid on top, and a dozen foldable chairs surrounded it. Dana reached into a weathered cupboard and snatched two glasses in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. Placing the shot glasses down gently, the Chieftain poured a cup of whiskey for both of them.
"You want to know about Cyrus." Dana handed her a cup. "You tell me more about you."
V regarded the woman carefully before raising her cup in salute. Dana reciprocated the gesture, and both women felt the familiar bitter taste of Bourbon flowing down their throats. The Mercenary stared at her cup for a moment before placing her empty glass on the table.
"Well." V cleared her throat. "I was a Bakker, ran with them for most of my life."
"Nomads very rarely leave their packs, V." Dana refilled V's cup with more whiskey. " Did you get kicked out, or did you leave?"
"I left; leadership made a decision I disagreed with heavily," V told her. "When it finally happened, I took what I owned and struck out for Night City. Been working as a merc ever since."
"What about you?" V took another shot of bitter whiskey, the taste causing her a small coughing fit. "You're not the usual outcast vagrant I've ever seen, you got Corpo Implants."
"I used to work for Militech. Served my time as a Lieutenant in the 112th Panzer Division during the Unification Wars. When the ceasefire was signed, and the rest got sent home with PTSD or shattered lives. I got bumped up to corporate work something about being good with people." Danas smiled with a forlorn look. "I was too good with people. Emphasized with their plights far too much for my employer's liking. Eventually, I stepped on one too many toes and got knocked down the social ladder."
"Do you regret it?"
"What pissing off my bosses?" The Chieftain's smile lit up. "Or doing everything in my power to help the less fortunate?"
"Both?"
"Never." V raised her glass with an endearing smile.
"To the less fortunate." Dana mimicked her gesture.
"To pissing off Corporate assholes." Another glass of whiskey poured down their throats. This time, they were able to enjoy the bitter taste. In his cybernetic hand, Johnny chose that moment to appear off to her right was his own bottle of whiskey.
"Fuck, Arasaka!" The Rockerboy tipped the bottle back and tried to down it in one go, realizing belatedly that he couldn't partake due to his unfortunate circumstances.
"Motherfucker!" Johnny threw the holographic whiskey across the room. V swore that she heard the damned bottle break into a million pieces, almost like it was there.
"How did you know he came here?" The Chieftain inquired. "That man is good at what he does; no way anyone could trace him here that quickly."
"Regina Jones was tracking him. He hit a job she had a contract on, and you know how fixers are about their contracts."
"Yeah, I do." Dana took a shot of whiskey. "Fucking Fixers."
The two women entered a lengthy conversation over their shared love of whiskey. For the first time in weeks, V was enjoying some peace and quiet. It had been a long while since she'd been able to sit down and enjoy a good bourbon in comfort. Her only regret was that it could not last for much longer; time wasn't exactly on her side.
"What do you know about him?" V had been dodging the subject during their conversation out of respect, but she needed all the intel she could get on Cyrus.
"Not as much as you think," Dana replied. "He'd only been with us for two weeks before he left camp, and yet he felt like one of us within a day of being in our presence I don't need to remind you how rare a feat that is."
She didn't. Outcasts were notorious for their treatment of outsiders, second only to the voodoo boys themselves. When you lived among the rats in Night City, friends were tough to come by, and trust was nearly impossible to give out freely.
The cities inhabitants always attempted to take advantage of those that lived in the squalor. Corporations that were looking for cheap labor were incredibly guilty. They always sent representatives into outcast's camp, trying to swindle some poor soul into an inescapable contract. So, their lives would be dictated by the needs of a soul-consuming corporation.
"I can't imagine he just fell into your laps." Dana gave a hearty laugh in response. "You're kidding."
"I almost wish I was V. But that's exactly what happened." V could only blink in response.
"How did it happen?"
"Cyrus got us out of a tough spot with the Maelstrom. The bastards were looking to flex some muscle on the other Vagrant camps, after a humiliating situation at the All Foods plant." V tried to keep her expression neutral.
She and Jackie hadn't wanted to cause a scene at the All Foods plant, but the Militech bitch she was working with gave her no choice. The Maelstrom hadn't been kind to the transgression V had unknowingly unleashed on them. Her only regret was leaving Royce breathing when she broke out of the plant, though from what she heard happened to him a few days ago. The Maelstrom leader didn't deserve the mercy of a quick death.
"You ever see him work V?" The Mercenary was rustled from her thoughts. "Have you seen what he can do?"
"I've seen the aftermath."
"I've seen the whole thing." Dana took another shot of whiskey. "Cyrus is a hunter, V. He is without a doubt the most dangerous man on the planet, and you want to find him. Do you have a death wish?"
V leaned back into her chair, depositing another shot of whiskey down her throat. Finishing the bourbon drink with a sour expression, V reached behind her back and retrieved an Arasaka shard. Slowly she placed the Shard on the table before sliding the object towards the Chieftain.
"What is this?" Dana inquired.
"Read it."
The Chieftain regarded the Mercenary carefully, eyes searching the woman's intentions. A facial expression made of stone was all she could examine, leaving her with little to go on. Dana reached for the data shard and rubbed it in between her fingers. A moment of silence existed between the two women until the data shard was inserted into her cyberware.
The information fell at a vomiting pace, forcing the Chieftain to catalog the data into categories. Words were beginning to form in her head.
Project Prometheus. Comet War. Arasaka Tower. Relic.
Every piece of intel Arasaka had gathered while the Spartan was in their captivity. Dana had seen enough to understand V's desperation. Cyrus, whether he knew it or not, was a game-changer. Everybody wanted a piece of him.
Arasaka was convinced the Spartan's advanced armor would advance their ambitions and goals. The data shard contained all sorts of intelligence. Contingency plans, emergency measures, weaponized EMP's, specialized Bloodhound squads. All in a foolish attempt to reacquire Cyrus and V had the backdoor to it all.
"Where did you get this?"
"An acquaintance of mine, we're working together, so to speak." Dana scoffed at the bullshit answer.
"Your acquaintance works for Arasaka V. You and I both know that partnership won't last."
"Look, I want to talk to him," V stated simply. "Work out a deal if I have to. He helps me, and I give him the Shard."
"What makes you think he cares." V's face fell for a moment, eyes losing their vigor. "You and I both know that Arasaka has nothing on him. Their only hope of success is to drown him in a sea of corpses, and even then, that won't do anything."
V hesitated, letting a lull in the conversation form. She wasn't entirely sure why she wanted his help. Desperation was the first thought to enter her head, she saw what he was capable of at the Red Son's hideout, and she was in dire need of people she could rely on. Johnny and V both knew that in order to save her own life, she would need to but heads with the most influential people in Night City.
"Look, I'll throw you a bone, V," Dana's voice drew her attention. "I will give you his contact information, but I would suggest you get your priorities straight. You can call and have this conversation with him instead."
"Last I heard, he was out in Kabuki, doing god knows what." The Chieftain transferred the Headhunter's contact information to the Mercenary.
"You want to find him V; call that number, and he'll find you."
July 12th, 2077
Night City, Northern California
Kabuki, Kabuki Favela
The Headhunters target was a slaver, his favorite kind of person to kill in all honesty. The slavers name was Jotaro Shobo. A lieutenant in the violent Tyger Claw gang based out of Japantown.
Jotaro was considered to be one of the worst pieces of shits in Night City. He climbed his way up the Tyger Claw ranks through well-calculated maneuvers. He employed all types of degenerative measures, kidnapping, extortion, and cruelty that left a trail of corpses all over Kabuki.
Jotaro ruled his men with an iron fist and always ensured his superiors got their cut on time. This kept him alive and in charge, so things looked up for the bastard as time went on. In exchange for their lucrative cut, the Tyger Claw brass turned a blind eye to his "hobbies." Said hobby was his penchant for recording braindances so vile he was nicknamed "The Devil of Kabuki."
Jotaro conducted his business in the Kabuki Favela. Today, he was expecting a shipment of Joytoy to further his 'Hobby.' It was a shame for Jotaro that the next truck to roll up to his Club wasn't filled by Joytoys but instead only the Headhunter. A Headhunter with a penchant for enjoying killing people like Jotaro.
"Alright, Chamber, what's for dinner tonight?" The Headhunter loaded a fresh magazine onto his modified Copperhead. Cyrus was able to snatch an S0-21 SAIKA holographic long scope. It made short-range and long-range targeting a breeze. I took a decent chunk of time to sync the SAIKA with his MJOLNIR HUD, but Chamber wasn't the best for no reason.
"Well, we have a full course meal to choose from. Rapists, serial killers, and drug dealers are my personal favorite, but it's your choice."
"I think I'll take the whole menu."
"Good choice. Here's what you need to know." A building schematic littered with red dots appeared on his HUD.
"Our target is on the third floor of the Ho-Oh club. The first floor is where you'll find most civilians. There's a bar and several poker tables spread out across the floor. Recommend we avoid this area if possible." The schematic shifted to focus on the Second and Third floors.
"The second floor is where the VIP's go, private rooms and all the adult entertainment a man could want. The third floor is where the Tyger Claws barracks is located, along with Jotaro's office." The schematic was outlined with breach points and Tyger Claw soldier locations.
"I recommend we go in hard through the loading area and break for the upper levels immediately. Most of these thugs are carrying M-76E Omaha's, Carnage Shotgun's, and Shigure SMG's. Not a huge threat to our armor or shields, but you get the point."
"Usually, you're the one expressing a desire for subtly Chamber. What happened to that?" The AI's avatar appeared on his HUD.
"You have been anything but subtle lately, Cyrus." The AI responded with a scolding tone. "I am just adjusting to your primitive fighting style, which has all the tactical sense of banging your head against a steel door without a lock on it."
"My head would win."
"My point exactly." The duo's conversation was interrupted by the truck coming to a complete stop.
"We'll finish this later, Chamber." The AI winked off his HUD and allowed the Spartan time to focus on the task at hand.
When the transport truck's door swung open, his boot crushed the face of a Tyger Claw soldier—sending the man sprawling back with a cracked nose and fractured skull. His companions were too stunned to respond to the Spartan's assault, leaving them open to a burst of bullets from his Copperhead. Both Tyger Claw bandits had their heads pop in a mist of red blood, while the third ran for the exit.
The Soldier was cut down with a burst of 7.62 to the back of his head, propelling the Tyger Claws body through the sliding doors. The fresh corpse alerted the soldiers on the first floor to his presence, scrambling for their weapons even as civilians fled with their lives.
"It's the Headhunter!" The Tyger Claw's proclamation was met with hot lead. Cyrus burst into the first floor, firing upon a pair of Tyger Claws that flipped over the pool tables for cover.
"So much for avoiding the first floor!" Chamber's voice echoed through his ears even as he blasted the head off a Tyger Claw specialist.
"We're improvising!" Cyrus drew his Kukri in his right hand, slashing the throat of a Carnage wielding Tyger Claw even as a bark from his Copperhead pierced the throats of another. Cyrus holstered his Copperhead as the final bullet was spent, opting to switch to his sidearm rather than reload.
The Headhunter jumped out of cover, Kukri in one hand and a Lexington in the other, and engaged a pair of Tyger Claw Bloodhounds arriving from the street. Both Bloodhounds jumped to his flanks, attempting to pincer him in between their assaults.
Cyrus shifted his body to avoid a stream of thermal energy, retaliating with a burst of fire from his Lexington, wounding the Tyger Claw Bloodhound to his left. A blade passed overhead, wrapped in electrical energy from the second Bloodhound.
Cyrus gripped the end of the blade wrenching the woman forward, allowing the Spartan to jab his Kukri into their throat. Cyrus watched the Tyger Claws' eyes roll widen in shock even as blood poured into her lungs. The Headhunter kicked the dying Bloodhound back, dislodging his Kukri and sending the body flying into a pool table.
"SUKI!"
He side-stepped a retaliatory swing from her still-living partner and struck the Male Bloodhound in the chest. A cry of pain sent the Tyger Claw reeling back off balance, allowing the Spartan to press his assault.
With a burst of inhuman speed, Cyrus launched a flurry of attacks from his Kukri, slicing through the already damaged body of the Tyger Claw Bloodhound. With one final slash, the Bloodhounds stomach opened up, allowing his entrails to fall onto the Club's floor.
The Tyger Claw stared in disbelief at the sight of his own intestines before the Spartan fired a single shot from his Lexington, punching a bullet sized hole clean through his skull. The Bloodhound was dead before he hit the ground. Blood and guts spilled all over the Club's once pristine black floor.
"Chamber, how many left?" Cyrus holstered his weapons and retrieved the Copperhead fixed to his back.
" Fifteen Tyger Claw soldiers and our target, all shitting their pants from the looks of it." A gunshot reverberated through the structure. "Make that Fourteen Soldiers and our target. Your presence alone convinced one sorry bastard to off himself."
Cyrus ignored the last bit of Chamber's information. It saved him the ammo; that's all he really cared about. Pushing up the Club's stairwell with his Copperhead drawn, one Tyger Claw attempted a Kamikaze attack with a Katana from the top of the stairs.
"BANZAI!"
If Cyrus wasn't paying attention, the Tyger Claw would have landed a slice on the Spartans sternum. Instead, the ganger felt the full force of a Spartan's uppercut, separating his head from his body and shooting up the stairs and splattering on impact with the far wall. The assailant's body flopped on the ground next to Cyrus as blood rained from on high.
"What the fuck!" It was clear the Tyger Claws on the second floor were not expecting that.
Cyrus pushed into the second floor, clearing out the VIP area with little effort. The sounds of heavy footfalls indicated that the rest of the Tyger Claws had abandoned the VIP floor to hold up on the upper level.
"Leave." The Headhunter growled at the Joytoys that were cowering behind their workstations. Most sported bruises and cuts, most likely inflicted upon them by the Tyger Claws. A few even sent a thankful nod to Cyrus's direction before beating feet out of the Club. Hopefully, in Cyrus's head to find a new line of work or a more reputable establishment.
The Spartan was approaching the stairwell to the third floor when Chamber flagged his HUD. "Wait, Jack me into the port on your left."
Cyrus kept his sights on the stairwell while shifting to the designated port. He grasped Chamber's chip with his left hand and jacked his partner into the building's security port. His motion tracker was a buzz of activity, red dots moving in all directions.
Tyger Claws were flipping over tables and chairs in a naïve effort to save their own lives. A Tyger Claw technician jacked into the Buildings security system, activating the Militech MK.31 Heavy Turret.
"Auto Turret ready!" The Tyger Claw jacked out of the security system, unaware another entity had confiscated the turret.
"Thank you, Tyger Claw." Cyrus retrieved her Data Chip. "Heavy Turret upstairs is ours. Just say the word, and we'll start the party."
"Do it."
"With Pleasure." Chamber scrambled the Turrets IFF, changing the identification codes of the former Tyger Claw heavy turret. A TC Soldier brandishing a Carnage was standing a mere foot away from the MK.31 when it blasted him in the back of his skull. Before any Tyger Claws could react, another burst of gunfire ripped the arm off a TC Berserker.
While Chamber's new toy was tearing into a group of Tyger Claws, Cyrus breached the third floor. The Tyger Claw's had used a pool table and multiple other objects to barricade the Spartan's path.
A group of TC soldiers surrounded the makeshift barricade, ignoring the screams and gunfire in the adjacent room to cover the barrier. The TC had no expected the pool table to be launched like a projectile toward them, crushing a TC berserker. Cyrus bull rushed into the room with all the force of a runaway train, pulverizing a TC ganger.
"KILL IT! KILL IT NOW!"
A storm of hot lead was unleashed upon the Spartan by the surviving Tyger Claw soldiers; what bullets that did manage to hit their target bounced off the Headhunters energy shield. An explosion from the adjacent room sent a plum of smoke throughout the third floor, blinding the remaining Tyger Claw soldiers still inside. Cyrus shifted to his 9 o'clock, slicing the throat of a terrified ganger.
"Chamber, what the hell was that?" The Headhunter snapped the neck of a berserker stumbling in the thick smoke.
"Turrets self-destruct feature," Chamber replied. "Rarely used, but highly effective."
Cyrus breached Jotaro's sleeping area. Braindances and adult toys littered the room in an unorganized mess, but his target was not there. The Headhunter pushed to the balcony, finding only a Tyger Claw's fresh corpse, with a self-inflicted GSW to his temple.
A Tyger Claw Bloodhound was waiting patiently for the Spartan to fall into their trap, activating two EMP mines hidden in the ceiling of the balcony roof. Cyrus felt a burst of electromagnetic energy course through his armor, locking his joints and parts of his MJOLNIR. Chamber's voice was distorted as the energy started to dissipate around him. It was only his training and years of experience that saved him from a Bloodhounds assault.
"Cy….Beh….ou!"
A long katana appeared behind Cyrus coated in thermal energy. Cyrus rolled to his right, crushing the body of the suicidal Tyger Claw in the process.
The Spartan emerged from his roll, firing a barrage of bullets at a shimmering form. His HUD was still fuzzy, leaving his vision impaired but not blind.
"You will die here, Demon!"
The Bloodhound dashed into the Spartan's side, slashing his MJOLNIR's sternum in a flurry of lethal strikes. However, she did not account for the Spartan's reflexes and a hand wrapped around her left forearm. Her limb was crushed with a quick clench of the Spartan's hand, arm bending at an unnatural angle.
The Tyger Claw screamed in pain before her body was swung forward and thrown like a rock across the complex. Her body slammed like a freight train into the adjacent building, limbs crushed and internal organs ruptured.
"You ok?" Chamber's concerned voice caught his attention.
"Yeah, give me a minute." The Headhunter retrieved his Kukri that had fallen from his grasp when the EMP hit. Settling his nerves quickly, Cyrus pushed on. He was clearing the rest of the building with a renewed determination. However, his search for Jotaro was coming up empty.
"Chamber, where is my target?" Cyrus cleared the adjacent rooms finding no activity or his adversary. Growling in irritation, he headed back towards the balcony before being halted by Chamber's voice.
"Ugh, Cyrus," Chamber intoned with disbelief. "Look outside."
Cyrus turned his attention to the balcony view, noticing scuff marks from pristine shoes. Peeking over the balcony wall, Cyrus saw a crimson trail near the Club's main entrance. The Headhunter followed the blood trail to Jotaro, the Tyger Claw Lieutenant, who was dragging his shattered legs to the Favela streets.
"Huh," Chamber was dumbfounded. "He jumped from a three-story building to get away from you. Wow, your presence alone causes suicide and attempted suicide."
The Headhunter vaulted over the balcony wall, touching down close to Jotaro's bloody landing. The Tyger Claw Lieutenant looked behind him, eyes wide with fear as the Spartan advanced on him. His Kukri was drawn in a reverse grip.
"WAIT! WAIT! I can get you anything you want, Eddies, girls, boys, take your pick! Anything just please don't-Urk." The Headhunter snatched him by the throat, lifting his shattered body high in the air.
Lightning crackled in the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. Rain poured from the Night City skyline, dousing the TC Lieutenant and Headhunter in a storm of torrential rain. Showers of water pelted the Spartan's MJOLNIR, washing away the red liquid that belonged to Jotaro's fellow Tyger Claws.
"I'll take one thing." Jotaro's features visibly relaxed. "Your life."
"WAIT! PLEASE!" Jotaro's groveling was ceased with a deep slash from the Spartan's Kukri. Starting from his navel to his sternum, splitting the Tyger Claws' upper torso in two. Guts and intestines slipped from Jotaro's body before the Spartan kicked the corpse away from him. Sending a trail of blood and guts soaring through the torrential rain and landing into the adjacent streets.
Civilians walking the streets shrieked in terror when the Tyger Claws' body flew through the air. Those few who didn't run in fear followed the blood trail to the slaughter inside Ho-Oh club. Most desperately searching for the perpetrator out of curiosity or gratitude. However, the Northside Headhunter had disappeared, only leaving the carnage inside the Club as evidence of his presence.
NCPD and MAXTAC arrived in force, quarantining the Club and questioning the few witnesses that stuck around. All gave the same testimony; the Headhunter was on the prowl, and his new target were Tyger Claws.
"So, what now?" Chamber asked quietly.
"Head back to the hideout, need to check MJOLNIR's internal systems and gel layer. Fairly sure that Bloodhound took a chunk of my armor off with that Katana of hers."
The Headhunter was traversing the Kabuki Favela's sprawling rooftops. Usually, his pace would be more sedated. Human activity was always prevalent in the Favela, but the torrential storm kept everyone's heads down.
"Anything from Dana?" Cyrus inquired.
"Nothing new since our last check-in. The kids back at camp are still looking for you, though. I suggest you pay them a visit before the camp implodes on itself."
"I'll think about it."
"You really need to take a load off, Cyrus." Chamber groaned in exasperation. "You've been on the move for weeks now. When are you going to take a moment to rest and clear your mind?"
Cyrus predictably did not choose to follow up on the question.
Since his arrival at Dana's camp, he's had his hands full with the Maelstrom, and now his next target were the Tyger Claws. Cyrus wanted to go after them sooner, but he had to ensure the power vacuum in Watson wasn't filled by another booster gang. A great many Night City gangs tried to insert their authority over the liberated borough, but their attempts only led to a brutal demise.
Cyrus was halfway from his camp when his communication node went off. Chamber had to spend a solid couple of days adjusting MJOLNIR's communication systems to be compatible with this Earth's own telecommunication network. In her irritated explanation, it was the equivalent of trying to merge a twenty-first-century cell phone with a telegraph line.
"Is it Dana?" The Headhunter asked.
"No, it's another party. Someone we recognize." Cyrus's momentum stopped on a dime, leaving his body at the edge of a five-story-building.
"Really. Who is it?"
"Valerie Vargas?" Dana replied. "The Merc with the strange reading we ran into at the Scavenger hideout in Kabuki Favela. You know the cute redhead one."
"Get me her location first and find out what that reading was," Cyrus demanded. "If it's got your curiosity peeked find out what it is."
"Oooh, does my Spartan have a crush?" Chamber teased the Headhunter.
"Depending on the Mercs answer, I may crush her head."
Chamber's algorithms went to work splicing into the connection between themselves and their interested party. The signal bounced in between network towers from Watson to Northside to Kabuki, finally landing fifty meters from Dana's camp.
"She's outside Dana's camp."
There were only two reasons that Dana would have given their contact information to anyone. The first reason was that Vargas threatened her for the intelligence, in which case she would suffer an agonizing death. The other possibility, Dana gave their information willingly to Vargas for what reason he did not know, but it better be a good one. Cyrus sighed in exasperation; people were not his strong suit, so he hoped she was trying to kill him. Less complicated that way.
"This better be good."
"What do you want?"
V's entire body was tense. The Mercenary was thoroughly agitated, feeling like the whole damn world was coming down on top of her. All because of a simple question from someone she knew could kill her like a bug. Clearing her throat and mustering what little courage she had left, V replied to the question.
"Hello, my name is-" The voice interrupted her.
"Your name is Valerie Vargas," Her voice caught in her throat. "Born October 12th, 2049. Parents irrelevant, former allegiance the Bakker Nomads. Current occupation Night City Mercenary. And at this very moment, you are fifty meters from Dana Parker's camp."
Despair gripped her heart like a cage; her vision bounced around, searching for the Headhunter's figure. Johnny's form appeared off to her right, expressing as much fear as she felt.
"V! Hang up now!" The Mercenary body was frozen in petrifying fear. V reached for her Unity in a vain attempt at self-defense, but the voice stopped V in her tracks.
"That won't help you. I know every single detail of your life, Miss Vargas." V's body trembled. "So, when I ask what you want from me. I want there to be no lies."
After a moment of silence, the Mercenary closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing and nerves. She knew what the Headhunter was trying to do, get her out of her comfort zone leave her on the backfoot taking control of the entire conversation.
Damned if it wasn't effective.
V took a deep stabilizing breath settling her nerves and aligning her composure. Finally, after a minute or two of silence, she responded to the Spartan.
"I know you're not a fan of Arasaka." V cleared her throat. "And I know they're looking for you. I am proposing a trade, I need help with a job, and I will give you everything that Arasaka has on you. No bullshit, no problem's I can promise that."
An uncomfortable silence reigned in the air, unnerving her more and more even as her eyes scanned her surroundings. Her eyes fell onto the outcast camp, and its Chieftain, Dana Parker, was standing outside the camp watching her closely. The Chieftains mouth was moving subtly, indicating a conversation taking place between her and another party.
She didn't doubt for a second it wasn't about her. This entire situation had gone tits up on her, leaving her feeling vulnerable and frightened.
Johnny liked it even less. "Goddamnit V, why the fuck are we doing this?!"
"Because we fucking need him, Johnny! You can't tell me having this guy in our corner won't help us!" The engram disagreed with her assessment.
"Fuck that V! This guy drops more bodies than a goddamn mortician. You don't fuck with people who can kill you like nothing!" The Mercenary whirled on Johnny, fury spilling from her mouth.
"I know what I'm doing!"
"The fuck you do!" If Johnny were an actual living being, their heads would have butting with how close they were.
"What's the job?" Their conversation was cut like a hot knife through butter. Her fury leveled out, unwillingly to take her anger out on the Headhunter for fear of reprisal.
"I am trying to locate Anders Hellman. He disappeared from Arasaka a few weeks ago, and I need him." V explained her situation carefully. "He is leaving on an AV out of Night City in two days. I can send you the information now."
"Do it." The Mercenary sent the Spartan the data from the Shard Rogue had given her. A moment or two of silence passed before the Spartan got back to her.
"It seems to me you already have assistance from a Panam Palmer. Why do you want my help?" V wasn't sure how he would take what she was about to tell him.
"Well, that's actually your fault."
"Clarify." V throat caught itself, he was clearly unamused by her statement, but she was still alive, which was a plus.
"Your recent escapades in Night City frightened more than just gangs. You scared the shit out of every corporation in Night City. Kang Tao increased the security on the transport route. I don't know about you but taking on over eight squads of Kang Tao mercenaries is a death sentence. With you, however, I think we can manage."
A moment passed before the Spartan replied, and V's heart soared.
"I'll do it." V almost let out a cheer at the very sound.
"Gr-Great! I'll uh send you the meeting location Panam will be there. You won't regret this. I swear the intel I have is good."
"Your intel is useless to me." V's voice sputtered.
"Then what do you want, eddies?" The Mercenary wasn't sure she was going to like what came out of his mouth next.
"No, nothing so menial and fruitless." The Spartan replied. "First, I want a sit down with Anders Hellman myself."
"And the Second?"
"After we find Hellman, I want a private conversation with you." V's headshot backward in confusion.
"OK, what do you want to talk about." V practically choked on his next sentence and Johnny. Someone who was virtually a ghost himself looked like he had seen the Grim Reaper come knocking on his front door.
"I want to talk about the Relic in your head and Johnny Silverhand."
I tell myself I won't write out chapters bigger than 5,00 words and here I am doing one of 7,000 sheesh. Next chapter might take a little longer to finish. Happy Holidays everyone!
Reviews
no169: She will next chapter pinky promise.
dekuton: I am glad you enjoyed the chapter, it was more from a pacing standpoint but I am my own worst critic.
MEleeSmasher: Afterlife will make an appearance I can guarantee that.
Mercenary X: Thank you sir and honestly I am drawing a blank on 'Them' I probably do know it I just cant remember.
TheJSmooth: You shall receive more!