They did it. The Valentinos won. It would take months or even years for Maelstrom to recover after taking such massive losses. But these kinds of victories came at a cost. The Valentinos suffered their own share of casualties.
Diego didn't survive. Isabel nearly broke down when she spotted his corpse. The only reason she was keeping herself together was because she needed to keep an eye on David. The two men were like brothers, and someone had to make sure David didn't do anything drastic.
Jackie didn't fare much better. He barely survived the trip to the hospital. Dominator struggled to slow the bleeding as they sped through the streets in a Valentino's backseat. The surgeons were quick to patch him up, but he would still need time to heal. He took three bullets to the left lung, and one came within an inch of his heart. Jackie would be bed ridden for a close to a week. It would be a month before he could even think about being independent again.
Dominator refused any sort of treatment. If a doctor or nurse approached her with anything other than news about Jackie, they were ignored or shoved away. That didn't stop the awkward stares everyone was giving her. Dominator did her best to ignore them. She couldn't risk word getting out that she is this planet's first off-world visitor. That introduction needed to happen on her terms.
It was close to midnight when Jackie came out of surgery. He was unconscious; sleeping off all the drugs the doctors gave him. Various tubes stuck out of his arm and chest, the machines removing some of the stress from his organs. They put him in a room with two other patients, both of which were unrelated to the Maelstrom fight and thus barely received any notice from Dominator. She sat by his bed for a few minutes, contemplating what had transpired.
She knew why she was so attached to Jackie Welles. She knew why they worked so well together on the battlefield. She just didn't want to admit it to herself. On her home planet, she made a point to prevent any potential bonds from forming. She hated the idea of being tied to another person, and it drove her into an extreme independence streak. She was an outcast by choice, everyone else be damned.
Yet here she was…
On a primitive planet in some abandoned corner of a dorky, backwards galaxy, Lord Dominator, last of her kind, formed a Warrior's Bond with a random thug. She guessed the week they spent together helped the bond form quickly, and their fight with Maelstrom cemented it in place. They were stuck with each other.
The whole thing was terrifying. The closest she ever came to companionship was the occasional one night stand back home. And that's before accounting for the fact that she had spent the last several years in relative isolation with only her bots to keep her company. Now she was attached to another person by some weird, telepathic bond she doesn't fully understand. She couldn't decide which would be worse: trying to break the Warrior's Bond or trying to adapt to its presence.
"V?" a tentative voice spoke, interrupting her thoughts.
"Hm?" Dominator turned and met eyes with Mama Welles. The two women stared at each other, neither quite sure what to say. Dominator decided to turn away, too tired to put in the effort.
"I came as soon as the hospital called," Mama said. "The other Valentinos told me what happened. Jackie has always had a habit of rushing into danger, especially when it was for someone he cared about."
Mama pulled up a second chair and sat next to Dominator. For several minutes, they embraced the silence between them. The only sounds in the room were Jackie's heart monitor and breathing assistance pump. The only thing they cared about was Jackie's wellbeing and so the two women watched over him like a pair of sentries watching over a wounded prince. But the lack of noise eventually got to Mama, forcing her to speak up.
"What did the doctors say about your eye?" Mama asked.
"No doctors," Dominator said, refusing to look in Mama's direction.
"You need to let a doctor look at it."
"No."
"Is it…," Mama hesitated, not sure how to phrase the insane thoughts she had. "You're not human… are you? Is that why you won't let them help?"
Dominator visibly tensed but didn't say anything. It wasn't a conversation she was in the mood to have, much less so with Mama Welles of all people. But that didn't stop the Latina woman from continuing to speak.
"The Valentinos in the lobby are terrified of you, said you survived a CHOOH2 fire without so much as a blister. They won't even say your name, started calling you El Diablo."
Dominator let out a soft, slightly maniacal laugh at the idea of Valentinos quaking in their boots at her mere presence. She had a feeling her brutal killing of Connor would leave an impact.
"El Diablo?" Dominator asked.
"That's Español for 'The Devil'," Mama said. "He is the personification of all things evil. He was cast out of heaven after betraying God and is forced to suffer in eternal torment in the fires of Hell, along with the sinners of this world."
Dominator turned to Mama, slightly annoyed that she forgot about the language barrier AGAIN.
"Small words," Dominator sighed. She really wanted to yell, but knew it would only attract unwanted attention.
"All the hurt and bad things that happen? We blame El Diablo."
"Heh." Dominator found it amusing that someone would blame all their problems on what was probably a children's fairytale. And full grown adults at that. She was willing to excuse the silliness however; as that was a nickname she could get behind. El Diablo, root of all evil. It had a nice ring to it.
"It's late. We should get some rest and come back tomorrow," Mama said. "Do you have a place to stay?"
"Rose View Motel."
"I'll give you a ride."
"Why?" Dominator asked, narrowing her eye at Mama.
"You've had a rough day, V. I can see it gnawing on you. Wash yourself up and get a good night's rest. You'll also want to put on fresh bandages in the morning." Mama Welles smiled at Dominator who could only stare back in disbelief. Despite her confusion, Dominator followed Mama out.
"Hey, wait up!" a voice called out to Mama and Dominator as they were leaving the lobby. Dominator recognized the kid it belonged to. It was the Valentino boy that patched her up and gave her the blue shorts.
"Hey, V. I grabbed your things from the warehouse," the boy said. He handed Dominator her backpack, now covered in a layer of grime from the fight. "Your knife is inside. Couldn't find your shotgun, though. Guess one of the Maelstroms took it."
"Gracias," Dominator nodded and continued out.
"Is Jackie gonna be ok?" the boy asked.
"He will live," Mama spoke up.
"Could I talk to him?"
"Tomorrow. He needs to rest, as do you." Mama turned to the group of Valentinos waiting in the lobby. "You should all go home and rest. It's been a long day."
Dominator didn't get much sleep that night. Every time she closed her eye, she saw Jackie dying in her arms. At first she tried to embrace the sight. She had always thrived on death, but this was different somehow. The thought of Jackie bleeding out was haunting her, filling her with a sense of dread.
After a few hours, she gave up on sleep and got out of bed. Walking to the tiny bathroom, Dominator removed her fresh bandages and rinsed off her face in the sink. She debated on getting a second shower, but her exhaustion prevented her from putting in the effort.
"Alright, you can do this," Dominator said, talking to her reflection in the mirror. She did her best to focus on the eye that was intact and not the one that had been hollowed out. "Things have been rough on this planet but you are still alive. Hater couldn't kill you. The Wraiths couldn't kill you. Maelstrom couldn't kill you. You are invincible. You just need time. Keep learning, and keep adapting. Pretty soon, you'll have this whole city in your grasp. Then you can rebuild your army."
"But what about Jackie?"
Dominator froze, not entirely sure if she spoke those words or had imagined them. But if she didn't say it, then why did her reflection move?
"Forget about Jackie. You don't need some random thug interfering with your plans. This whole mental bond thing is a load of dog grop anyways. Just avoid him for right now. The idiot is going to be stuck at home for weeks. The Warrior's Bond will fade and then you never have to think about it again."
"But he saved you…"
"WHAT THE GROB?!" Dominator stumbled away from the mirror, her back pressing against the far wall.
"They would have killed you if not for Jackie. If not for Wander."
"Shut up!" Dominator screamed at the mirror. "I don't them! I DON'T NEED ANYBODY!"
"If you were truly alone, Maelstrom would have killed you. The Wraiths would have killed you. Lord Hater would have killed you."
"I am Lord Dominator, Consumer of Worlds! I'm the Greatest in the Galaxy, and I got here without anyone's help!"
"Held up in a shady motel on a slowly dying planet? Face it, V. You are a failure."
"You take that back right now." Dominator stepped forward, ready to kill the woman mocking her.
"Lord Dominator died with her ship. Without Jackie, you are nothing. Nothing to show for all your efforts except a missing eye and an endless trail of corpses."
"SHUT UP!" Dominator smashed her fist against the mirror, the glass splintering from the impact point like an arachnomorph's web.
Reality came crashing down on Dominator as she observed her reflection. She had been talking to herself. Sure, she used to talk herself though mechanical troubles, but this was beyond what could be considered normal and sane. The dishevel creature that stared back at her was evidence enough.
The only possible explanation was the Warrior's Bond. If she embraced it, she risked sacrificing her identity and sense of self. She would no longer be Lord Dominator. If she tried to fight the bond, then she risked losing her sanity. She would no longer be Lord Dominator.
Dominator tried to laugh at the ridiculousness of her situation, but she quickly devolved in to sobs of agony and confusion. Finally breaking eye contact with her reflection, she dragged herself into the shower and turned the hot tap on high. She didn't bother with taking off her clothes. She just sat down under the water stream and cried, arms wrapped tight around her knees.
"Will you be checking out?" the receptionist asked.
"Sì," replied Dominator, handing her keycard to the girl behind the desk.
It was time for her to move on and try finding something more permanent. She had done a lot of thinking and managed to get a barebones plan together. Not enough to build herself back up, but enough to ensure her survival. Reflection Dominator was right; she needed Jackie if she wanted to get anywhere. With all her stuff jammed into her backpack, Dominator walked out of the motel for the last time.
Her first stop was Padre's gym. She had taken one hell of a beating due to yesterday's job, and she wanted her 1800 eddies.
Walking into the gym, Dominator made a point to avoid eye contact with the Valentinos. She could feel them staring at her and knew that not all of them were afraid. A few of the faces were filled with disgust and rage. They blamed her for the Maelstrom fight, and for the losses they endured as a result. One of these angry gangsters was sitting at Padre's table… in Padre's seat.
"What do you want?" the man said, barely looking up from his holophone.
"Where's Padre?" Dominator asked.
"He's out trying to clean up the mess you and Jackie made," he spat. Dominator's hand reflexively went to her holster at hearing Jackie's name, but the man just chuckled. "Interesting. You're just as protective of him as he is of you. Now, what do you want?"
"Eddies. Maelstrom job."
The man opened a briefcase on the table and started going through its contents. A minute passed before he pulled out a roll of paper Eurodollars with "V" written on the outside. He tossed it to Dominator and slammed the briefcase shut.
"There. Get out. Don't come back."
"Really?" Dominator raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Listen close, freak. You may be cool with Padre, but the rest of us," he gestured around the room to all the Valentinos watching them. "We don't deal with devils. So unless Ibarra says otherwise, we don't want to see you here. Ever."
Dominator shrugged, grabbed her eddies, and left. It was a bit disappointing to learn that many of the Valentinos were against her, but at least she still had Padre. As long as he liked her, she didn't have to worry about getting shot in the back.
Her next stop was the hospital. Dominator needed to clear the air with Jackie. Even if he probably wasn't holding the whole "trying to punch Mama Welles" thing against her anymore, they still weren't on the best of terms. It was going to be a hellish amount of awkward, but it had to be done.
Buying a Metro ticket, Dominator jumped on the monorail line to Watson. She wore her hoodie up, doing her best to keep her head down and attention off of herself. Rumors have a habit of spreading like wildfire, and most of the Valentinos were already onto her otherworldly nature. Dominator made a mental note to start planning for the inevitable grop storm when more powerful people started looking in her direction.
The green mercenary beelined it to the hospital once her train reached the Central Watson Station. The waiting area wasn't as busy as it was the night before. There were a few Valentinos, but none seemed to notice her. All the other people were random citizens, each a victim to another Night City tragedy.
"Visit. Jackie Welles," Dominator told the receptionist, her right leg bouncing with impatience and anxiety.
"Your name?" the man at the desk asked.
"V."
"V?"
"V. Just V."
"Are you one of those edgerunner types?" The man raised a suspicious eyebrow at her. Dominator didn't know what he meant, but went along and nodded.
"Uh hu. And what is your relationship with… Mr. Welles?"
Dominator almost said friend, but had a feeling the man wouldn't believe her. She barely believed it herself.
"Business partner," she said. Out of all the English words she could think of, that seemed like the most plausible description of her and Jackie.
"Very well. Sign here," the man said, handing her a digital tablet and pen. Dominator wrote one big V on the dotted line and handed it back. "Room 207. And behave yourself. We have security."
Dominator waved off the receptionist's warning and made her way to the stairs. She already knew where the room was, and made a point to speed walk her way there. She nearly stormed through the open door, but stopped when she heard voices. Mama Welles and Jackie were talking. She had no idea what they were saying as the conversation was in Español, of which she only knew a few words.
For several minutes, Dominator hesitated outside the door. She wanted to go in, but didn't want to deal with Mama Welles. Not until she had figured things out with Jackie. However, it was looking more and more like the mother and son were a package deal. She was going to have to face the Latina woman soon, as much as she didn't want to.
Dominator's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Jackie say her name. "V". They were talking about her.
"That's my cue," she whispered before knocking on the door frame. She stepped into the room, glad to see that the other two beds were empty. It was just her and the Welles.
"Hey, amiga!" Jackie smiled. "Speak of the devil, and she shall appear."
Dominator couldn't help but give a small bow at her new street name, drawing a laugh from her friend.
"I'm glad you could come, V," Mama said, but her smile seemed a bit forced to Dominator.
"You good?" Dominator asked Jackie. She grabbed a chair and sat down next to the bed on the opposite side of Mama.
"Sì. It's gonna take more than a couple slugs to kill me," Jackie said. "How 'bout you? Connor did helluva job slicing you up."
"I'm good."
"You still need to get that eye looked at," Mama interjected. Dominator gave her a dirty look and was about to argue, but Jackie stopped her.
"Mama's right, V. You should visit Vik later."
"Who?" Dominator asked.
"Viktor Vector. He patched you up when we met."
"Oh. Him."
"He's the best," Jackie insisted. He leaned over a couple inches, as far as he could towards Dominator. "And he's discreet. Unlike these corpo doctors," he loudly whispered, earning an eye roll from his mother.
"Fine," Dominator sighed. She placed her elbows on the bed railing so she could rest her head in her hands. "See Vik. Later." She emphasized the 'later' part by lightly poking Jackie in the side of his head.
"I suppose it's nice to see you two getting along again," Mama said. "But I must be going. We're short staffed at the bar."
"Mama, wait," Jackie spoke. He reached for a gold and black ring on his left hand. He began to pull it off, but his weakened state made it difficult. Without saying anything, Dominator took his hand in hers, removed the ring, and placed it in his palm.
"Gracias," Jackie thanked her before turning back to his mother. "Mi anillo de Valentino. I won't be needing it anymore."
Jackie handed the ring to Mama Welles. She stared at it, not sure what to say. Her eyes kept darting between the ring, her son, and the green mercenary that El Dios had unceremoniously dropped on their lives.
"Gracias, hijo," she smiled, trying not to cry. Mama leaned over to place a kiss on Jackie's forehead. "I'll visit again as soon as I can." Mama placed the ring and her pocket and left.
The hospital room was quiet. The only noticeable sound came from the machines Jackie was hooked up to and the occasional passerby in the hall. Dominator decided to embrace the lack of noise. She rested her head on the bed railing and tried to focus in on the Warrior's Bond. Having always rejected the idea of forming a bond, she had never taken the time to learn how they worked. She was forced to use trial and error.
"Look, I get that I'm handsome," Jackie joked, breaking Dominator's focus, "but could you not stare at me so intensely. It's starting to get creepy."
Dominator snapped her head away, her cheeks burning with a deep emerald shade. She didn't even realize she was staring. The green woman wished she could just explain the bond to Jackie, but her vocabulary was nowhere near developed enough.
"Out with it, V."
"Hm?" Dominator turned back to her friend.
"I can tell you have something you want to say," Jackie said. "Just say it already."
The truth was Dominator had a lot of things that needed to be said, and no idea how to say most of them. There was one big thing she did know, however, and decided to start there. Pulling off her hood, Dominator took ahold of Jackie's hand. With a deep breath, she sucked up her pride as best she could and spoke.
"I…" she paused to take another breath. Who knew being humble was so difficult? "I'm… sorry. I'm sorry, Jackie."
"Sorry for what?" Jackie asked, a small, knowing smile gracing his lips.
"Everything. Fighting. Hitting. Maelstrom." She rested her other hand on his chest, near where the medical tubes were coming out. "I'm sorry."
"It's ok, chica. I forgive you," Jackie said, and Dominator smiled back at him. "But I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to."
"What?" Dominator's smile fell, a dumbfounded expression taking its place.
"You need to apologize to Mama."
"What?! NO!" Dominator plopped back in her chair, arms crossed.
"V, come on."
"No."
"Mama is at fault, too, BUT you were being a massive bitch," Jackie said.
"Bitch?" Dominator asked.
"Sì. And that is far worse than being called una puta verde."
Dominator locked eyes with Jackie, the two in a battle of wills. Dominator was determined to win on this. She absolutely would not apologize to Mama Welles. That woman made her life miserable for the short period that they lived together. Whatever she did to Mama, the hag had it coming. If she had to give up on Jackie, so be it.
…"Maybe I should apologize to Mama"…
"NO!" Dominator leaped out of her chair, pulling her hood up and over her eyes. "No no no. That was not me," she mumbled, reverting back to Galactic Common. "That came from Jackie. You do not care about Mama Welles."
"Uh… V?" Jackie watched with concern as his friend paced the room.
"You don't need Mama, or Jackie, or Vik, or anyone else. You are Lord Dominator, Greatest in the Galaxy. Just ignore the bond. You gotta do this your way. It's how you've always done things."
"V!"
"WHAT?!"
"Would you calm down, por favor?" Jackie and Dominator were once again locked in each other's gaze, only this time they were not fighting. They were trying to understand one another. "What's wrong?"
"Feel? Pull?" Dominator asked. She rushed to Jackie's side and placed her hand on his forehead. She placed his hand on her own forehead and gestured between them. "Feel? Pull? Anything?" She was starting to rush her words, an air of panic taking over.
"What do you mean 'feel'?"
"Feel me! Feel V's mind!"
"I'm not a telepath," Jackie said. "Is this a weird spiritual thing, or…?"
"Focus." Dominator grabbed Jackie's head with both of her hands and pulled him up. Pressing her forehead against his, she stared into his eye with her own. "Focus. Feel." She held them together, trying to reach out to Jackie. Every fiber of her being went into the Warrior's Bond. She needed him to realize they were connected. She smiled when Jackie squinted, thinking that he felt her tugging at his mind.
"Is that… spearmint toothpaste?"
Dominator let out a frustrated groan at Jackie's question. She let go of him and sat down in her chair.
"V… Can you… feel my mind?" Jackie asked, a rare sense of uneasiness creeping up in him.
Dominator shrugged and said, "Feel something."
"Is that normal for you?"
The green woman didn't speak right away. She rubbed her chin as she debated on the proper answer.
"My kind, normal. Me? Not normal."
"Your kind? So you-," Jackie stopped and made sure no one was near the door. "Are you actually an alien?" he whispered, far quieter than before.
"Alien?" Dominator whispered back, confused by Jackie's paranoia.
"Holophone." Jackie requested, holding out his hand. Dominator pulled her phone out of her bag and handed it to him. He opened the Map Application. "Night City." He said, and Dominator nodded. Then he zoomed all the way out until the entire planet was shown. "Earth."
"Earth," Dominator repeated.
"Are you from Earth?"
Dominator leaned in close so that her mouth was right next to Jackie's ear.
"No," she whispered. She pulled back, staring at her friend with a mischievous grin. Jackie's eye had grown wide in shock, making them appear almost as large as hers.
"Jesús maldito Cristo… Vik was right," Jackie whispered under his breath. "What are you doing here?" he asked Dominator. "Shouldn't you be trying to contact world leaders or something? Something other than hanging out with street gangs."
"No car," Dominator shrugged. A hint of grief tried to sneak its way into her mind, but she quickly shooed it away.
"No car? You mean your spaceship?"
"V's spaceship. Ka-boom."
"Your ship exploded?" Jackie asked, starting to piece it all together "So, you're stuck here on Earth."
Dominator nodded in response, her head falling as the grief came back in full force. She really hated everything at the moment. She had nothing left, and was doomed to be forever stranded on Earth. Maybe Reflection Dominator was right about that, too. She died with The World Eater and all that remained was a nameless husk. The hopelessness faded slightly when she felt Jackie take hold of her hand.
"We'll get you home, chica. I promise you that."
"No home. Ship home."
Jackie frowned, immediately regretting what he said. "Well, maybe we can build you a new home?"
Dominator didn't respond right away. She knew what she had to say, but there was no going back once the words were out. She had made a decision that this was where she would start rebuilding. This is when she would become a new Dominator.
"Home with Jackie," she said, squeezing her friend's hand. "Jackie and V."
"And Mama," Jackie pointedly said.
"And Mama," Dominator sighed, although she couldn't help but smile.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Vik said, turning off the boxing match he was watching. "You look like you fought your way through hell."
"Maelstrom. Fight with Valentinos," Dominator said.
"Right. I heard about that. Is Jackie okay?"
Dominator shook her head. "Hospital. Three shots." She held up three fingers and pressed them against her chest.
"I'll see about visiting him tonight," Vik nodded. Despite his sad tone, he didn't seem all that surprised. "Let's focus on you for right now. Have a seat."
Viktor made quick work of Dominator's right eye. Most of his effort went to removing dead tissue from the now useless organ. Within an hour, Vik had emptied and cleaned the eye cavity, as well as place fresh bandages over it. At Dominator's request, he also took another CT scan immediately after.
"Everything looks about the same as last time," Vik observed, reading though the scan results with his green patient looked over his shoulder. "Sulfur levels have gone down, so you may need to start taking supplements. I'll have to special order them. A large uptick in neural activity, though that might be normal for you."
"Yes," Dominator said. "My eye?"
"Nothing I can do. Cybernetics is an option, but yours would have to be custom made due to your unusual biology."
"Alien," Dominator shrugged.
"I figured as much," Vik said. "Did Jackie teach you that word?"
"Yes," she smiled.
"Anyone else know?" Vik asked. Dominator didn't answer, making him more than a little concerned. "V. Who else knows?"
"Maybe… Valentinos…"
"Christ V," Vik swore. "I told Jackie to lay low with you."
"My fault. Not Jackie," Dominator said. "Long story."
Vik stepped back away from the green woman. He stared at her for a solid minute, rubbing his chin in thought.
"If the megacorporations get wind of this, it could mean trouble. We need to be ready," Vik said. "I'd like to take a blood sample. As it currently stands, if you lose too much blood you will die. And if the corporations decide to be violent, you're gonna get shot."
"Why blood?" Dominator asked.
"I have friends that work in med labs. We might be able to make a synth blood variant for you. Or at the very least, figure out how to store your blood long term."
"Why help?" Dominator understood the basics of what Viktor was saying, but that's not what had her worried. If people with power were gonna be coming after her, then one would think that everyone else would be trying to avoid her.
"I'm a doctor," Vik smiled. "It's my job."
Dominator found herself back at Jackie's side. After leaving Vik's clinic, she grabbed a late lunch from a food stand before returning to the hospital. She didn't entirely want to go back, but it seemed like the best place to stay for the time being. She wasn't in the mood to do any work, nor did she want to waste eddies on another motel to rest at. Dominator just wanted Jackie to be okay, and to come to terms with all the new emotions the bond was forcing on her.
They didn't talk much, as another patient had been placed in Jackie's room by the time Dominator returned. It was an old man who just watched the wall mounted television, but neither of the gunslingers wanted to risk him overhearing anything sensitive. Instead, they played games on Dominator's holophone. Jackie found a simple card game that she was able to pick up quickly, and the two friends started going head-to-head. After an hour, they were both giggling and the score was tied.
Their fun was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Hello? Mind if I come in?"
"Sure thing, choom," Jackie responded.
In stepped the one Valentino kid from the day before. The same boy that patched up Dominator, gave her a pair of shorts, and retrieved her stuff from the gang fight. With how helpful he was being, Dominator was worried he might start asking for something in return.
"Hi, Jackie Welles?" the boy asked.
"The one in only," Jackie smiled. "This is V."
"Hi," Dominator said.
"Andrés, but everyone calls me Andy."
"What can we do for you, Andy?" Jackie asked.
"Well, I was hoping… And you don't have to answer right away," Andy interrupted himself, struggling to not stumble over his own words. "Once you are better, can you and V teach me?"
"Called it," Dominator mumbled, but Jackie ignored her.
"Teach you what, exactly?" Jackie scrunched his eyebrows in concern.
"To fight! To be a leader! To be a better Valentino! You guys were amazing yesterday!"
"Andy, I don't think that's a good idea."
"To be taught by Jackie Welles and the Heywood Devil," Andy continued, having not heard Jackie's comment. "It would be an honor. I'll do whatever you need me too, and I can pay! I'll need time getting the eddies, but whatever the price-."
"No!" Dominator interrupted Andy's fanboying. She had zero interest in befriending yet another thug, let alone one she would have to mentor.
"V is right, Andy," Jackie said. "We aren't the mentoring type, and we're not Valentinos. V never was and I'm leaving the gang."
"What? Why?" Andy asked.
"It's time for me to forge my own path. I can't do that if I'm constantly getting shot up in gang wars and risking jail time." Jackie lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers. "I already took off my Valentinos ring."
The room was silent for a tense minute before Andy spoke.
"You're serious aren't you?"
"'Fraid so, choom," Jackie nodded. "But I'll cut you a deal. You're what? About 15 years old?"
"16."
"Still in school?"
"For now, but I'm no good at that book stuff. I'm probably going to drop out soon."
"Don't," Jackie said. "I want you to stick with it. And in return, I'll help you find your path in life. You ever need someone to talk to, I'll be there."
"I don't know…" Andy scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact with Jackie.
"You got spirit kid," Jackie reassured. "It won't be easy, but you can get it done."
"Ok," Andy said. "Ok, you got a deal." He shook Jackie's hand and offered the same to Dominator, but she just stared at him.
"She's not a people person," Jackie said.
"No kidding. I better go. Got things to do… like homework, I guess."
"See you around, Andy." Jackie waved as best he could as the kid left.
"Thank god," the old man one bed over spoke up. "I hate suck ups like that."
"He's a good kid," Jackie defended.
"I guess." The old man went back to watching television, but spoke again a few minutes later. "How much does this joytoy charge for a handy?"
"JOYTOY?!" Dominator roared as she leaped up out of her chair, hand on her holster. She was ready to shoot the old man, but Jackie was just barely able to reach over and grab her arm.
"Let it got, V."
Dominator awoke to a growling in her stomach and a horrid pain in her neck. She had decided to stay the night at the hospital and fell asleep shortly after Viktor visited. She listened to the doctor crack jokes with Jackie about how he had an excuse to get cybernetics now. They also said they were going to teach her how to fight proper, a claim that Dominator found so amusing that she actually wanted to let them try.
The memory faded as the green mercenary forced herself to move. Besides the crick in her neck, she also felt an uncomfortable numbness in her butt and lower back. Using the bed railing for support, Dominator heaved herself out of the chair. She gave her leg a few minutes so regain their strength before checking the time. 4:23 AM.
"Ah, crop," Dominator cured under her breath, rubbing her neck for some pain relief. It was far too early to be waking up, but there was no way she was going to be falling asleep in that chair again. Jackie was still out of it and so was the old man one bed over.
Making sure her hood was up; Dominator left the room and made her way down to the lobby with all the vending machines. Or "scizms" as the locals called them. Buying an iced coffee, the drowsy alien started contemplating on what to call the Earth locals.
"Earthanites? No, too rocky sounding," she mumbled to herself. "Maybe Earthians? Too generic." She opened the can and took a sip, grateful that the race of this planet was even more addicted to caffeine than her race was. "Maybe they already have a name? I'll ask Jackie later."
Dominator stepped outside and sat down on a bench near the main entrance. It was raining, so she didn't stray out from under the entrance canopy. For once, the city actually seemed somewhat peaceful. There weren't many cars due to still being early morning and the rain prevented most people from any potential morning stroll. It also helped with the stench, as the rain covered the odor of trash and smog with the smells of dew and ozone. It was all an illusion, of course. Dominator knew that in a few hours, Night City would awaken from its nap and the rat race would begin again.
Dominator had almost finished her coffee when she spotted a familiar figure walking towards the hospital. Mama Welles had come back as promised, holding an umbrella and looking absolutely exhausted.
"Alright. Game face, V," Dominator said to herself. She stood up and waved to the older woman. "Mama!"
"V? You're here early," Mama said once she was under the canopy.
"Slept here," Dominator shrugged. "You ok?"
"I was at El Coyote all night. We're short on staff at the moment," Mama stated coldly, barely bothering to glance in Dominator's direction. Without another word, she continued on into the hospital lobby.
"'You need to apologize to Mama'," Dominator mocked to herself. "Geez, Jackie. Kinda hard when she flarpin' hates me." She took a deep breath. "You got this, V. Be nice to Mama and say sorry. If you can do that without blowing your brains out, then it's mission accomplished."
Dominator when inside and saw Mama Welles signing in at the reception desk. She thought that maybe the woman could use a pick-me-up and bought two more coffees from the scizm. She had to rush to catch up with Mama, who was already making her way to Jackie's room.
"Coffee?" Dominator asked, offering one of the cans to Mama.
"No, gracias," Mama said. "I don't drink cold coffee."
Dominator stopped walking for a second before returning to Mama's pace. The woman had once again barely looked in her direction before turning down her offer. Dominator took another deep breath, trying to shove her annoyances aside.
They walked into Jackie's room together and took their respective seats. Mama Welles was on the left and Dominator was on the right. Once again, the two woman found themselves watching over Jackie's sleeping form in silence. The only sounds were Jackie's heart monitor and the quiet drone of the television. The old man never turned it off, and Dominator never bothered to do it for him. The tension in the air was getting to the green mercenary, forcing her to speak up.
"Water?" Dominator asked, pulling a can out of her bag.
"I'm fine," Mama said, her eyes locked on Jackie.
Dominator resisted the urge to huff as she put the can back. She placed her extra coffee next to it. She spent the next few minutes trying to get comfortable in the chair while also trying to think of what to say next.
"Business good?" she finally asked.
"Decent. We were busy last night. Many Valentinos came in," Mama responded. Dominator nodded in response. "Several of them are grieving. They lost friends in the Maelstrom fight." Again, Dominator nodded, but stopped when she turned to Mama. The older woman stared at her with a subtle yet furious glare.
"What?"
"Nothing," Mama avoided, looking away from the green woman.
"Hate me," Dominator accused.
"Excuse me?"
"Say it. You hate me."
"No, V," Mama denied. "I don't hate you. El Dios teaches us not to hate." Her tone became soft, like when they first met. She paused, her face showing some mix of regret and pity. "But I do fear you."
"Oh?" Dominator raised her left eyebrow as she rested her elbows on the bed railing.
"I fear what you will do to my Jackie. When you raised your hand to me, I thought that was the end of it. Jackie nearly killed his father, my husband, when he did the same. The fool was hospitalized for three days. And then Jackie told his father that if he ever came back, he would be beaten to death with the same belt he used to hurt us."
"Wow," Dominator blinked. She knew Jackie was tough, but that was hardcore. Even by her standards.
"I assumed Jackie would want nothing to do with you, but he couldn't let you go. He worried about you for a week straight. And then he led the Valentinos against Maelstrom to save your life. He was willing to die for you. Why? Why does my Jackie care so much about some random demonio he barely knows, even after she tried to strike me?"
"I… I don't…" Dominator was rendered absolutely speechless. What Mama was describing went far beyond the Warrior's Bond. If Jackie hated her that much, it should have broken when they kicked her out. So why didn't it? The only explanation she could think of was that Jackie never hated her.
… or something else fixed the bond…
"Well?" Mama asked, stuck somewhere between fury and panic.
"I don't know," Dominator sighed. "I don't know." The whole situation just kept getting weirder and further beyond her understanding of basic emotions. And no one could help her figure it out. "Need air." She stood up and started to make her way out of the room, but paused at the door. "Mama…"
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry," Dominator whispered.
"What?" Mama asked, more out of confusion than lack of hearing.
"I'm sorry," Dominator repeated, louder this time. "For everything."
"Oh." Mama looked away, not sure what to think. Another awkward silence grew between the women, this time pushing Mama to speak. "Where are you going?"
Dominator shrugged. "Breakfast?"
"May I… join you?"
"Sure."
Sharing the single umbrella, Mama Welles led the green mercenary to Tom's Dinner. The back alley restaurant was mostly empty, giving the two women their choice of booths. Mama Welles ordered a coffee and a bagel, while Dominator decided to gorge herself on an extra-large stack of pancakes and lots of water.
"Dios mìo, V. Where do you put it all?" Mama asked. Dominator just giggled and flexed her bicep. "And here I thought Jackie ate a lot." She let the young woman eat in peace and just watched the rain fall, occasionally sipping on her mug of coffee.
"I shouldn't have driven here. Going home will be a struggle," Mama said, mostly to herself.
"Need ride?" Dominator asked.
"You have a car?"
"No… Drive Mama's car."
"And why, pray tell, would I let you do that?" Mama raised her eyebrows at the mercenary.
"Need ride," V said nonchalantly, as if the reason was obvious.
"You are half-blind, can't read, and I'm guessing unlicensed. If the NCPD pull us over, they'll have a field day."
"Uhhh... Need ride?" Dominator awkwardly smiled. She was trying to be nice, but Mama was proving exceptional at cutting off her attempts.
"I'll be fine," Mama smiled softly. "Why are you trying to be helpful all of a sudden?" She didn't receive a response right away. All Dominator could do was nervously glance her single eye around the dinner.
"Did Jackie put you up to this?" Mama accused, a knowing smirk gracing her lips.
"Yes," Dominator nodded. "Said 'apologize to Mama'."
"Is that so? I appreciate the gesture, but it will take time for me to forgive you."
"Oh," Dominator slumped in the booth. She was lost about what to do next. It was hard enough getting this far. She would have given up if Jackie had not asked her to say sorry.
"Try not to look so glum, V," Mama chuckled. "I said it would take time, not that it was impossible. Let's head back. I wouldn't be surprised if Jackie is awake by now."
Dominator wouldn't let Mama pay, even for the coffee and bagel, which the older woman found quite amusing.
How Jackie talked Mama into letting her stay with them again, Dominator would never know. He made sure the conversation was in Español, much to her disappointment. Yea, they didn't want the grumpy, old man listening in, but she didn't like being awkwardly left out. At first, she thought Mama only gave in due to pure exhaustion. That theory quickly faded as she rode in the passenger seat of the Welles' family car, teeth clenched, eyes ahead, and Mama humming a happy tune next to her.
Mama Welles was planning something. Dominator could feel it.
"Was Jackie telling the truth?" Mama asked suddenly.
"Hm?" Dominator turned to Mama.
"Jackie told me quite the tale. Claimed you are a space alien. That true?"
"Yes," Dominator said flattly.
"Right," Mama nodded, struggling to believe it. "Where are you from?"
Dominator sighed. "Narjahim."
"Narjahim. And were would that be?"
"Not Earth," Dominator dead panned and turned away from Mama. She didn't like talking about her long destroyed home. It wasn't a pleasant place, and she was happy it was gone.
"Is Narjahim especially hot?" Mama clearly didn't pick up on the hints, as she was too focused on the road.
"Was."
"Excuss me?"
"Was hot. Narjahim dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be," Dominator spat bringing an end to the conversation. Mama went back to humming till they were home.
Once they were back to the Welles' home, Mama let Dominator get situated before calling her into the kitchen.
"Could you come here, V?" Mama called. Dominator quickly made her way into the small room to find Mama staring at a pile of wood by the backdoor.
"This is the table you broke in your fight with Jackie," Mama said. "I want you to fix it."
"Ok… Why?" Dominator scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.
"Think of it as a… character building exercise."
"Small words."
"Look. If you are going to live here, you need to learn how to be a decent person. Part of that is figuring out how to fix things that you have broken." Mama gave the alien a pat on the back and nodded to the table. "Lesson one: Fix the table."
"But… How?" Dominator gestured wildly at the wood pile. She was starting to wonder if this was some kind of joke. Maybe it was Mama's idea of silly revenge. "Don't know how."
"Figure it out. You're smart. Get creative." Mama let out a yawn and started walking away. "I'm going to bed. I suggest you get started."
4 Days Later…
Dominator pushed Jackie's wheelchair out of the elevator and into the lobby. Her friend was well enough to go home, but he would still need to take it easy for a month. Until then, he had to rely on her and Mama to help with just about everything.
"Can't wait to sleep in my own bed again," Jackie huffed.
"Bad here?" Dominator asked.
"Sì. Everything sucks here: the food, the bed, the company. I swear, one more day with that pinche imbécil they put me with, and I would have strangled him."
Dominator laughed at Jackie's frustrations of the old man, knowing she definitely would have assisted in the murder.
In the lobby they waited for Mama, who was going over paperwork with the receptionist. A silence fell over the two friends as they watched her expression grow more and more grim with every passing moment. At first, Dominator thought that there was something with Jackie, but quickly dismissed the thought. It didn't make sense for the doctors to release Jackie if he wasn't actually healing.
"Mama ok?" Dominator whispered to Jackie.
"Medicine isn't free, V," Jackie said. "And in Night City, it cost big eddies."
"Hmmm…" Dominator's leg started to shake as she found herself in thought again. She could help, but it would be a major personal set back. If she gave up her emergency cash she would be stuck with Jackie, and more importantly Mama, for the foreseeable future.
But maybe that wouldn't be too bad. Dominator and Mama Welles had done a good job at staying out of each other's hair for the last few days. And they could actually communicate now that Mama had internalized the idea of "small words with the alien".
Removing her backpack, Dominator reached inside and grabbed the roll of Eurodollars she klepped her first day on Earth.
"Stay here," she said, as she walked towards the receptionist desk.
"Or what?" Jackie scoffed. "Not like I can wheel myself home."
Dominator ignored him as she strolled up next to Mama.
"You good?" she asked.
"Everything's fine, V," Mama said. She was keeping a level head, though the stress was clear in her voice. "Just going over payment options."
"How much?"
"V. You don't need to worry yourse-"
"How. Much." Dominator said, sternly maintaining eye contact with Mama.
"Well…" Mama flipped through the papers, but the receptionist beat her to it.
"A little over 27,000€$," he said. "After insurance coverage and tax."
Dominator made a low whistle at the large number. She then unrolled her eddies and placed them in front of Mama.
"9,762," Dominator stated.
"V, I can't accept that," Mama shook her head.
"Yes. You can."
"Hold up a minute," the receptionist interrupted, drawing Mama and Dominator's attention to him. "How does an edgerunner get 9000 eddies to just drop like that?" The accusation was not lost on Dominator, so she leaned in close.
"Killing Wraiths," she threatened. She followed her words with the biggest, most menacing grin she could muster. Given her experience in villainy, she knew it was scary and the receptionist's wide, terrified eyes confirmed it.
"Yes. T-That does check out," he shuddered. "Just let me count the eddies, and I'll update the paperwork."
"Gracias." Dominator made her way back over to Jackie and leaned on the wheel chair handles.
"Alright, what did you do?" Jackie accused.
"Nothing," Dominator said, desperately trying not to laugh.
I rewrote this chapter two times over, trying to get it to feel right. Now I'm paranoid that I'm missing grammar mistakes.
Any and all crits are appreciated.