Chapter Twenty Five

July 27th, 2077

Night City, Northern California

Charter Hill, Hideout

Cyrus was expecting various scenarios when he returned to the hideout; an irate Chamber berating him for all his worth was at the top of a long list. So it came as a surprise when he was hooked up to the workstation and then shooed off to bed without the vicious scolding.

The AI was distracted for lack of a better term during his connection to the workstation. Chamber's attention was entirely divided between himself and V for whatever reason, and his attempts to inquire about her anxieties were shot down with a demand for silence.

By the time he rolled into bed, Panam and V were already long passed out. Neither looked particularly comfortable, but Cyrus hadn't exactly gone out of his way to buy more than just mattresses to sleep on. Knowing Chamber, it was an issue that he would inevitably be forced to address in the near future.

It was half-past eight in the morning when Cyrus forced himself out of bed, and a glance to his left showed a single empty futon. Panam had curled up into her blanket, desperate to contain what little warmth was available in the bunker.

As for V, it was a surprise to see her wide awake and active so soon after her most recent ordeal. Cyrus expected Chamber to up in arms, but apparently, the Merc was in the clear, so to speak.

That didn't stop him from commenting on her foolishness.

"You shouldn't be up." The Merc only gave him an affectionate smile.

"Shouldn't do a lot of things in life," V defended as she raided the only appliance containing provisions. "Me making breakfast after a shitty week is not one of those. Do you even know how to cook food? All I got out of your fucking icebox were Militech MRE's."

"Do I look like someone who has time to go shopping?" V was going to protest the idea but stopped herself midway.

"Ok, I'll give you that." She tossed an MRE pack in his portable microwave, glaring at the appliance like it was beneath her. "But you have got to start renovating this place; I've never seen a man cave so bear of…..necessities."

"It is not a man cave." He would be damned before that word, and his hideout was muttered in the same sentence.

"Is the sky blue?" V snapped her fingers sarcastically. "Oh wait, it is, therefore this place is a 'man cave,' and the worst one in existence."

Cyrus chose not to deign her sarcasm with a reply; as an alternative, he distracted himself with situation reports around the city. "Chamber stat reports, please."

"Shooting them to you now." The AI appeared to his left in a sparkle of azure, and her usual shining disposition was oddly subdued. Cyrus's stare fell from the monitor and turned to his subdued partner with a concerned look.

"Chamber," he began carefully. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Cyrus could feel the tension in the room as soon as she appeared. At first, he assumed it was because of him, but a sly glance towards V indicated an issue between Merc and AI. Both women were sizing each other up for some reason, and he wasn't entirely sure how to handle this odd tension.

So as per Cyrus's modus operandi, he approached the situation directly.

"Is there a problem between you two?"

"Nope." Chamber disappeared into a cloud of blue.

"All good here." V deliberately went back to watching her food slowly cook in a tedious rotation.

Cyrus felt like he was being made a fool; he did not enjoy the sensation at all. An awkward silence fell upon the bunker as V attempted to swallow a particularly bitter chicken and rice stew.

"Cyrus," Chamber's voice caught his attention. "I have an update on the 'Custodian' file that you might be interested in, forwarding it to your console."

"The Custodian file isn't a priority; why is it crossing my desk?" The Spartan was not interested in vigilantes that had taken to 'the Net' to spout his praises to the masses. Cyrus was far more invested in a report sent from the Chief of Police to Councilman Jefferson Peralez; apparently, the 'Meatman' was a topic of interest that caught his interest.

Peralez is one of two candidates vying for Night City mayor's prestigious mantle, a position that Lucius Rhyne recently vacated after his untimely demise. Clearly, the Meatman's potential return was something he wanted to avoid.

The Councilman demanded a new task force be implemented with 'competent' officers to take the reins. The Chief of Police countered with a retort that he took his orders from Deputy Holt and not a 'jumped up politician.' The email chain soon turned into a subtle shitting talking fest that ended with nothing getting done.

Bureaucracy at its finest. Why solve the issue of a mass murderer roaming your streets when instead you can argue for hours about politics. It was one of many reasons why he had a particular hatred for politicians. Cyrus was focusing so much on the email chain that he almost missed V's inquiry.

"Do you have a shower here?" Cyrus's fingers stopped mid swipe, eyes trailing back towards the onlooking Merc.

"What?"

"A shower," V swallowed a scoop of beans. "You know a place where ordinary human beings go and wash up after a long day's work."

"No, I'm still working on the tap water for this place." It was one of many issues with the bunker that were backlogged behind more vital endeavors. A spotty electrical grid, clogged water pipes, and severe lack of insulation made it difficult to call this place anything more than a hideout. It definitely didn't qualify for a cozy home in any regard.

"Soooooo," V drew out. "How exactly do you take a shower?"

"I don't." The Merc made a face of pure disgust. "My armor is capable of accessing pores and orifices to regulate and maintain extreme exertion. Body heat, sweat, waste are recycled enable me to operate for years without pause. Put simply, and I can stay in there as long as I need to without having a hygiene problem."

Cyrus figured that was enough details on the subject to satisfy the Merc's curiosity. And he was hoping to keep a rather nauseating detail out of the full picture. Chamber had other ideas.

"He also drinks his own piss." V nearly choked on a spoonful of beans, hand roughly smacking against her chest to clear her airways.

"You what!"

"It's recycled," Cyrus shot a dull look at Chambers data chip. "The suit recycles my waste and turns it into drinkable water. I do not drink my own urine, thank you."

"Yes, you do." The AI's ignorance left him bristling in contempt. He snagged her data crystal and jammed it into the mainframe.

"Chamber."

"Yes?"

"Update Jefferson Peralez's psych profile. Distract yourself more with investigating whether or not he will become an asset or a liability and less on humiliating me in front of our guest."

The Merc pointedly ignored the bickering duo and returned her interest towards what apparently passed as breakfast. The infernal clock ticking in the corner reminded him that his brief respite couldn't last. There was work to be done, increasing by the second.

How did Cyrus do it?

The grueling reminder of last night's trial still shook V to her core, and she couldn't believe he was walking around completely unbothered. Cyrus was at his essence a good man, but he was also capable of committing malevolent deeds without hesitation.

V wondered what line he wasn't willing to cross, but even her internal curiosity was frightened of where that line ended. Chamber had requested her to hold off her questioning until Cyrus was feeling better.

Apparently, the gonk went out into the field and ran into the Meatman while scouring the city for a fucking journalist. Unfortunately, that woman was another tally in a list of regrettable casualties that stretched for miles as far as anyone knew.

V slumped into her bed, eyes picking out the subtle grooves in the concrete ceiling.

Is this truly all he did?

Jump into that armor, bust some heads and return to the bunker to sleep the nightmares away. She wasn't an expert on human biology by any means, but she rightfully assumed that even someone like him needed a day to reset.

Hell, she needed a day to herself; V could practically feel the gigs straining her cyberware. A soft rustling followed by a murmur roused the Merc from her thoughts.

Panam slowly extricated herself from the cottage, and her Aldecaldo jacket hung off the rails leaving her shoulders bare as she stretched her arms out. She let loose a deliberately vocal yawn, drawing the attention of an amused V and a curious Cyrus.

"Sleep well?" Panam's sparkling eyes dulled when V tossed her a pack of MREs. "Hope so because this is the queen's breakfast."

The Aldecaldo turned over the package and read off the contents. "Fuck, any chance there's one of these with crackers? Can't eat an MRE without one?"

"Nope," V chewed out. "Not a single cracker to boot in any of these. All we got are plenty of chicken and rice or beef stew. Take your pick."

"Think I'll stick with my Chili." The Nomad tossed her breakfast into the bunkers microwave. "What's on the agenda today?"

V thought long and hard for little more than a second, glancing at Cyrus, who was invested entirely in his monitor. She was due a long discussion with the man, but it needed to be a private conversation with plenty of booze.

"Now we're talking." Johnny's voice materialized a few feet from Cyrus. "Can't wait to get hammered tonight."

On second that probably wasn't a good idea.

"The fuck it is!" V was tempted to swallow an Omega blocker just to spite the man, but he was behaving himself, so she'd cut him some slack. "I ain't a fucking pet V!"

"You ok, V? Your zoning out on me." Panam's eyes flashed with concern. "Hope you don't have another voice running around your head. I can't imagine suffering through someone else's voice bouncing around your head."

V managed to avoid wincing and deflected the question towards Cyrus. "Well, you could always ask him what that's like."

"Wish I had a mute button sometimes."

"Come on, CY," Panam turned on him. "I'm sure you could do worse than her, right?"

The Spartan stopped his motion and subtly glanced at V off the corner of his eyes, "Point taken. Suppose now is as good a time as any to eat, can't remember the last time I ate breakfast."

"Two weeks, six days, four hours, and sixteen seconds."

"Thank you, Chamber."

"Is this all you eat?" Panam asked, pointing at the packages of MRE's V had raided from his icebox. "I mean, look at you. How the hell do you get the correct amount of calories to maintain your muscle mass."

"My armor provides the necessary nutrients to sustain me, and when I require sustenance, I consume MRE's. It is my preferred meal."

"You have no taste in food." Cyrus grimaced, snatching the cooked MRE and returning to his workstation.

"I do not believe that preferences should matter. So long as I receive the proper vitamins and nutrients, I can maintain my combat capabilities to the highest level. Therefore, my opinion on the matter of sustenance does not take into account 'taste.'"

"No, you're just a walking talking caveman; next, you're going to tell me you drink your piss for H20." The cutting look Cyrus shot V kept her mouth shut; however, her eyes twinkled with amusement. Panam merely glanced in her direction, but it was enough for the Nomad to catch on.

"You drink your own piss?" Cyrus rolled his eyes and tossed a handful of rice into his mouth. "And you eat with your hands, did mama never teach you proper etiquette."

"She didn't live long enough." In most instances, that proclamation would be met with apologies, but everyone in the bunker had thick skin, and morbid statements flowed off them like water on rock.

"In that case, I suppose it's up to us to teach you the error of your ways. Specifically, how you take care of yourself." Panam said. "Or lack thereof."

"I am not a child that needs to be reminded how to wipe himself down."

"Sometimes I wonder." Cyrus's right eye twitched, poking at his breakfast's final piece, a half-eaten protein bar. Growling under his breath, he bit into the bar and turned back to a grinning V.

"Status?"

"Feel good as new," V hesitated. "Sleepings difficult, but that's not a new development."

Cyrus retrieved Chambers data crystal after sending an updated file regarding the Councilman's finances. "How long are we keeping V under observation?"

"That eager to get rid of me?" V ribbed cheerfully.

"I'm eager to get back to work, and babysitting you is not a task I'm made for." The Spartans retort rolled off the still grinning Merc.

"Yeah, about that," V stood on her toes, tossing her MRE in a nearby trash bin. "You and I are going out tonight."

"I don't remember requesting a night off." The Spartan mumbled under his breath.

"This isn't a request," her grave tone unsettled an observing Panam. "More of a demand, really. You and I have bizz to settle."

Cyrus considered the Merc demands carefully, shooting a subtle glance to Chamber, who was continuing to be oddly silent. The Spartan was missing something; he just didn't know what the hell was going on.

Truthfully he didn't have an immediate need to attend to. Tonight's objectives were reconning several 6th Street Outposts in Charter Hill belonging to the purist faction. He was still awaiting the proper intelligence concerning a few Purist Captains that needed to be removed from the equation.

He supposed he could indulge in her demands, for now.

Chamber watched the trio depart the bunker. Two had a spring in their step while the third, her partner, strode around like he was walking to death row. Cyrus was going to be cross with her after this conversation with V, but she gave the Merc her word that she wouldn't alert him to her pending inquiries.

The AI required some private time of her own, some necessary measures needed to be taken involving a new anomaly that she had monitoring for weeks now.

Chamber swiped past an email feed and selected a recently updated file called 'Custodian.' It was no surprise to the AI that her partner's escapades would draw the interest of the cities… frustrated population.

The Net was filled to the brim with blog posts and websites dedicated to the Night City Headhunter.

One particular website was founded during his crusade against the Maelstrom and started as a simple blog post dedicated to his image. Site members would post pictures and report sightings of him to their main webpage.

Somehow and someway, they became the leading investigator in anything that regarded the Headhunter, a curious development that Chamber was investigating in her free time.

Eventually, the architect of the site, 'Kaiser,' rebranded the web page and added in lairs upon lairs of cybersecurity for internal and external protection. Users and moderators utilized the web page as a blog for conversations that revolved around Night City's ever-expanding issues.

Gang wars, corrupt bureaucrats, and the terror of wondering if this was their last day on earth barely scratched the surface of their anger.

As time passed, the digital footprint grew exponentially, with over ten thousand registered members days after its rebranding. That population now sat closer to thirty thousand active members, some of whom were former military, mercenary, and corporate agents.

'The Custodians' were quickly formed from this small group of capable personnel after the Maelstroms eradication.

Chamber was surmising that 'Kaiser,' identified as former Arasaka Corporate Agent Mike Nolan, used his web page to assemble a group of like-minded individuals tired of the senseless violence plaguing their homes.

Chamber flagged as a tier two problem to handle in the near future, and she doubted Cyrus would enjoy watching a bunch of upstarts tear through the city gunning everyone that pissed them off.

Granted, he was no better, but he also understood the need for subtly. It was the reason why Cyrus was willing to utilize an existing organization such as the 6th Street Gang to further their agenda without introducing more factors.

Cyrus assumed that their inception would be a long and grinding process, but anger is one hell of a motivator.

It took a mere few weeks for Nolan to skim through his ranks and establish a cadre of capable officers. From there, his efforts turned towards establishing an organized paramilitary company dedicated to the protection of Night City's dissident population.

Nolan had the basic needs to establish his unit, its structure was adequately organized, a detailed training regiment was set, and he distinguished its overall purpose.

All he was missing was funding and the equipment necessary to finance the organization.

Funding that Chamber was willing to provide.

Albeit under the complete understanding that Cyrus was going to kill her when he found out.

Establishing connection…

Handshake protocols in effect…

Connection established…

[Kaiser]-Who is this?

Well, at least the man was willing to talk to her.

Chamber chalked that up as a minor victory.

Now all she had to do was settle the nerves of a former corpo agent whose just as paranoid as Cyrus.

It's actually pretty straightforward, get to the point, and never beat around the bush.

[Cypher]-I understand your organization requires equipment and funding.

[Kaiser]-You didn't answer my question.

[Cypher]-At the moment, I am a concerned party, and I am as invested in the future of Night City as you are.

[Kaiser]-I don't believe you.

[Cypher]-Take this as a token of my sincerity.

Transferring funds…

Pending response…..

[Kaiser]-How do I know this isn't a ruse.

[Cypher]-You don't, but you won't get anywhere unless you are willing to take a leap of faith.

[Kaiser]-Your either an optimist or a fool.

Chamber chuckled to herself, Nolan was a pragmatist, and she knew exactly how to get to them. Her partner was the greatest rationalist in the world, and she'd bet her life on that.

[Cypher]-Someone has to be.

[Kaiser]-Hmmm, I suppose your right.

Transfer request accepted…

Allocating resources…

10,000,000 Eurodollars…

[Kaiser]-You have my attention.

Chamber didn't have his trust, but she had a way in, and that was enough for now.

Every plan needed its contingencies, and should their preparations in Night City fall off the rails, the 'Custodians' would be their wild card.

Night City, Northern California

Japantown, Cherry Blossom Market

"I cannot believe you guys left my fucking wheels here!"

"My focus was on finding you, not the vehicle you travel in, Vargas..."

A Nomads vehicle was the beating heart to their lifestyle. Their children are given an old set of wheels when they turn sixteen. From there, the child's family mentors them into breathing new life into the antique vehicle, and once they complete the restoration, they are welcomed into the fold as a full-bred Nomad.

"If that is supposed to make feel better, it ain't working!"

Cyrus rolled his eyes as he watched V inspect her vehicle with a critical eye. The Mercs 'baby,' as she called it, was Quadra Type-66 Avenger, a two-seat coupe known for its near-silent engine. Unlike its cousins, this coupe mixed fashion and function all in one package, its exquisite steel frame left spectators in awe.

He was more surprised that someone didn't boost the vehicle while sitting in a lonely parking lot. The woman was lucky, and it's probably why V was examining her 'baby' so vigorously.

"It's ok baby, mama's here now," V was rubbing the hood as he stared in muted indifference. "Nothing will ever keep us apart again, mama promises."

His eyes flickered with amusement, sharing a brief glance with a thoroughly confused civilian backing away from the mad woman's car. The Spartan quickly realized they were drawing more attention than he liked, but most of it was focused on the 'crazy-ass woman' rubbing down her Quadra.

Another ten minutes passed by with her constant cooing before his patience ran out. The Merc was rummaging under her hood, tinkering with the engine for god knows what.

"V, can we hurry this up?"Cyrus tried to keep his composure.

"Almost….done….aaannnnnnnddddddd," His composure twitched alongside waves of impatience. The Merc slammed her hood shut, fixing him in place with her mouth curved into a lighthearted smile. "Done."

"Terrific," V slammed the gas as soon as the pair embarked into the Quadra, leaving behind dozens of curious onlookers. "Where we headed."

"Jinguji ever heard of it." Cyrus only stared at her. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't. It's a high-end clothing store downtown where all the big names go shopping."

"V, please tell me we are not about to go shopping."

"You could use some new threads,"

"No." The Spartan was seconds away from ejecting himself out of Quadra, and V was quick to notice if the amused grin was anything to go by.

"But-"

"NO!" The grip grew tighter.

"Fine, I wasn't about to take a socially awkward super-soldier on a clothing binge anyway," the Merc attempted to settle his nerves, but her disarming smile was doing anything but relaxing him. "If anything, I would have taken Panam before you, I promise."

Cyrus hesitantly loosened the grip on the door handle, mind racing at the prospect of ejecting from a vehicle going seventy kilometers an hour. Eventually, common sense took hold, and his coiled frame loosened up enough for V's attention to return to driving.

"Christ choom, make a girl feel conscious of herself, why don't you."

"It was not my intention." V's deadpan look spoke volumes.

"Cyrus, you almost jumped out of a moving car just so you wouldn't have to go shopping with me. In most people's eyes, that a pretty telling sign of what you don't want to do with her."

She was right. It was entirely over the top to eject himself out of a moving vehicle, but Chamber did warn him about avoiding any type of 'shopping' with V and Panam.

Did he know the exact reasons why?

Not even a little bit.

Cyrus did know that if Chamber was cautioning him against this particular outing, then he would avoid it at all costs.

"As I was saying," V drawled out. "Were heading to Jinguji to meet up with a choom of mine. I snatched some data on his 'cheating' boyfriend that will get him out of a contract bind. We'll stop by, exchange some small talk and head off to a bar later. Sound good?"

"Fine with me." He didn't have anything better to do with his day, so tagging along wasn't entirely worthless.

"Did you charge him?" V almost looked insulted that he would even ask the question.

"I don't charge my chooms for a gig as simple as this. What do you take me for a goddamn fraud?"

"No, I was just curious." Cyrus had seen plenty of those characters back home; most soldiers of fortune lived and died by the blood money they earned. "You're different from most mercenaries I run into. A merc with a conscience and a heart of gold is a dying breed. It separates you from the rest."

"Is this your way of telling me I'm unique?" V glanced at him with a lopsided grin.

"Don't let it get to your head. I doubt your ego could handle being that overinflated." The grin only grew in size.

"I'll try no too cupcake." The Quadra came to a slow crawl. "Alright, were here try not to scare anyone inside; they might be petty enough to sick some bloodthirsty Mercs on you for just looking at them wrong."

"I'll be as still as a statue."

Night City, Northern California

City Center, Jinguji

"V!" A middle-aged dark-skinned man screamed as the Merc entered with an easygoing smile. Cyrus did his best to blend in with his surroundings, but his size stood out considerably; towering over the shop's bodyguards would do that.

"Hey, Zane. How's business seems kind of light today."

While V conducted her business Cyrus's instincts kicked in, his well-trained eyes quickly observed his surroundings. Two exits in total, the entryway and a door behind V's companion that went further into the store. There was a decent amount of empty space, which was typical; even high-end shops didn't utilize their grounds effectively.

All fashion and no function, but their ignorance made stores like these the easiest places to rob on Ferax. Cyrus recalled his own escapades when he was eight, he couldn't remember what he stole, but he did remember the heavy-set manager trying to catch him. Poor woman only received a face full of gunk as a reward.

The Spartan's reminiscing was cut short by an oppressive weight. Something terrible was occurring nearby, but the Headhunter had no idea of its origin or its perpetrator. Until his augmented hearing picked up the muffled sound of agonizing screaming.

Cyrus traced the source to the shop's main entrance, and just as he was about to investigate, the doorway exploded with activity.

"PSYCHOS!"

Three individuals decked out in chrome stormed into the corpo store. It didn't take Cyrus long to figure out the trio were unleashing experiencing a nasty Cyberpsychosis attack.

As the door slid shut, Cyrus caught sight of a single butchered corpse. Outside these walls was more than likely a mess that would have to be cleaned up later.

The Cyberpsychos consisted of two males and one female, all clothed in ragged apparel belonging to the vagrants of Night City. The males were sporting a nasty set of modified gorilla arms while the woman was equipped with a pair of thermal Mantis Blades.

A bodyguard attempted to draw their sidearm, but he was skewered by a pair of Mantis Blades. His compatriot provided little resistance; his skull was caved in by a single vicious wallop courtesy of an overloaded gorilla arm.

The Spartan cursed to himself; he hadn't brought anything more than his Unity and his signature Kukri. V was also ill-equipped, carrying only her signature Tsunami Nue and a serrated knife.

To make matters worse, they were inside the one district that had the best MAXTAC response time.

The pair were unable to coordinate a proper defense because they were set upon by the trio of Cyberpsychos within moments. The males made an uncoordinated beeline for Cyrus, while V had to contend with the psychotic woman utilizing Mantis Blades.

The psychos advanced with incredible speed, practically phasing through the air in an insanity-induced sprint. It was only his augmented reflexes that saved him from a flurry of deadly jabs.

The first attacks missed his chin by mere inches. Cyrus could taste the gorilla arm's hydraulics kicking into overdrive. It was common for Cyberpsychosis to affect not only the mind but also the body.

A second punch leaves its attacker exposed, the limb flying over the Spartan's head, allowing Cyrus to snatch the psycho's forearm and launch him into the far wall. Killing the men outright in such a public setting would lead to far too many questions, questions that he would endeavor to avoid.

"Zane! Get the fuck down now!" V had her hands full with her own psycho, and the last thing she needed was that moron getting in her way.

The Merc lost her Tsunami during the onset of her engagement, forcing her to rely solely on her serrated knife. She made the mistake of equipping the worst cyberware CQC weapon imaginable, an Arasaka projectile missile launcher. V really needed a hardware update after this fiasco was over and done with.

"I'm sounding the alarm!"

Cyrus ignored the retailer's cry of terror and focused on the flurry of uncoordinated yet violent strikes from the second psychotic vagrant. With a blow that would have throttled an average human, the Spartan dislocated the man's left shoulder and twisted the remaining limb behind his back.

A deep snarl came from Cyrus's left, forcing him to disengage before a heavy bash could impact his spine. He kicked the second psycho away, sending the vagrant stumbling into a sofa headfirst.

The Headhunter ducked underneath a retaliatory strike and drove a knee into the first psychos' solar plexus, forcing the air from his lungs and leaving him helpless to a final strike to the back of his head.

With one Cyberpsycho down for the moment and the second struggling to his feet, Cyrus glanced towards the scraping of blades to check on V. The Merc was straining to maintain a proper defense against the mantis-wielding lunatic.

V strafed to her left, barely dodging a downward swipe followed by a secondary strike aimed at her left clavicle. She stabbed at the vagrant woman's left forearm, damaging a Mantis Blade from its base and kicking her back face first.

The Cyberpsycho followed her momentum and landed feet first in a crouched stance. Her mouth was foaming with bodily fluids, and she let loose a guttural scream that echoed through the store. V took several steps away, coming back to back with Cyrus as he focused on his own adversary with a methodical glare.

"Having fun!" V's amused tone produced an incredulous response from Cyrus.

"I don't find our situation amusing; these vagrants are not in control."

"No shit!" The remaining CyberPsychos circled the pair with a predacious gaze, this was the Spartan's first encounter with victims of Cyberpsychosis, and the details Chamber provided him were….accurate.

Cyrus could see the insanity reflecting in their cybernetic eyes. There was nothing more than a pure bestial desire for blood, and it left Cyrus questioning if there a cure for their contamination was possible.

The inquiry was answered by the cybernetic lunatics, as both unleashed a blood-curdling roar that struck him like a wall of anguish. The retailer cowering behind his desk covered his ears in terror. The Spartan felt a shudder crawl up V's spine, and the usual ear-splitting smirk that Cyrus was accustomed to seeing was replaced with a blank expression.

Then suddenly, it ceased, and silence was all that remained—a deadly silence.

An elbow dug into Cyrus's back sharply. He glanced out the corner of his eye, momentarily making eye contact with a stern-faced V.

"Switch?" She inquired coolly as their adversaries were seconds away from pouncing.

He nodded slowly, hooking his left arm with her right and swinging her to his front just as the gorilla-armed psycho sped towards him. V kicked out her left foot as he slingshotted her entire body towards his former dance partner, and a spine-chilling crack sent the male Cyberpsycho flying backward.

Cyrus stepped forward, flawlessly dodging a whirlwind of thermal blades that left the woman rolling in rage. He grabbed ahold of a sofa arm, swinging the expensive furniture forward and slamming it against the deranged vagrant, putting distance between the two combatants.

"Switch!" Cyrus felt an arm wrap around his right bicep, and he swung V around just in time to avoid a nasty downward strike from the vagrant male. His Gorilla arms crushed the floor below, shattering the pricey floor coverings into pieces.

The enraged psycho drove Cyrus back as he tanked multiple strikes against his forearms. He could hear the cybernetics smashing against his near-indestructible bones with incredible kinetic energy.

Cyrus responds with force, delivering a brutal leg kick to the psychos left ribs, momentarily stunning the man's momentum and following up with a right hook to his ears.

The sudden impact left the lunatic reeling in anguish and vulnerable to a tertiary strike. Pressing his momentary advantage, Cyrus snatched the man's head, bringing it forward and down enough to deliver a bone-crushing knee to the psycho's forehead. Bones cracked, and metal plates bent inwards as the psycho was sent sprawling to the ground, blood leaking from his forehead.

"Cyrus!" The Spartan turned sharply to his left, and his eyes widened in alarm. V's skirmish with the vagrant woman moved to the center of the store putting far too much distance between himself and the Merc.

V was in a perilous position. She was knocked off her feet and barely survived a downward strike by parrying a Mantis Blade with her serrated knife. The vagrant psycho batted away the weapon and brought her swords clear over her head with a tremendous bestial roar.

A roar that was cut short when a Kukri was lodged into her esophagus. Spurts of synthetic and red blood splattered across the floor, narrowly avoiding a crawling away V. The psycho let out a guttural choke before succumbing to her grievous wound and listing backward, depositing the corpse at the feet of a pair of blue combat boots.

Cyrus trailed the footwear to a traditional six-lettered emblem etched across dark blue Full Meta gear armor.

MAX-TAC

Two razor-sharp Mantis Blades that Cyrus was intimately familiar with rested at the side of the fascinated MAXTAC officer. His eyes finally fell onto the alluring smile that not days ago belonged to a woman who regarded him as a mere crop to be cultivated.

Four of her subordinates strode to her side, weapons at the ready, scanning the room for more prey to hunt. When their eyes finally fell onto V and himself, they exhumed an aura of disappointment.

Their quarry had been taken by other predators.

"A beautiful kill." Rory wrenched the Kukri from the psychos decaying corpse. "Don't you think Siegfried?"

"'Yes, Ma'am.'" The twins replied in near-practiced sync as Rory analyzed the Kukri with a keen eye.

Cyrus deftly angled his body, hiding his right hand as it gripped the handle to his Unity. He did not intend to have a firefight with a MAXTAC squad in the middle of Night City without his MJOLNIR, but he would be damned before he was taken without a fight.

A twinkle of recognition gnawed at the back of Rory's mind, but she could not recall the memory of where she had seen such a finely crafted blade. Her gaze trailed from the Kukri toward its curious and fascinating owner.

Rory used the zoom function on her helmet to scrutinize the predator in front of her, for she would not acknowledge him as a simple man with a penchant for killing. It was an insult to herself and his pedigree to regard him without the proper respect.

"A beautiful kill indeed," Rory muttered under her breath before turning to her subordinates. "Targets are down. Secure the witnesses for questioning. All of them."

"Yes, Ma'am." Her squad fanned out with practiced ease, it was a rare opportunity for MAXTAC to acquire subdued Cyberpsychos, and Commander Enyala would be pleased for the chance to add to their illustrious ranks.

It was almost disappointing that Rory would have to report that she was not the cause of such a fortunate event.

Almost.

A woman entered the MAXTAC officers periphery, possessing crimson-colored hair and the eyes of a plain mercenary resting in her sockets. She was not a predator, and the close proximity between her and the fascinating specimen left Rory sick to her stomach.

Mercs did not belong in their hunting grounds.

"Sit," Rory motioned their living witnesses towards the only piece of furniture left standing. "And hands where I can see them, wouldn't want to ruin the décor even more now would we?"

V and Zane found comfortable seats while Cyrus stayed off to the right. His gaze not leaving the predatory MAXTAC officer as her compatriots rounded up the living and the dead. Two of her subordinates flanked her on each side, and the Spartan vaguely recalled the pair were responsible for ramming him into the side of a building.

It was a vexing thought.

"Sergeant, if you will." The MAXTAC officer to her left retrieved a small tablet from his waist. "In accordance with city ordinance article 105 of the Cybersychosis Procedure Code, we will take your statements. I am Melissa Rory, MAXTAC Senior Officer; please state your name and occupation."

"Zane Jagger, Jinguji Store Manager."

"V, Merc. Occasional client of Zane's."

Throughout the entire exchange, Rory did not once acknowledge V and Zane's existence. Her attention was wholly focused on a now agitated Cyrus, and a predatory smile graced her lips as her fingers toyed with the Spartans Kukri.

After a spell of silence, V gradually tuned into the growing tension hanging in the store. By now, the MAXTAC officers had dragged out the living Cyebrpsychos and were emphatically loitering around the store. To the untrained eye, the officers minded their own business, but she was not an amateur.

The MAXTAC Officers were surrounding them like a pack of hyenas, covering all possible escape routes and hands firmly grasping their rifles. The twins stood barely a few feet behind V, and she didn't need to see them to know they were grinning from ear to ear.

"Cyrus." He paused for but a moment. "Hunter."

The Spartans vague answer earned a stretch of laughter from the surrounding MAXTAC officers. Rory did not join her compatriots; instead, her smile only grew a fraction wider.

"I see. Could you please describe what happened from the moment of the attack?" The question was aimed at Cyrus, but V responded, desperate to draw attention away from him.

"Was handling some business with Zane when those three Psychos came storming in, they butchered the huscle, and then moron hit the alarm. Thanks for that, by the way." V leaned against the couch, using the motion to shot a quick glance over to Cyrus.

The gonk gave off a passive aura, but he was everything but submissive. The cold steel in his crimson eyes met the amused grin Rory was expressing, and V feared that at any moment, the atmosphere would explode into violence.

"Mr. Jagger followed the correct protocols," Rory turned to regard the nervous Merc. "He reduced the assailant's effect range and prevented an even greater catastrophe. Was there anything else? Anything….unusual to report?"

"Besides slicing and dicing my people and this store's reputation. No, nothing at all." Zane's sarcasm went pointedly ignored by all parties.

"Thank you for your cooperation and assistance." Rory motioned towards V, and one of the twins handed her a familiar pistol. "Wouldn't want you to leave empty-handed."

"Not a problem." The Merc shot Rory a disarming smile. "Hopefully, next time we don't do all the leg work. Come on, CY, let's bail."

V locked her left arm with his right and began dragging him out of the corpo store, but she barely took two steps before a hand halted them in their tracks.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Cyrus turned out the corner of his eye, settling on the Kukri handed out to him handle first.

V tried to pull him along, unwilling to spend even a moment more inside a store full of bloodthirsty MAXTAC operatives, but Cyrus was being difficult. His hand grasped the blade's handle, and as he retrieved his possession Rory's left hand wrapped itself around his forearm. The motion brought the MAXTAC officer well within his personal space, and V nearly pulled her Unity on instinct.

"Your kill, it was very…precise." Rory dragged out the word temptingly."You knew exactly where to place this elegant blade without harming your…..friend."

When Cyrus did not respond, she continued on unabated.

"You possess incredible skill for someone that has little to no cyberware. Skills that I believe are wasted on whatever 'hunting' you do." V's grip on his arm tightened as she leaned closer, and for the second time in is many days, Cyrus and Rory stood face to face.

"You should join us." Crimson eyes glared in defiance.

"Not likely." The woman only smiled in barely contained glee as her subordinates quietly brandished their weapons towards Cyrus. Their movement was only halted by a dainty hand belonging to their commanding officer.

"Stand down." Rory waved down her soldiers, hand reaching up to unlatch her tactical helmet. Hazel-colored locks of hair fell freely around her radiant face. Shimmering grey eyes stared with a stare of pure wanton desire into a pair of cold crimson orbs.

"It was only an offer. You are free to leave and enjoy the luxuries of Night City."

That desire fell into a predatory gaze, and V pulled Cyrus by his free arm. Rory allowed the pair to exit without intervention, watching the Merc drag her prey away from the ravenous horde that was Night City's most elite protectors.

"For now."

Rory, let him run for now. She would break him at his best, not when he was vulnerable. The Hunt was only as good as the stalked prey, and she would shatter him into a million pieces. And then, piece by piece, she would rebuild him in her image.

It was only a matter of time and patience.

"You ok?"

V couldn't blame Cyrus for his silence; he was staring at the passing street lights aimlessly as she juiced her Avenger for all its worth. The man was far from rattled, but she had never seen the analytical gaze in his eyes before now.

It was worrying for lack of a better term.

"Yes," V didn't believe him, but she also wasn't willing to fight him over it. "Where are we going?"

"El Coyote Cojo. I need a hard drink in a place I know has good liquor." V replied.

"Can't say I've heard of it." She would be surprised if he did.

"Probably the safest place in the Glen. It's one of the oldest bars in Heywood, and it's run by the sweetest woman in the world." It was also religiously protected by the Valentines, but that was a detail V was going leave out for now.

"Why are we going there?" Cyrus inquired.

"To talk."

"About?" V hesitated, hands flaring out from the loose grip on the steering wheel.

"I had a dream last night." V supplied slowly. "It was a memory….a difficult, mind-numbing recollection. I could not explain what I was seeing."

Cyrus didn't even look up. "Chamber should be helping you with this. She's more equipped to sort out your memories more than I ever could."

"She can't," V responded sharply.

"Why."

"Because it wasn't mine." The Spartan felt his blood freeze in his veins. "It was yours."

A million stray thoughts entered his brain as his head slowly turned towards a subtly fearful V. He vaguely recalled the same nervous look adoring his AI partner as they departed.

Damn you, Chamber.

No one gets a complete day off in this town.

A UNSC AI scheming in the background, MAXTAC smelling blood in the water. So many events, so little time. The next Chapter will more than likely wrap up ACT Five and we return towards our Sixth Street segment for a spell before returning our attention to the Tyger Claws. Oh goodie.

As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember to review to your heart's content.

Reviews:

2Rule179: Just V and Cyrus for now, I don't think adding in Chambers is a need.

MEleeSmasher: Maybe, maybe not, we shall see.

Mercenary X: River Ward's addition is possible but we shall see.

To all other reviews expressing their thanks and support, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's amazing in itself that this fic has reached 25 chapters let alone a few hundred followers, stay classy everybody.

Next Chapter: Updated from April 19th to April 26th. Two-week delay because of College Finals.