The group stared out at the approaching vehicles on the horizon.
"We'll escape when the Skullship takes off. Think you can buy us a few minutes, Vinny?" V asked.
"If you're expecting me to talk all those soldiers down, then no," he deadpanned.
"Shit."
"Don't worry," Vinny said. "I'm already calling backup." He opened the messenger app on his cyberoptics and mentally typed.
"It's V. I hope you guys are bringing the big guns." The words appeared on the edge of his vision. Satisfied with the message, he sent it to Iwata and Marcus. A response came a few seconds later.
"Yea, we thought that was you over the radio," Iwata's response read. "Good news is we've made all the requested preparations."
"Bad news?"
"Your plan pissed off too many big wigs. You have to make it to Trauma Center yourself."
"Fuck," Vinny sighed.
"Are we dead?" V asked him.
"Not yet, but we're relying on luck at the moment."
Militech made it to the crash site first. Three military vans screeched to a halt near the Skullship. They were joined by two armored AVs landing near by. A full platoon of soldiers poured out of the five vehicles and pointed their guns at the group.
"Down on the ground! Now!" the lead soldier commanded.
"Vinny? What's the plan?" V cried.
"Do what they say for now," Vinny said. He got off Sylvia and helped V off as well. He got the green woman into kneeling position before raising his hands to eye level.
"My name is Vincent Sharp of the Arasaka corporation!" Vinny shouted over the roaring engines. "Under the Treaty of Unification, you must let us return to Night City for medical assistance!"
"Fat chance, Arasaka! On the ground!"
Vinny began to slowly comply but froze when three Kang Tao AVs arrived. Two of the aircraft circled overhead while one landed near the Militech AVs. A squad of about nine Kang Tao soldiers piled out. Half kept their guns trained on Vinny and the extraterrestrials, while the others approached Militech with their guns down. It was impossible to hear their conversation over the deafening buzz of several engines.
Another group of vehicles were approaching, this one looking like it belonged to Night Corp. They were hanging back, but it was unlikely it would remain that way for long.
"Vinny," V yelled to the man next to her.
"What's up?" He looked at her and saw that Sylvia and Wander had joined them in surrender.
"Sylvia wants to know how dead we are."
"Not at all," he smirked. "We got lucky. With all these corporate soldiers dog piling each other, they must negotiate or wait for commands from higher up. If any of them act now, the others will open fire."
Another corporation arrived with a single AV and some drones. Vinny didn't get a good look at it, as the Skullship's thrusters burst to life. The sudden blast forced everyone to cover their ears. The massive space vessel began to levitate, kicking up the desert soil. All the corporate soldiers opened fire on the Skullship to no avail.
"Now!" V yelled.
Sylvia sprang into action. Using the dust cloud for cover, she placed the green woman on her back as Vinny and Wander climbed on. She took off as fast as her Zbornak legs could carry her. Moving like a rocket, Sylvia was halfway back to the city before any of the soldiers noticed they were gone.
Sylvia slid to a stop in front of Trauma Center Hospital. Near the main entrance, there was already an Arasaka van waiting for them. Iwata and Marcus hopped out of the front seat and made their way over to group.
"Nice to see the dueling Vs made it back alive," Iwata joked, earning an eyeroll from Vinny.
"Good to see you, too," Vinny greeted, sliding off Sylvia. "The green one requires medical attention, and I probably need stitches."
"Copy that," Marcus said. His eyes lit up as he looked off to the side. "We're going to need a med team out here."
"Do you or Sylvia need any patching up?" Vinny asked Wander as he helped V off Sylvia.
"We'll be alright. Nothing a hot meal and night's rest can't heal," Wander responded, still refusing to look at V.
"If you're sure."
A medical team was making their way over to the group with a wheelchair. Vinny thanked them and helped the green woman into the chair.
"Still with me, V?" he asked, as the edgerunner had been unusually quiet.
"Yea, I'm still conscious," she smirked. "Guess they had to move Jackie here."
"Yep. You'll see him soon."
"Wait, what?" V gave him a quizzical look. The med team started to wheel her inside, but she still tried to turn to Vinny. "What do you mean soon?"
Once inside the lobby, the medical team started to barrage V with questions and take notes on her vitals.
"What kind of injuries have you sustained?" one of the nurses asked her as another pushed her through the halls.
"Uh, mostly plasma radiation burns. And I was electrocuted," V answered. "Can I see Jackie now?"
"On a scale of one to ten with one being none and ten being the worst, how would you rate your overall pain?"
"I don't know… a six? I guess?"
"Any loss of motor function?"
"My left arm is useless, and I can hardly fucking walk," V sighed. "Look, I get that you are just trying to do your job. But the corpo and I had a deal, so can you please take me t-"
"Any unregistered cybernetics or other artificial objects within your body?"
"Oh, my crop, no! In case you haven't heard, I'm not a sapien."
"Take her to the scanning room," the nurse taking notes told the one pushing her around.
"Fuck this." V pulled out her machete with her right hand and thrust the blade against the wheelchair axil, forcing it to stop. "Now you answer my question! Where are you keeping Jackie Welles?"
"Lord Dominator, I understand-"
"Ah, ah, ah!" V interrupted. "You do not call me that. See, me and that corpo-rat that I just traveled 3,000 lightyears with had a deal. And part of that deal was helping me fix Jackie. So if you losers don't take me to him, I will pull out my pistol and start shooting."
"Administer an anesthetic. Her file says it's safe to give her- EEK!" The nurse jumped back when V put her blade through the medical table she was reading.
"Get Vincent. Tell that Arasaka jackass that we need to talk," V demanded.
"Yes ma'am," the nurse squeaked before running off with the other.
V relaxed into the wheelchair, strumming her fingers against the machete's hilt. She wasn't going to put it away until she was at Jackie's side. She watched the doctors go about their day, all of them avoiding her. Which ones were scared and which ones were indifferent, V couldn't tell.
"You know, this would go smoother if you didn't threaten the medical staff," Vinny called out. He stepped next to V, his shirt gone and his torso wrapped in bandages.
"We had a deal, Corpo," V spat. "We fix Jackie, THEN we worry about our employment contract."
"You can't fix him if you're dead," Vinny pointed out. "Let's get you patched up first."
"I'm fine."
"You're shitting me, right?" Vinny raised his eyebrows at her. "You took a lightning bolt to the gut and went into shock right after. I wasn't sure you would last the return trip, and now you want to further delay treatment?"
"You got zapped, too," V retorted. "Besides, if I was gonna die, I would already be dead."
"Let the nurses take a scan," Vinny said. "If you look like you'll last another day, then you can go straight to Jackie's side." He gave her a friendly smile, but only received a scowl in return. "Deal?"
V stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "Let's go take a scan," she relented. "But you have to be there with me. I don't want the nurses trying to knock me out."
"Alright, then," Vinny nodded. He waved the nurses back over. "Let's go."
As promised, Vinny stayed with V the entire way to the scanning room and even stepped into the operating booth despite protest from the technicians. He was not able to get V to put her blade away, but she did let go of it long enough for the CT Scanner to do its job.
The green woman was laid down on a long table with a ring at the end. Once the room was cleared, the ring lit up a bright purple and traveled down the table. Once at the end, the ring went back up V's body as it took a second scan.
"Well?" V asked the doctor.
"She's defiantly going to need surgery," the old man said as he compared V's scan with the scans from her file. "Nothing life threatening, but her nervous system has been damaged. Most of her motor skills will be hampered, and that arm is never going to heal on its own."
"Will she survive a while longer?"
"I don't see why not," the doctor shrugged. "But I can't be sure with all this unusual brain activity. Not to mention she will be in pain until we operate on her."
"I don't think she cares about that," Vinny chuckled. "I'll have my men get the operation scheduled. Let's take her to see her friend."
V was wheeled into a small room with only two hospital beds. One was empty, while Jackie was lying in the other. He was hooked up to all sorts of machines, each one taking over a different responsibility from his failing organs. There were also a couple people standing around, most of which didn't look like doctors. Wander and Sylvia were there, as was Iwata and two other Arasaka suits V didn't recognize. Surprisingly, Mama Welles wasn't present, but V figured she would show up soon enough.
"Who has the crystal?" V asked the room.
"Right here," Wander answered. He reached into his hat and pulled out the fist-sized, purple prism. He walked over and placed it in V's lap while avoiding her gaze.
"We're going to have a talk when this is all over," V said in a quiet, monotone voice. She noticed Wander tense up for a second before walking back to Sylvia's side.
"So...," Iwata spoke up, breaking the tension in the air. "How does that help us heal your friend?"
"You'll see," V smiled. "Jackie and I both need to be touching the crystal. Let's start by pushing the beds together."
The Arasaka suits did as she asked with Iwata's help. The three of them moved the side tables out the way before rolling the empty hospital bed next to Jackie's. Without prompting, the nurse pushing V's wheelchair rolled it over to the bed and helped the green woman lay down.
"Comfy?" Vinny asked.
"Not at all," V smirked. She grabbed the crystal with her right hand and reached over to Jackie's bed. She rested her hand next to him, the rough prism laying in her palm. "Nurse, if you could."
The nurse silently took Jackie's left arm and placed his hand on top of the crystal. V took a deep breath and focused on the rock and the shattered bond she used to share with her friend. The crystal began to glow a faint pink, and V took a sharp breath.
"I think it's working," she gasped. "Now we let it do its thing."
"And how long will that take?" Vinny asked. V didn't respond. "V? You there?"
"I think she fell asleep," the nurse said. "Her breathing has slowed, and her body is relaxed."
"Some how I don't think sleep is the right word," Vinny stared at the glowing rock between the unconscious friends. Shaking his head, he stumbled over to the wheelchair and slowly lowered himself into it. "You two, keep an eye on her," he commanded the suits.
"Yes, sir," they both nodded.
"Iwata, you stand guard outside. Marcus should be joining you shortly. You both know the rules."
"Understood," Iwata confirmed. He stepped out of the room and took up a post next to the door.
"Wander," Vinny said, softer this time. The Star Nomad looked up to meet his eyes. "Try to stay out of trouble, and make sure you and Sylvia stick together till I'm back."
"Ok," Wander whispered.
"Nurse, take me away," Vinny relaxed into the chair. "And feel free to give me as many drugs as you want."
"Of course, Mr. Sharp," the nurse giggled.
V opened her eyes. She was standing in El Coyote Cojo. Or at least it looked like El Coyote Cojo. All the colors were slightly off, as if she was looking through a camera filter. It was also dead silent, as she was the only on present.
"Hm. Not what I was expecting," V mumbled to herself. "I guess it fits both of us." V looked around before yelling for Jackie. "Jackie!" She called out. "You here?" There was no answer.
V stepped out the front doors. Again, all the colors were slightly off, and she was alone. In the distance, the skyscrapers appeared as grey silhouettes against a dark purple sky. She began to walk down the street, hoping to get some clue as to where Jackie was hiding. V traveled for about 5 minutes before she found herself approaching El Coyote again, as if she was walked in a big loop.
"Damn it," V griped. "Jackie can't be far. Where would he be?" V thought out loud for a moment before it dawned on her. "The garage! Duh!" She facepalmed. She went back into the bar and beelined straight to the back exit. Stepping out the door, she peered down the ally to find all the garage doors shut except one. "Jackie! You there?"
"V?" Jackie stepped out of the garage, looking slightly panicked. Seeing her didn't seem to help. "The hell is going on? Where is everyone?"
"Thank crop, it worked," V cheered. She ran over to give him a hug, but Jackie put his hands up to keep her back. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? In case you can't tell, everything is fucked. The sky is purple for some reason, and everyone disappeared."
"Oh, that," V deadpanned. "Don't worry. None of this is real."
"You saying I'm dreaming?"
"Kinda, sorta, not really." V swayed her head, trying to think up the words to explain their situation. "You are in a coma because of the broken bond. I had to retrieve a magic crystal to save you. Until it's done fixing our brains, we are stuck here. In our mindscape. Think of it like a manifestation of our combined psyches."
"Riiight," Jackie nodded, though he was clearly suspicious. "I suppose that makes sense given all the other weirdness going on lately."
"Yep. We can just chill for now. I don't know how our perception of time will be affected in here, so it might be a while."
"It doesn't matter," Jackie waved her away. "Just leave me alone." He turned around and stepped back into the garage.
"Wait, what?" V frowned.
"You heard me. Fuck off."
"Whoa, whoa," V protested, following Jackie. "I just spent four days traveling thousands of lightyears and nearly getting killed TWICE so I could save you. And now you're going to just tell me to fuck off?!"
"You didn't do this to save me," Jackie retorted. "I'm willing to believe all the weird, telepathic, alien voodoo. But you didn't do this to save me. You did it to save yourself."
"I can't believe what I'm hearing. After everything we've been through, you would question my loyalty to our friendship? All the shit we've survived these last few months, you're going to throw it all away?"
"Why shouldn't I? It's not like any of it was real!"
"Hey, jackass! In case you forgot, our minds were linked the whole time. You felt everything I felt. You know it was real!"
"You were pretending the whole time! You were using me to hide from all the fucked-up things you've done."
V and Jackie stared at one another for a long minute. Neither wanted to look away, as if it would mean accepting defeat. But neither had the courage to speak further. V could feel angry tears beginning to weld up. It made her feel pathetic thinking about how much she had cried in the past week. But it couldn't be helped when it came to him.
"That's not true," she finally spoke. "I've changed, and it's because of you. You saved me, Jackie Welles. Let me save you."
Jackie looked away. "I'm sorry, but I can't trust you," he whispered. "All the pain you've caused. How do I know you won't turn around and decide to go full genocide again?"
"Jackie," V sighed. "Dominator is dead."
"Then why didn't you tell us the truth?" Jackie demanded. V didn't respond. "Well?"
"This is why," V cried. "Because you are all I have, and I didn't want you to hate me!" She wiped the tears from her cheeks as she turned away. "Not like it mattered in the end." She took a single step before Jackie stopped her.
"Now's your chance," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't want me to hate you? Then tell me the truth."
"Where would I even start?"
"Start from the beginning. I want to know everything."
V nodded. She let Jackie lead her over to the weight bench. They sat down beside one another. V took a deep breath before taking Jackie's hands and placing them on the sides of her head. She focused on the memories she had buried long ago. She knew this was going to be painful to relive, but it was necessary. V and Jackie's eyes began to glow a faint purple as they were transported to a distant planet.
"I was born on Narjahim, the heart of the Najian Empire."