V felt like a fool. Of course other aliens were going to come to Earth. How could she ever think that they wouldn't? Her past-self destroyed their entire galaxy. Anyone who didn't bail out was desperately looking for a new home. The Earth system was prime real estate, having got caught in the galaxy's gravity. It would be here for a couple millennia before getting sling-shotted back into the void between galaxies. It was the perfect place to regroup.

In the week since the Ballzerians landed in Japan, the Binglebops had landed in Europe and Emperor Awesome had landed near Washington D.C. That last one was hard to miss, because all of the Militech loyalist like N54 News wouldn't shut up about it. More landings were sure to come. Each civilization had something unique to offer the Earthlings. In exchange for influence and a safe place to stay, the aliens were going to make each corporation all the more powerful.

None of this would have bothered V if that was the end of it. She would have been happy to build her new identity in Night City, out of view of those who might want revenge. Except now everyone had caught on to what she was. All of Night City knew that the Heywood Devil wasn't a demon or some exotic cyberpsycho. She was an alien. An extraterrestrial with knowledge that could prove profitable to whoever she signed a contract with.

Except, V had zero intention of helping any corpos.

"I SAID FUCK OFF!" V screamed, waving her revolver at the two Biotechnica suits.

"Ma'am, if you would just hear us out," one of the business men said.

"No!" V pulled the trigger, firing a bullet at the space between his feet. The man jumped back before instinctively reaching for his own pistol.

"V!" Mama yelled, sprinting down the sidewalk towards the commotion. "That's enough!" She ran up to V and placed a hand on the green woman's arm, forcing her to lower the revolver. Once she was sure V wouldn't kill anyone, she turned to the corpos. "It would be best if you leave. We prefer to not be bothered."

"Ms. Welles, the extraterrestrial just fired on an employee with corporate protections," the other man said. "We could call in support and force her to comply if we chose to."

"And we have Valentino protections," Mama spat. "So unless you two imbéciles want to start a war with half of Heywood, forget it and leave." Mama led V inside the house, still holding her by the arm. She turned to watch the corpos drive away before closing the door.

V plopped herself on the couch with a long, heavy sigh. She placed her gun on the table before letting her head fall into her hands. She felt the couch shift next to her, but didn't bother to look at Mama.

"V, we need to talk," Mama said.

"What?" V mumbled into her palms.

"How many times have I kept you from shooting someone this week? There was Night Corp, then Orbital Air, and now Biotechnica. So three? No, four. Orbital Air showed up two days in a row."

"I'm sorry, Mama," V said. She wiped her face and leaned back on the couch. "It's just…" She couldn't think of the words.

"I know," Mama nodded. "I'm not angry. But I am worried. What happens when someone with bigger guns shows up at the door? If it was Arasaka or Militech, they would have taken you down in a heartbeat."

"What do I do?" V asked.

"Well…" Mama suddenly sat up perfectly straight, and tilted her head in thought. "You could start by not pointing a gun at every suit that knocks on our door." Mama was trying to be serious, but couldn't help but smirk at V's giggle. "It would be best for you to just ignore them. As tough as the corpos like to act, none would dare barge in here uninvited. Even I would shoot them if they tried that."

"Really?" V laughed. Mama nodded in response.

"Law states that a person has the right to defend their home. Even the police need a warrant to get past that one."

"Ok, Mama," V said. "I will ignore them." V stood to go upstairs, but Mama gently pulled her back to the couch.

"One last thing." Mama took a deep breath. "You are not going to like this idea, but maybe you should sign on with one of the corporations."

"Uhh…" V had to blink a few times, as she couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

"I know what Jackie has told you, and his worries are justified. I've watched these corporations fight for power my entire life. But maybe you could use them to help people. Maybe, if can give them something that could be used for good, you could leverage that. Make things better for everyone."

"Mama," V sighed. "No… just no."

"Surely, you must know something. Some sort of medical tech or terraforming science?"

"Mama, I've… hurt people. Before Earth. Lots of people. If corpos get what I know… It just make things worse."

"Okay, V," Mama nodded. "I won't push it anymore." She stood up and made her way to the kitchen door. "Why don't you help me with dinner? Something to clear your mind."

Jackie stood in the middle of a small arena, the stands pact to the brim with people. Lava pooled around the perimeter of the stone court he stood on. The sweltering heat was making it difficult for him to tell each individual person apart, causing them to appear as a massive, green blur.

About 10 feet away, a tall man stood over a woman, his spear raised over his head.

"I have no daughter," he spat, ready to take the woman's life.

"Rajiya," the woman said.

A gun shot rang out through the arena. The man staggered back, his hand going to the new wound in his side. The woman leapt to her feet and shoved the man down. Her gauntlets began to glow before morphing into a massive war hammer, its form dripping bits of molten rock. With a primal scream, the woman brought the massive hammer down on the man, all of her rage driving her to swing harder. There was a gut-wrenching crunch as the man was smashed into a dead heap.

The crowd erupted into anger. All that could be heard were insults and booing at the woman's dishonorable actions. A squad of soldiers stormed onto the stone court, quickly surrounding her and Jackie. Their blasters were drawn, ready to open fire at a moment's notice. Jackie threw his hands up out of instinct.

"Don't worry, Jackie," the woman said. Jackie looked over and saw that she was now standing right next to him, her hands also raised.

"V?!" Jackie couldn't believe it took his this long to realize who the green woman was. She didn't have her mohawk and she was no longer missing an eye or tooth, but everything else looked the same.

"This is where the fun part begins," V grinned, her eyes taking on a manic shine.

"Squad 2, fan out and find the shooter," one of the soldiers spoke into a radio on his vest. "Rana, you are under arrest for ritual blasphemy and crimes against the empire."

"BOTS!" V yelled out. A group of robots of various shapes and sizes leaped down from the top ring of the arena. They landed in the lava perimeter, surrounding the soldiers. "Kill them all."

All hell broke loose as the arena turned into a warzone. V shoved Jackie to the ground as her robots opened fire and massacred the soldiers. Once the squad was dead, they turned on the audience. Screams of horror filled the air as people tried to escape. The robots began to block the exits and chase down stragglers, whatever it took to fulfill V's command.

Once the shooting ended, Jackie and V looked out over the mutilated bodied. Rivers of emerald blood were splattered on every surface. Horrified expressions were forever frozen on the faces of these innocent people, their lives cut short by a storm of blaster fire. V began to laugh.

"Stop that!" Jackie cried. "You didn't have to kill them!"

"So?" V shrugged. "It was fun! Now if you excuse me, I have an empire to conquer."

"Jackie? Jackie, wake up."

Jackie's eyes shot open. His heart was thumping like a war drum as adrenaline forced him awake. The first thing he saw was V, and instincts kicked in. He immediately tried to scurry away, pressing his back against the wall.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. It's just me," V cooed, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "You're safe."

Jackie blinked a few times before wiping the cold sweat form his face. He forced himself to relax and slow his breathing. It seemed like V was trying to help, as he felt bits of sisterly comfort poking at his anxiety. After a few minutes, he felt brave enough to look at her again.

"Maldito Cristo," Jackie mumbled.

"Nightmare?" V asked, now sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Sì, I think so," Jackie said. "It all felt so real."

"Talk about it?"

"No. I should be good now. Gracias, V."

"Ok," V smiled. She stood up and stretched. "Back to sleep."

"Hey, V," Jackie stopped her.

"Hm?"

"What does Rajiya mean?"

V visibly tensed at his question. Jackie felt an outside chill of fear as V slowly turned to meet his gaze.

"How do…?" V tapered off, too scared to finish her question.

"In my dream you said 'Rajiya', and then a man was shot. I think you were fighting him."

V snapped her head away. She marched back to her cot and sat down. She began to mumble to herself in her alien language, seemingly trying to talk herself down from hysteria. The outside fear he felt was slowly turning to panic before it pulled away. V stopped mumbling, taking a deep breath.

"V?"

"Forget it, Jackie," V commanded. She lied down with her back to Jackie, and pulled the covers over herself.

Jackie didn't move from his sitting position. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off V. Her sudden shift from loving sister to panicking mental patient had him completely flabbergasted. She has always been prone to outburst, but not like this. This wasn't anger or glee. It was fear, and V was never scared. How could a single word throw her off so much? Did she have the same dream? Or maybe…

"That wasn't a dream, was it? Not entirely," Jackie said. "It was a memory."

"Jackie," V sighed, not bothering to turn to him. "Please. Go to sleep."

"Did you kill your dad? And all those people?"

"They had it coming!" V spat. "Royal jerks. All of them."

"If you say so," Jackie relented, before lying back down.

The air was tense in the room. Despite the complete silence and early morning darkness, neither Jackie nor V could get back to sleep. They were each caught up in their own racing thoughts. This was only made worse by them being able to sense the swirling storm in the other's mind. Both edgerunners knew things needed to be said, but neither of them wanted to bite the bullet. Eventually, V gave it.

"Hopeful," she whispered.

"You say something?" Jackie asked.

"Hopeful," V repeated, louder this time. "Rajiya means hopeful."

"That's an odd kill word."

"It was Mother's name. Used it to spite Father."

"Oh."

"Yea." V let out another heavy sigh. She adjusted in her cot so she could look at Jackie. "I've done lots of bad things, Jackie. Hurt lots of people. Be prepared."

"What?" Jackie raised his eyebrows. "You think I'm going to have more dreams like that?"

"Maybe," V shrugged. "Think I'll see your memories?"

"Maybe," Jackie said. "Goodnight, V."

"Goodnight, Jackie."

Jackie woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. He expected to be drained or at least a little drowsy after waking up from the nightmare. But once he got back to sleep, everything seemed to go back to normal. Maybe even a little better. He had a great dream. Couldn't remember what happened in it exactly, but he did enjoy it.

Jackie rubbed his eyes and was about to get out of bed. That's when he noticed the weird, sexual energy in his head. Normally he would notice something like that sooner. Reaching into his pajama pants, Jackie felt around just to be sure. He wasn't sporting any morning wood. The feeling had to be coming from V.

Ever so slowly, Jackie opened one eye and looked towards the cot across the room. V had her back to him and seemed to be making small, rhythmic gestures under her blanket. He wasn't sure if he should be disgusted or amused. He was no stranger to some morning playtime, but he had been making a point of not doing anything around V. And he thought she was doing the same with him. Jackie wasn't even sure if she was sexual at all until he accidently ripped her bag and saw the sex toy.

Jackie closed his eyes and started to debate on the best course of action. He wasn't sure if he should pretend to be asleep, or try to sneak out. He was doubtful of that second one, as it would be hellishly awkward if she heard him. Should he say something? No, that would be worse. He decided to just wait it out, and hope V was able to stay quiet. He didn't want to hear any moaning at the moment, especially not from her.

…Oh, shit! He's awake, isn't he?...

Jackie's eyes shot wide at the foreign thought and rush of panic that seemed to come from nowhere. He had felt V's emotions, but this was a full on thought. He heard a bit of V's inner monologue. While trying to wrap his head around how that worked, he noticed that V stopped moving. She hesitantly turned her head towards him. Their eyes met; Jackie's look of confusion and V's blush of abject terror locked on to one another.

"Good morning," Jackie said. V didn't respond. Her face was still frozen in fright.

"I got two questions for you," Jackie continued. "Do you ever hear my thoughts? I just heard you panic. Like, with words."

"Yes," V nodded. "It's normal. Small bits."

"Ok, ok. Second question. Did you have to do that with me in the room?"

"Aaaaugh!" V whined, pulling the covers over her head. "I had dream, ok!"

"This was set off by a dream?" Jackie asked skeptically. "Really, V?"

"It was you and Zoey!"

"Zoey?" Jackie frowned. That name sounded familiar. "You don't mean… 8th grade Zoey, do you?" Jackie wondered. V pulled the covers down just enough to reveal her eye and nodded to him. "Girl I lost my virginity to in the janitor's closet Zoey?"

"Yes…"

"You uh…" Jackie had to pause to rub his eyes. "You promise not to tell Mama?"

"Yes?" V didn't seem to understand his concern, but went with it. "I won't tell."

"Good." Jackie got out of bed and stretched. "I'll let you finish. Wash your hands before you come get breakfast." He made his way down the steps. He felt a little bad about commenting on her actions, but couldn't help but laugh at how it made V blush so hard that she looked like a cucumber.

"Thank you for putting on pants," Jackie joked, handing a fresh cup of coffee to V.

"Shut up," V groaned. She didn't want to think about what had transpired in their room a couple minutes prior. She just wanted to enjoy her caffeinated beverage, and get on with her day.

The two edgerunners sat on the couch, each with their own mug of coffee and bowl of cereal. On a normal day, V would have been getting some early work done on one of her projects while Jackie pestered her on what exactly she was so focused on. But today both of them were staring at their holophones, scrolling though news feeds. V had been like that most of the week, trying to keep track of which species was landing where.

It was looking like another point for Europe. The Ram Guards of Planet Baa-halla had landed on the Nordic peninsula in hopes of finding a new home. V didn't think they would be around that long. Earth was hot and only getting warmer, which meant all its ice was melting away. Great news for her, but sucked for any aliens that came from cold planets. She gave it a couple months before the Ram Guards bailed out.

She continued to scroll through the Net but stopped when a thought occurred to her. She moved from news feeds to one of the netrunner forums she was told about and her fears were confirmed. In only a week, Earth had gone from zero known alien encounters to four highly publicized encounters. With the exception of Emperor Awesome, all the species were claiming to be refugees. The Earthlings were starting to catch on. Post after post was speculation on where all the aliens were coming from. And what, or who, they were running away from.

V knew the corporations would want to keep her existence a secret. If word got out that a planet destroying maniac was loose in the galaxy, it would create social unrest and panic. Whether or not they had managed to gather enough information to figure out it was her was another story. She had no doubt that Arasaka and Militech were already looking into the matter, as they each had a different brand of genius working for them.

V had to put down the phone. It was becoming too much for her. The woman decided she was in need of some relaxing and a second cup of coffee. She got up, and headed to the kitchen.

"Buenos dìas," Mama yawned, strolling into the kitchen as V was pouring her second cup.

"Hey," V said, only glancing in Mama's direction. "Coffee?"

"Sì. Gracias."

V pulled another mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee. Mama was in an extremely drowsy state, as she was most mornings. It was one of the side effects of running a bar. Mama was always the last one awake, and she looked like a zombie until the caffeine kicked in. And Mama only spoke Spanish in the morning, so V tried to keep her sentences short and sweet. The edgerunner tried to find humor in that irony, but her mind was too distracted.

The three Welles' home residence sat on the couch in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. There was a peacefulness about it that was hard to find in Night City, and V was grateful for the moment. She was used to the quiet after years of living a solitary life on a big ship. It allowed her to think clearly. The noise of the big city always interfered with that. She was sure she would get used to it. Eventually.

After a couple minutes, once Mama had finished her coffee, Jackie spoke up.

"You need help with the bar tonight, Mama?" he asked. "V and I don't have any jobs lined up."

"No," V blurred out. "Not happening."

"We don't," Jackie pointed out. "And I don't want to stay cooped up in the house all weekend."

"Go to a club or something."

"By myself? Seriously, V. All week, you've been scared to leave the house for anything not job related."

"Gee, Jackie. I wonder why," V sang, sarcasm pouring from her fake grin.

"Enough," Mama commanded. "Demasiado pronto para esto. Not another word from either of you." Mama went back to the kitchen, leaving the children too scared to talk. She returned a few minutes later with a fresh pot of coffee and a pan trivet. She refilled her mug before setting down the pot, placing the trivet under it as to not damage the table. Mama took a long sip of her drink before continuing.

"Jackie is right, V," she said. "I understand your concerns. You've been hounded all week about your origins, but you can't hide forever. I could always use help on weekends, but I won't force you to work tonight. Do whatever you like; just get out of the house for a bit, please."

V let out a quiet groan. She was backed into a corner. If it was just Jackie, she would have fought him till the end of time. But once Mama joined in, it was hopeless. She lost. No more hiding at home.

"Fine," V sighed. "I'll work the bar tonight." Then without thinking, she started mumbling in Galactic Common. "At least that way, I'll have Pepe to back me up."

"What was that about Pepe?" Mama raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing," V said. "Shower time."

"Keep it short."

"I know. I know."

El Coyote Cojo felt like it was packed to the brim. It didn't start out that way. You had your usual patrons who were just trying to get a drink and hang out. But once word got out that the green lady was working the bar again, people from all over the city started to show up. It was all novelty to them. None of them actually wanted to get to know her. They just wanted to get a glimpse of V, the Night City Alien.

Pepe and Jackie were also behind the bar serving drinks with her. They did their best to shoo away anyone too annoying, something Mama made clear she didn't want V to attempt unless someone got violent. Thankfully Mama was also willing to make up new rules on the fly, and "order something or leave" was proving effective at making sure things didn't get too hectic. It also gave V and excuse to not talk to anyone, so long as she stayed busy.

Work continued like this for a few hours. The busy flow was interrupted when a corpo arrived with two goons.

A man that looked about Jackie's age walked in. He wore an expensive business suit with a blood red blazer and was flanked on either side by two larger, Asian looking men in black suits. His hair was short and dark. He had implant lines under both eyes that ran across his cheek bones and up over his ears. Most striking of all was his expression. His eyes held a smugness like he owned the place, and he wore a smirk like he was about to crush his opponents. Everything about him screamed "mega corporate asshat" and everyone in the bar could feel it.

"Welcome to El Coyote Cojo," Pepe greeted as the man approached. "What can I get you three gentlemen?"

"We're not here for drinks," the man said. "I need to ask her some questions." He pointed to V.

"She's not interested. And we're too busy to let anyone just hang out. You'll need to order something if you want to stay."

"If you insist. I'll have two bourbons. One for me, and one for the green lady with a nice ass." The man's smirk grew larger, mostly from watching the fire grow in Pepe's eyes.

"Now you listen here, amigo," Pepe breathed, his metal hand clenching in anger. "You are on thin ice. I suggest you leave before I call Guadalupe in here. Last thing you want is deal with is Mama Welles and her 12-gauge."

"Really now?" The man laughed. He placed his hands on the bar counter and leaned in. "Mr. Najarro, my job is knowing things and finding things out. I have learned a lot about you and your boss over the past week. Nothing too juicy, but plenty to get this hovel shut down. So why don't you pour me those drinks, and let me talk to-"

The young corpo was cut off by a blade being driven into the counter between his fingers. He looked down to see a fruit knife gripped by a green, four fingered hand. Following the arm up, he came face-to face with a furious V who was now standing at Pepe's left.

"Looks like you missed, chica," Jackie said. The corpo snapped his head in the other direction and saw the Latino man standing at Pepe's right and holding his own fruit knife. "My turn."

The corpo yanked his hands back, losing his cool for a second. The men at his sides had drawn their pistols, but he raised his hand to tell them to hold.

"No need to start shooting, yet," the corpo spoke.

"Of course, sir," one of the men said as they both holstered their guns.

"Body guards?" V asked, pulling her knife out of the old, wood counter top.

"Yes. They are here so you don't shoot at me like all the other corporate reps." The corpo eyed the knife in her hand for a second. "Though, it looks like you get along just fine without a firearm."

"Yep," V nodded. "Now get out. I'm not interested."

"I'm not here to make you an offer. I'm here to ask questions."

"Oh?"

"Name's V. Arasaka Intelligence Division." The man offered his hand, hoping to smooth things over before he got kicked out.

"Also V. Intergalactic mercenary and bar keep," the green woman said. She glanced at his hand, but didn't shake it. She pushed Pepe back and stepped closer to Jackie. "Jackie Welles. Partner in crime."

"So, are you like a secret agent or something?" Jackie asked.

"Nothing so flashy. Most of my job is paperwork and asking questions. Kind of like a detective, but with better pay."

"Yea," Alien V laughed. "He's shit at the secret part." She pointed around El Coyote, letting Corpo V know that his presence had attracted the attention of most of the bar patrons. All eyes were on them, which meant he had to be smart about his next move.

"Sometimes it's best to make yourself known," the man said, keeping his eyes on Jackie and V. "All cards are on the table. I know not to fuck with you, but you know that I mean everything I say."

"Doesn't mean we're going to listen," Jackie smirked.

"Then I guess I'll have to let the NCPD know about Señora Welles' habit of harboring fugitives."

"¡Qué montón de mierda! You pulled that out of your ass," Jackie challenged, venom lacing his teeth.

"I'm not saying the charges would stick. But an investigation into the Valentinos would get the courts involved. And I doubt your family could cover the legal cost. Poor Guadalupe would have to sell El Coyote Cojo. Even then, it might not be enough to avoid bankruptcy."

Corpo V hit Jackie with his smug smile. Everyone watching knew he had won. It was true that Mama Welles wouldn't end up in jail. She had never actually done anything illegal. But her son and ex-husband had. And she had several old friends that were still in the Valentinos, even if only in name. That was enough to drag Mama's good name through the mud and drown the poor woman with debt.

"Fine," Alien V sighed.

"V," Jackie comforted. "You don't have to."

"It's ok." V grabbed two glasses and a half full bottle of bourbon. "50 eddied. Pay up," she said, gesturing to Pepe.

"Making me buy the whole bottle?" Corpo V's laughed. His eyes flashed for a brief moment as he transferred the payment.

"Stock room. Guards stay here."

"If you expect us to leave our VIP alone with the likes of you, you have another thing coming," one of the guards said, his hand on his holster.

"I'll talk with you alone," Corpo V interrupted. "But you have to leave your weapons with your…" He looked at Jackie, trying to decide on the right word, "…choomba here."

"Deal." V handed her pistol to Jackie. "Let's get this over with."

"Wait outside," Corpo V commanded his bodyguards before following.

V filled the two glasses halfway before popping the cork back on the bottle. She handed one of the glasses to the corpo before taking a sip of her own.

"What do you want?" she asked, leaning against one of the shelving units.

"I'm just here to ask you some questions," Corpo V responded. "Arasaka doesn't want any trouble. But with the sudden arrival of so many extraterrestrials, we thought it would be prudent to learn more about you."

"Yay, me," V sighed before taking another sip.

"I'll start simple. How well do you handle your alcohol?"

V couldn't stop herself from chuckling, shaking her head at the man.

"More sensitive. Get drunk faster. But process it faster, so buzz doesn't last as long."

"Interesting," Corpo V nodded as he sipped his own bourbon. "You're English is good, but your grammar could use some work."

"Eh," V shrugged.

"How long have you been here?"

"On Earth? Since mid-April. Little over two months."

"That's it?" Corpo V asked in disbelief.

"Yep."

"You've made quite a name for yourself in that time. They were talking about you on the radio the other week."

"I learn fast. I work fast," V smiled.

"No kidding," Corpo V raised his eyebrows. He finished his drink and set his glass aside. Reaching into his blazer, he pulled out a tablet and began typing away.

"Let's see," he mumbled to himself. "While I pull this up, I gotta ask what your V stands for."

"Vheenaslivawheske Rayisu. Jackie can't pronounce it. He named me V."

"How did you two meet?"

"First day on Earth. Sunset Motel. East of the city. Got in a fight with Wraiths. Jackie saved me." V stared into her drink, reminiscing on that morning. It felt so long ago, despite it being quite recent. She gulped down the rest of her own drink. "What about your V?"

"My full name is Vincent Sharp. But I only let people who truly know me use my real name."

"I'll call you… Vinny," V smiled.

"You will call me V like everyone else," Corpo V said.

"Dorky Vinny," V giggled. Here laugh grew louder at the glare she received. "Uptight Vinny."

"Alright, first question," Corpo V interrupted, clearing his throat. "Do you have a space ship, and if so where is it?"

"My ship was-" V stopped herself. She was starting to regret the drink, as now she was worried about giving away too much information. "My ship is gone. I'm stuck on Earth."

"Gone how?"

"Lost to space."

"Alright?" Corpo V furrowed is brow at her vague answer, but continued on. "Question two. Do you possess or have knowledge of technology that could help further humanity's progress?"

"Wait, what?" V blinked. "Again. With small words."

"Alien tech. We want to know about your alien tech. Do you have anything that could help us?"

"Us?" V raised an eyebrow at him. "As in everyone, or just Arasaka?"

"What's the difference?" Corpo V asked. "The megacorporations run the show. You can't help the world without helping them."

"Ha!" V laughed. "Tell that to Jackie."

"So, what do you know?"

"I know slip space engines. But so do Ballzerians."

"That's it? Surely, you have something other than space travel. What set your race apart from the others?"

"I'M NOT TELLING YOU!" V yelled. She poured herself another glass of bourbon and took a gulp. The corpo didn't say anything for a full minute. He simply watched her pour the drink.

"What?" V asked.

"Just observing," Corpo V said.

"Out with it."

"Why don't you want to share your knowledge?"

"Because," V sighed. She paused to take another sip. "Dangerous tech. Can't trust anyone."

"Give us a little credit. We Earthlings know how to-"

"CAN'T. TRUST. ANYONE."

"Ok," Corpo V nodded. "I understand."

"Good."

"Last question. Does the name Lord Dominator mean anything to you?"

"No. Should it?"

"The Ballzerians keep going on about some crazed maniac with a planet destroying ship," Corpo V said. "Sound familiar?"

"Yea," V sighed. "It does."

"Can you tell me about this person?"

"I guess," V whispered. She rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling small and self-conscious. "He harvested planets for resources. To fuel his ship and build his armies. He murdered trillions of trillions."

"Did he destroy your planet?"

V didn't answer right away. She gazed down into her glass once again, remembering farther back. She could still hear the screaming, except it no longer brought her joy. Now, she only felt scared.

"Yea," V finally mumbled. "He did. But he's dead now."

"Are you sure Lord Dominator is dead?" Corpo V asked, more sternly than with his earlier questions.

"His ship exploded. With him inside. He's gone."

"Ok, if you are sure."

"I am."

"I'm sorry about your home."

"Don't be. Never felt like home."

"Are there any others?" Corpo V spoke softly, trying to offer some comfort. "Any more of your kind?"

"No," V shook her head. "Lord Dominator hated Narjahim. He destroyed it. Then he hunted Narjians. I'm the last ."

Again, it was silent in the stock room. V didn't feel like talking anymore, and her corpo counterpart didn't seem to know what to say. He could keep his cool in the face of an angry mob, but didn't seem to be all that great with emotions. She could relate.

"You two alright in there?" Jackie asked, knocking on the door.

"All good," V shouted. "Finishing up." Now the edgerunner had another thing to worry about. Jackie probably felt her fear, and came to check on her. Question was did he also hear the screaming in her memories?

"Before I leave," Corpo V said, placing the tablet back into his blazer, "what happened to your eye?"

"Maelstrom happened," V frowned.

"If you would like a replacement, I could pull some strings. Get you in with a ripperdoc."

"I'm good. Already have a ripper."

"Same guy who fixed you up after Maelstrom, I'm guessing?" Corpo V smirked.

"Yep," V nodded. "Now get out. Got shit to do."

"Of course. Until next time, Miss Welles." He bowed and then left, leaving V alone in the stock room.

"El burro just drove off," Jackie said, popping into the room. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," V said somewhat monotone.

"But you don't feel fine," Jackie corrected. V met his eyes, studying his concerned face.

"No, I don't," she sighed. "Here." She handed the two glasses to Jackie before heading to the back exit, bottle still in hand.

"Just finished the extra order," Mama said, stepping inside. "It will be here tomorrow and- ¡Oye! Where are you going?" she asked as V pushed past her.

"Home."

V sat in the back of the Arasaka transport, scrolling through his notes from the past week. It wasn't often that he received an assignment this easy. Being an Intelligence Agent for the most powerful megacorporation in the world was a stressful job. It had its perks, like a high salary and access to the best cybernetics. But it was a dangerous job that could easily land a person on the wrong end of a gun barrel it they weren't careful. He had already lost one friend to poisoning, because they went undercover at Militech and weren't careful enough.

Tracking down an extraterrestrial, on the other hand, was fucking easy. A lot of the leg work had already been done for him, as this woman wasn't the best at hiding. She was relying on the world seeing her as an Exotic, a human biosculpted to look like an animal. But when other extraterrestrials started showing up, he was sent to investigate. Sure, he had to rough up a few unfortunate souls, but he got the intel he needed. V didn't meet targets face-to-face without a guarantee they would talk. Once he had a way to blackmail the alien, it was smooth sailing.

V pulled up his contacts list on his optics and called Arthur Jenkins, Supervisor of Intelligence Gathering. It rang twice before his boss answered.

"Talk to me V," Jenkins said.

"I spoke with the target. It's Dominator," V smirked.

"Are you 100% sure?"

"I wouldn't be fucking calling you if I wasn't. She gave me her name without even realizing what it meant. Vheenaslivawheske Rayisu. I got a recording of the whole thing, starting from when I entered the bar."

"Hot damn, V. How did you manage that?" Jenkins was smiling as well. V could hear it in his voice.

"It's a lot easier to play the dumb corpo-rat when your target can't hold her whiskey."

"Great work," Jenkins congratulated. "Drop off everything immediately. I want to look over what you've gathered. Oh, and you can take tomorrow off. You've earned a free weekend."

"Sure you won't miss me at the office?" V chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll have plenty of work for you by Monday. We need to keep tabs on that green bitch, for starters. But until then, go celebrate. You have a bright future ahead of you, V."

V turned in his intel as ordered, and wished Jenkins a goodnight. It had been a while since he had time off. V wasn't sure he remembered how to relax. After a short bit of thinking, he decided to figure out what to do tomorrow when tomorrow came. But tonight, he was going to hire a high-class joytoy. It had been a while since he got laid as well.