Yang woke up to the sound of unfamiliar voices.

She groggily opened her eyes as she found herself inside of a messy metal living room, sleeping in a banged-up sofa. Slowly getting up, she ignored the screen showing a news footage of a protest on the street. She didn't bother looking at the tv, turning her attention to the door that led to a kitchen where a fried scent snuck through the air. While it did smell really good, it still didn't answer her question: Where the hell was she and who brought her hear?

Looking around, she noticed a nomad's revolver laying on the table. As she takes its, she notices the picture of a man embracing his wife and daughter in a portrait of a happy family, something that Yang herself lacked in her life.

Someone walked out of the kitchen, leading to Yang pointing the gun at the source. It was the same man on the picture, except he looked more like a sleep deprived trucker with a mechanical hand.

He stopped in his tracks. Eyes widened, he raised his hands up high to show he wasn't armed.

"Easy..." He exclaimed.

"Where am I?! What's going on here!"

"Uuhhh… You're in Santo Domingo. It's a District of Night City. As for whats going on…" He carefully tried to explain

Yang stepped back as she saw the door leading outside.

"Wait kid, hold on! Let's talk this through for a minute!"

She ignored him, as she opened the door and made her escape.

The world outside of the trucker's place was a dreary one.

The trucker's house, a large concrete square, was one of many concrete squares in the streets, especially the words "PETROCHEM" etched into its walls. Looking out to the streets, she could see neon signs flashing above the neighborhood along with wires and cables that ran alongside each house. It almost felt familiar to Yang, it was like being back at the shiv's compound but it was expanded upon and had more neon ads instead of rusted radio towers.

As she traversed, the houses became less like blocks and resembled actual houses with paint added on to them, although it had more dead grass and dried up trees. As she descended forward into the streets, she felt her stomach grumble.

'Waking up without something to eat tends to have that effect on you' She thought as she looked around, the smell of something good cooking pointing her to one of the houses, where its resident had been cooking something on the grill. As she got closer towards the fend, her ears caught the faint hum of electricity coursing through the fence, stopping her from making a very fatal mistake.

Getting a bit further out of the neighborhood, Yang spotted what seemed to be a convenience store. Maybe this was a place she could go for some food. 'I mean, it's just a snatch and grab. Just like any other time with... mom.' she thought as she approached the store.

The inside of the store looked like a mess. Inventory windows were broken and chip bags layed on the floor. All of these were signs that Yang should just turn around and run but she couldn't just leave on an empty stomach. As she grabbed one of the bags, she heard the muffled shouting of people in this other room.

This was followed by the sound of Gunfire.

She jumped back, dropping she chips into the ground and exiting the store as she hid behind a car painted in the American flag. She peaked out from behind the car, her curiosity getting the better of her.

A skinny man threw himself out the door of the convenience store, his urban military outfit stained with blood. Yang couldn't tell if he was either injured or it was someone else's blood from a distance but it didn't matter. As he tried to crawl away, she saw two figures moving towards him.

"HELP! SOMEBODY!" The man screamed out into the streets. "HELP ME! HELP-"

STI-CHK

His attacker, a pale "man" with enough metal in him to make him a cyborg, buried his blades deep into his back, causing the man to scream out in pain as his assailant kept stabbing him again and again. He was joined by another cyborg wielding an assault rifle.

"Dammit! I almost had him!" The gun toting cyborg exclaimed while his friend retracted the blades from the body.

"Looks like that Second Amendment bullshit couldn't save you from that, HUH?!" The wrist blade cyborg said mockingly as he kicked the corpse.

As Yang kept watching from the safety of the car, the gun toting cyborg looked in her direction. She slid back behind the car, hoping maybe she was quick enough to not be seen but her instincts ordered her to pull out the revolver.

That's when the car started to rock.

"Hey there, little mouse." a deep, modulated voice spoke above her.

He was on top of the car, his four "Eyes" staring down at her. Yang screamed out in horror crawling back just as the cyborg landed infront of her, blades at the unfolding from his wrist.

Yang raised the revolver at them, struggling with its weight.

"GET BACK!" She screamed out, expecting them to be intimidated by a 12-year-old with a gun.

The cyborg chuckled at the attempt

"That's a nice piece..." The cyborg sneered as he got closer to her. "Didn't mommy ever told you not to play with-"

PRUMPH!

The revolver nearly flew out of Yang's hands as the bullet only hit the shoulder, sparks flew and white fluid spewed out instead of blood.

"GAH! YOU BITCH!" He screamed out as he readied his mantis blades.

Yang pulled the trigger on the revolver, only to be met with the clicking of an empty chamber.

OH CRAP

The man was almost upon her as he prepared to slam his blades at her. Yang rolled to her left, tossing the gun at him in a vain attempt at distraction before getting up and making a run for it. The sound of an assault rifle filled the air as bullets whizzed by her, each one only hitting a neighbor's lawn or the concrete street.

"STOP SHOOTING! SHE'S MINE" He shouted out to his companion, which was followed by a maniacal laugh as he chased her down the streets.

Keeping her distance from the murderous cyborg, she ran into the alleyway between houses. She chose to hide behind the trash bin, hopefully he would take the bait and think she kept running. While hiding behind the trash, she noticed a handle sticking out from the bin like a trashy Excalibur. She pulls it out, revealing a dented metal baseball bat. Not exactly a perfect weapon but in times like this, she'll take it.

"Think I didn't see you there, brat?" The cyborg called out as he walked into the alley, scrapping his arm blades to the ground in his attempts to be intimidating. Just when he was within range of Yang, she made her move by swinging it at his face and hitting the jaw.

"MOTHER OF FUCK!" He screamed out as Yang went in for another swing, causing the cyborg to move back and adjust to her attacks. He swung his blades at her, the baseball bat took the brunt of it with sparks flying. She went for another swing to the face, his optics cracking and fizzling out as she went for a heavier strike. Using all of her strength, She gave one hard swing. This left her exposed, allowing for the cyborg to jab her with his blades, landing a hit near her sides.

Yang screamed in pain as the blades retracted away, blood seeping into her shirt.

"Did that hurt? Let me take the pain away!" The cyborg sneered as he prepared for another swinging volley.

Yang stepped up her game as she dodged the borg's slicing and dicing, gonking him in the other eye with the grip of the bat before swinging at his left blade, causing it to break apart before she was pushed off. Even with his attempts to push her off, she didn't stop as she proceeded to wear his defenses down with each successive swing. As the cyborg grew weaker and injured, Yang delivered one more swing taking a large chunk of cyberware out of his face. The cyborg fell back, convulsing in pain as sparks continue to shoot out from his broken face. She didn't stop there as she kept swinging the bat over and over again, making sure he wouldn't get back up. After the bat got bented, she tossed it aside and loomed victorious over her assailant.

But alas her victory was short lived.

"Zed!"

She turn around, spotting the cyborg's companion at the alleyway entrance, rifle still in its hand.

"Oh you're so DEAD, BRAT!" He screamed out as he cocked back the rifle.

Yang instinctively jumped into the trash, hoping it would provide some modicum of cover from the barrage

PROOMF

The blast echoed all across the neighborhood. Peaking out from the trash, Yang could see the trucker walking in from the left, his strange looking shotgun crackling with electricity as smoke escaped from the barrel. She could only watch as he aimed the shotgun carefully before unleashing another thunderous blast at the streets.

"Holy crap…" Yang muttered

The trucker lowered the shotgun, unloading the two spent shells. She approached the him, hoping not to startle him as he reloaded. That's when he spotted her.

"You allright?" The trucker asked as he finished reloading.

"Y-yeah…" Yang nodded, as she put her hand on a bleeding side. "Thank you?"

"Yer welcomed."

There was a silence between the two, that was only filled with the sound of distant factory works and AVs floating above the neighborhood.

"Wanna talk this over breakfast?"

After a quick patch up man had put the plate of eggs and synthetic bacon on the bowl, while the news kept talking about unimportant matters. The food looked so tasty enough that Yang wasted no time shoveling the eggs and bacon into her mouth.

"Take it easy, you'll choke on that bacon if you scarf it down like that!" He warned her

She didn't pay too much attention to the request, this was the best damn thing she's had since… hell she can't remember when she ever had food this good. It was always just kibble or just scraps.

"So… judging by where I found you, I take it you're not from around here?" he asked as he ate his eggs.

Yang nodded as she swallowed the bacon.

"Nomad?" He added.

Yang didn't hesitate to nod, even if it wasn't true.

"And what brings you to night city, miss..."

"Yang." She answered. "I'm here to see my father. His name is Taiyang."

"Never met him, what's he like?" he asked as he scratched his beard.

"My uncle says he kinda looks like me… only, like a guy." She said while gesturing to her face.

The trucker chuckled, it was a funny way to describe what ones father would look like.

"Well… My uncle said he was living in a Megabuilding in place called Heywood or Peach Tree" She added

"Hmm. Peach Tree's a megabuilding, Heywood's the district."

"Oh."

The man finished his plate, Picking up both his and her plate.

"Well... I'll take you there soon, Lets just wait for the food to settle down and then we will be on our way. Sound good?

Yang nodded as the man got ready to clean the plates.

"Hey, mister?"

The man turned to Yang.

"What's your name?" She asked him

"Name's Paulie."

Paulie drove down the neighborhood, passing by the grocery store as the police had finally arrived too late to close off the area with holographic signs and a virtual replay of the events that had unfolded. As they went through the construction site of a slum, Paulie asked the following.

"You know… I never asked this back at home but how did you get into the city?"

"Uncle Qrow said he knew a way around the wall. He was supposed to take me there but then my mom showed up."

"What did she do?" He asked

"… Mom killed him." She answered in a bitter tone

Paulie looked back at Yang, seeming genuinely sour about it.

"Im so sorry for your loss, Kid…"

Yang could simply sigh as they continued on their way through Santo Domingo.

Exiting the industrial area, Yang got a closer look at Night City itself. Large, technically impressive buildings rose high above the sky, holographic ads and images playing constantly even when the sun is highest at the sky. She could see the AV's flying to and out of the city like giant mechanical bees in a neon infused beehive.

Just as they were about to enter the district, both saw a blockade form on the bridge. Bipedal machines watched over junky looking police cars. Paulie cursed under his breath as he pulled to a stop. One of the Police officers walked away from his patrol car walked towards the truck.

"I got an idea, but you need to follow my lead." Paulie instructed just when he lowered the window and faced the police officer, "Evening, sir!."

"We're on Lockdown due to the riots. Suggest you turn around and get back home." The police officer responded.

"Oh but Please, I need to get to Wellsprings. It's my last day with my daughter and I'm trying to get her to my wife." Paulie tried to explain

"I'm Sorry, try again when the riots quiet down."

"But I can't!" Paulie exclaimed, "Because..."

"Because Mom is a Psycho!" Yang exclaimed

The police officer looked at Yang before turning to Paulie, nervously trying to laugh off the comment.

"Oh uhhh Not THAT Kind of psycho. She meant she's a corpo."

"Is that right?" The police officer questioned, "And who is she working with?"

"Militech!" Both answered, with Paulie restraining from looking bacl at Yang.

The ruse almost seemed like it was falling apart with Paulie failing to follow up on Yang's lies. Realizing that this would all fall apart, Yang had to act.

"Please, sir… I don't want Mom to make Dad disappear." She begged.

The police officer said nothing, looking at the two before turning back to his companions.

"What the hell was that?" He quietly yelled at her

"I had to make it convincing!" She exclaimed back

"Jesus Christ, Yang..." Paulie muttered as he rubbed his forehead.

The police cars began to move aside, allowing access to the street. The officer came back to Yang and Paulie.

"Sorry to hold you both back, Drive carefully out there." The police officer said to them.

"Uuhh… Much ablidged." Paulie nodded as they entered the city.

As they got further away from the police lines, Paulie turned to her.

"That… was too damn close." Paulie exclaimed, "How the hell do you even know about Militech? I thought you guys didn't know anything about corporations.

"Mom always said the corporations are a bunch of assholes."

He let out a dry laugh as they continued on the road.

"You got no idea…"

The drive to Peach Tree wasn't a long one.

There weren't a lot of people on the streets, most of them were either protesting in the city center or just hidden within their homes. The megabuilding was located further west into the district, nearly overlooking the coast and the city. As the truck slowly arrived into Wellsprings, Yang looked on at the structure, the sun reflecting from the windows and the small patches of greenery at the entrance.

"Well... End of the Line." Paulie exclaimed, "I hope you have you and you're Dad have a happier time together!"

Paulie turned to Yang, expecting to see a child super excited to reunite with her father. But instead, he just saw a young girl who seemed... indecisive.

"What's the matter?" He asked

"I... I don't know about this…" She replied

"About what?"

"What if my Dad doesn't really want anything to do with me?"

"You're Uncle said he wanted to have you back, right?"

"Yeah but… I'm not even sure if I want to this anymore. My uncle is dead, Mom wants to kill me… What if I go in there and I find out that he was just as bad as mom."

Paulie sighed but he could see that concern in her eyes, something he was already familiar with. He cleared his throat and turned to her.

"Yang… If I had personally known your father in anyway, I'd give you something real motivational but the fact of the matter is... I don't. But the fact that your uncle not only knew your father was alive but to risk his life to get you here… I'd like to think that maybe that's enough to show that maybe this entire trip may have been worth it." He finished.

That was the small boost she needed. It may not have been the perfect answer to her question but she now realized that to turn back now would be to make Qrow's Death be in vain.

"Thanks Paulie." She said

"Not a problem, Kid." He replied back with a smile. "Now... Go ahead and say Hi to yer Dad."

Yang opened the truck door, looking back at Paulie one last time before setting foot unto the streets.

The Entrance to Peach Tree seemed very inviting. Unlike the drab dead factories and drabbed homes of the neighborhood, the entrances was paved with by nice looking Kiosk and vendors.

All of this would've been promising if it weren't for the fact that there was a body of a blond haired man lying on the floor of the halls, a grocery bag spilling all of its contents to the floor. While Yang was used to seeing death out in the badlands, there was something that seemed off about this body, almost as if it seemed familiar to her. She shook her head, heading towards the elevator.

'Sixth floor.'

She pushed the elevator button as it took her up to the sixth floor.

As Yang exits elevators of the room, she felt intimidated looking up from the railings to the ceiling and seeing the rows of floors that stretched to the heavens. Not letting it distract her, she continued through the apartment, searching for the room.

'620'

She quickly found it. Standing at the door with the marked number She banged on the door, nervously waiting to meet her father at last.

It all seemed quiet on the other side of the door. In that time, She was wondering if maybe it was a good idea to come to Taiyang now. How would she know he would recognize him? She was about to turn around and live but before she could do that, the doors slid open and instead of her father, she was greeted by a young girl with red hair and silver eyes.

"Uuhh… Hi?" Yang greeted

"Hi!" The young girl exclaimed

'what the hell?' Yang thought before asking

"Is… Taiyang here?"

"That's my Dad's name!"

Yang took a double take on that reply.

"Y-your Dad's name?" she asked the girl.

The girl nodded.

"How'd you know my Dad?"

That was a difficult question to answer. I mean, it be easy to just say 'I'm your Dad's real daughter' but there was something so innocent about this girl that… she felt better to spare her the truth until later.

"My… Uncle was a friend and… I just… thought I could meet him because… he seemed like a nice person." Yang replied, uncertain if these were even the right words she would use to answer the girl

"He went out." The girl replied before she moved aside to show the hallway of the apartment. "Do you wanna come inside?"

"S-sure…"

Yang stepped inside, the door sliding behind her before Ruby lead her in.

"My name's Ruby Rose! What's yours?"

"Yang. "

The apartment seemed disorganized, moving boxes lie on the side with half of the place feeling like a cramped mess. Yang looked to the pictures on the wall, one of Taiyang hugging a red haired woman at the beach. She could tell who Ruby got her looks from.

"That's my mom, Summer!" Ruby exclaimed as she picked up the picture.

"Oh, and where is she."

Ruby's face went from friendly to sad in the moment Yang asked.

"She… gone."

Yang wanted to pat Ruby, to emphasize with the feeling of losing someone. But all she could ever offer her was:

"I'm sorry about that."

Ruby shook away the feeling. trying to maintain a friendly face for Yang. As she continued to drag her into the living room, a small tv hooked up to the wall.

"Wanna watch TV? They got a Danger Cat marathon today!"

"Uhhh… Sure?"

As Ruby led Yang to the sofa, she turned on the Television where a cutesy and stylish anime opening played. Ruby ran back to the sofa and gleefully continued to watch the show while Yang tried to process her next step.

"Hey Ruby?" Yang said, interrupting Ruby of her precious Crime Fighting Show.

"Hm?"

"Where did your Dad go?"

"He said he was going to the grocery store down the street. But he seems to be taking too long."

And that is when it hit Yang.

The body at the hall below. The groceries on the floor…

She ran out of the apartment with Ruby calling out to her. Yang reached the rails of the apartment walkway, looking down and hyperventilating under the realization that this journey was all for nothing. Leaning against the railing, she dropped to her knees and covered her face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ruby asked, looking concerned over her.

"Im Fine!" Yang cried out as she gestured her away, her voice conveying the complete opposite.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She had no idea of the truth lying down on the halls in the main floor. Yang didn't wanted to be the one to tell her the truth.

"I… I lost… I lost my Dad and Uncle today. And I thought coming her would make things better…" Yang explained, fighting back

The girl sat down next to Yang before giving her a hug.

"Whenever Dad was sad, He said a hug always made things better." Ruby said.

Yang, reciprocated the hug with the tightest she could give.

"If you want, you could stay here with us. I'm sure Dad won't mind."

Yang looked back down the building before turning to Ruby. She followed along with this false hope, but only to make Ruby feel better.

"I appreciate that… thank you"

"You're welcome." Ruby replied with a smile.

Hey and welcome back to Neon Rose.

First of all, I am so sorry for the long silence here. I'll give you the short version of it: This college semester was shit and this chapter went through a lot of changes before becoming what it is. It was even supposed to be in Pacifica before I realized how short the journey would've been (Not that the journey was short here to begin with), the backlash that cyberpunk 2077 was receiving sure didn't help matters as I had once been invested in the game before seeing how badly CDP-R botched its release and how much potential the game had missed out on.

But after a while, I gave the game a try (on base ps4 console, no less), read a bit of Cyberpunk RED and I got inspired again to try and finish this chapter.

Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long but for now, I do hope this chapter has atleast satiated everyone until Chapter 3: Night Life.

Again, I am so sorry for the silence and for the quality of this chapter.