Date: 2nd of June 2062

Location: Outside of Night city, Badlands

POV: Victor Von Doom

"Mother… Just who are these people?" I asked my mother who seemed to slightly smile at the sight of the nomads. Their numbers from what I can scan are in the hundreds. Stationed near their vehicles they were no doubt nomads. From what I could see besides the trash below all that was around was sand, sand and sand. With a few cactus's, rocks and grass sprinkled about.

"Family," She muttered silently. Seeing her smile for the first time. Not knowing how to feel about such a thing I only looked forward. My mother was confusing or in my father's own words "Women are confusing".

"We've arrived," Bubbles reported, his aura now changing from a friendly giant to a demon.

Exiting the Osprey, I was met with stares all around some hovering their hands over their belts while others held their rifles on hand. As if such threats were acceptable. Had such hostilities been shown inside the city they would've been gunned down on site. Just what was my father thinking of sending me here?

"Auntie!" A girl my age yelled out running towards my mother. Seeing her chocolate and slightly messy hair. Tch, typical nomads and selfcare. Uncivilised monkey who stunk more than any trash can in Night city.

"Oh, little Panam. Look at you, you've grown bigger from the last time I saw you!" She smiled and hugged her.

"Who's the little turd by your side?" A nomad jokes, the man seemingly their leader. He bore an iconic look that screamed look at me.

He had a moustache similar to Bubbles and wore nomadic clothes. Leather boots, jeans, and a leather jacket with their nomad clan badge patch on his shoulder. He looked to be around his fifties or sixties and had chocolate skin almost eerily similar to my mother. Hearing offence I almost lashed out but stopped myself. I was representing my father here and had to keep up appearances. It would have been what he had done.

"It's Victor. Victor Von Doom." I replied, my hands behind my back as I attempted to mimic my father. This earned a grin from Bubbles and a slight frown from both my mother and nomad leader.

"I had hoped you would've rubbed more from your mother than your father," He sighed, staring at my mother. His brow raised in an empathic demeanour. What exactly was he trying to insinuate? My father is a great man.

"I'd watch your tongue if I was you," Bubbles spoke, his eyes glaring at the nomad leader.

"Sure, whatever you say Bubbles," The nomad leader dismissed before walking towards my mother and hugging her. The man saw the mark across her throat.

"I'm so sorry," He muttered to her. Looking at the reactions of the others they all looked down ashamed, the younger ones slightly confused.

"Please come inside the camp there's much to be discussed." He informed, bringing us within the camp. While most backed off and stared from a distance some were brave enough to get close.

"I'm sorry we did this to you," The clan leader apologised, my interest peaking at his words. Just what was going on. What was going on here? Was it possible that my mother was forced to marry my father? This couldn't possibly be true.

"Enough of these apologies… I chose to go that day. It's neither the fault of you nor the elders. In the end it was my decision. It was in the clans' best interest I left," She signed, before turning to face me a smile slowly raised from her face.

"In the end I don't regret it one bit," She smiled completely.

"I guess a mothers love is blind,'' the nomad leader sighed. While I couldn't see his eyes, I knew they were locked onto me. The round shades could only hide so much.

"While he follows his father's image, I know he has my heart," She explained, messing up my hair. Frowning I sighed, I had taken quite the time to do my hair as to ensure that I could assert dominance over the in-laws.

"I sure hope so, his father can be… quite the particular fellow," The nomad leader replied, staring at Bubbles whose eyes kept watch at the nomad leader. His eyes never faltered or blinked from the nomad leader.

"Please stand down Bubbles, while I understand your concerns it's best, we don't provoke the… common folk from doing anything they might regret," I insisted to which Bubbles complied albeit with some complications as he sat next to me, his eyes now glued to his internal interfaces.

"Thank you, Victor. Perhaps you do have your mother's heart," He stated.

"While I appreciate your sentiments, I still don't know who you are. In fact, I scoured my whole database and can't seem to find any trace on who you people are. Just who are you?" I asked, perplexed. Had my father redacted these individuals from my database? And for what reason?

"I guess you can thank your father for that. The names Santiago Aldecado and this here is my family. While not all of us are connected by blood we are by badge. Some here might be new, some old. What matters is that we're all in this together. Your mother here was an Aldecado before she became a Von Doom. She once was our best vanguard and scout. Oh, the memories." He chuckled lightly, his words slowly steep low. Pouring a bottle of whiskey, he offered it to my mother who accepted it.

"The chooms on my right are Cassidy Righter, Mitch Anderson, two guys who can't handle their liquor." He sneered, his chuckle then erupting into laughter. Slapping his knee, he then turned to his left to see a disappointed teen.

"Ah and my left Scorpion," He smiled before turning to look for someone. Seeing him mutter under his breath he quickly ordered one of his men mainly Mitch to go.

"Where's Saul?" He asked.

"Don't know but the idiot was meant to be here by now…" Scorpion explained.

"Either way, how about we do an old Aldecado tradition, eh? Or has the corpo lifestyle left you dryer than the desert?" He asked my mother, pouring a cup of whiskey himself.

"Yah praise yourself too much, you were second rate to me," She jabbed, downing the drink down quickly. Hearing her accent pop out I started to question my heritage more. Just how did my father associate with these people? A Corpo and Nomad falling in love?

"Atta girl, you can take the nomad out of the clan, but you can never take the clan out of the nomad. Bottoms up chooms we're gonna get wasted tonight!" He alerted, making everyone smile and cheer.

"Come on, Bubbles lighten up. This might be the last time you get to do what you want on business hours," My mother offered, to see her so... Free was shocking. Seeing her happy though… Made me smile, it wasn't often that she opened up this much. Perhaps the skyscraper did have its grim effect on her. Or maybe it was father. I always wondered why he was so abusive to mother.

"Perhaps not tonight," Bubbles replied, his hands waving the drinks away as he walked towards the Osprey. Standing with the other four guards he started to do maintenance checks with the crew. About to walk with him he instead stopped me.

"Hey! So, you're Auntie June's son. What's it like in the city?" She asked. Attempting to keep my thoughts straight I kept my face stoic and my voice monotone.

"It's tolerable more so than here," I replied.

"You sound like a jackass, you know? I guess Uncle was right about you a lot," She replied, leaving me stunned. Did she not know who I am? I'm Victor Von Doom. Did this bitch dare?

"Tch, at least I don't smell terrible like you. Father did always say Nomads were closer to actual monkeys than anything," I attested.

"Whatever city boy, at least I don't walk around as if I got a stick up my ass," She insulted.

"Nomad more like No-Shower," I quipped, while I knew it was weak it seemed to work as she seemed to be fuming.

"Corpo more like Corpse. You're a bigger zombie than I thought," She stated.

"Whatever," I dismissed walking away, only for her to follow suit. Damn bitch stop following me!


Date: 2nd of June 2062

Location: Outside of Night city, badlands

POV: Omniscient

"He's been getting a lot more violent I see," Santiago mumbled, seeing that Bubbles and Victor were gone. Sitting there quietly Santiago told those that weren't in the circle to leave. Making nearly three quarters walk away. While many wished to know the tea, they understood it wasn't their place.

"I deserve this you know…" She countered.

"No one deserves to be treated like this… Even if they made a little mistake," Santiago replied, angered at her choice of words.

"I did this to myself." Was all she could mutter.

"It was one night!" He argued.

"Yes, but that one night ruined him. I don't wanna do this again Santiago. We've already been down this road. I can't even challenge his thoughts anymore without him bringing it up. The amount of innocent people that I could've saved if that one night hadn't happened… Children Santiago, Children. It's all my fault…" She teared; her hands attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes. The others unable to say much remained quiet, their silent wrath briming even hotter.

"Can't Bubbles do anything? Surely, he could knock some sense into him?" Santiago replied, his hands attempting to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I tried… But Bubbles follows through with whatever Virgil says. They're sworn brothers." June explained.

"This can't keep happenin, June. At some point someone's going to have to stand up to him. If it means I gotta step up I will. Damn Bubbles... Doesn't he realise he's going too far now!" Santiago exclaimed; his hands clenched on a cup with a scowl deepened with his glare.

"He does… But he's willing to turn a blind eye to it. He had already tried," She replied murmuring.

"Well obviously he hasn't tried enough. He's out of line, this time June! If you won't knock sense to him, I will!" He exclaimed again.

"Enough!" She shouted.

"I just have to wait until Victor grows. He's our only hope," She explained.

"I don't understand what you saw in him. We could've lived without those extra supplies you know. We could've done something else," Santiago sighed, his hands by his forehead as he continued to knock on it.

"But what good would that do? Scavenging loot and gear every day with no assurance that the person next to you will survive the next day? Or Taking thousands of smuggling jobs just to make a few thousand eddies a month? My marriage ensured that the Aldecados' would thrive for years to come and only at the cost of one Aldecado. While other families struggle to live and find security, I've ensured that no matter what corner you turn too you're safe. In fact, you're not even tied to Von Doom's enterprises unlike others. This marriage was a necessary sacrifice and I nearly screwed it up," She exasperated. Unable to deny her words Santiago backed down. While he hated Corpo's with a passion she was right.

Von Doom enterprises for all its evilness kept their word. Unlike the other backstabbing corporations that he had dealt with, they were the most compliant and always honoured their side of the deal. If they said they were going to do something… They did. They were also the most straightforward and righteous corporation he knew which was something he'd never thought he'd say. If Johnny heard what he was saying he'd be tossing a fit but even then, Johnny would understand.

"I just wish we could go back to the good ol days when you were in camp. A lot of the folk here misses yah, you know. Panam and Saul look up to you." He reminisced.

"He's a good kid, that Saul, I only hope he doesn't grow up to be an old fart like you," She jabbed.

"*sigh* That kid gives me the ol headache, stubborn little shit… Reminds me of his father. I wonder how he is these days. Have you heard much of him lately?" He asked.

"No, but last I heard he was carrying a Militech package. Virgil made sure he made it out of it in one piece," June informed.

"That's good to hear but speaking of packages, how's Victor been? From what I can see it's all his father. I know he may have your heart, but it doesn't matter if his brain is the only thing he uses," Santiago confronted.

"He's just young is all. Doesn't every son want to be like their father? At some point even Trace wanted to take the reins of the family," She parted.

"Yes, but that was for a time. He quickly left after he saw that you were better fit for it. He knew his capabilities. You should be here; I'm getting Old June… These cybernetics can only push for so long. While I would've given it to one of the bunches here, they all declined. They know it was destined for you," Santiago persuaded.

"I can't. We've been here before. No persuasion can get me back. If I leave, we're all doomed. He's raising a weapon, Santiago. That child is our only chance for a brighter future. Look around you Santiago, this place it was because people like us. This kid could either being our Saviour…"

"Or our doom… I know it very well. But who's to say this kid won't be the next Yorunobu? While Von Doom enterprises is known for their generosity it's also known for its ferocity. I fought during the Fourth Corporate war, kid. I know what they did to people," He explained.

"Yes, you've told me thousands of times. But you both know that it was only because OTEC and CINO overstepped their boundaries. Von Doom Industries is as much territorial as the other big two when it came down to it," She quipped.

"That didn't lessen the horrors and atrocities they committed. Vladmir Von Doom was even more vicious than the current head." He stated the burns he had went though still etched into his memory.

"Enough of the history lessons old man. If I can at least give that kid heart, the Aldecados won't have to fear a single thing." She responded.

Santiago, seeing her stubborn attitude could only bite down on his teeth and down another cup of whiskey ",You're playing a dangerous game June. A man's heart should not be tempered with, much less a kid. You've seen what Virgil is capable of. I'd hate for you to see Victors."