Chapter 1: Turn Back
-Sedona, Arizona 2077-
It was the middle of the day in 2077 Sedona Arizona, and a man was standing in front of a dusty mirror in a rather shabby looking mechanic shop. His hands were on either side of the grease covered chrome of the hand washing appliance.
The man wiped the mirror clean and looked at himself in it. The message "Turn Back" was written in red letters before it disappeared.
He looked to be twenty one. He also had blonde hair, which was short on the top while the sides of his head were neatly shaven. He had caucasian skin with a slight tan from all the sunlight he'd been exposed to over the years, silver eyes and implants on his face. His body was built like a runner's, with very little fat to be found.
The man sighed as he tore off a patch that was on his jacket. It was in the shape of a bat with cobweb wings, and said Bakkers.
"It's no good. Coupling's fried." The mechanic said as he looked at the engine of the man's car. He was a simple looking man, in a white undershirt, gray overalls and a cap.
"You said it wasn't an issue before." He said as he tossed the patch aside.
"Can always find another shop that won't ask a lone Nomad why he's hugging the border." The mechanic retorted.
"Screw it. Move aside so I can fix it myself." The Nomad sighed as he went to his ride's engine and looked it over.
"You sure you know what you're doing?" The mechanic questioned.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…" The Nomad mused as he leaned over the hood of his modded Ford Omnihe engine.
"Yeah?" Chimed the mechanic.
"And your chirping is not helping!" The lone wanderer snapped over his shoulder. He then looked back at his ride and had an idea. "I'll bypass the main circuit, rig a work around." He said as he unplugged and relocated a few key wires in the engine.
"That won't work. It'll just go on and on and seize up." The mechanic said from the side.
The Nomad tapped the piece on his hip–a Dead Night pistol with a Scope Well optical sight and a XC-10 suppressor–impatiently, not really a fan of the mechanic's attitude.
"Did anyone ask your opinion?" The man retorted dryly. "Alright, let's see if this works." He said as he then got in the driver's seat and started messing with the ignition and pressing down on the gas. He got nothing at first.
"See what I mean?" The mechanic asked dryly.
"It'll start. Give it a bit." The Nomad retorted, toying with the ignition and the gas again, getting nothing once more, but it was getting there.
"Oh boy…" The mechanic sighed as he shook his head. Seconds later, though, the car started. "Not shabby at all, question is how long it'll last ya."
"It'll get me to Night City. That's all that matters." The Nomad said as he started getting everything set in his vehicle. It was then that the garage door was opened and the local sheriff walked in.
The man looked to be about fifty, with short black hair and a cowboy hat on to match his jeans and ostrich boots. He also had a Unity piece on his hip. Pretty basic, as the Nomad saw.
"Huh. Didn't know you had a customer, Allen." He remarked as he walked up to them.
"He just came in a few hours past. I thought he'd at least have called you." Allen responded nervously.
"Don't worry. We'll hash it out." The man told him before walking up to the Nomad, who was still in his car and leaned on it a bit. "Don't you know it's polite to talk to the sheriff and tell him what brings you into his town? Maybe over a cup o' coffee?" He questioned.
"Hadn't planned on stopping by. A bad coupling forced my hand." The Nomad replied.
"Heh. Isn't it always somethin'?" The sheriff chuckled.
"You got a problem, pal?" The Nomad hissed pointedly at the rather puckish sheriff. "Or do you enjoy antagonizing people who're just minding their own damn business?" He added.
"Easy, now." The man said, his tone carrying an underlying twinge of warning. "Name's Andrew Jones, maybe you've heard of me?" He added.
"Nope." The Nomad waved dismissively.
"I fought in the last war. Silver Shoguns." Andrew pressed further.
"Not ringing any bells." The wanderer replied, remembering nothing.
"Don't like to get along, do ya?" Andrew questioned, sounding peeved.
"Only when the same is done to me." The lone wanderer retorted as he fixed his rear view.
"This a Nomad vehicle?" The man questioned with clear disdain, his boot resting on the front bumper.
"Hey, if you got a problem, go ahead and say it." The blonde growled in aggravation as he pulled on the strap of a knife sheath on his leg to adjust it.
The knife seemed to be a modified WWII Era K-Bar knife, which seemed to have a red glowing high frequency edge. Towards the hilt of the knife, was the engraving of the US Marines.
"My problem is that nothin' gets my blood boiling more than a damn stray." The law enforcer grunted. "Where'd your clan pitch camp?" He questioned demandingly.
"I don't have one, not anymore. I left mine after some… questionable decisions were made." The Nomad replied.
"Ain't buyin' it. Nomads always stick to their packs." Andrew stated.
"Not always." The man mused. "Like I said, I'm just passing through on the way to Night City. Now, provided you're done being an asshole, I'll be on my way." He added as he started the engine and closed the door. He then drove out and made his way to the comm tower since he actually had a job to do, but couldn't find where the guy he was looking for was located.
He knew just who to call.
Upon arriving at the comm tower, the Nomad kicked the gate open and made his way up the tower to the comm box, where he promptly plugged in the jack to his personal radio.
"Hello? Hello? Ah! Raised you, finally!" A man's voice said as he answered.
"Willy McCoy, good to hear you." The lone wanderer said in relief.
"Vincent Night. Wish I could say the same, V." Willy replied dryly.
"Why can't you?" The now named Vincent questioned.
"You left the clan along with your sister. I can't help you anymore. I would if you were still a Bakker." Willy replied.
"You know why I left." V retorted angrily. "My parents were the only reason I was staying, and you know what the 'clan' did for them." He added, his words were laced with grief infused venom.
"I know… And while you and your sis left the clan, I… I don't blame you guys." The man sighed sadly, knowing that Vincent and his sister had every right to turn their backs on the Bakkers. "I'll help ya one last time, since I at least owe you that much. Whaddya need?" He asked.
"Need to find a client who has my payload. Mind checking for a message?" V questioned.
"Right place, right time. Client's name?" The Nomad questioned.
"Jackie Welles." The ex-Bakker replied.
"Okay, let's see… Aha! Got him. He's on a farm a few clicks away from where you are. I'll flip you the geoloc data." Willy reported as he sent the data to Vincent.
"Thanks, Willy. This'll be the last time you hear from me." Vincent replied.
"Good luck out there." The man replied before the call ended.
Vincent then left the tower and got back in his car before driving to the coordinates he received, which happened to be the abandoned farm Willy reported.
"This better be the place…" The Nomad mused as he got out of his car and started walking into a trailer house in the farm limits.
"Hey, ya made it!" A voice exclaimed, prompting the Nomad to turn and see a heavyset man in what looked like gang attire sitting on a couch with a crate at his feet. He looked hispanic too, and had short black hair tied in a wolf tail. He also had caucasian skin with implants on his face. "I do hope you're here for me…" He added quietly.
"You Jackie Welles?" V questioned as he sat down on the couch across from him.
"Yep. You?" Jackie nodded.
"V. You got cargo to be moved?" The Nomad questioned.
"Right here." The bruiser nodded, tapping the crate lightly with his foot. "But before we get moving, let's talk. In Heywood, it's a custom to get to know one another before talking biz." He stated.
"Alright." V nodded as he sat down. "So, what can you tell me about this Haywood?" He questioned.
"Think a place where everyone is like your bro or sis, or just a distant cousin." Jackie replied.
"So a tight-knit community. Phe, sounding like the Nomads already." The man tisked.
"Kinda, except without all the movin' around and what-not." Jackie shrugged. "What about you?" He asked.
"Me and my sis left our Nomad clan after what happened to our parents. Doesn't help that they joined up with Snake Nation, the same bastards that killed them.." V replied bitterly, causing the bruiser to wince.
"Jesus. Ouch. Yeah, I can see why you'd leave. " He nodded in understanding. "Where's your sis?" He then asked.
"Last I heard, she'd gone to Night City ahead of me." V replied.
"Bueno! Then that means that you won't be alone." Jackie smiled. "You and me? We're gonna get along just fine." He added as he pushed a crate forward with his foot. "The cargo." He prompted.
"What's inside?" V asked as he looked the crate over.
"No idea. Better that way, though. Helps keep ya sane." Jackie replied.
"Sure…" V nodded. "Well then, let's load it in the car."
"You got it." Jackie responded as he picked up the crate. The two then walked out to the Nomad's car, V opening the trunk so Jackie could load up the crate. "Sure took awhile."
"Got held up, plus you weren't exactly easy to find." V retorted.
"Decided to lay low. The sheriff looked like one grouchy motherfucker." The street kid said.
After that, the two got in the front seats and started making their way to the customs area on the border so they could get into the city.
"So, your name's V? That like a nickname or something?" Jackie asked.
"It's short for Vincent. Vincent Night." The Nomad replied, never taking his eyes off the road.
"... Que? You wouldn't happen to be the same Night as the founder of the city himself, would you?" The bruiser asked after a moment of pause.
"No idea, really. Never got a chance to do a blood test." V shrugged. "My sis also decided to follow suit on the nickname, calling herself VV." He added.
"Her?" Jackie chuckled. "You'll be surprised when you hear what she's been up to in Night City." He told his new friend.
"Really?" V said as they kept driving. "Ya don't say." He added as the border came into view.
"You'll see." Jackie told him with a grin as they came to a stop just outside customs.
"You got the papers?" The Nomad asked.
"Course I did. The Fixer didn't give you the job deets?" The Street kid questioned with a laugh as brought out said papers.
"He did. I'm just making sure, that's all." V responded. He then looked over the papers and smirked. "LOA. Perfect." He chuckled.
"What's that mean?" The bruiser asked in confusion.
"Itt means the cargo is meant to be marked as lost on arrival." V explained. "But we're gonna need a sweetener. Do you have the chip with the bribe money?" He asked, prompting his friend to bring out said chip.
"Right here." He replied as the Nomad took it.
"Thanks." V nodded as he got out of the car and started over to the bay as the people in charge instructed.
"If you have any weapons, place 'em here!" A man behind a counter called.
"Gotcha." The Nomad replied as he set his gun and knife on the counter for the guy, who gave the latter of the two weapons a once over before letting out a whistle.
"Don't see this design much anymore." He remarked as he put it under the counter with the gun. "Go on ahead." He told V.
With a nod, the lone wanderer went into the interrogation room, where a man with skull tattoos and a customs hat was sitting at the other end of the table.
"Take a seat." The agent ordered. The Nomad did as told and sat across from him. "Papers?" He questioned.
"I know the drill, everything's there." V stated.
"It might be, it might not be." The agent retorted before reading the manifesto. "What're you transporting?" He questioned.
"No idea. My Fixer didn't say." The man responded. "Should be all in there." He added.
"Everything?" The agent questioned.
"Actually, there is one more thing." V amended as he placed the bribe on the table, to which the agent put the manifesto over it.
"I guess everything's in order." He mused. "Remind me, which Nomad clan did you drive for again?" He questioned, causing red flags to go off in V's head.
"Not part of one. Anymore, at least." The Nomad responded. "I'm on my way to meet my sister in Night City." He added.
"Interesting. And none too wise." The agent stated. "Ya know, sometimes it's nice to know I'm not the one at the other end of this table." He added.
"Feeling's mutual." V responded evenly. He then stepped outside and went to pick up his weapons.
"Be careful with those toys." The man warned. Meanwhile, two men were having a conversation.
"So many kids come here thinking Night City is some grand paradise." One of them sighed.
"Ah don't hold it against them. They're just naive and hopeful–which are just other words for ignorant." The other man replied as V left, rolling his eyes. He just filtered out their words and went back to his ride, where Jackie was waiting in the driver's seat.
"Everything go good?" The bruiser asked.
"Customs dickhead got nitpicky." V replied as the street kid started driving out of the area.
"And that ain't normal?" Jackie questioned.
"Not to that extent." The Nomad mused.
"Think we should be worried?" The Latino asked.
"Drive, Jackie. Just drive." The merc responded quickly, causing the bruiser to gun it. As they kept going, they spotted vans driving up in front of them.
"We got company comin' our way. I don't like this." Jackie said worriedly, and as if to make his worries founded, the vans suddenly cut them off.
"Stop your car!" A woman exclaimed through a megaphone, causing the duo to curse.
"Jackie, get us the fuck out of here!" V exclaimed.
"On it!" The bruiser replied as he drove off the road quickly, their Corpo pursuers following close behind.
Leaning out of the car window, V pulled out his gun and started shooting. His shots ricocheted off the road and into the wheel wells of one car, causing it to burst into flames–lock up–and then flip, landing on top of its partner car and causing both to crash.
"Come get some, you fuckers!" Jackie yelled in his native tongue. As they managed to lose the gonks, he let out a sigh of relief as V slid back in. "Jesus. Not sure my nerves can take this. Let's stop." He sighed.
"Yeah. We need a breather." V sighed in agreement as they pulled into an abandoned garage, where they both got out before Jackie slammed the garage door shut.
"Motherfucking cocksuckers!" He yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "Chingado!" He continued. "They almost tagged our asses!" He snapped. "You call that an easy job?!" He ranted.
"I think this is my fault. I told the customs dickhead I wasn't with a clan anymore and he tipped security off about it." V sighed, cursing himself for his blunder.
"Well ain't that peachy. Hope it was worth it." The bruiser huffed.
"Sometimes this shit happens." The Nomad sighed.
"These border punks flipping us the bird as they fuckin' please! With no consequences!" He snapped.
"Yeah, well, we still got the cargo, so there's that at least." The Nomad remarked as he leaned on his car. "Which means, all you gotta do is give me my money, and then we part ways."
"Eh, not gonna lie, I'm a bit low on scratch right now." The bruiser chuckled, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"... I appreciate the honesty." V said dryly, his facial expression matching his tone. Deciding to change the topic, Jackie popped open the trunk.
"Let's see what this cargo is, eh?" He beckoned.
"Why not. Could be something worthwhile." The Nomad shrugged as he tapped on the crate, and 'Arasaka' popped up on the digital screen. "Oh shit! This belongs to Arasaka! We're stealing from some real heavy hitters!" He gasped.
"Which means we'll get some heavy money." Jackie grinned as he opened the crate, revealing that it had an iguana inside!
"Whoa! That's new." V blinked as he looked at the sleeping animal.
"I think I remember seeing an image of this one. It's a Lesser Antillian, I think." Jackie said in remembrance. "I saw it in a documentary." He added.
V sat next to the crate and poked at one of the reptile's legs, wondering if they should sell it or not. Keeping it would get them quality companionship while selling it would get them a sizable amount of money while also running the risk of it being either abused or killed by some sick fuckjob.
It seemed like a pretty glaring no-brainer.
"So, whaddya think? Should we keep the little guy or sell it?" Jackie questioned.
V turned to him with a look of confusion on his face. "We?" He asked.
"Yeah. We work pretty well together, the way I see it. I saw how you took out border security back there. Quality work there, my friend." Jackie grinned. "That, and working with a potential descendant of the founder is bound to be all kinds of fun." He added. V chuckled at that.
"Okay, fair enough." He conceded before looking at the still sleeping reptile. "As for this little fella, we're keeping him." He decided, much to the bruiser's surprise.
"Seriously? I thought you'd wanna sell him for some cash." He remarked.
"Forgive me for not wanting to possibly contribute to the extinction of a species." V replied flatly. "Plus, I wanna be one of those 'common folk' that have something the rich people don't have." He added with a shrug.
"Fair, fair." Jackie conceded with an understanding nod–before chuckling. "Heh, kinda funny. I always wanted a pet. Had the name Manny picked out, too." He grinned. "Now, you got any plans for what you're gonna do in Night City?" He asked, turning to his new friend.
"Why do you ask?" The Nomad questioned.
"Cuz I got this feeling that you got a lot of time, and not much to spend it on." The bruiser pointed out. "And NC ain't a place where you can go without buddies." He added. "But don't worry, let me help you find some digs. It's important to have people you care about. Like, ya know, family." He continued. "Maybe you'll find some in Night City." He finished.
"I still have a sis somewhere in here, but I get the point." V nodded.
"Yeah, we get chemistry, you and me. Be a crying shame to waste it." Jackie nodded before the iguana woke up and climbed onto V's shoulder, surprising him a bit.
"Hey!" V gasped with a small chuckle
"Aww, cuddly little fucker." Jackie smiled as he folded his arms. V looked at the iguana and then to his new friend and let a genuine smile that he hadn't felt in years creep onto his face.
"Alright, partner, let's grab our lizard buddy and scurry outta here." He grinned, clasping his hand with Jackie's in a Predator style shake as the reptile on his shoulder hissed.
This was a brand new start for Vincent Night, and by God, he was going to make it work.
Dragon Emperor0: As you guys can probably tell, this story will be CP:2077 but with a few creative liberties taken. Think of it as an alternate reality of the actual game.
ThermalsniperN7: Our Maneater stories notwithstanding, this could be interpreted as an altered version of one of our own playthroughs remade in a manner we feel is befitting of our narrative. As you guys just saw, V has a sister going by the nickname VV who went into Night City ahead of him roughly… Six to eight months ahead of him, long enough to make a name for herself in whatever profession she's taken up.
Dragon Emperor0: Her name is Vinessa, in case you were wondering. And we're planning on pairing her with Judy, and possibly another fellow lesbian. Her brother will be with Panam, Meredith Stout, and a new Netrunner who joins V and Jackie's crew after T-Bug leaves, named Phoenix Jones aka Firebird.
ThermalsniperN7: And there's one more thing to take note of. Both Vincent and Vinessa are both descendants of Night City's very own founder, Richard Alix Night… Though neither of them know for sure if they're legitimate descendants or if they have his surname by coincidence.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah, I mean. There are tons of people with the surname Brown who aren't related to each other. So it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility for it to just be a coincidence. Although it's equally possible that it's not.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah. It's like thinking you're not related to George Washington and then being very surprised to find out that you actually are. It's something like that. Anyway, see you next time!