2075, Arasaka Tower, Night City
Arasaka was a humble manufacturing company established in 1915 by the current head's father, Sasai Arasaka. Slowly gaining power and influence, it began to skyrocket in its wealth and reach during the Second World War, but quickly fell into hardship when the tide of the war turned in the allies' favor. Saburo Arasaka, who was a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy was on the verge of killing himself via Seppuku; when what he could only call "divine intervention" gave him a moment of epiphany. The company Arasaka was destined for greater things. Saburo need only to grab the reins of destiny via his own hands and steer it to its rightful place in history. And so he did.
In 1960, the now forty-one year old Saburo became the head when his father passed away, and he found himself in charge of the small, yet steady bedrock his father had toiled to stay afloat, and over a century turned the once run-of-the-mill manufacturing company, into the veritable juggernaut it is today, with its many tendrils in almost every sector of life. It even benefited from great economic crashes, by the grace of Saburo's foresight and ability to see world commerce for the way it flowed. By all accounts, it could be considered one of, if not the most successful businesses ever created in human history.
That's the story Vergil knew they put on their websites and dossiers. He knew that the truth was much less coated in sheen polish and decorated with cherry blossoms. No, the history of Arasaka could be instead visualized as a sword cutting through a field of blood-red spider lilies. Its keen edge aimed true, uncaring of the way it faced, for it could only swing in one direction, towards its goal of complete economic dominance over the earth.
"... Not even the earth," Vergil reminded himself. He'd grown privy to a restricted file, a file he pried off a dead Militech operative's hands after a counter-op, one pertinent to the construction of an Arasaka-built mass driver and its concealment to the public that was on the very moon itself. The ESA was still the only organization that had the rights to own and operate a mass driver, so if word of that got out… Vergil reconsidered his position. Arasaka's image was already shaky, save for the tourism branch of the company, and his own counter-intel branch in NA
Speaking of which…
He glanced at his neural watch, confirming it was approximately ten minutes before the meeting. Opening his contact list, he scrolled through his long directory, before he stopped at his "favored lieutenants" tab.
High council meetings were…special to say the least. They were grandiose affairs, with Arasaka's best in attendance. What was unusual was that this month had two previous assemblies, with this third one happening just a mere week after the last. He had skipped the previous two, the first due to him searching for his blade out of state in the guise of a vacation, and the second by reason of "establishing order" back into the city after his departure. Now he truly had no excuse, and it was mentioned in the notice that Saburo himself would attend via holocall. If there was any time to rub shoulders with the giants of the corporate world, it would be here.
He would rather be doing anything else, but pageantry was pageantry. As a shareholder of at least 2.5% of all Arasaka products plus the head of the North American branch of Arasaka intel, he was rather important to the well-being and financial/existential future of Arasaka within NA, especially in Night City. His first few meetings as his own head of faction were all of him out of his element and severely outmatched by the likes of his political and financial rivals within the other sectors and echelons of the company. Budget cuts, behind-the-back scheming, and garnished wages fell quickly upon Vergil's head, who was quickly finding himself to be outmatched by these humans who have been navigating the world of cutthroat business and economics since they were born.
Counter-intel felt the full brunt of the vultures during this time and found funding and assets bleeding into other branches. Agents and subordinates were being liquidated at an alarming rate, apparently, the power imbalance from the top was an ample opportunity for other actors within both Arasaka and other unaffiliated parties to prune those they disliked, or had incriminating evidence of within the agency. Nobody enjoys a spy or spec op breathing down their necks collecting dirt on them after all, and that goes double for businessmen trading in secret dealings and underhanded maneuvers.
This happened mere days after Vergil purged the previous head and his lickspittles, and for a time he was at a complete loss for his next action. With funds steadily dropping, a staggering amount of field agents being terminated every day, and already some left in Counter-intel planning to usurp him, there was only one option left for him.
To do what this Dark Slayer knew best.
He gave up trying their cutthroat business and paved his own path through the ranks. The only winning play was to not play after all. He gathered what information he knew about the other factions of Arasaka, and sallied out, first only himself, and then subsequently with a small contingent of agents, with him leading the vanguard, and began to purge some of their members right back, making sure that he left incriminating evidence in the form of a data chip or paper to justify it. Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. Corpses of suits piled up in Night City, and the calling card was a stamped notice by a mysterious figure in Counter-intel. He was careful not to show his presence, as he wanted to maintain the secrecy of the identity of Arasaka spec op's new management, and to give the illusion that Counter-intel had replenished its ranks quickly and was striking back with its full force.
In reality, it was him, and a handful of other individuals he could count using his mere hands performing all the wetwork. Despite his abrasiveness and cold demeanor, he had obtained a surprising amount of loyalty from some members of his branch. Some from his no-nonsense and professional attitude, which was a stark departure from the previous head, and some from his willingness to lead from the front. The loyalty then led to a full-on peer-to-peer vote by his own subordinates to establish him as head of Counter-intel.
The most loyal were the ones who he'd personally rescued from a more sinister fate. One such being was his second in command, and the current vice director of Arasaka Counter-intel. She had proven herself by barging into his office one day, with a damp bag full of heads…
—-
2073, Arasaka Tower, Night City
" ...Can this task get any more…droll. " Vergil sat on his desk, stamping paper after paper of liquidation notices. His eyes, once razor-sharp daggers of focus, were dull with the monotony of paperwork stacking on his desk. Many were liquidation notices he'd requested from his newly appointed secretary Itane Miyashiki, and others were formal declarations of budget cuts to his own branch.
" Is this really the best way to find the Yamato?"
It had only been a month since he was formally inducted as an Arasaka employee, eight days since the purge of his previous higher-ups, and a couple days after he was given the title of temporary head of the branch.
Deciding mercenary work was taking him nowhere to his goals, he had cut ties with his life as "V" in a spectacular fashion, save for a couple of contacts and had fashioned "Vergil Sparda" as a new name, and approached his dilemma with another angle. If he could not find his blade by wasting away in the dregs of society, he would rise to the top of the corporate ladder, and utilize their reach and power to find…something. Anything.
If only "rising to the top" of Arasaka was anything but…this.
Alexander Ducois. Financial branch, found fraternizing with Militech operatives in Watson.
Thunk.
Reynald Moricoro. Hospitality branch, video evidence of sexual assault of a minor, soliciting XBDs from unreputable actors.
Thunk.
Mary Oswald, Arasaka security asset, found illegally selling Arasaka equipment to 6th street… to wage a proxy war against the maelstrom gang.
"...I'll let the others decide this one for me."
Swipe.
Mick Young, Tourism branch, harassment of fellow employees, drug dealing, public indecency.
"... Why is this fool on my desk..?"
"..."
Thunk.
Bernhardt Volound, military transportation, smuggling goods across the Californian border.
Swipe.
Kento Yamaguchi, Arasaka security asset, murdered two-
An unwelcome call from Itane interrupted his thoughts, and his mood immediately soured. Answering the call with his neural net, he stamped the last liquidation notice without a second thought and prepared to admonish his wayward secretary.
"Miyashiki. I had thought I warned you about interrupting me during…" he started, but was cut off when Itane began to stammer in a panicked manner.
"S…sir, an a…armed agent is storming up to your-"
The door to his office suddenly burst open, a boot sticking out like a battering ram. A woman waltzed in, dressed in the standard counter intel suit and tie. Her hair, colored a pinkish red, was drooped to one side, with the other side cut in a fade. A handgun was clearly strapped to her right thigh. She held a suspiciously damp and red…knapsack, which Vergil immediately smelt the blood within. She stared right at the temporary head of counter-intel, who was still sitting on his desk, mouth still agape in mid-reprimand of his subordinate. She merely gave an easy smile, and slightly bowed toward him, which Vergil regarded by closing his mouth and raising a delicate brow.
"Mr. Sparda, a pleasure. Names Valerie Pondsmith."
"S..she's already there, isn't she?" Itane faltered, resignation clear in her voice.
"...Miyashiki, we will discuss this later." Vergil ended the call, before divulging his full attention to the woman in front of him. A brief silence elapsed between the two, before the woman stepped forward and grabbed a seat.
"May I?"
Vergil inwardly chuckled. "The audacity..."
"...You may." She sat down in a practiced manner, posture pristine and precise. " A veteran suit, then."
Another brief moment of reticence passed, and Vergil's even glare clashed with the agent's relaxed gaze, before he intensified his scowl. The side of the woman's mouth twitched, and her blinking began to escalate, but she pretended as if the temperature of the room did not just plummet a few degrees. Her eyes darted from side to side, and her palms became slick with sweat, but stubbornly, she stared right into his eyes. She would not dare to break the silence first.
"You may bend me, but not break me."
Vergil quickly glanced at his neural clock and the stack of papers in front of him. He was already falling behind his timetable, his scheduled "culling" period rapidly approaching without an end to the paperwork in sight. Sighing, he let up on his glare and sat back on his chair, already sorting half of the papers to place in a "do tomorrow" pile.
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't just kill you where you sit." he said, finally breaking the little duel they were engaging in. She almost slumped in her seat, a look of both elation and disbelief writ on her features. Taking a few breaths, she regained her composure and faced him once more, this time with a more neutral look. Reaching for her knapsack, she deposited it on a clean part of his desk, and slowly a pool of blood spread outward.
"I've come to repay a debt." she stated confidently. Vergil stared at her with a deadpan expression, and then at the mess that was currently tarnishing his desk.
"...I'm not convinced." she smiled and reached for the bag, and with a swift motion, dumped them all over his desk. Four heads spattered down with a sick splash, their heads all tagged with a single shot between the eyes, an expression of fear still etched on their faces. It was a miracle that none of the blood ruined the paperwork. The silver-haired man took a closer look at their faces. Bruno. Tigerondga. Dominic. Yuen. All Counter-intel agents.
Also all suspected conspirators.
"...Killing your own, are we? Despite knowing that we as a branch are in dire straits, you would turn your gun on your compatriots?" He questioned, trying to measure her worth and divulge her angle of approach. She merely gave an unladylike snort and returned the heads to the bag, uncaring about the fact the blood began to dirty her clothing and skin.
"I caught them the other day planning your downfall. They probably thought they could do what you did and kill you to rise to the head of the branch."
"...Hmm." The silver-haired man was well aware of this fact but chose to stay silent, interested in her plan of action.
"And speaking of which, I have to thank you. So consider this a gift of sorts." Furrowing his brow, Vergil was confused as to what she was referring to.
"And what have I done to receive these…offerings?"
"Glad you asked!" she stated, and moved to sit upon his desk, irking him even more.
"You know all those people you flatlined that one day, er, a week ago?" she asked, absentmindedly swiping some blood off his desk.
"...And what of them?" he responded, mentally counting to three not to eviscerate this woman in front of him.
"Two of 'em specifically, Arthur Jenkins and Susan Abernathy. Arthur was my immediate boss, and Susan was the vice director of our lovely little family." Vergil racked his mind, and recalled that Jenkins was an incompetent oaf that had jeopardized the company's standings numerous times, and Abernathy was a mere stepping stone in his ascension. She had generally done nothing wrong, but was firmly entrenched in the hierarchy that the previous head had set up, and was due to be promoted to become the new director of Counter-intel.
They had to go.
"And how does that connect with this…situation?" He further inquired, spreading out his right arm in the air.
"Jenkins was planning to ice me. He fucked up big time in a counter-op against Kang Tao and planned to pin the entire thing on me. Conspired with Abernathy as well, they were jealous that I got to my position as fast as I did. Pretty sure they thought I was nipping at their heels." She ranted, a frustrated look clear in her eyes. Vergil rested a fist against his cheek, considering her position. Mentally pulling up her file with his neural net interface, he took a cursory glance at her dossier, noting that yes, she was indeed a rather talented individual. Multiple Ops in and out of the city, clean criminal record, well-liked by other peers, (relatively speaking) … a recorded body count in the high 70s… all contenders for a rising star in spec ops. There was one thing he needed to confirm, however.
"You knew this…how?" he asked, folding his hands in front of him.
"Well, the day before your little spree, his goons…ahem, my fellow workmates, rolled up on me in my apartment and tried to flatline me. So I killed 'em all, and took their mission shards. Decided to lay low, planned to drink myself to death in a ditch somewhere. After all, when Arasaka wants you dead, they'll keep sending bodies." She got up and walked back to her seat, sitting down with a tilt to her head.
"Then imagine my shock when a mere vice captain comes in like a dark angel, and kills the head, the vice director, and their other colleagues in one go."
"..."
"In other words, you saved my career, as well as my life. So this here," she hoisted the bag in the air. "Consider it payment, and a statement."
Vergil unfolded his hands and laid them flat against the desk, trying to make sense of this frankly...bold woman in front of him.
"A statement..?"
"Mmhmm! I was aiming for that seat right there," she said, pointing right at the silver-haired man. "...So Abernathy and Jenkins were right in that aspect. Dreamed of being at the top of Arasaka myself." She finished and leaned back in her chair. Another question popped into her mind, and she leaned to the side.
"What's the fallout of the situation like anyways, I can't imagine flatlining all those important people wouldn't bite you in the end?" Vergil shifted in his seat, and decided to throw her a bone. She was entertaining enough for him to humor her after all.
"...Other than the fact that the other branches are currently cannibalizing our own, I had carte blanche from Saburo himself to perform these actions," he stated, waving a hand over at the papers in front of him.
"...Shit, you had permission from the emperor himself?" Chuckling in disbelief, she shook her head. "No wonder I didn't stand a chance when it came to a promotion…"
"...You realize I am not head myself? Merely temporary, until order is established throughout the company. You may still have a chance for the directorship. And being the head of the special forces sector of Arasaka is hardly being at "the top"." He corrected, gauging her reaction. She merely scoffed and stood up, and leaned over his desk.
"With all due respect sir, many look to you for guidance now. As the most senior officer here, your say has more weight than mine." she countered, idly glancing at the many stamped papers on his desk. "How can I compete against a guy that'll flatline people just for standing in his way, regardless of their rank? And has the ear of Saburo fucking Arasaka himself? No, I'll fold here and now." she said, miming tipping an invisible king over in chess. Looking over at him, her eyes scanned his face, and then his clothing. "Y'know, when you first strolled into work the first day with that ridiculous-looking getup, I thought you wouldn't last a day here. Fast forward the next few days, and you're already sitting in the boss's chair."
"...Mere flattery. You want something. Out with it." Vergil ordered, finger idly tapping on the edge of his desk. Valerie bowed her head, stood back a few steps away, and took a knee.
"...You seem like an old-fashioned kinda guy, so just say it in an old-fashioned kinda way. I pledge my fealty to you, Vergil Sparda," she said, and then shuddered. "Jeez that was so…bad and outdated." Vergil was momentarily stunned and hid his face behind his crossed fingers. Outwardly, it appeared like he was plotting, scheming, and charting out how this development would shape the future. But inwardly…
"... Is that really how I come across to others?" He introspected, a slight red tinge appearing on his face. Valerie on the other hand…
" Why did I just say that he's going to kill me now for wasting his time you stupid bitch why would you think this was a good plan you gonk-"
" I accept your oath of fealty, Pondsmith. Rise as the first of many." He finally said, after forcing his emotions of secondhand embarrassment away. Getting up to her feet, a blush still present on her face, she nodded and bowed.
"I…thanks," she stated, and a period of awkward silence fell upon them. Vergil glanced at his neural watch, and decided to begin his preparations for the night. During the day he stayed in the tower and performed preparatory work for the night, which was his designated time for his true task of wetwork. She noticed him and began to shuffle around before Vergil noticed her still lingering in his office.
"...Hmm…I suppose you'll be needing orders."
"Yes and…Y'know, I used to go by V, before…well, before it became unpopular to use that moniker around here. So if you would just call me Valerie or Pondsmith."
" Another V?... What are the chances…?" He inwardly laughed. "Pondsmith then. You will join me in the next hour. We will be ridding Arasaka of its "rats", one sleepless night at a time. Do be ready by then, or I will be displeased."
Bowing her head, she made to leave, before Vergil called out to her.
"And one more thing, place those heads on some spikes by the foyer in front of the Counter-intel offices. That message should suffice for our own coworkers."
—-
2075, Arasaka Tower, Night City
Stopping on Valerie's name, he exhaled and then proceeded to call her. A ring or two passed before she answered.
"Sir?"
"Pondsmith. There is a High Council meeting-"
"Oh no. You ain't making me substitute you again, I almost died of boredom. And if those pricks could glare lasers, I would've been dead in there!"
That's right. He had forced her to fill in as temporary head when he was gone and also requested that she substitute him twice as his representative. Apparently, she was unhappy with this decision.
"...I had thought that one day you wanted to succeed me as Director?"
"I'm reconsidering my position on that subject…"
"Hm. Not a fan of the spectacle, I assume?" He could hear her blow some air out, presumably the hair from her eyes at the comment.
"No. no of course not. Give me a gun and point me at someone. Tell me to take a life, kidnap them, blackmail someone, rig an election… whatever! But smile and shake hands with snobby gonks who view the slightest twitch of your eye as an insult? Ugh… why do we, as Counter-intel, have to attend anyway? Aren't we supposed to be…y'know, in the shadows, sneaking around and all that?"
"The Arasaka's love their ceremonies. We are still part of their company, and they so feel the need to invite all of their factions. I would assume it's to project power and reinforce their lordship over us… but that's beside the point. This meeting is rather special."
"...And why is that?"
"Saburo Arasaka will be in attendance." A beat of silence, and Vergil heard a sudden thud on the other side of the call.
"Ahh…fuck. Sorry, I ran into a wall. Thought I heard you say the big man himself will be attending?
"Hmm. Via holocall." The significance was that Saburo had largely retreated to his compound in Japan, where he spent most of his time pouring over R&D development. Thus, he left most of his duties to his daughter, Hanako. The fact that he would be making a rare appearance in front of all the gathered factions and branches of his company…
This announcement could only be dramatic for the future of the company, to say the least.
"Holy...and you want me to do..?" she asked, resignation in her voice.
"Fret not. I will be in attendance, representing myself. The missive mentioned we could bring two bodyguards into the meeting, as a show of force to better "represent" our side of Arasaka."
Pure pageantry.
"And you want me to fill in as one?"
"Mmm. Perhaps you could learn something new when not under scrutiny." she exhaled, and then she responded.
"Alright, I'll fall in. but who's the second bodyguard?" Vergil racked his mind. He had chosen Valerie because she was his second in command, and was expected to lead after he would eventually leave Arasaka, (and this dimension after locating his heirloom, but that was later…) but who else could he bring? He was the Dark Slayer, the veritable bogeyman of Night City. Valerie's reputation was close behind, often referred to as the Slayer's shadow as she would trail after him during field ops, mirroring his very move as best as she could. While he was known as the cold fear, the feeling of eventual death creeping up your back, she was the unsettling fear, of knowing that your end was nigh. He surmised he needed someone else more…explosive. Perhaps…more unhinged.
"...Melissa Rory," he stated, and a groan was heard on the other side.
"Rory? She hasn't been put down yet? Are you sure that's wise considering her…state of mind?"
"As long as she serves under me, she is well under control."
"...We'll agree to disagree on that one. Woman is one fine hair away from another cyber psychotic episode."
"...I will hear no more of this. She will be my other bodyguard, and you will be at the conference room in five minutes." Sensing he no longer had the patience for her ribbing, she let up.
"...Roger sir. Be there in five." with her affirmation, he ended the call. Making his way to the elevator, he scrolled down a bit more in his call directory before he found his second target. One Melissa Rory, his vice-captain that he had personally poached from MaxTac…
—-
2074, Little China, Night City
"No! Please! We already paid for the previous suits to leave us alone!" the leader of the pack of Tyger claw thugs begged, and Valerie held his face closer to the flames. Vergil stood back a few meters away, surrounded by bodies, his sword drawn and blood dripping from the blade in sizable droplets. He watched the proceedings with a critical eye, and Valerie could not help but think he was morbidly grading her on a curriculum.
"Who? Give us a name. Any name will do. And we'll let you be on your way." She ordered coldly, stepping on his broken leg and pushing his face ever so closer to the flames. His eyebrow began to singe, and he screamed in fear.
"Fucking…Arasaka spooks! You'll just kill me after I tell you!" he cried out, tears coming out like a broken dam. Valerie raised an eyebrow and decided to switch up her approach. Raising the gangbanger up from his kneeling position away from the fire, she laid him against a wall in a rather gentle manner.
"...I promise. I'll free you after this is over. You have my word." she said calmly, and the thug looked her in the eye, shaking in fear, before confessing.
"Alright! fine…just-It was…that gonk Ito! Ito Sadao!" Valerie turned to her boss, and Vergil's left eye began to glow yellow, before giving a slight nod to Valerie.
"...Checks out. He was missing an alibi on the date we crossed referenced the security footage. We have the evidence now. Do what you will." Valerie nodded, and with swift action, brought her Kongo handgun up, squeezed the trigger, and gave the Tyger claw a hole between the eyes. Vergil scoffed and swiped his sword to the side, dispelling the blood on it before sheathing it in a clean motion.
"You had given your word?"
"Yes. I freed him. I freed his soul from his mortal coil." She spoke in a low voice, clearly trying to imitate him. Vergil shook his head and began to walk away from the location, while Valerie trailed after him.
"... C'mon, that's totally something you would say, Sir!"
"Don't push your luck, Pondsmith, you will-" Vergil was cut off when a sudden call from… the NCPD? Lifting a brow in concern, he could only think of a couple of situations that would warrant a call from them. All of them emergency contacts to put someone or something especially dangerous down. He accepted the call, his curiosity peaking.
"This is Arasaka, head of Counter-intel speaking."
"Oh thank god you picked up! We have a Cyberpsycho situation here, and it's quickly getting out of hand!"
"...Cyberpsycho situation?, I thought that was MaxTac's area of expertise." He remarked, gazing off into the distance where he sensed something was…amiss.
"That's the thing!… The psycho was part of MaxTac before-!" A sickening squelch was heard on the other side of the call before the call automatically hung up. The Dark Slayer raised a brow and glanced at his lieutenant, who gave a tiny shrug in return. Tracing the caller, he pinpointed on his neural net map that the last location of the NCPD caller was… near the Jinguji store in the city center. A Highly dense populace, with a former Maxtac turned psycho? There were bound to already be casualties. And that meant paperwork. Lots of paperwork.
"Damn it all." He cursed out loud. If there was to be an investigation afterward, and the police would have found that an officer had called him specifically, and he stayed his hand? …There would be controversy, media, and paparazzi. And a spotlight on his head was the last thing he needed.
"...It appears we will be taking a little detour."
—-
"Fuck you all, I'll fucking gut you!" Melissa screamed, digging her mantis blades into the insect demon's abdomen. Her blades tore right through its black chitinous armor, and it continued to scream its horrid tongue, before Melissa swung up with all her might and cut it into two, sending its many green eyeballs spiraling into the air. More of the demons appeared, and opened their mouths, sending many projectiles and electric bolts toward her. But she was faster. She had to be. She was MaxTac's finest, the very cream of the crop! There was no other option for her. She would not go back to being a joy toy, a common whore for the masses. She would lose her mind at the very thought of those degenerates forcing themselves on her over and over again. Never again! She's killed them all once before. And she can do it again.
"Nothing but a Joytoy…"
"Rory's a good lay, but I've had better…"
"You want these mantis blades? You sure? heard they were banned in some countries…"
"N-no! You can't do thi-AArghk….:
"Stand down. She ain't fighting us anymore."
"Welcome to MaxTac."
"Lieutenant Rory, front and center!"
"You sure you want to install that? You're already chromed up head to toe.." Grimacing in anger, she dispelled the voices inside of her head. They would only distract her from her current task at hand.
Activating her Sandevistan, she blinked out of the way of the projectiles, and struck down one of the green-eyed demons with a savage blow to its neck. Chaining the activation of her sandy with her Kerenzikov, she slid under another insect demon's claws, and swung back with her right arm, severing its legs and making it collapse under its own weight. Dodging a stray monowire that sprouted from another foe, she spun around and charged the implants in her legs. Releasing the tension, she jettisoned forward and struck an insect demon with a shoulder charge right at its face, shattering its head and sending blood, brain matter, and its disgusting green eyes all over the area. Recovering quickly, she found her back against the wall, and more insect demons crowded around her.
"C'mon, then, have a taste of my blades!" she snarled, brandishing her Higurashi 20-13 blades. The insect demons roared at her challenge, and sent more volleys of fire at her. Grimacing, she activated her Sandevistan again, this time using it to dodge roll left and right, and swung at the two in front of her. They also activated their Sandevistan at the last minute, and all three were engaged in a flurry of movement, dodging and taking swings at each other. But even though they were demons, she somehow knew their patterns of movement, and eventually caught them, dicing them to ribbons within a quarter of a second. Her neural net warned her she was about to run out of the reflex booster, so she charged her leg implants again, and leaped away to the top of a building. Shouts of their garbled tongue reached her, and she knew she was running out of time. She had to find her team, regroup and assess the situation. Glancing up at the sky, the blood-red moon glared down at her. Taunting her. She'd seen this moon before when she had finally snapped and flatlined all of her "patrons" in Jig-Jig street. But what could it mean…?
Regardless, there could be no quarter to these…aberrations. She didn't know where or when they appeared... But she would do her duty as a MaxTac officer.
Her senses suddenly spiked up, and every hair on her body stood up. Something had just appeared behind her, radiating some kind of…power. A great wave of pressure washed over her, and she forced herself to turn around to face whatever it was, blades at the ready. What met her…shook her to her core.
A man stood there, face cut like a stone, posture domineering and imperial. But what truly made her take a step back…Behind him, was a silhouette of pure energy. Even from its faded visage, she could make out a crown of horns, and jets of pure flame leaking out from its body. Tail whipping behind it, and two sets of wings neatly folded on its back like a cape. Its massive presence and aura almost forced her to kneel. A veritable demonic lord.
"This… must be the source of the anomalies!" she thought, and focused on her willpower to erase the threat in front of her. She needed to do this. For her team. For her position as a senior officer of MaxTac. To put an end to the blood-red moon in the sky. And to stop the incessant voices in her fucking head! Spreading out her arms, she stretched her blades out, and leaped at the demon with a charged leap, barreling at him. He dodged with a side step, but Melissa landed on the side of a building and used it as a springboard, propelling herself right back. The demon dodged again and jumped back down to the street.
"I need to follow him! He's the source for all of this, I fucking know it!" she landed down in the street, and found herself surrounded by the insect demons. Looking around, she noticed his presence in the far back, seemingly content to watch her. Snarling, she activated her Sandevistan, and blitzed through the crowd of demons, bisecting anything that came in her path. Limbs, arms, heads full of those disgusting green eyeballs…lenses? No… some things aren't right here. Something was…off. But she has to keep going!
"AAAAARRRGH!" she cried out, and stretched her right arm out, ready to skewer the demon lord in front of her.
SHLUNK!
Her blade dug deep, and she smirked, a feeling of triumph filling her. It was dispelled, however, when she looked up and noticed her blade was blocked by the man's arm. It had sunk in and was sticking out of the man's forearm, but his body was untouched, and he still stared at her with the same look, his cold blue eyes gazing into her soul.
"Don't fucking test me, demon! I'll kill you!" She tried to push in deeper, but found that she just couldn't. Every nerve was stuck, every muscle now locked. Her adrenaline wore off, and she was again faced with the massive pressure this…creature emanated, only now she was at the very epicenter. She could no longer stand and fell to her knees. She could no longer even speak. The demon reached out with his free hand and wrapped his hand around her throat, slowly squeezing. Gasping for air, she began to see black spots, her eyes rapidly blinking.
Very few times had Melissa Rory felt fear. Her first time under the knife at a ripper doc. Then when she killed her first person, gutting a patron of the "fine establishment" she worked at for being too handsy with her blades. Then when the NCPD came to subdue her. Then when the haze of violence cleared up, a MaxTac officer was pointing a gun right at her head. But every moment after those spikes of fear…
She had felt nothing but the greatest pleasure. The best drugs in the world could not compare, and to be a Joytoy working at Jig-jig street, you had the best pick of the lot. Synth Coke, Bluegrass, Black lace. None came close, to being at the mercy of the reaper himself. The moment when you realize you were absolutely fucked, and nothing in the world could save you. There was nothing Melissa could even imagine that would come close. Well, save one thing...
Taking lives. Playing reaper. Seeing the light leave their eyes as you dig your blades deep into their body. Oooohhhhhhh…. She could see their faces light up in absolute terror. Especially the Cyberpsychos she hunted. She wondered, in their crazed eyes, if they had gained a moment of lucidity before they expired. If they felt despair at losing control, hurting those around them. Did they have any regrets? Could they feel that their soul was leaving their body? Melissa didn't know. As long as she could feel life, any life drain out of their body, or even her body…aaahhhhhhh~ that's the stuff~
—-
"Hmmm~" The Cyberpsycho moaned, even though Vergil was still choking her. Taken aback, he let up, and she gasped deeply, greedily gulping oxygen. Hacking and wheezing, she slumped against his leg, holding her own throat to alleviate the pain she was feeling. Vergil continued to scan her, a look of contemplation on his face.
" This woman. There's no doubt about it. She was radiating demonic power earlier. And she referred to me as a demon… without me expressing so much as a simple stare. Could she really see me, as I truly am? Curious…"
After what seemed like minutes, she regained enough energy to look up. Her eyes were no longer coated with the haze of violence, her expression only slightly red from her ordeal. Blinking rapidly, she looked around, noticing the butchered corpses of multiple MaxTac and NCPD officers. Their expressions of terror were still etched on their faces, as to curse her for losing her last grip on sanity. Numerous other MaxTac squadrons formed a wide semicircle, slowly drawing closer, but Vergil raised his unoccupied hand, making them still in their approach and then taking a couple of steps back. She squinted at him, eyes struggling against the AV searchlight that was beaming on them.
"D..did you do this?" she hissed but began coughing violently, throat still damaged from earlier. Vergil glanced around and mentally counted all of the corpses that were strewn on the floor. Melissa looked up again, and began to scan the man in front of her.
" Affiliation; Arasaka. Identity…Unknown? Wait a minute…that white hair…the jacket with the coattails…" Her blood ran cold. She had just attacked Arasaka's shadowy head of Counter-Intel. A person rumored to have plunged the city in constant fear, where not even the higher-ups in megacorps were safe from his blade. A few months back she had caught a glimpse of his coattails swishing around a corner, his victim a headless man. It was a former NCPD chief that was later found to have multiple counts of bribery and corruption on his record. The Dark Slayer was an enigma, who came from nowhere and had started a city-wide purge that had left everybody, gangbanger, cop, civilian, suit- Everybody second-guessing the shadow trailing behind them.
"No wonder he's killed so many. Deep down, he's a fucking demon lord… and I just impaled him with my blades. I'm so fucking dead…"
Footsteps alerted Vergil to an approaching person, and he turned around, making Valerie halt in her paces.
"Got a couple of witness statements from MaxTac and other bystanders. This episode started 'round twenty minutes ago." Walking closer, she gestured at the woman currently laying against Vergil, her mantis blade still jutting out of his arm.
"Her names Officer Melissa Rory, Senior member of MaxTac, 1st Lieutenant. Was off duty at the time, recovering from an apparent surgery to install some kinda new implant…Fast forward a few minutes, she's slicing apart some random bums, yelling she needed backup and something about…demons? One MaxTac squad rolled in, and she flatlined them all within a minute. Three more squads and backup NCPD showed up, and well…" Valerie gestured around herself. "That's when we showed up to this bloodbath."
"...N-No! It can't be…" Melissa wheezed out, voice returning to her. "You're lying!"
"...Was there a file about her implants? Perhaps it could shed light on this…situation," he ordered, and Valerie's eyes glowed a dim yellow, before a file popped up in Vergil's neural Interface. Accessing it, he scrolled down her dossier before he found his point of interest.
Higurashi 20-13 Mantis Blades, Higurashi co. Discontinued in 2069 after issues were reported between neural processors and the prefrontal cortex, which correlated to a higher number of cases of Cyberpsychosis…
"So she was already in danger of Cyberpsychosis. So she joined MaxTac as a form of prevention..?" Vergil knew that the MaxTac therapy centers were quite effective. Turning once insane and belligerent psychos into a special forces division was no easy feat. Whether it be a cocktail of dangerous drugs, or straight-up mind reprogramming… They were effective in churning out hardened killers that followed orders. So what could have led this one to go off the rails once more? Scrolling down, he skipped the Sandevistan and Kerenzikov, as they were standard fare for most MaxTac officers. But what piqued his interest…
Mk1.5 Beta "Hellmnium" Synaptic Accelerator, Arasaka co. Frowning, he scrolled down some more and found the name of the main patent owner, the creator of the invention. Anders Hellman.
"Of course…" he ground out. Anders Hellman. Prominent bioengineer, winner of numerous Nobel peace prizes, and founder of the element " Hellmnium ." A curious element, staying mostly in a gas, but could be condensed to a liquid and solid form… and utilized in many appliances. A veritable miracle element, it functions akin to an energy generator that outpaces even nuclear fission. The only downside to this miracle of science?
It was apparently only found in a select place on Earth, in Night City. North Pacifica, in the massive crater that had appeared out of nowhere in 2069.
But Vergil knew better. Urizen was correct. These gnats were feeding on his power, growing fat with strength…and plunging themselves face-first into the abyss. When he had woken up in that hospital, he had tried to sense his blade, but was barraged with numerous signals, all of the same power. His power. During the three months he was out cold, the "Hellmnium" element was discovered, and its products were being distributed throughout the city like a viral plague. To make matters worse, Night City was a major hub of trade, so it had spread out to the entire world, diluting his sensing prowess when it came to the Yamato. Now these humans, unaware that they were utilizing demonic powers, kept trying to manifest it in ways they could not comprehend. They forced it into their bodies via implants and "chrome", going insane with power and hastening the process of Cyberpsychosis. Even though the world council of human rights concerning cybernetics unanimously voted to ban the use of Hellmnium in products like implants, there were still those that greedily obtained the power, even though they were aware of the dangerous side effects. It was an apt name too. He wondered if the fact that a scientist by the last name Hellman was the first to utilize his power and coin a very befitting name "Hellmnium" for it. Whoever their creator was,he had a very sick sense of humor.
" It seems as if these humans are well on their way to becoming another Order of the Sword." Vergil mused. In many aspects, they already were. Looking around at the city, so different from the human world he knew, and yet so similar in their ways. The more things change, the more things stay the same. They will eventually ruin themselves with their pursuit of power, one way or another.
" And how is that any different from yourself?" A voice from within called out to him." You, who killed so many who got in your way. You know this is your responsibility. Humans were never meant to wield the power of demons…" He quashed the line of thought. Humanity would toil with just about anything to achieve its goals. Oil, gas, Nuclear energy. Advanced tech. Cybernetic implants. Project Soulkiller. Demonic powers.
It didn't matter if it had the potential to destroy lives or livelihoods, to destroy one's very soul. So long as there was power to be gained, there was no cost too high to pay…
"...If that were true, you would have already turned this city, nay the entire world, to ash to find the Yamato. So why?"
A bold, large Latino man, who he could refer to as a "friend" with a heart of gold came to mind. A stern yet kind ripper doc who assisted him came to mind. A feisty, yet proud and ambitious Fixer came to mind. A Nomad woman, who was as spunky as well as uptight came to mind. A fellow Counter-intel agent, although annoying at times, was loyal, and…what he could almost call a confidant came to mind. And the final person, a naive woman with hair as red as the color of the setting sun on the sea, her chocolate eyes of honeyed warmth softly stared into his, smiled at him, and held his hand against hers…"
"... Enough of this. I have a task at hand." Shaking his head, he closed the dossier on Rory and regained his bearings. Looking down at the woman that was still panting against his leg, it was curious to him as to how she regained her sanity so quickly. Grabbing her by the hair, he forced her to gaze upon him and looked closer at her eyes. The madness had indeed abated, but it was still there, held back by…something. The woman gave a small smile, and chuckled.
"You…you're not human, aren't you?" She whispered, so only Vergil could hear. Vergil waved his subordinate away, and Valerie nodded in affirmation, before taking a few steps back and directing some NCPD officers to continue setting the perimeter.
"...And what gave you that impression?"
"Those…demons I was just fighting. Felt too real. You…whatever you are…felt too real. I could see your…your horns. Your…flames." she said, voice like a hiss in the wind. The Dark Slayer focused his gaze on her, eyes sharpened like flinty steel, and she shuddered. She looked around at the butchered cadavers, numerous squadmates of her own kind reduced to chopped-up meat and metal. The still-alive MaxTac officers gazed at her their unfeeling green visors staring straight into her soul. The once comforting presence of her own kind was now gone. She was no longer welcome there, no longer one of them. She blinked again and the demons were there once more, large black insects with massive green beady eyes hissing at her. She was in trouble. She was in danger. She needed to leave, to get out of-
"Focus on me, Rory." A voice dispelled the horrid visages, the demonic insects vanished and she looked up, back at the Arasaka agent. She realized she was hyperventilating, and focused on her heartbeat to slow down. Looking up once more, she stared at the one who she was under the mercy of. His presence, while not as intense earlier, was like a hot flame, both burning and scalding her soul, yet warming it and giving her an anchor to the waking world.
"...You pulled me out of it. Of that haze." she thought out loud, her gaze becoming half-lidded. "You're my only hope…"
Vergil raised a brow, leaned forward, and pulled back his impaled arm, making her face move right up to his.
"...I should just kill you now," he said in a low voice. She shuddered again, and a fearful, yet pleasurable tingle ran through her spine.
"Please…I can be of use to you." she pleaded. There was no other life for her. The public would not accept a two-time Cyberpsycho criminal. MaxTac would not accept her back into their ranks. She would not become a Joytoy again. Her only option lay with this…demon lord. She was already damned from the start. What sort of person enjoys, no, derives pleasure from taking lives? And who else to muzzle her than the Dark Slayer himself…
"...What use do I have for a killer whose mind is teetering on the abyss? I need subordinates that can follow orders. Not wild animals."
"...As long as I am with you, I will never lose control again…my lord," she said, delusion fully taking her. Her sanity could never recover from this episode. She might as well embrace the new reality she was in, one full of death, demons, and demon lords. Vergil considered her words, looking upon her with a contemplative gaze. Every case of Cyberpsychosis with a Hellmnium implant had been a complete loss of data. They often went out in a blaze of glory, and were soon dead after, frothing at the mouth and bleeding from every orifice, cursing at the sky.
" But not this one…" He mused, wondering how much demonic energy she was possibly coursing through her nervous system via the synaptic accelerator. And the fact that his presence was a stabilizer of sorts…
" Curious. This could prove useful…later down the line." Finally reaching a decision, he took her arm with the blade, and pushed her away, removing the mantis blade from his forearm with a sickening squelch. She fell down and lay on the ground, lacking any sort of strength to move. Her eyes stared straight up at the moon, watching it change colors from a luminous white to a blood-red crimson every time she blinked. He walked over to her and squatted down, watching as her gaze flitted in and out of lucidity.
"Rory. From now on, you are relieved of your duties as a MaxTac officer. Now, and until the moment of your death, you will be Arasaka Counter-intel. But make no mistake, one step out of line, another slip of the mind; you will be liquidated."
Her gaze honed in on him, and for a slight moment, he could see the fear, the anger, the humiliation, and the injustice play out in her soul. Of how an already tortured individual was now shackled to him. How during the entirety of her life, she was never in true control of herself. As a joy toy, she was never in control of her body. As a Cyberpsycho, she was never in control of her mind. As an Officer of the law, and MaxTac, she was never in control of her urges. And now as an Arasaka henchman, she would never be in control of her own destiny until her very death. And now this demon lord held her leash. …Perhaps she was always fated to be under someone's heel. Perhaps this was the ultimate fate of Melissa Rory.
"Hmmph…Hahahaha." she chuckled, and Vergil raised an eyebrow in concern.
"…hehe...hahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHA!" she laughed heartily, of both sadness and happiness. Tears burst out of her eyes like a river. Her face now blushing red in both anger and elation.
There was something to be said about having your life decided for you. You have no jurisdiction, no free will, and your ability to choose your own path and actions taken away. But with freedom comes uncertainty. A fog of war, a muddy future. No one knows what is in store for them, what that light at the end of the tunnel actually is. But at that moment, Melissa saw her entire life flash before her eyes, and even saw the end of her long road of suffering. In the end, at the very end of her road, was the tall man gazing over her, eyes blue like the coldest ice, hair as white as snow. His cold, yet blazing hot aura was what she could only describe as malevolence given form. Behind him, the silhouette of a devil, gnarled horns like a crown, and blue flames of pure energy spouting from him. This demon lord lay at the end of her life.
And she was at peace with it.
"...Yes, My lord." she finally said, all emotions save gratitude drained out of her.
"Who would you like me to kill?"
—-
2075, Arasaka Tower, Night City
Vergil selected her name and walked into the empty elevator. It wasn't even a few seconds before she answered in record time, excitement in her voice.
"You have need of me, my lord?" she gushed, eager that her boss was contacting her. Taken aback, he blinked a few times before responding.
"I…yes. Vice-captain Rory, you are to be my second bodyguard in the…"
"...Arasaka High Council Assembly!? Yes! Right away, my lord! Meet you there!" And she cut off after a cacophony of sounds from her end.
"How did she…" Vergil began, but shook his head and pressed the button to the other conference floor. The less he thought about her mannerisms, the better. The therapist could not make heads or tails out of her current personality, only that she was "intensely obsessive" over him and him alone. As long as she served, he cared not what her issues were.
The elevator door opened, and he was greeted with the sight of chestnut brown hair. Itane was waiting for him by a wall, a small smile gracing her features.
"Are you ready sir?" she asked, pushing up her glasses. Responding with a simple nod, He moved out of the elevator, with Itane in tow. After a few minutes of walking through long and elaborately decorated hallways, the third set of footsteps joined them. Vergil turned his head to the side to see who it was, and a splash of red and pink hair met his gaze.
"Hello bossman, Itane." Valerie greeted them with a two-finger salute. She was wearing what could only be described as a black trenchcoat, with three distinct coattails. Red markings snaked down the coat, and polished ruby buttons completed the look of an almost aristocratic vampire. The back was blank, save for the Arasaka crest embossed with crimson. Under the coat was a vest of black, with red highlights and a crimson tie. The pants were jet black leather, with thigh-high combat boots with straps completing the look. This was the outfit that Vergil's underlings had chosen for themselves. Apparently, criminals had started to run when they saw even a glimpse of a black shadow with coattails billowing behind it. And so the Counter-intel branch used this psychological phenomenon, often called Mullerian mimicry to their advantage. Now most members of CI, when not in stealth or disguise op, utilized the so-called "Dark Slayer" outfit to strike fear into their foes. The fashion sense even saw a surge of activity from brand manufacturers, eager to add another category of clothing that wasn't Entropism, Kitsch, Neo-Militarism, or Neo-Kitsch.
"Gotta say, I'm a little nervous. Saburo himself's gonna be there…" Valerie spoke, falling in line with Vergil's pace.
"...He is but an old man, in a different continent altogether." he countered, but Valerie shrugged.
"There's something to be said about living that long in a company as infamous as Arasaka." That much was true, Vergil had to consent.
"...Most of their attention will be on the announcements and the founder. You will have nothing to fear."
"Right as always, bossman." She acquiesced, blowing her hair out of her eyes.
"...My lord!-" A voice called out behind them, and they all recognized the unhinged cadence. Itane froze up, trying not to move. Valerie groaned out loud, scratching her head in annoyance. And Vergil turned to face the direction where the voice was, an empty expression on his face.
"My lord!" Rory ran up, and bowed her head, falling to her knees. She looked up, a gaze of absolute adoration written on her features.
"Your faithful servant is here," she said, and Vergil could not help but feel some embarrassment. " Have some shame, woman."
"Jesus Christ…" Valerie cringed out, a look of revulsion on her face. Vergil turned to the pinkette and gave a deadpan stare.
"...What? Just because I kneeled exactly once means I'm the same as…that?" she complained, pointing at the sorry sight of someone in 2075 genuflecting before another human being. Vergil shook his head and returned his attention to Melissa.
"Rise, Rory. we have a meeting to get to." He ordered, before turning around and walking to the door at the end of the hallway. Standing up and averting her gaze, Melissa walked to his right side, where Valerie was currently at. Valerie scoffed in exasperation and moved to his left side, where Itane was. She opened her mouth to protest, but a rogue grin from Valerie took the wind out of her sails, and she took up the position behind Vergil.
"What a sight we make." He mused. Three Counter-intel agents, their coattails billowing in the non-existent wind, with one secretary tailing them. Glancing at his neural watch, it was exactly a minute before the meeting began. That meant they were either the last party to walk in, or at least one of the last. He stood in front of the door, and exhaled, before remembering to address his subordinates. Turning around, he glared at them, making whatever quip or statement they were about to stay stillborn in their mouths.
"Pondsmith. Curb your tongue in there. Keep the snark to an absolute minimum." She raised a finger in the form of a question, but Vergil intensified his gaze, making her sigh and nod in silence. Continuing on the offensive, he turned to Melissa.
"Rory. You will behave or I will make you drown in a cocktail of drugs so potent, you will forget your name. Am I understood?" she blinked rapidly, and shook her head up and down. To deprive Melissa of sensation was akin to torture at this point, so she had to agree.
"And Miyashiki…" He rounded on her, and she let out an "eep!", hiding behind her datapad. Her large mouse-like eyes stared fearfully at him, and he continued to glare for a second before letting up.
"...Never you mind." he finished, and turned around to the door. Placing both hands on each side, he pushed, mind and body resolute at this next step of this Megacorps' future.