Stronger
April 1 2076.
After a well-deserved sleep, Ernesto woke up that morning and then reached the Circle to know where Maine and Dorio were. He received confirmation from Falco that they had been escorted outside of the metropolitan area and hidden away. A medical crew from the Federation was on its way to immediately operate Maine and reduce the load of cyberware before bringing him and Dorio away, into the Federation, for a rehab.
The rest of the crew was fine. Kiwi had passed out from the punch Maine gave her when he lost control, but the damage was not extensive and she had already recovered her senses. After a visit to a ripperdoc, she was going to be up and running again.
What Ernesto was waiting the most, however, was the call from the Director, which didn't seem to arrive until the late afternoon.
"Apologies for making you wait, Captain." Pétran started cordially.
"No problem, sir. So what are the news?"
"On the bright side, it appears that Arasaka could find no linkto you or your friends regarding the kidnapping. Also, your associate, Maine, is safe and sound. Our agents already brought him and madame Dorio out of the Corporate Territories and is heading for a hospital in California."
Ernesto huffed amused. "Good. Maine said he always wanted to see the ocean, one day."
"On the other hand...well, it's not exactly bad news. I think I know how we can draw Arasaka and Militech into open confrontation. I only doubt you're going to like it."
"Why that?"
…
"You can't be serious." Ernesto couldn't hold back after hearing the plan.
"Right now this is our best chance." Pétran replied calmly.
"I won't use my brother as bait!" the Legionnaire exclaimed.
"I only laid out what seems our best course of action at the moment, Captain. The cyber-skeleton is still months away from being completed, so I guess we have time to find an alternative. Yet I need you to be prepared for anything."
Ernesto hissed in frustration, leaning his forehead against one hand. "I understand, sir." he finally said in resignation. "I do not agree, but I understand."
"As I said, we still have time to figure out alternate solutions, Captain. For now, stick to your duties and keep building the network in the city. The more people we have on our side, the more peaceful the takeover will be."
"I will, sir."
"Excellent. Feel free to contact me if you need additional support. Central, out."
The video feed lost signal and Ernesto closed it. Left alone with his thoughts, the Captain was not at all calm, not after he heard the plan.
Using David as bait for Arasaka? After everything Ernesto had done to make sure his brother would stay out of the mega-corps' view? That he could not accept. And after all, hadn't he already made the impossible by having Maine snap out of a cyberpsychosis? By the gods, he was going to find a way to bring down the corps without endangering David.
As his mind was grinding to find a solution, he suddenly received a call from Petra.
"Hey, you all right?"
"Oh. Yeah, I'm good."
"You don't sound that."
"I just can't hide anything from you, uh?"
"No, you can't. Say...are you free tonight?"
"For you, I'll make sure to be." he quipped readily.
"Good. Stacey would like to meet you. Would you like to come over for supper?"
"Am I in trouble?"
"I don't think so. She wants to make sure you are a respectable man, unlike her father." Petra replied in an amused voice.
Ernesto made a faint chuckle. "She really cares about you."
"Indeed. So, you up?"
"Of course. See you tonight."
After that call was over, it was time for the third, and hopefully last one for the morning, call to somebody. Ernesto requested a call for David, which was promptly sent by his device, and his brother picked up a few seconds later.
"Yo, Nesto." he greeted in a satisfied voice.
"You all right, Dave?"
"Cool. I'm with Lucy at her place."
"Can she talk?"
Lucy's voice then came in all of a sudden. "I was already listening."
"Nova. Because we need to discuss what to do next. With Maine gone, the crew doesn't have a leader, and I still need you guys."
"Why don't you just take charge?" David proposed. "You pretty much are already."
"I appreciate the trust, but no. You guys need to appear as far as possible from the Loyalists to be the most effective. Just elect a new leader or something, cause we still have a lot of work to do before the final act."
"Any idea when the invasion will take place?" Lucy asked.
"The Director estimates a year. Everything revolves around the cyber-skeleton and its completion."
"A whole year?!" David exclaimed. "You said it was supposed to happen around now."
"Things have changed. Even Tanaka's kidnapping wasn't enough to trigger a crisis between the mega-corps. For now we shall focus on gathering more supporters around the city, which means helping as many people as we can in exchange for favors."
"Without Maine and Dorio, we'll need somebody else to fill the role of walking firepower." David noted.
"I know where you're going, Dave, and I say 'patience'. We'll find you some more cyberware, but you'll get it on par with the genetic therapy to absorb it."
"Fine." David replied. "But after that, what's our next move?"
February 12 2077.
As Falco led the truck toward the final objective the only sound other than the engine running was the young merc sitting on Ernesto's left in the back. He was breathing loudly and sweating. Not much surprising give the fact that this was his first job where a gunfight was anticipated.
"Nano-ants in your pants, Julio?" Rebecca eventually mocked him.
"N-No way!" the redhead boy replied trying to sound angry.
"Wakako's bitch, right?" Rebecca continued relentless. "Newby-boobs she stuck us with. Heard you're David's fan."
"Yee yee!" replied Julio in acknowledgment. "But what do you mean 'stuck with us'?"
"Wow, hear that?" Rebecca said to David, who was sitting on her right and in front of Ernesto. "you actually have fans now. Prolly 'cause you got all swole."
Ernesto couldn't help but agree with that. David had grown up a lot in the last few months. Aside from putting much chrome into his body, the genetic therapy also helped boosting his growth. But most importantly to the Captain, his little brother had now stepped up as the leader of the crew, this one being the last of a series of jobs that they had taken from Ernesto. Wakako being the biggest fixer to the Loyalists, having a huge network inside Night City and was using it to help them find new supporters.
To Rebecca's comment, David simply turned his head toward Julio and asked in a cold tone "Got iron?"
"Huh?" Julio bumbled confused.
"Carrying, right?" David repeated in the same tone, though it wasn't harsh.
Julio straightened up and drew out a very cheap weapon. "Yeah, I've got a Lexington."
Ernesto made a mental sigh, but before making any remark, David replied instantly to the young merc with a scoff. "Don't cut it." he said, making Julio gasp in fear. "Peashooter like that won't event dent Maelstrom metal." then he pulled out a rifle and handed it to Julio. "Try this one out."
Julio gasped again, this time excited. "Seriously choom? A Satara! Fuck me. Nova!"
Ernesto let his excitement burn out a little, then talked to the kid. "Just remember to stay behind us. And be smart. Don't rush."
"You mean you want me to take rear?" Julio asked confidently, then realized he didn't like that. "Hey, I ain't no newb, man."
"No offense, boy, but I saw kids your age much more prepared, die like nothing. So stick behind and shoot from a cover, or I'll knock your ass out and you wait here in the truck, you got it?!" Ernesto said with a strict expression that made Julio gulp down and nod positively.
"Hey ladies, we're about a minute up." Falco then announced from the front seat, with Kiwi sitting in the passenger and ready to hack the systems of the place they were heading to. Specifically an abandoned set of apartments that a gang of goons most likely used for human trafficking. The crew was going there to rescue one of those hostage in particular, but of course saving the others would be a welcomed addition.
The truck then reached the destination, where they found Pilar waiting for them.
"Yo, bro." Rebecca greeted. "Whatch are we lookin' at?"
"Punks got heaps of iron and a turret. I counted 30 or something." the tech reported.
"We got any back entrance?"
"Yeah, but it's sealed. Gettin' there won't give us much advantage."
"Then it's easy pick." David calmly said. "Kiwi, got'em for quickhack?"
"Working on it." the woman replied, her eyes already showing that she was running her programs.
They gave her a few seconds before the rest of the group, with only Falco keeping the engine running, walked up in front of the main door and entered the first hall, where many of the criminals were gathering. A woman taunted them and also walked up to point a gun at David's head, threatening him to talk or else. David returned the gesture and a standoff ensued which was only broken when Kiwi managed to hack most of the punks at the entrance, frying them enough to allow the crew to open fire and mow down most of them in seconds. Using the new arm-cannon, David broke their line and Kiwi also took control over the turret, granting them support. It wasn't much of a fight but a one-sided slaughter. The crew then walked up the first set of stairs, where Pilar had signaled the presence of unarmed people, most likely the hostages.
In the corridor leading to the backroom they found one last cyborg, very muscular and deformed, his head had nothing organic left and he was wielding a hammer.
"You little birds got lost?" the hulk said with a distorted mechanical voice.
"No way. That thing human?" Julio exclaimed pointing his rifle, but David lifted an arm in front of him.
The younger Martinez then let his jacket fall down, revealing the Sandevistan on his bare back and torso. By now, the signs of additional cyberware were much clearer on his body. Ernesto watched as his brother cracked his knuckles and prepared to fight the brute, the others as well stood back.
What happened next, Ernesto could see it barely, but he understood that the brute also had some minor version of a Sandevistan, which forced David to use his new leg implants in order to jump over him and blast his head from behind. Nonetheless, the area was now clear.
"Nova!" exclaimed Julio.
"Those your new leg implants? Looking damn good." commented Rebecca.
Kiwi then talked into the comm channel. "No more. All clear. Last one. Room behind you. Target's there. Her, others too. All friendlies."
"Roger that." said David. "Nesto, want to call your friends?"
"Yeah, sure." replied Ernesto, making the call to said cops. The one who picked up was a person he had barely met before that day: Commissar Morgan.
"Hello?"
"Commissar, this is Martinez. We found your daughter and several hostages. Area is clear, you may send your men."
"I'll be right there." the middle-aged man replied.
"Yo! Backroom, got…" Julio said jumping toward the right way, but Ernesto reached and grabbed his collar to pull him back so abruptly that the young merc fell on the ground.
"Easy, kid." Ernesto said severely before walking past him and David.
It didn't take long for him to spot a booby-trap set a few meters from them, most likely put there to kill any prisoner who tried to escape. Ernesto aimed his gun and fired at it, making it detonate without killing anybody. Then they reached the sealed door where the hostages had been detected. The Martinez siblings had to pull together one door each in order to slide them open, but they did it.
"Isabella Morgan, you in here?" Ernesto asked loudly.
The hostages were scared, and mostly young women. From the end of the room a blonde girl with a green jersey timidly raised a hand, whimpering not knowing what was going on.
"We're here 'cause your dad put out an SOS." David reassured her. "You're all safe, now."
Nobody in there seemed to believe it at first, but when realization kicked in and the sirens of the police surrounded the building, everyone broke out in sighs and sobs of relief. The crew escorted everyone out of the main door after Ernesto reassured the cops that they could lower their weapons and Isabella finally reunited with her father, who hugged her tightly.
"Mister Martinez. I owe you a great debt." the officer eventually said to Ernesto. "Whatever help you may need in the future, you can count on me."
The Legionnaire made a nod. "I only did my duty, sir. I can only ask you to keep doing yours."
That phrase was just an implicit request for the Commissar to support the incoming invasion, reassuring him that, if he behaved, the new administration would keep him in place. The Commissar nodded then had Isabella mount into the police car behind them, which then escorted the two back.
While David reported to Wakako, another officer approached Ernesto and he smirked.
"Saving another damsel in distress?" Petra quipped.
"Couldn't have done it without the best crew in NC." he commented while giving a glimpse to his brother and his friends.
"Yeah. I'm honestly surprised of how David turned out. When I met him, I thought he was just another rogue kid looking to make a name for himself."
"Oh, he is. Luckily for him, I'm there keeping him on a straight path."
Petra scoffed in amusement. "This is your 'straight' path? Maybe it was a bad idea to bring you next to my daughter."
"Too late to go back." Ernesto joked and the two laughed.
"Still, you earned the trust of Morgan, that's a feat in itself."
Indeed, the officers in the NCPD were all elected by the corporations, meaning it had been impossible for Ernesto to sway even one of them until now.
"Speaking of Stacy, you got the time to pick her at school or…?"
"Yeah, don't worry. My shift is pretty much concluded."
"Good, 'cause I need to speak with my brother. I'll be back in time for dinner."
Petra just kissed him on the lips. "Then I'm going forward." and walked away toward her car.
Ernesto smirked in a dreamy way, then went to David.
While David and the crew spent a little time at Minjung's before calling the night off, Ernesto needed to speak with Lucy, so he headed at the new penthouse that her and David had recently bought and from where she could take on her new task for the Loyalists. Ernesto had to take the elevator and speed upward across the several floors of the mega-building. At least the view from the glass was quite pleasant to look at. It was incredible to see how things had changed recently: both him and David had found a partner and moved in new houses, though Ernesto only moved inside Petra's apartment and he made sure that the two he and David used were now turned into safe houses for the Loyalists.
And speaking of Loyalists, in the last months, other four members had died in various missions and tasks. It had been lucky enough that he had managed to stop Julio before he stepped onto that mine, cause Ernesto was getting tired to see his people die in this horrible world inside Night City.
The elevator reached the top floor and Ernesto rang the bell, making the door open shortly after.
"Come in." the voice of Lucy said in the distance.
Ernesto obliged and entered the huge living room with the grand wall of glass giving an overview over the city center.
The Legionnaire savored the view for a few moments before Lucy appeared on the upper balcony, naked. "Was wondering when you'd return." she quipped.
"Just wanted an update on 'Saka's netrunners. They keeping coming?" Ernesto replied calmly.
"Yeah. They're still looking into ICE for Tanaka's missing data." Lucy said nonchalantly.
"Well, it was something regarding the cyber-skeleton, of course they want to understand if there has been a leak." Ernesto commented.
Lucy made a hushed sigh. "I know I may have attracted more attention than necessary, but I had no choice. Tanaka seemed a bit too interested in David."
"I don't blame you for protecting him," Ernesto calmed her. "in fact, I'm grateful. Though you erasing the data and blowing Tanaka's personal drive was a bit too impulsive."
"There wasn't much time to think." Lucy defended.
"Hey, killing him had been in the realm of possibilities since the beginning, but now that you erased everything he had about David, Arasaka will want to know why. That's why they keep sending runners inside ICE."
Lucy sighed again. "I know...how's David doing?"
"He's doing great. Much more than I could hope for, actually."
"Oh, really?" she asked with a clear point of happiness.
"Really, really." Ernesto replied with pride. "Maine will short-circ when I tell him that."
"Right, how's him and Dorio?"
"Maine got most of his chrome removed. Last time I commed them he was still on rehab, but he should be up and running any day now."
"Good. And I guess you recruited him for your little revolution?"
"Didn't need much convincing after I saved his ass. Beside, the army will need somebody who knows the streets like the palm of his hand."
They chatted a little more before Ernesto decided to call it a day and went back to his own new family.