Prologue: No Home, Nomad.
-Quetzalcoatl, Arizona-
In the dirt road town of Quetzalcoatl, Arizona at the Mexico border, a man stood in front of a dust covered mirror in a mechanic shop at the center of town. Wiping the dust away, he looked at himself in the mirror.
He looked to be about 27 years old, around 6'4" with short black hair that was styled in a semi thick faded buzz cut, silver eyes, fair skin, a build that was common with Navy guys, and a five o' clock shadow with a long razor scar going across the bridge of his nose and both sides of his face.
His attire consisted of a sleeveless leather jacket with a Bakkers patch on the right chest, a silver samurai t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots. Lastly he had a hand cannon on his right hip, and a large survival knife on his left leg.
The man ripped off his patch and rubbed his thumb on it.
"Electric coupling module busted." The mechanic noted as he looked over the engine of his customer's car.
"You said it was nothing serious when I came in. Said you were sure." The man said as he discarded his patch.
"Apparently I was wrong." The mechanic shrugged. "Can always find another shop where they won't ask a lone Nomad why he's hugging the border." He added as he leaned on the car.
"That's fine, usually if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself, anyway." The man said as he pushed the mechanic aside and looked under the hood of his custom Dodge Omni.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" The mechanic questioned.
"I'm gonna bypass the coupling and rig a hotwire." The Nomad replied as he removed one plug and replaced it with another.
"The compressor'll run on and on. Could seize up." The mechanic said. The man then turned around to face him with a deadpan look on his face.
"Did anyone ask your opinion?" He asked the other man. Said man just shook his head with a sigh. The Nomad then got into his car. "Okay, let's see what happens." He said to himself as he tried to start the engine, but failed.
"It's like I was tellin' ya…" The mechanic said. The Nomad just tried again and this time it started up. "Not shabby at all, just depends on how long it'll last ya." He noted as he closed the hood.
"It'll get me to Port Iris. I'll figure something else out there." The man shrugged.
"What're you going there for?" The mechanic questioned.
"Navy's recruitment hub is set up there. My plan's to get deployed in the Japanese oceanline, on the USS. Kujira." He replied.
"That's pretty ambitious." The other man whistled.
"Better than bouncing around the country with no purpose in life." The Nomad shrugged as he tried to jack some sort of Phone/Radio/Pager into the car's auxiliary jack.
"Antenna on this heap looks kinda weak. Not liable to hear much." The mechanic noted as the Nomad tried to pick up on a broadcast.
"Ya don't say." The man said as someone suddenly raised the garage door up and walked in. From the looks of the guy, he seemed to be the Sheriff. "Oh fuck all kinds of duck…" He groaned as he put his communicator away.
"Mike. Didn't know ya had a customer." The sheriff said as he walked in.
"He came in a few hours past, I thought he'd at least call in to you." Mike said nervously before the sheriff stopped him.
"Don't sweat it, Mike. We'll hash it out." He told him as he walked over to the car and leaned on it. "Don't you know you owe the sheriff a word when you stop in his town? To tell him your reasons for stopping. Maybe even over a cup of coffee." He stated, making the Nomad roll his eyes in annoyance as he continued to fix things in his car.
"My mistake. Hadn't planned on stopping, don't really have time to. But a failed coupling forced my hand." The man said, his leg going into the car and unintentionally bringing his knife to the Sheriff's attention.
"Yeah, always some failure behind mistakes." The man said as he looked at the knife, noticing it had a carving of a Shark on the base of the blade. "That's a pretty sharp lookin' knife ya got there." He noted.
"Can't expect me to go around these parts unarmed, do ya?" The Nomad shrugged. "The thing's a family heirloom, my great grandfather and grandfather was in the Navy in both WWII and the Korean War. Best amphibious warfare soldier of his day. That got him the nickname: King Shark." He added.
"A soldier? Me too." The sheriff nodded. "Name's Andrew Jones. Maybe you heard of me?" He questioned.
"Can't say that I have." The Nomad replied.
"Served in the last war. "Silver Shoguns"... Ring any bells?" The man asked. The Nomad was silent for a moment before nodding.
"I actually heard of those guys from a buddy of mine, the same guy who suggested I join the Navy." He noted.
"Funny guy." The man said as he walked to the front of the car and put his foot on the bumper. "This a Nomad vehicle?" He questioned.
"Is that a problem?" The other man asked.
"Nothin' boils my blood more than a fuckin' stray. Where'd your clan pitch camp?" Jones questioned.
"No clan, no camp. I left them to join the Navy." The Nomad replied.
"Ain't buyin' it. You Nomads always stick to your packs." Jones said.
"Clans are made of individuals. And some individuals have their own ambitions, like me. This life of wandering around aimlessly with no purpose or direction? That ain't for me. So I'm going somewhere where I know I can find somewhere new to start. The Navy just happens to be on that path." The mystery man stated.
"Whatever helps ya sleep at night." The sheriff scoffed.
"Hey, I saw a broadcast and comms tower on my way here. My radio's down and I need to call someone." The Nomad said. "Mind if I use it?" He asked.
"What you need is to hightail it outta here without another word. Make your call, and be on your way." The man said as he got out of the car's way.
"You guys are a real inhospitable bunch, aren't ya?" The Nomad questioned as he closed his car door and turned the engine again. He then drove out and toward the radio tower.
When he arrived, he got out and tried to open the gate, but it wouldn't budge. Deciding 'fuck it,' he kicked it open. From there, he climbed the tower toward the control box.
As he tore the door from the box he then took out his radio and plugged it in before making a call. "Hello?" He said as static came through.
"Come in, come in! Ah, raised you, finally." A man's voice said.
"Billy McCoy. Good to hear your voice." The Nomad said.
"V… Wish I could say the same." Billy replied.
'Why can't you?" The now named V questioned.
"You abandoned the clan. I can't help you anymore." Billy told him.
"To follow in my Great grandfather and grandfather's footsteps. You may call it abandonment, but some would call that patriotism." V retorted. "Besides I didn't think you'd be so cautious." He added.
"Try loyal. Rules are rules; the system won't work without 'em. It can't." Billy replied.
"Yeah, well, the system makes you complacent and lazy. Aimless. You and I both know that." V countered.
"Yeah, well, Nomads get jobs around here because it's Nomad turf. Wouldn't have been a problem if you were still a Bakker." The other Nomad shot back. "Should've joined up with Snake Nation like the rest."
"Snake Nation can kiss my ass. Those snot nosed punks are the furthest thing from 'loyal' you can get on God's great earth. They're only loyal to themselves and whoever has the deepest pockets." V snapped at the mention of the gang. "They have no sense of duty, no honor, no compassion, no principles! And worst of all, their selfish pricks with no concept of patriotism or ambition. They're a bunch of fuckin' ass kissing pussies, Billy. Right down to their bone marrow." He growled.
"Good luck with livin' up to your family legacy then." Billy sighed. "Anything else?" He asked.
"Need your help. I'm doing a last job to get enough cash to get started in Port Iris, and I need to get in contact with the client." The Nomad stated.
""One last time"- again?" The other man deadpanned.
"Can the sarcasm, Bill, I'm not in the mood." V stated. "Now can you help me or not?" He questioned.
"Alright, alright. What do ya need?" The Nomad asked.
"I have to find the client with my payload, problem is, I don't know where he is." V explained.
"Right place, right time. Client's name?" The man asked.
"Jackie Welles." V replied. There was a moment of silence before Billy spoke up again.
"How about that, he actually left a message. He's waiting on a farm. Sending the geoloc data your way." He said.
"Got it. Thanks, Billy. I owe ya." V nodded.
"No problem, but this is the last time. Don't contact me again." The Nomad said.
"Yeah. Fuck you too, asshole." V said curtly before the call ended. He then climbed back down the tower and got into his car before driving to the location.
What he found looked more like a shed than a farm. As he turned off the engine and got out, he decided to look around inside.
"Oh, I was worried I'd have to turn to farming. Heh! … Sure hope you're here for me." A voice said with a chuckle, drawing V's attention.
The man sitting on the couch in the corner of the shed was a man who looked to be over seven foot tall and thirty years old with a large, rotund build. He was very clearly of Mexican descent, with brown hair styled in a Warrior's wolf tail, and had metal implants in his face that were semi visible.
He was wearing a roughneck jacket, cargo pants, biker boots, a gun belt with two pistols and a machete on his hips, and a dark magenta tank top.
"You Petty officer Welles?" V asked.
"On extended leave 'officer', but yeah." The man said. "But call me Jackie, por favor." He continued.
"Name's Victor Verne, but call me V." The former Nomad told him.
"For Vendetta?" Jackie joked, getting a chuckle in return.
"Good one. Anyway, it seems that you have cargo that needs to be moved." V noted.
"Well where I'm from, you share a little bit about your soul before ya talk biz. Call it a custom, or just good manners." Jackie told him, arms stretched across the couch.
"A man of principle. I can respect that." The future Navy recruit nodded.
"You need a backbone, mio, at least you'll have that when they take everything else." Jackie replied.
"Let's start with you then, Jackie." V prompted.
"NC native right here. Got Heywood in my blood." The man said.
"Night City? That spot in Port Iris?" The Nomad asked.
"Yep. That's right." Jackie nodded. "Imagine a place where everyone's like your bro or sis. Or at least a distant cousin." He added with a chuckle.
"I can understand that. Coming from a Nomad clan I was more or less from the same situation." V nodded. Jackie smirked at him.
"You and me, we're gonna get along just fine." He told his new friend. He then pushed a crate towards him. "The cargo."
"You know what's inside?" The man asked.
"Less we know, better we sleep, I say." He shrugged.
"This is stolen Corporate property, Jackie." V deadpanned.
"Stolen? The way I see it, some idiot lost it, another idiot found it and now it's here." The other man shrugged. "Butterfly effect or whatever." He added.
"Right, uh huh. Well, let's just get this thing into the car." The Nomad told him.
"You got it." Jackie replied in Spanish before picking up the crate as they went outside and put it in V's car. "What a fat ass!" He groaned. The two men then got in the car and drove off.
"What took you so long anyway?" The Nomad asked.
"Eh, I got lost. Sheriff looked like a harass mother fucker." The man told him.
"Aha." V nodded. "Do you have the manifest from the transport?" He asked.
"'Course I do. What, the fixer never gave you the job details?" His passenger asked.
"Oh, he did. Just making sure the bases are covered." The silver eyed man replied as he turned the car onto the highway toward the border line.
"Listen, friend. We're both professionals, ain't we?" The mexican man said as they neared the border. "You sure you've moved contraband before?" He then asked, sounding slightly nervous about what's coming up.
"I'm sure. Why? You nervous?" V asked.
"What, me? No, por favor." Jackie laughed. "Well… maybe a little." He amended.
"Don't worry, I'll do the talking." V told him.
As they neared the border crossing station of the New Mexico/Texas border, they waited for their turn to be inspected. They didn't have to wait long before the guard spoke up.
"Please direct your vehicle to the inspection area." He said as a barrier lowered, allowing them to proceed into the marked area. "Remain in your vehicle! The inspection will begin shortly." He added.
"Hand me the manifest." The Nomad said to his passenger. As Jackie did so, the man read it over. "Perfect, It's marked L.O.A." He stated in sarcastic relief.
"What's that mean?" Jackie questioned.
"Lost on Arrival. The cargo is to be marked as lost upon crossing the border." V explained.
"So they know we're smugglin'?" The passenger asked.
"They're about to." V replied.
The guard then spoke up again. "The owner of the vehicle will now step out to be brought for further questioning." He called.
"Chingada Madre… What now?" Jackie asked.
"If we want the customs officer to turn a blind eye to us, we'll need a sweetener. Got the bribe money?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. Heh, forgot about that." He chuckled as he brought it out.
"Right… You forgot." V said sarcastically as he got out of the car and went to the questioning area.
"If you're armed, place your weapon here." A man behind a caged counter told him. V did so and it soon became clear that his Hand Cannon was different.
It had a wooden handle, Silver back, black barrel, cylinder, trigger well, trigger, hammer, and an inscription at the top of the barrel that read: First Curse.
"Huh. Nice craftsmanship." The guard commented as he took it and put it under the desk. V then handed him his knife, which joined his hand cannon. "Proceed to room two." He instructed.
The man did so and walked inside the room and sat down in front of a man who had a skull face tattoo.
"You have all your papers?" He questioned.
"It's all right here." V nodded as he handed him the manifest.
"It may or may not be. We'll see." The other man said as he looked at the paper. He let out a hum as he read it. "What are you transporting?" He questioned.
"Cargo to be delivered to the Naval Criminal Investigation Service." V replied, giving the cover story he came up with. The man across from him then lit a cigarette and smoked it.
"That everything?" He questioned.
"Well, there is one more thing for this." The ex-nomad replied as he placed the bribe on the table.
"Ah yes… Remind me, which nomad clan do you drive for?" The officer questioned as he picked it up.
"Used to be with the Bakkers. Now I'm not. I'm actually trying to join the Navy." V replied coolly.
"Bold. And ambitious." The guard commented. "Y'know, whenever I see someone like you, I feel glad that I'm not on your side of the table." He mused.
"Trust me, the feeling's mutual, friend." V replied.
"You're free to go. Make sure you get your belongings on your way out." The guard told him.
"Right…" The Nomad said as he got up and walked out of the room. "Fuckin cocksucker." He sighed as he walked over to the pickup desk again.
"Careful with these toys. And welcome to Night City." The guard told him as he picked up his weapons.
As V walked away he heard another guy talk to the guy. "Kids these days, they think Port Iris is some kind of paradise." He scoffed.
"What can you do? Young, naive- those are just euphemisms for ignorant." Another guard nodded. "But, at least it's better than Port Clovis." He added.
"Hell yeah it is. Port Clovis is shit." The first guard nodded in agreement. V chose to just head back to his car where Jackie was waiting.
"What happened in there?" Jackie asked as he got in the driver seat.
"I'll tell you soon. We need to get out of here." The Nomad replied as he climbed in the passenger seat. When the barriers were lowered, they drove out of the station.
"You gonna tell me what happened back there?" The city native questioned.
"A customs dickhead got nitpicky. That's what." V replied.
"And that ain't normal?" Jackie asked.
"To that extent? No." The Nomad replied.
"Think trouble's comin'?" The current driver asked.
"Just drive, Jackie." V sighed. A few moments later, some cars were spotted coming their way.
"Someone's comin' our way. I don't like this." Jackie said warily. That was when a van swerved right in front of them.
"Stop your vehicle immediately." A female voice came from a speaker.
"Fuck, get us outta here!" V exclaimed in alarm.
"On it!" The soldier nodded as he drove off the road, the vans hot on their tail. The man then swung out of the window and twirled out his gun and started shooting, popping both front tires and causing it to flip over and explode.
Another came up beside them and the passenger started shooting at them, prompting the Nomad to shoot the right front and rear tires off. That caused the vehicle to crash into a wall, the occupants dying on impact.
"Gotta keep moving!" Jackie exclaimed over the chaos. As their way cleared, he let out a sigh of relief. "Mierda, close call." He sighed as he looked back. "They're gone. Jesus, I don't think my nerves can take any more of this." He breathes.
"Keep driving. We can't stop here." V told him. It was at this point that Jackie drove off the road to an abandoned village.
"This place looks deserted. I need to skeet out a few things before we continue." He said as he drove into an open garage before stopping and getting out. "Motherfucking cocksuckers!" He yelled in his native tongue as he slammed the garage door shut.
"Fucking hell." V sighed as he got out of the car.
"They almost tagged our asses! You call that smuggling?!" The Mexican bruiser yelled angrily. "Chigado! It was supposed to go smooth! No problems!" He added.
"Chill. These things happen at times." V told him calmly.
"This?! What kind of shit happens?!" Jackie retorted.
"Border security probably tipped off the Corpos that we had their cargo." He suggested.
"What's the deal with these borderlies flippin' us the damn finger as they fuckin' please?! No consequences, either!" The muscular man exclaimed angrily.
"He took a risk, he assumed we didn't have a clan backing us, and he was right." V told him.
"Pfft… Pendejamente ridiculo… So what now?" Jackie asked.
"I could ask you the same thing. Are you gonna keep whining, or are we putting a bow on this shit?" The Nomad asked.
"Not gonna lie, I'm actually a bit light. I can't pay you now." Jackie replied. "I'll have somethin' for you once I collect my scrap for this cargo." He added.
"Oh, and you thought I'd just sit quietly?" The man questioned.
"Actually I wasn't gonna pay you at all. Was just gonna bust ass and disappear as soon as we passed over. But…" He then went quiet. "You're alright." He finished.
"I appreciate the honesty." V shrugged, unbothered by the admission.
"Ah thanks." Jackie nodded.
"Okay, what now?" The Nomad wondered. Jackie then walked over to the trunk.
"Now, we take a look inside." He said as he opened the trunk, and the crate activated. And as it did… a red three pointed shield appeared on the screen.
"Holy shit… It says Foot Clan on it. We're robbing some really heavy hitters." V said in surprise.
"And that means we can make some heavy money." Jackie grinned as he opened the container, revealing an iguana to be inside the crate. "No Mame! A real iguana! A, uh, Lesser Antillean I think." He exclaimed.
"Uh… What?" V asked in confusion.
"Oh, I watched a thing on tv about 'em. They were said to have gone extinct thirty years ago. They're from the Lesser Antilles." Jackie explained. "You've come a long way, my scaly friend." He added as he looked at the reptile.
V looked at the reptile and regarded it with pity. He always loved animals, especially marine animals. "... We shouldn't sell it." He said finally.
"Eh?" Was Jackie's surprised response.
"You heard me. This little fella ain't an object. He's alive, just like us. He's probably the last of his species. Has feelings, just like us. We can find another way to make cash, but the lizard stays with us." V said firmly.
"Alright then. Ya know, I always wanted a pet." Jackie chuckled. "Mind if we name him Manny? I've had that name thought out for a while." He asked.
"I don't see why… not, wait, us?" He asked in confusion.
"Yeah. What? Do you have any plans for Night City?" Jackie asked.
"No. Why?" V replied.
"Well it's not a place you can live in without buddies. Plus, since you're joining the Navy, I thought I'd put in a good word for you with my CO." The man said. "But don't you worry, before that, let me find you some digs. You gotta live somewhere." He added. "S'important to have people you can turn to. Ya know, like family. Maybe you can find yours in Port Iris." He finished.
"I appreciate that." V nodded.
"Hey, don't worry. We have chemistry, you and I. Be a cryin' shame to waste it." Jackie replied with a smile. Right as V was about to shake his hand, their new lizard pet woke up and climbed onto his shoulder.
"Hey!" He chuckled.
"Aww. Cuddly little fucker." Jackie said with a smile. V looked at Manny the lizard and then at Jackie.
"Alright, partner. Time to take our new lizard buddy and scurry on outta here." V said as the two men grasped each other's hands like it was a scene out of Predator, Manny hissing in excitement as they did.
(Later)
A few hours later V and Jackie sat on the porch of the Nomad's new house, which was a beachside house which was styled to look like a Cyberpunk-esk Hacienda. To both remind V of home while still looking good in the Night City section of Port Iris.
Both men were drinking a bottle of Corona Light while Manny was busy chowing down on a fruit salad in between them.
"Not gonna lie, this house fits us to a T." Jackie mused.
"That it does indeed, Jack." V nodded, taking a swing of his drink. "That it does indeed." He added. It was then that he turned on the radio.
"Helloooo there Night City!" A voice yelled. "I'm your man Stan here, and we got another great day in this City of Dreams! Yesterday's body count lottery bottomed out to a solid 'n sturdy thirty!" He added. "Down in Heywood things are going crazy because of unabated gang wars! One officer down in the Port Iris main square so I guess you're all screwed! Cuz the PIPD ain't gonna let that go!" He continued.
"Yeesh." V groaned.
"Meanwhile in Santo Domingo Trauma teams are scraping Cyberpsychosis victims off the pavement! Then Netrunners are at it again poking holes in the power grid! And in Pacifica… Well, Pacifica is still Pacifica." Stan sighed. "Man I love this town, like ya love a mother who popped you out on the steps of an orphanage and bothers you years later for a smoke." He continued. "Every new day means a million new arrivals! But only a few make it a year here. And that's if it's a good one!" He added.
"And why move here? To be a street samurai like Morgan Blackhand and Weyland Boa Boa! The bigger the risk, the greater the bounty kiddos!" Stan continued. "Matters not where you start, but the walk you walk. The faster you live the faster you burn out. That's how it is here in Port Iris, and that's how it will be in Night City! I'm your man Stan, and this is good night!"
"Something tells me it's probably a good thing that we'll be at sea for a while." The Nomad notes.
"Yep." Jackie nodded in agreement. "So, you got any plans until it's time for you to go into basic training after evaluation?" He asked.
"More or less just me chilling out until then." V shrugged.
He had a long wait ahead of him. In Night City, Port Iris. The Coastal Dreamland.
Dragon Emperor0: Hey there readers. You know, it's a real shame that Maneater doesn't have any fanfics about it.
ThermalsniperN7: Well, I did find one, but it wasn't a crossover. That was pretty much it.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah, well, this story will be the story of our Navy soldiers here and the Maneater of Port Clovis, who will become something absolutely gorgeous.
ThermalsniperN7: Trust us. We have a unique approach to Maneater that you might like. See you in the main story.