Claire was standing behind the bar of The Afterlife slinging drinks as usual, except today was no usual night. Two days ago a large group of individuals had attacked and destroyed the Arasaka compound in Night City. It wasn't long before word started spreading that it had been V and the Aldecaldos instantly catapulting them from somewhat known entities in Night City to living legends. This of course made them the most wanted individuals in the city, both legally and professionally. As Claire poured a shot of cheap whiskey for some gonk looking to take his problem to Rogue an abrupt hush fell over the entire club causing her to look up and a smile spread across her face.
There just inside the doors of the club stood V. The neon lights of the club seemed to accentuate the colors of his Aldecaldo jacket that rested over the black and blue lightly armored combat shirt he wore. V had a pair of black pants that were covered by a dark blue pair of fitted synth leather riding chaps worn by a lot of nomads and a pair of black boots. V stood there with his eyes glowing red as his Kiroshi Optics scanned everyone in the club with his right hand resting on the modified Militech M-10AF holstered on his hip and a look of open challenge on his face, daring any Merc looking to get famous to try something. Next to V stood Panam dressed in her usual worn green body shirt under her blue jeans and five-point harness, her Aldecaldo jacket brilliantly illuminated by the bright lights of the club as she crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the left shifting her weight.
Claire smiled brightly at the duo and grabbed a couple of bottles from behind the bar. "V! Panam! Come on over have a drink. Rogue will be out to see you soon." Claire finished making the drinks and the duo walked up to the bar, V's optic implants no longer scanning everyone but his hand still on his gun. "Two Jackie Wells, on the house." Claire said smiling as she set the drinks on the bar in front of them.
V nodded his thanks to Claire before picking up his drink and facing Panam. "To Saul and the Aldecados."
A small sad smile graced Panam's features as she raised her own glass towards V's. "To Jackie Wells" The two lovers clinked their glasses and downed their drinks before placing the empty shot glasses on the bar.
Panam looked at the female mechanic who moonlighted as a bartender as the leader of the Aldecaldo's leaned against the bar and smiled at her friend. "Got a job for you Claire." Panam paused as the other woman looked up from putting the empty glasses in a sink behind the bar. "We need a complete customization job on V's Quadra 640." Panam said calmly as if discussing the weather.
"Thought nomads did all their own mods?" Claire looked at the two with surprise on her face as she gestured at the jacket's indicating which nomad clan they belonged to. "I mean I'll be happy to if you want me to."
"From what Panam tells me it usually is something a new member for a family or clan should do." V spoke up as he eased into a bar stool and turned it slightly to the side so that he could still keep one eye on the majority of the Afterlife's patrons in case anyone tried to pull something. "But we're on a bit of a time frame. I'm…We're leaving Night City." V used the index finger of his right hand to motion between himself and his Clan Chief and lover. "Arasaka is only wounded not dead, won't be long before they come after us and the rest of the Aldecado's for what we did." Johny looked at Panam and could not help but feel guilty for the deaths of Saul, Bobby, Teddy and the other he didn't know. But the one that really hurt was Mitch, the old veteran had been willing to sacrifice himself for them and now he was in a fucking coma.
"So just like that you're gonna ride off into the sunset like some hero from a movie?" Rogue's voice spoke up from behind V causing the newest Night City Legend to let out a short sound of amusement form his nose and he turned around to face the old fixer.
"Yeah I am." V said calmly as he looked at her and couldn't help bu remember the first time he had met her, hell it had actually been the first time he had seen Panam but he was so wrapped up in trying to not die he didn't really notice her. "Besides I made a promise to a friend to keep fighting so that's what I'm doing."
Rogue raised an eyebrow and she thought V was referring to Johnny but she wasn't entirely sure. "A promise to a friend huh? Must have been one hell of a friend."
V smiled as he subconsciously reached up and scratched the scar on his right temple that had started all of this. "Not at first, hell we wanted to kill each other, but over time we became really close. I'm gonna miss him." As V vaguely spoke about Johnny he felt Pana put her hand on his shoulder in support. "You know Rogue I think you and him would have been pretty good friends."
A small flicker of sadness showed in Rogue's eyes as V confirmed what Rogue already knew, that Johnny was gone and this time it was forever. "Yeah I think we would have." Rogue softly muttered to herself and reached over the counter to grab three shot glasses and a bottle of Tequilla and poured a drink for the three of them. "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Rogue said as she held up her glass. One by one the scattered Mercs, staff and patrons of Afterlife stood up and raised their own drinks. All of them mistakenly under the impression that they were joining in on a toast to V and Panam for bringing Arasaka to it's knees and killing Adam Smasher, but V and Rogue shared a smile as they knew the truth. The Fixer and Merc also know that everyone would have toasted Johnny if they had known the truth as well for going after Arasaka in the first place 50 years ago. Everyone who lived down on the streets of Night City and not in the high-rise apartments hated the Corps and Johnny was a hero to them.
V wouldn't admit it openly but the feeling of everyone in the bar toasting him felt…..well it was one of the greatest feelings in his life. Everything he and Jackie had worked for had finally come to fruition. If only the big gonk had been here to see if V knew Jackie would be grinning ear to ear and loving every second of it. V looked up at the menu over the bar and saw that Jackie's name and drink had been put on the wall with the rest of them. V raised his glass towards the menu listing the drinks named after legendary mercs of Night City. "Here's to the Major Leagues." V muttered softly to himself as he slammed the shot of Teguila and put his shot glass down on the bar bottom up and turned to smile at Panam. "Wanna get out here and find some trouble?"
Panam gave V a Cheshire cat grin. "Thought you'd never ask."
