Chapter 10: The Endless Game
Impatiently, Judy watched how the female doctor in front of her was typing some more data into her datapad.
She was literally sitting on packed bags, ready to leave the Trauma Team Medical Center of Frankfort, which had been her stay for the last week.
One entire week. Seven days of surgery, medical treatment, therapy and R 'n' R. An agonizingly long time of doing nothing but listening to stuck up corpo-doctors and nurses. But now, her release was in reach and she was about to go home again.
Well, if her home was even standing, that is. According to Haruka, her cabin had taken a major blow during the fights, bullet holes and destroyed inventory included.
But that was something to take care of later, there were more pressing matters ahead. Like, getting out of here and attending a funeral. V's funeral.
Just thinking about her beloved V's demise, made Judy angry and sad at the same time. Luckily, the doctor's voice stopped her from giving too much of a thought.
"Alright, Miss Colomar, we got here Rescue and Recovery, Emergency Medical treatment, surgery, artificial blood infusion, plastic surgery, new synthetic lungs, follow-up medication, therapy and, of course, the occupation of a bed, room and supplies. Your platinum package covers 90 % of the costs, minus the entire ammunition that had been spent during your rescue, so that we have a remaining fee of 35,000 Eurodollars. Please, scan your chip on the scanner to confirm the amount and accept the transaction!"
"Da fuck?!" Judy exclaimed as she stared at the datapad that was being held in front of her. "Did you pump me full of gold or what?"
Being slightly annoyed, the doctor retorted "Miss Colomar, you have been rescued and treated by the best professionals the world has to offer. We guarantee that no scars will remain and give life-long insurance for our used products and work. If that isn't worth the money you pay, then I recommend that we reverse the contract and you go to someone else… Maybe a Ripperdoc around the next gutter."
Huffing out some air in frustration, Judy eventually held her chip over the pad and paid with her last savings. And a few seconds later she got handed over a receipt.
"This receipt is also your release form. Have a nice day!"
As coldly as the entire conversation had been, the doctor simply left the room and immediately two security specialists entered to make sure that the young woman would find the exit.
After having been literally thrown out, Judy was immediately greeted and picked up by her friend, Haruka, who would give her some company on her ride back home.
"So, how was it to get treated by Trauma Team? I bet it was pure luxury."
They were walking side-by-side through the crowded streets towards the city's Maglev Main Station. Though Frankfort was a city, it was nothing in comparison to Night City. The buildings were smaller, the streets cleaner and less filled with people, and the Corporations scarce, mainly represented by TerraCorp, one of the world's largest mining Corporations.
"Like every corpo-treatment. Cold, aloof, expensive… Would've rather been taken care of by my apualita. She at least would've made better food."
"Heeeey," Haruka said in a cheer-up tone, flinging one arm around her friend's shoulder. "Chin up, buttercup! I'll treat ya for some nice street food at the station and when you come home, it'll already be as clean as nothin' has ever happened."
Judy simply nodded in silence, the memories of the attack at her home still fresh in her mind. She remembered being shot by Miss Crown. The hot pain before her body had shut down in shock.
She remembered V's part in this. Her cold behavior. And though she had been under the control of the enemy, it still had left a damaged picture of the person she had met in Night City.
Everything had just been a nightmare. A nightmare that had cost her a lot. Yes, it was over now, thanks to V. But at what cost? At what cost?
Time flew by in a blur. The food session at the station, the ride with the Maglev, the bus ride to Crystal Falls, her recent hometown. She just wanted to finally settle down and have some private time.
But sadly, the funeral had to come first.
All of V's friends were there. Vik, Jackie, Misty, Jade (the girl they had rescued) and Wakako Okada. They all said their condolences as a small box, not bigger than a shoe box and filled with ashes, got lowered into a tiny hole in the ground, before it got closed with earth again.
And though this classic funeral in the wooden landscape was better than in the City, it was sad nonetheless.
Judy felt empty upon the thought that V was gone, so that she was clad when she finally had the chance to slump down on the couch at home.
She was sitting there, her - by wet eyeliner smeared - eyes closed and took a deep breath.
'It's over!' she thought and let her head fall back onto the backrest. A door got opened and closed again, right before a pair of arms were embracing the young woman from behind.
"How was my funeral?" a pleasant familiar voice chimed from behind, before her head got peppered by countless kisses.
"Sad," Judy replied with a smirk and turned her head so that her lips collided with her lover's. Minutes passed until both women finally broke contract and V slumped down beside her girlfriend, flinging one arm around her shoulders. "Though it was just fake, I imagined you in that box, and… I dunno…"
The young techie then finally looked at her and was greeted by a beautiful face, yet her style had changed again. Her hair was now just two inches short and dyed red. Her naked body was still a bit wet from a shower that she had taken just minutes before, only the, from her neck hanging towel, covering her mounds.
Judy could see the big scar, where the Mantisblade had pierced the merc's chest, which brought back bad memories of this fateful day. The day that also had left a scar in their relationship.
V realized that and immediately took Judy in a tight embrace, brushing soothingly over her back.
Luckily, Judy was a fighter. She knew exactly that V had been under the influence of that chip and despised the thought that she would ever hurt her. No, they had won! The bad people were dead! They could finally start a peaceful life together.
But sadly, victory also came with a price. The price of V's identity. She had to die, despite the fact that she had barely survived. So, the Ripperdoc had written out a false death certificate, and the secretly cremated bodies of Adolfo and Miss Crown were used as a placeholder.
During her time as a captive, V had had the chance to take a short glimpse into the enemy's database, before they had entirely deactivated her cyberdeck.
Kang Tao had been entirely aware of every action by the assassins, since they had been equipped by them, especially with experimental weapons and cyberware, like Miss Crown's Mantisblades, the scrambler they had used to veil the murder of Adriana Oliveros, or V's remote control chip.
There had been a report, stating that they had killed Adriana Oliveros, because she wanted to double-cross her former financier and had to die. Judy and Evelyn had sadly just been the unfortunate souls to be able to crack the jammer technology.
She had also discovered a list with priority targets and their status. Judy had been declared eliminated by the assassins - in order to save their own necks - and V marked as captured and used as a labrat for the new generation of RCCs. Luckily, Jackie didn't show up in this list, telling the young merc that he, Misty and Vik were safe so far.
Being aware of her surroundings while being under the control of the RCC, V also knew that the assassin's visit to Judy had been a personal trip, not sanctioned by Kang Tao with the advantage that Judy's new identity was still unknown to them. This, however, hadn't applied to V, who still would've remained a target. So, declaring her dead was a necessity.
Her new name was now Lisa Monroe. But to Judy and her friends, she would always be V.
"It's over," V mentioned as she was still soothing the young techie, who then broke the embrace and backed away a bit as she wiped some wet lines from her face.
"It's over!" she confirmed with a soft smile. For quite some time, both just looked at each other in silence, before they collided in passion again.
Since their first night together, Judy had wished for nothing more than to feel her beloved V again. Her toned body, her perfect breasts, her behind, her lips and, of course, her intimacy. She also had missed the soft moans she was making during kissing and her deep groans when her tongue was gliding over her clitoris. She wanted it all, and she wanted it now!
"Mmh…V…" she huffed between the kisses. "Wh-when was your interview again?"
"In an hour," V replied as she was undressing her girlfriend hastily. "Don't worry…we'll make it…in time."
Judy felt her lover's hand gliding deep into her pants, massaging her sensitive spot.
"Shit!" she gasped as two fingers penetrated her. In return, she did the same to V.
Both were moving in the same rhythm as they were approaching each other's climax. And as fast as it had started, as quick it was over.
Covered in sweat and naked, both women were lying on the couch, Judy on top and V beneath her, whereas the younger woman's head was resting on her lover's chest, heaving with every breath.
"You sure 'bout this?" the young techie asked, lifting her head up so she could look into V's eyes. "About the job, I mean."
"Yeah, why not?"
"I always hated badges," replied Judy with scoff, laying her head back down. "And now I'm fuckin' one."
Chuckling, V combed through her colorful hair, saying "I'm not a Deputy…yet. And besides, I'd only put some cuffs on you in bed."
Now Judy snickered as well, joking "Damn, V, are you really into roleplays?"
"Yup! Does it bother you?"
"Pft, nah. It's actually pretty nova! Better than my ex with her strict bed rules anyway."
"What are bed rules?" V asked in return with a quizzical frown, getting another scoff from her girlfriend.
"Ugh, where should I start…? Y'know, real cockblockers, like "Judy, I told you, no kissing or you'll ruin my makeup." or "Spread some towels in case I squirt, don't wanna ruin the sheets." or "No cuntlickin' tonight, 'cause tomorrow I've a meeting and don't wanna smell like pussy." And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
"Fuck!" was everything that came into V's mind as she couldn't suppress to huff out some air. Eventually, she softly lifted Judy's head so that she could look directly into her eyes. "I promise you, there will be no gonk bed rules. We'll fuck whenever and wherever we want and make everythin' dirty if we want." For another moment, both gazed at each other, V's thumb brushing softly over her lover's skin. A serene moment between the two women, only topped by Judy's magical words.
"I love you, V!"
Six months later…
Turned out, being a cop in a backwater town of Appalachia wasn't as eventful as being a badge in the city. Shootouts were rare and most common felonies were domestic abuse and drug-related crimes.
Still, V liked her job. It felt good to help the small people and shove it to the baddies and corpos. Just last week she had arrested some corpo-suit for attempted rape of a waitress. It had just been a good feeling as she had given the waitress the chance to kick him right in the ballsack.
At the moment, she was sitting in her patrol car, parked in an alley, waiting for her partner to return from picking up some lunch, as she received a call on her holo.
"Lisa Monroe speaking," she said and was more than surprised as Wakako Okada's face appeared in her sight.
"Hello, V. Or should I call you Miss Monroe?"
"Hey, Wakako! 'sup in the big city?"
"Haven't you heard? The Emperor is dead and his only son has taken over Arasaka. The other corps think that Arasaka's weak and now try to use this to their advantage. But, surprisingly, Yorinobu is strong. He defends his father's heritage, and Night City's about to become the corpo's new battlefield. Lots of opportunities for earning a lot of Eddies and fame."
"Yeah, thanks, but not for me. I'm not planning to return. Got other priorities now."
"So Haruka told me. You're a cop now and in a steady relationship with the woman you protected."
"Yeah," V replied with a soft smile as her thoughts swayed to her girlfriend and that she was just glad that she was still alive. "Thanks for the Trauma Team membership, by the way."
"It wasn't a gift, but payment for getting rid of this Puppetmaster and his doll-market. Nobody even dared to touch him, because he was knee-deep in some corpos' asses, no matter how many Eddies got put on his head. But you did. Now, the streets are safer again and your girl is alive. A win-win for everyone."
"Thanks Wakako, I owe you for that."
"We're square, V. Just promise me to take care. And if, by any chance, you're in the city again and need a job, just call me."
"Will do. Bye!"
The call got terminated and right away checked her other contact. During the call she had also received a message from Judy.
Hey babe, can you bring some groceries from town? Haruka comes to dinner and I wanna make some fancy ass meal. Send you the list in a bit.
Will do. luv ya! V answered and focused back on the street outside.
Crystal Falls was a small town in the Appalachian mountains that was mostly inhabited by miners that were working for a nearby TerraCorp mine. In contrast to the city, the authorities had earned some respect from the people, and the danger of getting shot by some random ne'er-doer was minimal.
V wore the classic uniform of the county's sheriff department, consisting of brown pants, a beige button shirt, a dark-green jacket and the typical brown hat. She loved this uniform and the ideals behind it. She loved being the good guy. But like everything else, nothing was perfect.
The passenger door got ripped open and V's partner, Deputy Aaron Mathews, slumped into the seat, two bags with food in his hand.
He was a handsome man in his late thirties, with short brown hair, wearing the same uniform as V.
"Synth-Burger with Fries and some Cola," he said, reaching one of the bags to V, who took it with an appreciative nod.
"Thanks, choom!" she replied and both began to eat their meal in silence, at first.
"Hey, Monroe, I heard you're from the big city, right?" Mathews said as he was starting a conversation, looking at his younger partner.
When V had received her new ID, it came with an entire background story, which said that she used to work for a minor Corp as a sales manager and left the city after a tragic incident. The details were just dust in the wind for V, since details in lies often lead to inconsistencies and therefore to more unnecessary questions. No, she tried to avoid any specifics about her former life.
"Yeah. Came pretty much 'round for the last couple o' years."
"But why here? Why would you come here, to the bummfuck end of the world and become a fuckin' badge?"
"Why did you become a badge?" V asked in return, gazing sternly at her partner, who then just scoffed.
"Honestly… I thought I could change the world. Y'know, huntin' the bad guys, clean up the streets, shove it to the corpos…" He paused, shaking his head while looking out of the window. "No, that's just an illusion. You change shit. And I'm so tired of it."
"It's always the same," V added, putting the rest of her meal aside on the dashboard. "You either risk everything, and win the pot and in the end go down in blaze 'n' glory. Or you become nothin', yet die of old age in the presence of the people who love you. But if you try to take a shortcut, you'll always lose."
After giving her words a few minutes of thought, Mathews nodded and said "You're right. You're so fuckin' right, Liz. And this is the problem that we have to change."
"What?!" V scoffed, both looking at each other again. "How do you wanna change it? You can't change the game."
Like he wanted to make it as mysterious as possible, the older Deputy leaned in and spoke quietly. "Yes, you can. You just have to break the rules."
Already realizing what he was on about, the red-haired woman let out a dry laugh, crossed her arms and looked out of the window, whereas Aaron Mathews kept staring at her with a stern demeanor.
"Liz, I know you wanna do the right thing, but you're starting to piss off the wrong people. Until now, they cut you some slack, 'cause you're new and need to prove yourself. But funtime is over. They want you to play along."
'Night City follows you, wherever you are,' V thought as she sighed deeply. Still, she wasn't willing to give up her ideals.
"What if I don't wanna play the dirty game?" she stated, her gaze switching to Mathews. "You gonna kill me?"
At first, he simply scoffed, leaning back into his seat. "I wanna help ya, Liz."
The tension decreased again, and V also leaned back in her seat. But then she heard it. The sound of metal scratching over polymer and the rustling of fabric.
"Help me…" she whispered, closing her eyes before she said audibly "Is this the reason you're drawing your gun?"
"It's do or die, Liz. No other option."
The male deputy then pulled out his gun and aimed it at his partner's head, his finger already pulling the trigger. If V would try anything, she would be dead.
But she didn't show any fear, still staying relaxed in her seat. "Was it worth it?" she asked, her voice steady and clear. "Was it worth selling out your colleagues for some fuckin' corpo-suits?"
"What do you think, huh?" Mathews returns angrily, making it obvious that he didn't like this conversation about morality. "Of course it's worth it! Or do ya think that your salary and that micro-shit of a pension will be enough to make a good livin'? All I have to do is to look away or get rid of some corpses. That's it. Easy money for the takin'. And, if I'm playin' it right, a high position at TerraCorp has my name written all over it, already."
A wicked smile appeared on V's face as she turned towards Mathews, staring deeply into his eyes. She wasn't afraid to look down his barrel, and that creeped him out so much that his hand started to shake.
"You really think that they're gonna give a low badge a high position? That you'll become one of those suits? Pft!" She leaned forward, her forehead pressing against the muzzle of the pistol. "I know about you and your friends. I know who's payin' you and I know who of us is under their payroll."
Panicking out more and more upon the woman's words, Mathews saw no other option than to pull the trigger and get rid of this nosy bitch. But all that sounded was a metallic click.
"What the…?" he exclaimed in surprise, but by that time it was already too late.
Swiftly, V grabbed his gun, turned it so hard that his wrist broke with a loud crack, then grabbed his head and smashed it against the dashboard so that he didn't even have the chance to scream under this pain. Additionally, his body refused its duty as all his implants shut down at once.
He was at the female deputy's mercy, who was sternly staring at him with glowing eyes. "Badges like you are the worst kind. You sell your soul to the devil and think that you'll become the devil yourself, one day," she said coldly, deepening her glare. "But do you know what happens if the servant gets too greedy? He disappears, along with his family. Or did you really think that a suit grows a conscience overnight? For them, we're just pawns in their fucked up games. We're the cattle that go to the butcher so that they can have a jucy meal."
She paused for a moment, her sight once more fixed at something beyond the windshield.
"I'm not gonna kill ya, but I want you to give every bribed badge and every fuckin' corpo who thinks that he can break the law without consequences a warning." She then looked at Mathews again, her eyes glowing as he regained the ability to move his body again. "Crystal Falls remains a peaceful town, and everyone lookin' for trouble, will find it and regret that they even set foot in here, got it?"
"Who the fuck are you?" Mathews groaned under pain, squirming in his seat while blood was running over his face, seeping from a wound on his forehead. But V just gave him a wry smirk and a pat on his shoulder.
"Deputy Lisa Monroe. Your friend and helper, ready to protect and serve the people of Crystal Falls," she answered nonchalantly and started the car, ready to bring her injured partner to a local Ripperdoc, who would fix him up without asking any questions.
She knew that there was a storm on the horizon. That, one day, someone would knock on hers and Judy's door, and would try to hurt them. That was the game, an endless circle ov violence. Judy knew that, too. And they were both prepared to fight off any enemy that would come close to them. They would stay together, live together, or even die together, no matter the cost!
- The End? -