Chapter 9: The Reunion
The Cave. The Edgerunners had made it back safe and sound following their escapades in Pacifica that had led to most of the district being wiped out. The Voodoo Boys were all but long gone, NetWatch had presumably taken over the area to try to figureout what had suddenly caused the disturbance and Hildegarde had tied up some loose ends in the city. Jericho stood in front of them at the firepit and detailed their next moves.
"Good job. Great job. You all did wonderfully! We have Soul-Killer and have gotten what we needed from the Relic. All we need to do now, is claim a certain bounty and we'll be on our way to a bright new future."
"Bounty? What bounty?", David asked.
"The bounty on Hildegarde's successful capture and delivery to Monarch, in London. Monarch is a Mega-Corporation that operates in and across Europe. Hildegarde has done quite enough to interfere with them so much that they've placed a fifty million Eurodollar bounty on her head."
Hildegarde just looked nonplussed. David just jumped up. He just saved the outlaw from a different set of bounty hunters. Now Jericho was going to turn her in instead. He knew he really didn't have much of a chance against the cyborg, but this didn't seem right.
"Are you serious? Isn't she important to you? You're just going to turn on one of your own crewmates for a handful of dirty Eddies!", David shouted.
Jericho's expression didn't change much. He just stood up and transformed his left arm into its Gauss-Cannon form, the limb splitting and hand folding down, barrel extending. He aimed directly at David's head before letting loose the Fist of God. David had to duck quickly out of the way as the blue beam screamed out of the cave mouth and impacted something far away in the distance.
David thought about trying to rush Jericho, but then thought about how badly he and the rest of his team about be killed and just settled for shouting at him instead. "The fuck was that for!? A warning shot?"
"Sorry, saw something out there in the desert. It looked like a Militech Behemoth had found our location...", Jericho sighed.
"But- You can't turn on Hildegarde like this. We- We just saved her from another group of mercs that wanted her dead!"
"Turn on her? Not quite. I've been looking for a corporation like Monarch for quite a while. It's time I had chat with their corporate leadership. They will not take kindly to us just showing up on their doorstep. Thus, Hildegarde will get us into their corporate tower in London. She is more than capable of freeing herself if things do not go according to plan."
"Alright... I can't say this is a good idea though. What happens if this shit goes sideways?"
"Monarch will execute Hildegarde publicly in their corporate gardens."
David just sat there for a moment. They'd be taking on an entire corporation in their home country at the corporate HQ. He might as well strip naked and dance into Arasaka Tower.
"Don't worry, kid. The CEO won't kill me. The founder might, but not the CEO. The founder's been threatening me with a quick demise ever since I stole the Toward Stars from him.", Hildegarde noted.
"If you say so... How are we getting there?", David asked.
"The Toward Stars. It's an AV. It flies. It's horrifically slow, but Scotch made some modifications to its engines. It should hopefully get us there in one piece.", Hildegarde noted. "We'll also take your ugly Chevillon Emperor 'Ragnar' with us. Just so you know, they drive on the opposite side of the road in England."
David just sighed. He had never left Night City. He didn't think anyone in his team had. Maybe Falco since he used to be a Nomad, maybe Kiwi. Rebecca had grown up here. And Lucy? Maybe she was from somewhere else too. This would be his chance to see the world. Maybe it was different in other cities, other countries, other continents. He wondered about all of the places he was going to go and see. It would be a nice change of pace for a while.
"If you're ready to go, then we should move quickly. That Militech Behemoth I spotted likely came with friends and their backup will be here soon. My team is already on board the AV. I suggest you get inside as well.", Jericho noted.
David just nodded and grabbed his few belongings. A picture of him and his mother in front of Arasaka Academy and the urn. He couldn't leave these behind. Rebecca just grabbed her guns and tossed them through the AV's side door. Kiwi sighed and just got on board. Falco looked at the Ragnar as it was harnessed into place on the cargo section of the AV and Lucy nodded back at David. Soon, he was also onboard the AV. It was slightly cramped since it was made for a much smaller group, but it would have to work for now. Thankfully, Scotch was not the pilot today, Hildegarde was and she was considerably better at flying the thing than the shorter drunken man was. The AV turned smoothly and pivoted from where it was parked. The throttle was slammed forwards and the older cabover truck-like cargo AV shot out of the cave mouth, a few dark shapes in the night ducking for cover as the hull almost took their heads off. The kept ascending until all they could see were clouds and stars high above Night City. The moon looked closer than it ever had. Onwards and upwards.
A few moments earlier, V and Jackie had made it all the way into the Badlands with Starhawk's Militech Behemoth. They'd followed the black and gold Ragnar out here towards and old mine shaft. Night had fallen and it was dark, the repeated ramming of Hildegarde's Thorton Mackinaw had destroyed their headlights and every rock and cactus bounced off their grille.
"I can't see shit.", V complained.
"Just keep going where they were going, broder.", Jackie added.
"What if they turned?"
"Just shut up, V. There's nowhere else for them to go.", T-Bug chided.
"H-Hey! What's tha-", V was cut off as a bright blue beam slammed into the front of the Behemoth. A massive explosion followed and sent the three hapless mercs flying into the rear of the Behemoth as the massive truck was suddenly tossed into the air as its cab was destroyed. They landed on the roof of the vehicle upside down and covered in bits of Suzuka's mangled corpse. The bucket had spilled.
"Awwhh...", V moaned in agony. He sat up slightly to find that he was sitting on T-Bug's legs. Jackie was laid over on top of the rest of Bug's body. The netrunner screamed incoherently from underneath the larger man.
Taking a few moments to compose themselves, they all finally stood up awkwardly and heaved the rear door open to survey the damage done to their vehicle. The Behemoth was wrecked. The cab had taken the most damage and had been folded back onto itself. If they'd stayed in there they would've been crushed into Eezybeef instantly. The truck was upside-down. A few of the massive wheels were gone and tossed into the sand. Their bio-monitors chirped a radiation warning at them.
"Wha? Radiation?", V asked to nobody in particular.
"We just got nuked, you idiot.", T-Bug noted. "Take these and don't complain about the tingly feeling.", she added tossing V and Jackie some Anti-Rad.
"Damn. Hildegarde's packing some firepower.", Jackie noted.
"Whatever. The cave is just over here. We can make it on foot.", T-Bug noted before walking off towards the cave mouth.
V, T-Bug and Jackie's Unfortunate Adventure suddenly got worse as they approached the cave mouth. Maybe using Starhawk's Behemoth had tipped them off. Regardless, a large square-nosed cargo AV that looked much like a cabover flat-bed truck except with its cargo platform inverted, emerged from the cave mouth quite a lot faster than its appearance suggested. A familiar black and gold Ragnar hung from its cargo platform and barely missed their heads as it took off into the sky. V and Jackie just ducked and stared at it as it flew farther and farther away.
"Well shit.", V noted. "We're too late."
"I can see that, V. I have eyeballs that work.", T-Bug chided.
"What now?", Jackie asked, kicking the dirt slightly.
"Afterlife. Bar. We get drunk and maybe Rogue sends us on a job or two."
"It's a start. Maybe the Big Leagues were just too big for us after all...", V sighed.
"Gotta start somewhere, Broder. We'll get there someday."
V just used the Call a Vehicle service and had his car delivered to them. It would suffice for now. He wondered why he didn't just use that instead of the Behemoth, but it probably slipped his mind at the time. It was time to go back to the Afterlife. Maybe they'd take a few jobs there and start over, working their way into the good graces of the Fixers of Night City.
High above Night City, the Toward Stars flew onward. The City grew smaller and smaller behind them as they headed north. They'd fly up and over the north pole before landing at their destination. They'd stop for fuel in Oregon before they continued. It would be a few hours before they could land in Arcadia Bay, a small town on the coast.
"The stars are even brighter all the way up here...", Lucy mused. She was staring out of one of the portholes. The full moon loomed overhead.
"I think I can count them all.", David noted.
Besides the thrum of the engines, the ride was almost silent. Across the small room, Rebecca and Falco were once again playing cards with Kiwi. A game called Gwent from a faraway land called Poland. Their occasional cheers were the only disturbance. Well not really, Asher slept in a cot near the ceiling and snored like a chainsaw. Scotch was passed out on the floor and grunted every so often. Jericho and Hildegarde could be heard in the cab making small-talk as it seemed.
"David? Are you free?", Jericho asked from the cockpit.
David just backed away from the porthole window and walked through the AV. He exited the living quarters and then entered into the cockpit section. There were technically 3 different areas on board the small AV, the cockpit with two pilot seats and two passenger seats, a small corridor with a kitchenette and lavatory, and then the main living quarters with eight wall-mounted pull-down cots, a small collapsible table in the middle of the floor, another larger desk that wrapped around the rear-left side with a computer system and 3D Printer on it, and a wrap-around sectional couch that took up most of the rest of the rear space. The main side door entered directly into the kitchenette area and a smaller door led to the only toilet on the entire vessel. David idly wondered why the AV had been setup like this, with half of it being close to an RV and the other half allowing for cargo boxes to be attached to it. He assumed that it was for long-haul cargo runs, commercial AV pilots had tons of strict rules of operation and had to take frequent breaks. Regardless, this was going to be his home for the foreseeable future or until Jericho needed to return to Night City. David stopped pondering the moment and finally entered the cockpit.
"There you are. Now that we're safe in the skies, I was wondering if you needed any upgrades to your cyberware.", Jericho noted. One of the passenger seats had been swiveled around and reclined into a makeshift Ripperdoc chair.
"Yeah, actually. It's about time I got an upgrade. What were you thinking?", David added. It had been a while since he'd had a tune-up.
"Proprietary designs. Black-Project Cyberware that doesn't exist anywhere else at the moment. I have several modifications that I feel would suit you abilities. You and I are quite similar."
"Similar? How?"
"We're both quite resilient to cybernetic enhancement and show no destabilization from extended modification. I feel that you could benefit from the same modification that I have also gone through, although I cannot make you a full-cyborg like I am."
"Okay. What's first?"
"Your Sandevistan is good for a military-grade unit, however it could be even faster. I use a similarly designed but greatly more efficient unit called Quicksilver. I can give this to you as well. The Radio-Isotope Thermo-Electric Generator I originally installed into your system is insufficient, so I will have to install a Fusion Reactor similar to Hildegarde's in order to allow for its usage. You will be resistant to radiation afterwards, however."
David thought about this. The Sandevistan had changed his life. Hildegarde and Jericho were even faster than it, though. He could be equally as fast. "I'll take it. You have anything else?"
"Of course. The sky is the limit until we break through it. I also recommend the Titan Dermal system. It is similar to your existing Dermal Armoring, but is even more resilient. If you are hit, the bullets will simply deflect. Alternatively there's also the Glass Shield, which will effectively make you invisible."
David thought about this a bit more. He could become invisible. If he'd been a bit younger and more immature, the invisibility would've allowed him to peek into areas he wasn't supposed to be inside of, like the girl's locker room of the Arasaka Academy. From a tactical advantage, it meant the nobody would see him coming. The Quicksilver still seemed like a better choice, if he moved fast enough he'd still be invisible.
"How fast is the Quicksilver compared to my Sandevistan?"
"Much faster. I'm sure you've seen how bullets seem to phase through my body. You will be capable of the same thing."
"I'll take the Titan in that case."
"Good choice. Anything else?"
"How about PEPS? A Projected Energy Propulsion System. I am certain you've seen how easily I am able to tear through my opposition. It will allow your melee attacks to cause piercing damage. Your bare hands become javelins and no wall, person, or vehicle will stand in your way."
David thought about this too. He would be much faster than his enemies. He would be much stronger than is enemies. He would be able to reflect bullets. If he was faster than them and stronger than them, then he could kill them. He would become a living weapon just like Jericho and suffer none of the consequences such as Cyber-Psychosis. It would be controlled Cyber-Psychosis. Absolute carnage if he willed it. He would be better than Maine had ever imagined. He would make the old soldier proud.
"I'll take it all.", David noted as he sat down in the chair.
"Good choices. This won't hurt a bit. Just relax and think of England. Think of the rolling green hills, the densely packed forests, Big Ben and the Eye of London. Think of the Royal Guards and their funny furry hats. Think of the Thames, you see some barges floating down it, don't you? They're chugging away and spewing clouds of smoke as they do. The sounds of the city envelope you. This is an industrial city. It has its similarities to Night City, but the living quality is better. Cobblestone streets stretch through its older districts..."
Jericho's bizarre ASMR leaked into David's mind. He could see London. He could hear the street banter of thousands of Brits. He could hear their distinctive accents similar to Hildegarde's and the unintelligible slang that permeated the city he'd never been to before. He wanted to take Lucy onto the Eye of London and to see Big Ben, the bell of the Great Clock of Westminster. He wanted to try the local food and drinks. He wanted to see the ferries and the barges chugging along the Thames. He sat back and relaxed for a while.
"And now we're done. That didn't hurt at all, did it?", Jericho asked.
David didn't feel a thing. His old Ripperdoc butchered him and made him feel every painful moment. Jericho wasn't a Ripperdoc, but he was certainly better at installing Chrome than anyone he'd ever met. He just looked down at his new cyberware. It was made out of some sort of black metallic composite and didn't match the rest. It was Black-Project after all, and it signified a new path in his life. Man and Machine, the next evolution.
"It didn't even tickle."
"Fantastic. David... You, Hildegarde and myself are now three of a kind. Welcome to the team."
For once in a long time, David felt that he was part of a family again. That he had the respect and care from others similar to him. Jericho had already done so much for him, cured him of his Cyber-Psychosis, gave him a job and purpose and now allowed him to transcend those around him. He felt godlike.
"Hey mom. Found my family again. I'm doing good. Way better than I would've if I'd stayed at the Academy. They really care about me and I care about them too. I just hope you can see how much the world is going to change when I'm done here.", David thought to himself. He could feel his mother's smile from the heavens. He would make this world better. He would be something greater. Always something greater.
"Thanks Jericho. I don't know what would've happened if I'd have never met you. Guess I would've gone Psycho and gotten flatlined, huh."
"Possibly. You were on a fine line when I found you. Now you have defied your fate. Where will you go next?"
"Dunno. Wherever you're going, I guess? ...World will be a better place."
"It will. Welcome to our family, David. I have the highest hopes for you. You are unlike anyone I've ever met. I consider you a brother. Now go and rest up. We'll be in London soon enough."
David just got up and walked back into the living quarters. He felt great. He'd been warned about Jericho being dangerous and his crew being Elite. But, he'd just been made elite and he felt right at home. He looked out the porthole again, this time seeing all the possibilities the future held for him, each one encapsulated inside one of the stars. He saw himself dead at the hands of Adam Smasher, his head blown apart and his body integrated with some kind of machinery. He saw himself giving a speech in front of Arasaka as one of its top-ranking officials. He saw himself on the moon with Lucy and then he saw Lucy on the moon alone and destitute. He saw Falco sad and alone on a cliffside pondering the fates of his friends. He saw Rebecca dead and mutilated after a trying to defend him, her body crushed and brains splattered on the pavement. He saw Kiwi as a herald to a new age of the Net and then saw her bullet-ridden corpse next to a dumpster. And then he saw a brighter future where all of his friends lived. A future where he was being Knighted. A future where he had a mansion. A future where he had children and then grandchildren. A future where relocated to the moon and he sat beside Lucy in old age, surrounded by their offspring. He saw an aged Falco and Rebecca and they were retelling tales of their adventures and Rebecca was embellishing every moment. A better future. Better than all the rest. A thousand possibilities and a thousand moments in time and he felt that he'd picked the right one.
"David? Are you okay? You got more chrome...", Lucy noted, prodding David as he stared out into the night.
"Huh? I'm good, Luce. Never been better. These stars... I see a thousand moments in time that could've been ours, but... I think I made the right choice. I think mom and Maine are proud of me."
Lucy stared at the stars again and saw a thousand eyes staring back at her. A thousand eyes that watched and waited and wanted her to know that they knew her thoughts. Her opinions and her objections to this. The stars felt so far away and the moon even farther. But... David was doing well. Everything was going well. They were all alive, no matter how ridiculous Jericho's plan seemed. She sighed. She looked at the stars again and saw multiple endings to their current situation and all of them look well.
"I think they are too, David. We did it. We're going to change the world."
"And you're right here by my side. I couldn't imagine it any other way..."
David and Lucy stared out of the porthole together for a long time. The stars and the moon. A thousand futures. Infinite possibilities. Eventually they got tired and pulled down one of the small cots, both of them falling asleep in each-other's arms as the night progressed. Rebecca and Falco dueled each-other in Gwent, the mustachioed man losing again to Becca's Monsters Deck. Kiwi just smoked and occasionally glared at Falco. Tomorrow would be another day and it seemed as though everyone was ready for tomorrow.
Tomorrow had come too soon. David sat up as the daylight pierced his eyes. They had flown farther than expected. Oregon was nowhere in sight and they now hovered over a different city, one that was slightly flooded and submerged. He looked the porthole and beheld the Victorian architecture and the now massively wide Thames. They had reached England and the UK, but it wasn't as he'd imagined it. Perhaps the melting ice-caps had flooded the city. In the distance loomed a large rook-like tower with a golden crown affixed to its roof. Monarch. A voice crackled through their comms system. A stoic British voice.
"This is Commander Wejj, you are clear to land. Repeat, this is Commander Wejj..."
"We're clear. Bring us down.", Jericho noted. Hildegarde just brought the AV down towards the landing pad atop the massive tower. Time to go and have a nice little chat.
"Well, here we are... My home. Now, please don't cause a ruckus if you don't have to. I know the CEO and I guarantee you he will listen to us- me if anyone...", Hildegarde reassured.
"We will refrain from any violence unless you are endangered.", Jericho noted.
"Seriously. Don't do anything. I have my secrets, but you're about to find out who I really am."
The cyborg just stood idly as the AV began to descend. He thought he knew everything about Hildegarde already, but some things were still kept close to heart. He'd find out soon, though and then they could continue with the rest of their plan. Either with Monarch or without them.
Several minutes earlier, Commander Wejj had just received the callsign from the wayward Toward Stars AV. The exact one that Hildegarde had stolen almost two decades ago. As he brought the AV onto visual, it was obvious that it was the very same AV, just heavily modified and in much worse condition than it'd been when it was stolen. He had been given explicit instructions on what to do if and when the AV showed back up. He was to hail Sigmund Von Bretton, the CEO of Monarch and await further instructions. He did.
"Sir, the Toward Stars has just hailed us. They are asking for clearance to land.", Wejj noted.
"The Toward Stars? Are you certain?", Sigmund noted. He wasn't sure that AV could've survived after all these years.
"I'm certain. Shall we allow them to land or..."
"Let them land. It's Hildegarde... She's returned."
The Toward Stars landed in the paddock without incident. Scotch's modifications to the engines had allowed them a non-stop flight from Night City to London. As their landing gear touched down, about two dozen corporate guards surrounded the AV with their guns drawn. A massive barrel-chested man in a highly decorated set of blue and gold armor, almost full-cyborg like a British Adam Smasher, walked between the rows of guards and simply stood in front of the side door of the AV.
"You're surrounded, Hildegarde. Lay down your arms and come along peacefully.", the man commanded.
Inside the AV, Jericho just waited for Hildegarde's next move. They really needed to have a peaceful chat with Monarch's leadership. Simply opening the door and laying waste to everyone outside was not going to do them any favors.
"Asher, drop the Veil. Jericho, we're going unarmed. Leave your iron in the AV.", Hildegarde noted. Asher dropped the Veil and allowed the entire team to be seen as they were. David and his crew stared over to the plum-purple clad woman.
"What are we doing?", David asked in confusion.
"We're just going to have a little chat... No guns, no killing, no hacking, just a face to face talk with the CEO and quite possibly the Founder himself.", Hildegarde noted somewhat uncharacteristically. Usually she was the first one to ask if killing everyone was allowed. "I'll go first. Don't intervene, no matter what happens."
David and the rest of his crew stayed their hands for now. They'd watch and wait for shit to kick off in the worst imaginable way. Jericho just leaned back against the wall and stood guard. Hildegarde just slid the side door open and stepped out towards the multiple corporate guards that awaited her. The large man at the front waved a simple hand gesture to the rest of the guards... who promptly lit Hildegarde up from all sides... The plum-purple outlaw falling quickly to the hail of non-lethal gunfire before a net was tossed over her prone form and she was dragged unceremoniously backwards.
"Don't take it personally, Hildegarde. We just can't take any chances considering your... reputation.", the large man noted.
"Nice to see you too, Wejj...", Hildegarde grunted from inside the net.
Wejj just stared at the one-eyed woman in front of him and heaved her upright inside the net before cuffing her hands and removing the net itself. He began to lead her away from the AV.
"You didn't come alone did you? Send your friends out and they'll be treated fairly."
"Go on and come out... I've been captured.", Hildegarde sighed.
Asher hurried down the ramp and slid off to the side of the AV. The guards just looked at her for a moment before also cuffing the netrunner's hands. Scotch stumbled down the ramp and fell over, the guards not needing to do anything else to restrain the man. David came out next, arms raised and palms out; he was just taken into custody peacefully and added to the rest of the group. Rebecca attempted to resist and got to ride the lightning for a few moments as she was tased into unconsiousness. Lucy and Falco followed David's example and were cuffed peacefully as well. Kiwi just sulked down the ramp and let herself get cuffed. She took a long drag on her cigarette while the guards restrained her.
Jericho was the final one to exit the AV. The guards stepped backwards. Another full-cyborg? They had no idea who he was and didn't even bother trying to restrain him, they just motioned for Wejj to come over instead.
"Who in the bloody hell are you?", Wejj asked in utter surprise. He was somewhat aware of Hildegarde's troupe, but this guy didn't ring any bells.
"Jericho. And you?"
"Knight Commander Wejj Arventhas."
"A pleasure. Now, I'll be accompanying Hildegarde. We have some business to discuss regarding a certain Bounty."
"You're the one who brought her in?"
"You didn't think she was just going to turn herself in to the authorities did you?"
"Well, no..."
"Then I suggest we have a chat with your superiors about this fifty-milion Eurodollar bounty that I recall mentioned you needed Hildegarde alive. If you have decided to try to go back on your agreements, then... Well, Hildegarde doesn't need to stay alive, does she?", Jericho noted. He seemingly teleported from one side of Wejj to the other, his nano-ceramic arm blade extending and hovering next to Hildegarde's throat. The outlaw just glared at him.
"She must be taken alive. Fine... Come along, Jericho. You'll get to meet with our CEO.", Wejj relented. As much as he hated the outlaw, her head needed to stay firmly attached to the rest of her body for the time being.
"Lead on, Knight Commander Arventhas.", Jericho concluded.
The corporate guards and Wejj began to lead the entire group towards a massive freight elevator. David and Jericho's crews both surrounded by several Monarch guards that were kitted out in gear that rivaled Max-Tac. They really weren't taking any chances. Hildegarde's reputation had preceded her as it seemed. The elevator soon chimed and opened its doors into a luxurious hall that gleamed with Victorian architecture in blue and gold, Monarch's color scheme. Jericho and Hildegarde were pushed forwards by Wejj, who motioned to the other guards.
"Take the rest to the dungeon."
"No. I'll need a few key members of my team. David, Lucy and Falco.", Jericho noted. Wejj just sighed.
"David, Lucy and Falco, step forwards. The rest of you are headed to the dungeon. We will release you when we're done."
David, Lucy and Falco all stepped forwards and were taken along with the much heavier armored guards. They just watched as Rebecca, Kiwi, Asher and Scotch were taken further down to the dungeons. They'd probably be fine.
Wejj led the group towards a large semi-circular desk, a much older man sat behind it and perked up as Hildegarde approached. He took note of Wejj and realized why they were here.
"Ah, Hildegarde. You've returned.", the older man noted.
"Hello, Allistair. Be a peach and tell Sigmund I'm ready for my execution."
"Execution? Why do you think Sigmund is going to have you executed?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"...I'll let him know you're here."
Allistair just pressed a button on the console. A chime beeped and a muffled reply responded. Wejj just stood his ground with the rest of his Knights. Sigmund Von Bretton was on his way to see them. A few moments later, a man in a brilliant platinum-colored military raiment with gold accents walked into the chamber. He had long dark brown hair with pointed features that twisted into a permanent scowl, his piercing gray eyes stared towards the plum-purple outlaw in front of him. David's eyes just widened as he made a connection between the two people.
"Hildegarde... You're alive. I- I'm in shock...", Sigmund noted. "The rumors were just rumors, then."
"Hello, Sigmund. You're finally all grown up. How's life as CEO of the worst corporation on the planet?", Hildegarde mocked.
"Brutal as always, I see you haven't changed much."
"Get to the point, Siggie. Am I headed to the chopping block or the Tower of London?"
"Chopping block? Hilde, we're not going to execute you. Fa- The Founder was angry, that's all. You know what he's like.", Sigmund noted. He'd shortened Hildegarde's name and somehow wasn't drowning on his own blood.
"Then why the bounty!?"
"We needed proof you were alive. To be honest, I've missed you. When we heard you'd been killed... Things changed. I never thought I'd see you again. See your smile or hear your voice. It's been too long..."
"Pardon me. What exactly is your relationship to Hildegarde?", Jericho asked.
"Can't you already tell? We're siblings.", Sigmund noted. It was glaringly obvious both due to the bone structure and permanent scowl that the two were definitely related to each-other.
"Well, cat's out of the bag, Siggie. Are you going to uncuff me or... You know what, I'll just uncuff myself.", Hildegarde mused before she just flexed her arms and broke out of the handcuffs. Wejj immediately pulled his sidearm.
"Stand down, Wejj! We're having a family reunion!", Sigmund shouted. Wejj just holstered his firearm and stood at attention. "You know what, just leave. Get out of here, Wejj."
Wejj just turned and left the CEO alone. If Sigmund got killed by this group of obvious mercenaries, then that was on him. He'd given the orders to leave. He just took his guards and entered the elevator, his hateful gaze never leaving the outlaw.
"Y-You're a corpo?", David asked.
"Was a corpo. I absconded with my father's very first AV and about half of his bank. I hated the thought of being enslaved to this and decided to carve my own path.", Hildegarde noted. "Sigmund on the other hand... He likes licking daddy's boots doesn't he?"
"Fuck off, Hilde... No but seriously. I've missed you. Missed this."
"A glutton for punishment... Now what about that bounty? You wouldn't have posted it if you didn't expect some mercenary to drop my barely living and mangled body off on your doorstep."
"Right, right. Here you go. Fifty Million pounds.", Sigmund noted before transferring the money to Jericho. The currency conversion made this amount slightly less than the actual posted bounty, but this didn't seem to faze the cyborg.
"Now that the bounty issue has been settled. I wish to speak with the Founder.", Jericho noted. "I have a way to save both your city and your corporation."
What a pleasant surprise! I was just about to take you to him. He wants to see Hildegarde as well.", Sigmund added.
"I cannot wait. Is he going to shower me in hugs and kisses?", Hildegarde mocked.
"No. He's the one that's going to have you executed on Noel's House Party by Mr. Blobby.", Sigmund mocked back.
"And here I thought he'd have me executed on Rainbow by Zippy. If only, if only..."
Sigmund just threw his arms up in frustration before composing himself and leading Hildegarde and her teammates towards yet another elevator, this one intricately decorated in hideous Victorian artwork. He slapped the Up button and took the plucky group towards the Founder's Office. David had absolutely no idea who Mr. Blobby or Zippy was and assumed that they were Legendary Mercs from London. They were both Legendary, but not Mercs.
The elevator soon arrived in the Founder's Office. A massive circular room overlooked the entirety of downtown London. For some reason, the view was a lot higher than what David had thought, as if Monarch's corporate HQ sat atop some kind of pedestal. The surrounding city was flooded, its beauty ruined and the slow recovery seemingly not progressing much. The office itself was also Victorian in décor with intricately carved pillars and dark stained wooden floors. A series of portraits hung from the walls depicting an older woman with a permanent scowl and purple dress, a younger version of Hildegarde with both eyes and the same permanent scowl, Sigmund as a young boy looking timid and confused and an older man with a square jaw and pointed features in highly decorated military garb. A large blue and gold carpet led towards the massive desk in the center. A white-haired man sat with his back to the elevator.
"Father? Hildegarde has returned and she's-" Sigmund was cut off immediately as Siegfried Von Bretton, the Founder of Monarch turned around in his chair and jumped up at the sight of his wayward daughter. Tears crept from his eyes and he briskly walked towards the outlaw. Hildegarde just winced in preparation for what was about to happen. He stood about a head taller than her and just looked down at her. He suddenly reached out and embraced the outlaw in a ribcage-crushing embrace, the plum-purple woman's arms flailing for a few seconds as the air was forcibly removed from her lungs.
"Hildegarde... You're safe. I was so worried about you.", Siegfried noted. "I... You're all I have left of your mother... I cannot lose you."
"Thanks, dad... You're crushing my tits...", Hildegrade winced. The embrace was slowly crushing her body into a new and uncomfortable shape. Her father just let go abruptly.
"Sorry... Hildegarde... I apologize. I shouldn't have scolded you so harshly. I never meant any of what I said to you. I was never going to have you executed..."
"I know. This life I've led has been dangerous. Too dangerous to ever return home."
"I know. I just wish you would've kept in touch. Taunted me. Told me of your triumphs..."
"Oh I wanted to, believe me. But if I did, then I suppose the mercs here would've caught on and put an even larger bounty on my head."
"They would never. The Crown has abdicated their rule of England. Monarch has taken control. We are the savior to the British Isles. If there were any bounties, they would've been dismissed."
"Speaking of which... My partner, Jericho has a plan to save the country... It does rely heavily on the Albion Project though."
More secrets that David wasn't privy to. The Albion Project was a pipe dream. A fantasy. It involved a mobile base of sorts, an arrowhead-shaped ship platform that the entirety of London would sit upon. It would be a floating city, mobile and free to leave upon the seas. London would sit upon the upper levels with Wales, Ireland and Scotland integrated into the lower decks. The whole of Great Britain would leave its terrestrial grounds and take to the world itself. The only problem was finding a fuel source powerful enough to run an entire country. Jericho had a plan though. He knew of a specific Fission-Fusion Hybrid Reactor. It would quite a lot of material to build, but it would offer a nearly limitless power supply for the flooded country.
"An offer? What do you wish in return?"
"I only need you to willingly assist in a war to come. You will be the only remaining corporation in existence if all goes according to plan.", Jericho noted.
"A war?"
"Call it that if you wish. A Fifth Corporate War and a second NetKrash. You will be the only ones left to operate as usual and in turn, will retake what was once yours almost three-hundred years lost. The NUSA."
"If you're serious. If you can save the UK... I'll do anything."
"I am serious. Let's have a chat...", Jericho noted.
"Ah, David, was it? Let's give them some time alone. I'm sure this political talk is going to bore you to death. There's entertainment and amenities in the lower sections of our corporation. Come along, please.", Sigmund added.
David didn't argue. He had no idea what else to do at the moment. He could go and find the rest of his team in the dungeons, free them and then go to the entertainment district in the corporate tower. London itself was in ruin and those happy visions on the AV were nothing but broken dreams. A few things lingered in his mind. Jericho had a plan for Monarch. Hildegarde was a former corpo. And pieces were falling into place. Only one last thing remained and that was hijacking Arasaka's Net Uplink at the base of the HQ in Night City. He didn't know when he'd return, but when he did, it would be glorious.
Far down below, at the base of the Tower, David and Jericho's remaining crew members sat in the dungeon. The 'dungeon', as Wejj had called it was actually not a horrible stone dungeon from some kind of medieval castle but actually a maximum security prison of sorts. The cell that everyone had been crammed into lacked any kind of bars and instead had some kind of crackling energy field holding them inside. Rebecca had attempted to shove her hand through the field and had gotten electrocuted for the second time in an hour. The guards had been nice enough to provide a hot meal that consisted of a full-English breakfast and a small cup of cider. They'd also given Kiwi a pack of cigarettes. The crews just sat on their hands and waited for someone to let them out.
"Well, I never imagined that I'd be in a dungeon. I suppose this is a new experience for everyone.", Kiwi sighed.
"I've been in lots of dungeons.", Asher added.
"Where? How? Why?"
"I dunno. I stole a lot of stuff when I was younger."
"This fuckin' sucks! David got to go and see the CEO!", Rebecca complained. She just sat next to Kiwi and pouted. "And Scotch drank all the cider!"
"It's na even alcoholic...", Scotch grumbled.
"Can you two 'runners get us out of here?", Rebecca asked.
"I would, but... Jericho said not to.", Asher noted.
"Hm. Let me see...", Kiwi noted as she looked through Monarch's Subnet. "No. Definitely not. Their security is even higher than Arasaka's... It makes me wonder what they're hiding. I'm not getting Black-ICE'd over a sordid prison break when David is going to be letting us out soon."
"Just pop the door!", Rebecca complained louder.
"If I do that, then the guards will come in here and beat us senseless."
"Just do it, Kiwi!"
"Fine. Your funeral."
Kiwi did the only thing she could at the moment. Disable the energy field that held them into their cell. Security would be alerted almost immediately, but no alarms began to blare for some reason. Rebecca just hopped out of the cell and made her way towards the door to the cell block. Nobody else dared to follow her.
"Look, it worked! Now, let's delta!", Rebecca annnounced before she walked over to the door and was immediately ambushed by Commander Wejj, who had heard the silent alarm and gone to investigate. Her oversized eyeballs widened for a second. "Oh crap..."
Knight Commander Wejj's just slammed his foot down onto Rebecca's smaller form, his massive foot pinning the tiny girl to the floor. If it wasn't for the titanium-composite skeletal upgrades Jericho had upgraded her with, she'd likely been crushed underfoot like an insect.
"An escape? Really?", Wejj chided. "Your friends are already on their way to release you. CEO's orders."
"Help...", Rebecca whimpered.
"We're sorry.", Kiwi noted apathetically. "Rebecca got antsy."
"I can see that.", Wejj noted. "Back in your cell and don't try that again."
Wejj just picked up Rebecca and hurled her back into the cell, the energy field reactivating instantly. He just glared at the mercs before he left the room again.
"Great...", Kiwi sighed. This was going great. Just great. Couldn't be better.
Slightly higher above the Dungeon, David rode the elevator down with Sigmund, Lucy and Falco. It was time to go and find the rest of their friends and let them out. The elevator itself was largely made of glass and wood with a pleasant view of both Monarch Tower and the aforementioned Albion. Sigmund was trying to explain what exactly the Albion Project entailed and how it was going.
"...Yes. The Albion is complete... It just lacks a power source. We've already tried steam generators based on designs from Cunard, but they're simply not powerful enough. London has been largely relocated to the Albion's hull. That is why our Tower seems to be so much higher than the skyline. Central London is here, on the upper-most level. And then farther down lie Birmingham, Oxford, Dublin, Glasgow, and others."
"It's a floating city?", David asked incredulously.
"In a way. Some of the smaller districts of London haven't been relocated, the working class for example has new housing inside Monarch Tower. Besides, a lot of the older buildings tended to crumble when we tried to move them.", Sigmund noted.
"It's incredible, I'll tell you that. Never woulda thought it was possible.", Falco added. "A floating mobile city."
"Trust me, the EU doesn't like this idea at all. It's a good thing we left them and went our own ways. Brexit is what I believe the locals called it."
"How does it work though?"
"It works through the perseverance of British might. This is our greatest achievement alongside creating the greatest Empire.", Sigmund gloated. "It's taken all of our resources and then some. We've been having to import materials from Mars."
"But it's still not ready yet?", David asked.
"No. It's not fully operational yet. When it is, it'll be the crown jewel of the seas. The British Isles, freed from their terrestrial restraints and free to roam the globe as seen fit. You should see our defenses. Three Mass-Drivers: Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. A three-hundred and sixty degree spherical defensive grid that allows for intercontinental strikes."
"Sounds like a goddamned nightmare.", Falco added.
"Oh it will be. If attacked, we can strike anywhere in the world.", Sigmund gloated.
David just thought about this for a while. Was this why Jericho had wanted Monarch to join his side? A theoretical Death Star that he could use against anyone and everyone? But Jericho had said there was a war coming soon. A Fifth Corporate War and a second NetKrash. In the resulting chaos, only the strongest would survive. He idly wondered if he'd picked the right side, but shook those thoughts out of his head. If he hadn't joined Jericho, then he would've died in Arasaka Tower most likely at the hands of Adam Smasher and none of his friends would be alive right now. Jericho would've concocted his plan and taken someone else with him instead. Everything was going to happen the same way it was with him or without him. He was glad to be a part of this. Maine would be proud of him, he knew it. The elevator suddenly chimed and broke him out of his thoughts. It was time to collect their friends.
Back up high, inside the Founder's Office, Jericho had explained his solution for Monarch's problems with its power issues. He would require all of the fissile material available and would in turn create the largest Fission-Fusion Hybrid Reactor in the world. The second one in existence and the only one of its kind. It would be able to run indefinitely and would be cooled by the ocean's water beneath the Albion itself. He could be ready in as little as six months if he was allowed access to Monarch and the UK's subnet. It was an offer that Siegfried Von Bretton was highly considering.
"And you're certain... This is going to work?", Siegfried asked.
"A smaller version of the Reactor has powered my own body for countless years. I have not had any problems with it. A larger version will do exactly the same for you."
"Well... We can get the materials easily enough... Six months... Are you sure about that timeframe?"
"I am certain. I have a certain AI that will aid in construction of the Reactor. It will use drones that you already have to help build it."
"And when it's fully operational, what do you require from us then?"
"A maiden voyage or sorts. To southern California in the NUSA. We do not have to dock in the city's port, not that it would be possible due to the size of the Albion anyways. I have business to conduct in Night City and I could use the Albion's support."
"A maiden voyage? That's all?"
"And perhaps a weapons test."
"It's a deal. Get to work. I'll be here if you need me.", Siegfried concluded. "Oh and Hildegarde... Please visit every now and then. You're going to be here too."
Hildegarde just grunted in approval. Six months back at home in the good ol' UK. She'd have more than enough time to catch up with Sigmund, Wejj, and the others. Her return to the UK would also cause waves. She could hardly wait.
Jericho just shook the Founder's hand and left. He had some work to do. He needed to upload Janus into Monarch's subnet. Then he needed to get to work building his Reactor on a much larger scale. Six months from now, The Albion would be mobile and Night City would be closer than ever. There would be no threats from Arasaka, not when three Mass-Drivers were aimed at them. Night City would fall and then the world could finally be rebuilt the way it was supposed to be.
Jericho and Hildegarde just entered the elevator together. They'd meet up with their crew and explain their next moves. David could find an assortment of jobs working for the Crown and Monarch. Their own crew would relocate permanently to London and the Albion and set up a base here. The Toward Stars would finally see proper maintenance.
"This is where we go our separate paths for the time being.", Jericho noted.
"Aw, so soon? I'll come visit when you're bored. You'll get tired of working eventually, Jericho.", Hildegarde mused.
"I will and I'll be expecting you. Stay safe. There is much work to be done."
Hildegarde just nodded and got off the elevator, turning around briefly to wave to Jericho as he descended into the bowels of Monarch Tower and the Albion itself. This was the beginning of the end. And the End was just the beginning of something far greater than they could both imagine.
David had finally arrived in the Dungeons. He walked over to Commander Wejj who just looked bored at the main desk. Wejj didn't even look up and just gestured towards the Eastern Cell Block, tossing a keycard to the young merc. David caught it and headed off to find the rest of his friends. He entered the cell block, half expecting to see a grotesque dungeon from the fantasy novels he'd read, but found a nice and high-tech cell block with energy fields instead of bars. His crew looked incredibly bored and perked up as soon as he entered.
"David! About time, you gonk!", Rebecca shouted.
"Hey, Becca. Did you behave yourself?"
"She didn't. Tried to escape and almost got zeroed by Wejj.", Kiwi sighed, taking a drag.
"I'm not surprised.", Lucy added.
"Anyways, you're all free to go. Sigmund, the CEO said there are some amenities and entertainment on the upper levels. I think we all deserve a little rest and relaxation.", David noted.
"Oh, David... Scotch and I will be leaving for now. Jericho needs us. It was nice working with yoooouuuu!", Asher noted before she pulled the now sober man along with her. They probably didn't need Asher's skill right now since they were officially friends of Monarch.
"Bye, Asher! Save some ice-cream for me!", David shouted as the short quirky girl left.
"I won't!", Asher shouted just as she left David's eyesight.
"You guys alright?", David asked.
"No. I've never been more bored in my entire life.", Kiwi sighed.
"It sucked. Hope you had a better time, Davey!", Rebecca added.
"Well, I got to see a little bit of London and a bunch of stuff I didn't really understand. Let's just delta for now. We can talk about this when we're out of here.", David noted.
David and his crew just walked out of the cell block. They walked past Wejj, who didn't bother looking up at them despite the rude hand gestures that Rebecca gave him. Soon they entered the elevator and headed back upwards towards the Recreational District that Sigmund had told them about. The elevator ride was cramped and took too long, but eventually they began to rise above the lower decks of the Albion and back into Monarch Tower. The glass windows on the sides of the elevator beheld sights such as a fully hydroponic farming level and an indoor forest reminiscent of the dream that David had, it even had a softly flowing stream running through it. The elevator continued upwards through the artificial weather generators and back into the Tower itself, a few more moments passed before the doors opened and deposited David's crew into an indoor recreation of what could only be assumed as one of London's historic districts as a cobblestone pathway curved around various buildings and out of sight. The crew just stepped out of the elevator and took in their surroundings.
The sight was definitely a part of London, or England in general. This floor was still massive and circular with holographic skies hiding the fact that they were entirely indoors. The stone buildings looked old and like something from London's industrial past. A bar called The Winchester stood out to them as various mercenaries walked in and out of it. A few other shops lined the streets with a few other smaller pubs and restaurants serving confusing British cuisine while a few street carts sat to the sides of the cobblestone streets. David just motioned for his crew to enter The Winchester as it seemed to be the most popular place here.
The Winchester was a retro-styled pub. Wooden walls, carved architecture, a massive marble bar with brass fixtures around it and a few handmade wooden tables littered the area. A bustling crowd of people sat and drank or ate pub snacks. The bartender himself was an older man, pudgy in build with a bulbous face and graying hair. He stared towards David with a what looked to be a monocle, but was actually some kind of ocular scanner. He waved a large cybernetic hand towards David and his crew, beckoning them towards the bar.
"Oi! Yankees! I'd know ye just from the look o' ye! We don't see much of you around 'ere! What'll it be?"
"What's popular?", David asked.
"Aye, let's see... Ah, the Hot Ice Hildegarde of course. Named after our own Legendary Mercenary!", the bartender announced. Hildegarde herself was actually sitting at the bar as well and scowled even harder, if that was even physically possible, upon hearing the name of the drink.
"Why on earth is it named that!?", Hildegarde asked the bartender.
"Oh right, forgot ye was 'ere! Hot because you are. Ice because of your icy demeanor. And Hildegarde because that's ye name!"
"Change it. Call it a Frozen Hellfire instead.", Hildegarde snarled. The bartender quickly scratched the embarrassing name off the drink list and rewrote it. He was old and close to retirement and didn't need to be disemboweled by a Legendary Merc in the middle of his bar right now, he had other plans, like a nice holiday to Wales' district on the Albion.
"Aye. It be done. So, would ye like a Frozen Hellfire?", The bartender asked David.
"Uhh... Sure! I'll try it.", David noted. His crew just took seats around him at the corner of the bar. The bartender didn't bother to check Rebecca's ID; the drinking age in the UK was probably different or he just didn't care.
Aye, Name's Clive, by the way. Give me a holler if ye need anythin' else!", Clive the Bartender noted before walking off to wait on other customers. David just looked at the man's cyberware as he left. Left arm cybernetic, old looking, probably a veteran. Right leg cybernetic, also probably a war wound. The bartender was absolutely chromed out, but probably needed the metal to actually function as a person rather than as an upgrade from flesh.
Hildegarde slid over to a seat next to David much to Lucy's chagrin. The netrunner was aware of how well the outlaw and her boyfriend were working together and just scowled. It was probably nothing right? Hildegarde definitely didn't want David right? She's way too old for him anyways. Lucy thought for a moment. She really had no chances against the outlaw in a 'cat fight' and would be losing her head in about three seconds. She just stared at the oddly opaque drink in front of her and downed it in one shot. The drink was oddly cool, like a menthol cigarette, but then began to burn as it traveled farther. It had a nice lemony flavor.
"Welcome to London, David. I'm sure you'll get along just fine with the local chavs.", Hildegarde noted. "Hope you're not homesick. We'll be staying here for quite a while..."
David just stared at Hildegarde strangely for a moment trying to decipher her slang before he just asked, "What do you mean? How long are we staying?"
"Oh, about six months or so. Whenever Jericho is done doing what he does best."
Six months. Six months. David hadn't been outside of Night City ever. He had never even thought of relocating to anywhere except the Moon with Lucy. He was going to have to get used to the funny accents and slang terms real quick. He had no real way of returning to Night City, not that he wanted to, except to steal the Toward Stars again and try to fly it back. He scoffed. It was probably better this way. Night City was a hellhole. London and the Albion seemed like a much nicer place. Gonks weren't getting killed in the streets and normal people walked carefree through the streets. Max-Tac and Police weren't standing menacingly on every corner. Maybe it was for the better. No, it would be better. He was certain.
"What does Jericho do best?", David asked somewhat lost in thought.
"Rough sex. Or did you mean what he does professionally? He's a Techie. And a bit of something else. I'm not sure. The first bit he's really good at.", Hildegarde noted. Lucy just stared at the outlaw in mild disgust, but it meant that she had absolutely no interest in David at all. She was too busy having her cyber-ware 'tuned' by Jericho.
"O-Okay..." David noted sheepishly. He really didn't need to hear abut Hildegarde's personal time. "What should we do in the meantime? I mean we're going back to NC, right?"
"We are going back to NC. I'd suggest you find something to do. Take a gig or two, maybe find a fixer and take a few easy jobs. Or, if you're feeling frisky... Work for the Crown."
David just turned to his other friends. They were definitely listening to this right? Six months in London. In the UK. Not in Night City. Falco looked curious. Rebecca looked excited. Kiwi just looked the way she usually did.
"And if we worked for the Crown, what'd that entail?", Falco asked, disregarding Hildegarde's notation of what 'Jericho was good at'.
"You do what they tell you. The pay you and you get medals. The Crown and Monarch are one in the same. You'll be doing your duty for King and Country.", Hildegarde glossed as she took a sip from her drink. She appeared to be drinking whiskey neat.
"Medals? The hell are we going to do with those?", Falco asked again.
"You get medals and you become Knights. Then you get land and respect. That's what you want, isn't it?"
Falco thought for a moment. He was not about to get owned by a Corporation. Yet, Monarch was more than a corporation. It was also the government of the UK since the Royal Crown had abdicated their rule to the corporation. Meh, cash talks. Eddies were Eddies after all.
"Are there really any jobs for mercs in here?", Kiwi asked.
"Yes. Look around you. This is London's Afterlife. Vareks and Vereks are over there in the corner if you feel like talking to them and seeing what those two plonkers are up to.", Hildegarde noted.
"Why are they here?", David asked.
"Why? Couldn't you tell from the accent? Vareks and Vereks are from here."
It did make sense. Vareks and Vereks both had slight British accents. The twins were busy in the corner trying to figure out what to do next and counted their money alongside Kale and Naught as they usually did. It was a wonder they hadn't recognized David when he came in, but then again they were far more busy with their own adventures.
"Oh... Yeah I see. Cool. So I'll know a few good chooms then."
"You will. And then you won't. Best make connections, David. You can't rely on the heroes of another story."
David just sighed. Hildegarde was right. He knew four people in the entirety of London. He'd have to make some connections with the local fixers if he wanted to go anywhere. He could also ask the Crown and Monarch if they had anything for him to do. Nonetheless, he had his options and knew that work would get them paid. They just needed a place to stay at the moment.
"What's the housing market look like?", David asked.
"Terrible. You'd be living on the streets if Monarch wasn't going to put you up in one of their suites. Oh, Jericho wanted me to give you this; it's the key to your suite. 55th floor. More than enough space for you and your lackeys.", Hildegarde mused. "It'll also get you to him if you need him."
"Cool! That's great, Hildegarde. Thanks!", David noted. He looked at the keycard. He and his friends would have a home. A base of sorts in the most secure building in all of London. This was going to work. He'd take a few jobs here and there and then six months from now, he'd be back in Night City. Things were looking great. Only time would tell if everything panned out the way he was hoping. He did have six months to figure that out, though.
Chapter End.
A/N: It's dragging on a bit in this chapter. I'm going to have to split this one up into two parts again. David is now in London. BTW, Vareks and Vereks names are both pronounced exactly the same because they're a reference to another set of twins with similar sounding names that start with V's. Wejj is pronounced as 'Wedge'. The Albion is more or less a much larger sea-faring version of London from Mortal Engines with the rest of the UK stacked on it.
Where's V? He's back in Night City doing all the odd jobs for people. Jackie is alive and well and so is T-Bug. Evelyn Parker ran off with Judy to live a life elsewhere. Johnny got eaten by an AI. V is in a completely different video game right now, he's actually in GTA2 since his career revolves around taking odd jobs and getting paid for it.