Cyberpunk: Fatherhood

by RobinRounds

Car wrecked. Mom in the hospital. Bills are due. Desperation setting in. Our only chance is a number in mom's old holo records. It's listed as "Vinny - Emergencies Only!" I mean, fuck it, he can't make it worse for us. Right?

19. Chapter 19 - Kiss Your Dreams Goodbye

There were many things that could get under V's skin. The drudgery of a week-long assignment that left him seated behind a desk. The annoying gossip coworker who wouldn't stop pestering him for details about his apprentice as her daughter also went to the Academy. An automated call from one of the landlords that rent was overdue due to a glitch in their systems (mind you, the third one in less than two months). This time however, his annoyance was something semi-new, and even more annoying than anything else combined.

The sheer number of tails that had been watching him recently.

Some of them were better at their job than others. Managing to keep a low enough profile to where it took V a little longer than he'd care to admit to realize they were watching him. Others had all the subtly of a clown parade and V couldn't help but wonder what sort of budget their handlers were working with. More than a few from this latter crowd had already been cut down when the chance arose. Their bodies dumped in some container or another. Or tossed into the canal to be swept downstream to wherever.

The former crowd however had V left with no choice but to either ditch or deal with them for various reasons. Sometimes, it was because they were behind or beside him in traffic and he couldn't change lanes, turn, or speed up enough to get away. Other times, they were in the same shopping centers as him, or on the same street conveniently going where he was. And with so many others around, it was near impossible to start something and not potentially have it go tits up.

Even now, there was a blue Shion that had been following them almost since leaving David's apartment to go visit Gloria. V tried to shake them off, even going the scenic route, but the driver was persistent. He let out a groan of frustration as he took yet another detour, and the Shion followed.

"Fuck..." He lightly slapped the steering wheel, bringing a concerned hum from Jackie who was sitting in the back.

"You okay choom?" Jackie leaned forward, "you've been driving a little aggressively, even for you."

"Fine Jackie." V glanced over his shoulder at the other man, merging onto the highway. "Just a little annoyed."

"Construction sucks." David offered, having noticed V's earlier detours. The suit was almost thankful for his son's lack of awareness. "Don't mean to sound like a baby, but I wanna see my mom."

That brought a laugh from Jackie, and V forced a smile on his face. "Same kid."

"Eh, don't look so nervous V." Jackie placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "You know she's in good hands with Trauma and Nadia. And she's only there for another week or so, right?" V nodded, which Jackie took as an invite to continue. "So focus on that and the positives to come from that. Gloria gets to come home to her loving family. David gets his mom back home. You get a chance at domestic bliss. And I get a sister-in-law that I can amuse with stories of my brother's antics."

"Sounds like everyone wins in this case." David smiled, "you'll tell me the stories too, right tio?"

"Sobrino, I've got so many stories." Jackie went silent, and V could tell the man was about to say something stupid. At the same time, the Shion behind them sped up, practically riding their ass. Done with the car's antics, V rolled down the window and withdrew his pistol. "I ever tell you about the time your dad dressed up as a-"

V fired a single shot out the window, making his passengers jump. Both passengers turned as one, seeing the blue car behind them skid out before crashing into the guard rail and rolling a few times.

"The fuck was that!?" David cried, eyes wide as V tucked away his pistol.

"Asshole been following us since we left the Glen." V rolled up his window, focusing back on the road. "Finally had a chance to get rid of him."

"Thought that car looked familiar." Jackie shrugged, "so...Think that was one of Faraday's boys? Jenkins' goons? Or just some ganger with no brains who needed money?"

"Driver looked like a Malestromer. Hard to say who he might have been working for." That was the other thing about the recent tails and watchers that was pissing V off. There was almost nothing to most of these gonks to identify just who sent them, or any sort of common denominators. Best he got at one point was three Tygers on three different days that he was able to realize Faraday sent after talking to Wakako about them.

"Think they're getting smarter?"

"Don't know." He answered honestly. "What I do know is that all sides are suspicious of each other, and we need to be on alert. Who knows what shit they'll try to pull."

"Do you think they'll go after the crew?"

"I've not heard anything from the others, so I suspect that I'm the main mark...Least with Jenkins. Faraday might have eyes on the rest of the crew." V shrugged, "but he's been watching them off and on from the start so not exactly a big deal but."

"Enough to warrant being on alert." Jackie finished his thought, and V nodded.

"Do you think they'd try anything against mom?" The words were out of David's mouth, and V almost hissed at the question. The thought of Jenkins going after Gloria had always been in the back of V's mind. What better leverage than to strike at his now exposed weak point? But now, Faraday was a possible threat to her as well. V had little doubt that the four-eyed fixer probably knew of Gloria, and knew of her ties to the crew. Sure, she barely classified as a supplier for them, but anyone could see that a lot of the crew cared about her like she was one of their own.

"The possibility is there, but its doubtful." V tried to talk though his thought process. "Biggest threat is Jenkins doing something to me to fuck over my policy, but that would raise a lot of questions and red flags. Potentially leading to more of a headache than if he left her be. Faraday's a bigger threat to Gloria than she is to him, but he'd still have to get past Trauma to get to her. Your mom's accounts and some other records are already basically fucked, so no getting her there either. Short answer, wouldn't worry too much about your mom and our friends...Worry more about her upcoming surgery."

"Yeah, don't want to stress her out anymore than she probably already is." David gave a nod, seeming willing to drop the subject. "Should probably make her laugh instead."

"Laughter is the best medicine...Or so they say." Jackie rubbed his chin, a tiny smirk on his face. "Think I'll continue my story once we're at the Med Center. I think she'll get a kick out of it too."

"Don't you fucking dare..." V narrowed his eyes, hitting Jackie with a hard look at they passed a road sign indicating their turn was coming up.

"Look, I won't tell her the why of why you did it." He raised a hand in oath, "just about everyone's reactions. Oh, I can still see Mama Vega's face when she realized it was you..."

The turn for the Med Center came up, and V took it a little sharper and harder than he needed to. The jolt made David curse, while Jackie just laughed even as he was thrown against the side of the vehicle.

"Guess we should be thankful we're almost to the Med Center, eh Jackie?" David turned, one hand on his chest as he took a few calming breaths.

"Why's that sobrino?"

"Not going to have to wait a long time to get treatment when the old man inevitably beats your ass for telling those stories." The kid started laughing at his own stupid joke, and Jackie soon joined in, punching him in the arm. Rolling his eyes, V took a deep breath to calm his nerves, eyes focusing back on the road even as his mind worked on coming up with a plan to protect Gloria if needed.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

It took another ten minutes of driving before they had reached the Med Center, as even though it was right off the highway, V wanted to double check that he had shaken everyone off. Checking in at the desk, he gave the receptionist and security the instruction that anyone wishing to see Gloria had to be cleared by him, even if they were on the 'approved visitors' list.

"Of course sir." The receptionist had nodded, typing something on the computer. "Miss Martinez' security and visitor status has been upgraded to Orange until further notice."

V nodded in approval. He had considered putting her to Red, which would mean only immediate family on the list could see her after being approved by him. But he didn't want to risk upsetting her, especially if she wanted to see any of the crew before the big day. Of course, there was the ever present chance of someone taking a bribe again to override the directive...But that's where the second part of his plan was going to come into play.

Thanking the receptionist, V took point and lead David and Jackie to the elevator. His nose wrinkled as they walked down the hall to Gloria's room. The smell of sick, antiseptic, and who knows what else chemicals always making him uncomfortable no matter how many times he visited. That's why, despite everything going on, V was genuinely happy that Gloria's stay would soon be over.

Gloria was thrilled to see them, greeting him warmly with a hug and a chaste kiss. She ruffled David's hair and kissed his forehead, and even gave Jackie a hug once she noticed him.

"Someone's happy to have guests." Jackie had laughed as Gloria released him, the woman ushering the three of them to the dining room table where she had been sitting, enjoying a cup of tea. Seeing them, Nadia gave a nod and took to preparing a few more cups as Jackie and David took seats, while V opted to remain standing.

"Just been a little bored. What with waiting around for this thing to finish doing its thing." Gloria wiggled the external biomonitor on her wrist. "Lucky for me, everything's all synced up now. Though is it bad that I'm feeling a weird combination of excitement and nerves?"

"That's to be expected." Jackie gently nudged her arm as Nadia offered him a cup of tea. " Thank you. I'd be more concerned if major, life altering surgeries didn't cause those feelings in you, cuñada."

"Jackie!" V rolled his eyes as Gloria's face took on a tint similar to her hair.

"We're not even...I mean..." The red-head stuttered, and V could tell she was trying to figure out just what they were to each other at current time. Sure, they shared a few moments, a couple kisses here and there. But he hadn't exactly asked her to be his girl again, and Gloria hadn't exactly made a move either.

"Shh shh, don't ruin this for me." Jackie's puppy-dog eyes were on full display, voice overly loud despite his shushing. "This is the closest I've gotten to being able to tease him about a relationship in the last few years."

David choked slightly on his cup. "So wait...The old man's been on a dry spell since mom?"

The two adult Latinos laughed, and V just scoffed and turned away, making David chuckle. He wasn't really mad, even as Jackie started to tell the two a story about the last ill-fated relationship V had wound up in. V turned around, eyes looking at his family (because damn it if that didn't honestly include Jackie at this point in his life) and wished that they could remain, or have more, moments of relaxed contentment like this.

However, he knew there was a dark cloud hanging over everything. One that was threatening more and more to form into a torrential storm that V could do nothing but prepare for in an attempt to lessen whatever damages it may cause. He glanced around the room, Gloria was safe here...and hopefully she'd be even safer once she was out of here. V's eyes fell on Nadia, who was currently leaning on the kitchen counter, her attention focused on the tablet in her hands.

"Hey Nadia, can I talk with you a moment?" The brunette's head perked up at that, her eyes going to V. "In private?"

"Of course." She stood up and moved towards the bedroom, motioning for V to follow her. He looked over his shoulder, making sure that Gloria, David and Jackie were still fully distracted by each other before joining her. "Alright, what did you want to talk about?"

"I don't want to worry Gloria anymore than she already is, so if she asks you what we talked about...I just had some questions and concerns about the procedure, alright?" He closed the door almost all the way as Nadia nodded. "Look, I can't say from who, but trouble may be coming Gloria's way."

"How so?" Nadia crossed her arms, her eyes holding contact with his.

"I don't know." V grunted, that singular fact bothering him more than anything. "What I do know is that I need you to be on high alert until I give an all clear."

"Might be easier said than done." The brunette looked away, "the procedure is long and involved. And they usually only allow the doctors working on the patient to be there." Her eyes closed, head tilting to the side. "Wait, there is one option that might allow me to stay...But I'll need to talk to Gloria about it."

"I don't care what strings you have to pull. What stories you have to tell Trauma or her...Long as you're close by, or ideally with her."

"Think I'm going to tell her the truth." Nadia started, one hand raised to stop the protest forming on his lips. "The "truth" being that you're so concerned about her. That you've requested for me, a third party qualified individual and friend, to be with her at all times. Gloria, not wanting to upset you or trouble you, should concede to it. Then, I just need her to tell the doctors of that request."

"Okay, so why can't you be the one to tell that to the doctors?" He had a feeling he knew the answer, but wanted confirmation.

"Because I'm not the patient. Nor do I have any actual power of attorney over her. As such, I can't make such a request and have it hold any weight." Nadia blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. "See V, given the nature of this surgery, and the Platinum level of care...Trauma allows the patient a few liberties to ensure their comfort. Some choose to have certain songs playing. Others want the room to have a certain scent. Still others request family, friends, or some object to be with them."

The pieces started to lock into place. "So if Gloria requests you to be with her..."

"Then there's no reason for them to deny that request." The nurse gave him a knowing smile. "Probably help that I've a medical background. Gives them an extra set of hands as well. So at best, I'll be at Gloria's side from start to finish. At worst, I'll have to wait outside the operating room...Where I can bar entrance to anyone suspicious."

"Hope you're right." V let out a sigh of semi-relief. "Thanks again Nadia. Really appreciate everything you've done for us. If there's anything you need or want in exchange for this additional job request."

"You want the short list or the long?" Nadia laughed, showing she meant no ill will or harm towards the request. "Eh, we can discuss that after Gloria's treatment is done. Though speaking of the lady of the hour, probably should get back to her."

He peeked out the door, seeing David now animatedly telling the adults a story. "Yeah, not sure how much time I can spend with her today."

"Then make the most of what you do have." She pulled out her tablet and checked something. "Just so you know, surgery team's gonna be ready for her in another two days. They're just finishing up the final preparations and making sure everything's ready to go."

"Good to know." V nodded, holding back a sigh. "Don't know if I'll get to see her again before its done."

"Well, hopefully you can." Nadia moved past him and opened the door. "I'll call you the morning of, and you might get the automated alert from Trauma as well." She raised her voice and placed a hand on V's shoulder and gently ushered him out of the room. "So don't worry, alright? She's in good hands."

"Easier said than done." He let out a puff of air, a tense smile on his face as he looked over at the trio. "Don't think I'll be able to relax until everything's done."

"How do you think I feel?" Gloria frowned, motioning for him to come closer. "I'm the one being treated here, not you."

"I can still worry, alright?" V moved to her side and pulled her into a gentle hug. In reply, Gloria giggled and buried her face in his side.

"I know, but like Nadia said. I'm in good hands, and everything will work out." She pulled away, eyes bright and smile soft as she looked up at him. He let a more genuine smile onto his face as he returned her gaze. Even now, years later, that expression could offer him a strange calm and comfort that nothing else brought. "So sit down, relax, have a cup of tea...And stop me from wanting to hit both of them with La Chancla." A hospital slipper seemed to materialize in Gloria's hand, and she pointed it first at Jackie, then at David.

"What did you do?" V hit his son and brother with a hard look.

"May or may not have told Gloria how I let David take a spin on my ARCH without me." Jackie rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to meet the eyes of the other adults.

"He made me wear a helmet if it's any consolation." David added, scratching at his scalp. "And we were in an empty parking lot."

"David, no estás ayudando."

"Es eso cierto mijo?"

David nodded, and V was about to add in his own thoughts, but a message came in before he could. It was one he had been waiting for, but simultaneously hating it for arriving as it did.

["V, got time to meet? Got a couple things to discuss."]

"Son of a-" He cursed under his breath, realizing that his family was still watching him. V truly wanted to spend more time with Gloria, with his family. He wanted to laugh and joke with them. Make sure Gloria was at ease and continue to show her that he supported her decision a hundred percent. Instead, fate and several other annoyances decided his taste of domestic bliss would have to wait again. And as much as he hated to admit it, V knew that this was something that couldn't wait.

["Yeah, be there within the hour."]

"Everything okay hermano?" Ever aware, Jackie was the first to notice his change in mood.

"Let me guess, work?" Gloria's smile was one of knowing disappointment even as he nodded.

"Yeah, let's go with that." He squeezed her, seeing David and Jackie start shifting to join him. V raised a hand, stopping the two. "Nah, you two can stay here if you want. Pretty sure Gloria would appreciate the company of her son and wannabe brother-in-law."

"I'd appreciate having you here more." Gloria tightened her grip a moment, before letting it go slack. "But I understand." The red-head's face took on a mischievous look. "Those router boxes aren't gonna maintain themselves."

"Oh shush." He placed a finger over her mouth, making her giggle again. "Look, I'll try to make it back before your surgery, but if I can't...I'll at least call you, alright?" The finger moved off her mouth and down to her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "Right now, I just want you to be relaxed and happy so that everything goes smoothly, alright?"

"Alright." Gloria smiled as V captured her lips with his own a moment before releasing her. "Though you better be the one to pick me up the moment I'm given the all clear to get out of here."

"I will, I promise." V carefully pulled himself from Gloria's embrace. "You take care now, alright?" He gave her another kiss, before looking pointedly at Jackie and David. "And you two, behave yourselves." The two men nodded, both trying to make themselves appear smaller while Gloria laughed. V looked then to Nadia, who had resumed her usual spot in the kitchen. "Nadia?"

"I'll keep you posted." The brunette gave an approximation of a salute, and V gave a final nod before departing.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

Much as it had hurt V to leave Gloria so soon, he knew it would be for the best in the long run. And hopefully, this meeting between himself, Maine, Dorio, and Rogue would be the beginning of the end. Wanting to get there faster, V had made the decision to leave the Ragnar with Jackie so he could bring David home, and instead had opted to take his own motorcycle. The bright yellow Kusanagi rolled up to the Med Center, and V had hopped on just as quick before speeding off to the Afterlife.

Upon arriving, he had been surprised to find the Edgerunner in the parking lot instead of Maine's beloved Quadra. Idly, he wondered if more of the crew had shown up than just Maine, who he had contacted shortly after receiving Rogue's message. Shaking off the thought, V cracked his neck before walking down the stairs into the bar. He looked around, trying to spot Rogue or any members of the crew. Catching Claire's eye, the woman tipped her head towards one of the booths near the back of the club, wordlessly telling V where he could find those he sought.

Raising his hand in a gesture of thanks, he made his way over to where the bartender had indicated. It only took a moment for him to find where Maine, and Dorio, were sitting in one of the more private booths. Well, Maine was sitting in it while Dorio was in his lap. Eyes closed, the pair were locked in what appeared to be an intense round of tongue wrestling. V looked away just slightly and loudly cleared his throat. He watched as Dorio's eyes opened partially, before going wide as she realized who she was looking at. She pulled away from Maine's embrace, the action making him open his eyes.

"This is why I say not in public..." Dorio muttered, gently slapping the man's chest as she slid off his lap into the spot next to him.

"Oh uh, hey V." He croaked out, adjusting his position. "When uh, did you get here?"

"Just about a minute ago." V took a seat on the opposite end of where the couple sat. "Were you waiting long?"

"Not really." Dorio replied, smoothing out her jacket before leaning into Maine's side. In reply, Maine slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "I'd say maybe 'bout twenty minutes, half hour tops."

"Rest of the crew here too?"

"Nope. Kiwi's helping Lucy with something, and Falco's off helping the siblings with some automotive repair." Maine's face broke into an amused grin, "Pilar hit a curb in just the right way to pop a tire off his Colby."

The blond man's words hurt, and all V could do was squeak out a how.

"Apparently our favorite techie wasn't paying attention when we were leaving from breakfast at Turbo's earlier." Dorio shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Drove right in and up onto the darn thing. Only warning we got was the loud crunch and pop before we hear Pilar cursing in annoyance and Becca bitching him out." Apparently, remembering a screaming gremlin was enough to break Dorio's resistance and the woman fell into a fit of laughter before coughing. "Ugh, 'scuse me. Think, think I'm gonna grab a beer. Want one? First rounds on me."

"Sure." V watched her slip from the booth, before looking back at Maine. "So what did Falco think of that?"

"Never seen that man look more confused. Or amused." Maine let out a sigh. "As our resident mechanic, Falco felt a need to make sure Pilar understands the value of a good vehicle in our line of work. In a show of good faith, he had the truck towed to a garage owned by a buddy of his. Insisted on it getting a full tune up in addition to new tires."

"And let me guess, he told his buddy to over or up-charge him for everything?" Maine nodded, making V snort. "So that why you two have the Edgerunner at the moment? Because Falco stole Pilar's truck?"

"Sort of." Dorio had returned in time to hear the question, a small tray containing four bottles of beer in her hands. "Falco was test-driving the Colby, going over the finer points of proper steering with Pilar riding shotgun when we got the call from Rogue." She set the tray down in the center, offering V one of the bottles as she reclaimed her spot at Maine's side. Accepting it, V saw her take a bottle for herself before continuing. "We though about bringing the others, but given the situation figured we might be better off keeping a low profile."

"Pilar and Becca agreed to be on stand-by." Maine grabbed one of the bottles, but didn't drink. "And Falco lent us the Edgerunner because she's got the best armor if things go tits up once we're done here."

"Smart man." V's praise of the driver was joined by an additional voice, and he was surprised to see Rogue had appeared. Seeing her, V shifted over, letting the woman sit down beside him. "Think we'll have any trouble Rogue?"

"It's possible, but given that I've got Hildryn patrolling outside." Rogue grabbed the remaining bottle and gestured back towards the entrance with it. "And Emmerick's stationed just inside the entrance keeping an eye out as well. I'm thinking the chance has been reduced."

"Works for me." V raised his bottle, a wry smile on his face. "Cheers?"

"Cheers." The other three echoed, clicking the bottles together.

"So what's this meeting about?" V asked, setting his bottle back on the table.

"Our four-eyed friend." The Queen let out a sigh. "I hate to admit it, but with Faraday being on guard... It's taking a lot longer than I would like to get my people safely into position." Rogue took a swallow of her beer. "VDBs aren't happy with so many outsiders in their territory. They're not being outright hostile, but what they are doing is slowing down progress just enough to where its annoying."

"Dory, don't you have a couple friends among the VDBs?" Maine gently nudged her. "Think you can get them to help us out?"

"I don't have enough pull with them. 'M just someone who can safely cross the border, and bring a few people with me when I do." The musclebound woman frowned. "And I am not asking a seventy-two year old woman for help with this."

V looked at Rogue, who was hiding an amused smirk behind her bottle. The irony of their current situation not quite registering with the younger woman.

"You sure she can't help us?"

"Mama Batchily is not actually affiliated with the Voodoo Boys. Just well respected by them and the community." Dorio closed her eyes, thinking. "And as far as I'm aware, only one or two of the kids I grew up with are. And they're probably just grunts at best."

"Don't worry about it." The older woman dismissed the thoughts with a shake of her head. "I don't want to involve anymore people than I have to."

"Appreciate that." The blond woman took a drink, looking thoughtful. "Should probably pay Mama a visit once this is done with."

"Whose Mama Batchily?" V took another drink as he waited Dorio's reply. Rogue might not want to involve outsiders, but V felt another ally couldn't hurt.

"Old Hatian woman who lives in Pacifica. Sort of a village mom type." There was a nostalgic smile on Dorio's face. "Couldn't have kids of her own so she 'adopted' more than half of the neighborhood kids who were around at the time. Gave us odd jobs here and there to help her out. Advice when we needed it." The woman went off on some story about her then. And despite his earlier thoughts, by the time she was done V agreed not to involve her.

"So, you grew up in Pacifica?" Rogue called for another round of drinks.

"Yeah. Place was pretty nice before the unification war sent it to hell." Dorio's smile faded slightly. "Parents worked for one of the contracting companies responsible for building all the hotels and other attractions . Was more cost effective for them to live where they worked so."

V nodded, feeling a kindred spirit in Dorio for a moment. "Well then, remind me to bring you along if we've got to do some footwork there."

"Think that's why Faraday picked us as his go-to crew?" Maine queried as Claire brought over another round of drinks. "Because we've got someone with an additional 'in'?"

"It's possible, but you guys have also proved to be reliable." Rogue's voice brought the younger woman out of her stupor, and the discussion got back to being on Faraday, and the plans to take him down. As they continued talking and buying drinks, V found himself constantly scanning for anything out of the ordinary. There was one guy in particular who had caught his eye. A road-worn nomad type a couple tables across from them, with a pile of bottles before him. V would have written the man off as a drunk, if it wasn't for the fact that the nomad kept looking over at them. The swaying and unfocused expression on his face just a little too coordinated for someone a six-pack of Broseph in.

It was by pure chance that on the drunk's latest look that V had been looking at him as well. Briefly, he made eye contact with the nomad, seeing a shine in the man's eyes indicative of some type of optical implant. In response to being seen, the man blinked, eyes returning to a more natural look, before calmly getting up from his seat, adding an overly exaggerated sway to his first step as he started to move. By the way his feet and eyes were pointed, V realized he was moving for the exit.

"Shit. We've got a watcher." V hissed, making sure only the four of them could hear.

"What?" Rogue got up and shuffled their bottles around, making it look like she was cleaning up.

"Brown hair, tech on the right side of his skull." Picking up one of the beer bottles, V used adding it to Rogue's tray as a cover to point out the drunk. The Fixer's eyes followed V's finger, seeing the guy at once. For whatever reason, the drunk had picked that moment to look over his shoulder, the hesitance all the invitation V needed to get up and persue him. Realizing he'd been caught, the watcher made a run for it.

"Emmerick! Got a runner!" V heard Rogue call even as Maine and Dorio got up to join V's persuit. Being a few steps ahead of the others, V had a perfect view of the moment the watcher pulled a stun-rod from his jacket and strike Emmerick in the side before the bouncer had even finished turning. The man let out a pained groan as he hit the ground, the watcher moving past him and escaping out the door.

"Fuck!" V cursed, sprinting up the steps as Rogue urged him to go after the runner. He exited the building just in time to see the gonk speed off on a white motorcycle. Running to the parking lot, V hopped on his motorcycle to persue. Not wanting to waste time checking if Maine and Dorio were behind him, he called the pair on the holo.

["I'm in pursuit. Watcher's on a white Apollo on the highway, heading towards the waterfront!"]

["Got a bead on you but not him."] The reply came from Dorio, but V couldn't respond as he sped up. Noticing that he was being tailed, the Watcher banged a wild u-turn and headed for the highway ramp behind them. V made his own turn, just barely dodging a car that picked that same moment to change lanes, and maneuvered the Kusanagi through the traffic.

The watcher's bike roared as it crossed onto the bridge, the man piloting it having no qualms about weaving in and out between cars. V would have been impressed if it wasn't so reckless, and he cursed as the Apollo caught the draft off an eighteen wheeler and used the force to sling-shot around the side of it. The action caused V to lose sight of the Apollo, and the watcher might have gotten away if it wasn't for a cacophony of beeping to come from ahead as the Apollo cut across three lanes to go off the ramp that lead into downtown. Using his bike's speed to its fullest, V hopped in the exit lane and managed to catch up with the watcher.

["Fucker hopped the ramp for downtown!"]

["Shit. Too far behind to see you."]

["We'll take the exit as well. Keep us posted!"]

V kept his eyes fully focused on the road in front of him as he followed the watcher through the crowded streets. It had been his hope that the busier and more populated streets of downtown would have slowed the watcher. But that only seemed to spur him on. No longer was the runner content to weave across lanes and around cars. Now, he was speeding down side streets, banking turns, and even going up on the sidewalks as a way to swerve around traffic. His latest jump to the sidewalk had been right in front of an NCPD officer as they crossed into Wellsprings. V cursed up a storm, spotting the the officer yelling into his radio, no doubt to call in some back up. Sure enough, the sound of sirens filled the air, and V knew the runner was now marked by the police as well.

["Good news, we've got reinforcements. Bad news, I can't get too close or draw on him without getting caught up in it."]

["Let them take him? Or force him to run where we can get him?"]

V didn't respond, trying his best to keep eyes on the runner who was now cutting down alleyways and doing everything in his power to lose whomever might be tailing him. There was a brief moment where the nomad banked a turn, and passed V on the opposite side. This would have been the perfect chance to strike, if an NCPD cruiser hadn't been close behind. V turned at the first chance he got, seeing the Apollo make another turn – this time heading back towards the highways.

"Shit!" V sped up, doing his best to keep the Apollo in his sights. ["Target's heading back towards the Highway, probably aiming for Pacifica or Santo."]

["Fuck. Gonna be a few before we can hop back on."]

Mentally, V both cursed and praised his luck as the Apollo sped up the on ramp. The bigger cars of the NCPD weren't as maneuverable, and V used that opportunity to get on the highway before they could. It took only a moment for him to regain visual on the Apollo, the white paint job flashing between the other colored cars an easy target for V to focus on. V moved to the rightmost lane and hugged the guardrail as the highway curved over the water. The Apollo was doing the same, and there was little doubt in V's mind that their runner was aiming for Pacifica.

"Now or never..." V could see the turn that marked where the exit for Pacifica was, the angle would give him a moment to take a shot. Reaching for his pistol, V throttled his bike to maximum speed and aimed as best he could. The Apollo slowed just the tiniest fraction, giving V an extra second to take the shot. While the shot missed the driver it shattered the bike's windshield. The glass fragmenting made the runner flinch wildly, distracting him at a crucial moment. The front tire of his bike clipped the concrete of the guard rails, sending both machine and rider to the pavement. The pair skidding and stopping just at the top of the turnoff into the VDB territory.

The runner lay on the ground for a moment, staring up at the sky in a daze from his sudden stop. V wasted no time and parked his bike safely to the side. Moving to intercept the man who had rolled himself over, and was using his arms to grab the guard rail and pull himself up. Seeing V, the cornered runner made a last ditch attempt to get away and forced himself to roll over the guard rail. A scream accompanied his fall, broken only by the sound of a diver striking water.

V let out a growl, a scowl on his face as he stared down at the water, kiroshis scanning the rippling liquid for his target. After a moment, he saw the runner surface, the man making a feeble attempt to swim to the shore. Keeping an eye on his target, V took a deep breath and hopped over the railing himself. Taking on near perfect pencil dive form, it was his intention to land in the water as close to the runner as he could.

V's aim was true, and he fell just a few feet behind the runner. The fact that his cybernetic legs pierced the water wasn't enough to stop the force of the impact from making his bones ache. It just meant he was still functioning.

Pushing for the surface, it didn't take V long to catch up with the man. Another moment and V had trapped the nomad in a headlock. The man struggled against V's hold, but already worn out from the chase, sore from his impact with the road, and broken by his fall to the waters it was little more than a dying fish flopping around in a net.

Water splashed around both of them, and more than once V found himself sputtering as the seawater got into his nose and mouth. The runner wasn't as lucky, his head at the mercy of V's own movements.

"Shit! Let me go!" The man cried, trying break out of V's grip. "I'm gonna drown you asshole!"

"Then tell me who sent you!" He demanded as a particularly large wave washed over the two of them.

"Let me go first!"

"Wrong answer." Taking a deep breath, V pulled them both underwater. While he was prepared for it, the runner was not and his once defiant screams became gurgles of panic as the seawater filled his lungs. They were maybe under the water for ten seconds tops, but it was enough that when V surfaced, the runner was gagging and coughing.

"I'll ask again." V stared the guy down, eyes angrier than normal thanks to the sting of salt. "Who. Sent. You?"

"Fu-fuck you!"

"This again?" Shifting his posture, V forced the man's head under the water again. Taking another breath, V let himself sink as well, making it easier for him to maintain his grip. V counted to fifteen this time, before letting the gonk have another taste of oxygen.

"Are you...mad!? You'll, ugh, kill us both!" Coughs and gags punctuated the runner's words, and V could see fear and panic overtaking what little defiance remained in the man's eyes.

"Then tell me what I want to know!" V quickly dunked the man back under the water. Twenty seconds this time, though it might have been longer or shorter as V lost count as a wave hit his own mouth and made him cough. He pulled the runner back up, using the man as a stepping stone to push his own head just a bit higher above the sea.

The nearly drowned man coughed, a facsimile of words or syllables coming from his mouth as he tried to speak.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"

"F-Faraday!" The name was literally spat out with a mouthful of seawater.

Hearing the fixer's name brought all of V's building frustrations to the forefront of his mind, his emotions staining with ill thoughts and anger. Taking a deep breath V once more submerged both of them. As he had before the runner screamed, flailed, and did everything in his power to break out of V's grasp. In reply, V tightened his grip dragging them to the silt and sand of the bay, ignoring the burning in his own lungs as the seconds ticked by. Only once his brain demanded that he provide his 'ganics with oxygen did V allow himself to surface.

He took a breath, the rush of air almost overwhelming and making him feel lightheaded. There was a weight in his arms, and V looked down at the runner who he still had a deathly grip on. At some point, the man had given up his life and succumbed to the sea. Finally releasing his grip, V let the runner's body go, not caring where it might drift off to. It bobbed on the surface a few times, before being partially pulled out towards deeper waters. Ignoring the corpse, V set his eyes on the shoreline and started swimming towards it.

Coarse, wet, and uncomfortable as it was, the semi-solid feeling of the waterfront sand underneath his legs was a welcome feeling. That feeling faded as Mother Nature decided that he wasn't wet enough, and the sky opened up with a serving of California rain. Tilting his head skyward, he cursed as his eyes fell upon the dunes that lead up to the road. Letting out a groan, V dragged himself up the now muddy hill, thankful for the occasional tuft of grass or tenacious shrub he could grab to help pull himself forward. Right as he reached the road, he was treated to the Edgerunner rolling past him. The breaks squealed, the vehicle pulling off to the side. A moment later and both Maine and Dorio were moving towards him.

"Oh shit! V!" He heard Dorio's voice, the woman reaching him first. "You good?"

"Yeah...I'm good." He coughed, offering no resistance as Dorio pulled one of his arms around her shoulder to support him. "Just tired. And wet. Swimming, with cyberware, after a chase, sucks." Dorio laughed nervously and he let her take most of his weight, "Oh. And so does hiking, on dunes, in the rain."

"You sure?" Maine was now in front of them, ushering them to the Edgerunner. "You're covered in blood."

V looked down at his suit, and he realized the runner's case of road rash must have been worse than he thought. His suit was stained with blood in more places than one. The seawater having done little more than wash away the excess.

"Not mine..." A tiny sort of laugh escaped him as Maine opened the sliding door to the van. V climbed inside, smiling as he was no longer pelted by the rain. "His."

"The runner's?" Dorio turned, looking back towards the shoreline.

"Where is he?"

"Out at sea." Seeing a box of disposable shop cloths, V tried to dry himself off a little. "Dead."

"Did you get anything off him?"

"Yeah." He ran one of the towels over his face. "Faraday sent him."

Both blondes cursed, taking a moment to climb into the vehicle themselves to stay dry against the weather.

"He say anything else?"

"Didn't give him a chance." V blew his nose, trying to get some of the remaining salt out. "Best I can gather is Faraday sent him to watch us. Caught him recording our conversation just before he took off."

"Think he..."

"Yeah, probably sent it the moment he realized he'd be caught."

"So, what now?"

"Now?" V threw the soiled cloths aside and moved to sitting on one of the seats instead of the floorboards. "We report back to Rogue. Once she's informed, you gather the crew – take them to the Cojo. And I'll meet you there."

"And what are you going to do in the meantime?"

"Take a shower." V ran a hand over his hair, it was already starting to stiffen up from the salt and sand coating it. Another thing Faraday could be blamed for.

V swore the fixer was a dead man.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

Similar to when they had celebrated David's progress on the midterms, the crew was gathered around a table near the back of the Cojo. Someone had taken the liberty of ordering drinks, though there was an obvious tension lingering among the crew. Maine had an arm wrapped around Dorio's shoulder, who was leaning on his chest, both looking a bit more tired than when V saw them a few hours ago. Kiwi and Lucy were focused on a tablet in the older netrunner's hands. Falco had his eyes closed and V could see his hand lightly tapping the table in time to the rhythm of the song playing on the Cojo's radio. Pilar had his head down on the table, hiding it with one arm while holding a beer with the other. Becca was talking quietly to her brother, trying to cheer him up.

The biggest surprise to him however, was seeing David and Jackie at the table as well. David was beside Lucy, while Jackie was sitting across from him. He figured they'd have stayed with Gloria but-

"Maine told us some of the detes over the holo." Jackie answered V's unspoken question. "Figured it best if we were here in person."

"Told mom we'd be back later." David turned a nervous smile to him. "Promised we'd bring her dinner from here when we came back."

"Just make sure its on the approved list." Becca quipped, motioning for V to take the seat beside her. "Seriously, their restrictions are ridiculous. They gave me the third degree just because I brought in buck-a-slice for myself."

"You brought in my mom's favorite fast food and ate it in front of her?" The look of mama's boy fury on David's face seemed to break some of the tension. "You bitch."

"Is it any consolation if I tell you I shared it with her?" The gremlin grinned, and V felt a headache forming behind his eyes. Then again, he should have known Gloria would have found a way to get contraband food. If nothing else, Gloria could be highly resourceful at times.

"Rebecca..."

"What?" She pouted, "not my fault I wanted my favorite MILF to be happy before everything."

Various groans, eyebrow raises, and looks ranging from weirded out to amused took over the table. Even Pilar seemed to have snapped out of his funk from what his sister said.

"So...What's this about?" Kiwi decided to be the one to shift the subject. "All Maine told us was that we needed to meet because of something Faraday pulled?"

"Yeah. Had a watcher on us at the Afterlife. Gonk likely got footage of us talking with Rogue about taking Faraday down."

"Guessin' you caught him?" Falco asked, offering V a beer from the tray before him.

"Only after he got the drop on us." V took the beer, wishing it was something stronger.

"Thought the Afterlife had bullshit security to prevent shit like that?" Pilar tilted his head, "how'd he get in?"

"Hid in plain sight. Looked like any other runner who'd wander into her bar." V took a long drink, before telling the remaining crew about how he found the guy and the chase. "I've already updated Rogue, and she's in agreement with me that we can't spring our plan too soon now without risking losing the rat. Something that we can't afford to have happen."

"So what's the plan?" Lucy asked, hunching into herself as David copied Maine and put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "Sit around and let him come to us?"

"Sort of." V looked at the crew, making sure they were focused. "We have the data that he needs for his Militech masters. He wants to keep their backing, he needs what we have. On that same note, we've got no proof he's on to us. It's not like we watched an upload happen. As of right now, we've no choice but to go on the defensive and wait for a moment to strike."

He could tell none of the crew were happy about that, but could also see that they understood and agreed with him.

"Feel you've got the most experience with this kind of gig V." He saw several of the crew nod in agreement with what Maine said. "So what should we do?"

"Stay in groups, and avoid the public eye as much as possible. If someone needs to go out alone for whatever reason, you let everyone know every detail about where you're going." He could see more than a few eyerolls at that. "I mean it. Cliche as it is, there's safety in numbers. If Faraday is looking to zero any of us he's going to have to do it all together or one at a time."

"Think I'll just stay home then." Pilar tapped a finger to his chin, "I do have a backlog of porn I've been meaning to go through."

"Ugh, really?" Becca pulled at her pigtails, head hitting the table. Looking up, she hit V with the flirtiest, begging pout she could manage. "V? Can I stay with you until this is done?"

Several laughs came from around the table, and even V had to hide a smile as David twitched in disgust. And while his apartments probably were the safest from Faraday...

"Nope not happening, got a better idea for you." V tossed two sets of keys to Becca.

"What's this?"

"Keys to your new safehouse." V sent her and Pilar a map. "Know you currently got your place in Northside, but this one's in Kabuki. Its not much bigger than your current apartment, but it has actual bedrooms instead of those cubicle-style rooms you've got at your current place."

"Oh shit. My own room?" Becca stared at the keys, even as Pilar plucked the other set from her. "Want to come home with me and help me break it in?"

"Sis, suit's got bigger things to deal with than your unquenchable thirst." The techie grinned as he looked at the keys. "Finally, I'll have a proper wall to hang my posters on. Maybe I can even move out and live th-"

He was silenced by Becca's fist to his face. "No, if anyone gets the new apartment as a place to stay, it's me!"

"But I'm older." Pilar shoved his sister back, hand holding where she had hit him.

"And I'm sick of your hand-me-downs!"

"Children." Dorio stood up, eyeing the siblings. "You can fight about who gets to live where later, but in the here and now...I suggest you share the space."

"Fine, mom..." Becca crossed her arms, "I guess we can share."

"Maine, you sure you didn't knock her up?" Pilar pointed at Dorio, "because I'm getting massive mom-vibes here an-GAH!" The techie screamed as Dorio grabbed his finger and bent it backwards to an uncomfortable angle. "Ah, let go! Let go! You're gonna break it!" She complied, and Pilar cradled his hand, frowning. "And fine, I'll share with my sister."

"Good. Any more biz V?"

"Last thing, The Cojo is going to be our new public meeting spot."

"Why's that?" Maine's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Like I've said before, Cojo's neutral ground. Making it a safe place to meet and eat. It's also close to a safe house."

"Whose safehouse?"

"David's."

"Do we have to stay there?" Maine questioned, clearly jovially but the way he said it bothered V. "The place must reek of hormones, dry fluids and stale sweat."

In his peripheral vision, V could see David getting very pale, very quickly. "...Why?" The father asked calmly, politely. A blank expression taking over.

"Wait, wait, wait." Becca cut it with that goblin grin of hers, "Daddy dark and spooky wasn't aware his son has been sowing seeds on the daily?"

Vincent Linder's gaze slowly turned to his son, who couldn't meet his eyes nor hide the shameful red flush on his paper white complexion. The father's silent ,damning, accusing gaze was held long enough for David's skin to develop a sheen of sweat in spite of the bar's air conditioning.

"I have so much more to worry about, so all I will say is; 'you will be using protection.' Capiche?" The tone was biblical. Old testament, wrath of god type biblical. The very way he said it was channeling ten-thousand years of fatherly discipline and expected obedience. The unsaid implications of the proportional amount of punishment that would be dished out if this simple command was not followed was harrowing.

David nodded vigorously with the silent compliance one desires from a wayward problem child, no doubt his dick had retreated inside his body for safety even as his ass clenched hard enough to crack diamond.

Not for the first time, V was having second thoughts about the company his son was keeping. His only available solution was to drain his bottle of beer and hope the second he reached for kept the irony from killing him.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

It took two days for V's prediction to come true.

Day one was spent hunkering down, moving supplies to their safe houses of choice, and reinforcing the defenses each place offered. Call-ins were established on rotation, a text every few hours to update on location and status. If anyone wanted more supplies, then V was given a call and he'd haul over whatever was needed. Becca of course, abused this to ensure 'her new apartment' was stock full of her favorite heat and eat meals. V made a note to remember that the biggest part of her order was for a knock off spaghetti and meat sauce.

By nightfall, the crew were sleeping in shifts in their section of Night City with a sidearm at the ready. David, Jackie, and much to V's distaste, Lucy were all at David's apartment. Leaving V on his own to wander Night City, sowing deception and bait for their fixer to bite at. Little details here and there. Telling friends or their regulars about the crew setting up in the badlands. A lie of course, the only thing there was one of Rogue's kill teams waiting for anyone to pounce on the bait.

With the light of dawn came a small oversight. Gathered together, the crew had a nice stock of ammo for themselves. Enough to supply a small siege. Individually, even in pairs, the amount of ammo was not enough to fend off a hit squad without perfect aim.

The solution was easy enough to come by. An out of the way branch of Second Amendment's chain of gun shops in mega-building H10 had a surplus and a man running the place who was all too willing to give them a discount for a bulk deal like they were looking for. Lucy was swiftly dropped off with Becca. While Jackie and David were brought in as added guns and extra hands moving a platform cart's load in spare bullets.

V almost had to compliment Faraday's hit crew on their timing. The shop owner, Wilson, had just handed V a bill of sale. Jackie was chatting with David, and David's hands were full pushing the platform to the elevator. The assholes could not have had better timing to turn the corner with guns already aiming for the trio. Four scavs in leather, no heavy armor. Three with rifles and an ace.

A big bastard in Scav gear opened up with an Mk.31, the heavy machine gun's explosive rounds would have shredded the three of them if it weren't for V's IFF going off. David was pulled back, stumbling into the store as the guy behind the counter tried to trigger his security. The metal shutters slid down and snapped tight over the owner's booth. They failed to slide down over the entrance.

The Scav's aim was scop-shit, the heavy machine gun bucking back and forth with every shot. The spray of exploding lead serving better as suppressive fire than an actual attempt on their life. The stacks of ammo boxes on the cart served well for an improvised shield. Doing shit to stop anything but a direct hit. With big boy blasting away, the other three scavs were happy to lean back and watch them struggle.

A quick peek around them gave them their own chance of a tactical advantage. "Jackie, the stairs behind us! Pull!"

Jackie pulled a grenade from his jacket, nothing explosive, but a flashbang. V could have kissed him, if it wasn't for a fear of crossing the line of bromance. The Flashbang was cooked and tossed, giving the scavs no time to react and forcing them to take the full flash when it popped midair.

The cart was pulled back, keeping them safe from the heavy gunner's bucking blind-firing. The reinforced concrete railing on the balcony above gave them a perfect view down and let them cover the corner. Jackie needed no instruction already opening fire with a pair of Lexingtons. The full-auto pistols were both spray and pray at their range, but it worked to keep the scavs back. The heavy tried to spray back, but with his shit recoil control he was nailing the walls far behind him more than anything near them.

"Buster! Forget the fucks up high aim for the brat!"

The rounds got six shots off before V heard David cry out in pain.

V stopped thinking. V felt Jackie pull at his sleeve, and felt himself wrench his arm out of his grip. His brother in all but blood was saying something to him but he couldn't hear it.

V could see himself vault over the rails, running at the scavs. He saw the look on the big one's face as he leapt upon him. Felt the resistance as his mantis blades dug deep and ripped him open. Saw the next be lifted with the tip of one blade as the point of the other was driven in over and over before tossing him to the floors below.

The third had fallen to the ground, tried crawling away. A blade was driven into his thigh, used to pull him back to the edge. V didn't throw him over. He was lifted and driven into the railing by the neck. The throat was crushed on the first blow, the second cracked the spine. The third time broke his neck, a spurt of blood erupting as the force ripped the skin. The last survivor held his gun up, not with the barrel pointed at V, but like a shield. The mantis blades turned the ajax into scrap metal, taking the arms holding it with them.

The screaming pulled V out of the trance, not enough to break its hold. Just enough to let some human cruelty seep in.

A blade was driven into the survivors gut. Lower intestine, not an immediate death sentence, but very painful.

"Yes or no: Faraday sent you?"

He only refused for a second, enough for V to turn the blade slightly, "Yes! Fuck! Yes! Faraday sent us! Said you crossed him!"

"You still have his number?"

"Y-yes..."

V's personal link was jammed into the survivor's neck with more force than needed. "Call him, and read the script I give you if you want to live." The survivor hesitated for only a moment before he made the call.

["Is it done?"]

["H-hey boss"] the hired gun answered verbally, V didn't hold it against him the comm unit in his neck was almost twenty years out of date. Still he tilted the blade sharply, letting him know to read the prompt correctly.

["H-h-hey there you f-four eyed fuck."]

["What are you-"]

["Y-you made a b-big f-fucking mistake today. I b-butchered all the boys you sent after m-me."]

["Is this a new trick Maine? Something to scare me?"]

["W-wrong again, d-dead man. I w-will f-find you. W-when I do... o-oh god..."]

V tilted the blade again, letting the electricity spark across the blade for just a moment.

["W-when I find you I'm gonna have the dirtiest scav ripper turn you into a M-midnight Lady d-display p-piece.] The armless man choked up, but V didn't have to prod him to keep him going. [W-when they're done I'll trade you to every XBD maker in the city, and... a-and after your living corpse has become nothing but used holes and sem-semen I'll finally bury your body."] The scav devolved into tears, either from the pain or what he'd been forced to say. Either way, V felt he had one last purpose.

V didn't let the call end, or give Faraday the benefit of a reply. His still impaled mantis blade went full power, arcs of electricity tracing over the blade and into the survivor. Still connected, Faraday heard his minion scream his last before the call itself dropped when he finally expired.

V tossed the corpse to the ground. He didn't turn around, too afraid of seeing David laying there.

"Ah! Jackie too tight!"

"Sorry mijo, gotta hold the bandage in place for the skin patch to take hold."

V turned in place so fast he felt his muscles threaten to tear.

David was propped up against the entryway to the gun store, with Jackie pressing a med-patch to his left side.

Presentation, propriety, position, appearance, all of it went out the window as V slid over to his son in a blur and pulled him close. "Thank god." he murmured into his sons hair. "Oh thank god you are okay."

Vincent could feel his son sit awkwardly stunned in his arms, but couldn't care less. A glance up showed Jackie looking back and forth between his brother and the carnage he'd created with worry openly displayed on his face.

V couldn't care less. David lived and he couldn't feel happier.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

After ensuring that David was okay, V and Jackie roped in some additional help from several bystanders to load up their purchases into the Ragnar. Trying to be tough, David had offered to help, but not wanting to risk further aggravate his son's injuries, put the boy on inventory. Trusting David to keep count, and Jackie to keep an eye on things – V took a moment to step away and sent out a holo call to the rest of the crew.

V didn't wait to see who picked up, opting to speak the moment he heard the 'click' signaling the call was connected.

["Need check-ins now. We just got jumped on the ammo run."]

["You too spooky?"]

["Give me detes Pilar, this ain't time for jokes."]

["We had a meet up at the Cojo. Food and planning sort of thing. Twenty or so of Faraday's disposable fuckwits tried to charge in for us."] There was an anger in the Techie's voice that V had rarely heard.

["Shit. How bad was it? Did we lose anybody?"] He braced himself, one hand forming into a fist.

["Negative gloomy. We got injured but no dead."]

He heaved a sigh of relief, it could have been much worse. ["How?"]

["When you said this place was neutral, I thought you meant the 'silent agreement' type, not the 'a fuckton of Valentinos like to get drinks here' type."] Pilar's voice rose in volume slightly. ["Somebody was having a birthday of all things. So when guns were drawn we had like forty or fifty backing us. With them in the center it was a fucking shooting gallery."]

V glanced over his shoulder, seeing Jackie double checking something with David. ["What about Mama Welles? Was she hurt?"]

["She was in the back I think, just got a delivery when shit went down."]

["No damages, nobody using explosives or heavy guns?"] Mentally, V ran down the list of potential damages as he waited Pilar's answer.

["Nope, all small arms."] The man almost sounded amused by that fact. ["I think they were gonna try and take us alive or something."]

["Any reason why? Did they say anything?"]

["Well four-eyes still need the data you and Maine have don't he?"]

V's eye visibly twitched at the question. ["I can sympathize with how Becca feels when you point out something obvious."]

["You okay? You sound kinda outta it."] The other man's tone softened.

["Our scav ambush was small, four gonks, but their biggest was toting an MK.31."]

A hiss came over the line. ["Ouch, everything okay on your end?"]

V turned fully this time, eyes on his son. ["David got clipped. Nothing vital but it took a big chunk of skin."]

["I bet that pissed you off."]

["Saying they're dead is putting it mildly."] V closed his eyes, mouth set in a line.

["Right, setting a daily reminder not to piss you off."] He ignored Pilar's comment, asking instead another question.

["Are you all still at the Cojo."]

["Yeah, figured it'd only be polite to help clean up."]

["Stay put, we'll be there soon."] V ended the call, thankful that everyone was alright...and already together in one place.

Jackie spotted the grim look on V's face as he approached, "I know that look Holmes. What happened and how bad?"

"Good news and bad news. The good: nobody died, just some small injuries. The bad is that Faraday sent a crew to the Cojo."

"Mierda! Nothing happened to Mama, right?" By the way Jackie's eyes widened, V could tell the man was debating giving her a call.

"Pilar says she was in back when it went down." He placed a hand on Jackie's shoulder. "Apparently this little raid crashed a Valentino birthday." Jackie cringed, letting out a grunt that V understood perfectly. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"Well, I know our original plan was to take this shit to the safehouses...But can I be selfish and demand we go to the Cojo instead? Got to make sure Mama and everyone else is okay, you know?"

"Yeah, with you on that one." V nodded, eyes watching as last of their purchases were loaded and the trunk closed. He stepped over to the van, giving the hired help a bonus on top of the initial eddies he agreed to pay them. V looked at David, who was staring at the bill of sale he had been using as a checklist. "Everything there?"

"Yeah." The kid nodded, a pained smile on his face as he handed over the bill. "Everything's in good repair too, given the circumstances." It was then David noticed the expressions on the faces of the adults. "Hey pops, uncle? You guys okay?"

V shared a look with Jackie, all the communication they needed.

"Crew got jumped at the Cojo around the same time as us." V answered, getting straight to the point as he gestured for David to get in the van. "Everyone's alright, but we're going to make a detour and stop off there before delivering this stuff."

"Wha-Why?" David grunted as he opened the door and hopped in the back of the Ragnar, letting Jackie take shotgun.

"Faraday's pissed, and he wants to eliminate anything in his way." Jackie answered, scowling at the unseen fixer as he settled in for the ride. "Given that we made it a bit harder for him to target anyone of us alone...Probably thought it best to try and take everyone out at once."

"But...Everyone's okay, right?" V heard the concern in his son's voice, saw the worry in the boy's eyes as looked over his shoulder. While a lot of this was old hat for V and Jackie, for David it was new. He could tell his son still hadn't fully come to terms with what happened during the midterms. And now for him to be the one to get injured? For his crew to get attacked?

"Yeah. Everyone's alright." No longer fueled by adrenaline and emotions seeing his son okay, V hoped his expression was reassuring. "None of our guys took any hits, though some of the Valentinos who lent a hand did take minor injuries."

"So don't worry." Jackie had a tense smile on his face, looking to be having trouble taking his own advice. "Your abuela has at least three first aid kits on the first floor alone."

"Really?" David's voice rose in still youthful hope as Jackie nodded. "That's good, though I think I'll feel better once I see everyone in person."

"You and me both sobrino." V heard Jackie laugh nervously, seeing the man's head looking at the speedometer. "Which, can't believe I'm about to ask this. What with the amount of explosive materials we're hauling. But just this one, you mind stepping on the gas a little more choom?"

"Don't have to ask me twice." Being honest with himself, V was just as anxious to check in and see everyone as well. They almost had Faraday cornered, and it was clear the four-eyed beast was getting ready to make his last stand.

He just had to hope everyone would be ready as well.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

Even given Pilar's account, the scene that greeted the trio when they arrived was not what they were expecting. Several Valentinos were gathered around their fellows, an assortment of first aid kits open on the various tables as wounds were wrapped and cuts bandaged. A few others were sweeping the floor, or disposing of chairs and other items damaged beyond what would be worth repairing.

"Mama?" Jackie called after a moment of scanning the bar for the woman. "Pepe! Donde esta mi mama?"

"Out back, getting a few more cleaning supplies." The bartender gestured with the bottle of tequila he was pouring a seemingly never-ending line of shots from. "And some more ice, need it for both drinks and injuries."

"I can see that." Jackie moved over to the bar, grabbing a shot and downing it as the door opened. Dorio came in first, several bags of ice in her arms that were dropped into an unseen tub to rest behind the counter. Lucy came out a moment later, several clean washcloths in one hand and a small bucket of warm, soapy water in the other.

"David!" Still with the items in her hands, Lucy ran out from behind the counter and embraced him. The boy's face contorted in pain and he groaned, making her gasp and pull away. "Oh right. Sorry..."

"Go sit down niet-oh!" Mama Welles had stepped out in time to see the display, her own words cut off as Jackie embraced his mother.

"Mama, estas bien?"

"Bien Jaquito."

Despite everything, V smiled at the sight of Mama Welles gently rubbing her son's back, reassuring him that she was fine. He looked to where Lucy had moved David, the kid already showing her his 'battle scar' even as a Valentino came over with a first-aid kit to make sure everything was in order.

"V! There you are!" He felt something grab onto his waist, and looked down to see the green-haired gremlin nuzzling into his side. "So glad you guys are all still in one piece. When Pilar mentioned the a gonk with a heavy gun and that David had gotten winged..."

"Kind of thought it be worse." Kiwi moved over the two of them, Maine and Falco following behind.

"How you feelin' kid?" Maine asked, his eyes going to where the kid was being tended to.

"I've felt better." David rubbed his side, giving the group a lopsided smile as he did. With Lucy's help, he stood up and moved to one of the unoccupied tables. The rest of the crew moving over then to join him and fill each other in on what had happened on both sides.

"Honestly, it was like in those old west movies. Bad guy comes walkin' in and draws iron, entire saloon does the same." Falco laughed, one hand stroking his mustache. "Almost felt bad for the other guys."

"What you expect hombre?" A Latina woman moved over to their table, inviting them to grab a drink or two off the large tray she carried. "This might be Padre's territory, but everyone knows you don't interfere with business at the Cojo."

Nods came from the Valentinos nearest to them, more than one patting each other on the back as the woman offered the tray to them.

"Si si. No te metas con la Saintess." A man offered, bringing a few more cheers from the gathered Valentinos as he raised a bottle in toast.

"Silencio." Mama Welles gently whacked the speaker on the back of his head, making him curse and hold it in a playful showing of pain. "But seriously V. They should have known better than to come here and try to start shit."

"Yeah." Pepe called from the bar, giving a thumbs up even as he poured another round of shots. "The boys here have even volunteered to keep guard over the place." He threw the thumb to a small group of guys nearest to the bar. The five of them all striking some combat ready pose like a squad of comic book heroes.

Laughter came from all around, several others doing the same or making declarations of war, or calling for retribution. There was a sense of camaraderie from all parties currently under the roof of the Cojo, and V felt himself relaxing just slightly.

"Honestly choom, I don't think he could have screwed up more." Jackie finally returned to the group, offering V one of the tequila shots in his hand. "Just got off the holo with Padre. And let me tell you, I've never heard such hellfire come from the mouth of a holy man." The man's eyes looked to the shot in his hand. "He's on his way over right now, and something tells me we won't have to worry about this place for awhile."

"Why would Padre be coming here?" David coughed and choked down a shot of what might have been Vodka or another clear alcohol. "Isn't...Isn't he just another Fixer."

"Yes, but a rule among the Fixers is to not step on each-other's toes..." It was Maine who answered the question first, looking to V and Jackie to further explain.

"Sebastian Ibarra, or Padre as everyone calls him, is the main Fixer for the Valentinos." Jackie took over, gesturing to the various gang members around the bar. "He's to them what Faraday is to the VDBs. And Maine's right in that the man broke several rules with this little stunt." David's head tilted slightly, showing his interest. "First, he's operating outside of his territory. It's one thing if a gig your crew has has them crossing boarders. Such as your target moved their shit from Wakako's territory to Padre's. Its a whole other thing to deliberately send them in on a gig."

"Second, he drew iron on neutral ground." The ex-Valentino stared at a small cluster of bullet holes to pepper one of the walls. "Doesn't matter where you are, whose around, whatever. You never draw iron on neutral ground unless the other guy draws first or comes in gun blazing. These, and plenty more things I've haven't named are more than enough to earn the ire not only from the other fixers, but whatever gangs might operate in the area as well."

"So Faraday..." By the way David's eyes were shining, V could see the boy understood.

"Couldn't have fucked himself any harder even if he had a whole team of Joytoys equipped with Mr. Studds." Jackie was laughing by the time he finished talking, and so was most of the crew and those closest enough to have heard the comment. Even V let out a short laugh as more than one person tried to one-up Jackie's declaration about how fucked the four-eyed fixer was.

The more the comments flew, the drinks flowed, and those gathered laughed. The more V genuinely let himself relax, feeling that he could let his guard down for just a little bit.

He should have known better.

Both his and David's eyes lit up at the same time as they received a message.

[This is an automated medical alert. Patient: Martinez, Gloria has been in an accident involving but not limited to; complications during surgery, lethal assault, and sudden cardiac arrest. We respectfully request you report in person to the nearest Trauma Team center to discuss your options. Thank you and have a nice day.]

V looked at David, his son's expression of shock and horror was without a doubt mirroring his own.

They both ran for the door.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

V didn't care how many laws he broke. How many traffic violations he would incur. He had one goal and no one was going to get in his way. He had ignored the yells to come from Jackie as he and David bolted from the Cojo, opting to take his Kusanagi for maximum mobility over the Ragnar or any other vehicle. The whole way, he felt David clinging onto him for dear life from behind, but knew the kid's grip wouldn't falter. The son was feeling the same emotions as the father, though V could tell David had a higher level of worry while he had a higher level of fury.

The bike skidded to a stop in front of the Med Center, and V only stayed on the bike just long enough for David to hop off before the pair ran inside. He paid no mind to the calls of the receptionist. Ignored voices calling after him as he instructed David to activate his Sande and take the stairs to get to the floor his mother was on before doing the same.

The floor seemed to be in a state of organized chaos. Doctors, nurses, and orderlies were darting from room to room, checking patients, supplies, or trying to comfort one another. No one paid the father-son team any mind as they switched to a controlled jog, David lagging a little behind due to his earlier injury.

An armed security guard stood at the entrance to the hall that contained Gloria's recovery room. Seeing V, the guard raised his gun in a block, though V could see the man's finger resting on the trigger.

"Turn around buddy, you don't have permission-"

V's kick lashed out with brutal efficiency, snapping the guard's ankle on impact. As the paid protector began to collapse V grabbed an arm and snapped it at the elbow. Not finished, another move tore the arm from the socket as the furious father flipped his momentary foe over his head and finishing by slamming him to the tile floor with enough force to drive any air from his lungs.

He made it two steps down the hall before a second charged in, baton in hand. V broke his wrist, elbow, nose, and leg in short order.

Lesson learned, the third responded that showed up backed away, pressing himself to a wall and gesturing to V to pass freely. He looked over his shoulder, seeing David looking at the two felled guards even as he followed behind V.

"V! What the fuck!?" He heard Nadia's voice, seeing the ex-Trauma grunt wearing what appeared to be a brand new suit of Trauma armor, complete with helmet, though all branding had been erased. He turned, seeing a couple new guards had appeared, but Nadia raised a hand. "Take care of them. I'll handle him!"

Seeing the state of their fallen comrades, and the one still standing, the newcomers complied with the request. V grabbed Nadia's shoulders, staring her down.

"Where is she!?"

"Where's my mom!?" David panted, eyes starting to turn red as the tears threatened to flow.

"Both of you, calm down." The brunette raised her own hands, placing them on V's arms in an attempt to lower them. In reply, V shook her violently and repeated his question. "She's fine! You hear me? Gloria's fine!"

The screamed answer somehow cut through the rage V was feeling, the words slowly registering with him. He looked at David, seeing the kid's face go from anguished, to shocked, before settling on what might have best be describe as disbelieving relief.

"She's alive?" David found his voice before V, further pulling him out of the mire of fury he was in.

"Yes." V registered the touch of Nadia's hands now, and let her move his arms off her shoulders. Even when his arms were back at his side, she didn't remove hers. "Your mother." She looked at David, before looking back at V. "Gloria, is alive. Do you understand?"

"But the message..." V forced out, even as David nodded like a bobblehead.

"Useless automated systems." The woman spat, "one step forward, three steps backwards with them sometimes."

"She's alive...Dad! She's alive!" David started laughing, emotions overwhelming him as he pulled both V and Nadia into a hug. V felt Nadia remove her hands then, seeing the nurse carefully remove herself from the family hug even as his own arms moved unconsciously to return the gesture.

"I know. I know, thank god, David." He replied, his own emotions in turmoil as they stood there. His eyes looked at a nearby door, seeing Nadia fidgeting with something on the medical cart to rest beside it.

"Here, both of you, take these." The brunette moved back to the pair, a small tray with two medicine cups containing some pills and two cups of water held before her. David took his without hesitation, draining the water as his body registered the feeling of hydration.

"And what is this?"

"A sedative." Nadia had a humorless smile on her face, "Not enough to put you to sleep, just enough to calm you down. I think you both need it before I continue."

"Sure." V knocked back the pills, and Nadia disposed of the cups before starting her explanation.

"Okay, now I think I know why you got the wrong message and what caused the fuck up here." Nadia began, "She's an organ donor."

"What?"

"Gloria's an organ donor." Nadia tried again. "You know how all bodily systems are controlled by the brain, yes? And they in turn keep the brain alive?" Both men nodded. "Well, during full replacement surgery, the body is put on life support to serve as supplemental systems as neurosurgeons work on disentangling the nervous system from the rest of the body." The ex-Trauma grunt tapped her own head. "Without the brain to control them, the other systems fail. As such, the moment Gloria's brain was removed – her body was dead."

"Again, her body." She placed a hand on both their shoulders, stressing that one word. "Now, normally at that point, the life support systems are removed, and the body handled in accordance with the patient's wishes. In the case of organ donors however, those systems will remain operational until all donateable organs and tissues have been removed and properly stored until transplanted. Only then, will the systems be shut off and the body allowed to, rest as they say."

"So...Gloria-" V grunted, thinking over the woman's words. "Gloria's body was dead the moment they removed her brain?" He saw Nadia nod. "So shooting her at that point..."

"Did nothing except waste three bullets and cost somebody a new heart." Nadia looked like she had eaten something particularly bitter. "Not exactly a bad thing as that heart probably would have went to some rich dickhead as opposed someone who really needed it but-"

"Nadia." It was V's turn to bring her back.

"Sorry." The ex-Trauma grunt shook her head. "But yeah. I've been with Gloria's brain the whole time. From the moment she was put under, through the removal and transplantation." She looked at the door she stood in front of. "This, is actually the first time I've stepped out of her room." V followed her eyes to the door. "Don't worry, she's alone in there right now. Not much the doctors or anyone can do at this point except monitor her vitals and stats as everything syncs up while waiting for her to wake up."

"Can...Can I see her?" David finally spoke, sounding both mature and child-like in even measure.

"For a couple minutes. But you'll need to suit up and scrub down." Nadia walked back over to the cart and pulled something off one of the shelves. It was a disposable full body coverall, a pair of gloves,and a face mask. "Lose the jacket, and put on the suit. To make it easy on yourself, put the mask on before you pull the hood over your head. And before you make some comment about this being unnecessary, we still need to maintain sterility until we're certain everything's in order."

David took the offered garments gratefully, carefully following her instruction. The ex-Trauma grunt moved to offer him a set, but he declined, asking the other question on his mind.

"How did this happen?"

"The guy was a employee of the MedCenter, not TT." She rolled her eyes, and V wondered just who it was directed at. "The guy was a gambler with big debts. Found a gift box from a fixer in his locker. Debts go away if he put a bullet in your baby mama."

V turned his attention back down the hall, recalling the welcome he got coming in. "Is he still alive?"

"Nope. Gonk tried to wave iron to leave. Nice little roaming shootout down the halls, that's what got everybody riled-up." Nadia motioned down the hall. "Security took him down a few floors down when he ran outta ammo and tried making a run for it. He took a shotgun blast to the lumbar." She pointed at her lower back, "If it makes you feel better, it was a bad way to die."

"Can I see her now? Please?" The glorified scrubs were over-sized on David, the look not helped by the child-like concern all over his face.

"Take the kid to see Gloria, the pair of you can keep watch on her. I've got to deal with this before it goes any further."

"Got it." Nadia took a moment to adjust her helmet, before turning to look at David. "Ready kid?"

"Yeah. Though why do I have to wear this while you can wear your armor?"

V didn't wait around to hear Nadia's answer, instead making his way down the hallway to the elevator.

The elevator ride to the ground floor was slow enough for V to build up some fury and focus. A mental command forced his detoxifiyer into overdrive, making the cyberware target the sedatives Nadia had him swallow. He wanted a clear head, one running on rage.

A holo-call to Rogue was the next step, she must have been waiting for a call because she answered immediately.

["V? What happened now? I've already been informed of your crew getting ambushed-"]

["Farday tried to kill Gloria."] He cut her off as the elevator dinged.

["Oh."]

["I'm leaving the MedCenter now. Heading for Pacifica."] He stepped into the lobby, no one trying to stop or confront him this time.

["It will take time-"]

["You find him, I'll kill him."] V paused. ["With or without support."]

["Huh. Fine. We play it your way. I'll call you if my people find any hint of him."]

["Thanks."]

The sudden hang up could be taken as rude, but he wanted no distractions as he drove. A second call needed to be made before he could swerve across the streets of Night City.

["Arasaka Central Services, automated line. Your call may be-"]

["Vincent Linder. NC770416. Priority One. Password: P, Q, zero, zero, one, Lexington."] Every word was carefully spoken and enunciated, his steps falling in time to the words.

["Processing. Password accepted. Authority commands activated."]

["Target Subject: 'Faraday, Fixer'. Change status, 'Blacklist'. Reason: 'Threat to the Corporation'. Confirm."] His voice was more robotic than the one he was 'speaking' with.

["Commands recognized. Commands accepted. Warning, given commands are subject to review. Warning, command will designate target with a 'Kill-on-sight' order. Confirm commands?"]

["Confirm."]

["Target accepted. Are there any more orders?"]

["No."]

["Can I help you with anything else?"]

["No."]

["Thank you for using-"]

V ended the call before he had to listen to the automated goodbye and its ever-aggravating jingle.

By the time he reached his bike he was greeted to the sight of some poser sitting on it, talking to a pair of nitwits and no doubt trying to pick them up.

V's fist knocked him from the bike, likely busting a lip and his nose. The poser could only stumble back as V mounted the bike, started it and took off. Almost running over the asshole.

Faraday had made clear his desire to die.

V was very keen on speeding up his meeting with the reaper.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

People liked to compare their anger to fire. To a pool of lava. Even a bomb.

Vincent Linder liked to compare his anger to a pyroclastic flow. It took an explosive force to get it started, but when it did... Everything exposed to it died.

If the NCPD gave two shits about the supposed speed limits in the city V would have a APB out for his head as he burned rubber and engine coolant on his way to Pacifica.

As he'd hoped the Queen of Fixers called him as he was en-route.

["Where's he at?"]

["Nothing confirmed yet, just a solid lead. Faraday's yacht has moved. Instead of it's nice and guarded dock the boat's been spotted anchored in the waters near the Grand Imperial Mall. My money is on him attempting an escape on the water before sunrise."]

["Thanks Rogue. Owe you one."]

["Put a bullet in him and we'll call it even. Happy hunting."]

The Grand Imperial Mall was never opened and looked like an abandoned ruin. The only part of the GIM's name that was even vaguely appropriate was the word 'Imperial', the entire construction project being another wasted display of wealth and power for the already vainglorious elites in control of a city of sin. Still, a place that was left unfinished had its benefits.

Like the total absence of external security.

Something V was all too keen to take advantage of on approach.

With his bike hidden under a worn tarp and beside a pile of garbage, V made his way to the location on foot. With the lack of lights, a black suit, and under the cover of darkness it was pathetically easy to get to the building. The guards were patrolling in pairs, Voodoo Boys and Animals. Neither side blending. Both sides keeping distance from each other in case some old Pacifica disputes start making tempers flare up.

"Who am I to ignore such a useful, security gap creating, opportunity?" The spy-hunter asked himself.

Besides the longspurs barely hidden in his arms, V's long standing habit of carrying excessive cutting tools was useful once again. Two knives in the sleeves of his suit jacket, two in the small of his back, two attached to the ankles, and two in a jacket pocket. Laced with anti-coagulants and paralytic toxins.

Vincent often justified the number of knives carried with the fact that he often lost them, with either a throw going bad or them being stuck in something or someone. A point proven true as his first throw of the night took an Animal's enforcer in the neck and remained in place when the victim's implants pinched the blade. V was just thankful the second blade shoved into the heart of the patrolling partner came out easy.

The corpses were dragged to an abandoned junker left in the parking lot to rust, the decayed metal wouldn't shield them from sight with any amount of scrutiny or light, but would make do under the cover of night.

V didn't plan on it taking that long to find or kill his target.

As he circled the building, moving counter-clockwise from the entrance, three more patrols were encountered and eliminated. The only complication of note was another knife being lost to the internal joints of a VDB grunt's scop-quality mantis blades. The two gangs were too confident from their numbers and too busy shit-talking each other to do their jobs properly.

With vigilant security a pair or trio would cover each other, keep quiet and eyes focused. Faraday's guards were too lazy for that, their patrols were more in line with two chooms trading gossip on a walk. No focus, no concern. A pair who managed to hear him thanks to some glass shards on the asphalt passed it off as more of their co-workers passing by.

Clearly quantity over quality was not always the best route to take.

V's arrival to the rear of the ruin coincided with the departure of a small cargo boat loaded with a few palates of crates and a dozen goons squeezed around their smuggled goods. Too far out on the water, and out of range of his current armory, V decided his time would be better suited looking for some on site provisions.

All around the support beams, still waiting to be loaded were stacks of crates, boxes and barrels. All sitting in sand and concealed by the peer above.. It almost gave the mall the illusion of a delivery order... if it weren't for all the weapon labels, hazard labels, and valuable looking containers that would never have been seen if it weren't for Faraday's desire to depart.

A ramp-like road made of plywood boards led from the water back to the mall. A chain-link fenced area stuffed with boxes was the obvious source of the supplies. The sounds of someone moving around behind the line of sight blocking boxes was the only hint needed.

V's Apparition was drawn into his left hand, another knife held by his right in a reverse grip. The area was too clustered to try and go quiet. Three heavy breaths to get the blood pumping, and he ran for the fence gate.

The sort-of room was breached with a kick to the lock. The clattering as it swung freely on it's hinges took the six hidden inside by surprise. V ran to the closest, kicking out his leg before the goon could face him. Knife to his neck, V's pistol turned on goon number two. One pull, two shots. Just like he'd told David. The rounds took the target in the chest, center mass and below the throat. Dead and done.

Three and four weren't playin' nice. Either the hostage wasn't a choom or the pair were just ruthless, either way they opened fire too easily to even pretend they cared about the human shield's life. The bullet ridden weight still served to block for him, so V held him even as he went limp. The corporate killer returning fire more accurately, both shots aiming for center mass.

Five was smarter than the others, instead of standing like a gonk, he'd ducked behind the stacks to circle around. Too bad he opened his mouth.

"I'm gonna kill-"

V spun and slammed him with the bullet sponge's body, ending the impromptu charge cold. Knocked to the ground, and pined by a dead man, number five could only lift a hand before V put two rounds into his head.

The empty mag was ejected and replaced, keen eyes scanning the room as the move was made with the practiced ease of a veteran gunfighter. "I know I saw six of you. Come out now and I'll make this quick."

The brat who emerged was weaponless, young, and lacking in any signs of cyberware or gang loyalty. His clothes were barely above rags, and his skin showed signs of neglect. His hands were up and empty, clearly one second away from bawling his eyes out and begging for his life.

It was only a moments thought, a comparison to David that stayed V's hand.

Discipline and experience kept the weapon trained on the kid, no matter how pathetic he looked. "Where's the creepy fixer?"

"Fuck man I don't know! Just let me go! I got a bum leg, I ain't no threat to you!" The brat begged.

"Focus or I'll put some lead in it."

The threat was enough to get him to spill, "Okay! Okay! Sweet Christ! I-uh, I Think he's on the boat. I'm just a rookie on my crew. This was supposed to be an easy gig moving wares for some rich fuck!"

"What's in the crates?"

"Oh. Uh. Guns, lots of bullets. One of the guys peeked at some of the others." the boy pointed at a stack, "I think that stack over there had some preem rocket launchers! Pre-Red Militech, I think."

The more V looked at the boy the more obvious his age was becoming. If he was older than fifteen V would take a shit in the lobby of Arasaka Tower. In view of the Emperor if need be.

"Clear out of here." the suit ordered, "Warn your crew to run if you need to, but if you're still here or in my way you're dead. Got it."

"Yeah man. I got a bad feelin' and decided to bolt. Read you loud and clear."

V watched as the kid took off, true to what he claimed the boy hobbled with an obvious limp. With the kid gone, V had bigger fish to burn and a number of crates to open. His mantis blades made quick work of any locks, prying the contraband open with ease. The first two chosen were ammo, nothing he didn't already have by the fistful. The third had industrial pipes of all goddamned things. Fourth was where luck gave her blessing.

"Serendipity, you beautiful bitch." V grabbed a trolley and shoved the case on, whistling a mockingly merry tune as he pushed the case to the shoreline.

Boats were always a bitch to infiltrate or deal with. Clear line of approach that forced a stupidly slow or recklessly rapid assault, easy to set up a trap and easier to use as a decoy. Luckily, the Militech Urban Missile Launcher in the case was more than capable of solving those nitpick problems.

As a rifle-shaped, shoulder-mounted weapon it was stupidly easy to aim it at the giant floating target anchored in the water. V would have preferred a personal kill, something where he was certain the bastard had died, like if he'd strangled him to death with his bare hands. A twelve round magazine of high explosives would just have to do.

With each pull of the trigger a line of destruction would glide across the bay, slamming into the anchored yacht with concussive force and explosive aplomb. The initial assault from bow to stern was almost enough to capsize the luxury vessel.

'Was' being the operative word.

The stacatto of blasts resulted in exactly what the furious father desired: the other smuggled weapons on board igniting. With a window ratting blast the boat leaned sideways, as if to tip, before several smaller explosions burst from inside the doomed boat. Then, the fuel tank ruptured, and the hundred-foot-long multi-million Eurodollar asset was turned into the most costly fireworks show Pacifica had seen in decades.

For a brief moment, the lights and sounds of bombs, bullets, and blasted boat could be witnessed all over Night City.

The wreck's remains smoldered as they sank, sending up plumes of steam and smoke with every inch claimed by the San Morro Bay's polluted waters.

V took a moment to just bask in the destruction, imagining just how pissed Faraday would be if he wasn't dead.

"What happened to my yacht?!"

Or V could turn and see the target of his vexatious fury standing at the railing of a walkway above him, looking out at his escape plan literally going up in smoke.

It was times like this that the Arasaka servant appreciated his habit of always carrying around his spare piece. A Burya. A Russian brick called a handgun, loaded with parts from four crunch kits and optimized for kinetic power. It kicked like a pissed clydesdale on steroids, but would pierce six walls of reinforced concrete with the ease of a tank round.

With a calmness that concealed his intent to murder, V drew this hand-cannon from the hidden holster in his suit and pointed the barrel at the flummoxed fixer gazing on his dreams being turned to ash.

The First shot was perfectly on target, the bullet pierced just beneath his left knee. No doubt the muscles of his tibialis anterior being shredded by the super-heated slug that ripped through where the ligaments connected to joint.

The Second shot was higher, a gut shot. The entry wound clearly entering directly over the liver and lower intestines. Painful, infectious, in need of immediate medical attention.

The third and fourth were misses. Disappointing, but irrelevant. The first and second shots were more than enough to stop the fixer from bolting immediately. The leg would hobble him, and if Faraday tried to run without at least patching the gut-shot then he'd bleed out before he'd make it to the parking lot. Crippled and in overwhelming pain, the target could only stumble back and collapse to the ground. The sounds of fight-or-flight panic and pain filled screaming was all the indicators V needed.

The sounds of more grunts calling for reinforcements or to get him was not.

Hidden by the peer and its supports V managed to make it to the staircase from the beach to the mall proper before Faraday's security could spot him.

The Burya was shifted to the left hand, the Apparition came back out to play.

The first to appear was another Animals enforcer, clad in heavy armor that would no doubt take plenty of punishment. The muscleman even carried an NCPD riot shield and a Kanabo. If he came into close range with that combo, it would mean trouble. The Bark and bite of V's Burya made that 'if' irrelevant. The railgun-like bullet punching a lethal hole in the would-have-been tank's heart.

The mooks following up on him stopped their charge quick, allowing V to run past the body when it started to tumble down to the sands below.

Surprise and speed were his closest allies in this fight, and he kept them close and milked them for every advantage he'd get. The gathered grunts were charged, no shots fired or attacks made till he was right up close and personal. Then the blades emerged, alight and electrified. Ducking, spinning and slashing from right to left V aimed for their legs. The unexpected action forced them to stumble back into each other or take the cut.

It didn't stop most from feeling the edge of the mantis blades, but it clearly compromised their fellow cannon fodder.

Those immediately beside V screamed, bellowed, or whimpered as they were taken to the ground with their legs sliced or mutilated. Behind them, others had fallen from being knocked over or dragged down by the failing hands that were desperate to find support.

Opportunity made available, the blades were put to work like a busy butcher eager to make the day's wares. The sharpened sickles came up and went down. Up and down. Up and down. Machine efficiency matching a clinical mindset, the blades made a mess of the defenders.

It felt like a moment, but his mind went blank. No thoughts. No perception of time. Just an instant were everything human gave way to something primal.

V only stopped swinging when they all went quiet. All he could hear was his panting, his synthetic lungs giving him plenty of warning as his stamina recovered. All he felt was the strain on his joints and the blood dripping off of him.

What should have been called a pile of bodies was closer to a puree. The bone and chrome sticking out of the bloody pulp being the only strong clue as to what this had been minutes ago.

"Shit. I'm losing it again." The mantis blades didn't want to close, his arm trembled at the command but the mental order was conflicted.

A deep breath. "Focus, control your breathing." Exhale.

A second breath. "Focus, control your heart." Exhale.

A third. "Focus, control yourself." Exhale.

The mantis blades returned to their holsters. Trembling, almost reluctantly, but they obeyed. V's Biomonitor was throwing out every alert that it could without calling a Trauma Team pickup. His arms were strained, both his hearts were stressing, the reflex tuner and synaptic accelerator were both being throttled, and the biotic lungs in his chest were screaming at him to chug air till his O2 levels went to normal.

He'd almost stepped off into the deep again.

The Burya was holstered, and the free hand used to wipe what blood he could off his face and hands. Sight, smell, or presence of the liquid never bothered him. It just felt unsettling to have too much of it lingering on his skin, always leaving him with a feeling of being unclean that took forever to fade away.

[V, Choom, where you at?]

V ignored Jackie's message, and worse, turned off his comms. He was on the hunt. Too keen on following Faraday's trail before the fixer stopped leaking leads. A trail of blood stamped footprints and droplets led to the back of the mall and the industrial doors that were shuddered and locked.

No doubt with another migraine's load of gangoon guards and maybe some traps in the way. A burst of charged shots from his corporate piece shattered the lock, allowing the door to be ripped open.

The door lifting revealed a hallway full of actually intelligent fodder, this set having the gray-matter to set up a barricade and ambush him the moment the shuttered door came up. Eight rifles were pointed his way, and a spray of bullets raced down the hall at him with lethal force.

It was only his synaptic accelerator and sub-dermal armor that saved him from an instant and humiliating death. He dodged to the left, only taking seven or so shots to the chest. Four would leave plenty of bruises to blossom all over. Three hit nearly the same spot just underneath the right ribs. Probably why number seven managed to penetrate and felt like it was floating painfully somewhere between the vertebral ribs on his right and the lumbar part of his spine.

Between the feel of the entry wound, and the amount of pain he was in, V was certain it was a forty-five caliber floating in his guts. Mind scrambled from rage weary adrenaline, bio-monitor controlled hormones, and the stress of a hair triggered flight or fight response all V could think was; "How fucked up is my life, that I've been shot and that's what I think of? How big is the bullet inside me?"

Quickly following his morbidly well trained reactions, V pulled a bounce back out and jammed the injector beside the wound. "Won't do to bleed out before the fixer does." A follow up puff from a Max-Doc and he was back in the fight.

A reflex boosted peek around the edge let his Mikoshi's highlight his targets. The Apparition switched for the Burya, and four rounds of Russian progress let him cut their numbers in half. A second peek and the process repeated. Number seven or eight must have been a spiteful little shit, his last act before dying to toss an incendiary grenade at the open door.

V had plenty of time to spot the orange casing, the Militech logo on it, and roll out of the way. What he didn't have time for was the four or so seconds of chemicals burning up and blocking the doorway.

The second the flames finished eating up all their fuel V was charging in, hopping over corpses and preparing for more fixer funded delays.

The hallway led to the mall's center with no more traps, bombs, or barricades to block the way. Instead two dozen or more hired fodder waited at the end. Fueled by stims, chems, and self-righteous bullshit. Defended by the mall's old décor and more crate-made bullet blockers.

"There he is! That's the stupid fuck who shot our payday!" their mouthpiece called out.

V did a mental count of his equipment, relying on memory and the feel of the ammo pressing against him in his pockets. "Four speed loaders left for the brick, three mags for the pistol. Six knives, no bombs. Fuck all kinds of duck..." Outnumbered and options running very thin, delay or dive in were his only real options. "One chance, outta my way. I kill the fixer, you live. Deal?"

Most looked at him like he was crazy. The rest laughed. Of course they would. One man, against all of them? In the open? It was suicide. The humiliating lull was what V needed. Every second the shooting was delayed meant he was a second closer to winning.

Breaching the network was butter in summer heat levels of easy. Messy but smooth. The Vulnerability Daemon was uploaded and took hold within seconds. The Animals on the network would probably stay blind but at any moment the VDB in the room could notice the upload and he'd be fucked. More programs were uploaded, each put on a delay so they'd spring up almost in unison.

The laughter died down, the guns came back up to aim. "Be reasonable. No reason we can't all walk away."

The mouthpiece wasn't having it. "Fuck that, and fuck you. Now somebody fuckin' ice that psycho!"

"Well aren't you a mouthy little dead man." The first wave of uploads went off. High grade contagion packs, short-circuit and overheat quick-hacks started sowing chaos and distractions.

It took years of practice and repetition to get used to the Apparition's recoil. Especially after it was adjusted again with the countermass mod. However, there had yet to be a time where Vincent couldn't appreciate the end result. One pull of the trigger aimed at the torso had just enough recoil to push the gun to head height for the bullets to strike center mass and a headshot in sequential order.

V's Sandevistan went active. A dozen warnings filled his view as the secondary operating system taxed his system badly. The Warp Dancer's hardware and software based speed boost was more than enough to dump two magazine's worth of shots into the assembled defenses. The mouthpiece dropped dead, and the surprise of the shot was enough to stun or scatter the unaffected survivors.

Ducking behind the cover of an abandoned storefront, V's Netdriver went active again and he ignored the hot flash that erupted when it did. Ping and Contagion were selected and released in short order. Contagion worked as desired, Faraday's security fodder began to vomit over themselves as artificial vertigo played havoc on their senses.

Ping presented a new problem, a much bigger one. The quickhack's network scan revealed everything connected to the local network. Everything, and everyone. The over hundred gangoons making way from their positions to flatline an intruder was enough to make Vincent pause. And remember an old tactic he'd sworn off before.

He had to think it out, to reason with himself about what he wanted to do."Thirteen minutes twenty second response time for NCPD to pick up the phone, deductions because it's probably going to be a priority thanks to the fireworks, and lag it out because it's Pacifica and the higher ups don't give a shit." He justified to himself, "I've got thirty-five minutes tops before someone interferes and an army of chucklefucks to slow me down."

The corporate killer felt the risks may be worth the rewards.

With bullets still spraying at him Vincent pulled a knife, and carefully guided it to a spot on his back just above his left hip. The tip of the blade stung like a bitch as he made the incision, opening the subdermal pocket concealed beneath. Two fingers were stuck into the wound, tearing in wider to pull out a single datashard.

His pistol was peeked around cover and fired blindly, emptying the clip to make them hesitate just a few more seconds. More quick hacks were sent out, the non-lethal soft working more to delay than to actually kill.

V looked at the shard in his hand. A little blood had dripped onto it, his or a victim's he wasn't sure. It was almost ironic to see this chip covered in blood considering how many lives the software on it had ruined.

A deep intake and exhalation of air, a calm before the storm. V stuck the shard in a slot, the software inside becoming active at once.

[Booting up: Password?]

Voice commands were hardlined into the software. It wasn't enough to think it for the software to work, you had to say it aloud. "My Son." he said with fear. "My Boy." he said with fury. "My Legacy." he said with venom. The three part saying from his nightmares were said with all the disgust and self-hatred of a used up teen joy-toy explaining in detail to her previously proud parents about how she works away her debts.

And with it, the software was unlocked.

[Status: Icarus, ready. Proteus, ready. Charon, ready. Phonoi, LOCKED. Lethe, ready.]

Icarus wouldn't let him cull the numbers effectively.

Charon would be useless if they didn't have enough tech to matter.

Lethe wasn't meant to help in a fight.

Phonoi was never going to be used again.

"Activate Proteus."

[Proteus Online - ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL]