Filmon pushed through the doors of Horizon Headquarters, a sense of familiarity washing over him as he stepped into the empty lobby. He was finally finished with the last infotech job they'd gotten that week. He would need to start advertising the other sections of Horizon soon, otherwise, infotech would become too large for his liking.
As he made his way through the hall he thought back to his current quest, the heist he needed to finish within the next few days.
He found Vix reclining on one of the comfortable couches in their new lounge room, her feet propped up on the coffee table littered with magazines and empty coffee cups, scattered tech all around her. Her vibrant purple hair cascaded down her shoulders, though it was very messy and disheveled, it was a stark contrast against the muted earth tones of the room. She looked back at him with a mischievous smile on her face, her disheveled appearance only adding to the seductive grin.
"Mon Mon!" she teased. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I thought you had forgotten about me by now, maybe you got some girl now to satiate your ever-growing lust?"
Filmon rolled his eyes and settled on the couch beside her, even though V popped into his head as she said this. "Just needed a break from being the boss for a bit. Maybe I should have kept Ares alive so he could deal with this infotech shit. He was good as a foot soldier at least..." he replied, leaning back and sinking into the plush cushions. "But it's whatever."
Vix raised an eyebrow, "Oh? An evil corpo regretting killing someone? Just when I think I've seen it all you always manage to throw me for a loop," She said sarcastically, moving her legs to rest on Filmon's lap.
Filmon sighed, his eyes wandering around the lounge. "Yeah... But I didn't just come here to relax, I have another job... But I need your help for it." He said, locking eyes with Vix as he saw her smile grow wider. It had been nearly a month since they'd gone on a mission together, he had often used Razor and her to help complete quests over the two months.
Vix jumped up, looking down at him with excitement in her eyes. "Then what the fuck are we waiting for!"
...
Vix and Filmon watched the large Arasaka bank building from a safe distance, over two miles between them and their target. The towering structure loomed over the cityscape, its windows reflecting the fading light of the day. Vix adjusted the binoculars, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of security measures or potential entry points. Filmon leaned against a guardrail, his eyes fixed on the building as well.
"Man, robbing banks is a completely different thing here, huh?" Filmon thought aloud, breaking the silence that had enveloped them. He let out a nostalgic sigh, his thoughts drifting back to simpler times. "Remember the good old days when I could just steal cash... no high-tech security systems, no corporate giants, no games..."
Vix's gaze remained focused on the bank, her mind processing every detail. She could sense Filmon's wistful longing for the past, whatever his past was. "What are you talking about you dinosaur? You can still steal cash if you really want, but digital currency is the only way you're gonna be able to snag 50 million," She replied, still watching the building.
As Vix continued her observation, she brought up a digital interface on her wristband, linking it to her binoculars. The display showed an augmented reality rendering of the bank, highlighting various floors and rooms. She swiped through the layers, showing Filmon the inner workings of the building one by one.
"Check this out," Vix said, her voice brimming with excitement. "The ground floor houses the main banking hall, heavily guarded by armed security personnel. The upper levels are dedicated to executive offices, secure data storage, and surveillance rooms. There are so many people here throughout the day, who knows how many chances I'll get to use my tech?"
Filmon watched the virtual representation with a smile on his face, he couldn't help but like Vix's almost innocent attitude despite knowing she was probably the least innocent person he'd ever worked with. "Impressive," he muttered. "But it doesn't make it impossible, right?"
Vix nodded, acknowledging his point. "Not for you Mon Mon. We've successfully pulled off more challenging missions before. It just requires careful planning, precise timing, perfect hacking... And just a bit of luck."
Filmon nodded, yawning as Vix went back to her observing. 'She's so excited... I might as well use this chance huh?'
adjusting his position, leaning closer to Vix, he wore a curious expression. "Hey, Vix, can I ask you something?" He said, right next to her ear just as she would tease him every day they weren't doing something.
Vix hesitated for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she barely reacted to his attempt at teasing. "Go ahead," she replied cautiously.
Filmon shifted his weight, seeing his joke hadn't worked. "I've known you for a long time now, Vix, and I've always wondered... How did you get into this line of work? I mean, you've always been so skilled and resourceful. It's like you were born for it."
Vix's grip on the binoculars tightened momentarily, her mind racing through memories she had long tried to bury.
Filmon noticed her sudden change, his smile dropping as he quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not that I don't like having you on my team, I'd definitely be way behind without you... You don't have to share if you're uncomfortable, I was just wondering why'd you choose... This?" He said awkwardly, wondering why he'd let a flash of curiosity get ahold of him.
"I didn't choose this life," she said suddenly, her voice laden with raw honesty as she put down her binoculars and looked him in the eyes for the first time since he had asked. "It was chosen for me by this run-down semblance of a city."
Filmon listened intently, his eyes locked on Vix's face. He could sense the pain radiating from her words, the scars of a past she had long tried to conceal.
"When I was a child," Vix continued, her voice trembling ever so slightly, "My parents were murdered in a brutal accident. I was left orphaned, with no family to turn to. I was all alone."
A pang of sympathy washed over Filmon as he looked at her. The strong woman he'd grown accustomed to messing with was now sitting only a foot away looking as if she was about to break down.
"Back when they actually cared about shit like that, I ended up in a state-run facility," Vix continued, her voice growing softer. "But the last thing I'd call it was a sanctuary. They used it as breeding grounds for children with high potential in net running. There were a bunch of different ones, I know that now, all funded by the same shitty company. If you didn't make the cut... They chewed up vulnerable, untalented kids like me and spat us out onto the streets. It was survival of the fittest out there. If you did make it... You were sent to Arasaka."
Filmon's hand wrapped around Vix's, Not sure how else to show he was still listening. This story was starting to sound all too familiar, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop or comfort her.
"I had two choices," Vix said, her voice growing stronger, her eyes growing colder, "I could have surrendered to the despair, fallen victim to the streets and the predators that prowled in the darkness. Sell my body or maybe just become another useless drug addict with no purpose... Or I could fight back. I chose to fight."
Tears glistened in Vix's eyes as she recalled all the struggles she had faced, the countless nights spent in fear, and the anxiety she felt anytime she had to step out onto the street. Filmon remained silent, allowing her to continue, deciding against stopping her for his own discomfort.
"I discovered that I actually did have a talent for something, that stupid facilities loss I guess? I started creating things, things you couldn't find anywhere, I made cyber tech that could be on par with the top cyber tech these days." Vix looked up at the sky with a smile.
"It became my way of finding power, of claiming a sense of control in a world that had stolen everything from me. Finally, I had an escape."
"Hah... That's, actually pretty cool of you Vix," Filmon said quietly, his expression complicated as Vix snapped out of her flashbacks, wiping the lone tear that had begun to fall.
Vix nodded, her eyes meeting Filmon's gaze. "I know that now, at first, I thought it was more of a rebellious teenage heroine 'I'll write my own story' type of thing... I was pretty cringey back then," Vix admitted.
Filmon squeezed her hand, a silent pledge of unwavering support. "There's nothing cringey about fighting for your own story, for carving your path in this chaotic world. It's incredibly admirable. A lot of people would have given up completely and waited for someone to save them..."
'Like me,' He couldn't help but think, "But you managed to become the most versatile net runner I could ever ask for.
Vix's eyes sparkled, her voice filled with a mix of gratitude and resilience as she spoke. "Thank you... For believing in me," She said, turning away, but not pulling her hand away.
They sat in silence for a while, their hands intertwined, neither one making the move to let go.
"Vix-" Filmon started to say, stopping as he felt soft lips press onto his own. His eyes widened, looking into the glowing blue implants Vix had.
She quickly pulled away, letting go of his hand and bringing the binoculars back up. "Let's just refocus, anymore of this atmosphere and you might make me fall for you Mon Mon..." She said with her usual sly smile, brushing off the kiss as if it was nothing as Filmon put his hands to his lips.
'Damn... It.'
The dam he'd built inside of him began to fall apart...
...
After their first stakeout, they went back three more times, this time way less talkative than they had been on the first one. Finally, the day to strike came.
"Since they're getting a new financial director, it'll be a cause for distraction, that way we can go ahead and get in, wire however much money from a couple thousand people, and leave without even being spotted," Filmon said to Vix.
Razor was still training the reaper division, and he doubted Tobias could help much with a heist. So that left it for them, a genius hacker and a master thief, the perfect combination for a cyberpunk heist.
The two waited across the street, going over the floor schematics of the building once more before their heist.
After what seemed like hours, the limousine with the new president of finances pulled up in front of Arasaka's Night City location.
"That's him," Vix whispered as she saw a well-dressed man with a woman in his arm getting led up to the building by some low-rank corpo.
"Alright, let's do this," Filmon said, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and determination, as he reached out and grabbed Vix's arm. They were a team, partners in crime, and they were about to embark on a meticulously planned heist. The anticipation in the air was palpable as they stepped onto the dimly lit street, their eyes locked onto the target ahead.
Vix swiftly tossed a small silver ball onto the pavement, watching it roll with a precise trajectory. It came to a stop, and in an instant, a soft blue glow enveloped them, casting an otherworldly aura. This was Vix's invention, a temporary cloaking device that used the natural oils in their skin and the metals in their cybernetic enhancements to create the illusion of transparency. It was a piece of technology that Filmon had insisted should remain their secret, not to be shared or replicated.
At that moment, the world seemed to shift around them. Their bodies blurred and melded into the surroundings, as if they were part of the city itself. They were hidden from prying eyes, camouflaged from surveillance systems that could reveal their presence
They rushed toward the building, quickly following behind the new financial manager with soft, untraceable steps.
"I must say, it has been a while since anyone as high a rank as you visited night city, is there any specific reason President Arasaka sent you to this branch?" The Corpo asked the large bulky man as Filmon and Vix slipped past, rushing inside the open doors of the building and immediately going to the stairs.
Just as they closed the stairwell door the camouflage wore off, leaving the two vulnerable.
"Hah, easy," Filmon said as he looked out, seeing the new manager walk down the hall.
"Now it's time for phase two," Vix whispered, her fingers dancing across her augmented reality watch. The display projected the intricate floor plans of the building, highlighting the paths they needed to take to reach the secure data storage area. "We need to find our way to the executive offices and access the main server room."
Filmon nodded, his eyes scanning the walls for any sign of cameras."Let's move quietly. We don't want any surprises." He said as Vix pointed out micro cameras above them, quickly disconnecting, resetting, and changing their image to hide their presence.
"Close one," Filmon said as they made their way up the stairs.
They navigated through the labyrinthine hallways, staying close to the shadows, their footsteps muffled enough that it would be nearly impossible to hear them even with hearing upgrades. They encountered a few low-level employees on their way, but their careful timing and sneaking ability allowed them to remain unseen and unheard.
Finally, they arrived at the floor the server room was on, getting into Arasaka's servers would allow them access to the accounts connected to their banking.
They disconnected any alarms connected to the door, as well as rebooting the cameras on the floor before they stepped through the door.
"What the-" A man started to say before Vix propelled toward him, both her feet slamming into his jaw.
The man slammed into the ground with Vix on top of him. He was just about to yell out before Filmon sliced the mantis blades through his heart.
"Wow, you just killed him? Badass," Vix commented, smiling as they walked through the hall uncontested before peeking around a wall. The next hall over was riddled with security, the server room behind the door at the very end of the hall.
"Got anything for twelve highly trained Arasaka guards?" Filmon asked with a sly smile as he unsheathed the mantis blades.
"Hmm... Nothing stealthy," Vix replied as she pulled out her rifle, nodding at Filmon.
He sighed, stepping out from around the corner.
[Bloodlust]
"Thought so," He said as he rushed through the hall, slicing away at the guards as Vix covered him from behind, shooting the now-alert guards.
They quickly obliterated the small group, the Arasaka guards lay dead on the floor as they approached the server room door.
The door to the server room swung open with no resistance, revealing rows upon rows of server racks, their blinking lights illuminating the room with an ethereal glow. Vix wasted no time in connecting her wristband to the main server terminal, gaining access to the bank's vast digital vault.
'This almost feels... Too easy' Filmon thought as they walked in the door, a cold feeling running down his spine as Vix hurried to the racks.
The transfer process began, with a symphony of data flowing through the secure channels. Vix initiated the transfers, seamlessly moving funds from multiple accounts to the predetermined ghost account. It was a delicate dance of algorithms and encryption, a test of Vix's unparalleled skills as a hacker.
As the transfer progress bar advanced, Filmon kept a vigilant watch, scanning the room and the outside for any signs of trouble.
Minutes felt like hours as the final transfer was completed. Vix disconnected her wristband from the terminal, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. "We did it, Fil. The money is safely transferred to the ghost account. I can get it to an actual account within the next few days."
Filmon let out the breath he was holding since they had gotten into the server room. His shoulders relaxed. "Excellent work, Vix. You never cease to amaze me."
Their victory, however, was short-lived as an alarm suddenly blared throughout the building, its piercing sound shattering the silence. Lights flashed, casting a crimson hue across the server room. It was clear that their presence had been discovered.
"Shit," Filmon said as he opened the server door, gritting his teeth as the hall filled with Arasaka guards and executives, all of them aiming at him and Vix.
"I told you all, since people would assume everyone is distracted by the new financial manager, they'd try and take advantage of the situation to pull something like this..." A woman said as she walked down the hall, smiling sweetly at Filmon as she held a pistol in her right hand. "Nice to meet you thieves, I'm the new Financial manager of Arasaka, Maya Thompson."
With that, she shot, and Filmon's world went black.