The moment V crossed the threshold from Gloria's ICU room his mind was swarming with a thousand ideas at once, a precarious plan forming from experience and desires.
"So, that was Gloria, huh?" Jackie's voice brought him out of his musings, "ah. Almost forgot. Bit late but..." He shook a small paper bag, which V was quick to grab, opening it revealed a Nicola Fire and a Burrito XXL.
"Thanks," V popped open the can of Nicola and took a drink, "and yeah. That's her."
"She seems nice, though that might have been the meds in her system."
"Gloria's was always like that. Tried her best to get along with everyone, and to just tolerate those she doesn't." He unwrapped the burrito and took a bite. "Can't help but feel she's still like that. Maybe even more so now that she has a kid."
"Maybe, but if what you said earlier is true..." A yawn escaped Jackie, cutting off the rest of his thoughts.
"Means to an end, Jack." Another bite of burrito was washed down with a drink of soda. "Everyone does what they need to do to survive. Sure, some methods are cleaner than others but."
"True." Jackie nodded, "anyhow, now that she's taken care of. What's your plan for the kid?"
"Keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything more stupid than he's already done."
"Can't you get him on your trauma plan as well?"
"Jack, trauma plans require you to list relationships. To have him on my plan, I'd have to openly admit that he's my son to Arasaka, and that would just further complicate things."
"Then how can you have Gloria on your plan?" Jackie's head tilted to the side. "You got her listed as your wife or something? And if she's on your plan, can't you just list the kid as her son and get him covered that way?"
"Two words: Corporate bureaucracy." V gave him a lopsided smile, causing Jackie to roll his eyes.
"Can't use that excuse to explain everything homes."
"It's true though. I'm just exploiting a little loophole," V took a long swallow of his cola, "that allows a Handler to have an Asset on their plan. In this case, David is the asset while Gloria is the insurance to ensure that the kid complies with our requests. Thus, making Gloria an Asset and allowing her to be on the plan with no need to get into details on my relationship to her."
"Clever. Though with work and everything else on your end...How do you plan on keeping track of the kid?" The Latino man studied his friend. "I can understand checking the academy's mainframe when he's there for updates, but what about the rest of the time?"
Slowly V turned and looked at Jackie, an unreadable expression on his face. "So how much free time do you have?"
"Homes..." Jackie's eyes narrowed, "if you're suggesting what I think you are..."
"Come on Jack, it'll be fun and let you work on your," a snort escaped V, "stealth abilities."
"I'm not going to be a glorified babysitter..." The bigger man crossed his arms, almost managing to look offended at the suggestion.
"I'll pay you." V held out the hand holding his burrito and wiggled it.
"Not if you're gonna do me dirty and pay me in burrito XXLs again."
"That was one time..."
"And I still haven't forgiven you for it." Jackie's eyes narrowed at the burrito V was holding. "If the kid's really that much of a scop-brained gonk that you feel he needs a babysitter then I want some quality compensation."
"Fine, dinner at the end of each week at pepper and spice instead of burritos." There was a teasing smirk on V's face as he pulled the burrito back, saving it from the playful swipe Jackie directed at him. "Or eddies, up to you choom."
Jackie laughed, one hand gently thumping V on his back. "Both. I get a thousand eddies a day, more if the kid's done something stupid I need to pull him out of and dinner at the end of the week at pepper and spice."
"Who said this was negotiable?" V frowned, eyes narrowing at Jackie's unrepentant laughter. "Counter offer, five hundred eddies a day and dinner at a restaurant of your choice once a month until the end of the contract. End date to be determined." The two stepped out of the hospital and into the parking garage where V held out his hand for Jackie to shake. "Deal?"
"Deal." Jackie took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Though, joke's on you choom, I'd have just settled for dinner every week at a place of my choosing."
"I would have given you the thousand if you kept pushing." V released his hand, ignoring the faux death glare Jackie was sending his way. "Anyhow, I've got to head back to the office and take care of some paperwork. So, as a show of further good faith, I'll even drive you home."
"Always a gentleman," the sound to escape Jackie was half-laugh, half-yawn. "No wonder she fell for you."
V didn't dignify Jackie's words with a verbal response, opting instead to throw the remains of his burrito just past Jackie's head, aiming for the trash can behind him. It bounced off the rim, but V didn't care enough at the time to pick it up. Instead, he unlocked the doors and motioned for Jackie to get in.
"Where you crashin' tonight?"
"Garage." Jackie let out a relieved groan as he sank into the soft leather of the Ragnar's passenger seat. "Too late to bother Misty, and I know you don't like leaving me at your apartment unsupervised." A tired chuckle escaped him, causing V to roll his eyes as he started the car and started driving towards El Coyote Cojo. The two shared the ride in silence, and V would have thought Jackie had dozed off on him if it wasn't for the fact that the larger man's hands kept clenching every time he accelerated. Jackie only seemed to relax once the familiar lights of El Coyote Cojo came into view.
"Try not to work too hard, alright." Jackie gave V's shoulder a gentle pat as he got out of the car.
"Get some beauty sleep, everyone can see how much you need it."
"Ha. Ha. I'll give you updates on the holo when I tail your kid. Any place I should start lookin?"
"He should be at the academy tomorrow. All goes well, I'll have the admin pull him outta class for a talk. You can tail him afterwards."
In reply, Jackie gave a thumbs up and closed the door. V gave a wave of his own, before beginning his drive over to the office to start on the mountain of paperwork he intended to create for himself.
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["Thanks again for the lift home, homes. Call you in the reasonable hours of the morning."]
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Life in Arasaka Counter-Intel was often a series of conflicts and questions.
Did a rumor about R&D mean that there was a leak? Nope, just hints from pillow talk between co-workers.
A company rep got his ass beat in a bar fight, was this natural or a set up? Yes, a set up. Militech hired a crew to swipe some id-data. Crew killed, Rep fired for incompetence. Data recovered. Security Ids replaced as a precaution.
Marketing department reports that there is money missing from their budget? Investigate only to find out that its someone from upper management. Keep your head down, pass the report to the bosses and if asked by any of the rank and file reply that it was 'a system error'. Pray your head doesn't roll as part of a cover up.
With the midnight oil burning, V thankfully didn't have to deal with the politics and plots that morning. He was busy dealing with the lifeblood of every mega-corp: paperwork. Specifically, V was gathering and completing copy after copy after copy of request forms, expense sheets, and asset permissions. Each form a small packet into itself, the company wanting every detail on how you were using what they owned and how it was going to profit them.
Ten forms in was enough to make V's eyes water from the legal double speak and his fingers cramp from typing. Never mind his eyes being artificial or that his body was running on stims and determination. Most times bureaucracy just plain sucks.
"...control C, control V." He muttered the keystrokes aloud as he copy-pasted a couple numbers in the various boxes of the requisition form he was filling out. The current form was pretty straightforward, but the sheer amount of times it wanted you to state the price of a good or service? A price you've already quoted in three other spots on the same form? "Fuck me."
A sigh of relief escaped him as he filled out the last box, eyes moving back to the top of the document as he checked and double-checked it over for any errors. A single mistake, no matter how minor, was often grounds for immediate refusal. And if your request wasn't refused, it was probably slipped to the bottom of the stack to be ignored. Satisfied with what he saw, he clicked 'send' and started on the next form.
His fingers continued to dance on the keyboard, using shortcuts whenever possible to speed up the monotonous task. If it wasn't for his desire to get everything done as soon as possible, he would have almost welcomed the interruption to come his way. Still, could he really classify the incoming call as an interruption when it was still technically work related?
The tiniest smirk took over V's face as he answered the call.
"Good morning V."
"Wakako. I take it you have some good news for me?" The smile grew, though his hands kept typing on the keyboard.
"I do indeed. My boys were not only able to ID the assailants but locate them as well."
"That is very good news." V nodded, eyes checking to make sure the spreadsheet before him was correct. "I don't suppose I could impose upon a busy woman such as yourself..." He let the question hang, the tiniest hint of a professional flirting tone on it.
"Ever the charmer." V could imagine the older woman leaning back in her chair, "you understand that such a task would mean an additional fee?"
He saved the file he was working on, opening up another tab as he answered. "Ten thousand eddies. For each of the three caught alive. Payment in advance."
A gentle laugh came over the line. "I am not one to throw away such easy money, but are you sure?"
"They have offended me, Okada-San." He scoffed, as if it was the most obvious thing, "I am owed a debt of blood, and they will pay in full."
"Understood V. I will have my boys bring them to the docks to the west of Corpo Plaza. I trust you are familiar with the location." It wasn't a question.
"Indeed I am."
"Good. I am owed a favor by their head of security." A gentle tapping accompanied Wakako's words. "Provided your debt is settled before the stroke of four A.M. there will be no problems or witnesses."
He glanced at the time; 2:43 A.M. before looking at the tab he currently had open. A couple keystrokes later and a single tap of the 'enter' key sent the payment off. "Should be in your account any second now."
"Ah there we are," V heard her smile. "My boys will meet you there. Take care V."
"Likewise." Once more, he nodded as the call came to an end. He closed the tab and maximized the tab he had been working on before. It would maybe take him half an hour tops to get to the docks once he got confirmation that they had been delivered. Until that call came in, he would have his paperwork to keep himself occupied.
It was only an afterthought that he sent a request to Arasaka Academy. Pull David Martinez from class and keep a hold on him until he arrived. Simple, easy, and hard to fuck up.
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["Okay, your boy got another place to crash? I tried to find him bright and early but the place at the detes was empty. Definitely their place but the kid wasn't there."]
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When the call had come in from Wakako, V couldn't save, lock, and shut down his computer fast enough. He took a moment to stretch, neck cracking with an uncomfortably loud pop before briskly walking out of his office and out to his car. He was thankful that it was still early in the morning, and that most of the traffic was going into Corpo Plaza instead of out. It also helped that his foot seemed to turn into lead anytime he was behind the wheel, and that even the NCPD was willing to overlook speeding. He brought his car to a stop in front of the private dock's warehouse Wakako had sent him the location of, seeing another vehicle parked nearby. Two Tygers climbed out, guns held in their hands but not pointed at him.
Staying in the car, he made a quick sweep of the area. True to Wakako's words, there was no one else around besides four Tygers, two outside and two inside, and what he assumed were his marks inside the building. The security cameras had all been shut down, and any alarm systems the building itself had had been shut off as well. Satisfied with what he saw, V withdrew his own piece and stepped out of the car.
"Boss." One of the Tygers tossed his head towards the door to the warehouse.
"Thanks." V returned the gesture as he pulled open the door and stepped inside, pleased with what he saw. Three men, all tied to chairs by their hands and feet, preventing them from doing anything beyond struggling in place. They had all been blindfolded, and someone on Wakako's payroll also decided to gag them – a small touch that V could appreciate if the occasional muffled cuss to come from behind the gag was any indication.
After a moment's consideration, he picked the biggest, the one with the most chrome under the hood, to start with. Both blindfold and gag were ripped off with a less than gentle tug, allowing the trapped man to see and speak freely.
"The fuck man?! Why'd you have these shithead Tygers bring us in?!" The big guy spat in the direction of the Tyger guards. "We don't deal with Corpo shit!"
V chose not to hear the man's words. "Two days ago you shitheads shot up some cars on the highway. Remember?" he asked, almost politely.
"Yeah, we iced some fuck who wasn't payin' up and showing respect." The tied-up animal saw V's eyes narrow in anger, hand reaching into his pocket to remove a collapsible baton."The fuck? You gonna kill us cuz we killed another suit?"
"This isn't about some petty street grudge." V pulled the blindfolds from the other two, but kept their gags in place. He shifted their chairs so they had no choice but to look at their fellow. "Do you recall the yellow car you shot up?"
"Don't remember a yellow car, don't care either." The guy spat, his two companions nodding in agreement. "If you ain't gonna ice us then let us go before I pull these chains apart and skull fuck your pretty face!"
The baton was swung, extended, electrified, and shattered the lifter's kneecap in one movement.
"The fuck that supposed to do dipshit?!" He grinned, not seeing the faint lighting up of V's eyes. "I got a pain editor! I got days before that's even gonna ache."
"I know." and that was when V's system reset quickhack shut down the braggart's wetware.
The screams he made were inhuman, his body sagging in his rusty seat as the weight of all his dead implants threatened to rip his body apart from the inside out. The two others beside him flinched and did their damnedest to look away, trying to shield their ears from the cries. The Animal's voice reached a new crescendo when V placed a palm over the wrecked knee and dug in all five fingers with as much force as his organic digits could allow.
The gangbanger screamed, thrashed, squirmed, and thrashed some more. The chains holding him to his seat wouldn't relent, and without the boost from his cyberware he had no chance. "Fu~ck! Stop man please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He begged, trying to hop his chair even the slightest amount away from V.
In reply to the piss-poor escape attempt, V grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head to the side and exposing a pair of chip-sockets on his victim's neck. "Oh good, an empty slot." No fanfare or theatrics. He casually slipped a shard into the slot as if this was an everyday occurrence. "Now this is old school soft, been kicking around before Saka' tower fell. A few generations of upgrades and it still works as well as it did in the days of Bartmoss."
The chrome in the Animal's skin started to light up again, "Fuck you man! I'm gonna-" he stopped when he realized the subdermal machinery still wasn't obeying him.
"Oh? Perfect. Looks like it's working like expected." V stood back and watched with an eerie smile, all the while his shard showed its fangs.
"Fuck! Shit! Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! My muscles are burning!? The fuck is this? What the hell was on that shard?!" Once more, he thrashed and screamed, feeling as if a swarm of biting insects was moving over him and digging in with rage.
"Old school Firestarter, anti-personnel soft. Given a modern day update and some flavors of Kabuki magic. Cost me a pretty penny." The fond expression on V's face at the shard was at odds with its effects. "I like to think of this version as a lobster boiling rather than a firebomb erupting."
The Animal was now in a full panic, his cyberware slowly but undeniably overheating. Sweat gathered on every organic pore working overtime, each failing to cool a body that was inevitably reaching lethal temperatures. "Please! Take it out! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Beside him, the other two made similar requests through their gags. Attempts to save their own skin as much as their associates. However, V was in no mood to listen to any of them. He reached out a hand and gripped the Animal's jaw under his chin, forcing his eyes to meet his own.
"Oh no. You don't get to get out of this so easy. She got cooked because of you. So I'm gonna cook you in turn. Her bones were broken, so yours gotta break too." His grip released, but the uncomfortable squeezing sensation was quickly replaced with the sting of an uppercut. V turned his gaze on the other two, both who were starting at him in wide eyed horror. "Her son got to sit helpless and pinned, so you're gonna go one at a time and beg whatever god you believe in that I pick the other guy first. Finally, when I'm feeling better about all of this, I'm gonna kill you. All because you pissed me off."
Two more shards were slotted, and the screams began anew.
An hour later, when it all went silent, V addressed the Tyger Claws.
"Clean this up."
Too intimidated to argue, the guards just nodded and complied with his request as V stepped back out into the light of day.
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["Your boy showed up at the Arasaka building, but something's up choom. He's moving like an addict on detox and the jacket he's carrying ain't uniform. It's a EMT jacket with blood on the back. I think something is up."]
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Considering the kid's record, V could have guessed the boy would have blown a gasket after their rough meeting the day prior.
Even the corporate ladder climber could admit he had been a bit of a dick on their first encounter. He could even say he might have gone too far with the lecturing, even if it would be said with clenched teeth.
This didn't mean V expected a response from Arasaka Academy, nor one stamped with a security ID saying that the attacking student had been detained.
It took a moment for that to process.
A skimming summary of the security report attached was all that was needed to bring a migraine large enough to bypass his company-standard stress inhibitor.
"This kid is gonna be the death of me, I swear."
His company car was left parked outside the doors of the building, and he marched his ass inside with all the authority of a pissed off administrator. V was in no mood to appreciate the updated décor of the Academy, but was glad the layout of the school hadn't changed. As such, he knew exactly where he had to go to deal with his latest headache. A small group of security guards was waiting outside the door of the principal's office, though none of them flinched or raised a hand to stop V as he opened the door and stepped inside.
The sight that met his eyes wasn't what he expected. The principal was seated at his desk, while David was standing before the desk, hands bound behind his back with a security guard at his side. Both men seemed to flinch upon realizing he was there, and V wasted no time on pleasantries.
V kept his eyes on David, only catching keywords of the principal's response. "...speedware, violence, and the attention of counterintelligence. Security thought it best to be...proactive."
"Understandable, I need a private room with the kid." V's eyes went between the two, "he's being given an offer."
"Does this have anything to do with-"
"Yes." V's eyes flicked to David, seeing the boy twitch just slightly at the words.
"Conference room, three doors down the hall should suffice. Though I must request that you leave the door closed and inform us if the conversation goes...badly."
"Of course." V nodded his understanding and motioned for the guard holding David to follow them. "Wait outside." He told the guard, taking hold of David's arm to drag him into the room. Only once V heard the click confirming that the door was closed did he shove David into a nearby chair. Ignoring the groan to escape the boy, he confronted him on the matter at hand.
"You are the most egregious gonk I have ever had the misfortune of meeting." Despite his earlier admission that he might have gone too far lecturing the boy earlier, V was now struggling to hold back. He took this time to fully study the boy, seeing the effects his 'new' augs were having on him. Gloria was being investigated and now her kid had an infamously wanted piece of speedware stuck into his back. It didn't take a mathematician to put two and two together. "What were you thinking? Strapping a corpse scavved piece of wetware to your nerves?"
"Save the lectures. You're not my father. Feel free to follow his example and fuck off."
V had doubted that he could get more annoyed at the boy, but that statement proved him wrong and the dam broke. Annoyance became a full eruption of pissed off. "Some shit-heads will hit rock bottom, learn how they screwed up and pull themselves outta the hole they dug and make something out of it, You? You hit bedrock and decided to grab a shovel."
"Seriously? I asked you for help! Not to show up outta nowhere like some Blackwall myth and talk down to me every chance you get!" V was almost impressed with the fact David was able to keep eye contact with him. Almost.
"I am trying to help you, its too bad you're an ungrateful punk!" He shook the chair, feeling just the slightest pang of sympathy when he heard the boy groan in pain.
David shifted in his seat, an odd level of ignorant arrogance in his eyes and posture. "Apart from mom, how exactly have you helped me?"
Sympathy gone, V grabbed the arms of the chair and effectively locked David in place as he answered. He had been hoping he wouldn't have to reveal this information just yet, but...
"You're an Arasaka asset now, that's how."
"Do-what now?" The boy's eyes blinked a few times, head tilting to the side. V couldn't help but sigh at the reaction. He didn't sugarcoat it, or do any fancy corporate doublespeak. He thought he had made it simple enough to where ever an child with the most basic education from the Night City school system could understand. V prayed that the kid was still a little off following the surgery, but the confusion on David's face made him question the boy's intelligence.
"Scop-for-brains, I swear." He muttered, chair shaking slightly as he released his grip on it. "Look chuckle-fuck, the Academy has you on vid selling illegal XBDs, and even as a free city NC has to follow some laws." A sigh escaped him, mind recalling the details of the crime. "In this case, you'd be looking at five to fifteen for possession and distribution. Bonus time depends on the age of the victims involved."
David's eyes narrowed, suspicion heavy in them. Was he perhaps finally understanding? "You're bluffing. If they had scrolls of me doing this, then why not turn me in?"
A tiny laugh escaped V, but he hid it as a sigh. "Kid, the academy reports on its students to the company, and Arasaka makes the calls. A no-name, no skill, no money, and almost no-family kid like you?" V shook his head, smiling sadly as those words reminded him that David was all Gloria had left for family. "The company refers to you as 'disposable assets' and treats you as such. They'll hold onto whatever juicy detes they've gathered til they decide they need something from you. Then they give you two options: do what they want or suffer the consequences."
He watched as David shifted in the chair, the boy's eyes no longer upon him. "And I suppose there's something you want from me?"
"I want you to smarten up and start thinking for once in your goddamn life." He reached into his pocket and set down a small stack of Eurodollars, along with a MaxDoc inhaler on the table. "Take that, get yourself cleaned up, then go home and don't do anything stupid." V was content to leave the discussion there and started moving towards the door, but David didn't seem happy with that.
"That's it?" An airy almost laugh left the boy's mouth. "Not gonna take me in for assault? Theft?"
Willing to let David have the final word, he opened the door and addressed the guard behind it. "Uncuff the kid and escort him off campus..." His mouth twitched for just a second, an earlier part of his and David's conversation coming back. He raised his voice, ensuring that David would hear the next part. "And make sure he takes his medicine."
The grin V had been holding back came out in force at the growl of anger to come from the room behind him. In playing the part of parent, V knew he had struck a cord with the kid. Still, if it would get him to start thinking straight, he was willing to let it go. He moved back through the halls of the Academy at the same brisk pace he had arrived with. Returning to his car, he selected Jackie from his holo contacts and gave the man an update.
"How'd the parent-teacher conference go?"
"Turned into a student-parent conference." V sighed like a disappointed father, something that was happening more often, "Kid got himself chromed up with the implant I mentioned and decided to have it out with a classmate. He's been excused from class for the rest of the day, but I think I'm gonna have it extended to the rest of the week. Give him time to rest a little, you know?"
"Glad to see you embracing the roll of padre," Jackie chuckled, but quickly stopped. "Alright, I can feel the glare you're giving me over the holo. So where's the kid now?"
"Hopefully on his way home." From his rearview mirror, he saw David's yellow jacket moving away from the Academy. "You still nearby the school?"
"Next block over. Seemed kind of sketchy of me to hang around anywhere with an Arasaka logo."
V couldn't help the snort to escape him, "Fair enough. Anyhow Jack, I gotta get back to work."
"Go ahead," he heard Jackie smile, "and don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the kid for you."
"Thanks." He ended the call, a tiny yawn escaping him. V debated briefly on taking an extended coffee break instead or going back to work, but knew that the longer he delayed on some things, the more headaches it would lead to later. Tuning into Morro Rock radio, he cranked up the volume and let the rhythm of the music accompany him back to the office.
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["Good news choom. Seems the kid took your advice and went home to rest for awhile. He looked a bit more rested leaving the apartment than he did when he arrived. Not sure where he's going now but, I'll keep you posted."]
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Upon returning to the office, V stopped by the small cafe within and ordered the 'executive special', which translated to being the largest and most caffeinated cup of coffee they could legally sell before violating some health law or another. The coffee worked its magic, and his fingers had danced over the keyboard. By the time his lunch break rolled around, all but three reports had been handled, and those were ones that could wait a day or two longer to be completed without causing problems for anyone.
Instead of going to the cafe again, V decided to take a trip over to the medical center where Gloria was being held. Much as he didn't want to burden her anymore than her treatments were, he felt it would do more harm than good if he didn't give her some updates about David while she was recovering. He had arrived at her room in time to see one of the nurses finish adjusting some of her IVs, a doctor just outside studying a folder in his arms.
"I hope you weren't planning on staying too long sir." The doctor gave V a warm smile, "Miss Martinez is scheduled for surgery about ten minutes from now."
"For what?"
"Removal and reconstruction surgery." He removed an x-ray from within the folder he was holding. "While she has multiple broken bones from the accident, her left arm took the brunt of the impact. As you can see, parts of both the radius and ulna have been shattered, and we need to remove some of the smaller shards to prevent infection. Meanwhile, her humerus has a compound fracture that we can mend with the addition of a couple pins and plates. She still won't survive some of the more advanced procedures, but these ones are minor enough that we can proceed and prevent potential further issues with them."
"Thanks for the update," V gave a nod of his head as the doctor and nurse departed, leaving him alone with her. Looking to the bed, V could see Gloria's eyes had lit up hearing his voice, and he wasted no time in moving to her side. "Hey Gloria, how you feeling?"
"Tired...Bored, to be honest. Little nervous about the surgery." She smiled as much as the mask on her face allowed. "You?"
"Same, though I wouldn't say I'm bored." V gently placed a hand over hers, being careful as ever of the wires. "Arasaka keeps me busy enough, though David's also added to my workload."
Gloria suddenly looked tired in the way only a mother could. "What did he do now?"
V took a moment to think, deciding to keep the details to a minimum unless Gloria asked in an attempt to keep her relaxed. "Kid decided to get some chrome, and promptly used it to lock horns with a classmate at the Academy." He watched Gloria's mask fog up as she sighed and closed her eyes. "Don't worry, he's fine. I made sure of that. And I managed to pull some strings to keep him from getting expelled, but he's gonna be out for the rest of the week."
"Idiota." Gloria offered up after a moment, a sad fondness in her eyes as they opened. "He was always such a good boy when he was younger..."
"He's a teenager," V offered, not wanting to stress her out more than his recent revelation might have. Or bring about a repeat of last night. "All of them have their moments of rebellion."
"True," a true smile sneaked onto Gloria's face, "but I was a good girl."
"Says the woman who always sneaked out to go for joy rides in the desert with me."
"In your dad's car, which you borrowed without permission..." Her smile changed into an unrepentant one, "and wrapped around a cactus."
"That was one time..." He crossed his arms and looked away. "And that cactus only took out the mirror."
"And scratched the paint."
"And scratched the paint..." V admitted, the two sharing a short laugh that was interrupted by the return of the doctor and several orderlies. "Ah, guess my times up, right?"
"For now." The doctor answered as the team of orderlies moved to surround Gloria. "Don't worry, the surgery shouldn't take more than a couple hours. Though I can't guarantee how soon she'll come out of the anesthetics afterwards."
"Understandable." V stood up then, a gentle smile on his face as he looked down at Gloria, who now seemed apprehensive. "Don't worry, the doctors are gonna take good care of you. Alright?"
"I know," she frowned as one of the orderlies changed out one of the IVs in her arm. "V?"
"Yeah Gloria?"
"Next time you come, visit...You, bring...David?" Given the sudden slurring and halting pattern of her speech, there was little doubt in V's mind that the new IV was some sort of sedative meant to prepare her for surgery.
"Sure. Take care Gloria, good luck." " He gave a nod of his head, seeing Gloria mouth a reply of good before her eyes became heavy. It was just as well that Gloria went under when she did, because it meant she didn't have time to see the sudden shift in V's face to nervous as he received a message from his boss. It was short and to the point.
[My office. Now.]
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["So, I had to bring your boy to his ripper. Turns out he's been abusing that hardware in his back so much his dick's getting jealous. And not taking the proper meds. No suppressors at all. You better reimburse me for the eddies I'm using on him."]
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Nothin' in NC put the fear of god into you like a brief text from your boss. Especially after you've been making suspicious moves and making waves.
Office hours in Night City were twenty-four-seven. No ifs and's or buts.
In Arasaka it was from whenever your boss told you, until they said you can leave.
In ACI, you lived in the office and treated the rare moments of home life as a god-given vacation. If you had a schedule, forget it. If you were told you had a day off, it was a lie. You lived, breathed, and slept in the corporate world and you would thank the company for the privilege or be fired. This was something drilled into your head from day one, and was not something to be forgotten or altered. And if it was? Well, that's what meetings like these were for.
V had a feeling this was going to happen, and did his best to come prepared. That meant everything about him immaculate, hands empty, and eyes focused nowhere else but on the executive who would decide your fate.
To say that Arthur Jenkins didn't look pleased would be an understatement. The moment V entered the office he knew the interrogation had started. "Shortly before lunch I received notice about a number of asset activation, funding, and requisition requests from your desk. More than you've submitted in a year, all in one day." His eyes looked away from the computer screen before him to stare directly at V. "You wanna explain, or should I save us both some time and deny them all?"
"You still want to get back at the Director for that black eye she gave you?" Years of this dance had trained V that sometimes it was better to fight a question with one of your own. The gamble was pecking at Jenkins' well known sore spot.
Jenkins leaned forward just slightly. "Go on."
"How do you feel about having your own 'mini-smasher' in a pocket? Just borged enough to make him a major threat, but held to you by a string you can cut any time?"
"Sounds like a shit promise made by a shifty employee who's trying to scam his boss. But do go on." He made a rolling gesture with his hand, a sign V knew meant he had the man's attention.
"Look, while I was looking into one of the idiots involved with the Academy server fuck up, I found a street-kid who's got an unusual resistance to implant rejection. Got a Military custom Sandevistan hooked to his back to win a fight."
"And he hasn't gone psycho yet?" One of Jenkins eyebrows rose just the tiniest fraction.
"Nope. I've got a man following him now, he's been running around all day without immune-suppressants testing out his new speedware." V shook his head. "He's dumb as a brick, but we don't have to do more than point him where we want him to go and take off the leash if this works."
"I'm starting to see where this is going." V kept his face neutral as he watched Jenkins lean back in his chair. "So what, we load him up with chrome till he can't take it and treat him like a dog?" The officer questioned, "Whats to stop the company from just pulling this from us for Smasher's replacement?"
"We're not gonna be turning him into an attack dog." V crossed his arms, "My idea is that we give this one the very old carrot and stick. His mom got into a wreck, and I've strapped her to my Trauma plan. The kid's not happy to be in debt to a Corpo like me, but he's not willing to piss me off as long as I keep his mom alive." Sure David had caused more than a few headaches for V in the short amount of time he's known him, but he wasn't about to classify that as pissing him off.
At that, Jenkins let out a huff. "What was the point of strapping her to your plan and not one of the corporate slots, or use a slush fund?"
Though his face remained neutral, V was smiling on the inside. "See, the kid thinks I need to stay alive for his mom's healthcare, and so the company couldn't fuck this up by sayin' no before I set everything up."
"The fact that it keeps you involved for now so I can't steal credit was another benefit?" Once more, Jenkins head tilted slightly, considering his words.
"Yup." V said shamelessly. "If all goes well, this kid becomes a disposable smasher for us. We get a crew to back him for support and cover, and I serve as the go between to point them where we want them."
"And what exactly is in it for you?" The man behind the desk sat up a little straighter. "I very much doubt that this is done from the kindness of your heart or loyalty to the company."
"Honestly, no bullshit?" V started counting on his fingers as he listed the options. "A promotion, a pay raise, a little kick back from the jobs we send them on, and maybe a few shiny new pieces of chrome for myself paid for by them and the company."
"Is that all?"
"Nah, might fuck the kid's mom too." The neutral facade was broken for a moment by a sly grin. "She's a decent looker. So I might bring her around town, give her a view of the good life... and remind the new dog where his position is."
"And that won't cause some problems?"
"Both are Santo, born and raised. Family is everything to them." He returned to his usual expression. "It might make him bark louder, but if his mother is happy being my personal joytoy, he'll just have to sit and take it."
Arthur Jenkins took a deep breath, considering everything V had just sent his way. His eyes went back to the computer, reading over the forms again, occasionally tapping at a few keys or glancing back at his minion. V knew not to expect a reply right away after making his case. He knew that Jenkins would just make him stand there and sweat while he 'considered' each request. This tactic might have worked on lesser individuals, make them be the one to break and either withdraw or alter a proposal. For V, it just gave him more time to think and prepare for the various scenarios that could come up. To further refine the improvised bullshit reasons until there was no reason not to accept them as truth. To come up with contingency plan after contingency plan for no matter what situation might pop up.
"Alright, everything seems to be in order with these requests." Jenkins finally spoke, eyes leaving the screen long enough to stare at V.
V stared back, meeting him in the eye all while doing his damnedest to give nothing away.
"We'll give this a test run." Jenkins stated. "I want profiles made on the crew, skills and chrome only. Old school like you said, so nothing digital. No transmissions. Reports are in person. If shit hits the fan, you take the fall."
"Understood sir. If there is nothing else, I need to leave."
"Uh-huh. And where are you going?"
"To pay our asset's mother a visit." V answered honestly. "She was scheduled for surgery today, and I want to make sure she's receiving the care that we're paying for."
Jenkins gave a hum in reply, head dipping just slightly in approval.
V kept a calm pace, only relaxing when he'd left the building altogether.
He could swear that he felt his boss' eyes on him the entire way down the building.
Like he was making a deal with a whole new devil.
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["Choom, I think your boy is in some trouble? Looks like the chica who brought him to her place was a honeypot. Just saw a crew of three show up, talking about how she's still got him in some BD. Sounds like they're after the parts in his back. Might need an assist for this one, they got a fucker who's bigger than me with them and I don't like the odds if this ends up in a scrap."]
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V had had every intention of visiting Gloria, but the phone call from Jackie right as he was leaving Jenkins office changed those plans. Instead, he found himself speeding towards an apartment building in Japantown that Jackie had sent him. He knew he had the right location when he saw Jackie's bike parked outside, the man making an appearance a moment later.
"Anything else happen while I was gone?" V asked as Jackie moved to join him.
"Not that I saw." Seeing V draw one of his knives, Jackie pulled out his own piece and took the lead. "David and the girl were still in the BD, while the other three were just standing around."
"They're in there with him!?" V kicked it into high gear and ran into the building, "and you didn't think to mention that first!?" He ran up the stairs, Jackie just behind. "Which one!?"
"Up those stairs, first door." Jackie answered, gun at the ready. V practically vaulted up the stairs, the sheer anger he was feeling more than enough for him to pry the door open. As Jackie had said, the three were gathered around David, freshly knocked to the bed, while the honeypot was sitting nearby. To say V saw red would have been an understatement. He pulled a flashbang from his pocket and tossed it, shouting a phrase guaranteed to cause the desired effects.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH MY SON!"
A blinding flash filled the room, causing all of the occupants within to scream, bitch, or whine about their eyes. He even heard a curse come from Jackie, but paid them all no mind and charged in.
The big guy was the first to go down. With his hands over his eyes, the big man's chest was an easy target. The neurotoxin knife was pricey but the paralytic liquids in the blade were worth it. It slipped between the mountain man's ribs like a needle, meeting no resistance. The guy had enough time to gasp in pain or surprise before he dropped like a bag of rocks, head clipping the apartment's windowsill as he went down. Though he was knocked out, it was a small grace that he had landed on the bed.
Before the big guy had hit the bed, a short circuit was sent to the honeypot. Her personal ICE wasn't enough to withstand the ACI standard quickhack. In an instant, all her internal batteries discharged, and her pixie ass was fried into dreamland. She remained seated on the windowsill where she fried, albeit in a much limper state.
Next to go was the buff girl. Despite her size, a fully body weight boot to the face was more than enough to send her to sleep with only a spray of blood and a broken nose to show for her lack of effort. She hit the apartment floor with a thud that seemed to echo throughout the room.
Lastly, V set his sights on the gangly chrome carrier with the oversized metal hands. Blinded by the grenade, all he could do was flail in the direction of the noises around him. A blind grab from the gonk in his direction was all V needed for leverage as he caught the man's hand in his own. A textbook MMA pirouette and throw had more than enough force to slam his entire body into the apartment's window. The lam-glass cracked, dented, but held, leaving him laying on the windowsill across from the honeypot. A lucky break for the gonk, or he'd become another serving of NC pavement paste.
Crew crippled, V looked for his boy, finding his son in a heap covered by the ragdolled blond punk boulder who knocked his lights out.
Medical training kicked in at the sight, and V went through the motions. He pulled David aside, checking his pulse and breathing, before checking his ears for any liquids dripping out. When the kid passed all the quickie tests that showed he wasn't in any danger, V finally let himself relax. He took a deep breath as he bent over in relief, eyes shifting to Jackie who was inspecting the fallen gonks.
"They still breathing Jackie?" He asked, straightening out and cracking his neck.
"Holmes, I got the warning and I'm surprised I'm still breathin'!" Jackie gestured to the room, "the fuck was that!?"
"You said they had David cornered and were talking about taking back the speedware in his spine! Not the kinda thing you need to waste time on." He looked over at David, before looking back to Jackie.
"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting you to come in like a Maelstrom convoy! Droppin' off more viruses and daemons than a scav factory whorehouse!" He gestured to the window. "Mierda! You slammed the guy with the metal hands into the window so hard it cracked! I didn't even know reinforced lam-glass could even crack like that!"
While V knew Jackie wasn't actually mad, he still felt a need to defend himself. "I was rushing okay? I didn't think I had the time to take it slow!"
"If I wasn't beside you I'd think we were getting a raid by MaxTac!" The Latino man pointed at a burn mark on the floor. "I swear, when the flashbang went off I saw the pearly gates!"
"Just shut up and help me zip theses guys up." V held out a handful of industrial zip ties.
"Okay, just... Just give my heart a moment to calm down." Jackie placed a hand over his, but his other reached out for the ties.
"Hurry it up, I'll buy you a spare later." He grinned, not caring about how much he was gonna owe Jackie for this.
The other man laughed. "Can you even afford it with how you're throwing money around this week?"
"Technically I got a promotion." V brought that piece of information out proudly, causing Jackie to raise an eyebrow.
"I... Uh... Huh, I'll ask later." Wisely, he dropped the subject and instead focused on helping V tie up the crew.
"K, then. Now, a question of my own. Got some grenades, string, and zip-ties?"
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[V? It's Gloria, just sending you a message that I'm out of surgery. Don't forget to bring David when you visit!]
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It had been roughly half an hour since the crew and their honeypot had been knocked out and tied up on the floor. David was still down for the count as well, though V couldn't figure out if it was from the hit he had taken, or if the events of the day had finally caught up with him. Either way, V and Jackie maintained watch over the room, guns at the ready and agitation apparent.
The first to wake was the handyman. And his complaints and cussing were all but ignored by the pair as they discussed more important matters.
["So, dinner tonight?"] V sighed eyes moving from the whining handyman to Jackie.
"What the fuck is this?" He held up his hands, showing them their own handiwork of grenade bouquets. All of which had been run through with the zip ties holding their hands together in such a way that, If one pulled their hands too far apart, boom. Special care had even been added to attach their makeshift handcuffs to Lucy's neck.
Where another grenade rested right beneath her chin.
["I said once a week."]
["Yeah, and after the Mexico flashback you gave me, I pick tonight. Never said I couldn't choose when that dinner was."]
V cursed internally, before gesturing to Jackie's stomach. ["Where does all that food you eat go? I swear you should be twice my size already."]
"Come on chooms, this isn't cool!" The tied-up goon cried, trying again to get their attention fully on him.
["Choom, I am twice your size, all 'ganic muscle too."] Jackie took a moment to stretch and flex his muscles menacingly, causing the handyman to retreat into his shoulders just slightly.
"Alright, we're not chooms. Sorry."
["Uh-huh, sure. And when that metabolism of yours finally fails, you'll be a fat ass."]
["You're just mad that I got better 'ganic muscles where it counts too."]
["How long has it been since I said 'fuck you'?"]
["Haven't all day."]
["I knew it was due. Also, fuck you."]
["So how long are we gonna give this gonk the silent treatment?"]
["Maybe just til' his friends wake up. Keep them on their toes."]
["You know that could take hours homes, and I don't know about you but I'll probably have to piss sometime during the wait. You got anything that might speed this up?"]
["Think these ought to do the trick."] V sighed, hands going into his pockets to remove four Bounce Backs. Understanding, Jackie kept his gun trained on their captives as V administered their medicine.
"Ow! The fuck was that!?" The handyman whined as V struck him in the arm with the medical applicator.
"Bounce Back, you're welcome. Now shut up." He replied, not looking at the man as he took care of the other three.
["Just remember, I ain't good at keeping up two conversations at the same time."]
["You could always play big and silent."] V replied, noticing the eyes of the muscle woman starting to flutter.
"Ugh, my fucking face."
"Don't move!" Handyman practically shouted as the woman tried to bring her hands up.
["And let you have all the fun again? No thank you."] Jackie turned his attention to the newly wakened muscle. "You should listen to him chica."
The woman shook her head, several curses leaving her mouth as she noticed the bindings surrounding her and the others. Her anger changed to horror as she looked to the other girl, who was coming around. "Oh shit. Lucy?"
["Alright, just remember to keep an eye on the honeypot. Scan says she's got a deck in her head, and the last thing we need is a street runner springin' surprises."] V stayed beside the younger woman, his eyes hard as her systems finished resetting and she returned to consciousness.
"Huh..." Was all she managed before her eyes went wide, an expression of horror on her face as she stared at V.
["So what, the 'collar' she's wearing ain't enough?"]
"Don't move. Wouldn't want you to lose that pretty little head of yours." V ran a finger under her throat, gently lifting the grenade that had been tied there. With infinite care, he traced the lines connecting them to her associates. Lucy's expression switched to one of pure terror, and V would have thought she'd gone catatonic if it wasn't for the occasional blink of her eyes.
["I'm serious Jack. If it looks like she's letting her daemons out to play, put her down."]
["I feel sorry for your boy, probably the first time a quality gal came to play with him and she sets him up."] Jackie nodded to where V had left the boy resting on the bed.
["Don't remind me, I told him to keep his head down earlier today too."] V's gaze followed Jackie's, though it was quick to look away when a deep groan came from the biggest member of the tied up trio.
["Kids are a labor of love holmes."]
["We can finish this conversation later. Thanks to your suggestion, looks like the brute has finally burned out the poison."]
True to his assessment, the brute was stirring from his slumber with all the grace of a bear coming out of hibernation. Unlike his fellows though, he didn't immediately try to struggle against the ties he could feel binding his wrists. Feeling that the four of them were now conscious enough to understand, V addressed the group.
"Good morning ladies and gents." V started, loading his voice with lethal levels of mockery, malice, and malevolence, "I trust you enjoyed your sleep?"
"Fuck you spook suit!"
"Is something the matter handjob?"
"You've been ignoring me, so yeah, there is. Untie me!" Once more, he held his hands out for all to see. Both sets of muscle flinched at the sight, while the girl still seemed scared to even breathe.
"You're free to leave at any time." Jackie used his gun to point at the door, before turning it back on the handyman.
"Yeah, and have this junkyard bomb collar go off, no thanks!"
"Then feel free to sit quietly and let the big boys talk. K?" Wisely, the gangly man opted to stop his ranting at V's request.
"We got nothing to talk about." The big guy turned his head away, doing his best to control the flow of the conversation.
"Finally, their leader speaks." V stepped up to the man, one hand grabbing a fistful of blond hair to force eye contact. "Mind explaining why you're here to ice this kid?"
"I ain't saying shit." The man made an attempt to spit, but only succeeded in sending a puff of air at V's face.
"You will. It's just a question if you do it because you want to, or because I make you." Still holding the brute's hair, he forced him to look at David's slumped form. "See, I'm kinda invested in this kid's future. So I need to know if you came here on your own or if someone had you sent here. Either way, keeping silent means bad shit goes down."
"Maine?" The muscle girl looked at her leader, eyes silently begging him to come up with a plan.
"Maine, huh?" V let out a tiny snort, he'd heard worse names.
"Yeah, so?" The newly identified Maine seemed unaffected by the assessment of his name. "What's your name?"
"That's on a need to know basis," V brushed some nonexistent dust from his suit, "and you don't need to know."
While Maine's mouth twitched with a bitten back comment, Handjob seemed more than willing to speak for his fellows. "Say what you want, but we ain't talkin'!"
"All I've seen you do is talk." Jackie adjusted the grip on his gun, pointing it at the handyman's crotch.
"You think you're big and bad just cuz' you strap some grenades to us?" Maine barked at the pair, before looking to his associate. "Take your own advice and shut it Pilar."
"Big and bad? Nah, not really." V reached out and picked up a nearby bottle of booze. The cheap shit with more alcohol content than flavor. "Though maybe you should do like he has and start talking, 'cause getting lit on fire sucks a fat one."
The bottle was opened up and dumped over the four of them. Both the brute and the muscle woman let out singular curses, his more vulgar than hers. Meanwhile hands was cussing up a storm. Only the honeypot was completely silent, looking to be just a hair's breath from pissing herself in fear.
"Now, here's how this game is gonna go." V shook the empty bottle. "Your honeypot had five bottles in this hole in the wall. So you get four bad answers. When the bottles are burnt up, so are all of you." That eerie grin was back on his face, he could feel it and they could see it.
Just the way he liked it.
"Now question one: Are you here on your own, or did someone send you?"
Pilar couldn't keep his mouth shut. "You're fuckin' crazy!"
"Servey says: Wrong answer!" Another bottle was revealed, a knock-off vodka, and it too was poured over their heads.
V waited till the sputtering and cursing ended before asking again. "Here on your own or dying for someone else?"
"We came on our own." Maine growled out, "My supplier sold that chrome to me, then ghosted. It's mine."
V paused. "Well that is... unexpected." he gave a brief glance to Jackie, who looked just as surprised.
"What?" The crew leader questioned.
"Your supplier...Her names Gloria Martinez? Right?"
"How the hell did you know that?" By the way he tried to move backwards, V could tell Maine's surprise at his knowledge was genuine.
"Because that's her boy wearing your klepped chrome." He tossed his head towards David's form, watching as Maine's eyes followed his own.
"You're shittin' me." Some of the bravado was gone from Maine's voice as he looked at David, an odd expression in his eyes. The other three followed his example, faces unreadable.
"Seriously? You never bothered to learn who you were poaching before moving in? Gonk move."
"I was kinda pissed that I'd chipped in a fat stack of eddies only to come out empty handed." Maine looked back at V, "then Lucy says she finds a street-kid with a military Sandevistan. I only think it's a fucking miracle I found it first."
"Huh, small world for such a big town." V's gaze drifted out the window, before looking to Lucy. "I'm gonna have to have words with your honeypot later. But we have biz to discuss first."
"The only biz to discuss is what I gotta do to get outta here with all our heads attached."
"I think that can be arranged." A grin worked its way onto V's face, eyes going back to David's prone form. "The kid took a blow to the chops, but he was stupid enough to wander off by thinking with the wrong head."
"And you stabbed me with a knock-out knife. You gotta point?"
"Patience, Choom. We've both been done wrong, so I think we should start by making some amends." Though he kept his finger on the trigger, V pointed his own gun just to the side of Maine. "How much did you pay Gloria for the goods?"
"Fifty-thousand." He replied, no hesitance in his voice.
"Nice try. You'd be loaded up with a Falcon if that was the case. But, I'm feeling generous. Twenty-five thou enough to say sorry?"
"A beer would be nice." Maine quipped, causing V to shake his head.
"Tisk, tisk. So, greedy. You're lucky I've got a use for you and deep pockets to pay."
"Uh-huh." It was Maine's turn to shake his head, "I know you corpo-types enough to know what you're getting at."
"Okay then, skipping the foreplay: I need a crew. One willing to keep an eye on this kid, keep him alive, and back him up. A corp spotted him abusing the sandy and his only shot at stayin' free and not becoming a lab-rat is if he's doing field work for them. Capiche?"
"And what do we get?"
"Good pay, great chrome, and some other benefits for good behavior." V couldn't help but tick each option off with a finger as he spoke.
"And if we refuse?"
"I find someone else." V moved the gun back to being in line with Maine's head, finger off the trigger. "I was gonna kill you if I had to, but I don't see why we can't part ways amicably."
Maine looked at the other three, all still though V guessed their minds were working overtime. "You know I gotta discuss this with my crew right?"
Neither V or Jackie was surprised with his answer. "Thought as much. Pass me your detes. We can arrange a meeting tomorrow morning."
At the chance to mock him, Pilar seemed to regain his voice. "What you got a date or something, suit?"
"Nah, promised Gloria I'd drag her gonk son in to visit her." V looked over at Jackie, who was still fully on guard. "Come on Jackie, lets set em' free and on their way."
"Eh, okay." Jackie holstered his gun, trading it out for an intimidating combat knife. "Waste of good zip ties and string, but at least I can reuse the grenades." The Latino man moved over to the group, holding back a laugh as Pilar thrust his hands out. "Uh uh, ladies first. What's your name chica?"
"Dorio." The musclebound woman answered, holding her hands out like Pilar had. Holding the grenade in one hand, Jackie cut the ties away with the other. Dorio let out a relieved sigh and rubbed her wrists. "You good Lucy?"
The white-haired woman still wouldn't respond. "Think she's still scared. Hang on...There we go." The moment the grenade and lines were gone, some life seemed to return to Lucy and she practically threw herself into Dorio's arms as the tears started to flow. "Eh, sorry I had to be so rough with you. I'll understand if you don't want to take another stroll around Westbrook with me."
Lucy muttered something intelligible against Dorio's chest, causing the blond woman to sigh. "She says she'll think about it."
"Fair enough." Jackie helped Dorio move from the floor back onto the couch, Lucy still in her arms. He looked over at V, who had just cut Maine's restraints, leaving only Pilar still bound.
"Hey! What about me!?" Pilar whined, arms moving a bit more freely now that he wasn't tethered to anyone but himself. Rolling his eyes, V struck out with the knife, causing Pilar to scream. With a loud snap, Pilar's ties were severed, allowing him to fully flex and stretch his fingers. "Ah! That's better! Much better! You good ladies?" The gangly man took a seat beside the two girls, his hands coming to rest on both their shoulders.
"Swear they're a good crew." Maine offered, noticing Jackie watching the three of them. His eyes drifted then to V, who had picked up the still unconscious David. The kid in question was slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Is he gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, figure I'll give him a Bounce Back when we get to the hospital." He adjusted his hold, ignoring the faint groan to come from David. "Want him to look good for his mom."
"Why not wake him up before?"
"Don't want to deal with him during the car ride." The reponse brought a small round of laughter from both Maine and Jackie, the latter holding the door open while the former gave a nod.
"Understandable." A surprising gentleness worked it ways onto Maine's face. "Hey, give Gloria my regards too, will ya?"
V gave a noncommittal grunt as he moved towards the door. "I'll be in touch."
With that, V stepped from the apartment, Jackie giving a nod of his own before closing the door behind them.
Not the best start, but things could have ended so much worse for them all.