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?

12. Chapter 12 - Never Too Late

["Hey Jackie? If you're free, want to stop by the apartment and have a few drinks and catch up?"]

The message had come in shortly after two in the afternoon, and Jackie was more than a little surprised by it. Sure, he had been speaking with V over the holo the last few days as the man recovered from his beating, and dealt with whatever else he had going on. And he had seen the man in person at the party, but didn't really have a chance to talk with him in person as much as he wanted. As such, the invitation to visit V at his apartment was a welcomed surprise.

["Sure, though I've got to help Mama with a few things around the Cojo first. Mostly just helping her organize and take inventory of the stock room."] Jackie replied. ["I'll swing by once I'm done, alright? Shouldn't be more than a few hours."]

["Alright, see you then."]

Jackie left the message on read, and instead focused his attention on the task at hand. It wasn't that he minded helping his mom with the bar, but he had been troubled by V's lack of appearances. It also hadn't helped that the man had disappeared during the party a few times, only to return a little later and act like he wasn't gone. Or that he had outright vanished after seeing Lucy and David openly kiss. No, his desire to make it to the apartment and see V was to satisfy his own curiosity.

He finished just a little after six, and after stopping by the garage to freshen up a little, he had taken his bike over to V's place. He knocked on the door to announce his arrival, but the long-term friendship between him and V also allowed him to just open the door and walk inside while doing so.

Upon stepping inside, Jackie expected to see V sitting on his couch, a couple bottles and cups before him on the coffee table as some mindless action movie played in the background. Or finding the man playing along on his guitar to some rock song or another. What greeted him instead was the sight of V sitting at the kitchen island. A couple glasses sitting before him and several bottles of alcohol beside him. Of the four bottles, Jackie could tell V was only pouring from one – a nondescript brown bottle that was a little over half full. His eyes looked to one of the glasses, seeing the tiniest remains of liquid at the bottom. Those two things, coupled with V's near lack of reaction to his arrival were indicative of one thing.

The man had been pre-gaming.

"Startin' to have all the fun without me?" Jackie moved over to the island, picking up the glass he had looked at earlier and gave it a sniff. Though virtually empty, the alcohol content of the drink to once occupy it was so strong that Jackie felt his sinuses open. Tilting the glass so the liquid moved to one side, he dipped a finger in and took a taste. "Oh no. You, broke out the Irish moonshine?"

The words were punctuated with a couple coughs, the reaction making V look up. There was a tired and forced smile on his face as he answered. "Needed something just a bit, stronger." He reached to his side and wiggled the bottle that contained the custom concoction. "Want some?"

"No thank you." Jackie took a seat across from V, one hand reaching to take one of the other bottles. "Think I'll stick to good old tequila." He gently shook the bottle, before taking a swig directly from it. "Safer."

"Suit yourself." V poured himself another two finger's worth of his poison of choice.

"So...Arasaka payin' you to try and override their detoxifier again?"

"Not 'saka." The other man tapped at his chest. "Had most of the shit Arasaka installed in me, taken out." V hiccuped, "and replaced with civilian models t'match."

Jackie blinked, studying V his friend closer. For the first time since arriving, Jackie noticed that V was dressed casually. A simple black tank top covered his chest, while a pair of cargo shorts covered to just below his knees. Normally, everything would be hidden under a long-sleeved dress shirt or suit jacket and matching slacks. But here in the apartment, almost everything was on display for Jackie to see. He started by looking at V's legs, seeing the faint bulge of sub-dermal implants around the man's calves. Moving up to his chest, Jackie could see the faintest hints of circuitry and other wiring beneath the tank top. There was little doubt in the Latino man's mind that more than one of his friend's biological systems had been tweaked or replaced.

Jackie's eyes shifted to V's arm, noticing that they were slightly slimmer than before. Looking at V's forearms, Jackie could just make out the seams that connected metal to flesh on the outside of them. Only one type of arm modification granted its user markings like that, and the sight sent an involuntary shiver down Jackie's back.

He took another shot of tequila, hoping the warmth of the alcohol would shake off the chill he was feeling.

"You...Chromed back up?"

"Yeah. Felt I had to..." V flexed his arms, the concealed blades within popping out and confirming Jackie's suspicions. "Things are...getting hot at Arasaka. Jenkins, still isn't exactly happy with me. And now we've the shit with Faraday. And I've shit with Abernathy now too." With more coordination that Jackie expected, V pushed away from the counter and stood with the mantis blades out on full display. Even with the alcohol fighting the detoxifier in his system, there was an odd coordination to V's moves as he slashed the air. "Got to be, ready to defend myself. Defend others...Don't want to be 'reassigned' again."

"And you will...You are ready." Jackie held the bottle of tequila to his chest. A poor shield but something that would grant him just a few extra seconds against those blades. But those few seconds could be the difference between life and death at the hands of those blades. And the man wielding them. Wouldn't have been the first time that Jackie had seen some unfortunate soul try the same tactic. For a brief moment, the soft warmth of the lights in V's apartment were on par with the harsh sun of Neo-Oaxaca. Taking a deep breath, Jackie brought himself back to the present, and knew he had to help V do the same. "But there's no one here except you and me choom. So retract the longspurs, and have another drink."

Jackie poured a shot's worth of tequila into one of the glasses and gently shook it as he set the bottle down. For a second, V's eyes locked onto the glass, but he hesitated to take it. By the way the man's eyes jumped from object to object, corner to corner, Jackie could tell V was scanning for any threats. The blades retracted, but V's on alert posture didn't change.

"See? No one here besides us and these lovely senoritas." Jackie wiggled the glass again, gesturing to the other liquor bottles with his free hand. "And I don't know about you, but I could use a little more attention from one of these beauties."

"Just..." V blinked a few times, taking the glass and returning to the stool he had vacated. "Don't tell Gloria?"

"Secret's safe with me choom." There was no real emotion in Jackie's smile as poured a shot of his own, raising his glass. "Provided you don't tell Misty, of course."

"Deal." V clinked his glass again Jackie's and the two of them drained the contents. The two sat in silence a moment, before V broke it with some small talk. "So. What have you been up to since I got beaten and rebuilt?"

"Seriously choom?" Jackie shook his head, but decided to humor him. "Mostly been runnin' errands for you while you're on the mend."

"Ah, yeah." V gently shook his glass, asking for a silent refill which Jackie provided. "How's...How's that going?"

"Goin' good. Crew's been happy. The lanky guy, Pilar? He's loving having a car of his own. Maine and Dorio both seem happier, much more relaxed now that the risk of cyberspychosis in the man has gone down thanks to you hookin' them up with Vik." Jackie gently nudged V, "then again, you saw them at the party. Laughing, drinking. They're all better off now thanks to your intervention.

"True..." He watched V take a moment to think, a single nod coming from the man as he took a sip of his drink. "And what about my family?"

"Tu familia?" Jackie mouthed, realizing a moment later what V was implying. "You mean Gloria and David?"

"Yeah. Haven't seen Gloria since I got out of the Trauma center myself." V had a drunken love-struck expression on his face. "Talked with her a few times though. She's gonna be getting' some work done, and wanted my input on some of it. Told her my thoughts, but that all final decisions rested with her."

"Smart. And while I haven't seen her either, I know she's fine." He grinned, voice dropping to a loud whisper. "You know those pictures I snapped of the kids? Sent them to her too. She loved them. Told me she was gonna have them printed and framed so she can always remember, and embarrass her baby boy about his first date."

"Oh." V took another sip, "does David know?"

"About the pics or Gloria wanting to frame them? Either way, probably." Jackie frowned and refreshed his own glass. "Not sure if you saw, but your kid dumped a whole cup's worth of ice down mis pantalones. I assume in revenge for me taking them in the first place but..."

"S'that why you were hopping around like a Malstrom on weak lace?" V laughed, sending Jackie a short video someone had snapped of the incident. Embarrassing as it was, Jackie couldn't help but chuckle along with V as he watched the replay. As the video came to an end with Jackie giving chase to David, so did V's laughter. "Jackie?"

"Holmes?" The sudden change in V's tone raised more than one red flag in Jackie's eyes.

"Jack? Think you'd know better than anyone..." V's eyes met his own. "Am I a shit father?"

Of all the things Jackie had expected V to say, that question hadn't been one of them. He took a moment to think, trying to figure out how best to formulate his response. "Well, I consider my father the mark to beat for shit parent. And given that you've never beaten your kid or his mother? Yeah, you're nowhere near his level on the shit scale."

"I'm serious though, Jackie." V cradled his head in his hands. "You can see it for yourself in those stills. I bailed the kid out of nearly ending his mom's life. Bailed him out of ruining his future over stupid shit at the Academy. Saved him from getting killed and having his chrome klept. And what does he do with that salvation?" His hands fell away from his head. "Jumps into bed with the very girl who was gonna kill him."

"I don't thi-"

"Look at the rest of the crew. Even before I came along, they all seemed to be doin' fine on their own. Apartments up to date on rent. Wheels... well, maintained. Chrome installed at least semi-professionally when it was first put in." V drained the little liquid remaining in his glass and traded it out for the bottle of Irish moonshine. "Far as I'm aware, none of the crew achieved all that doing the shit David's done...And that includes shacking up with his would've been killer!"

Jackie suppressed a sigh. V wasn't exactly wrong, but there were several differences between David and the crew.

"Not saying you're wrong, but look at it like this. Rest of the crew has at least three, four years on David. Plus, all of them seem to have the experience of having been on the street or needing to fight for what they need. Shit, Maine told me he spent two years surfin' couches after getting out of the service...And Pilar and Becca were fending for themselves before Pilar was eighteen."

"So?" By the way V's eyes were flickering, Jackie could tell the drink was really starting to take effect.

"So they've got experience in how the world really works. David however? From what I can tell, all he had to do was wake up, eat a meal, then go to school. After school? Come home, do homework, and maybe help with the housework. Eat dinner, and then relax until going to bed to do it all again." It was Jackie's turn to take a drink again. "Giving him almost nothing to worry about, as it was all provided to him by Gloria working herself to the bone so that he might have a better life someday."

"So you're saying he's like that because Gloria enabled him?" V's tone seemed torn between frustration and a sort of melancholic anger, though there did seem to be just a touch of guilt mixed in as well.

"Wouldn't say she enabled him." Jackie knew he had to tread carefully with his next words. "You saw her reaction to learning about the things David had done. The backdoor wreath upgrade, the XBDs. Your chica seems to regret that she wasn't able to keep him from those things."

"She still could have told him to get a job. Make him work." V took a long drink, gripping the bottle tight. "That's what my parents did. Got me, an unpaid internship, working alongside some friends of theirs. Kept me busy. Out of trouble."

"And yet you still found time to go off slummin'. Oh, and learn to play the guitar and be a rocker boy instead of a corpo brat." Jackie would have laughed if not for the glare V was sending his way. "But you're right that that's just mild. Not much different than going to the bar after work to unwind."

"Right." The sigh that escaped V's mouth was cut off by the mouth of the bottle connecting to his own. "With all that in mind though, I still can't figure out how to get him to pull his head out of his ass. Make sure that he doesn't fuck shit up further for himself."

"What's that old saying? If you make something foolproof, society will just make a better fool?" Jackie closed his eyes, thinking.

"Something like that." V gave a nod, "hoping that running with Maine and the rest of them. Not having to worry too much about expenses. Might make him smarten up a little. That might help."

"Eh, point is. You can only do so much to help David and try to set him to what's the right path for him." Jackie gently punched V in the arm. "But I'd say you've been doing alright by taking baby steps with him."

"Baby steps?" V stared at him, seeming doubtful. "I think bailing his ass out of one, two...Four different do or die situations now is beyond taking baby steps as his father."

"Four?" Jackie started counting on his fingers. "Saving his mother. The academy. Crew trying to ice him...What's the fourth one?"

"Keeping him out of Arasaka's clutches." V's head shifted to look down at his own body. "S'one thing if David wants to go into the data and paperwork side of Arasaka on his own...But I don't want him to end up like me and be almost fully under the company's thumb. That's why I've swapped my chrome...And want to make sure that any more chrome he gets isn't tied to them. And got him a new place to stay that they don't know about. Still can't help but feel he's just gonna fuck that up somehow too."

"Give your kid some credit. Far as I'm aware, he hasn't screwed up anything else since joining the crew."

"So deciding to hook up with someone who tried to kill you isn't a screw up?"

"That's less a screw up, and more a little misguidance." Jackie offered, seeing V's eyes narrow. "What? You put the fear of God and several other higher powers in the girl the day you tied that bomb collar to her. Not David's fault he felt bad seeing her so afraid of you. And it's not Lucy's fault that she feels safe with him."

"Your point?"

"People seek comfort in various ways. And clearly those two realized they have comfort in each other." He noticed V's mouth open to say something, but cut him off. "And don't argue again that she was going to kill him. He seems to have gotten over than, and I'm pretty sure she's not going to hurt the one thing that's protecting her from you."

V closed his eyes and took a drink, seeming to hold the shot in his mouth a moment as he mulled over Jackie's words. "You may be right. But that's not gonna stop me from worrying about him fucking up anything else again. Or worrying about her or someone else harming him."

"And you called yourself a shit father." Jackie let out a soft laugh. "Caring that much about a son you've only known for maybe a couple weeks tops."

"Someone's got to." V's eyes opened back up, "and Gloria still isn't any condition to be doing so. She did that for the last seventeen years or so on her own...About time someone shared the burden with her." Jackie saw V's shoulders slump as he suspected a wave of guilt had hit the man. "Least I can do is give them both a better life from here on out."

"And you are." Jackie was quick to grab the bottle as V's grip loosened on it. From what he could see, it looked like the alcohol had finally managed to get past the detoxifier. Then again, the bottle of moonshine was nearly empty so it wasn't surprising. "Paying for your baby mama to get treatment and chrome. And, for your son to get the same over time. That's preem right there."

A flash of sobriety seemed to move through V's eyes as Jackie's words registered with him. "Shit. That reminds me...I was gonna take David to see Vik tomorrow to get some chrome."

"Heh yeah." The smile on Jackie's face was one of the more genuine he had worn since arriving. "I was there when you called and told him. David seemed really excited about that." He leaned in just slightly, "think we'll just need to make sure he doesn't overdo it and starts small."

V nodded, eyes seeming to lose focus as they shifted to look at the bottles. "Speaking of overdoing it...Think, think we should clean up and call it a night. 'specially if we've got appointments tomorrow."

"Probably." Jackie checked that all the bottles were closed as V started to pick up the glasses and put them in the sink. He heard more than saw V stumble slightly as the other man moved to push his stool closer to the island and shook his head. "Know I'm your guest choom, but maybe you should go lie down. I can finish up here and show myself out."

"You sure?" V questioned, and Jackie nodded in reply as he moved his own stool in. "Thanks Jack, appreciate that."

"Welcome. Though V, call me in the morning and let me know if I need to make an appointment for you to see Vik as well. Just in case you somehow busted that detoxifier of yours with the moonshine."

"Ha ha, very funny." V smiled, cheeks slightly flushed. Jackie replied by returning the smile, before gently shooing V away. The Latino man watched his friend stumble towards the bathroom, before turning his attention back to cleaning. He rinsed the glasses and dried them with a nearby towel before setting them in the dish rank to further air dry any remaining water. Moving back to the island, he checked that all the bottles were closed tightly before returning them to their place on the shelves in the kitchen. He had just put the last bottle back when he heard the thud, followed by a curse from V.

Turning around, he was met with the sight of V having tripped on the stairs that lead up to the loft bedroom. Sighing, Jackie moved to help V up, supporting the man with one arm around his shoulder and the other around his waist as they walked up the stairs.

"Heh, haven't needed you to carry me to bed since Mexico." There was a sad fondness in V's voice, and Jackie would have lost his footing if he hadn't been paying more attention to their feet than anything else.

"Nah, carried you plenty of times since then..." Jackie replied, setting V down on the edge of the bed. "Course, you'll argue that it was you carrying me but..." The moment Jackie untangled himself from V, the other man flopped over and adjusted himself on the surface of it. "Just, get some rest, alright choom?"

"Okay." V slurred as he wiggled around just a little more before falling still. Shaking his head, Jackie turned away from V and made his way back down the stairs. Though the words were spoken with a dark nostalgia, Jackie couldn't seem to figure out why now, of all times. That the events of Mexico were starting to come back and haunt him.

"Eh, you know how V gets when sauced...He just went a little too deep down the rabbit hole this time." Though the thoughts did little to soothe the unease he was feeling, it was the perfect excuse as to why. Nodding as he forced himself to accept the answer, Jackie let himself out of V's apartment and made his way back home.

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Following his encounter with V the day prior, Jackie was almost thankful for the distraction the man had supplied. The original plan had been for V to take David to see Viktor, and have the boy started on the correct path of chroming up. Instead, V found himself being defeated by bright lights and nausea, and left with no choice but to pass the task to Jackie. He had asked his longtime choom if he wanted to reschedule, but V had declined.

"You said David seemed really excited about today. Don't want to disappoint the kid." V had held out his keys, all the explanation that he needed to give.

"You're losing the shit dad argument even more choom..."Jackie had laughed, but took the keys with a gentle smile. "How about we meet up at the Cojo later, let your boy tell you all about his day?"

V had nodded, before letting out a groan and hiding his head in the toilet as both his organic and cybernetic parts went to work trying to fix him. Jackie had taken that as his cue to leave, and after a small joyride, had gone to David's place. Much to Jackie's amusement, David was waiting outside and practically ran when he saw the car. Some of his energy fell away though when he opened the door and only saw Jackie sitting in the driver's seat. To his credit, the boy managed to play it off a little after the initial exchange of pleasantries.

"Kind of amused that V let you take his car...again." David buckled his seatbelt as Jackie started to drive.

"New chrome can be a little sensitive to open air." He offered, noticing David nod and let out a hiss at remembered pain. "Plus, your dad didn't think it smart to have you riding on the back of my bike under the effects of the medications. Not that any of us think you'd fall off but...better safe than sorry."

"I guess." David sighed, "so...who do you think would be more mad at you if something were to happen if we had taken the bike? V or my mom?"

"Gloria, hands down." There was no hesitation in Jackie's voice as he answered. "See, long as you survive, V would just be mad that I disobeyed his request to not take you on the bike. Your mom however?" He ducked his head into his shoulders for a second. "V's told her I've been tasked with looking out for you when he's not around. She'll beat my ass...then probably go after your dad."

That seemed to bring back some of David's earlier energy. "So you think V would be more forgiving than my mom?"

"Sobrino, your mother seems a very forgiving person." Jackie wasn't about to say how he reached that conclusion, "but it's obvious that she cares deeply for you and your well being. There's no doubt in my mind that almost everything Gloria's done in the last seventeen years has been for your benefit."

"You think so?"

"Looks that way to me, but I've only spoken to Gloria a few times...And V was with me all but one of those times so." He shrugged, not wanting to elaborate. Fortunately, David seemed content with his answer and shifted the subject just slightly.

He could feel David's eyes studying him. "Meant to ask, why are you taking me to Viktor's instead of V?"

At that, Jackie sighed. "Hate to say it, but your dad got a little too deep into a bottle last night. He needs a little time to recover."

David let out a faint chuckle, "so he's hungover? Wait, V can get hangovers?" He raised an eyebrow, having since heard about some of V's corporate issued chrome and their civilian counterparts.

"Somehow, your old man managed to bypass the detoxifier in his system." Jackie rolled his eyes. "Said something about the system only being able to handle so much before its safety kicks in and temporarily shuts it down so it can clear out its backlog or something. And that once that happens, well the chance to become intoxicated increases exponentially." Jackie shrugged, seeing David looking confused and in doubt. "Don't know if he was tellin' the truth or just yanking my chain. Maybe ask Vik about it. He could probably explain it better than I can after listening to hungover V's explanation."

"Probably will." David sighed, a slight tint of color on his cheeks. "Wonder if that could help me handle carbonated beverages better? Tired of getting laughed at by the others for barely being able to finish a beer, let alone a soda."

"Es posible." Another shrug escaped Jackie. "I don't know what those detoxifiers can and can't help with. I just rely on nature's detoxifier, my liver. You've gotten me through some shit, haven't you buddy?" He gently patted his stomach around where he knew the organ in question to be, making David laugh again. "Again, might want to ask Vik or your dad. They both know more about that shit than I do."

He saw David nod from the corner of his eye. "Ah, so I'm guessin' you don't know the full details either on what work V recently had done?"

"Work?" That got as much of Jackie's attention as it could without compromising their safety on the road.

"Saw V leaving the clinic the day I took Maine for his 'check up' as Dorio called it." David gestured in the direction they were driving. "Heard Viktor telling him to take it easy because of how much cyberware he had installed. Tried asking Vik what the old man had done, but all he said was body work."

"Ah, well...It's my understanding your dad had a couple of his corporate implants removed, like the detoxifier, and replaced with...civilian models for lack of a better term." He thought back to what V had told him when he asked about the new chrome. "He, uh...also changed out his arms."

"Oh, did he go for a different model of gorilla arms?" The kid looked at and flexed his own arm, "or the projectile launch system?"

Jackie let out a tiny hiss, a visible shudder passing through his body as he recalled V showing off the longspurs. "No, he uh, went for the mantis blades." He saw David's eyes narrow just slightly, and sensing that the kid was going to ask a question, cut him off. "But, that's not important. We should be discussing what chrome you want."

"Fair." The sigh to escape David told Jackie that, while he was willing to change the subject, he wasn't going to let it go fully. "Anyhow, I was considering the gorilla arms, monowires, or mantis blades. Figure the monos would give me a bit of range, but the gorillas would be more for power. The mantis blades might be a good mix of the two but." He shrugged, "only one I know I don't want is the projectile system, because I've got actual guns for that..."

Jackie nodded, letting David ramble over the pros and cons of the various chrome options available to him. Or even the possibility of matching V one for one on chrome. He had to admit there was merit to asking about the possibility of giving David, or anyone else on the crew, the same chrome as V. A sort of roundabout way to find out exactly what the man had done without breaking any sort of medical privacy rights. Or receiving what might have been a botched explanation from a drunk man's lips. Still, wanting to let David make his own decisions, within reason, Jackie only answered when directly asked.

Fortunately, David didn't have a lot of questions, and the rest of the ride passed peacefully with only an occasional question or comment shared between the two. By the time Jackie brought the van to a stop, David had made his decision to go with the gorilla arms, something that Jackie was secretly pleased with. Not that he was against the mantis blades but...

"Jackie? You coming?" He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sight of David standing outside the van, one eyebrow raised.

"Uh yeah, sorry. Was thinking I should take you in the back way." He climbed out of the car and motioned for David to follow. "Should help cut down on the crew and others questioning why you've brought them to a new-age shop instead of a ripper's."

"Appreciate that." The older man could tell David didn't quite believe him, but didn't argue as he followed Jackie around the back and down the stairs and into the clinic. "Though why did Vik set up behind Misty's in the first place?"

"One, it's literally private back alley real estate. Two, rent was reasonable by Night City standards." Viktor had heard the two of them and answered. "And three, Misty gives me a hand with the clients since I'm a friend of Jackie's."

"There's your answer kid." Jackie smiled, gesturing to Viktor who had moved from his computer to greet them.

"Makes sense." David answered, greeting Viktor with a nod.

"Was wondering when you'd show up again." The ripper took a moment to stretch his arms. "So what brings you in today?"

"Baby's first properly installed chrome." Jackie grinned, holding David by his arms. "Believe you said you were looking for a set of gorilla arms today?"

"Yeah. Would prefer the same kind that Maine got or something similar." The kid smiled, breaking free of Jackie's grip. "Though V also said something about wanting me to get a set of lungs? That sound right to you?"

Viktor nodded and walked back over to his computer and searched for something within its file. "Yeah, your dad ordered a few pairs of high quality syn-lungs and had a set reserved for you." Vik's eyes checked something on the screen. "They actually just came in yesterday if you want me to install them as well."

Jackie saw David close his eyes a moment, the boy seeming to be thinking something over. "That won't, I don't know, overload my system?"

"Heh, you're learning." The ripper gave an approving nod, and Jackie felt an odd sense of pride at hearing David remember something about chroming up. "Not in this case. Both of these are, I don't want to say minor implants, but...With your humanity score, its a non issue."

"Uh great." There was a level of nervousness in David's voice now that the procedure was drawing near, and Jackie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "So, which one are we doing first? The arms or the lungs?"

"Arms. It'll give you a feel for how the process of installing cyberware is supposed to be done. Sit down, plug in." Viktor gestured to the exam chair, "plus, don't want to instantly put your syn-lungs to the test if you panic while I do your arms. Mostly because you have to be knocked out for a few minutes while I install that particular implant."

"Does, that happen often?" David settled into the chair, plugging in his personal while Viktor started to set everything up.

"The panicking? Not as often as you'd think, but I'd say at least once a month." The doctor let out a snort. "Jackie? How many times have I needed your help or Misty's in holding down a patient when they've started to freak out from fear and the restraints just ain't cutting it?"

"More that I've cared to count." The Latino man shook his head, "on the bright side. Least David is small, easier to hold if needed."

The boy frowned, seeming offended. "I'm not that small..."

"Is that what she said?" The words were out before Jackie could even think to stop them.

A loud groan escaped David, his face turning red and his vitals spiking just briefly as he understood what Jackie had hinted at. "Actually, can we do the lungs first? Kind of want to sleep and see if I can forget the last few minutes...Or chalk it up to a dream."

"Sorry kid, if I have to suffer through Jackie's jokes, so do you." Viktor held up an injector and David visibly flinched at the sight of it. "Now, you may feel a slight pinch."

Jackie almost felt sorry for David as he watched Vik inject both of his arms. And though David tried again to put on a brave face as Viktor prepared everything, Jackie could see his worry at the situation. "Relax, you saw him work on Maine, right? This is a perfectly routine procedure." He dragged over one of Vik's extra chairs so he could be more comfortable standing vigil at David's side. "Say, did I ever tell you about my first time being under Vik's knives?"

"No...Argh." David hissed, scratching at his arms while looking to be in discomfort because of them. "So that's what Maine meant when he said his arms were itchy and numb."

"You'll get used to it." Vik chuckled, "anyhow. Go ahead and tell him your side of that story. Let's see if it matches the version I have."

Jackie let out a small huff as he recounted the story to help keep David's attention focused more on him than the procedure. Though Viktor's attention remained focused on the process of trading out organic parts for synthetics and meshing the two together, the ripper did occasionally cut in with his own comments.

"Yeah, that's pretty much how it went down. Though why did you omit the fact that I was the one who broke your finger in the first place?" Vik questioned as he gently went over David's arm with an alcohol swab.

"Because I don't want the kid thinkin' you taught boxing as a way to get more clients?" Jackie and Vik shared a laugh, and David looked slightly unsettled. "Relax sobrino. Inside joke between friends. "

"Yeah. Much as I enjoy my work and like seeing my clients come back. I don't want shoddy or unnecessary implants being the reason." The ripper smiled, "can you rotate your wrist just a little? Thanks."

Conversation continued to flow between the three of them, with both men taking turns telling stories as David would interrupt with questions. By the time Viktor had finished installing both arms, David had circled the subject back to cyberware and other modifications, and he asked if V had made any other requests for him.

"There's a few, and I'd tell you but I don't know if he wants to keep it a surprise or not." Viktor glanced at a file on his screen. "Huh, that's interesting."

"What is?" Jackie leaned in, trying to get a look at the computer. "V gonna hook the kid up with the same chrome as him?" It was an off-hand comment, and one that Jackie didn't expect to get an answer to but.

"Sort of. I mean, he's got him down for some of the same modifications; second heart, Kiroshi optics, detoxifier an-"

"Meant to ask, can those detoxifiers increase or alter tolerance to some things?" David wiggled his fingers, looking a little uncomfortable as he did. Jackie was both annoyed, yet pleased with the interruption.

"In a sense. For a super basic example, someone with a low tolerance for alcohol might drink one beer and become intoxicated. Install that implant on the same person, and they might be able to make it through two or three drinks before they're feeling the effects with even the lowest grade implant possible." The ripper shrugged, "of course, everyone's different."

"Ah, so is that how V was able to override his and end up with a hangover?" The kid asked, looking between the two men.

"Wait, he did what?" Vik raised an eyebrow, and Jackie could see the man's impending exasperation at his patient's antics.

"V was...feeling a little down yesterday and decided to, uh, drown his sorrows." Jackie offered, seeing Viktor bow his head and hold the bridge of his nose in disbelief. "Drank enough Irish Moonshine to somehow end up shitfaced."

Vik looked up at that, "and is that why you're here with his boy instead of him?"

"Pretty much." The Latino man placed a hand on David's shoulder. "Still find it impressive though that V managed to override it."

"Impressive, but stupid." The ripper checked a few things on his computer. "Told the man to take it easy last time I saw him. He probably followed my advice, what? Maybe two days at most?"

"Don't know." Jackie shrugged, "first time I saw V in person after picking his beaten ass up was two days ago when we went to a party. He seemed a little tired, but otherwise fine. Didn't realize he had new chrome installed until I saw him yesterday..." His voice faded off, the unsettled feeling from the night before returning. While he got one answer from V, he couldn't help but ask the same question to Vik in the hopes of getting another answer. "Did he tell you why he wanted to be chromed up again?"

"Not really." By the way Viktor was eyeing him, Jackie could tell he knew something was up, but wasn't going to push it. "Told me he wanted the corporate assets replaced, but beyond that? Nothing."

"Well, least that matches up." Jackie rubbed a hand on his chin, nodding. "Say what you want about the man, but you've got to admit his tolerance to having new chrome installed is impressive."

"So does that mean my dad's like me? Has he got a high humanity score too?" David sat up just a little straighter, and Jackie couldn't help but notice the slight shift in David's expression.

"Couldn't tell ya." The ripper shook his head. "Straight up refused the humanity test."

Jackie saw David's expression fall, and he felt his own do the same. "And that's weird, right?"

"Not really. Most people see it as a waste of time, it bein' completely optional and all." There was an odd smile on Vik's face.

"So why'd I have to take it?" David's eyes went between the computer and Viktor. "And why did you have Maine take it?"

"Because I like to do it and get a read on new patients. " The ripper-doc replied. "Not to mention, it does offer a good amount of insight into one's mental state. Allows me to know how well they'll handle certain implants and upgrades."

"Probably why V refused it...Man already went cyberpsycho once..." Jackie muttered, realizing he was just a little too loud as the two others turned to look at him. "I mean. You only get cyberpsychosis once, right?" He stumbled over the words, hoping the two men wouldn't press the original subject.

"Yes and no." Viktor typed something on his computer, eyes flicking side to side as he read over whatever files he called up. "There has been a handful of documented cases where a person has turned into a cyberpsycho, but came back from it for some reason or another. High humanity score, software downgrade, momentary glitch in their system...Of course, the reason most people say it only happens once is because most cyberpsychos are put down by MaxTec or others."

"A glitch? Ah, that...that makes sense." The Latino mad nodded, one hand held up to his mouth. "Eh, anyways. How are your arms feeling sobrino?"

Though the ripper and kid exchanged a look, neither one questioned Jackie further and David instead answered his question.

"Ever have your arm fall asleep on you? Yeah, currently have that feeling." He gently curled his arms and flexed his fingers again. "Pins and needles...How long until it wears off?"

"Well, that sensation means the anesthetic is wearing off, but it could still be anywhere between five minutes to upwards of an hour depending on how quick your body can remove the 'toxin'." Vik replied, moving to ready an oxygen mask and two separate air tanks. "Anyways, now that we know your arms are in order, let's tackle those lungs."

"Are you going to numb me up for this too?" The kid asked as Vik affixed the oxygen mask over his face.

"Nah, just gonna knock you out for this one." The ripper fiddled with a valve on one the tanks, before typing something on the control panel affixed to it. "Your breathing is much more peaceful when you're asleep, makes it easier to work. Deep breaths kid."

"Huh, really? I didn't...realiz..." Jackie could see David yawn through the mask, his eyes falling shut a moment later as whatever gas took effect.

"Hey Vik, any chance I can get some of that stuff?" Jackie favored his long-time boxing partner with a forced smile, "haven't been sleeping well recently."

"Don't recommend this stuff if you just want to sleep, you'll wake up groggy as all hell." Viktor shook his head a little, "plus, don't think you want to pay almost two-thousand eddies just to take a nap when you can probably get a whole pharmacy's worth of sleeping pills for a fraction of the cost. Heck, might have something I can give you if you give me a little more information on your situation."

"Relax Vik, I was mostly joking." He waved away the offer, "think its just 'cause of everything going on. Makin' my brain work overtime to where my body can't keep up. Think I might see if Misty has any of that sleepy herbal tea I can have instead. Excuse me."

Viktor gave a nod, but Jackie could tell the man wasn't fully accepting his answer. Still, he knew Viktor wouldn't press the issue, especially not when he had a patient present. Returning the nod, Jackie gave a tiny wave and stepped outside to get some air and try to clear his head.

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From his place off to the side, Jackie watched as Vik had David do a few basic exercises to check that everything was in place and working properly. Weary as he was feeling, he couldn't help but smile as Viktor showed David a few basic boxing moves. David himself was smiling excitedly as he threw a couple punches, both with and without using his gorilla arms.

"Not bad. Though we've got to work on your footwork." Vik let out a pleased huff after David had managed to land a punch on his chest. "Should have Jackie show you a thing or two. I taught him myself, and he's the first person I trained who was able to knock me out in one hit, so I know he's good."

"Really?" David wiped a hand across his brow. "Think you could teach me to punch out V?"

"Not punch him out per say, but could teach you to stand on equal footing to him." Jackie closed his eyes a moment, thinking. "V tends to go more offensive than defensive in hand to hand combat. Need to teach you how to block and tank a hit."

"Seriously?" There was an odd look on David's face as he looked at his arms, then to Jackie's, taking a basic high guard defense pose. "Would blocking even help against a hit from his mantis blades? If he used them, that is?"

Much as he tried to hide it, Jackie couldn't stop the involuntary shiver to pass through him. The short answer was no. At most, blocking with your arms would give you maybe an extra five seconds if your arms were decently muscled before the blades cut through. Briefly, David's form flashed to that of a gangoon brat about his age, except the kid's forearms were missing, and there was a large gash across his chest.

"Jackie?" Hearing his name, the man blinked and David appeared normal. He turned his head, seeing concern written all over Viktor's face. "You good?"

"Yeah, you've seemed distracted every time anyone, yourself included, has mentioned V and his new chrome." The kid offered, wearing a similar expression to Vik's. "What's that about?"

"Uh, think I'm just worried about your dad chroming up so much, so fast, ya know?" He gently tapped David's arm. "You may be a shard off your dad's data, but that doesn't mean he's got your tolerance. You could be a genetic mutation, ya know?"

Given their earlier conversation, it was a poor answer, and all three of them knew it. "Anyhow, let's go pay Misty a visit. She said she'd look for that tea for me. Also, she's got a small 'housewarming' gift she meant to give you."

Jackie wasn't fully lying, Misty did have a housewarming gift for David...But she had already found the tea in question. Ignoring the look coming from Vik, Jackie gently ushered David out of the clinic and into Misty's shop. The woman greeted the two of them with a smile.

"Hey David, how you feeling?" Misty was quick to ask, moving to intercept him and look him over for any problems.

"Good. Honestly was faster and smoother than I expected." He shadowboxed a moment, showing off his arms. "My lungs feel stronger, and so do my arms. And don't worry, Viktor already gave me the appropriate medications and instructions." He pulled a brown bag from his jacket pocket and shook it.

"Good." The woman pulled him into a gentle hug, and Jackie let out a tiny laugh as he watched his nephew awkwardly return it. "Glad your first proper experience with chroming up went well. Oh, that reminds me, got a little something for you." Misty released him and moved behind the counter, returning a moment later with a small box and bag.

"The box is a gift for your new place, and the bag's a little treat for today's surgery." Misty smiled as David opened the box, revealing a handcrafted dream catcher within. Opening the bag revealed a dozen cookies of some kind. "Figured you could use a little something nice for your place, and those cookies are my simple cinnamon sugar blend. Don't look at me like that Jackie, you already ate the other dozen." She held out a plastic shopping bag, which David was quick to accept.

"Thanks." David carefully packed the two items into the bag, adding his medications after a moment's thought. Somehow the sight of that bag seemed to jar something in David's memory. "Oh Jackie, meant to ask earlier. You said my dad had 'chromed up' again. Why did he even downgrade in the first place?"

"Blame Arasaka." Jackie hoped that answer would be enough. After all, most people were willing to let something go the moment you mentioned a mega-corp being involved. Unfortunately, David didn't seem to fit with most people and pressed.

"So what? They requested he have some of the stuff removed?" The kid raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't make sense, especially if V's really as top an agent as he claims."

"It's 'saka. Who knows why they do things the way they do." Jackie deflected again, "maybe they do it as a way to keep 'em guessin'?"

"Okay, but then why pull it all just to replace it later?" David looked at his own arms. "Why not just let him keep the current stuff, and change it as needed?"

"Because bureaucracy." Once again, David was giving him the side eye, and Jackie knew he'd have to give a better answer sooner rather than later. He sighed, "you know? I had my doubts about you being V's kid every now and then...But this, this has erased them."

"How so?"

"When your daddy wants to know something, he stops at nothing. He'll poke, prod, bribe, backstab. Basically do whatever it takes to get the information he wants." Jackie's smile was pained. "Glad to see you inherited his sense of havin' to know it all."

"Huh, neat." David's face briefly showed a smile. "So, does that mean you're gonna tell me what's been bothering you all morning?"

"I...Uh, it's..." Jackie stammered, once again seeing David's features overlapped with a memory's form. "That is. I d-"

"Jackie? Can I get your assistance for a moment?" Misty's voice came from her storage room, and he breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Of course. 'cuse me sobrino." The Latino man moved quickly to join Misty, thinking he had time to think. Instead, he was greeted with her giving him a disapproving look. "Eh, what do you need?"

"I need you to stop playing turtle and retreating into your shell whenever someone confronts you about what happened between you and V back in Mexico." She whisper-shouted, and Jackie felt his strength drain, almost regretting mentioning it ever at all. Both of them glanced out the door, seeing that David had wandered to look at her collection of books on new age healing. She raised a finger to his lips, stalling any protests. "Look, I know it might be painful, but keeping it bottled up like this isn't good in the long run."

"Misty." He sighed and lowered his head so that it was resting on her shoulder. "This...This isn't something that should be discussed. Better that it stays buried, and dies with V and me..."

"Jackie..." Misty sighed, wrapping her arms around him to hold him closer. "I'm not saying discuss it openly, but look. V is David's father, and while he's still figuring out his feelings towards the man...Talking about this might help him. Help you."

"Yeah, help him make up his mind to forever hate V, and hate me by proxy." It was only his fear of crushing Misty that allowed him to remain standing as he was.

"Shh." She reached up a hand and gently stroked his head, and Jackie leaned into the touch. "You don't know that. Look, you don't have to give him all the details babe. But it might help to just, talk to someone about it." She gently nuzzled his cheek with her own. "I know you can't with me. But maybe...Just give David the cliff notes?"

"Misty, if I won't discuss this with you..." Jackie gently pulled away, hands taking her own in his to hold them. "What makes you think the kid is a better choice?"

"Because V is his father. No matter the result, David deserves to know at least one side of the story." Misty wiggled her hands free and shifted so that she was standing behind him. Before he could move, her hands came to rest on his shoulders and started to massage them. Jackie let out a heavy sigh as his muscles started to reluctantly relax. "Just saying. Even if you only scratch the surface with him...It could help both of you open up. Figure things out."

He felt Misty's hands gently pat his shoulder blades, silently encouraging him to move forward. Jackie turned, seeing the soft and reassuring smile that she reserved for days when he needed the most comfort on her face. Letting out a sigh, he relented. "Alright, I'll talk to the kid about it. But we're gonna go somewhere secluded, alright? Don't need this being heard by extra ears."

"Of course." Misty gave him a light kiss to his forehead before making a shooing motion with her hand. "There it is! Thanks Jackie!" She raised her voice as he excited the room, trying and failing to make it seem like he really had been helping her. Jackie half-expected her to follow, but was surprised to see her stay in the room, appearing to busy herself by looking through some of the boxes. He appreciated the false privacy she was granting him, and decided that she did indeed have a point about David deserving to know.

"Sobrino?" Jackie saw David's head pop out from behind the book he was reading, "come on, we're going for a ride."

"Uh, sure..." He closed the book and set it back on the shelf, falling in step with Jackie as they walked towards the borrowed van. "So...Where are we going?"

"Some place we can have a little chat." Jackie gestured for David to hop in, and started the engine just as soon as the kid had buckled in.

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Thankfully, David seemed able to read the air and stayed silent, allowing Jackie to go over his thoughts as they drove. All too soon he had taken them to the southernmost part of Watson's Arasaka waterfront. Parking the car, he hopped out and motioned for David to follow him. The pair moved in silence until they were standing on the concrete walkway to boarder the water's edge. Letting out a sigh, Jackie leaned on the railing encircle the walkway and peered down into the depths of the disgusting water. His reflection looked back at him, distorted by the trash and oil floating on the surface. It seemed almost fitting, given the circumstances, and he probably would have just stared. Been lost in his thoughts if David hadn't gently shook him.

"Jackie?" The level of concern in his nephew's voice cut though his thoughts. "What's the matter?"

"Eh, sorry" He turned just enough to catch David's eye. "Got lost in my memories there."

"Memories of what?"

Jackie didn't answer, opting instead to return to staring at the water.

"This has to do with V, doesn't it?" The kid's eyes narrowed, "what really happened when you saw him earlier? And what was with those questions?"

"Eh, promise you won't laugh?" It was a dumb question, but Jackie wanted to stall for just a little longer. His wish wasn't granted when David nodded almost instantly. "Alright. Being honest, seein' him chromed up with the longspurs again brought back some bad memories from..." He took a deep breath, knowing he was about to take the top off the can of worms. "From our time in Mexico."

"You've mentioned that before." David matched Jackie's posture, and the older man was almost thankful that his nephew wasn't looking at him. "What, happened in Mexico?"

"...You're asking a very tough question, David." He shook his head, trying to push away the thoughts rushing to the forefront of his mind. He glanced over at David, seeing the curiosity and concern marring the kid's face. "Not sure if you even want to know. Or if you should know."

"What? The two of you burn down an orphanage or something?" A nervous chuckle escaped David, and Jackie both wanted to hug and beat the shit out of him for the morbid humor.

"Wish it was something that simple." Jackie looked up at the sky, hoping the sun's light would be enough to chase away the cold he was feeling. "What we did...what he did in Mexico, no...In Neo-Oaxaca." He gripped the railing that prevented them from falling into the water. "Biggest mistake your father ever made, that I allowed to happen. Sure, it got him high up in 'Saka's ranks but...It cost us both our soul." One of Jackie's hand moved to finger the crucifix around his neck. "If there is a god, your father and I will go to hell for what we did."

"What did you do?"

"David, going to be one hundred percent honest with you on this and say you don't want to know." His hand gripped the crucifix tighter, and he could feel the corners digging into his palm. "You're still getting to know me. And getting to know your dad. Guarantee telling you this'll make you see him, and likely me, in a different light. A very bad one."

"Jackie, I know you know I used to be into watching XBDs."

"Used to?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, seeing a potential out. "You mean you kicked the habit? Hey, we should go have a drink and celebrate, my treat."

"I would say don't change the subject, but maybe we should..." The look on David's face was calculated, "might make you spill the beans on accident rather than by choice."

"Oh you little..." The Latino man couldn't bring himself to argue. Either V wasn't as shit a father he thought himself to be. Or there was something in their genes, but David was acting more like V and less like the idiotic teen he was when they first met. "Alright, suppose if I'm sober I can omit details as I please. You know about cyberpsychosis, right?"

"Think I know it well enough." David raised a finger with each name. "Doc, Viktor, V...Stopped counting how many people have warned me about it."

"Good." Jackie nodded. "See though, that's one of those things everyone's heard about, but don't really know. Majority of folks think they know where it comes from, or how it happens. Netrunners world 'round named themselves a quickhack after it – one that scrambles the IFFs of bots and turrets, makes 'em turn on everyone."

There was a slightly confused look on David's face. "Yeah, but what does this have to do with Mexico?"

"Your father made a version that affects people...one that covers an entire network." He watched David's mouth drop open, and could hear the question forming on his lips. Jackie raised a hand to silence him. "Yeah, now let me set the scene for you. Imagine you're shopping at the mall. Hundreds of other people around you. Singles and couples, groups of friends, families. Both the young and the old alike. Everyone just going about their day as usual." Jackie sighed, hands maintaining a white knuckle grip on the railing. "Nearly as one, they stop moving. Some start screaming while others cry out in pain, or clutch their heads."

"Jackie?"

"In the blink of an eye, everyone's gone insane. People who loved each other for years were suddenly tearing each other apart in fury, even going as far as to bite the other's face off. Kids are screaming in pain and fear as they're beaten to death by the very people who were supposed to take care of them." He shook his head, "some are even dropping like flies by their own hands as they rip out pacemakers and other system regulatory items."

"You're saying he did this, that you were there and let him!?" David took a step back, staring at Jackie with wide eyes.

"I'm telling you, we did this multiple times. More places than I can bring myself to remember. Every time the dead piled up, they'd kill each other as they went berserk then either they off themselves or drop dead from their hearts failing. You father explained the thing he made once. It scrambles everything, IFFs lose ids, hearts go wild. Hormone regulators randomize. But the first thing it does is turn whatever it infects into a spreader. Whatever it infects will send the program forward to anything that connects to it. Can't even plug into infected hardware without the upload starting."

"Ah..." David blinked, all the communication Jackie needed.

"He earned the name 'The Plagues' because nobody would believe such evil could be done by one man." Jackie raised a finger. "The thugs in control thought they were dealing with a team of black-wall netrunners. Not an Arasaka rookie filled with suicidal spite. He was sent there to overturn cartel control and let Arasaka control the region. It was a suicide mission assigned to him so that another suit could claim they were doing damage control for their fuck-ups." He turned his attention from David back to the water. "I was there because a Valentino traitor used me for a fall guy, and tricked me into walking into the place thinking it was biz. When we started, we were both out for blood and revenge. He'd watched friends, co-workers die for a lie, and I was raging from seven straight days of torture when he freed me. By the time we were finished unleashing his daemons over the area it was a warzone."

"What exactly happened?" David moved closer, joining him in leaning on the railing.

"Neo-Oaxaca was started as a free-city idea. A copy of Night City hidden out in a coastal cove in butt-fuck nowhere. The whole thing never went anywhere. No gov would fund it, no corp wanted it. Only people tired of the shit both supplied. Then the cartel moved in. The 'Tower of Dark'. An investment cartel that started in so-cal before the Time of the Red was the leader. They wanted a secure smuggling port, a safe haven for crime. They got it. For a good fifty years Neo-Qaxaca's three districts were a criminal haven like no other. Kept the corps out entirely by keeping it occupied by only those with strong cartel ties. A-hundred-percent self-sufficient." Jackie spat into the water, watching the ripples. "By the time the higher ups had checked in and decided he was done the area was too ravaged to be viable. Infrastructure was fucked, the dead lay all over the streets, nobody would bring in goods. Everyone on the outside said the place was cursed. The cartel activity had even been dead for a month. Nobody left. Your father had reduced an entire city into a dead zone."

David was pointedly looking away, voice level. "So all that was for nothing?"

"Less than nothing. The areas we unleashed his daemons in are still a dead zone. Looters won't trespass for fear of the daemons lingering in any software. When he got back your father didn't even receive a pay raise for coming back alive. He got a 'good job' and sent back to his desk. They never bothered making up a report. Arasaka lost a bid for expansion, it cost them nothing, it cost everyone else everything."

"How could he do that?" The kid's head snapped back, eyes imploring Jackie to answer. "Let that happen?"

At that, Jackie hesitated, trying to think of how best to explain it. "Your father doesn't think like you or I."

"What do you mean?"

"My father only left me one good piece of advice in between being a deadbeat and the beatings." Jackie held up a hand, counting. "There are three types of killers in the world. The first does it for pleasure, they like to kill and it doesn't matter why. The second does it for duty. They're a soldier for a cause or a killer for money. The third is the most terrifying. They do it because they feel they have to. It could be the simple solution to a problem, or a morals issue. In the end, they have a problem and they kill to solve it."

"And which is my father?" David's eyes were locked on Jackie's fingers.

"He is definitely the third." To emphasize the point, Jackie slightly pushed his hand forward, before returning it to the railing.

"Why is that so bad?"

"It's not an issue to them. You need to die, then they kill you. No speeches, no negotiating, no torture, no delay. No chances. Done, gone, over it. Next problem." The older man shrugged. "It's what lets him be so efficient at his work. He doesn't hesitate or wait. He can still kill for money, or pleasure. But if it is a task, then it is done without any of the guilt or hesitation that another person has. He will walk into a standoff and fire the first shot. There is no such thing as risk or acceptable casualties or any other reasoning. Does it need to be done? Yes, then bang."

"How..." Jackie could visibly see the color had faded from David's face. It reminded him of how the kid looked when they had found him in Lucy's apartment. Reminded him of those lost in V's rampage. "How can he live like that?"

"Being honest, I think his parents did something to him." He looked around, as if making sure no one was nearby before continuing. "He was raised corpo from birth. Made it so everything has or was a number to him, a value. In Mexico we spent months being hunted. Sleeping was life or death for us. It took something from him, and filled that hole with a monster that wanted to live."

"Oh."

"Yeah. That about sums it up."

"So, if you knew...realized what had happened with V in Mexico." Jackie could tell David was choosing his words carefully. "Why didn't you try and stop him?"

"Because I wanted to live." He admitted, feeling dirty. Was his life really worth all the ones V had taken to ensure their survival? He looked at his hands, seeing blood splattered across them. Jackie rubbed them on his pants and looked again, seeing that they were actually clean, save for a little axle grease under his fingernails.

"That's...understandable." David offered after a moment, seeming just as lost on what to say.

"Is it though?" Jackie shook his head, sighing heavily. Misty was wrong. Sharing his pain hadn't help lessen it. If anything, he felt even worse knowing that he had burdened David with that knowledge.

"Survival instincts are supposed to be a hell of a thing." The kid offered, seeming to think that knowledge would be some sort of comfort. That everything Jackie had gone along with had simply been his instinct to survive.

"I guess...But that still doesn't change what we did." Jackie looked back out over the water, eyes falling on the reflection of the sun within the brackish puddle. The two men stood there in silence, each stewing in their own thoughts as life continued on around them. Eventually, Jackie realized the passage of time and broke the silence. "It's...gettin' late. If you want to leave, you can." He looked at David, trying to figure out his nephew's thoughts. David's face gave nothing away and said everything at the same time. Jackie could see the doubt, the hate, the disgust, the...pity? No, that wasn't pity. Hopefully that was sympathy he could see in the kid's eyes. "I don't mind driving you home. Or if...you're not comfortable with that now that, you know...I'll call you a cab and cover the cost."

"Rather, you drive me." David answered with no hesitation, making Jackie's eyes widen briefly. "What? V called my apartment a 'safe house'. He would probably think it best that only a handful of people know about it. Right uncle?"

Despite the inner turmoil and coldness Jackie was feeling after sharing his darkest secret. Hearing David call him 'uncle' sent just the tiniest sliver of warmth through him, and he sent a tiny prayer of thanks to the higher power that...Even after hearing what they had done, that David was willing to continue having a connection with him.

"Sure sobrino." Jackie gave a nod, gesturing for the two of them to start walking back towards the car. Coming even with the car, Jackie caught sight of the sun's light reflecting off one of the nearby skyscrapers. The angle forming a near perfect cross of light. Seeing it, Jackie realized there was one more person he could talk to about this. Sending a message to V, Jackie started up the car and started the drive back towards David's place.

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After dropping David back off at his place, Jackie returned V's Ragnar to its parking spot at the man's apartment. Hopping on his bike, he spent a good hour just driving, trying to clear his head and get his thoughts in order before heading to his next destination. He returned to Heywood, but instead of heading to the Cojo, or back to his garage...He found himself driving to the old Christian mission center in the Glen where the fixer Sebastian Ibarra – known to Valentinos and others in the area as Padre, had one of his offices. The building itself had once been a community center complete with showers, a cafeteria, barracks style rooms for shelter in emergencies, and a rec room. There was also a gymnasium that doubled as a church for holding a service every Sunday.

Though most of the charity services were no longer offered, it wasn't uncommon to find members of the Valentinos present and helping those who were down on their luck for no other reason than they wished to help. Jackie suspected this was partially due to Padre's influence, but he never questioned it and just accepted it like everyone else. He had pulled up to the mission a little after sunset, and found that luck was on his side, and the fixer was currently in his office.

"Jackie, it's good to see you." Padre greeted as Jackie entered the room. Compared to the offices of some of the other fixers, the one Padre maintained at the mission was incredibly humble. The old metal desk was kept level by a piece of cardboard shoved under one of the legs, while the single bookshelf contained an old bible, several books of psalms, and a hymnal or two. A statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe sat on the filing cabinet, while a crucifix rested on the wall behind the desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd stop by and see how things were goin'." Jackie sat in the folding chair across from the older man. "So, how's life?"

"Somehow, I don't believe you." There was a lopsided smile on the Fixer's face. "But I'll humor you and say its as well as it can be in Night City. And things? They've been fine. Little slow as of late." Padre answered, eyes focused on Jackie's face, "so if you've actually come looking for work. Don't have much I can offer you at this time."

"Nah. Just came off a gig actually." The smile he was wearing was false, and he could tell the other man knew it. "Had more than enough work recently with keeping an eye on my adopted nephew and his crew."

"You mentioned him before...David right?" The fixer's head tilted to the side and Jackie nodded. "Perhaps you have come to me looking for advice on, I don't want to say parenting, but..."

"No. Kid's nearly an adult." He chuckled, "may call him my nephew, and he may have called me uncle...But I don't really think there's much advice I can give him. Or that anyone could give me in how best to deal with him."

"It is not necessarily advice, but wisdom and experience you can offer to those younger than you." The man answered, eyes heavy with nostalgia. "Then again, does anyone really know how best to handle teenagers?" Padre chuckled, "seem to recall Lupe coming to me for advice when you had your 'rebellious' phase."

Jackie cringed internally, knowing exactly what events Father Ibarra was referring to. "And...What did you tell mi Mama?"

"I reminded her of Psalm thirty-two eight. 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you.'" The older man smiled as Jackie stared at him, confused. "As most psalms and bible verses are open to interpretation. Told her that one as the biblical way of saying 'just talk to your kid'."

"That's fair." The younger man rubbed the back of his neck, recalling that conversation. "What psalm was that again? Got a friend who might benefit from hearing it too. Or if you've got some other ones about guidance."

"I'll send it to you, along with a few related verses." Padre had a lazy smile on his face, "is that why you have come to me? For guidance?"

"In a sense..." A sighed escaped Jackie, Padre wasn't exactly wrong, and he knew he couldn't delay the inevitable for much longer. "Mierda, esto es dificil."

Padre reached across the desk, hand coming to rest on Jackie's shoulder. "Que nessisitos, hijo?"

"Padre." Jackie couldn't seem to look the man in the eye. "Know you've taken a step back from the priesthood, but can you still serve as one and take confessions?"

"Of course. I may not currently have a congregation, but I still serve our Lord." Padre bowed his head just slightly, "though if you don't mind my asking. Why come to me instead of one of the other priests in this town? Padre DeRojas holds confession every Friday at the church in Wellsprings."

"I don't know Padre DeRojas, but I know you." He still couldn't seem to raise his head. "I...I feel you are the one most capable of offering me guidance. And capable of, listening to what I have to say..."

"I understand." The other man nodded as Jackie finally raised his head. "Let me gather my things, and I will meet you at the confessional."

"Of course." Jackie pushed himself out of the chair and excused himself. His steps were heavier than normal, and he felt more a condemned man walking to his death than a sinner seeking his redemption. Wanting to give Padre a chance to get ready, Jackie stopped off at the bathroom beside the gym and took a moment to wash his face and hands, physically cleansing himself before attempting to cleanse his soul. Figuring he had stalled long enough, Jackie moved from the bathroom and opened the door to the gym.

With the exception of the folding chairs stacked against one wall and the portable podium, the room was an ordinary gymnasium. Sure, the congregation to gather there tried at times to make it seem otherwise by hanging up painted pictures of the testaments during services, but the sight of a crucifix hanging on the ceiling mounted basketball hoop really broke the illusion. The sight made him smile, but it quickly fell away when his eyes fell upon the portable confessional booth to rest near the folding chairs.

It was a simple construction of wood, with a metal screen separating the Priest from the one seeking penance. Though there was a wall-mounted bench for the priest to sit on their side, there was only a small bench for the repentant to kneel on as they confessed their sins. And while some argued that the repentant sinner should be seen, this confessional had a sliding curtain that hid both occupants from sight. By the way the curtain was fluttering on the right-hand side, he knew Padre was already within and waiting for him.

Jackie took a deep breath and held it as he walked towards the confessional, trying to settle his nerves. Confession was simultaneously one of the simpler rights, but also one of the most challenging. Fingering the crucifix around his neck, Jackie released the breath and stepped inside. Kneeling down on the bench to face the screen that separated him from Padre, he made the sign of the cross and began to speak.

"En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo." He sighed, "my last confession was...was in my youth. So long ago I cannot pretend to remember...I...I don't know what I should say...or even if I should say it."

"Do you remember any verses in the Bible my son?" Padre's voice was gentle, encouraging.

A tiny huff escaped though Jackie's nose. "Vaguely at best. I was never much of a reader..."

Padre hummed. "Do you recall Deuteronomy thirty-one, six?"

"No."

"It says, 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.', God has not forsaken you yet."

Jackie took a moment to consider the words, hand coming to grip the crucifix again. "I... I want to confess my sins. From before I returned to Night City. The year I was gone."

"Whenever you are ready."

"I think they are pride, wrath, and gluttony. Maybe sloth. I don't know anymore." He sighed, willing the words to leave his lips again. "I was in Neo-Oaxaca. I was there when the city fell apart. I helped the man who bled her dry."

He sensed more than saw Padre lean forward on his side. "You must understand why I find this hard to believe."

"I know how it sounds Padre. I was the muscle, the bodyguard. His lookout. I helped it to happen, and looking back I can't believe that we did it either." The younger man raised his head, eyes imploring Padre to understand though he couldn't see the other man clearly. "We'd both been betrayed, and nearly killed. I was lashing out in pain, wanting to cool my head with the blood of those who had hurt me."

"So, what did you do?" He saw Padre's hand gesture for him to continue, and he accepted the invite.

"We couldn't leave the city. The cartel had locked all exits, so we had to try and fight our way out. It took months. The two of us, we started small. Hit warehouses for supplies, clinics for meds. Even smashing S.C.S.M.s for food. Anything we needed, we stole. It was enough to survive, but we wanted to escape. Seeing little options, we had to escalate." Jackie looked down again. "Started trying to make runs on the guys in charge. We were hoping we could snag the keys to a surveyor or something that flew. Get anywhere else but there."

"This did not work?" He could hear the cautious intrigue in the older man's voice.

"Not a chance. The city had defenses. Anything that took off without permission would be downed just as quick as it could start. Plus, everything we did just pissed them off. Started having to live in the maintenance tunnels, always shifting spots, sleep in shifts." It was a testament to the quality of the metal that the crucifix didn't warp given how hard he was gripping it. "Woke up once, mid gun fight, because I'd passed out from exhaustion on watch. They kept pushing us, so we had to push back harder."

"And what changed? How did this lead to the city's abandonment?"

"...My partner. He's always been preem when it comes to netrunnin'. Has been ever since we met. He'd... well, we found some tech den. Hid there for almost a week. When we left, he had some sort of software on him." Jackie closed his eyes, remembering. "Fried everyone on a network. I think we were playin' with fire in a house loaded with paper and oil. First time he used it was on one of their safehouses. They went mad, and we cleaned up. Thought nothin' of it. It worked, made things easy for us. Kept going. Kept using it. Spreading it from network to network. I don't know if he knew what would happen, or if he did and just never told me. Either way it spread."

"This software?" Once more, Padre gently invited him to continue.

"Netrunners call them daemons. An old word for demon. That's what he told me. If there is such thing as demons, that's what we unleashed." Jackie blinked away the tears he could feel forming, the guilt flowing freely. "Every-time we used it, it was like the starting point for rot. Machines on infected networks would start breaking themselves, sending the code to everything they were hooked to. People would plug med-gear into victims, only for that tech to spread it. The madness turned everything and everyone insane. In the worst ways."

He heard Padre let out a breath, but couldn't quite figure out the man's thoughts. "What did you do when you found out?"

"I... I..." Jackie's free hand formed into a fist, and he felt an urge to punch the wooden walls surrounding him. Instead, he channeled his frustrations and instead slammed the fist against his own leg.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Padre didn't seem to mind his silence. "Take your time."

"We had picked the wrong spot. The city advertised itself to be a knock off Night City for criminals. The problem with that is that all three districts looked like Watson with a Maelstrom turf-war, on its good days. The place we picked had been a compound. It...It was supposed to be another place for the lead policy pickers. It wasn't..." The crucifix dug into his palm, and this time he felt the metal pierce the skin. He glanced at his hand, seeing the tiniest drops of red forming around where the cross had been in a fitting display for what he was about to confess. "It was their housing complex... There were kids Padre. Young boys and girls not even past ten. I saw them run out when it happened. T-the security..."

The tears flowed freely, and Jackie hid his shame covered face in his hands, trying to formulate the words to continue.

"I understand." Somehow, Father Ibarra's voice kept its comforting tone, "you don't have to say anymore."

Jackie shook his head, hands falling away. "That was the moment my eyes were clear. I realized what had happened. Too little, too late as the people say. The city was already fucked in every way. Like when you fill a cup just a drop too full and then it runs over. We'd been off the network, to afraid of being found by cartel runners." The younger man looked at his hand, seeing the fresh blood cover the creases in his palm like a trail of thorns. "My partner only ever plugged in to upload his hacks and then dropped out right after. Probably what saved us both. I asked him how this happened, he could only tell me 'it worked too well'. If he hadn't saved my life and patched me up, I think I might have killed him then and there. Maybe myself too." Jackie tapped at his heart, miming stabbing himself. "Instead, he half drags me across town as everything falls apart. When the city security turned on itself, we got our big break. Stole an Atlus that had been shut off for repairs and hauled ass. Took us a month to make our way back to Night City, with the cartel hunting our scent every step of the way."

Another heavy sigh escaped him as he tried in vain to wipe away his tears. He looked through the screen, seeing Padre with his head bowed, one hand holding a rosary forward as if in prayer or blessing. Even though there was now another soul to share in the knowledge of Neo-Oaxaca, it still seemed too heavy a burden for anyone to bear.

"My son. You have courage to admit these sins and seek redemption." Padre answered after a heavy moment, "a lesser man would ignore their wrongs or let them overwhelm them."

A knowing sigh escaped Jackie. "I sense a but coming."

"But, I cannot think of an act of penance great enough to free the stain from your soul." He heard the gentle clicking of the rosary beads as Padre silently prayed.

"I get it..." Jackie nodded, closing his eyes as he willed his tears to stop. "Hurts like a bitch to hear, but I get it."

"You have ruined countless lives, killed almost as many." Padre's tone was now judgmental, but still soft. "Even in a city of sin such as ours, I would be hard pressed to find any who'd match such a grave resume. I will not give you false hope or dishonor our lord by saying a prayer can make amends for what you've done."

"Then what should I do?" He opened his eyes, looking up at Padre, wordlessly begging for the man to give him something. Anything. That might lessen his pain and lighten the load.

"..." No answer came from the older man, and Jackie hummed in defeat.

"I guess it was a little much to ask for eh?"

"Redemption is never too much to ask for." The words had almost a sage-like tone to them. "You just have the strength to work for it...Have you heard of Sisyphus?"

"Was that the Greek guy that wanted to have relations with his mother?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, his mouth pulled down in a slight frown.

The quickest huff of a laugh escaped Padre. "No my son. Sisyphus was a man who tried to cheat death. To repay his trickery, he was dammed to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity, only for it to roll back down every-time it neared the top. An endless task, a never-ending burden. The saying Sisyphean task comes from this myth."

Though his mouth returned to a neutral state, his eyebrow didn't lower. "I don't see how rolling rocks will help with my spiritual needs."

"I want to give you a Sisyphean task. A city of sin, for a city of sin." Padre raised his rosary in blessing, though his eyes seemed almost dark. "As you have damned the people of Neo-Qaxaca, you will save the people of Night City. Never again let your hands be touched by the blood of an innocent, but bathe them in the blood of the murderers, the rapists, and the betrayers."

It truly was a Sisyphean task of penance he had been blessed with. It was like he'd said to David hours ago, he was now the second kind of killer – the one that does it for duty. Unpleasant a task as it would be; the act of taking lives to save others as opposed to saving just himself, was now his cross to bear.

Feeling a faint stinging from his palm, Jackie found himself looking at his hands again. Small as the cut was, the constant flexing and fidgeting of the appendage was preventing it from clotting. He brought his other hand over, applying a little pressure to where the cut was. The action now causing both of his hands to be stained with red. Though it was his own blood, Jackie knew it to be the blood of a murderer. If suicide wasn't a sin all its own, he'd probably take his own life once he no longer felt capable of saving those he was now tasked to protect. Not that one more sin would matter in the end, because Jackie knew there was no real redemption for what he had done.

Though it would be a heavy burden that he was now shouldering, Jackie found himself feeling just a little bit lighter. He bowed his head and clasped his hands before himself, trying to remember the Act of Contrition. Given that the prayer was supposed to be a conviction of avoiding further sin, it seemed almost right that he couldn't remember or recite it as it was written.

"My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong, I have sinned against You. Whom should be loved above all things. I intend, with Your help, to do penance. Our savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy."

"God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins."

He heard Father Ibarra start, but stop partway through what he recognized as the prayer of absolution. He knew a priest could withhold absolution if they felt that the person wasn't genuine in their want to reform, and wouldn't blame Father Ibarra if he felt that way after listening to him confess such a sin from what seemed a time so long ago. Or if he wouldn't do it as Jackie's penance would still have him committing acts of sin.

"Though I can not truly absolve you of sin, I ask that God grant you pardon and peace as you work towards absolution. I ask this of You in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"Amen." Jackie made the sign of the cross, understanding and accepting Padre's decision to leave his final judgment in the hands of the Lord. Rising to his feet, Jackie met Padre's eyes through the screen "I...Thank you Padre."

"Go with God, my son." The older man dismissed Jackie with the faintest dip of head. Stepping out of the confessional, Jackie turned to face the suspended crucifix and once more made the sign of the cross before moving through the building. The place was nearly empty, and he could hear his steps echoing through some of the halls. The double doors that lead out of the mission squeaked on their hinges as Jackie pushed against them and stepped outside.

The first breath that the former Valentino took felt like the first breath of a new life.

A life burdened by the sins of his past.

But one he could live with.