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?

20. Chapter 20 - Let You Down

Following the all too short visit with his mother's comatose form, David had returned to the hall, expecting to see V standing nearby. Instead, the hallway was empty – save for the replacement guards. He checked with a nurse working on the floor who confirmed she saw 'an angry suit' get in the elevator. And then the receptionist confirmed his leaving of the center. Stepping outside, David no longer saw the Kusanagi where they had parked it. Confusion mixed with concern, and after thinking it over a moment, sent a call out to Jackie.

["David?] Jackie sounded equally relieved as he did confused.

["Hey Jackie. Is my dad on the way back to see you?"]

["Nope."] An almost laugh-like huff escaped his uncle. ["And here I thought you were calling to say why you guys took off from the Cojo."]

["Mom got shot"] David filled Jackie in on the details, from the alert to the moment he got to see his mom. ["So yeah, she's fine. But if he's not going to see you, where did he go?"]

["Sobrino, your dad probably ran off to go kill Faraday."]

David blinked at Jackie's assessment. Of course, Faraday had tried to ice the crew...and even if his mother wasn't a true member of the crew. The rest of them still treated her like one of their own. As such, they would protect her. His mom would get better, and she would be safe. But the guy that tried to kill her was still on the loose? Something inside David snapped, and he gained a minor understanding of V's response to the message.

["I'm gonna kill him!"]

["Cálmate chico."] Again, his uncle's voice broke through his shell. ["Look, if you're not still, stay with your mom. Otherwise, just stay inside the center. Let me try and contact your pops."]

Jackie ended the call, leaving David leaning against the wall just outside the center. He knew V and them were planning on taking Faraday down, but he guessed that the moment V found out it was Faraday. Found that he was the one who paid that gambler to try and take Gloria's life. That whatever plan the crew might have had went out the window, and that his dad was going to settle the score himself. The thought sent David's mind reeling with all matter of possibilities of what could happen. Ideas that were possible and probable, along with some ideas that were flat out impossible.

A return call from Jackie made him jump, and he answered on the second ring.

["Jackie?"]

["Crew's on the way over to get you."] David could hear various emotions in Jackie's voice, but couldn't quite get a read on any of them.

That surprised him. ["Did you get a hold of my dad?"]

["No..."] Jackie paused, ["but given everything you told me. Plus what I already knew? Think I have an idea where he's gone."]

["Where?"] David asked, remembering V's reaction to the words of the survivor from the attack at the gun shop. Seeing again his father dealing with the guards. And how he still seemed angry even after Nadia had given them the sedatives. Huh, maybe that's why he was so relaxed for once in a potential crisis.

["After Faraday."] The man replied again, as if that explained everything. In a way, it did. But at the same time, David found himself wondering just what that meant. ["David? Sobrino? You still there?"]

["Uh yeah, sorry."] He stepped back into the lobby of the Med Center, but hung close to the door, keeping an eye out for one of the crew. ["Was just thinking. About everything."]

["Don't get too lost in your thoughts chico. Need your head in the game."] David could just see Jackie tapping at his skull, making a point. ["As I said earlier, we're on our way to get you. Gonna head into Pacifica and try to find your daddy and Faraday."]

["Right."] He gave a nod, thinking. ["Think I should try and give V a call?"]

["Couldn't hurt."] Jackie took a breath and muttered something David couldn't quite hear. ["I'll let you go for now. You can wait in the lobby, or with your mom and I'll call once we've arrived, alright?"]

["Sure."] This time, David ended the call, barely waiting for Jackie's name to vanish in favor of calling V. He could hear the ringing, could see the message advising that the call was connecting.

What he didn't get was an answer.

From day one, there hadn't been a moment when V hadn't answered when he called. David tried not to dwell on that fact, letting what Jackie said about having his head in the game take the wheel. He flexed his hands, sensing and feeling his Gorilla Arms in working order. A hand strayed into his jacket, feeling the Apparition underneath but easily able to be drawn. He had learned his lesson after dealing with Katsuo's goons, and the weight of the two spare clips of ammo felt comfortable. Still, David doubted it would be enough and found himself wondering if the crew brought along additional gear and guns.

"Three things you want to make sure you have. Your wallet, your condom, and your gun." Maine's words echoed in his head. And David felt like kicking himself for even entertaining the thought that the crew would come unprepared.

["We're outside."] The message had come from Jackie, and David looked out the door to see the Edgerunner parked in front of the center. Jackie was standing beside it, and he could see Falco behind the wheel. "Take the front kid."

David climbed in, seeing Jackie hop in the back with Maine and Becca. The blond man gave a silent nod of greeting, while Becca was a bit more vocal.

"Hey choom, while I'm glad to see you and hear that Gloria's alright..." She paused. "Any chance we can switch seats? I feel like a sardine crammed between these two?"

"No time." Maine replied, doing his best to scoot over just a little. "Falco, drive. We can fill the kid in on the way."

"Roger." The man replied, eyes focused on the road. As Falco drove, the others filled David in on their current plan. Pilar, Dorio, Lucy and Kiwi were in Pilar's Colby – already en route to Pacifica. The four of them would be in contact when they arrived and would begin scouting around for likely places Faraday, and subsequently V, might be found. If they didn't hear from the others by the time they reached Pacifica, they were to call them and decide on a meeting point.

David sighed, idly scratching at an itch on his chest. He was feeling a similar feeling to when he faced Katsuo's goons, and while he wanted to ask about it. Could tell the rest of the crew wasn't in the mood to talk. Becca was hugging Guts like a baby, while Maine's hand was tapping at his leg. Jackie looked troubled, mouth moving occasionally in silent answer to an unasked question.

"Falco. Just heard from Dory..." Maine grunted, "head for the Grand Imperial Mall. They're parked a couple blocks over."

"That shit hole?" Their driver replied, but shrugged and complied as they got off at the exit for Pacifica. David looked out the window, taking in the scene. Pacifica might have been nice once upon a time, but now all David could see was ruin a midst signs of opulence.

"You really think V's around here?" Becca asked, copying David and looking out the window.

"That smoldering yacht in the bay says maybe." Jackie pointed to the bay, and David could see the remains of a boat bobbing and burning on the surface. "Doubt anyone else had reason to destroy it."

The green-haired girl shrugged, accepting the answer. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility that some down on his luck suit decided to commit insurance fraud. It just seemed a little too convenient given their current circumstances.

"There they are." Maine pointed to a parking lot that overlooked the mall and the bay, the crew all sitting or leaning on the Colby. Nodding that he saw them, Falco drove over and parked nearby. The five of them hopping out of the Edgerunner to join the others. "Any word?"

"Nothing." Pilar shook his head, gesturing towards the mall. "Not sure if he's just not answering or if its because of that shit show."

David looked at the mall, taking in the scene before him. Graffiti covered the walls in equal measure as cracks and spots where paint had peeled. Lights flickered on and off, one or two even sparking. Trash was everywhere, ranging from simple scraps of paper to abandoned and rusted vehicles.

What struck out the most to him about the GIM at the moment however? The all out gang war happening before it.

David didn't know what to make of the scene before him. Most of what he had seen of 'gang warfare' had been on, by Night City standards, the tamer side. Street brawls from rival gang members being in the wrong area. Shoot outs – both stationary and drive-by. Hell, the accident that had put his mom in the hospital had been a shoot out.

But this? This was beyond anything he could have imagined. Members of the Animals and the Voodoo Boys were going all out trying to eliminate the others. Here was a member of the Animals using some model of speedwear to zip around and knife several of his foes with a set of Mantis Blades. Over there, a Voodoo Boy was clearly taking advantage of a nearby public terminal to ping and direct his fellows where some of the more clever Animals had hidden himself. From all sides, there was cursing and screaming. The sound of guns of various calibers being cocked, fired, and loaded were so numerous that David couldn't tell if each pop was a new one, or an echo of an older. Once or twice, he even heard a larger explosion from a grenade or something else exploding.

"Shit..." He muttered, seeing someone decide to drive their car into one of the larger groups, taking several of them out of the fight while also providing cover for the guys shooting from within. More than one on the outside who dodged the initial collision now found themselves trying to duck from the spray of bullets now peppering the area. David looked away right as one of the injured guys got his legs run over by the insane driver.

"You good kid?" Maine asked, eyes moving from the scene before them to him.

"Just...Never seen something like this." David turned, looking more at the water than the mall. "I mean, I've seen minor turf wars but-"

"But never to this extent?" He nodded in agreement with Maine's words. "Fights this big are rare, but they do happen."

"Think we should delta?" Lucy asked, moving to his side. Her hand brushed his lightly, and he took it, offering and receiving comfort in equal measure.

"We can't." Jackie cut in, his eyes looking past the fighting to the building itself. "Not until we find V."

"Are you crazy?" Dorio stared, eyes wide. "How do we even know he's around here?"

As if to answer her, the sound of one of Trauma Team's vehicles approaching filled the air. The group watched as it approached the mall, clearly aiming to land on the roof and come in from above. It seemed to be on track, but the moment it passed over the parking lot, something went wrong. The vehicle began to falter in its approach, making sharp banks, or fluctuating in altitude. Before any of them could comment, the Aerodyne's nose dipped and the vehicle crashed through the roof of the mall. A loud explosion followed, along with flames and smoke erupting from where it had crashed.

"You really think some random gang goon has a Trauma Plan?" The Latino man glared, making Dorio look down. "That car was either coming in for V or Faraday. Just a question of who called."

"So you really think that V's in there?" Kiwi's eyes went between Jackie and the mall, and David could see the doubt in her eyes.

"You really think that the very night V goes after Faraday, is the night the Animals and the VDB's start a gang war without any week-long buildup?" Jackie countered, "not saying it was V who caused this, but the evidence is hard to ignore. He's in there, somewhere. And we need to find him."

There was an odd shake in Jackie's voice, and David could see the swirling of emotion in the man's eyes. There almost seemed to be an urgency to Jackie's words that was more than just concern for his brother. And David had to admit, he wanted to find his father too.

"Jackie's right." Shaking his hand free of Lucy's, David moved to his uncle's side. "My dad is somewhere in there, raising hell for what Faraday put me, put us...All of us through. We need to find him and help him out."

David's words sent the crew into a muttered discussion, and he could tell messages were being sent over the holo to one another. He looked back at his uncle, seeing the man's eyes flick between the crew, the mall, and him. David had more than one question he wanted to ask his uncle, but kept them to himself for the moment. Shortly after making that decision, Maine turned to face the two of them, his face stern.

"So what's the plan?"

"We'll walk along the beach, and come in through the back near the pier." Jackie traced the shoreline, imploring the crew to look. "Then, hate to say it be we split up and look around. Makes it easier to keep to the sidelines and stay out of the fight."

"Alright. And what if our favorite spook isn't on the outside?" Pilar brought up the one thing David himself had been wondering.

"Then we head inside." The crew seemed to come alive at that. And even David had to admit it sounded crazy with the flames from the crashed Trauma car starting to spread. Still, that didn't seem to deter Jackie, who looked even more determined to find V now. The Latino man looked down at Becca. "Oy chica, you still got that bag I gave you?"

Becca nodded, "Yeah. Threw it in the cargo hold. Falco?"

The driver wordlessly opened the hatch, and Becca withdrew a large bag and handed it to Jackie. It was filled with an assortment of grenades, ammo clips, and several MaxDocs and Bounce Backs. Looking into the hold, David could see some additional guns, ammo, and other supplies. All items they had picked up from their run to the gun shop earlier in the day.

"Take what you need." Jackie gestured to the hold, his eyes going to where Dorio was pulling a large storage trunk from the bed of Pilar's Colby. The techie grinned as he took it and opened it, revealing additional munitions. Jackie gave the man an approving nod, but had to ask. "You just drive around with that stuff in there choom?"

"Nah. Saw you, sis, and Falco loading up and figured something was up." Pilar grinned, seeming pleased with himself. "Then when you said we were heading for Pacifica, tossed in a few extras. Speaking of...David, you left this at the Cojo." The man tossed something at David, it was the sword he had recently bought with V. "Figured you might want it."

"Thanks." David partially drew it, the edge of the obsidian blade shining in the artificial light. Sheathing it, he hooked it on his back before joining the others in selecting additional gear for their upcoming infiltration.

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Splitting into groups of three, the nine of them had stayed low and out of sight as they moved along the beach and around the mall. They had spaced themselves out roughly fifty feet apart, figuring that left them more than enough space to fly or fight if one of the groups got spotted. Once or twice, a stray bullet came their way, but it was obvious it was from someone's lack of aim and not a deliberate attempt on them. True to Jackie's guess, there were very few members of either gang around the backside. And both sides were more focused on each other than their surroundings that all three groups were able to complete a near full sweep of the perimeter before regrouping at the mall's back entrance.

"Nothing." Lucy gave a thumbs down as her, Pilar, and Falco joined up with the rest.

"Same. Lots of gonks around but no sign of our suit outside." Kiwi sighed, Maine and Dorio nodding. "Not a lot of tech to play with either."

"That good or bad?" David asked.

"Good that it means less potential headaches and security threats." The older netrunner answered. " Bad because that means less things that we could also use to our advantage."

"So what now?" Maine asked, seeming a little more content handing the reins of the mission to Jackie than he had in the past.

"Gonna have to take a look inside." Jackie answered, looking at the crew. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll go." Becca grinned and moved to David's side, ignoring the protest forming on her brother's lips. "Look. Between the optic-camo I got from our suit wearing overlord, and the speedy spine in our lovable rookie. You really think any of these street-runnin' scop-brains are really gonna catch us pulling recon? 'Specially if our latino-bro is right and corporate overlord has been goin' dark lord inside?"

Pilar crossed his arms, "I really hate when you have a point."

"Exactly. With my own optical camo I check ahead, nobody sees me and arm cannons if they do." The short-stack looked at David, before looking back at the crew. "Shit gets too hot, David pulls my tight lil' ass outta the fire before it needs replacing."

"Do I get a say in this?" David really didn't mind Becca volunteering him, as he was planning on doing so anyway. But he was a little put off that she had seemingly reduced him to the roll of 'extraction vehicle'.

"David, you really wanna have someone else go with me and you have to sit and be patient?" Red and green eyes met brown. "Or do you wanna go in with me and potentially get some action?" She placed a hand on her hip and winked.

Much as David was preoccupied with everything going on around him, it didn't stop him from cringing at what she said. "Did you have to say it like that?"

The hand left her hip, one finger raised as she playfully admonished him. "My soon to be step-son, it's too soon for you to be thinking of me like that."

David twitched so hard it was a wonder he didn't pull anything. "Any tension I felt died to the onslaught of just plain 'No' that what you said unleashed in my mind."

"Yeah yeah." Becca crossed her arms. "So do you wanna help me scout or keep this back and forth going?"

"I'll help scout if only to shut you up." He glanced at Jackie, seeing the man give a reluctant nod of approval.

"That's what I thought." The gremlin's posture straightened up, and she looked at her brother. "Pilar, if I die, you can have all my stuff." She turned to look at Kiwi, "and Kiwi, you can have all my debts."

"Gee, thanks. I feel the love." The woman rolled her eyes, "Non-existent as it is."

"Take it or leave it." Becca gestured towards the nearest entrance to the mall. "Come on David, let's go find our daddy."

"Stay together and keep your comms open. We'll cover you guys." Jackie advised, "and be careful."

The pair nodded and made their way inside. Much to David's surprise, the mall was better lit that he had expected, giving him a decent view of the interior. There were signs that someone had set up a barricade of sorts at the end of the entry hall, but something had nearly destroyed it. Blood splatters, shell casings, and assorted chunks of viscera littered the hallway. No doubt all from the handful of dead gangoons that added to the morbid scene.

Hard as it was to look at, David found himself more concerned by how quiet it was. He could hear the distant sound of screaming, gunshots, and explosions. All from outside, the parking lot war still going strong. But their current location was strangely quiet, save for the occasional garbled advertisement to play from one of the digital billboards that had yet to give up the fight.

He turned his head, seeing Becca pressed up against the left hand wall and slowly moving forward. Looking to the right, he could see a door near where the barricade had been.

"Keep left or try right?" David whispered, seeing Becca stop as he gestured to the door on the right.

"We keep left, leads further into the mall." She pointed to a nearby map of the mall that kept flickering in and out of focus. "That door leads into a maintenance closet." Somehow, her sass came through loud and clear despite the low volume of her voice. Hiding the flash of embarrassment he felt, David stayed low and fell into step behind Becca. They stayed flush against the wall until they came even with the Mall's center.

Here, David got to see up close the aftermath of what he thought was a gang battle. Bodies were scattered about, some with bullet holes in them. Others looked like they had been poisoned, their faces gaunt and the floor around them covered in vomit and other fluids.

"Jesus Christ, that is a pile of overkill if I've ever seen one." He looked over at Becca, seeing her crouching behind a trash can, looking at one of the bodies. It was the first in a trail of butchered corpses that lead down one of the main corridors and deeper into the mall.

"What do think did it?" There didn't seem to be any logic to the cuts other than 'cause as much damage as possible'.

"Who, not what. Not a bot. Look at how the cuts on the floor fan out at first, then go in a trail from corpse to corpse." Becca pointed to the ground, then to some of the bodies along the way. "Somebody went berserk with some mantis blades."

David stared at her, impressed. "How'd your figure that out so fast?"

"I'm a merc from Watson who's done gigs for longer than a year. First thing you learn is the signs somebody with heavy chrome is goin' nuts." The sad smile she had at his praise went away, replaced with a troubled frown. "Doubt this was Maelstrom's work tho'."

"So what? " By David's assessment, most of the fallen seemed to be from the Animals. "A VDB with longspurs went nuts?"

"Ehh... I really hope so." The hesitance in Becca's answer didn't fill him with confidence, and he had a feeling he knew what she was trying not to say. They followed the trail of bodies and blood drops. And David couldn't help but feel he was following the most macabre breadcrumb trail ever. It didn't help that this was more than likely the trail that would lead them to his father. But was all of this really his father's doing? After having seen a few previews of V's methods, was this the full version? And then there was what Jackie told him about V that day on the waterfront...

He shook his head, looking away as he passed by a corpse whose severed head was resting by her feet. David let out a tiny burp, stomach protesting what they had seen. To her credit, Becca seemed to sense something was amiss with her partner, and stopped.

"You good?" She mouthed, pulling him into a nearby empty storefront so he could take a moment to collect himself.

"Yeah. Sorry...It's just." David took a couple breaths, crouching down as he tried to settle his stomach.

"A bit much?" She guessed, one hand rubbing in soothing circles on his back. He nodded, getting a weary smile in return from her. "It's alright choom. Even now some things still get the best of me. Or other members of the crew." Becca tapped her stomach with her other hand. Though Becca didn't elaborate, David felt better knowing that everyone had a weakness. "Good to go on?"

"Yeah." He stood up, taking a moment to pop his back. Letting Becca take point again, the two of them moved out of the store and continued forward. Before David was letting Becca do all the spotting, but now he was noticing things. There were more bullet holes dotting the walls, and he could see where grenades had taken chunks out of the wall as they moved closer to another crossroads. And while the number of bodies hadn't increased, it hadn't decreased either. David would have taken that as a positive, if it wasn't for the fact the wounds these guys had taken were worse than the headless corpse.

Moving into another 'hub' David closed his eyes as he passed by the gruesome sight of a man impaled on the deadwood skeleton of what was once a decorative shrub. As such, he didn't see the large pool of blood near his foot and slipped. On instinct, David stuck his arms out to brace his fall.

Instead of feeling the cold, hard floor like he expected, his hands connected with something soft and wet, with just a hint of warmth. Opening his eyes, David was horrified to see that he had landed on a corpse. His hands resting in the stomach of a Voodoo Boy if the man's choice of tattoos and necklace were any clue.

"Oh shit, David!" Becca whispered yelled as David felt the color run from his face. Pulling his hands out, David pushed away and moved off to the side, trying to get away from the corpse. He made the mistake of looking back at Becca and where he had fallen.

The scene he saw earlier was nothing compared to this. Blood, entrails, and limbs – both 'ganic and cybernetic covered the floor. Those whose bodies were still relatively intact were covered in cuts, or torn open by blades, shrapnel, or bullets. And there were some bodies that showed no signs of physical damage, but by the horrified and contorted faces looked to have been fried from the inside. His earlier nausea came back with a vengeance, and he started to cough up everything he had eaten before rushing to the Med Center.

["Talk to me kids."] He heard Jackie's voice come over the holo, but couldn't respond.

["So, Daddy dearest may have gone full dark-side on us."] David was almost thankful for Becca's high tolerance of shit like this.

["What makes you say that?"]

["David and I are lookin' at the scene of a massacre. Well, I am anyways. The kid's blowing chunks."] She sent a sympathetic look his way, and David had just enough time to acknowledge it before he went back to staining the floor further with what remained of his lunch.

["How bad we talking here?"]

["Remember the Kabuki takeover 'bout six years ago?"]

["You're shittin' me."]

["Nope. Gotta be at least fifty corpses here, nothing pretty."]

["Chica? You got eyes on any cameras or tech around?"] He saw Becca look around, and tried to do the same, but the sudden motion had him groaning and closing his eyes as breakfast returned with a vengeance.

["Yeah, why?"]

["They acting funky?"]

["Yup. Spinning around in their ports like whoever's controllin' them is just fucking with directions."]

["Mierda..."] The string of Spanish cussing leaving Jackie's mouth was too much for David's nausea addled brain to translate.

["Translation please?"]

["Pull David outta sight and stay off the network. This place has been given me the willies, and now I know why. V's lost it. The whole place is probably infested with malware."]

["Not seein' how bad soft is gonna help him make this place into a butcher shop."] Still, Becca followed Jackie's instructions and David offered no protest as she helped him shuffle into one of the nearby stores not blocked by a security gate.

["Explanations come later, Maine and I are comin' in. We gotta find V fast and knock him out before this whole place starts becoming a nightmare."]

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While David recovered, Becca took a few moments to move some nearby crates to add cover to their position while they waited for Maine and Jackie to find and join them. He couldn't think of anything to say, and instead just sat beside her, taking comfort in her once again rubbing his back to ease some of the tension. He had no idea how much time had passed between the call and the arrival of the two, but it was enough time for him to regain his senses and his voice.

"Chica? Sobrino?"

"Over here!" David called and Becca popped up from behind their cover, showing herself briefly to summon the two men to their position. Jackie reached them first, with Maine joining them a few seconds later. "Boy am I glad to see you guys."

"Same." Maine looked back out at the sea of bodies. "Didn't know what to expect after that call."

"If it's any consolation, we haven't found any survivors." By the way Maine was staring at Becca, David couldn't tell if the girl's comment was an attempt at humor, or a grim observation. He looked over at Jackie, who was slowly and carefully inspecting everything around them. After a moment, he heard Jackie curse and saw the man strike an access point in anger.

"Dammit. I was right, I was praying I wasn't." He threw another punch at his hand, snorting in annoyance.

"What pops do? Use some secret Arasaka soft?" The moment the question left his mouth, David regretted it. He could see a flash of anger in Jackie's eyes, before it moved to his face and left the man staring at him, offended.

"I know you're not stupid kid. We're two steps shy of this becoming another Neo-Qaxaca." He hissed, keeping his voice low so only the two of them could really hear it. David's eyes flicked to Maine and Becca, seeing the two of them exchange a glance with Jackie. Understanding that this wasn't a conversation for them, they moved away as much as they could without leaving cover.

"You really think he'd-"

"I don't think kid. I know. It's why I asked shorty about the camera." Jackie gestured to a wiggling camera that they could just barely see from their hiding spot. "It's a sign he's used something from back then at the least. It's not the big bug, I'll tell you that much."

Somehow, that little piece of knowledge was more comforting than it had any right to be. "How do you know?"

"The gangoons outside are shooting at each other," Jackie explained, "not eating faces like a highway bum high on bath salts."

David stood, peering over the crates at the scene before them. "But what about all the... the blood and guts everywhere?"

"The gang war outside may only be the usual NC violence," The man let out the breath the question made him hold, "doesn't mean someone in here hasn't gone cyberpsycho."

"You don't think-" He was cut off by Jackie's hands landing on his shoulder.

"David, if we can't talk him down you might have to prepare yourself." It took David a moment to realize just what Jackie was implying.

"Are you serious?" David took a step back from his uncle, trying to find any hint to if the man was joking or not as the hands fell away. It wouldn't have been the first time Jackie had pulled a bait and switch on him. But no, Jackie's eyes were holding the same level of seriousness they had the day he revealed the truth about Mexico to him. "Oh God, you're serious."

The revelation that Jackie wasn't kidding. That there was the high possibility that his dad had gone cyberpsycho. That they might have to- No, it wouldn't come to that. He might have only known the man for a couple months tops, but he knew V was stronger than that. The disbelief he felt at Jackie's initial assessment faded, replaced with a sort of outrage.

"It's not gonna come to that." David growled, trying to will the thought into reality. He looked over at Maine and Becca, wondering whose side they were on. Maine's expression gave nothing away of his thoughts, but Becca looked torn. Much as it grossed him out that someone barely five years older than him was thirsting for his father, he was glad that someone else – besides his mom and the Welles family, seemed to care. Hearing the sound of distant explosions again, David steeled himself and looked back at Jackie. "Come on, let's get moving."

He moved to step out from their cover, but once again the feeling of Jackie's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw his uncle gesture that Becca should take point as she had been doing. He wanted to protest. Argue that he could just use his Sande to zip around the mall and find V that way. Instead, he felt Becca's hand on his back as she moved past him.

"Come on choom, let's keep to the same strategy we've been using." She gently nudged him forward. "It's gotten us this far, so let's go and find daddy, yeah?"

David grunted, and gave a nod of agreement. Becca wasn't wrong, and she had the best chance of warning them of danger thanks to her optic-camo. Seeming to respect the decision, Jackie fell in behind David while Maine brought up the rear.

"So, any idea how best to find our suit?" Maine asked as they continued walking down the corridor.

"Do as we are now, and follow the destruction." Jackie replied, gesturing to one of the electronic displays. Its image kept shorting and distorting in a way beyond a simple malfunctioning component. "Also, whatever you do – don't connect to the local network. Don't want your tech to get infested with, whatever's in there."

"Noted."

"Should we warn Lucy and Kiwi?"

"Doin' that now." Maine answered, sending Jackie's warning to the rest of the crew. That done, the group continued their walk around the lower floor, listening and watching for any clue where V was. Nearing a staircase, the four of them were startled by a member of the Voodoo Boys who came stumbling out from behind the stairs. His dark skin had taken on a sickly hue, and David could see the gash across the man's stomach. Seeing them, the man took a few steps towards them, one hand held out as if asking for help.

"It's a...monster." He croaked out, before letting out a choked gurgle and falling to the ground. Jackie moved over to the fallen VDB and checked for a pulse, before looking at the man's wounds. The fatal wound was a single slice across the stomach, no doubt made from a mantis blade.

"Well, move up a floor or?" Becca questioned as Jackie moved back to the group.

"We go up. Follow the damage." Jackie gestured to the stairs, "Keep going in that fashion until we find V or are forced to delta."

David found himself nodding in agreement with Jackie's plan, and moved up the stairs. Keeping to the same formation, they made their way along the second floor. Here too, they could see the signs of V's passage. Bodies hung over railings, or had been splattered against the walls. There were various traps that had been set off, though David couldn't tell who had set them or who they were meant for. Moving along, Becca let out a scream as a nearby sound speaker came to life and let out an unintelligible burst of noise. Maine was quick to grab her and pull her against the wall as David and Jackie tensed for a fight. After a tense minute and nothing else happening beyond the speaker continuing to play its garbled message. Jackie declared it to be the result of V's meddling and motioned for them to move.

The four of them had just reached the landing for the third floor when they heard a yell come from somewhere above them. David looked up then, just in time to see some Animal get tossed over the railing from the fifth floor. The scream of the unfortunate one was cut off as he hit the ground with a thump that rivaled the explosion to go off above their heads.

"Think we found him." Maine stated, tilting one ear up as if that would let him hear better.

"Probably." Jackie agreed, looking around for the nearest staircase that accessed the next floor. That was the one thing about mega malls – stairways were always arranged in such a way you had no choice but to traverse a good portion of a floor before you found a way up to the next one.

"Think there's one in there?" David pointed to where there was a door marked as a fire escape, along with a pictograph of a guy on a set of stairs.

"Good eye choom!" Becca praised, moving over to the door and pushing on the bar handle. "What the? Fuck! I think its locked!" She kicked the door in frustration, drawing Guts. "Who the fuck locks a fire exit?"

"Sure its not just stuck?" Maine came to her side, one hand lowering Guts while his other gently pushed her back. Lightweight as the door looked, it didn't budge even as he put his full weight on it. "Stand back guys. Not spending anymore time here than I have to."

David watched as the synthetic muscles in Maine's right arm started to squirm as he activated his Gorilla Arms. With a grunt, the man pulled his arm back and threw a punch near the latch with full force. His fist went clean through the lightweight metal, and he ripped the door from its hinges and threw it behind him. Looking at his arm, Maine grinned, and David found himself wondering if this was the first time Maine had really gotten a chance to go full power with his new arms.

"Oi! David! Let's go!" He heard Becca call to him, seeing her and the others had already moved past him and started making their way up the stairs.

"Uh right!" David joined them, the sounds of an ongoing fight getting louder as they made their way up to the top floor. Fortunately, this door wasn't locked and they took a moment to catch their breath and look out from behind cover. David gasped at the sight to meet his eyes. A level of carnage far worse than what he saw on the first floor greeted him. Only this time, there was still a couple of Animals making a stand against their foe. David looked at their opponent, seeing the familiar shape of the face. The color and style of suit they were wearing...The model of Mantis Blades poking out of their arms.

"Dad..." David murmured, staring at the man. It was his dad alright, only there was something indescribably wrong about him. His eyes were both focused yet unseeing at the same time, while his moves were what David could only describe as orchestrated chaos.

One of the braver Animals decided to rush in and try to overwhelm him that way. V pivoted, striking out with one blade to catch the Animal in the stomach. The other blade moved in and connected with the flesh just under the man's neck. David was treated to a horrific lesson in anatomy as the blade sliced up and through the Animal's skull, splitting it in half. The corpse would have hit the ground, if it wasn't for the fact it was still stuck on the other blade. V seemed to realize this and moved his other arm in a sweeping motion, dislodging the dead man. The body flew through the air, landing at the feet of his fellows.

Primal cries came from the remaining three men, all who were now firing at V. David watched as some of the bullets connected with V's flesh, but the man seemed not to notice. Letting out a warcry of his own, V charged the group and took to fighting them one on one.

"Holy fuck..." Maine shook his head, drawing his own weapon.

"V..." Becca frowned, but raised Guts before her.

"Is...Is that really dad?" David turned away as another Animal was sliced in half, his eyes going to Jackie for the answer.

A string of curses, both in English and Spanish left Jackie's mouth as he watched. "That's him, in the worst sorts of ways."

David looked back at the fight, it was now a one on one. The remaining man was struggling to reload his gun, while V seemed to be catching his breath. This pause in the action allowed David to get a really good look at his father. He could see where the man had been struck, some wounds still bleeding while others were showing signs of having started to or clotted over. The biggest thing he noticed however? The way V's hands twitched, and the rest of his body was shaking. If David didn't know any better, he'd have thought V was just cold.

"Why's he trembling like that?"

"Conflicts between his head and his hardware." Jackie frowned, pointing in particular at V's hands. "His mind isn't behind the wheel, its his instincts driving."

"What?"

"It's...Something I saw him do in Mexico." It was Jackie's turn to look away, even as the fighting between V and the Animal started again. "His brain is running like a cornered animal's. He's not gonna snap outta it til he feels safe, or gets put down by somethin' else."

"Shit." Maine glanced at his own hands, and David wondered if the man was thinking about his old chrome and the problems it caused. "So what's the plan?"

A scream cut through the air, the cry seeming to echo around the area, signaling the end of the fight. The last fighter was tossed over the railing, V's eyes now turning on them.

Maine and Becca both brought their guns up, aim steady at their potential foe.

David hesitated, hand hovering over his holster but not an inch closer.

Jackie was in front of them, staring V down. Hands away from his weapons and sides. He took a half step forward, maintaining the same posture, keeping his breathing steady. David turned his attention to V, seeing the man just standing there and blankly staring at Jackie. One bladed arm raised before him in defense, while the other was pulled slightly back, as if waiting to strike.

Jackie took another step, hands now raised before him in a defensive show of submission. He looked to Maine and Becca, seeing both of them still ready to strike if needed. Looking back at V, he didn't see him raise or lower his blades, something he took as a sign that his dad might have recognized who was before him.

"V?" Jackie started talking, taking another step. Still, V didn't move, but the trembling of his father's form intensified. "It's-"

"He's distracted! Head for the roof! Go! Go! Go!" The cry came from somewhere behind V, and David watched as a group of Animals charged out of a bathroom and towards a door hidden in the shadows.

V's head jolted as it turned, watching the Animals shove along a man with a bloody suit and major limp. V snarled, trembling and spasming worse than before. He vanished from sight, and having followed Rebecca for so far, David recognized the shimmer of high quality Optic Camo at work. V's footsteps were almost thundering as he ran after Faraday, the staccato of thuds the only way to follow his path.

David wanted to run after them, but the sound of Jackie cursing stopped him. He looked to the two gunslingers, seeing them lower their weapons. Letting out a tiny groan, Becca broke the silence.

"So...who else nearly shit themselves there?"

Jackie rubbed at his temple, looking tired. "Not the time chica."

"Either I crack jokes or I pee myself with fear and bolt. Deal with it choom." She gently caressed Guts like she was holding a kitten. David wasn't sure if he should laugh, cry, or scream at the whole situation. He didn't have a chance to decide, as Maine asked a question.

"So, V's gone full cyberpsychotic. What's the plan now?"

Jackie sighed, eyes going to the doorway their targets had run for. "We find him again, I try and talk him outta it. We knock him out if I can't. Kill Faraday for extra credit."

"How the hell are we supposed to zero the fixer if were too preoccupied dealing with your choom?"

"David can do it." Jackie pointed at him. "Kid's got a military-spec Sande and it's time he put it to some real use."

"Me?" David couldn't seem to get his voice above a whisper. It made sense, he could easily catch up and outpace Faraday with his speedwear. Plus, it also put him out of the way if they had to...

"Yeah, you." He felt Jackie gently punch him in the arm. "Now come on, let's go."

"Right." Maine and Becca agreed, both now proceeding with their guns out and at the ready. David gave a nod and pulled out his Apparition, moving along behind the two as they made their way along the war-torn hallways.

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Moving up the stairs and through the access hallway, David could see that his father was still running in complete psycho mode. Broken machinery, massacred bodies, and damaged tech were all over the place. There was no sign of Faraday or his bodyguards, and David reasoned they might have taken a different route. Or more likely, found a place to hide while V went on his rampage.

Finding one of the rooftop access doors, the four of them stepped through it and out into the night. There was no sign of Faraday on the roof, but V was there. Fresh blood dripped off his Mantis Blades, and various stains were visible on his suit. Similar to his suit, V's hands and face too were splattered with blood, and bits of viscera clung to his hair. The skin around V's neck looked burned and blistered, a tell-tale sign of how much his father had been overdoing it. Looking to his side, David saw Becca and Maine reach for their guns, but Jackie raised a hand and stopped them.

"No. No guns, knives, or anything that will make you appear hostile." He looked at the two of them, before looking back at V. "Be ready to draw if I say, but otherwise." The gunslingers nodded, shifting their weapons in such a way they could be drawn and fired in seconds, but kept their hands off. "David, want you on standby if Faraday shows. Be ready to charge if he does, and don't hesitate to put a bullet in his skull."

David glanced around the rooftop and nodded, before looking back at his uncle. "Alright, but what are you going to do?"

"Same thing I did back in Mexico..." The man took a deep breath, one hand fingering the crucifix around his neck as he said a silent prayer. Turning away, David watched as Jackie moved towards V. As he had done downstairs, Jackie moved slowly and non-threateningly. His hands were up before him, palms forward as he showed V he was no threat to him.

"V, choom, it's me. It's your brother. It's Jackie." Despite the slow and deliberate pronunciation, Jackie's accent sounded more natural.

David looked at his father. As before, V's attention shifted to focusing on Jackie, though his eyes still looked unseeing. His body jerked, blade lashing out, but V never left the spot he was standing at.

"I got your back choom. They're dead. It's my shift now." Jackie shifted his wrist, showing and tapping a non-existent watch at V.

The man's head seemed to twitch in a ragged impersonation of a nod, though tremors still wracked the rest of his body. David saw his father's tech start to withdraw, then pop back out with fervor a few times. Again though, V made no move to charge Jackie, eyes seeming just the tiniest bit more in focus than before.

"Come on, put away the spurs." Jackie kept his arms up, but used one hand to wipe his own face. "Gotta get you cleaned up. Make you look pretty for the ladies again."

David saw Jackie take a risk and move his hands to his jacket, adjusting it as if he was standing before a mirror, getting ready for a date. Once more, V's head jerked in what might have been considered a nod. Though his body still shuddered and his eyes refused to focus on a single point, David watched as the Mantis Blades finally withdrew fully into V's arms.

"That's it. Easy now. Put the guns down, take the load off and relax." Jackie let a tiny smile come to his face, taking a few steps closer to the still trembling V. "Won't be smart to wear yourself out."

David glanced at Becca and Maine, seeing the two of them exchange glances. They looked relieved and impressed, though their posture hadn't faltered. He glanced back at Jackie and V, seeing now that the two were just over an arm's length away from each other. Jackie's mouth was still moving, the words now sounding more like comforting praise than requests. The whole scene was enough for David to finally release the breath he was holding.

He shouldn't have relaxed.

There was the sound of heavy thudding from one of the other rooftop access points, and David caught sight of the same group of Animal bodyguards from earlier. Faraday was still in the middle of them as they tried to run a short distance across and into the service area for one of the many elevators the mall possessed. The sight and sound was enough to send V back into rampaging rage, and he shoved Jackie away roughly before turning and charging the group.

Becca and Maine drew their guns and started providing cover fire for V, taking care to aim over or around him. With all the noise and chaos, David wasn't a hundred percent certain what happened next. One moment, he was watching V run after Faraday. The next there was a loud explosion and V was on the ground, his left leg heavily damaged but still there. That was enough for Faraday and his goons to reach their destination. Jackie moved to V's side, while Maine and Becca took care of the remaining guards who were covering Faraday's escape. A loud ping alerted the group that Faraday was making his way down.

"Shit!" Jackie cursed, eyes going from V to the elevator. "The elevator's goin' down. Probably ground floor. You gotta go after him David."

"But-"

"Just go! We've got V, and we'll pull him outta here. But if Faraday gets away he's gonna be back eventually to even the score." Maine yelled, taking a moment to reload. "You want your Mom to stay safe? You run down there like her life depends on it and you cut that shit stain in half with your sword."

David gave an affirmative grunt, realizing Maine was right. Everything they had done up to this point, everything they've gone through. All of it would be for nothing if Faraday got away. He looked at Jackie, seeing his uncle nod, all the permission he needed as he activated his Sandevistan and took off after the fleeing fixer.

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David never thought the mad dash he had done to get to school that day, and the running from Katsuo's goons would ever pay off as training. But here he was. Dashing down stairwells, hopping over boxes and weaving around displays. He had a mental map of where the service elevator Faraday took was in relation to the rest of the mall, and kept stealing glances as he ran around the area it moved behind the walls.

Reaching the ground floor, David took a moment to catch his breath and find the doors that lead to the loading dock – the closest point that David felt lined up to where the elevator shaft ended. Activating the Sandevistan again, he broke through the doors and into the backroom storage area of the mall.

Hundreds of crates of buildings supplies, and other goods that never made it to shelves of long shuttered stores provided excellent cover, and more than a few of the receiving doors were open – letting in the elements. In the parking lot, he could see abandoned trailer containers. Mentally, he noted that it was possible that Faraday or some of his goons could be hiding within them.

"Where is he?" David muttered, hiding behind one of the larger crates. His 'ganics were starting to protest his deliberate failure to follow the 'thirty seconds on, ten seconds off' rule he had used in the past to not overload himself. The wound he had taken earlier in particular was throbbing, and he could feel the area where it had torn open. The spot marked by a warm, uncomfortable wetness.

His eyes drifted over to the service elevator's door, the lights indicating that its carriage was on the ground floor. Keeping to cover, David moved over to the elevator door and pressed the button to open it. The doors slid back with a ping, revealing the carriage to be empty. The only thing that indicated someone had been inside was the small pool of blood on the floor. His eyes looked at the ground outside the elevator then, seeing red spots here and there. Occasionally, he also saw a scuff mark from a dragged shoe.

David's eyes looked up just in time, and he caught a flash of burgundy near one of the open receiving doors. Pulling out his Apparition, David fired up the Sandevistan and took a chance, deciding to move out in the open to cut off Faraday's escape route rather than keep to cover. Everything went by in a flash as he moved across the receiving dock. Moving behind Faraday, David fired his gun, hitting Faraday in the back. He heard the fixer curse and saw the man stumble forward. Twisting, David blurred around and came to a stop in the middle of the door Faraday was still moving towards. Stopping only when he was in the middle of the door Faraday was trying to get through.

"You are a stubborn bastard, I'll give you that." The fixer stood up as straight as his busted leg allowed, and David now noticed the pistol the man was holding.

"And you're the four-eyed dead man who tried to ice my mother!" He countered.

"It was just business David. Clean-up." Faraday raised his own weapon, but took a few steps back towards one of the covered stacks of supplies. "Your crew planned to ice me, why shouldn't I try to kill you first?"

"Keep yappin' just gives more reasons to fill you full of lead." David twitched, adjusting his grip and stance.

"Be reasonable. Everyone has a price." Faraday's head tipped to the side, eyes narrowing as he came up with an offer. "A hundred-fifty thousand eddies here and now, you just have to tell everyone I got away."

"Or, counter-offer, I cut you up and pull your credit chip outta your remains."

"Too bad you're not quick enough on the draw!" With a flourish, Faraday grabbed at a nearby tarp and pulled it away. The supplies underneath it tumbled and rolled in various directions, but that didn't matter as the turret that was behind them sprang to life. It started spraying bullets at everything that moved, and David had just enough time to see Faraday take cover in one of the few blind spots nearest it.

The portable turret must have been as fried as every other piece of tech in the mall. The gun swaying about in its port, whatever compensator software inside the machine likely bugged. The spray of bullets was so wild, that David doubted he could even get close enough with help from the Sandevistan. Even if he could get close, David knew there was no way he could get a shot off without getting shot at.

"Fuck!" David moved outside, taking cover behind the wall. Bullets zipped past him and out the door, the sound alerting remaining Voodoo Boys and Animals in the area. Cries went up from both sides, and a shoot out between the two started in the loading dock's parking lot. Some of them noticed the bullets coming from the receiving area, and turned their own fire on whomever was making the shots from within.

One of the Voodoo Boys spotted him, and he was drawn into the shoot out. Unlike before, David was on his own with this fight. His shots were all reflexive, and while they weren't the clean shots from when V had guided them. They served their purpose and more than one gang member was taken down by his shots. David stopped to reload, eyes going back to the receiving dock. Far as he could tell, the turret was still firing away – preventing Faraday from getting out.

His second clip took out a small group of VDBs, and the third put down some frenzied Animals. Out of bullets, he was in the process of drawing his sword when he heard a loud shot come from somewhere behind him. A moment later and a loud explosion came from within the building, and he realized what had happened. A lucky shot from some kind of high caliber rifle or similar gun must have hit the turret and destroyed it.

This was confirmed when he realized no more shots were coming from within. The turret's destruction was both a blessing and a curse. It now meant he had a chance to get to Faraday, but also meant that the fixer had a chance to get away. The blasted gang war was also in Faraday's favor, David noted as he fired up his speedware and used his sword to slice down the gangers closest to him. His eyes were focused on the door, the blade swinging with no particular form or goal other than 'hit something'.

He felt the wetness at his side grow, realizing that all his ducking and dodging was further tearing his earlier turret wound back open. The last of the Voodoo Boys still fighting him went down, and he caught sight of Faraday stepping out into the open. "Fuck, need to finish this quickly."

David started to lift his sword, and was about to make his move, but a frantic message from Dorio stopped him.

["Maine! Jackie! Anybody! We need backup now! Pilar's bleeding out, Lucy lost an arm, and Falco's arm is busted! These VDB fucks got a set of tech rifles and are tossing grenades like candy!"]

["Can you hold for five?! We're still coming down from the top floor!"]

["Maine, if you can't make it in three, we're gonna be dead!"]

What Dorio said lit a fire underneath him, and David opted to go full throttle as he charged at Faraday, sword raised. David let out a primal scream as he swung the blade, feeling it slice through Faraday's chest. He felt resistance as the blade slid across, seeing a large spurt of blood erupt from the Fixer's chest before the man fell to the ground. More concerned for his friends, David took the fixer's lack of movement as a sign and ran towards the back entrance of the mall.

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The scene David came across as he rounded the final turn to arrive at the mall's back entrance made his recent fight look like child's play. He could see a pale-faced Pilar slumped against one of the concrete barriers. The man's chest was still moving, but even David could tell how labored of an effort that was. He saw the rest of the crew hiding behind one of the large concrete planters. Dorio and Kiwi were taking turns firing at the Voodoo Boys. His eyes fell on Falco, the man in perfect position to rush out and grab Pilar if the girls could give him enough of a window.

He watched the man fire off a couple shots of his own, and could see the damage Falco's arm had taken. The limb had been slightly bent out of place, and David could see a bullet stuck in the palm of his hand. The piece of shrapnel hard enough to cost Falco the use of his ring and pinky fingers, and mess with the mobility of the remaining digits. After a tense moment, he spotted Lucy's pastel hair, the girl tucked safely between Dorio and Kiwi.

Both blond women looked like they had seen better days. David could see spots where they had been winged by bullets or hit by other shrapnel. Dorio in particular had a deep gash running diagonally across her forehead and dangerously close to her right eye.

He heard a scream come from the crew as some type of grenade landed behind them. Taking a breath, David raised his sword and let out a battlecry, charging into the group of gangoons. Sandevistan still at full throttle, David cut and sliced his way through the VBDs.

"Falco?"

"On it!"

David looked to where the crew was hiding, seeing Falco run out and across the short distance to where Pilar was slumped. Hearing a cry from behind him, David turned around and rammed his sword through the gonk that was dumb enough to try and rush him. A few more tried their luck and moved in, all of them getting cut down in short order. He glanced back to where Pilar had been, now seeing a bloody trail that lead back behind the planter.

The last few gangers were cut down through a combination of Dorio and Kiwi's cover fire, and David's sword. Only once he made sure there was nobody still standing near him did he rush over to the crew. Falco was packing and wrapping up what remained of Pilar's right leg and thigh, while Kiwi injected him again and again with several Bounce Backs. He looked at Lucy, realizing now she was passed out. There was a large scrap across her forehead, and her left arm was missing from just above the elbow down. Someone had wrapped it and tied a tourniquet, but even David could see the cloth covering it was saturated with her blood.

Only Dorio hadn't moved, eyes on the pile of fallen VDBs. She fired off a couple shots at some of them, before noticing David behind her.

"What the fuck are you doing here kid?!" Dorio fired off a few shots at some of the remaining VDBs to rush in, attention shifting briefly to look at him.

"Came to offer back up." He answered, taking a step towards Lucy. Before his foot hit the ground however, Dorio blocked his path.

"Then do so." She pointed with her gun back at the lot, where another handful of Voodoo Boys were rushing in. David gave a nod and drew his sword, firing off the Sande in the hopes of making short work of the stragglers. Most of those who remained were the low level grunts who had held back, and one or two of them even threw down their weapons and tried to run. Before David could go after them, Dorio had taken them down with a couple shots from her rifle. Not seeing anymore threats, she motioned for him to come back. Again, he tried to make for Lucy, but she stopped him with a question.

"Okay, Faraday's dead then? We got V and we can go?"

"I think so."

"I don't like how you said that." Dorio's eye twitched. "You checked Faraday was dead right?"

"I sliced him across the chest, shoulder to hip!" David moved his hand across his own chest, showing the course the blade took.

The muscle-bound woman curse, one foot stomping the ground. "That's not good enough! He's old school! Bone lace, skin-weave, and subdermals!" Dorio's hands formed into fist, cradling her head. "Jesus- David, wetwork one-oh-one, confirm the goddamned kill! Where'd you leave him?"

"In the parking lot, the loading docks!" He pointed back the way he came, and Dorio let out a frustrated groan.

["Maine, we got trouble."]

["Are you still pinned down?"]

["David solved that and left us a new problem. Kid thinks he left Faraday dead in the loading bay, but didn't confirm. If you're still close to the top get back to the roof and keep an eye out."] Dorio was scowling as she turned to look at Kiwi and Falco. "Finish patching him up, then get back to the cars as soon as you can. I'm gonna go with the kid to confirm."

"You've got to be kidding me..." He heard Kiwi mutter, but the woman gave a nod even as she opened another roll of bandages and handed it to Falco.

"Let's go." David felt Dorio's hand grip his arm with such force that he wondered if she'd have broken it if wasn't for the implants. He ran alongside her, ignoring the screaming pain in his side as he lead her around to the loading dock. Dorio didn't bat an eye at the parking lot turned battlefield, instead she looked at David. "Where kid?"

"Cut him down there, on that ramp." David pointed towards the building, indicating one of the concrete ramps leading down from the receiving dock. His eyes went wide as he saw the bloodstain where Faraday had fallen, but not the body.

"Then where's the body!?" The woman demanded, arms flexed and looking ready to throw a punch if he took too long to answer. He didn't know if Dorio had any sort of cybernetic enhancements, but after seeing her destroy a sandbag while Jackie was teaching him to box decided he didn't want to find out.

"It was here! I swear." David replayed the scene in his mind. "He landed right here an-" It was now David noticed there was clear trail of blood leading out from the initial puddle.

He realized Dorio saw the same thing he did when her hand slapped him upside the back of his head. "Fuckin' ay kid! Always confirm the kill."

["He's still alive. Please tell me one of you guys can spot his gay ass bloodstained suit?"] Somehow, she sounded calmer on the holo than in person. Rubbing the back of his head, David noticed Dorio was already cautiously following the trail.

["Got 'em! Behind that green trailer."] Jackie replied to the inquiry, and David looked to where his uncle had indicated. The trailer blocked most of the view, but peering around it revealed a large hole in the chain-link fence that encircled the receiving lot. Faraday had limped his way across the lot and out the gap into the street. David spotted the fixer then, the man throwing paper eddies at a passing driver to take his junker of a car off his hands.

The driver stepped out of the vehicle and ran with his newfound fortune in hand, leaving Faraday to take the wheel. David watched as the man moved to sit in the driver's seat, but something went wrong and Faraday stumbled as he tried to sit and instead collapsed in the car. At the same moment, David heard the sound of a very large rifle going off, and watched as the fixer's right arm and shoulder were torn off by whatever shot had been fired. Whether it was out of reflex, fear, or an odd death throw, Faraday managed to hit the gas and the car sped off in a haze of exhaust smoke and fumes.

["Please tell me he crashed somewhere outta my line of sight?"] Jackie sounded tired, but determined.

["Jackie?! That was you?"]

["Later kid, is he dead?"]

David looked down the road. He hadn't heard the sound of a vehicle accident, and didn't see any evidence of one either. He looked to Dorio, noticing a bitter frustration covering her features.

["He... got away."] Dorio answered, throwing a furious punch at the trailer.

["Fuck."]

["Maybe we'll get lucky and he bleeds out? Your shot tore his arm off-"]

["The prick got shot by your old man, sliced by you, and shot again by me."] He heard Jackie sigh. ["We can only hope he's dead."]

["Fuck. This whole operation's a bust."] Maine sounded similar to Dorio, a tired anger in his words. ["Let's get back to the cars before more Voodoo Boys show up."]

["Maine, Kiwi and I just got Lucy and Pilar back to them. Got the two of them in the back of the Edgerunner."] Falco sounded more tired than anything matching emotion. ["Lucy's regained consciousness, but Pilar looks liable to go into shock at any moment."]

["I'd say get going then. Closest quality ripper would be the one operating in the Doc Ryder's in Wellsprings."] Dorio offered, motioning for David to join her as she started walking towards their destination. ["Your call, but might be better if you take the tunnel from West Wind back to Heywood. It's less crowded and might be safer than the main drag this time of night."]

["Dory's right. It's gonna take us a bit to get back anyhow."] Maine took command again. ["Rather we all have to cram into the truck bed than risk losing anyone."]

["Alright."] Falco agreed. ["Once those two are settled, where did you want to meet?"]

["We'll go back to the Cojo."] David half expected Maine to protest, but nothing came. ["Called Mama and she's already busted out the medicine and the booze. Might as well nurse our wounds in comfort, eh?"]

With how far sunk his stomach felt, David could only hope booze could fill the pit in his gut.

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The ride back in the Colby was quiet. Maine was driving, while David rode shotgun. Becca was sandwiched between the two of them, though somehow she had moved in such a way that she was more laying across the two of them than actually sitting. Jackie and Dorio sat in the truck bed, both of them doing what they could to keep V comfortable as they drove. He had regained consciousness about halfway to the Cojo and Maine pulled the truck over so they could tend to V better. The man was visibly disoriented, and once more Jackie had to talk V back to reality.

"Just, get me to Trauma." V eventually croaked out after he had calmed down enough to understand his situation. Shortly after that, V lapsed back into unconsciousness, David saw Jackie's hands move to adjust V's neck. One of his uncle's fingers twitched slightly as his hand passed over V's chip-socket. It might have just been a trick of the light, but David thought he saw Jackie palm something as his hand moved away.

After a short discussion, the decision was made to move the truck to a more remote location before Jackie placed a call to Trauma. Within minutes, the familiar sound of an approaching Aerodyne filled the air. The vehicle touching down a moment later. David watched as two guards hopped out first, followed by the EMTs.

"This our guy?" One of the EMTs asked, approaching V who was still in the truck bed. Jackie nodded, watching as they started to fuss over V. "Do you know what happened?"

It was always interesting watching Jackie spin a yarn, and this time was no exception. David listened as his uncle explained that V had cooked himself with some weird cyberware that he got. His best guess? Some Voodoo Malware given that they picked him up in Pacifica.

"And his leg?"

"Probably triggered some security trap." Jackie shook his head, "You know how the VDBs are."

The EMT gave a single nod, before telling Jackie they would take care of him. David stood off to the side, watching as they loaded V into the Aerodyne and took off. Somehow, it was both a comfort that his father was going to be taken care of. But at the same time, David felt a strange anxiety about everything.

"What I don't get is why Trauma didn't come for his ass the moment we got him out of there." Becca questioned as Maine started to drive towards the Cojo.

"My guess is whatever program he unleashed at the mall also scrambled some things on the outside." Maine answered. "Trauma probably couldn't get a read on anything in the area. Not to mention, you see how charred his neck was? Probably messed with his own systems."

David nodded in agreement, though he would be the first to admit he still didn't understand how a lot of that stuff worked. He was about to ask a question of his own, but an incoming group call from Kiwi stopped him.

["Kiwi?"]

["Hey. Falco and I are just leaving Viktor's clinic."]

["Viktor's?"] Dorio questioned, ["You drove all the way to Watson?"]

["How's my brother?"] Even if Becca's voice was calm over the holo, David could see the wetness in her eyes, and he took her hand in his own and gave it a squeeze as he asked his own question.

["And how's Lucy?"]

["And how are you and Falco holding up?"]

["Falco thought it best if we went further away from VDB territory, and Pilar regained consciousness enough to agree."] Kiwi sounded tired. ["Lucy recommended Viktor's place as he knows the crew, and is discrete. He's in critical condition by the way. Ripper was working on him when we left. Lucy's fine, and your tourniquet tying skills are being praised Dorio. Said all he had to do was change the bandages and apply some biofoam as a stop gap until he could fully work on hooking her up with a new hand. That nurse of his, Misty? Was bandaging her up and getting her settled on a bed when I left. Poor Lucy looked exhausted."]

["Well, that explains the message I got from Misty not too long ago. Excuse me."] Jackie dropped out of the call, and David almost wanted to laugh at how weary the man sounded about it. Or maybe he wanted to laugh from the relief he felt that Lucy was alive. He debated pulling a Jackie and dropping out to call her, but keeping Kiwi's final assessment of her in mind, decided against it.

["I'm in the same boat as Lucy, gonna need a replacement arm. Bullet didn't just jam my fingers, it wrecked most of the internals. But that's somethin' for another day."] Falco answered. ["Think you got off easy Kiwi. What did Viktor say about your ankle?"]

["Just a sprain from when I tripped running from that gonk with the axe."] The netrunner grumbled. ["Then there's all the minor cuts, scrapes, and burns from the fire fight."]

["So how are you guys?"]

["Much the same."] Maine grunted, and for the first time David noticed the injuries him and Becca had taken. ["V just got picked up by Trauma, so Jackie or the kid'll probably get an update on him soon."]

["Alright. Well, Falco and I just got to the Cojo. We'll see you when you get here."]

Various confirmations came from the group as the call disconnected, leaving everyone in their own thoughts for the remainder of the drive.

When they arrived at the Cojo, David was surprised to see a 'Closed' sign hanging on the door with a couple Valentinos standing as guards out front. Seeing Jackie, the two men stepped aside and allowed the crew entry. David tried to look around, see if he could spot Kiwi or Falco, but his attempt was thwarted as Abuela rushed up and embraced both him and Jackie in a suffocating hug.

"Mijo, nieto." She pulled back, looking at both of them, tears in her eyes. "Gracias a Dios estas bien."

"Si, Si. Mama, no llores." Jackie pulled his mother close, letting the woman cry into his chest. Feeling awkward, David tried to move away, but Abuela reached out and grabbed his jacket, pulling him into another embrace. After a few minutes, the woman had calmed down enough to speak.

"Don't scare me like that again." There was no real bite behind the words, and David recognized the expression on her face – motherly concern. Abuela Welles' expression only grew as her hand landed near David's side, the pressure making him hiss. With gentle hands, she lifted his shirt and jacket, looking at his torn open wound. "Shit, we need to get that covered. Maria, ven aquí."

He didn't understand his grandmother's sudden shift, but offered no protest as the summoned woman came over with a first aid kit. The woman ushered him over to a bar stool, and Pepe slid him a beer as she started to work. No longer caring about how it affected him, David took a long drink and let out a single cough. The liquid brought welcome relief to his dry throat, and he took another sip as he looked around the Cojo.

Aside from the crew, the only other people in the bar were a handful of Valentinos, and an older gentleman he soon learned was Sebastian 'Padre' Ibarra, the fixer whose toes Faraday had stepped on. The man was currently in conversation with Jackie, who was drinking a beer of his own as his mother personally treated her son's injuries. By the way Padre was frowning, it wasn't hard for David to guess what the two were discussing.

His eyes wandered then to one of the high top tables, seeing Falco and Kiwi seated at it. Kiwi was sitting on one of the stools, her injured ankle propped up on another chair with an ice bag sitting on it. Smoke drifted lazily from the cigarette in her hand while condensation dripped off the glass of whatever cocktail sat untouched before her. David could tell she was trying to act a lone wolf, but the glaze over her eyes and the occasional sigh told him she was having trouble maintaining the facade.

Falco meanwhile had his busted arm resting on the table, a portable tool kit open beside it. He was frowning, letting out a single cuss or grunt occasionally as he tinkered with his injured arm.

"Field repairs." The driver had answered after he caught David watching him work. "Shit. Anyone got a decent pair of tweezers?"

"Needle nose pliers work?" Pepe offered, pulling a toolbox from behind the bar and moving to where Falco sat after the man said it couldn't hurt to try. Taking another drink, David saw a flash of green and saw Becca emerge from the bathroom. Her usual pep was gone, feet almost dragging as she moved to where Jackie and Abuela were sitting. Her eyes were redder than normal, and the skin under her nose looked raw. Thinking about it, the word that best described Becca at this point was 'lost'.

"Mama Welles?" The girl choked out, looking miserable. "I need the strongest bottle of booze you got in this place, or I'm gonna be bitch worrying all night."

"Come here niña." The older woman patted the spot next to her, inviting Becca to sit even as her eyes went to her son. Understanding, Jackie got up and moved behind the bar and into the backroom. A moment later, he returned with an unlabeled bottle filled with golden liquid and grabbed a stack of shot glasses. David watched as Jackie returned to his seat and poured a shot from the bottle. Becca accepted it gratefully and downed it, eyes widening as it hit her stomach.

"Holy shit, that's got a kick. What is it?"

"I don't remember where, but I got it sometime before the time of the red." The older woman took the bottle and poured a shot for herself, Jackie, and Padre. "One shot will calm you down, two shots will make you forget, and three shots will make you miss tomorrow."

"What about four?"

"Four will have Trauma coming for you." Jackie placed a hand on her shoulder, taking his own shot before getting up to bring back, in his words, some weaker drinks.

Turning away from the scene, David drained his bottle to the halfway mark, finally locating Maine and Dorio. The big guy was sitting on the couch, looking at David with a grim expression. One of his hands was stroking Dorio's hair, while the other held her securely against him. The woman herself was sprawled out on the rest of the couch, snoring softly. David had to admit he was impressed that the woman could actually sleep at a time like this but-

"David?" Maine's eyes had caught his own, face grim. "Before I lose the last of my patience and before we can relax. I need to know why."

"What?"

"Faraday was your target." The merc leader shifted slightly, making Dorio frown as her pillow moved. "Why the hell did you leave him to go help the others?"

"Well, I..." He started, but paused. "I...thought I killed him. Thought I got him."

"I know you're a rookie. Know you don't have that many notches under your belt..." Maine's hand gripped Dorio's jacket, his other resting gently on her bandaged forehead to keep it occupied. "But you should always, always confirm a kill."

"I- I thought I didn't have time." David's eyes looked to Dorio's prone form. "Dorio sounded so panicked that I-"

"Panicked as well?" The big guy raised an eyebrow and David nodded. "Rookie mistake."

"Excuse me?" David made to stand up, but the ache in his side made him reconsider the action. He decided to lean forward instead. "You're telling me you never made a mistake? No, don't try to defend yourself. You didn't see the shit show I did when I ran back to the entrance. They were surrounded on three sides." David had a death grip on his beer, frustrated anger bleeding into his veins. "They were pinned down. Pilar was a bloody mess in the middle of the lot and would have died if Falco hadn't gotten to him when he did. And Lucy..."

His grip faltered, some of the fight leaving him as he recalled the fear, the anger, and the pain the sight of Lucy sitting against the planter. Eyes closed and so still that it was only the sight of her chest moving that reassured him that she was alive.

"Calm down boy." Maine's free hand motioned for David to relax. "Not sayin' what you did was wrong, but I'm not saying it was the right call either. Look, by letting that four-eyed freak get away – you've potentially created more problems than solved."

David's grip didn't lessen, and he downed the remains of his beer as Maine continued.

"Our driver and resident auto mechanic needs a new arm. One of my hackers, needs a new arm. Our other mechanic and tech-head may not pull through, and if he does? Might never walk or be able to move around properly again. Nearly cost me my-" He let out a frustrated groan, unable to complete the sentence. "Oh, and our biggest source of work, financial aid and other support might not pull though either. We're all marked now kid. Whose gonna want to work with a crew that tried to ice their Fixer? No one. Or if they do, they're gonna be watching and waiting for us to screw up just the slightest amount so they have an 'excuse' to ice us instead."

"So..." David kept the bottle in hand, wanting some sort of weapon in case things turned ugly with the big guy.

"In short, we're fucked." The admittance seemed to take what fight remained out of Maine, and he let out another groan and closed his eyes.

"There's really no one that can help us?" He ran through the list of people he knew his father was working with. "What about Rogue? Or the Westbrook lady?"

"V was our 'in' with them. Wakako's one of the fixers who might be kind enough to throw us a borderline suicide job if we go to her. As for Rogue? Best we might be able to get after this fuck up is a meeting to explain just what went wrong before she blacklists us."

"But what abou-" The internal chime of an incoming call stopped the words on his lips. "Shit, it's Lucy."

"Take the call boy. Done talkin' about this..." Maine dismissed him, asking one of the nearby Valentinos if they could bring him a drink. David nodded, hopping off the stool as he answered the call.

["Lucy?"]

["Are you coming home soon?"] Lucy sounded tired, worried, and needy. ["I need to cuddle."]

He glanced at the rest of the crew, seeing all of them in their own little worlds as he adjusted his jacket. Only Jackie noticed him move, the man acknowledging his movements with a slight tip of his head.

["Yeah. Just leaving now. I'm at the Cojo, so I should be there pretty quick."]

["Alright. See you soon puppy."]

Moving towards the door, David took a final glance at the crew before stepping out into the night.

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David stepped into the apartment, finding every light had been turned on and left on. The TV was playing some cartoon, further adding to the brightness of the apartment. He spotted Lucy then, she was sitting on the couch with a package of cookies on the table in front of her. There were dark circles around her eyes, and David could see the occasional line of a gauze wrap or bandage underneath the simple cloth nightgown she was wearing. Without thinking, his eyes went to her left arm. At first glance, he would have sworn there was nothing wrong. But looking closer, he could see the line where the artificial joint joined with what remained of organic flesh. Could see just the tiniest difference in flesh tone between the upper and lower arm. Looking at her hand, the joints seemed just a little more defined on the left than they did the right.

"You're staring puppy." Lucy's voice was soft, and there was a tiny smile on her face as David hastily looked away and sat beside her. On the right side.

"Does, it hurt?"

"No but, it'll take some getting use to." Lucy flexed her left hand. "I mean, it doesn't feel alien...but it doesn't have the same feel as my original arm, you know? Then again, maybe my brain's still trying to get over the fact it was shot off instead of, well, removed naturally? Or as natural as having a doctor cut off your arm and replace it with something else is?"

"Maybe..." David sighed, recalling a similar feeling of confusion in his own arms after Vik had finished with him. "Does it at least have your monowires?"

"Yeah." Lucy pulled it out, the thin wire briefly shining in the light. "Doctor Vektor made sure to find a model that had it."

"Don't let Vik hear you call him that." He smiled, recalling the dirty look the ripper gave him the one time he addressed him formally. The admittance made Lucy let out a tiny chuckle. "So, does it feel the same or?"

"You tell me..." Her voice sounded uncertain as she shifted position, now sitting in his lap. Hands moving to gently cup his face. Her left didn't fully have the same warmth as the right, but the sensation wasn't unpleasant.

"It's perfect." David tipped his head further into her left hand. "Do...I feel the same to you?"

"You need to shave." She stroked his cheek with her left index finger as she removed her hands, "but yes."

He rubbed his own chin, feeling patches of stubble here and there, but glad that Lucy still had her sense of touch. He had been so worried about that, given her fondness for ruffling his hair. "Does it-"

"Puppy, no more questions." Lucy's arms snaked around his waist as she shifted more to sitting on the couch. David took that moment to nudge her off him, bringing his own legs up onto the couch before inviting her back. She let out a content sigh as she burrowed her face in his chest, one hand blindly pawing for the cookies. "Let's just cuddle. Eat some cookies, and watch some mindless cartoons."

David stared down at his pastel-haired girlfriend. He could see the pain on her face and in her eyes, and knew he was sporting a similar expression. He could also tell that she had just as many questions as he did, but was unwilling to ask them at the moment.

That was alright with David. After the events of the day, he was more than willing to set it all aside in favor of a taste of domestic normalcy.

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