It's finally here. My continuation of Night City Aliens.
Please note that this is not my only project at the moment. I'm also working on a completely original story that I hope to get published when it's complete. All my writing time will be split between this story and that one, so NCA updates will be less consistent than before
Robbie took a long drag off his cigarette as he sunk into the concrete bench. He came way too close to losing his head in that last job, and he was starting to wonder if the cash was even worth it. How those freaks at the Afterlife found enjoyment in this he couldn't guess. Something about going out with a bang and become a legend? Only a fool would believe that kind of end was worth it.
Still, Robbie needed the eddies. Too many debts to pay off. Having his face rebuild was expensive, and he wasn't about to turn to sex work. Finishing off his cig, Robbie flicked the butt away and started heading towards Kabuki.
The street markets were alive with business this time of night. Robbie had to force his way though the crowds, careful to watch his back for picksockets and potential muggers. He eventually reached an old looking apartment building and stepped inside.
"Evening," Robbie greeted the man at the front desk. "I'm here to see Masami. Apartment 34."
The large man grunted, turning away from his tiny television setup and pressed a button on the desk console. He handed Robbie the connected phone and turned back to his mindless show.
"Hello?" a man with a heavy Chinese accent answered over the phone.
"Hey, Masami. It's Robbie."
"Who?"
"Oh, for fuck-" Robbie swore through his teeth before letting out a sigh. "Latch? I owe you eddies?"
"Oh, yes. Yes. Come up. Come up."
"Be right there."
Robbie made his way up the stairs to the third floor and knocked on Masami's door. He was immediately greeted by an Asian man in a yellow jumpsuit holding a revolver to his head.
"Seriously, Masami?" Robbie asked unfazed. "Must you always greet me like this?"
"One cannot be too careful," Masami said as he lowered his revolver and glanced around the hall. "The Tyger Claws are becoming more hostile. The Extras have them thinking crazy things." Satisfied that Robbie was alone, he let the man inside.
The apartment was one half living space, one half workshop. The living area was about what a person could expect: a bed, and bathroom, and a kitchenette. The other half was all work benches with cyberware parts and diagrams scattered across them. Masami was a master of custom cyberware, and one look around the apartment would give him away as somewhat obsessed with the subject.
"You have my money?"
"2000 eddies, as promised," Robbie nodded.
"Good. Good. How did you get the money?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes! It matters very much!" Masami shouted. He pulled two work stools over to the kitchenette and pointed to one. "Sit. I made miso soup."
"That's ok," Robbie said, waving off the offer. "I'll grab something down by-"
"I said sit!"
"Yes, sir," Robbie sighed.
Masami filled two bowls with his soup and handed one to Robbie. The two men sat in silence as they slurped up the salty liquid. Masami was pouring them both seconds before he spoke up.
"Rumors of a rookie edgerunner in Watson. Red hair. Purple eyes. Knows how to work around the gangs. Does this sound familiar?" Masami accused.
"Again, does it matter how I get you the money? I know Cassius doesn't care," Robbie retorted.
"You owe me. You cannot pay if you are dead."
"You should have thought about that before you made a deal with an ex-Maelstrom."
"That is not relevant," Masami said.
"Yes, it is. Not many job prospects for someone with my history. Even fewer that pay enough to pay off my debts."
"As true as that may be, you are too inexperienced to be taking the jobs that you are."
"I'll find a crew to run with if it will make you feel better."
"Hm. It is a start," Masami thought, rubbing his chin. "I wonder if there is a way for you to work for me more directly."
"I don't know much about cybernetics outside of the basics. And last time I tried to help you organize, you slapped me. Four times if I remember correctly," Robbie glared.
"You cannot organize items when you do not know what they do. No. I was thinking about advertising," Masami said.
"What? You want me to pass out fliers?" Robbie chuckled.
"Of course not! The printing cost would be far too high to be worth it. I want you to advertise by- how you say? Word of mouth?"
"Like with referrals? I could do that," Robbie said, finishing his second bowl of soup. "How much would you knock off my debt?"
"It would depend on how valuable the client is. A well-known fixer who pays upfront would be worth more than someone like you."
"Right," Robbie rolled his eyes.
Masami collected the bowls and began to wash them. Robbie stood up and stretched. There was a thought nagging at the back of his head. His smarter self knew it was stupid, but he couldn't resist asking.
"How valuable would Lord Dominator be?"
"Bwahahaha!" Masami burst into a fit of laughter. "You are a funny man, Latch. Perhaps you could become a comedian."
"Stop calling me that," Robbie frowned, "and I'm not joking."
"Oh," Masami's expression dropped. "Then you are a stupid man."
"How much, Masami?"
"Extras would be worth more than humans, IF I can build something for them."
"And the most famous Extra in Night City would fetch me…?"
"No!" Masami grew angry. "She is the Heywood Devil! She will shoot you before even hearing what you have to say."
"I heard she's mellowed out since joining up with Arasaka."
"Even if that is true, how do you know she is interested in cybernetics?"
"Call it a hunch," Robbie looked away.
"Even if your hunch is correct, Dominator would have access to custom cybernetics through Arasaka."
"I suppose," Robbie shrugged. He had been following news about the Heywood Devil ever since that day with the Valentinos. The first thing he did after getting his Maelstrom chrome removed was visit El Coyote Cojo and watch her mix drinks. He heard about Dominator shooting at Corpos after the other aliens started to land on Earth. And of course, there was the incident with the spaceship a few months ago. She was in the hospital for over a week after that. Robbie knew Dominator needed some chrome, and he doubted she would work with Arasaka on something so invasive.
"I should get going. Need to give Cassius his payment," Robbie's eyes glowed as he transferred 2000€$ to Masami. "I'll be sure to be more careful."
"Good," Masami nodded. "I will see you in one week."
"See you then."
V's leg shook as she stared at the hologram. It was an utter disaster to say the least. How the Ballzerians managed to not blow themselves up across nine dimensions was known only to the gods. Wander's orbble travel was less dangerous than this grop. Not that the suits would know that. They were toddlers that were just handed a shiny, new toy, and now it was her job to make sure they didn't turn Night City into a crater by mishandling it.
"It's a start," V huffed, "but I'll need to look it over in detail. Probably make some changes before we begin construction."
"Are you sure that's necessary, Miss Welles?" Hilburg spoke up. "Beeza assured us that these engine specs would be an excellent start for our FTL program."
V resisted the urge to throw her chair at him, opting to strum her green fingers against the faux wood table. Nelson Hilburg was as boring as they came at Arasaka. Always wearing the same drab suit and speaking in the same dry tone that still somehow felt condescending. At least the pencil-pushing ass was considerate enough to use her preferred name. That gave V enough thought to swallow her annoyance.
"It's extremely necessary," V asserted. "I'll remind you all that Earth is about to experience a thousand years' worth of technological development in under 20 months. It's best to let someone experienced in intergalactic travel make sure that everything is safe before we begin using it."
"Are you sure you're not objecting to the project due to bruised ego?" Hilburg pushed further. "This engine is based directly on the one used in the Ballzerian ship. I see no reason why safety would be a concern."
"Listen here, you hairless monkey! Ah-" V jumped to her feet but had to immediately stabilize herself against the conference table before her knee gave out. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Look. Earth hasn't even begun to develop a warp engine yet. And those still follow your understanding of space-time physics. Slip space physics are a different game entirely. If you want this thing to work the first time, then I'm making edits. Cause if I don't, the sorry sap that has to test fly your ship is going to get ripped apart at the sub-quantum level before he reaches the next star system over. Do I make myself clear?"
V's eye drew a line around the table, establishing contact with every executive and high-ranking engineer present. There were a few hold outs, but even Hilburg nodded in understanding. That's not to say V thought that they agreed with her. They just didn't want to risk so much capital on the FTL project only for it to go bust.
"Good," V smiled. She ran her hand through her white mohawk and sat down.
The green woman spent the next 15 minutes listing off all the changes she wanted to make. Her biggest concerns were moving the anti-matter generator and adding a better heat sink. V also wanted to make sure all engineers and scientists working on the project had at least a passing familiarity with slip space physics before they got too far into construction. That way if there was a problem, more people would be able to recognize it before it was too late.
V had just finished speaking when her wristwatch began to quietly beep.
"Look at that. Perfect timing," she smiled. "Send me the files for the ship, and I'll have an improved version done in a week." She grabbed her tablet and cane and began to walk out of the conference room. "Oh," she paused and looked over her shoulder at the Earthlings. "And someone tell Beeza to stop dangling shiny objects in front of Saburo. It's unbecoming of an emperor." V giggled as she left the resulting gasp and cursing from the offended behind.
V hummed to herself as she drew away on the desktop tablet. The edits were taking longer than she would like due to her unusual handicap. If she could properly use the pen and touch screen, she would have been done in two days. It's not like she need to design anything advanced. But she had to constantly fight against her cramping hand and the user-unfriendly software. Thankfully, she still had a few days to finish.
"Good morning," a knock at the door caught her attention. "How's my favorite green gal doing?" Vinny greeted carrying two coffee cups.
"Morning, Vinny," V said.
"Coffee? Two creams. Just how you like it."
"Sure. I could use the caffeine boost." V grabbed the offered paper cup and took a long sip. "Good stuff. Now, what do you want?"
"What makes you think I want something?" Vinny questioned. "Can't a guy buy his friend a coffee?"
"I mean, you can," V nodded her head back and forth. "But the last time an Intelligence Agent surprised me with coffee, he dragged me into this lame desk job."
"You forgot the part where he saved your ass and helped you cure Jackie of the weird alien-telepathy-thing."
"Alright. Fair point."
"But since you mentioned it…"
"Grob me," V groaned.
"It's nothing major," Vinny reassured her. "Just need to go over a few things. Starting with…," Vinny reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small card, "this." He placed the card down on V's desk. It was an official Night City Identification Card labeled Valerie Welles, and it featured a picture of the green alien. "You are now a legal citizen of Night City."
"Ah, sweet!" Valerie cheered. She grabbed the ID with both hand and examined it closely, as if trying to memorize all the information on it. "Mama is gonna love this."
"Don't get too excited," Vinny said. "You're not legally adopted, just figuratively. And you'll have to pay taxes now."
"Oh no," Valerie mocked. "Basic accounting. I'm so scared."
"I also wanted to talk to you about your attire," Vinny continued.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Valerie looked herself over. Her black slacks and white button-up were not as clean cut as everyone in the office, but you couldn't call her unprofessional. She even had a black patch over her right eye for a touch of villainy intimidation. "Is it the shoes? I know Vans aren't very corporate, but they are Arasaka colors."
"It's not just the clothes. It's also how you present yourself."
Valerie raised a confused eyebrow at him, so he continued.
"You're not dressed like a corporate engineer. You're dressed like a crippled librarian who's trying to seduce everyone," Vinny said.
"Bitch, please," Valerie scoffed. "Like I'd want to get with any of these idiots. Besides, I can't wear much more than this. Suit jackets are too tight. Makes it difficult to get around."
"Then get some implants already," Vinny scolded her. "The cybernetics department could have something custom built in a few weeks. Then you wouldn't need to-"
"Oh, no no no," Valerie shook her head. "We've been over this. The agreement was I work for this stupid company in exchange for Arasaka helping my family. Nowhere in the contract does it say I have to let Arasaka poke around with my brain."
"That's another thing. You need a serious attitude adjustment. We got a complaint from Hilburg the other day."
"And what did the human loaf of bread say?" Valerie interrupted, but Vinny ignore it.
"You can't go around badmouthing the Emperor," Vinny said. "I don't care what you say around your gangster chooms, but in the workplace, you show respect to your superiors."
"You can't actually believe that?" Valerie asked. "After all the stories I've heard about corpos flatlining one another just to climb the ladder. Were those all made up, or are you just delusional?"
"I… That's not important."
"Yes, it is." Valerie stood up with the help of her cane and looked Vinny dead in the eye. "Three months ago, you were scared about me leaving Earth. Said that Arasaka would have you killed for screwing up that bad. Now you're gonna tell me that respect means something here?"
"Valerie," Vinny closed his eyes as he took a deep breath through his nose. "Yea, the stories are all true. But you're lucky enough to not need to worry about that. So long as you're useful, no one will hurt you. But that doesn't mean they can't make your life hell if they feel the need to put you in your place."
They were both silent for a long second. Valerie's expression softened prompting Vinny to do the same. He even gave her a small, if somewhat sad, smile.
"You're my friend," Vinny said. "I'm not just telling you this to cover my own ass. I'm trying to protect you from these cutthroats. And I know what you are going to say," he raised his hand as Valerie opened her mouth. "You were once the feared Lord Dominator. You can handle some stuck-up suits. And that may be true to a point, but these people are worse than sharks. You'll need the help of friends to keep them off you."
"Alright," Valerie said. "I try to keep the snide comments to myself. But don't expect me to change my wardrobe any further."
"I can agree to that," Vinny chuckled. "I should get going. Need to do paperwork on Biotechnica. You want to hit up the bar tonight? I know a nice joint in Japantown."
"Can't. I promised Mama Welles I'd help with planning. Something about hosting Day of the Dead at El Coyote? I'll probably get stuck with invites."
"Sounds fun. I might check it out."
"I'll add you to the list. Assuming Jenkins is done riding your ass by then."
"Fuck man. Don't remind me," Vinny turned his nose up in disgust. He quickly replaced the look with his corpo smirk. "See ya 'round, Extra."
"Later, Mr. Handler Man."
"Wait! Hold the door!" Valerie was hobbling as fast as she could to the elevator. The suits already on laughed at her as the door closed just before she could reach. "Seriously?!" she growled before steadying herself. "Deep breaths, V. Just like Misty taught you. You can always get the next one."
A few minutes later, Valerie stepped out of the retrofitted office building and into the late afternoon sun. The air was rich with salt from the Arasaka docks. She took a moment to breath and relax her shoulders. She was going to miss the local ambiance once Arasaka Tower was complete, and everyone was moved to Corpo Plaza. The green woman glanced around and quickly spotted her ride: a black van with a freshly painted angel figure on the side. She walked up to the passenger door and knocked on the window. The door unlocked with a loud click.
"Hey, David," she greeted as she climbed into the passenger seat. "Thanks again for the ride." The Valentino simply nodded in return.
"Valerie!" An orange blob popped out from the backseat.
"Ahhh!" Valerie nearly jumped out of her skin, her right-hand bolting to the revolver on her hip. She quickly relaxed once she recognized the fuzzy alien and his green hat. "Wander! Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry," he sheepishly grinned.
"The hell are you doing here anyways?"
"I've been helping David."
"You helped the Valentinos with a drug shipment?" Valerie asked skeptically.
"Yes, ma'am," Wander nodded. "Heavy lifting is best done with a buddy, as to not strain your back. We also stopped by the Industrial District to feed some homeless veterans and we met the most adorable old lady and helped her with her groceries."
"Oh, did you now?" Valerie turned her gaze to David. The man mimicked Wander's grin before offering a shrug. "Whatever. If anyone is going to fix this grop hole of a city, I guess it's bound to be you."
Most of the drive back to Heywood was quiet. David had the radio tuned to 30 PRINCIPALES, the Latino station. Valerie would have preferred RADIO VEXELSTROM, but she learned long ago to never fight the driver over the radio. Either way, it was better than trying to make small talk. Wander was nice and all, but Valerie found him too peppy for a simple chat. And David only spoke when he absolutely had to. Even then, he usual kept things to a minimal yes or no.
Valerie hopped out of the van once David parked in one of the few spots in front of El Coyote Cojo. She took a brief moment to stretch before following her two friends inside. She immediately felt a tinge of immense joy coming from Jackie but didn't spot him in the bar. She figured he was upstairs celebrating another successful job. Pushing the thoughts away, she continued up to the main counter.
"Hey, V!" Pepe greeted from behind the bar. "How's my favorite corpo doin'?"
"Screw you, Pepe," Valerie chuckled. She slid onto one of the barstools. "But if you must know, she is tired and in desperate need of a drink. Whiskey Sour, please." David sat down next to her and quiet loudly cleared his throat. "Oh, and David's gets a couple beers on me in exchange for picking me up from work."
"Understood, amiga." Pepe served up her drink with a bottle of Donaghy's for David. "Anything for you, mi amigo naranja?" he asked Wander.
"No, thank you," Wander shook his head. "I'm helping Mr. Warnock with his car soon. Maybe next time." Wander began to leave, turning to wave at the door. "Later, alligators!"
"Adios," Pepe waved, but then shook his head. "I swear, seems like that guy is always moving."
"Yea," Valerie said. She took a long, slow sip of her drink. "Is Mama around?"
"No, she had to step out for a bit. Something about bailing out Martinez again."
"Who?"
"Eh, beat's me," Pepe said. "You know Lupè. That woman has an in with every family in the Glen and about half of them in Arroyo."
"She asked me to help with the whole 'Day of the Dead' thing."
"She said not to worry you about that till she returned. But if you need something to do, Jackie and Sylvia are upstairs drinking away their payday."
"Sylvia?!" Valerie exclaimed, nearly spilling her drink. "Sylvia went on a job with Jackie?"
"Looked like it."
"Figures," she sighed. "I'll keep an eye on them. Last thing we need is a drunk Zbornak. Talk to you two later." She gave David a pat on the shoulder before climbing the stairs with her cane in one hand and her drink in the other.
"Need some help, Dominator?" a Valentino teased as they sped past the alien.
"Fuck off, Sebastian."
Once up to El Coyote's second floor, Valerie saw Jackie Welles in the corner booth. Sitting next to him was a blue, horse-like alien, and there must have been ten empty bottles of Broseph on the table.
"Hey, guys," Valerie greeted as stepped up to the table.
"V!" Jackie and Sylvia both cheered. The former appeared freshly drunk, and the latter wasn't far behind. Valerie faked a smile but was fighting to keep her frustration from leaking into Jackie's mind. Thankfully, he probably wouldn't notice with the alcohol in his system.
"What's with the party?" Valerie asked. She down across from them and pushed a few of the empty bottles out of the way.
"Nothing major," Sylvia grinned. "Just celebrating. Spent the day beating up some metal thugs."
"Oh, really?"
"So, get this, V," Jackie said. "I get a call from Wakako. She says that some rich guy's son was kidnapped by some Maelstrom stragglers. I'm happy to take the job, but it's usually a bad idea to go after Maelstrom solo." He paused, struggling to hold in a laugh. "Get it? 'Cause I'm a Solo? But you don't always wanna run solo?"
"Yes, Jackie. I get it.," Valerie rolled her eye. "Keep going."
"So, with Wander helping David with whatever, I ask Sylvia if she wants to tag along. I figured she would be good with her 'extra' speed." Jackie started howling at his own bad joke. Sylvia seemed to think about it for a second before laughing as well.
"Ok, no more alcohol for you two." Valerie reached across the table and took away their half empty beer bottles.
"Heeeeey!" Sylvia whined. "I'm still working on that."
"Jackie is telling shit puns and you're laughing at them," Valerie said. "That only happens when you are going too heavy on the drinking."
"Fine," Sylvia said. "Anyways, me and Jackie ran up to Watson and beat the crap out of these guys, saved the kid, and got paid."
"You didn't shoot them?"
"I didn't."
"I most definitely did," Jackie said. "When you punch one of those borg pendejos, there's about a 50/50 chance that it doesn't do anything."
"Both come out unscathed?" Valerie asked.
"We're fine. Didn't take any bullets," Jackie waved off her concern. "I wouldn't have survived this long if I didn't know how to get the jump on a target."
"I guess," Valerie took a sip of her drink. "Does Wander know you are trying to become a mercenary again?"
"This was a one-time thing," Sylvia frowned at her.
"No, it wasn't"
"You worried about us, Hermana?" Jackie smiled. "That's Mama's job."
"Maybe," Valerie shrugged. "It's not like I can watch your back."
"Ah, so you're jealous."
"I am not!"
"Yes. You are." Jackie tapped his temple. "You can't hide from me, V."
"Ok, fine. I'm worried and jealous," Valerie relented. "I'm stuck doing office work with a bunch of corpo creeps. You get to do whatever jobs you want, throwing yourself into the firing line for thrills and cash. And as for you," she pointed at Sylvia. "Don't tell me this was a one-time thing. Edgerunning can be addictive for people like us. Wander may be your top priority, but I can already tell you are going to be tagging along on the occasional gig."
"I'm not addicted," Sylvia said. "I just needed something to pass the time."
"Keep telling yourself that. Maybe it will become true," Valerie snarked as she stood from the booth. Stepping over to the banister, she searched the bottom floor for the waiter. "Hey, Garcia! I need three waters when you get the chance!"
"Is Jackie drunk?"
"Yep. Gotta sobber him up before Mama gets back."
Jackie's rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering effects of the alcohol. He would have been fine if it wasn't for Valerie interrupting his fun. Maybe she had a point with Mama needing help prepping the weekend festivities, but they were in no rush. Mama and Valerie could have done all the planning today, and then he could have set up tomorrow with some help from Sylvia, David, and Isabel. But it was too late now. He got suckered into helping.
"We'll need to move the pool table to do that," Valerie said, pointing to the drawing Mama had done up.
"That shouldn't be difficult for some of your amigos," Mama Welles said.
"Hm," Jackie leaned over to get a better look the plan. Mama wanted to open up the lower level of El Coyote to use as a dance floor. Something about wanting to make celebrations livelier this year. "I'll move it Friday. Should be easy with Sylvia helping."
"Excelente," Mama smiled. "All that leaves is decorating and setting up the Ofrenda."
"I thought that was usually done at home," Valerie commented.
"Sí, sí," Mama nodded. "But the last day is a more public celebration. It's when the community comes together in celebration. Traditionally, we would decorate and restore gravesites, but… we'll make do with what we have."
Jackie resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead looking to the open entrance. It was like this every year with his mother. She wanted things to be how they were when she was young, back when community meant something in Night City. There were still some deep family-like ties in the Glen, so Day of the Dead was still a big deal there. But it was nothing like it used to me when he was a kid.
A firm poke deep in his mind forced Jackie to refocus.
"Dude…" Valerie said through their psychic link.
"What?" Jackie thought back, giving his green companion a dirty look.
"What's with the negativity? This is important for Mama."
"It's like this every year. You'll see." Jackie looked away again. That's when he noticed something strange just outside the main entrance. How many times had that guy walked past the door?
"Give me a second," Jackie said as he left the table and stepped out into the late evening air. "You ok there, amigo?"
"Hu? Oh, yea. I'm fine," the man answered.
"You sure? Looking a bit nervous." Jackie looked him over. He was pretty sure he had seen the man at El Coyote before. Such unnaturally bright red hair was hard to miss. Other than that, the man was fairly unassuming. Probably in his early 30s, dressed in street clothes, and sporting a fair amount of cybernetics. "Haven't I seen you here before?"
"Probably. I like to stop by for a drink when I'm in the area," the man answered. "Name's Robbie."
"Jackie Welles," Jackie shook his hand. "What's got you shaking in your boots, Robbie?"
"Well… Uh…," Robbie rubbed the back of his neck, struggling to maintain eye contact. "Would Dominator be available to talk?"
"Of course. Just don't call her Dominator," Jackie smirked. "She goes by Valerie or V."
"Valerie. Got it," Robbie nodded.
"Come on," Jackie nodded towards the door and led Robbie inside. "¡Oi! ¡Hermana! Got a friend looking to speak with you."
"This better be good," Valerie frowned at Jackie as he approached. Her confusion became apparent when her gaze turned to the red-haired man. "You don't look like a corpo."
"Oh, no," the man shook his head. "Name's Robbie. I'm an edgerunner. Do most of my work up in Watson."
"My name's Guadalupe," Mama spoke up. "You've already met my son. Is there anything we can help you with?"
"I'll cut straight to the chase. I was wondering if Valerie here was in need of some cyberware," Robbie said. "Word on the street was that you weren't letting Arasaka help you with the whole needing-a-cane thing."
"Why you ask? You some kind of salesman?" V asked skeptically.
"Heh, kinda," Robbie smiled. "I know a guy that goes by Masami. He works out of Kabuki making custom cyberware. He's shown an interest in working with Extras, and I thought I'd ask you."
"Yippy me." Valerie was unimpressed and her eye wandered back to the celebration plans.
"I would have asked the Zbornaks hanging around the industrial district, but they don't take me as the type to chrome up," Robbie tried to joke, but only Jackie let out a chuckle.
"It might be worth looking into," Jackie spoke up. "We would want to look into this guy; ask around about his rep and all."
"I understand," Robbie said. "If it helps, I can vouch for Masami. He built most of my current cyberware after I had my old stuff removed."
Valerie's eyebrows shot up at that last comment. "Why did you switch out your old chrome?"
"Oh, uh…" Robbie froze up.
"There's no need to tell us that," Mama said. "We don't wish to pry into your private life."
"No, no," Valerie retorted. "I wanna know if this Masami guy is legit. You wouldn't replace everything without a reason."
"Valerie," Mama began to scold, but Robbie stopped her.
"It's ok, Ms. Welles. I'm, um… I'm ex-Maelstrom."
"For real?" Jackie asked, a bit shocked anyone would admit to that.
"Uh, yea," Robbie nodded. "I got out earlier this year. Masami was kind enough to let me pay him over time despite my background."
"What did you do for Maelstrom?" Valerie continued to probe.
"Easy, V," Jackie spoke into her mind. He could feel the rage slowly building in her and was trying to keep her level-headed.
"Basic tech stuff mostly," Robbie shrugged. "I was their handyman. I was the best at repairing doors and locks, so they nicknamed me Latch. But after- oof!"
Jackie shoved Robbie back and placed himself between the man and Valerie. The woman's rage had gone from ten to hundred in a split second, and she was winding up to swing her cane at the ex-Maelstrom's head. Jackie grabbed her arm before she could attack and immediately tried to calm her.
"YOU ASSHOLE! I'M GOING TO RIP OUT YOUR OPTICS AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT!" Valerie screamed, still trying to attack despite Jackie's firm hold on her arms.
"Deep breathes, V. Just like Misty taught you," he said but she wasn't listening.
"I-I'm sorry," Robbie began to shake, and he grabbed his right arm with his left hand. "I… I didn't… I'll just…" He turned and rushed out of the bar.
"FUCKING COWARD!" Valerie yelled at him. She ripped her arms from Jackie's grip, then left out the back of El Coyote.
"V! Come on," Jackie yelled after her, but he didn't receive a response.
"I'll talk to her," Mama sighed. "Let her cool off first."
"Ok." Jackie ran his hand through his hair as his eyes drifted back to the main entrance. "I'm going to make sure that guy is alright."
Not wanting an opportunity to go to waste, Jackie rushed outside after Robbie. It didn't take him long to spot the bright, red hair making its way down the street.
"Hey, Robbie! Wait up, amigo!"
Robbie turned to him and watched him approach, one hand resting on his holster and a freshly lit cigarette between his lips.
"Easy there," Jackie reassured the man. "I just want to talk."
"Sure," Robbie said flatly. He exhaled a large cloud of smoke before continuing down the sidewalk.
"You left in quite a hurry," Jackie said, flowing alongside Robbie.
"Valerie turning hostile set off all the alarms in my brain," Robbie stated. "I figured it was best to leave before things got ugly."
"Ugly how?"
Robbie shrugged as he took another deep puff from his cigarette. "I could have shot her. She could have shot me. I could have collapsed into a panic attack induced mess. Best not to find out."
"Right," Jackie gave him a sideways look. "So, your gang name was Latch? Does that make you the guy who stabbed out mi hermana's eye?"
"No!" Robbie defended. "That was…" He paused when Jackie raised his eyebrow in skepticism. "Yea," he sighed. "I helped Connor with that. But we both know how that ended." Robbie finished his cigarette and immediately fished a second out of his pocket with his disposable lighter. With shaky hands, he tried to start the lighter to no avail. "Damn it. Come on."
"Here," Jackie pulled out his own lighter and used it to light Robbie's cig.
"Thanks. You smoke?"
"No, no. Mama would kill me," Jackie chuckled. "It's just another tool in my arsenal. Like a knife or pistol. You'd be surprised how often it comes in handy."
"True," Robbie nodded as he worked on his second cig. He paused when they reached the metro station. "Why are you being nice to me?"
"Maybe I want this Masami guy to work on my cyberware," Jackie said.
"Really now?" Robbie asked. "You look pretty 'ganic to me. Head down to the ripper and get some basic chrome. Start off slow."
"I can't. It's a long story, but your usual cyberware won't work on my brain."
"I see." Robbie finished off his cigarette and flicked the butt aside. "Is there another reason?"
"I believe in second chances," Jackie smiled at him. "If you hadn't actually left Maelstrom, you would have tried to shoot me by now. There's no reason why you can't try to make up for past sins."
"Heh. Yea, well, your 'hermana' seems to disagree."
"Valerie has no place to judge," Jackie shook his head. "She's the last person to deserve a second chance, but she still got one. And I'm sure she'll give you one. She's just quick to anger."
"If you insist."
"I'll make you a deal. Stop by El Coyote this weekend. You can check out the Day of the Dead festivities and maybe get to talk to a calmer V."
"You sure she won't try to beat me over the head again?" Robbie asked.
"I'll make sure of it."
Robbie thought it over before nodding. "Ok. I'll see you then. Mr. Welles."
"Please. Call me Jackie. Señor Welles was my asshole father."
"Alright," Robbie laughed. "See you then, Jackie."