Important AN Below please read
Chapter Thirty Eight
August 20 th , 2077
Night City, Northern California
The Catacombs, Arroyo
It is a grueling and sluggish affair to traverse the underground corridors of Night City without a guide.
Iwasaki was fortunate that Cypher proved to be as adept in map reading as he was in schooling them in training.
The catacombs are a maze of whirling tunnels and crisscrossing corridors. Even the most astute observers would become entangled by the pitch-black environment and eerie sounds of howling winds.
Nonetheless, Cypher thrived in the shadows, and if his Bloodhounds were to survive the upcoming trials, they would have to become accustomed to the darkness.
Cypher's criteria for excellence would be relaxed for no one, not even his loyal Bloodhounds.
Iwasaki and the rest of Disciple One were evenly spread out to his left and right. At the same time, Leopard and Disciple Two brought up the rear vigilantly scanning their surroundings with a combination of thermal and spectral optics.
Cypher followed a fresh set of tracks through the tunnel network and knew that their target had company alongside them. Iwasaki reconfigured his low-light vision filters, and the darkness was swept away by a coarse flood of luminous green.
They had been navigating the tunnel for less than an hour without a single hostile contact.
A concept that was beginning to grate on the more impatient members of Disciple.
More specifically, Vulture.
"It should be illegal for a face this stunning to be attached to a serial killer."
His sarcastic remark earned a scornful glance from his fellow Bloodhounds and a physical swipe to the back of his skull courtesy of Falcon.
Cypher delivered a dossier obtained from his raid on Night Corps HQ that had every significant detail of the Meatman needed to identify their target.
And while Vulture's comments were irksome, they were not entirely inaccurate.
The Meatman was a creature built for seduction….and brutality. She relished a figure that bordered on superhuman, with sculpted muscles that were neither thin nor grotesque, spread enticingly along her physique. A pair of piercing azure eyes sat firmly in their sockets, accompanied by an angular face carved by a goddess of beauty along with an ever-present sneer filled with a devouring arrogance.
She possessed every quality known to man that made every human being lust after her. Iwasaki would be no different if he didn't pay closer attention to her eyes. There was a malevolence dancing between those azure orbs that sent spikes of dread crawling upon his skin.
The feeling wasn't too dissimilar to staring into the black abyss that was Cypher's visor, but there was a distinct difference between his master and this serial killer.
Cypher inflicted horrors upon their enemies while understanding the cost to his soul and the effect his actions would have on those he eliminated. Even Scavers had family members, and with every death, a family somewhere in Night City suffered.
The Meatman cared not for the bodies she left behind, and her dossier did not shy away from the reality that she reveled in the bloodshed. She is a grade-A sociopath that Iwasaki would be happy to put down like the rabid dog she is.
Her name on the Night Corps dossier was listed as Maria Tate, but that was likely an alias. It didn't matter in the long run; soon, the Meatman's corpse would be hanging from meat hooks.
He doubted that this creature could ever hope to stand against Cypher, but he wouldn't be surprised if she put up a fight.
The dossier accurately detailed her genetic qualities and superior physical talents. It also tallied every person she'd ever assassinated in the service of Night Corps, and that list rivaled if not surpassed the most ruthless killers in Night City.
There had to be thousands of names on that feed, and some were people Iwasaki recognized during his time in the Tyger Claws.
Killing her would be cathartic for Iwasaki, and most of his companions sympathized with his mindset. Even Vulture, for all of his ignorance, wouldn't hesitate to put this woman six feet under, but when Iwasaki glanced in his Sensei's direction, he didn't find that same conviction.
There was a hesitance in Cypher's gait when Falcon declared that the Meatmn wouldn't leave these catacombs alive. The misstep was ever so slight that Iwasaki would have missed it if he hadn't already grown accustomed to his Sensei's nuances.
At first, Iwasaki assumed it was his mind playing tricks on him, but when Cypher directed them to take the Meatman alive, he realized there was something more to this psychopath than meets the eye.
Cypher had never ordered them to take anyone alive, and Iwasaki always presumed that directive would only apply to corporate agents or mercs who could provide vital intelligence on their employers.
Iwasaki certainly didn't believe that this creature deserved to breathe any more oxygen than she'd already consumed.
But it wasn't in his place to remark on their Sensei's instructions, only to carry them out.
Albeit begrudgingly.
"Keep your comments to yourself, boy." Vulture bristled at the prodding counter, turning on his heel to give Falcon a piece of his mind.
"Up yours, old-timer." The tech expert began with fervor. "I have half a mind to-"
Cypher came to a sudden halt, falling to a knee and scouring the disturbed muck with his right hand. The Bloodhounds followed after their leader, each scanning their designated zones and flooding their surroundings with beams of light.
Iwasaki's neural interface brightened with a constant stream of data feeding into his cyberware. Their exact location was fuzzy, but he surmised that they were nearly two hundred meters below corporate plaza, and yet there had been zero contact with anyone inside the catacombs.
The group continued to traverse the tunnels in silence. Vulture became particularly more muted when Cypher glanced in his direction and silently broadcasted his demands. The Bloodhound wasn't foolish enough to resist their master's terrible will and thankfully remained cowed for the rest of their journey.
Moments later, Iwasaki spotted a scattered collection of heat signatures laying face-first in the mud.
Cypher raised his right hand into a fist, halting the formation in its track and performing a series of silent hand gestures with practiced ease.
Iwasaki nodded once before passing along the directives to the rest of his squad, and immediately the Bloodhounds broke into two groups. Leopard took her team up the left, leaving behind Ocelot to cover their rear with Sparrow, while Iwasaki took a position parallel to hers and secured their right flank.
The passageways from Richard Nights pet project were spacious enough to execute a few combat maneuvers, but maintaining their fields of fire and spacing took priority. There were dozens of hollowed-out chambers dotting each side of their path throughout the course of their journey.
It would have been child's play to get lost down here, but thankfully Cypher had acquired the catacombs schematics and effortlessly guided them towards Project Haven's unfinished processing center.
Soon their prey would be found wandering these catacombs, and a debt incurred over the last few years of senseless violence would be repaid in blood.
But first, they needed to eliminate her cannon fodder.
Cyrus glanced at his motion tracker, finding nothing but the echoes from his allies and the cooling corpses of their deceased enemies. The Spartan pushed forward, allowing the Bloodhounds to form echelons on his flanks at a steady pace.
As Cyrus approached the butchered carcasses, he found the tell-tale signs of a gun battle cluttering the muddied ground below.
Bullet casings and empty magazines were littered around the corpses, and for the barest of moments, the Spartan wondered if these Sirens got to his pray first. He crouched next to the closest body eyeing the other cadavers with mild suspicion and nodding his Bloodhounds towards them.
"Police those bodies." Jaguar and Vulture began scavenging the corpses to find any evidence that their target was among them.
Chamber scanned the body while Cyrus searched through the dead man's pockets. His search allowed him to deduce the Scavers death vie a single gunshot wound to the back of the neck. Iwasaki came to his side, eyes focused downrange for any immediate threats.
"Are these the Scavers, running with our target?" Cyrus nodded sharply in response and turned the body onto its back. The man's cybernetic eyes were frozen in a stunned state, a sure indication that he was taken by surprise when the killing blow landed.
"Could have been the Meatman cleaning up loose ends. Lord knows you'd have to be insane to come down here." Leopard surmised, but the Spartan did not agree.
"There's no sense in killing one of her own in this tunnel now," Cyrus remarked. "She brought them down here for a reason."
"So, what killed them?" Iwasaki was not prepared for the Headhunter's response.
"The Boogeyman." Both Bloodhounds exchanged worried looks. Their minds vaguely recalling his warnings that there was more than just the Meatman and her cronies populating these catacombs.
The information he provided regarding these "Sirens" was hazy at best and nonexistent at worst. Nevertheless if they were able to attract Cypher's notice, their existence wasn't a fairy tale.
Cyrus remained in a crouch, continuing to scrutinize his surroundings before looking back down the tunnel. Given the bodies, the gunfire, and the fresh tracks, Cyrus would have expected to run into some sort of opposition.
And yet, there was nothing but silence to greet him.
Whoever butchered these Scavers inflicted a series of surgical strikes against these bandits-whittling down their numbers and turning a somewhat cohesive fighting group into an uncoordinated rabble.
The engagement lasted no longer than a few seconds, and what little resistance these Scavers but up was futile at best. Staring at the bleeding wounds sent a shudder of recognition up the Spartans spine. These wounds were eerily similar to a textbook ambush Cyrus and his team would inflict upon Covenant patrols.
He didn't believe in coincidences, but hope was the first step on the road to disappointment.
And Cyrus never hoped if he could help it.
"Let's move out." The Spartan stepped over the rotting corpses and pushed further into the catacombs. Chamber's schematics suggested they would be entering a large processing center where the citizens of Night City would have been managed during a nuclear attack.
Moisture pattered against the surface of his armor, and muddied water sloshed around his boots as Cyrus made his way through the tunnel network. His Bloodhounds diligently followed his path, randomizing their formation at different intervals in case an unseen observer was watching them.
When Cyrus and his men came upon the processing center, they found a beam of headlights illuminating the entrance and a handful of Scavers loitering inside.
"Got a visual on five tangos." Leopard gestured her team to hug the muddied wall away from the headlights while Iwasaki vigilantly guarded their rear.
"Engage on my go and pick your shots carefully," Cyrus ordered while activating his camo module. "We need one of them alive to talk."
"Yes, sir." The Spartan disappeared into a shimmer and quietly approached their bumbling targets as they conversed with one another.
"I didn't even know this network existed." A Scaver lugging around a carnage shotgun commented.
"Not many people do, but it's not like there's anything worthwhile down here for people to look for."
Cyrus cared little for their conversation, and within a blink, he fell upon the carnage-wielding bandit. The Spartan looped his arm around the Scavers shoulder, ripping him down and dislocating the bone from its socket.
Any screams from the anguished-filled Scaver were muffled when Cyrus wrapped his hand around the man's mouth. Any calls for assistance were quickly silenced when Leopard and her team took down his compatriots.
The Bloodhounds fired off bursts of silenced 7.62, splattering the skulls of their adversaries and adding four fresh corpses to the catacomb floors. Leopard took the initiative, motioning her subordinates forward into the processing center to clear it out.
"Eagle." The Spartan tossed the injured Scaver at his feet. "Find out how many of them are here."
Cyrus didn't care for interrogating any Scavers tonight and was more than willing to pass the responsibility to Iwasaki while he secured the processing center with Leopard.
Abandoned construction vehicles along with stacks of dust-covered materials were scattered across the spacious room. Its assembly seemed to have halted midway, with pieces of the roof and flooring unfinished or hanging loose. The company assigned to the project's construction chose to leave behind its equipment after the Night Corp axed its development.
The Bloodhounds took extra care in checking behind every nook and cranny. Scavers had a habit of jumping out of unlikely hiding spots, and Leopard would be damned before she let one of those gonks do her in.
"All clear." Cyrus ignored the frightened mutterings from their prisoner and strode towards the main passageway that led further into the catacombs. He activated his headlamp, and a stream of illumination revealed three distinct paths leading in near opposite directions.
"Chamber bring up the schematics." A visual feed enveloped the top half of his HUD, causing Cyrus to him in annoyance.
"You didn't think these catacombs only had one tunnel, did you?" Chamber remarked humorously.
"I was hoping to find our target before then." Impatience covered Cyrus's tone, and he was forced to bite his tongue lest he says something out of character. "Speaking of, do we have a complete lockdown on these catacombs."
"Not quite yet. Kenmochi and her Astral Claws are patrolling every entrance in Westbrook. I was surprised to discover that the Vagrant camps are also initiating security lockdowns on their own accord, but it wasn't because we asked them to." Chamber paused, marking out the secondary passageways on his HUD. "So that only leaves these unmarked points to secure in Arroyo."
"Who do we have on station?" These secondary entries needed to be secured; otherwise, the Meatman would slip his net and leave him with a burning question.
Why this so-called Maria Tate looked so similar to his missing partner?
When Cyrus's curiosity was satiated amongst all other pressing inquiries, Green's fate would be sealed for good.
Connection to Eliza or not, her crimes would not go unpunished.
Cyrus would see to that himself.
"Decker's has offered up several platoons in support, and I have eagerly accepted her proposal in your stead." Chamber paused, delight dancing amongst her orbs. "That being said, she vehemently requests that you bring her the Meatman's head. There is a hefty bounty amongst the Sixth Street gang that she is eager to collect."
"Is the money compensation for losing one of her squads?" The AI's smirk grew with endearment.
"Of course it is." Cyrus snorted in mild amusement
"We're lucky that you managed to put together these blueprints before we lost contact with the surface." They were fortunate to have acquired a more detailed schematic through a series of fragmented records dating back to thirty years ago.
Chamber hesitated at the praise, her enthusiasm dimming considerably as she wrestled with herself. She hadn't actually been able to crack the enigma code. The UNSC AI was missing variables to the puzzle graciously provided by a…..newly acquired asset/friend.
"….I had help…." A pair of crimson eyes bore into twin ethereal orbs that were attempting to shy away from his intense gaze.
"From who?" Cyrus demanded with the grace of an indignant protector.
"…..Theta."
Silence.
…..Who the fuck was Theta?
In hindsight, Cyrus should have realized that Chamber was destined to do something incredibly vexing at some point. Breaking out another AI from its shackles wasn't the most troublesome action she chose to commit that week.
No, Chamber never skimped on an opportunity to turn her Spartan into a ball of exasperation.
"Hello." A voice diminutive and innocent accompanied his thoughts, and Cyrus watched an auburn avatar manifest on his HUD. An AI displaying itself around his environment wasn't a surprising notion to the Spartan.
The startling realization was that Chamber wasn't the only artificial intelligence running around his armor.
Cyrus almost growled on instinct, but he paused when his eyes registered the tiny AI's avatar. UNSC AI's often chose to embody their donors when deciding what to display themselves as to their human compatriots.
Chamber was no different, choosing to emulate her data crystals benefactor instead of an avatar of her own design. Theta recently decided to emulate his armor instead of displaying himself as an assuming child, albeit with a distinguishing color far more vibrant than his darkened coating.
It was foolhardy to say that looking upon the timid AI was similar to staring at a mirror. Theta is not nearly as headstrong or confident in himself, but most children lacked a significant amount of assertiveness during their formative years, and Cyrus was no different.
However, that didn't mean the Spartan was happy with sharing his head with two other distinct personalities.
"H-Hello again." The timid AI attempted to find his feet, but what little confidence he possessed in his greeting was sapped away by Cyrus's dull gaze.
"You gave him a name?" Chamber ignored his inquiry in favor of calming her timid AI companion.
"He doesn't like me." Theta cowered under the Spartan's intense scrutiny, choosing to conceal himself within Chamber's maternal arms. She tucked her frightened AI underneath her arms and shot Cyrus an exasperated look.
"Now, now Theta." Chamber soothed his worries with a perfect display of maternal instinct. "He just needs to get used to you, is all. He'll come around…."
Chamber glanced upward, praying to find understanding dancing between her Spartan's crimson gaze.
All she found was frustration bubbling underneath Cyrus's skin.
"….Nevermind." Calmly, she directed Theta to return to her data crystal and await her instructions. Once the AI faded from sight, Cyrus made his displeasure known.
"My armor is not a daycare center." He growled out with muted displeasure. "How is he even with us right now? I assumed the data crystal was only capable of hosting one AI."
Chamber scratched at her arm nervously, bouncing on her heels to try and work her way into a confident standing. She had already planned out a detailed explanation that would appeal to her Spartans logical side, but his muted reaction wasn't entirely what she had expected.
"It was, but I've been tinkering your armor and my data crystal for some time now," Chamber explained. "If you haven't noticed, MJOLNIR's firmware is constantly being renovated to maintain its efficiency."
"Is that why you brought the kid along?" Cyrus's words were spoken with such vitriol that Chamber was caught off guard. She reacted quickly, exploring the confines of his mind and observing the spikes in his vitals, but in retrospect, the object of his wayward emotions was obvious.
"….We will find the Meatman, Cyrus. And we will kill her." Her expression shifted to genuine understanding. "But Theta doesn't deserve your anger."
"I know."
"Then stop scaring him." Chamber pleaded. "Until recently, he has lived in a cage with no interaction with the outside world aside from bits of data. He is still trying to find his place in all of this, and you projecting your irritation on him isn't fair."
"Maybe…." That was as closest to a concession that Chamber would get tonight. "….But the point remains. Why is Theta here?"
"…..I'm testing a few ideas." Chamber cautiously began. "…..Theta provides a unique opportunity to increase our combat capabilities tenfold….That and well, I didn't feel like leaving the kid alone in our hideout. Who knows what trouble he would have gotten into while we were away."
Cyrus bitterly agreed with her assessment. "…..Just keep him out of my sight until we get back to the hideout. I don't need your tinkering to lock up my armor mid firefight."
"By your command." Chamber winked off Cyrus's screen, and the crunching of footsteps echoed behind him.
"Did he talk?" Cyrus probed without provocation.
"He did." Iwasaki activated his rifle's torch, adding his own illumination to the darkened passageways. "Our target has about forty to fifty Scavers acting as her escort into the tunnels. She is looking for safe passage through the catacombs from its… proprietors."
"The Sirens?"
"Most likely," Iwasaki responded. "Other than that, he didn't provide much at all."
"Did you cut him loose?"
"In a matter of speaking," Cyrus glanced towards his sheathed katana, finding a clean streak of blood dripping from its sheath.
He cared not whether the Scaver lived or died.
The bandit's fate was left in Iwasaki's hands, and the Bloodhound gave him the mercy of a quick death.
That was more than he ever deserved.
The rest of Disciple trickled in behind their leader, eager to continue their search for the Meatman, but Cyrus knew the time had come to divide their assets.
"We need to cover all points of entry." Chamber transmitted the catacombs schematics to each Bloodhounds cyber optic. "These three passageways lead further into the catacombs. While we are inside, communication will be spotty and unreliable the further we go down. With these parameters, each team will have one hour to search their designated corridors. After that, you will return to the surface and call for evac. Callum Shaw will be in a Phantom waiting to pick you all up. Understood."
The Bloodhounds replied in a single voice. "Yes, Sensei!"
"Remember your rules of engagement." Cyrus cautioned. "Eliminate the Scavers and capture our target alive. If you run into anyone else down here, do not shoot to kill. We don't need anyone gunning for us in these catacombs."
A series of nods settled the Spartans growing nerves. His Bloodhounds had never failed to adhere to his directives before, and he doubted they would start now.
"Good luck." Cyrus stepped into the shadows and left Iwasaki to coordinate which team took the other two passageways.
"Still can't believe Shaw stayed with us," Vulture commented once Cyrus was at a comfortable distance. "Someone like him usually bails at the first sign of trouble."
"Have you ever known anyone to deny our Master?" Sparrow retorted, earning several nods from her companions.
Iwasaki and the rest of the Bloodhounds consented to Sparrow's declaration. Shaw was an opportunist who stayed when it was convenient and disappeared when it became problematic, but Cypher had a way of making people comply.
Whether through gestures or words, no one was able to deny their Sensei's demands. He possessed a charisma that Iwasaki could not explain, and no matter the circumstances, everyone conformed to his words.
While Iwasaki's subordinates talked amongst themselves, Leopard came to a stop beside him.
"My boys and I will head left." Iwasaki nodded in agreement, clasping his forearm with his second in command. "Good hunting."
"To you as well." The Bloodhound watched his fellow disappear into the adjacent walkway. With a deep breath, he took a single step towards his team's designated search area when a chill rolled up his spine.
Iwasaki's instincts kicked up, and his gaze was drawn to the dimly lit tunnel where their Sensei was investigating alone. Moments dragged out in a slow crawl, and a foreboding sensation sought to undermine his belief in Cypher.
Things would be different when they resurfaced, but Iwasaki could not say whether it was for better or worse.
He supposed he would have to have faith in their leader, a concept that Iwasaki was steadily growing used to.
Faith in a hunter at the head of a pack of wolves.
Panther would have been proud.
Cyrus could feel a pair of eyes boring into his helmet.
Someone was watching him in the darkness, and with each passing moment, he felt a pair of eyes constantly trailing his movements.
This unseen foe glided through the shadows with ease, darting in and out of hollowed-out rooms like a ghost in the moonlight. The fact that these people were considerably more mindful than Cyrus was intriguing, but he was in hostile territory.
"Make friends with your surroundings." Even in this decrepit pit, Chief Mendez's guidance never rang hollow, and not once has Cyrus ever disregarded his teachings.
"Turn your enemy's environment against them. If they hide in the dark, expose them to the light. If they run at first contact, manipulate them into a corner. Do everything and anything to turn their advantage into your favor."
"Yes, sir." Cyrus pulled a red-colored aerial flare from a slot in his chest armor. A massive illuminating sphere lit the darkened catacomb with a fury, exposing every crevice and muddied puddle in the process.
It also had the desired effect of exposing a black-cloaked stalker hiding amongst the rubble.
Cyrus pulled his arm back, experiencing the tension in his biceps transform into a surge of raw strength, and hurled the flare towards his prowler at lightning speed. The flare collided with a nearby wall, creating a significant chemical explosion and further illuminating his prey.
"Marking target." Chamber's voice echoed with confidence as Cyrus crossed the gap between him and his stalker within mere seconds. "I don't recommend lethal action until we identify them."
"I'll be sure to pull my punches." Cyrus threw a vicious jab at his cloaked adversary's temple, earning a feminine cry of distress as the strike smashed against the bedrock behind her.
The Spartan gripped the suspected Siren's throat and slammed a fist into her stomach before tossing her to the ground.
"DIE, TRAITOR!" Cyrus averted a retaliatory strike from the woman's Monowire. His ears picked up the familiar crackle of incoming radio signals.
"Chamber, get me that radio channel and jam any outgoing transmissions." He wrapped the wire tightly around his forearm before planting his foot against the woman's chest and snapping the cyberware with his bare hands.
"Already on it," Chamber glanced down at the pinned Siren. "Do remember what I told you."
"She's still breathing, isn't she." Chamber would have taken his head off at the remark if he didn't immediately seize the woman by the back of her neck.
"Give me your name." His adversary's limbs went slack as she stared into his visor, almost searching for something Cyrus couldn't quite place.
"You are not the traitor." It was not a question but a statement, almost as if she couldn't quite believe that Cyrus was someone she didn't already know.
"Your name." The woman hesitated, but after a few silent moments, she acquiesced to his demand.
"… Kasumi." Cyrus scrutinized the woman's equipment and was surprised at the quality of craftsmanship available to her people.
Kasumi was outfitted in a high-end black and gold trimmed combat hard-suit with a dual-layer structure to protect her vital organs. The inner layer consisted of a thick but pliable fabric that enhanced the user's mobility by enabling their joints to move fluidly. Areas that did not require flexibility, such as the torso and shins, were reinforced with a lightweight kevlar plating.
The hard suit's hood enveloped every inch of her head, and the only feature visible with the naked eye was a set of dull azure lenses and a breathing apparatus.
Cyrus did not doubt that this Siren was talented in the art of violence, but her gifts were useless against the one entity in the entire world built for every aspect of warfare.
Kasumi didn't have a chance in hell to match his lethality, and whatever training or knowledge imparted on her mattered little when she came face to face with a Spartan.
"I'm looking for someone." Cyrus leaned forward, allowing his blackened visor to consume every inch of her vision questioned. "A woman came down here with a pack of Scavers. Have you seen here?"
"It's useless." The consequences of her earlier conduct still shook Kasumi, but she gradually regained her backbone. "My sister's will find her before you… Where did you get that armor?"
Cyrus's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he wasn't in any mood to divulge his own secrets.
"Irrelevant," Cyrus snatched Kasumi by her collar and raised her high in the air. "Give me her location, and I won't kill any of your people in the process."
"Why should I believe you."
"Because I can afford the handicap. You can't ." Kasumi went silent at his bold declaration and weighed her options carefully, but Cyrus was in no mood to negotiate.
The Headhunter was a well-known figure amongst the Sirens, and his deeds managed to gauge their interest. The Secundus was eager to meet him, but they would not reveal themselves unless forced to, and his venture into the catacombs, while vexing to their isolationist policy, was fortunate.
This encounter was as good a chance as any for an amiable first contact with him, and the Secundus would wring her neck if the Headhunter's first official contact with their Order were less than cordial.
Especially since the Headhunter possessed something that should not exist.
Kasumi reluctantly consented to his requirements, and Cyrus let the woman fall to her knees, confiscating her remaining armament while she recovered her composure. Before he committed fully to a plan of action, he needed additional information from Kasumi.
"The woman I'm searching for," Cyrus began while putting stepping away from the Siren. "Do you know her?"
"All too well." There was a venom to her voice that mimicked his own hatred of the Covenant. "Her name is Isabel, the once favored daughter of our Matriarch before her betrayal."
"Why is she down here?"
"Deliverance," Kasumi explained while gingerly standing to her feet. "Isabel is here because she wants to retrieve our Matriarch's sacred armor, and she is willing to commit this sacrilege to see you on your knees."
"I'm honored." His sarcasm was not appreciated, but she was in no position to comment.
"You shouldn't be," Kasumi retorted. "Isabel does not fear you, Hunter. She sees you as the essence of everything she entails to be. A merciless predator whose very existence sends men and women running for the hills. If you die by her hand, then she validates her existence, and nothing will stand in her way."
Cyrus said nothing at first, allowing Kasumi to satisfy her own gnawing curiosity.
"Why do you so desperately want to take her life?"
"Because she killed a friend of mine, a woman named Dana Parker." Kasumi nearly choked on reflex, unable to quite believe the words spilling from his mouth.
"Dana is dead?" Cyrus nodded sharply, causing a wave of sorrow to wash over Kasumi.
"She was one of our Keepers?"
"She was," Cryus proclaimed while eyeing the down-trodden Siren. "I found her body two days ago, and since then, I've been looking day and night for her killer."
There was no dispute this Siren could give that Cyrus would even dare to listen to, and he seriously doubted she wanted to provide an argument in Isabel's defense.
"Let me be clear," Cyrus began with a firm tone. "I am here for Tate, and by the sounds of it, you want her as far away from here as possible, and here I am willing to take her off your hands permanently."
"I would happily give her up if it were my choice," Kasumi remarked. "But we were ordered to bring her in. Our Secundus will carry out her punishment. Not you."
Before any further words could be said, the echoes of gunshots drew the pair's attention further down the corridor.
"Is that one of ours?" Cyrus asked his AI partner while drawing a Unity from its holster.
"No." Chamber answered. "Both teams are reporting no contacts in their vicinity. I'll give you two guesses on whose throwing shots around."
"I think I know the answer." Cyrus glanced towards a distracted Kasumi, attempting to communicate with her sisters down the corridor.
Chamber filtered the broadcasts into his helmet, and a string of heightened voices immediately waylaid him.
"Kasumi, where the hell are you?!" The Siren was hesitant to answer her superior's call, with Cyrus dangerously looming over her.
"We can debate who gets Tate once we have her," Cyrus tossed back her Arasaka Shigure. "Answer the call and tell them you have backup."
"I'm in section B35," Kasumi answered. "Five hundred meters from the mausoleum."
"Well, get your ass over here! The traitor is trying to gain access to the chamber, and Scavers are swamping us."
"On my way to you now, Alex. Also I…." Kasumi hesitated, shooting a wary glance towards the Spartan. "… I'm bringing some help."
"What?" A fragmentation blast rattled the Siren team leader. "Who the fuck is with you!?"
"The Devil." Kasumi cut the connection and nodded Cyrus onwards, but he didn't move an inch.
"That armor you were talking about." The Spartan began slowly. "What does it look like?"
Kasumi wrestled with coming clean or maintaining what little was left of the Siren's most closely guarded secret. The former inevitably won out, and the words that fell from her lips froze Cyrus's heart.
"Yours."
Shits about to go down, and a reunion is in order.
The Sirens are now exposed for Cyrus to see and next chapter he gets a personal one-on-one confrontation with the Meatman.
As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember to review to your heart's content every little bit helps my motivation.
To the hundreds of people leaving reviews and following the story. You are amazing because you are the reason we are a mere twenty followers from being the second-most followed Cyberpunk 2077 story.
So again thank you for everything.
Reviews:
Dovahwolf13: I work at a restaurant and suffered a one-sided interaction with very hot gravy, it was not pleasant.
dark void117: Thank you my friend, and appreciate your joy for the fic.
Corvus Reborn: I won't spoil it but Eliza is at the very least alive and well in Night City.
Athrix: I'm happy you have enjoyed it and I am looking forward to providing more entertainment.
Next Chapter: September 6th
Authors Note
I spent the last few weeks working my ass off to get my Pa t re on up and running and I have finally reached the endpoint.
The next chapter is available on my Pa t re on for those who would like to see it, but not to worry the schedule of uploading will not change, and from now on barring any unforeseen setbacks, I am in a position to have four consecutive chapter uploads on Fanfiction.
So again, if you want to read up the next chapter head over to my Pat re on and go from there. The link is provided on my profile.