l… l
Chapter Forty Eight
September 3 rd , 2077
Night City, Northern California
Hideout, Charter Hill
"How many are we tracking?"
Chamber averted her gaze from a lengthy list of dossiers that had been collected in a matter of hours.
"Twenty candidates," Chamber informed. "But if you're looking for clean records, then the number is going to be a whopping zero."
"A lot of Afterlife Mercs on this list."
"Well, Rogue Amendiares is very good at collecting talent." Chamber shot Cyrus a wry glance. "Not so good at keeping them in check."
Cyrus grunted in amusement. He hadn't visited Amendiares since the… issue with Gideon Brooks, and the Queen of the Afterlife made a point to keep her knows clean of the Headhunter at all times.
Perhaps Rogue needed another visit for different circumstances.
Cyrus perished the thought for now and turned his attention back towards a grimacing Acadia. The Siren was in the midst of a training simulation tailored to one of his solo operations in the outer colonies.
ONI didn't enjoy sending out Headhunters without support if they could help it, but during the prolonged Siege of Meridian, an opportunity to sabotage key Covenant refineries on the fringes of known space presented itself.
"Motherfucker!" A faint grin spread across Cyrus's lips at his….protege's outburst. Curled up to his side was Luna, huffing with amusement at Acadia's failings.
Chamber had quickly taken a shining to Luna after it became clear that the pair shared a heavy dislike for Acadia. The Warhounds distaste was mostly born out of a very poor first impression when the Siren played on her senses.
"Easy now, girl." Cyrus scratched behind the wolf's ear, eliciting a low rumble of approval. "Something tells me I spoil you too much."
Luna heavily agreed with his statement.
"Watch your flanks, Siren!" Chamber admonished as her Avatar materialized next to Acadia. "That's the second time a grunt's snuck up on you."
"These aliens are fucking crazy!" The Siren protested. "The grunts keep going kamikaze on my ass!"
"The grunts travel in packs," Cyrus interceded before the pair could fall into their normal routine of arguments. "That includes their suicide squads as well. Narrow the environment and get them to travel down a chokepoint. Once they're in line, all it takes is one bullet to start a chain reaction of plasma."
"Go again." He handed Acadia the interface plug that was clumsily falling off the side of her recliner chair. "But this time, dictate the tempo of combat."
Acadia sharply nodded and inserted her cyberware into Chamber's simulation. Cyrus closed her eyes as she began another effort at the scenario that had tortured her for the previous hour.
The Siren struggled to adapt her tactics to Covenant strategy.
Unlike Night City's gangsters and mercenaries, the Covenant was a fanatical foe who showed no mercy and demanded none in return. Cyrus was content to watch her fail over and over until Acadia ultimately acclimated to her environment, regardless of who she faced on the battlefield.
After all, he had more than enough on his plate to keep him occupied in the meantime.
His Bloodhounds conducted reconnaissance missions on the Valentinos, covering numerous sub-districts devoid of cameras or adequate surveillance assets to achieve minimal intelligence gathering.
The decrepit nature of Night City's suburb districts, particularly Santo Domingo and Heywood, infuriated Chamber. According to her estimations, the only way for her to obtain useful intelligence was to hijack a low-orbit satellite and monitor Valentino Captains with its panchromatic camera.
It wasn't impossible, but that level of activity would eventually draw too many eyes. Manipulating a satellite owned by a trillion-dollar corporation didn't exactly preach subtly.
Their sole focus was on synchronizing Disciple's reconnaissance missions with Chamber's limited data mining in order to compile a thorough archive on the Valentino command structure.
However, their efforts were being hampered by a severe lack of manpower capable of executing these missions. There were only eight Bloodhounds to cover close to twenty square miles of urban terrain, and a thorough investigation would take time with those numbers.
Cyrus needed more men but found his options severely limited.
Until Decker could calm the underlying tension within her Militia, the Sixth Street Gang and its experienced Rangers were unavailable. The civil war between the Patriots and the Purists may have ended with few losses, but Decker now had to persuade her men to work alongside the very people they had been shooting at just weeks earlier.
A difficult process and not one Cyrus wanted to be involved in anytime soon.
The Astral Claws were also ruled out due to a shortage of candidates capable of carrying out Cyrus' orders. Their numbers were mostly made up of local gangsters and mercenaries looking for a sizeable clan to join.
Cyrus didn't care if Kenmochi brought in people looking to survive, but he wouldn't tolerate deviance of any kind. The former TC Captain organized her clan into a civilian militia designed to protect their homes instead of taking advantage of their fellow citizens.
There was a brief moment that Cyrus considered bringing in a team of Nightstalkers from the Custodians, but he didn't want to expose them to Night City just yet. At the current moment, Sicario was a hotshot mercenary corps operating in third world countries away from Militech and Arasaka influence.
The moment the Custodian's anonymity faded away, all hell would break loose.
Arasaka and Militech don't tolerate competition of any kind, and Cyrus knew that Sicario was ill-equipped to handle the Megacorporations.
That left a final option that Cyrus was heavily considering.
He floated the prospect of expanding their Disciple Squads and promoting Iwasaki to a more senior position, explicitly as the commanding officer of more than two Bloodhound teams.
Iwasaki and Umeki had proved to be capable leaders, and their teams performed admirably during the search for Dana and the Meatman.
Leaving them in charge of a trio of Bloodhounds seemed to be a waste of talent and opportunity in Cyrus's mind, and expanding their Disciple teams was the perfect way to capitalize on this notion.
He green-lighted the recruitment effort three days ago, and already six candidates had been screened, processed, and acquired by Iwasaki through his connection to the limitless pool of potential that was Japantown.
Cyrus now had close to eighteen Bloodhounds at his beck and call, although the majority were still adjusting to the dynamic between Cypher and his Bloodhounds. The somewhat hands-off approach he undertook was jarring to their militant mindsets, but the Spartan was confident that Iwasaki could mold them into something worthwhile.
Despite this increase in manpower, Cyrus was still seeking to expand upon the forces at his command, but he needed more… seasoned veterans that would execute his will to the letter without hesitation.
When it came to collecting these dossiers for potential candidates, Chamber was the focal point of their efforts while preserving her intelligence work on the Valentinos.
Chamber was not flawless, and despite her superior processes and capabilities, Cyrus worried if he was pushing her excessively. But any time the subject was brought up, Chamber would deny any loss in performance.
She was stubborn, and Cyrus was confident that Chamber knew her limits better than he ever could.
A few prospects for recruitment popped up here and there, each containing admirable qualities that he could mold into a potent Bloodhound.
But there were a select few that piqued the Spartan's interest.
"James Dragov…." His eyes glanced over the former NCPD officer's dossier with curious intent.
Dragov is a second-generation immigrant from the Soviet Union, and he possessed deep family ties to the Ukrainian mafia. He stood apart from the rest of his family and diligently applied himself to the NCPD academy because of his firm beliefs in truth and justice.
He received the highest grades in command, marksmanship, and flexibility, placing him far ahead of his classmates. However, within months of graduation, Dragov discovered that the NCPD was plagued by the same institutional corruption that made it little different from the mob.
Hoping to undermine corruption within the NCPD, Dragov undertook efforts to crack down on it, but his recognition was repaid with a false indictment for bribery, and he was subsequently disgraced and thrown into the streets.
Without family or friends to turn to, Dragov took his talents to Afterlife, and he's worked for Rogue Amendiares for the past five years.
He was in need of a new line of work.
"… Add him to the list." Chamber complied with Cyrus's demand and phased Dragov's name from potential candidates to recruits. "Anyone catch your eye?"
"One, actually. Vivian Conley." The AI swiped the profile to Cyrus's monitor."You might like her. The girl used to be a spook just like you."
The Spartan ignored her remarks and delved into their recruit's dossier.
Vivian Conley is a native daughter of Night City, and she joined the NUSA Military out of high school. She served in the CIA's SOG corps as an intelligence officer analyst before Arasaka offered her contract that would have set her for life.
Conley made waves as one of Adam Smasher's best operators, but her disagreements with his… brutality led to her resignation. Her resume includes a deep understanding of chemical agents and a documented history as an Arasaka CTU agent.
Much like Dragov, Conley jumped between security jobs with private firms before finding her place in Rogue's employ. Her talents were wasted on the life of a mercenary, and Cyrus was more than willing to offer her a job fighting for more than a bigger wallet.
"Add Conley to the list and make the necessary arrangements. I want to know where they are and what Rogue has them doing."
Cyrus pushed himself out of his seat and threw on a set of winter clothes. Night City was currently experiencing an out-of-season winter storm, with flurries of snow blanketing the landscape.
"Roger," Chamber spared a glance in Cyrus's direction as he pulled a facemask over his mouth. "Where are you going off to?"
"Afterlife." He replied while strapping a holster around his right leg and snatching a bandolier. "I believe Rogue needs a reminder of how far my reach is."
"The updates to your firmware aren't done yet." The AI stated. "You sure you wanna go out there without it?"
"A Spartan is more than just his MJOLNIR, Chamber. This wouldn't be the first time I've walked amongst the civilian population without it, and it won't be the last…."
Chamber pursed her lips in disapproval but did not attempt to dissuade his line of thinking.
Headhunters needed to be capable of operating outside of their MJOLNIR when necessary. There are some instances where interaction with the civilian population was essential to the mission, and tonight, that necessity would be realized.
"Besides," Cyrus spoke as he approached Acadia's side, amused by the Siren's grimacing visage. "I won't be going alone."
Acadia once stated that she considered Cyrus to be a member of her family, and there was no better way to strengthen familial bonds than to terrify arrogant mercenaries together.
At least in his opinion.
"Least I get to keep the dog for company." Chamber snorted with amusement, sharing a glance with hyper-intelligent Warhound. "Sure beats having to drag around Acadia."
Cyrus shot Chamber an unamused glance but did not comment on her remarks.
He knew better than to step into that landmine.
Night City, Northern California
Afterlife, Little China
"Ever been to Afterlife?" As the two passed through a pair of deactivated security scanners, Acadia scoffed at the Spartan's inquiry.
"Came up here a few years ago to see if Rogue had anything on Isabel." Acadia's expression turned sour. "All I ended up getting was a very polite dismissal and a request never to ask about my sister again. I visited every now and then to keep close tabs on the Afterlife on the off chance Isabel paid a visit, but that never came to fruition. What about you?"
Flashes of a pain-stricken Gideon Brooks and a frightened Rogue came to mind. "Let's just say she didn't have the option to dismiss me so easily."
Acadia grinned at his remark, grabbing the edge of her facemask and pulling the cloth down around her neck. Flurries of snow cascaded both of their coats, but the warmth inside Afterlife melted away the icy flakes.
The Siren enjoyed the fruits of civilization, but Cyrus was unwilling to loosen the black facemask fastened on the bridge of his nose. Instead, he dipped the brim of his hat low enough to obscure his bare crimson eyes as they passed curious bystanders and mercenaries.
A few recognized the Siren as she passed by, but more than a few glued their eyes to her towering companion. Cyrus practically molded into Acadia's shadow, mirroring every step she took while doing his best to remain obscure.
The thick crowds of patrons eager to get inside the nightclub made it simple for Cyrus to blend in, but the mob thinned out as they reached Emmerick Bronson.
"Emmerick." A pair of cybernetic eyes trailed between the Siren and her companion.
"Acadia." The bouncer spoke hesitantly. "Haven't seen you in a while. Rogue was getting worried."
Acadia scoffed, "I didn't think she cared about my well-being."
"She doesn't," Emmerick replied without hesitation. "You've been off the grid for longer than Rogue is used to, and she makes a point of keeping an eye on people of… interest."
"Had to solve some family issues." Acadia's words were not lost on the bouncer. "Is Rogue here?"
"Same spot as usual." Emmerick stepped to the side and waved the Siren forward. "Go on in; she'll want to speak to you."
Acadia nodded graciously, walking past the bouncer without incident and mentally thanking the Lord for the smooth journey.
Murphy's law bit her in the ass seconds later.
"Not your friend, though." A hand wrapped around Cyrus's shoulder, and for the second time in as many months, Emmerick made a very poor life decision.
Acadia came to the bouncer's rescue, jostling Emmericks hand from the Spartans shoulder and putting herself in the line of fire. Cyrus didn't say a word the entire time, his crimson eyes boring into Emmerick's soul as he contemplated kicking his ass for a second time.
"Ok now," Acadia drew the bouncer's attention away from Cyrus. "What's the problem."
"Tell your friend to lose the mask."
"Can't do that, Emmerick." She tugged on the Spartan's sleeve and managed to coerce him behind her, all the while his countenance remained bemused. "My buddy here is real shy around strangers. He has a nasty scar that people like to stare at as if it's the ninth wonder of the world. Besides, we ain't looking for trouble."
Cyrus almost snorted on instinct at Acadia's declaration. Trouble seemed to find him in the strangest of places, so it was no surprise that strolling into a premium nightclub would attract attention.
"I don't care. Lose the mask." He toyed with the idea of putting Emmerick into the ground face first but conceded to the bodyguard's demand.
Cyrus drew his facemask down over his neck, revealing his youthful appearance to the Merc. Acadia drew an amused grin from Emmerick.
"Like em young, don't you?" Cyrus wisely withdrew from the heated argument between Acadia and Emmerick, preferring to let the Siren battle for her own reputation. A few patrons gave him a dirty look for the holdup, but Cyrus paid them no mind.
Apologizing for their inconvenience wasn't his prerogative, but eventually, Emmerick apologized for his remarks and ushered the pair along with a shit-eating grin.
"What did you say?" Cyrus asked as they entered the club.
"Told him to go fuck himself and that I'd cut his balls off if he insinuated such a disgusting thing again." Acadia admired Cyrus in the same way a niece venerated their favorite Uncle. She had no romantic interest to speak of, and frankly, that was just disgusting to think about.
"Whatever you say," Cyrus drawled out, digging both hands into the pockets of his coat. "Now, let's stop wasting time. The sooner we talk to Amendiares, the sooner I can leave this decrepit club."
Rogue was lounging in her so-called 'throne,' a booth with an excellent view of the main entrance and bar. The sightlines were perfect for ensuring that she was never caught unaware should some idiot come into her house guns blazing.
The Afterlife Queen was in the middle of wrapping up a meeting with a Sixth Street courier that Cyrus recognized as First Sergeant Bosworth. Decker made the rounds across the city, ensuring that the turmoil inside her Militia wouldn't interfere with current business and preexisting contracts.
"Just keep your house in order, Boz," Rogue warned the Sixth Street Sergeant. "Your little war with Gunner cost me eddies, and I lost a clean-up contract because my target was caught in your crossfire."
"Well, pick up the difference, Rogue. You have my word." She scoffed at Bosworth's pledges.
"I had Gunner's word to, and he liked to think I wasn't aware that he was the one freezing my assets out of Santo Domingo." Rogue rolled the cigar in her hand and inhaled a heavy dose of nicotine. "It would have been amusing if he wasn't also trying to get into my pants."
"Again, I can assure you-." Rogue doused her cigar and waved him off once again.
"Keep your assurances and get out of my sight. Weyland." The six-foot-three bodyguard turned towards Rogue. "Make sure the door doesn't hit him on the way out."
Bosworth was no fool, and he was well aware that his time was up. He acknowledged Rogue with a courteous nod, ignoring her scoff and ushering a fireteam of his men out of the club.
Weyland followed them out, sparing a glance to Acadia while he followed in Bosworth's wake. Two other Afterlife Mercs stood outside of Rogue's booth with Ajax's splayed across their torsos.
"Acadia." Her cybernetic eyes possessed an unnatural gleam as her gaze fell upon the Siren.
Cyrus amusingly noted that Rogue had increased the security around her after his previous visit.
"Rogue." Both women exchanged pleasantries that Cyrus could care less about before Rogue finally waved them both into her booth.
"Whose your Choomba?" The Afterlife Queen commented after her bartender deposited a fresh bottle of whiskey on their table. "Is he afraid of a little sun?"
"You've met him before under a more…." The Siren drew out the word and watched the confusion play out on Rogue's face as she poured the three of them a glass of whiskey. "… Stressful circumstance."
"Cause that narrows it down." She quipped back, clinking glasses with Acadia and depositing a mouth full of whiskey down her throat.
Rogue savored the bitter taste, but her senses were overwhelmed by a familiar and terrifying aura accompanied by a voice she had hoped never to hear again.
"It should." The Mercenary Queen's blood ran cold, goosebumps formed on her skin, and her gaze trailed away from Acadia towards Cyrus.
"You seem to be doing… better."Amusement crawled into the Spartan's tone, but Rogue found no humor in her current situation. She almost made the critical error of alerting her guards, but Cyrus intervened. "Calm yourself, Amendiares. If I were here to kill you, you'd be dead already. Enjoy your drink, and then we'll talk."
Acadia had known Rogue for most of her life, and she had never seen the woman this bent out of shape. She did understand that the first meeting between Spartan and Fixer wasn't exactly pleasant, but to earn this type of reaction drew Acadia's curiosity.
Cyrus gave Rogue a few seconds of clarity to regain her bearings, and they only spoke after she finished the last of her whiskey.
"What do you want?" Straight and to the point, Cyrus savored the rare instance of a direct conversation.
"I'm looking for like-minded recruits." The Spartan stated as he leaned against the booth, crossing one leg over the other.
"What like me?" Now it was Cyrus's turn to scoff in amusement.
"No, although there are certain employees of yours that have earned my curiosity." Rogue's expression turned pensive at his response.
"What are their names?" Chamber transferred Dragov's and Conley's personnel files to the Fixers cyberware.
"Is it a coincidence that two of my best Mercs are on your list?" Cyrus echoed Chamber's derisive comment from earlier.
"You're good at collecting talent. Not so good at controlling it." His alluding statement was not lost on Rogue.
"Gideon Brooks was an outlier, not a common denominator. I have already handled his extracurricular activities."
"If you didn't, we would be having a much different conversation." Few people had the stones to threaten Rogue so openly while in the confines of Afterlife, but Cyrus wasn't your run-of-the-mill Mercenary.
"Excuse me?" Rogue snarled in contempt at his scathing comment, but he had no time to dawdle on her accused incompetence.
"Dragov and Conley's psych files list them as candidates for what I intend to do." He explained. "And I need to know what assignments do you have them on?"
"What makes you think I'm just going to give away two of my best money makers?" Rogue could only take so much of his intimidation tactics, and she dangerously eyed the Spartan.
"What makes you think I'm asking?" Cyrus's tone turned ominous, and the Fixer exchanged an uncertain look with Acadia.
Rogue was seeking some kind of compensation to alleviate the loss in revenue she was about to experience, but Acadia was only here to keep the two of them from killing each other.
"Fine." With no allies and no leverage to hold over Cyrus, she reluctantly agreed to the Spartan's demands. "The pair of them are on gigs in Heywood. You can find them inside Valentino territory tying up some loose ends for me if you want to make a recruitment pitch."
"What kind of loose ends?"
"The kind that I don't want to talk about." Cyrus consented to the Fixer's confrontational manner and granted her some level of discretion regarding her trade. It didn't matter to him anyway. Chamber was going to find out what exactly the pair were up to in Heywood. "Are we done here?"
"We are." Cyrus stood on his heels and bid Rogue a respectful yet sarcastic nod. "Until next time, Amendiares."
The Spartan did not linger for her remarks, departing the nightclub with post-haste and leaving Acadia to mend the Afterlife Queen's troubles.
Rogue eyed Cyrus with caution until he finally turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. A shudder of fear crawled up her spine as she turned towards his more pleasant companion.
"I hate that fucking guy." The fixers whispered condemnation amused the Siren. "Don't give me that look. I don't know how you can stand to be next to that… thing ."
"That… thing ." Acadia drew out with an edge to her voice. "… Is very important to me. Cut him some slack. He could have walked in here and embarrassed you again, but he chose subtly over brute force. For once."
"Whatever you say, Acadia," Rogue replied while lighting another cigar. "Feel free to stop by anytime since you finally took care of that loose end we talked about."
Acadia's eyes tightened with suspicion."Should I be surprised that you already know about Isabel?"
"Of course not. Soon as word got to me that she was in your custody, I knew the girl was a walking corpse." Rogue replied. "I assume your mother did the deed?"
The stark reminder of Eliza gnawed at Acadia's consciousness. Because of her numerous excursions to the surface for Cryus's training and the day-to-day activities keeping the Sirens afloat, she had not spoken to her mother since the execution.
Cyrus had no desire to remind Acadia of her mother because of his own reservations about his Spartan sister.
A gaping wound of betrayal was hard to heal.
"If only that were true." Her brows were furrowed as Acadia's voice softened. "See you around, Rogue."
"Stay safe, Siren." Amendiares pinched her cigar, taking two deep puffs before turning to Weyland with a stern gaze. A silent command for privacy pushed the bodyguard to take a few steps away from her booth and leave her in blissful peace.
The Headhunter had caused her far too many problems and far too much money, and she severely disliked having a wild card like him out in the streets.
Acadia's choomba was a walking apocalypse, but she didn't exactly have the means of bringing him into the fold. The best she could do was ride out the storm and pop up when it was over.
Rogue tried to enjoy a few moments of peace before resuming current business, swirling a fresh glass of whiskey in her hand. An hour barely passed before a commotion broke out inside her nightclub.
Ten MAXTAC Officers breached the nightclub entrance, and one of them slammed Emmerick into the far wall, forcing him to wrestle with his attacker on the floor. Weyland and the Afterlife Mercs drew their weapons in quick succession, and an old-fashioned Mexican standoff threatened to explode into a bloody firefight.
Rogue, however, had her eyes fixed on the MAXTAC Officer striding towards her.
Those dull-colored eyes fixed themselves on her booth, slipping past whispers and anxious gazes along her path. The chatter in the club fell into silence as one of their uninvited guests slid into Rogue's booth.
There were certain individuals who were never welcomed into the Afterlife, blacklisted Mercenaries, Corpo agents, and most certainly cops.
Melissa Rory was MAXTAC, and she was worse than the latter.
"Hello, Rogue." A synthetic voice that she recognized and hated graced her ears. "You had a guest earlier tonight."
Damn you, Cypher.
Night City, Northern California
Berkley & Bay Street, Wellsprings
"How's your food?"
"Cold. Aren't noodle's supposed to serve hot food?" Acadia chuckled in amusement as the noodle stand's Chef bristled with embarrassment, and an icy glance from Cyrus forced him into retreat.
"Lighten up, man." The Siren playfully bumped shoulders with her Uncle before slurping on a spoonful of beef ramen. "Our 'friends' will be here soon."
Cyrus and the words 'lighten up' are never meant to be together.
"Falcon, Sparrow." He spoke in a hush, low enough for his Militech AIG to pick up his voice. "Do you have eyes on our contacts?"
It was pure coincidence that Conley and Dragov's target was sitting in a tech store two kilometers north of Disciple One's objective.
The Bloodhounds were gathering intelligence on Gustavo Orta's movements and were scouting an outpost Chamber pegged as an important junction for Orta. The Valentino Gang Leader frequented multiple properties in a random pattern to dissuade any attempts at locking down his movements.
It was a sound strategy to deter an NCPD surveillance team, but Bloodhounds assisted by an advanced AI managed to curtail Orta's advantages.
Cyrus redesignated half of Iwasaki's team, snagging Falcon and Sparrow to provide adjacent support if called upon. Eagle and Vulture were capable enough scouts on their own, and he was confident that Iwasaki could handle the extra workload.
At the current moment, Cyrus and Acadia were enjoying a pair of miso ramen while their two Bloodhounds kept watch for their HVI's on each end of the street.
Falcon was an integral part of their recruitment pitch. The Bloodhound had a history with Dragov that traced back to their adolescent years when they were close friends. The pair parted ways after joining the Tyger Claws and the NCPD, respectively, although they have kept in touch on an infrequent basis since then.
This connection convinced Cyrus to green light this recruitment effort, and adding Conley to the mix was an added supplement because the pair were partners. Falcon was confident that he could persuade Dragov into joining their ranks, but the Spartan didn't want to leave anything to chance.
Acadia would join the Bloodhound as the Mercenaries' point of contact, and the two would establish a friendly rapport before making an offer. Cyrus didn't need an immediate answer from either of them. He was aware that they would have to cut all ties to the Afterlife by joining his ranks.
He wouldn't tolerate people with divided loyalties, especially Rogue Amendiares.
Cyrus subtly leaned against the noodle stand counter and activated his Militech AIG's zoom function. He scanned the entryway of a tech store no more than a hundred meters away from the noodle stand, and its customers were a peculiar bunch.
Valentinos and Animals were regularly entering and exiting the tech store and random intervals. Some looked like children during Christmas, while the rest were grumbling in contempt.
"No visuals on my end." Cyrus turned in his seat and eyed the shimmer hovering over the roof of a tourist kiosk. Falcon chose the booth as his refuge while Sparrow perched herself on the edge of a highway just above their heads.
"Sparrow?"
"Negative contact, but I see a lot of activity inside this tech store. More than it should have considering its clientele." The Bloodhound relayed. "Request permission to displace for a better vantage point."
"Negative, maintain your perch and await my orders, Oxide out." Cyrus hopped off the comm channel and dug into his miso ramen with a pair of chopsticks.
"Thought you said it was cold?" Acadia impishly chastised.
"I lied." The Siren rolled her eyes and went back to chowing down on her ramen. Neither of them was hungry, but they needed to maintain appearances until Dragov and Conley showed up.
Cyrus deftly switched comm channels and raised his favorite AI. "Chamber, you have my intel packet?"
"Transferring to your eyepiece now." The UNSC AI replied. "Enjoy all my hard work and try to bring back my favorite chew toy in one peace."
"Fuck you, Chamber." Cyrus shot Acadia a reprimanding glance, and she shrugged her shoulders in annoyance. Neither woman particularly liked one another, but that wasn't a priority for him to handle.
Yet.
Cryus intently scanned through the packet while Chamber went over the important details.
"Dragov and Conley are hunting a woman named Rebecca Price." A picture of a middle-aged Caucasian woman flashed onto his eyepiece's hud. "Apparently, she's gun-running for the Animals. Not the most egregious offense in my book, considering our environment, but it's not the crime that's the issue. It's the merchandise."
A blurry image of crates filled to the brim in stolen Militech firearms and equipment provided to Rogue by one of her mercs was cropped into the file.
Rebecca Price was playing a dangerous game that could affect the balance of Night City. Militech was itching for an excuse to flex its muscle, and the illegal distribution of its products was an easy casus belli.
It was no wonder why Rogue wanted Price taken care of. The last thing she needed was Militech rolling down an armed convoy in the middle of Wellsprings. Black Element Mercs and Militech Soldiers had a penchant for shooting at one another in the most obscure of places.
Cyrus was just about finished with his miso when an unknown contact attempted a connection with his eyepiece. His brows furrowed in confusion and a missive glance towards his surroundings offered no answer to the culprit.
"Chamber." He whispered under his breath. "Who is this?"
Silence.
His eyes narrowed with suspicion, and a foreboding sensation burrowed into his skin. "Chamber, do you copy."
Static.
There are levels of miscommunication. The first instance is a mistake, the second is a coincidence, and the third is a pattern.
Spartans don't believe in coincidences.
Cyrus dropped a hand to his holstered Nue, and his eyes scanned the environment even as Acadia continued to enjoy her food.
His gaze found purchase when he settled on a casually dressed woman leaning against a decommission atm a hundred meters to his north. A pair of shimmering grey orbs stared back at him with pure wanton desire.
Fuck.
They've been made.
Melissa Rory had the gall to wave at him in mockery.
The MAXTAC Lieutenant was clothes baggy enough to hide her pistols while still accentuating her figure.
Rory glanced towards a hidden alcove to her left, and Cyrus could easily pick out a green laser aimed in his direction.
However, the firearm wasn't pointed at him.
The laser hovered just above Acadia's skull.
Cyrus flashed a silent hand gesture to Acadia on the periphery of her vision. The Siren's eyes widened as her mind translated the motion.
COMPROMISED. MAXTAC.
Acadia sneered with contempt, dropping her chopsticks and scanning her surroundings. Cyrus suspected that MAXTAC may have been monitoring the Afterlife and may have triggered a surveillance team on sight.
He knew that the NCPD were upping their game, but he should have known the Afterlife was a prime search location. Rogue Amendiares was an important figure, and he had underestimated MAXTAC's tenacity.
Acadia gripped the Lexington hidden under her coat, but Cyrus took her arm in caution. The last thing he wanted was to start a firefight in the middle of a busy intersection, and he knew what made Rory tick.
She was a hunter who enjoyed the game to a fault. Her interests solely lay in him and no one else so long as they didn't get in the way.
Cyrus was confident he could escape their grasp, but first, he needed his team out of the kill zone.
He also needed Chamber to break past this jamming, and thankfully the AI came through in that regard when a piercing screech echoed in his ear.
"Cy-s…" The connection was spotty at first, but after a few choppy messages, Chamber's voice became clear. "Cyrus, can you hear ME!"
"I read you, Chamber." The AI let out a relieved sigh. "What happened."
"All broadband and telecommunications networks were shut down. I'm piggybacking off the NCPD comm channels, and right now, their scanner is exploding with activity." Chamber cursed when she found a contingent of MAXTAC officers surrounding Cyrus's position. "You're about to have a lot of company. I recommend immediate evac before they find you.."
"They already have." He didn't mean to sound accusatory, but Chamber cringed nonetheless. Cyrus opted to figure out how to get out of their situation before things escalated against them.
"Activate code black protocols," Cyrus ordered before deftly switching comm channels. "Falcon, Sparrow. I need you to displace now. Our position has been compromised. Keep a low profile and hold your fire."
Falcon caught onto Cyrus's warning and swiftly repositioned himself on a kiosk with a perfect view of their MAXTAC foes. "I can take them."
"Negative, we're in their kill zone, and I'm their primary target. Fall back to the Phantom and regroup with Eagle's team."
"Understood. Sparrow on me."
Falcon silently rumbled with frustration but followed his directions without much resistance. The Bloodhound pinged an equally infuriated Sparrow who had her Nekomata trained on Rory.
Cyrus turned to Acadia, and he could already tell that the Siren was unwilling to leave him behind.
Stubborn to a fault.
Just like her mother.
"Chamber." Cyrus raised his trusty AI. "I need you to get Acadia a way out of here."
Acadia sneered with blatant disdain.
"Belay that, Chamber!" She hissed into her earpiece. "Cyrus, that bitch wants you alone, and you're not even in armor."
"There is more to a Spartan than his MJOLNIR, Acadia." The same words that he echoed to Chamber not long ago. "Now, get moving."
Another ring on his eyepiece was followed by a second hovering laser, this time off to Rory's right. The knowing smirk from the MAXTAC lieutenant was enough of a warning to lose his companion.
Cyrus exchanged a heated glance with Rory, but her grin only widened, and she raised her hand to count down from five.
He didn't need to be a psychic to realize the implication.
"Acadia. Leave." Crimson eyes lit with fire. " Now ."
The Siren attempted to match the Spartan's will, but like the rest, she curtailed to his demands.
"Don't fuck this up." She warned with no small amount of heat. "Mom just got you back."
Acadia disappeared into the rapidly diminishing crowd of civilians, all the while cursing the MAXTAC whore stalking her Uncle.
Cyrus stared at the unknown contact with restrained contempt, shooting a glance to Rory, who grinned back in response.
Reluctantly he accepted the connection and the consequences that came with it.
"Hello, Hunter. Would you like to play a game?"
It was Halo anniversary day and I didn't know until ten minutes ago. So yeah.
Anyway, MAXTAC returns to the fold and a miscalculation by Cyrus and Chamber now leaves them on the back foot.
The next Chapter will, unfortunately, be delayed a week because I have a funeral to attend this weekend and already it is looking like a very shity occasion because fights will break out. Its not a good sign when your father tells you to stay near the exit.
Reviews:
Boarlord: Not particularly but if someone wants to post on space battles they are more than welcome to.
Morgriff: So Panam not knowing is something that will be explored at her request. I believe she is the type of person to be uncaring of someone's past unless it affects her. She'll ask one day but it's not a priority for her.
As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember to PLEASE! review to your heart's content every little bit helps my motivation.
Next Chapter: November 29th
The next chapter is available on my Pa t re on for those who would like to see it. The Link is below.
www .(p)at (r) e o n. co (m) /Cypher1597 (remove the spaces and () to access