Authors note: I do not own Cyberpunk 2077, just an avid game fan.

Rated M for MATURE.

Merry CRISIS everyone and happy holidays! :)

In the early darkness of the next day, I assembled at the appointed meeting point, perched on a concrete block, patiently waiting as dawn began to unfurl, casting long shadows on the hushed streets. Judy emerged, cigarette in hand, and greeted me, "Hey, V. Thanks for showin'."

She stood puffing a cloud of smoke before flicking the ash, "Talkin' with Maiko is like a game of 3D chess, don't let her derail you." She shifted on her feet restlessly.

"You seem a bundle of nerves" I observed as she restlessly rubbed her forearm eyes darting around.

Sure you wanna do this?

"I have a mind to kill the bastards with my bare hands" she growled vehemently before waving both arms leaning to the side, "So yeah… could say I'm a teensy bit nervous."

All right, I guess we're doin' this.

I crossed my arms, "Some detes about her could be useful when I talk to her, don't you think?"

She shrugged pointing towards herself with both hands, "No, leave the talkin' to me."

So that's what I am to you, your pawn?

"So in brief, I'm just here as your hustle, right?" I narrowed my eyes at her, waiting for the response.

Judy shifted once more uncomfortably, "Never said that. I just know the woman better." She waved her hands.

Okay fine, I'll play along, "So how do you plan to get Maiko on board?"

"By tellin' the truth, about Evelyn- what happened and why." She stated plainly taking another drag.

"Think that'll cut it?"

Releasing a breath of smoke she admitted, "No. Have to improvise from there."

"Alright. I'm ready, let's go." I nodded with my chin.

Judy locked eyes with me for a moment, savoring a final drag before tossing the cigarette to the ground. With a deft twist of her foot, she extinguished the ember beneath her heel.

"Hold on. I'll open it." Judy announced walking towards the private entrance adjusting the keypad as I observed her and the door she oozed confidence in her tone, "Easy as paella."

The door opened swiftly, as she ordered. "Follow me."

I trailed behind Judy with arms crossed as we entered a large office with Chinese styled decor as Maiko sat within her desk looking upon her unannounced visitors.

In stark contrast to my muscular- lean and broad frame, characterized by a masculine jawline and boyish hair littered with grim tattoos, Maiko possessed a petite feminine stature, porcelien skin, her hair, the color of roses, was tightly secured in a ponytail. Seated, she exuded an air of authority that commanded attention.

"Judy Alvarez, I'd say it's great to see you but I've never been one to lie." She leaned in her seat crossing her legs casually, "Also I've never liked surprise parties, which you know."

Judy halted at the front of the desk with arms crossed, "Yup. Bet I even know why."

Maiko looked between me and Judy slyly, "Thought you hit rock bottom when you joined the Mox, guess you managed to stoop even lower now…consorting with a common thug."

Gritting my teeth as Maiko fixated on me. "Yes, V. I mean you," she declared, a smirk playing on her lips as she leaned in for the bait.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Sounds like I left a mark on this place. Good. Paid Clouds one visit and you remember me." A smile played on my lips devilishly.

"My job among other things is to remember unsavory customers. Ever heard of a little something called compromise? Should try it sometime," Maiko remarked, while I glanced toward Judy, who was currently speechless.

What's going on with her?

"Compromises take time I just don't have," I stated, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes at Maiko.

Maiko shifted her focus to Judy. "Just what are you after? Gonna go harass another doll?" She nodded her head towards me.

What's the holdup?

Circling behind Judy, who still stood stunned, I intervened, "Startin' to think blowin' hot air is what your good at…Judy has a proposal... about Clouds," I started for her.

"A pathetic attempt to get under my skin. What's next? Threats?" Maiko abruptly stood, casually walking towards a panel nearby while addressing Judy. "Wanna come back? Done. Always valued your skills, you know that. Just don't get why you had to drag this... loose end in here," she remarked, her tone a mix of business and annoyance at my presence.

With that Judy found her voice leaning on the desk with both palms, "It's the tyger claws that're the problem, and Woodman!" She waved her hands before crossing her arms.

Finally!

Maiko strolled around the desk towards Judy. "Okay, look. It's clear what happened to Ev was... traumatic," she said, raising her eyebrows and brushing Judy's cheek with the back of her hand in an intimate touch.

Heat betrayed my face with a pang of jealousy flaring within my stomach as Judy hesitated before pulling away from Maiko's touch, clearly surprised.

"Huh? I was convinced you didn't know?" Judy stammered backing away in betrayal to create a distance from her ex output.

Maiko shook her head turning away, "That girl was askin' for an unhappy ending. I was just surprised it took so long." She grabbed a long thin cigarette and leaned against the desk facing her.

Judy flew her hands down, blurting out passionately, "We gotta do something! Or everone'll end up like Evie! Woodman raped her while she was unconscious, then sold her off like so much scap."

"Yeesh, you've always been unstable." Maiko remarked coldly.

I squeezed my hands into fists within my crossed arms as I turned my head away but Maiko fixated on me once more, "OK, since you seem more reasonable, care to explain what this is about?" She blew a puff of smoke as I reluctantly regarded her.

"Judy's idea. Think about it. Could work." I announced raising my chin unwavering.

With a chuckle she flicked her eyes to Judy, "Well, well, Jude. Seems you found yourself a true and loyal fan." She mocked waving towards me.

"You aware what Woodman did to Evelyn when she was desperate for help? You sit by- let it happen?" I accused with a snarl as I stepped towards her.

I've had enough of this!

Maiko stared into me not amused, "What you two mean to do is… impossible. Completely beyond your means."

"So, you won't help." I narrowed my eyes into her.

"I thought I expressed myself quite clearly." She strided back to her chair behind her desk, "Gonna pretend you two weren't ever here. For old times sake, Judy."

She pulled out a cellphone placing it to her ear, "Literally moments from now security is going to know your here- you've got two options. Go out the way you came, or get thrown out. And that's not a threat or figure of speech- just a friendly heads up."

Yeah— real friendly.

"Had enough." Judy stated as Maiko quiply remarked, "Smart move."

"I'm leavin'." Judy stormed toward the door we came in.

Maiko called after her, "And so you don't think I'm brushing you off completely, Forest'll be on the matience level of floor two. Alone."

I stared into her over my shoulder, "You picked the wrong side Maiko."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Something's gonna happen, and you'll be the last to know." I warned abruptly leaving the room, trailing after Judy as I found her waiting for me outside sitting on top the concrete as I was previously.

"That went smoothly." She remarked shrugging her shoulders before bursting, "She totally blew us off!" She smacked her hand into her knee in frustration.

I waved my arms outwards with a shrug, "Know what I think? She's scared stiff. She'd have lots to lose if things went sour- everything in fact"

"So she'll just let things go on as usual?" Judy waved her palm up in frustration before hopping off with a bounce and walking towards the secretive exit of the private entrance.

I followed her and after a moment of silence I cleared my throat asking, "You two have a history?"

"Way back yeah, think I just felt…lonely." She climbed down a ladder.

That's nothing to be ashamed of.

Thinking of Meridith Stout I commented with a shrug, "Like everyone in Night City."

"She was different then, and… so was I." Judy added as I leaped down the ledge instead, landing on the metal with a clank beside her waiting.

I stared at her in silence as she passed me, I abruptly warned, "Can't trust someone who sees things as a numbers game. Line between patting you on the back as a friend, and stabbing you in the back as an enemy is down to a decimal."

"I know, right there with you- I just well, used to have a big crush on her. Took awhile to see who she really was." Judy leaped over a barrier to the nearby elevator before she halted turning to me suddenly, "But still. Honest or crooked, we need her— wait a sec! What about Woodman?" She held up her hands.

I shrugged, "Well, what do you wanna do?"

"I want somebody to unload lead in his face until there's no face." She crossed her arms as she stared into me with determination.

I rolled my eyes, "Somebody? Come on Judy, if I'm your hustle— then just say so." I shrugged nonchalantly while swiftly pulling out my pistol, cocking it back to load a bullet in the chamber.

"You're not—" She rubbed her jawline with the back of her hand before waving it to me, "Fine. Want us to do it."

"Don't have an ounce of sympathy for that motherfucker." I admitted, waving the side of the pistol to her before I put it away.

"So…we goin' there?" Judy released her arms placing a hand on her hip in a lean.

"Damn straight. Lets end 'em."

She waved with one hand, "We'll take the elevator- maintenance level."

As we both climbed inside Johnny digitized next to the buttons leaning with his arms crossed.

"Know what's worse than a corpo? A wannabe corpo bitch." He tilted his head to the side in contemplation.

"…you mean Maiko?" I asked him with eyebrows raised as I pressed the button for maintenance.

"Piece of work that one, but I'll give her credit. She's dead on about your chances of pullin' this off." He remarked.

Still no faith in us, huh?

I stepped away as the three of us leaned with arms crossed onto separate walls. As soon as the elevator landed, me and Judy pushed off the wall as Johnny stayed behind.

We marched side by side into the room with our hands gripping our heaters as Woodman leaned against a wall smoking.

Upon sight of us he flicked the cigarette down stomping on it, "The fuck you two doin' here? Where's Maiko? Why'd she fuckin' call me here?"

"Evelyn's dead." I announced greaviously.

Woodman laughed crudely, "Come here to tell me that? Fuckin' kind of you to remember me." He mocked, "Here, go light a candle."

But I continued with a step towards him as he crossed his arms, "When Evelyn needed help, you raped her."

He rolled his eyes, "Could've also broken her neck— hung her like a chandelier till her head started to rot."

"Ah-pthu." Judy spat on the pavement towards him as she gripped her pistol tightly now with both hands.

"Instead, I took her to a ripper. Was due a lil' somethin' in return." He shrugged, "She should be grateful, and so should you."

"Hm- here's a token of my gratitude." Judy announced aiming Woodman within her sights as he raised his fists in response to her movement, the bullet blew a couple digits off skimming his now bloody ear.

He lunged towards her and I instantly grabbed him in a chokehold from behind before slinging him into the pavement. With a flick I took the butt of my pistol slamming it repeatedly into his head with spurts of blood as he fought clumsily. I swiftly rotated the guns trigger around my pointer finger in a flashy motion before landing the hilt into my grasp. I broke teeth shoving the barrel of the gun in his mouth pulling the trigger with a splatter of crimson. When I stood I deftly stomped once on his pulp of a face in disdain.

Judy was already gone when I looked around, I walked towards the elevator spotting her sitting on the ground inside as I put my pistol away. Slumped with feet on the floor, elbows on her spread knees, "Let's uh, let's get outta here V." Her shaky voice suggested.

Inside the elevator I pressed for the ground floor before sitting beside her, elbow on one knee as the other leg splayed outwards.

"Thought I'd uh… feel more…Id be satisfied." She expressed before raising her hand, "Almost felt like the world would be a better place once he died." She leaned towards me shaking her head grimly, "And the feeling…it was so fuckin' strong."

I remember my first.

Today they got you to zero somebody, tomorrow they'll zero you. Jackie's voice whispered in my memories.

It's never satisfying. Just necessary defense living in this city.

"World did change, though." I replied firmly. "All the people he could've hurt— their safe now. Think of that. They'll never even know they were in danger."

As the doors opened to the ground floor we both pushed off towards outdoors, we rounded the corner as she leaned against the wall wearily lighting a cigarette. I lit one too watching her and my surroundings in silence protectively.

She suddenly sighed raising her head to the sky, "Huh, just think. Coulda gone divin' this morning."

"A little unwindin' would do you good. Do me good too, actually." I wistfully agreed at the thought to slow down, do anything… semi-normal for once.

"Wouldn'ta been unwindin', not exactly—Got an idea buzzin' in my head, workin' it. But can't say it'll amount to anything."

"Yeah, you a deck chair and a Mai Tai with a cocktail umbrella— somehow I don't see it." Amusement mused into my voice with a playful smile.

"Nope. Me in a deck chair's me mullin over coulda, shoulda, woulda—somethin I avoid right now." she agreed before looking into the distance, "Gotta get back to Maiko with somethin' big." She wondered aloud.

I raised my eyebrows pointing out crassly, "Appealing to her sense of justice wasn't big enough?"

"Uh-huh, so that's what matters…how many you'll drop, how much ammo you'll use, and how many eddies it'll get ya." She scrutinized me with narrow eyes. "Maiko only works with specifics too."

"Art and dreams of freedom can't be everyone's food. Sometimes…you gotta deal with the dirt." I tightly shot back at being compared.

Yet as Johnny said, I'm the one scrappin 'ennies off scavs with my head in the clouds...dreaming of becoming a legacy or…freedom. Now that my name is notorious, I'm not sure anymore.

I took a deep breath, continuing with gentle concern, "For a minute there, thought you were about to call it quits."

"V… I go for days tunin' virtues in a basement. Know what the chances are of somebody blowin' my head off down there?" She explained with an obvious question.

"Minuscule?" I nodded.

"Same as Maiko's empathy. Unlike you, I don't put myself out there." She took a drag before adding, "But this ain't over— not yet."

"So, what now?" I shrugged.

With a breath of smoke Judy replied, "Gotta think. We need more bodies that's for sure. I'm gonna talk to the dolls."

She threw down her cigarette putting it out with her foot, "I'll call you when I got somethin'"

Following that, we parted ways, and I promptly answered a call from Panam. She outlined issues with Saul, the Aldecaldos leader, expressing the need for my presence at the camp to address the matter. Saul, despite gratitude for my past rescue, remained upset about an outsider intervening in clan matters. He leaned toward siding with corporate Biotechnica for protection against Raffins. Fortunately, he stormed off during our heated exchange. Behind his back, the covert mission involved acquiring a Basilisk tank, colloquially known as "coffins'' from Mitch, all in the pursuit of betterment in the clan's interests—to get shit done.

At a locomotive control tower for the night, Panam opened up, admitting she had been cautious not to impulsively jeopardize anything between us. She expressed genuine care, not just for our potential friendship but also for me. I refrained from teasing her, realizing that I was starting to develop feelings for her and the clan, understanding the challenges they faced. Reassuring Panam, I mentioned that sometimes impulses can lead to positive outcomes. The night unfolded with drinks by a fire, surrounded by seasoned nomad war veterans, including the hotheaded Panam. The next morning, we successfully commandeered a Basilisk, ensuring the safety of her reintegrated family.

Once it was up and ready, Mitch generously allowed me to strut around in it. I gleefully performed donuts, breaking into laughter for the first time in a long while.

In the midst of the antics, a lingering presence of thoughts tethered me to Judy, injecting a nuanced contemplation into the celebratory atmosphere until I returned to my empty megatower not quite alone once more.

Stepping through the doorframe, I entered with a grin that seemed to radiate from ear to ear, an infectious expression mirroring the joy within. A baby iguana perched nonchalantly on the living room counter, its dainty form exuding a sense of casual repose. Its small, delicate scales caught the light, creating a miniature spectacle of natural grace in an unexpected setting.

Johnny digitized into the chair beside inspecting it with awe, "Well, would ya look at that..." He smiled as well.

I gently picked the lizard up on the back of my hand as I rubbed under its chin with a pointer finger before stroking its back as it wiggled in pleasure.

"Hah! Look at you, little guy! I bet you're hungry." I playfully patted the top of its head with a boop of my finger before heading to the food vender built in next to my bed. Unlike Judy's apartment, mine lacked a kitchen and a fridge. It was just a studio with a bed, a spacious living room, an open bathroom aside from a curtain covering the toilet nitch, and the only door led to my armory beside the living room.

After retrieving a slaughterhouse veggie burger from the machine, I gently placed the iguana on the counter once more, joining me as I sat on the couch beside it in awe of its presence. Taking bites and tearing pieces in turn, it happily joined in the impromptu meal for the both of us.

It looks like a little dragon!

"Happy hatch day Mushu." I smiled warmly into my pet as I pulled off another piece of burger, "Heh, or should your name be Byte?" I mused, watching it bite into the chunks of food greedily until its little belly was swollen, the iguana lazed content with half closed eyes.

A subtle ping echoed, interrupting the warm moment. That is until I checked, realizing it was Judy Alvarez.

Hey V!

The open-ended text left me a bit puzzled and within the hesitation, she sent another.

Hey, wanted to thank you again. Ya know, for helping me at Clouds…don't wanna think about what coulda happened if you hadn't been there.

The initial confusion gave way to a spark of warm validation, realizing the impact of my hustle. Before I could respond with a casual don't-mention-it she sent another,

Anywho, I think I got somethin' that could help us.

Can't go into detes yet but I'll hollar at ya tomorrow.

Oh, and have a FABULOUS day! :)

I stared into the messages for a long time, the quirky sign-off with a "FABULOUS day :)" left me especially staring at the screen, contemplating the layers beneath the seemingly simple message and smiley face.

I shrugged it off, rubbing my neck looking towards the lizard. I remarked, "Heh- guess she's in a good mood."