After what felt like an eternity, the Shadow horde had dispersed.
River was on mop-up duty and was now patrolling the remnants of the office block. The occasional gunshot accompanied his footfalls. Stragglers hiding under debris. It was quite the jarring sight. With the office block more or less completely destroyed, the ghostly cognitions of the workers were still hard at work despite whatever they were using being reduced to ash and debris.
The sentiment definitely was not lost on V.
Although she had never worked a corpo job in her life, she saw what it could reduce someone to. Nothing but a cog in a giant machine. Worked to death and then discarded and replaced within a day.
The ghost metaphor on display here was just another grim way of looking at it.
The merc let out a long sigh as her attention returned to the real concern. Both Judy and V had sat themselves on the edge of their current floating island. Both of their feet dangled into the abyss. Across the way, the smaller floating landmass was far out of reach. Its very presence served as some poorly delivered joke.
"Fucking Mikoshi…" V whispered under her breath.
The machine was undeniably Mikoshi. Shiro's unconscious form hadn't moved a muscle since V had first spotted him. He looked dead and for all she knew, he was dead.
"Are you sure that's Mikoshi? Didn't you destroy it?" Judy's question struck a nerve and V's first instinct was to yell. An instinct that she very nearly acted upon. Instead, she gritted her teeth and took to fidgeting with a stray piece of debris. A keyboard key.
"I did destroy it. Should be buried under several tons of stone and steel." Her glare didn't break from the machine for a second. "... But I know that damn thing anywhere. That's definitely Mikoshi. At least… a version of it." She could feel her hands shake as she passed the key through her fingers. "What the fuck is it doing here?"
She watched as the wires digging into Shiro's body gently pulsed and undulated.
"I… don't know," Judy replied, just as lost for words as V was. "Whatever the reason, it looks like there ain't any way over to him from here."
"Hey, Mox, Merc? I… think I found something."
River's voice was distant yet Judy appeared to jump on the opportunity to wrench V from her laser focused staring match with an ominous death machine. She pulled the merc up to her feet and almost had to drag her away. Eventually, V let herself relax in defeat. There was no sense in banging her head against an invisible wall in the hope of breaking through.
What River had found was a small glimmer of light. Poking out from under a fallen concrete column, it was barely visible.
V took out the Mona-Dar and her expression lit up much like the device itself.
"Huh… it's Shiro's Treasure."
It was Judy who took the initiative. She crouched down and plucked the light from its hiding place. Its light flashed in intensity for a brief second before the form of an object came into life in Judy's hand.
"A… pen?" Said Judy with confusion.
The standard looking ball-point pen sat motionless in her hand. It occasionally shimmered with iridescent light but no matter how anyone looked at it; it was just a regular pen. One you could probably find hiding in the bottom of a junk-filled draw. The only thing of note was the slightly chewed lid. "If this is the source of his desires… the kid has… issues." V remarked. Although she desperately wanted to investigate Mikoshi, she took the treasure from Judy and swiftly ordered everyone to leave.
The debris blocking the exit had been quickly blasted away using Mithras and within seconds they were back out in Mementos proper.
The vortex sealed itself up and the howling, moaning wind that was ever present in the tunnels briefly silenced. After the fact, V couldn't help but feel hollow. Or rather unsatisfied. Whatever mystery they had stumbled into had only grown. More questions arose than answers.
Not to mention the odd feeling of guilt.
Judging by everything V had learned about the Metaverse; had she just brainwashed someone into becoming something completely different?
As they walked the tunnels, V gripped the pen tightly.
"Arasaka must be making some sort of move if Mikoshi is turning up on this side of Mementos…" The merc was talking more to herself than the others. "Why the fuck is that damn thing here? What the fuck was it doing to Shiro's Shadow?"
"Questions for another day," River muttered, "that whole shitshow was a lot. We just have to take some time to think. Four R's remember?"
For the first time in a while, River had opted for a more tactful approach at calming V's nerves. She shot a surprised look. The man actually listened? She knew River was on the comms throughout the training session with the kids, but she figured he was too busy patrolling the area to pay attention.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it." She sagged her shoulders and sighed in defeat.
The crack and hiss of gas was a satisfying accompaniment to the surprising comfort of the old theatre seats.
The soda on this side of the Metaverse was almost addicting. Although anything would be miles better than a Nicola. V gulped the carbonated goodness like a champ and finally let out a loud belch. To the chagrin of a certain techy. Even if it was a regular occurance, the Mox was still disgruntled by it.
River more so.
Thankfully, both knew better than to make a thing of it. V may have outwardly been keeping it together, but both River and Judy knew she was keeping everything bottled up and locked deep inside.
Like usual.
An awkward silence followed which only served to irritate V even more. Finally, she gave up and broke the silence herself. "Mikoshi - what was it doing in the Metaverse?" Instead of lashing out like she wanted too, she posed a question to get everyone talking. "And why was it in some random ass salary man's Seedling Palace?"
"It kind'a looked like it was suckin' Shiro's Shadow dry." Judy picked up what V had put down. She tapped a finger against her thigh and the telltale blue glow of her eyes told V she was likely looking back through her visual archives. "Siphonin' somethin' from him."
"Like a fuel source?" River asked.
"Using the human soul as a fuel source. Why does that sound so fucking familiar?" V grunted and rubbed her eyes in frustration. "Only this time they're literally doing it instead of just metaphorically… fuckin' 'Saka." She sank lower into her seat and propped her feet on the make-shift table. "I guess Felix was right."
"Have you seen him again?"
V shook her head wordlessly.
Then the shrill tone of her phone rang through the air. A call from an unknown number. She looked at the phone quizzically and cautiously answered with a "Hello?"
"Ah! Ms. V! It's me, Lala." The familiar rough voice was oddly calming to hear.
"Something happen?"
"Yes, actually. You asked that I call you in case something else happened with Young Shiro. Well he came in around twenty minutes ago and apologised for his foul behaviour. He's been going around the area saying his piece to all the business owners he's caused trouble for."
V's brow rose. That was certainly a quick transformation. It was only an hour before that they had stolen the Treasure. In response, she let a quiet hum escape.
"There is something else. He apparently doesn't remember what he was ranting about. Like it was wiped from his memory completely."
"That's… concerning," said V, "well… at least he's quit the bullshit."
Lala replied with her own humming grumble. There was a lingering moment of dead air before Lala's voice spoke back up. "Well, I thought I should let you know. Would you mind if I kept your number? I'll never know when I'll be in need of a… ahem… 'problem solver'."
The subtext was as clear as day. Lala knew full well what that particular euphemism meant.
Although what a small time cocktail bar owner would need a mercenary for was beyond V. Still, if it meant a source of income, who was she to refuse. As such, she replied; "sure. Go for it. Don't work for free, though."
"Of course. For now, enjoy your evening. Tootle-oo!"
With a click, the line went silent. The sensation that had become somewhat normal by now gradually built in V's chest.
I am thou, thou art I.
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Devil Persona, thou hast attained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.
It almost felt like an incredibly faint high. Muted and barely there, but just enough to fire off a burst of dopamine. Although V didn't particularly understand, it was abundantly clear that these sensations and voices meant she was getting stronger in some way. A sense of moving forward to some unknown goal.
Felix mentioned bonds and the power they could bring. Was this what he meant?
Either way, the whole call had been taken on speaker, so there was little need to fill in her two companions. With one thread tied up, there were still billions more.
V sighed and took another gulp of her soda. "Whatever happened to Shiro is probably happening to other people. I can't imagine Arasaka only having a single source of… whatever the fuck Shadows have." She was talking through it more to herself than River or Judy. "Maybe an investigation of NC's Mementos might turn something up."
Both Judy and River nodded in agreement.
They had yet to actually enter the interior of Night City's Mementos so they really had no clue as to what to expect. Tokyo's Mementos was filled with impossible tunnels and twisted waystations. It was a subway, yes, but it was also completely nonsensical and sanity shattering to comprehend. An amalgamation of the collective cognition of an entire city. If they were going to delve in, they needed to prepare.
And they needed help.
"I don't feel good about it… but we should probably bring the kids in on this. They've got experience with the Metaverse. Experience we need if we want to have a chance." V's expression was sour as she spoke.
She hated the thought of throwing kids into the deep end of what essentially was the collective cognition of one of the most corrupt cities in the world. But V had made the promise of putting more faith into her friends and allies. The promise of not shouldering everything herself. It had proven difficult to rewire her brain, but she felt like she had at least taken strides in that pursuit. Still, it left a foul taste in her mouth.
"Fuck me sideways and call me Fingers…" the merc sank further into her seat. Further than what was probably healthy. "I thought I was done with 'Saka. It was Johnny's beef, not mine. But… I can't really sit by while the fuckers turn people into glorified soul batteries."
Wednesday - May 25th
Rogue's brow furrowed as her gaze peered deep into V's presence. The music and ambiance of the Afterlife was a dull thumping up in the Fixer's personal office, muted but still ever present. Even if it wasn't even midday, people were still pounding back hard liquor like their lives depended on it down in the bar. From the window in Rogue's office, V could see Clair going about her work as dutifully as usual.
A few familiar faces dotted the various booths and bar stools. People she had worked gigs with. Fellow Edgerunners.
But now was not the time for a trip through memory lane. Rogue continued glaring and studying all while casually sitting on the other side of her utilitarian desk. Even still, V didn't lose her own composure. By now, she was used to Rogue's subtle intensity. That and there was a deep mutual respect between the two.
"V, what you're asking for is… a lot." Rogue finally broke the silence.
"You know I got the eddies."
The Fixer shook her head and leant back in her chair. "Eddies aren't the issue. First of all, I thought you were done with fucking with Arasaka."
"So did I. Something… came up."
"Second of all, why the fuck is there a cat on your shoulder?"
V had almost forgotten Morgana had decided to accompany her for this particular visit. The merc gently scratched his ear and shrugged. "New pet. Don't worry about him." Rogue seemed irritated but let it go regardless.
"Whatever…" she began and dragged a data terminal out of a draw, "so, you're back on the 'let's fuck up Arasaka' bandwagon. Can't say that's the smartest thing in the world given your track record… but I ain't your mother." Nimbly, she typed away at the terminal. "Disappearances, Cyberpsychosis incidents, MaxTac call outs… BD exports. Girl, you've got one hell of a shopping list."
V shrugged once more. "I have a lot of ground to cover."
"No shit." Rogue fell silent as she studied her terminal and occasionally looked at something on her Kiroshis. She continued her work for what felt like an eternity. V felt Morgana start to fidget and quietly grunted as the cat's claws dug into her shoulder. "Well, looks like there's a couple of leads." Finally Rogue looked back to V. "MaxTac took in a Cyberpsycho about two hours ago. Alive if you can believe it. Not their usual MO. The guy was saying some gonk shit about a Radiant Blue One. Shot up a sushi stand and trashed the local market. Looks like he zeroed a few civvies."
"Alive? Huh…"
V's surprise had apparently perked Morgana's curiosity. "Is… that not normal?" Rogue's brow perked. To her, Morgana sounded like a regular cat. Instead of actually responding, V gave a pointed glance. It seemed the message was clearly conveyed.
That aside, one thing did stand out.
"Radiant Blue One… heard that before. Hm… some kind of AI from the Blackwall?"
"Unlikely. Only one to come through that was Alt and she's already taken herself off back through…" Rogue paused and her lips tightened. "With Johnny in tow." For a full minute, Rogue stared into the metaphorical abyss. She then sighed. "Anyway, MaxTac won't let you anywhere near this guy if that's your plan."
"Just need his name."
Rogue's leer once again pierced straight into V's soul. The merc was unwavering but Morgana was starting to tremble. He wasn't even the focus of Rogue's trademarked scrutiny.
V took the hint and with a quick motion, she transferred a hefty amount of eddies over to Rogue.
The fixer nodded and removed a data shard from the terminal. With mild hesitancy - or perhaps curiosity - she held out the shard. She then smirked after V took it. "Careful, V. I'd rather not have to send another crew to pull you out of the rubble like last time."
"Aw, you do care!"
The Fixer flipped the bird and with their business concluded they bid each other farewell. Once V had left the bar and was back on the street, Morgana couldn't hold his tongue any longer.
"That was one scary lady. How did you keep your nerve!?"
V could only laugh. "You get used to her. Eventually." She briefly pondered on her experiences when dealing with Rogue. She was a hard ass to be sure. Cold, calculating, manipulative. Everything a Fixer needed to be. But she was also genuine. A straight shooter. Something that was incredibly rare in Night City. "Why did you want to tag along, anyway?"
"Lynn almost got caught smuggling me around school so she's not letting me join her for a while." The cat sighed. "I'm bored."
"Sure it's not Nibbles you're interested in seeing again?"
"W-what!? Of course not! Don't be stupid!"
V cackled and began her journey back to her NC apartment. All the while Morgana constantly rambled about definitely not liking the sphynx cat in any way.
"Andrew Carson."
Everyone looked up in confusion, some still with mouths filled with takeout.
After V's solo trip to NC, she had walked into the movie theatre's attic to the sight of River, Judy and all the kids chowing down on what smelled like chinese food. River wiped away the grease on his lips and nodded a greeting.
"Who?"
"Next lead." V took a seat on an unopened crate and picked up whatever was currently unaccounted for. Noodles with lumps of beef and fried beansprouts. "Rogue dug him up. Cyberpsycho incident. MaxTac actually took him alive."
"Oh shit. Sounds serious." Judy raised an eyebrow. Much to the confusion of the kids, the three exchanged knowing nods.
"I guess we'll talk about it later," V's eyes lolled towards Lynn and the others. They were obviously already in the middle of a meeting or some kind of strategy session. Judging by how Mona was with V all day, it was probably safe to assume nothing important was discussed yet. "So, what's going on with the Madarame thing?"
Lynn was the one to step up with an answer.
"We've hit a roadblock. Something we need your advice on." Her tone was unsure of itself. Whatever this roadblock was, it sounded as though it came with some nasty moral conundrums. Why Lynn wanted V's advice on that was beyond the merc. "We've got a theory but to test it… we need to… kind'a…"
"Spin it."
"Break into Madarame's home while he's there and have him witness us unlock a specific door."
"Well, that's certainly a roadblock." V muttered as she began eating. "You know anything about good ol' B and E?" The question earned one hell of an incredulous glare from Lynn. V chuckled and thought for a moment. "You could always stage a home invasion. Force your way in, steal some shit and bust down this door of yours."
"Not… going to happen." That was Ann who looked incredibly distressed at the mere thought.
Of course V knew that. It was meant only as a joke. Even if it was typically what she would have done herself. If the whole idea was to intentionally get caught, the obvious solution was to barter entry and have someone sneak off to pick the lock. But from what the thieves had said, they had been completely barred entry.
Then an idea came to mind. A devious grin crawled over V's lips.
The thieves might have been cut off.
But V Team was a complete unknown.
"Looks like she's got somethin' up her sleeve." Ryuji's grin had begun to match V's. The merc nodded and then turned to River.
"How do you feel about becoming an artist?"
"... Oh fuck you." The ex cop caught on immediately and with an initial gut reaction, he wanted to refuse. At least, he wanted to. Then he saw all the kids turn their hopeful gaze in his direction. The plan was quite obvious to everyone now. There was no escape. As such, River slouched in defeat. "Fine. Fine. Ishida said he was looking for new students, anyway… but I bet Madarame'll need some kind of example of my supposed talent." He huffed at that. "Talent I don't have, mind you."
"We'll just get something from back home. Different world so no chance of Madarame recognising it."
V's solution made the most sense. To a certain extent. The art world of Night City was strictly for the upper echelons of society. That said, it wasn't too difficult to procure pieces if you knew where to look and who to target. There was definitely no shortage of rich assholes who wouldn't particularly miss stolen art.
Now with that decided upon, Lynn spoke up after finishing her food; "so what was that about the next lead?"
V fell silent for a moment. Using her meal as an excuse to stall. She still hated the idea of bringing the thieves into this mess, but the V Team had agreed it was the best course of action. She finally sighed. This wasn't how she wanted to bring them in, but they were here now.
"We've uncovered something," she began, "something from our side of the Metaverse has appeared on this side. Something I thought I completely destroyed. Mikoshi. In its original form, it was a massive server bank containing countless digitised engrams of people. Actual people. Converted down into nothing but data."
"Holy shit… that sounds effed up…"
"More than you could imagine." V retorted. "Quite a while ago, I wound up with one of these engrams stuck in my head. His name was Johnny Silverhand, a rockerboy turned terrorist from fifty years ago. Uh… fifty years from my time. He'd actually be at the midpoint of his rock career in this world."
As the kids sat and listened, both River and Judy took it upon themselves to clean up the mass of takeout containers and empty soda cans. All things considered, it was quite the feast. Once they were done, they decided to leave V to it and went off to do their own things around the attic.
"Anyway," V shook herself out of a growing depression, "Johnny's gone now and Mikoshi should have gone with him. Apparently fuckin' not. Yuuki put us on a trail for a Mementos job as you know. That's when we found Mikoshi. Our target's Shadow was hung from Mikoshi, wrapped in cables and wires digging into the skin. It was sucking something out of his poor ass. Judy thinks it's extracting some kind of… I don't fucking know… soul energy."
A quick gasp from Morgana brought attention to the lounging feline.
He was caught mid groom and the talk of sucking out soul energy had caused him to nearly choke on his own fur.
"That… sounds dangerous…" he managed to stammer between small coughing bursts. "Shadows are a part of the real person. They're a manifestation of their true nature. They also harbour a lot of power, enough to carve out their own piece of Mementos. Killing the Shadow would no doubt have an incredibly negative effect on the real person. It might even kill them…"
V pinched the bridge of her nose and sorted through her own thoughts before continuing.
"Right. Another part of that job involved the real person going completely berserk, ranting and raving about things from Night City. Arasaka to be specific. The corp that made Mikoshi. They also obsessed over something called the 'Radiant Blue One.'" V paused, hoping someone would have a sudden bout of recognition. When no one made any move, she continued. "We dealt with the Seedling Palace without being able to properly investigate Mikoshi. So, I went back to Night City earlier today to get in touch with a Fixer I know."
"I still have the chills thinking about that stare of hers…" Morgana added.
V shrugged and repeated the same mantra as before; "you get used to her, eventually."
Each of the thieves gave Morgana a curious look. Ryuji was actually jealous of him. Being the only one to have visited the - quote - 'badass future cyborg's' world.
"Anyway," V cleared her throat, "she managed to dig up Andrew Carson."
Now the initial explanation was over, both River and Judy had since rejoined the group. It was briefing time, and in true fashion, V dragged out a whiteboard from an alcove. The wheels clacked over the laminate flooring and with a quick flourish, V jotted down the name.
"Also known as 'Cook.'" She scribbled the nickname and drew a line swishing to one side of the board. "Ex-Military. Chromed out to fuck. After his service he made his living as a chef in one of Sixth Street's fronts. A dive named 'Black Powder Steakhouse.'" She scribbled down each name as she spoke. Thanks to her Kiroshis, she was able to do so in both English and Kanji. At the mention of Sixth Street, Morgana made an odd noise and prompted various looks in his direction.
Given his knowledge of V's past, the Merc could tell he was at least partially worried for her.
In response, she shot him a glare and ever so gently shook her head.
"Earlier today he suddenly went on a rampage. Gunned down some civvies, trashed a few businesses. All while screaming about a Radiant Blue One. MaxTac got called in and - instead of straight up flatlining him like they usually would - they took him alive. Already checked the nav and wouldn't you know it; Seedling Palace."
"Convenient…" River mumbled.
V agreed.
"No fucking chance we're getting to the real Andrew," V laughed, "but we can still check out his Seedling Palace."
At this point, V had finished her scribbling and stepped back from the board. The centre had the name 'Radiant Blue One' with various lines connecting to their current leads. Shiro and Mikoshi. Andrew and MaxTac. It looked like the start of a nut-job's conspiracy board.
The merc then turned back to the kids. Her expression hardened.
"Let's cut a deal." She began with a stern leer. "Help us investigate Andrew's Seedling Palace tomorrow. We need your experience with this Metaverse bullshit. We go in, see what the hell's happening, we head back out. Help us, then we'll get that door open for you; guaranteed."
"I ain't about to refuse somethin' this effin' cool! Count me in!" Ryuji's enthusiasm may have been admirable, yet V couldn't help but worry he wasn't seeing the potential dangers.
The other thieves were less enthusiastic. Understandably so.
Lynn's expression was a mix of impossible to decipher emotions. Shiho and Ann were both holding each other's gaze with a concerned expression.
Morgana - being the only one to have experienced Night City - simply sat and waited, resigned to whatever fate the others bestowed on him. The merc knew full well he wasn't overly excited at another stint in NC, but judging from previous experiences, he seemed to have warmed up to it somewhat.
"Does this mean we'll be going to your world, V?" Shiho asked, finally breaking from Ann. V nodded, prompting a long pause from the girl. "I think it might be a good experience. Plus… the thought of time travelling is pretty awesome."
"Atta girl!" The blond boy beamed with triumph.
One after the other, everyone else agreed. Lynn was the last to speak up. "You've done a lot for us already. So it's only fair we do something for you in return."
With everything settled, it was high time the kids got off home, leaving River, Judy and V alone once more. The mystery was still rife with questions and very few answers, but they had at least something to go on. As little as it seemed right now, it was still something. V had more than enough experience dealing with impossible odds. Clawing and fighting until the bitter end. Hopefully, whatever rabbit hole they had uncovered wouldn't come to that.
As Judy and V settled in for the night, the techy rolled over to face her partner.
Immediately, the atmosphere surrounding them held a strange feeling. Like energy pulsing through the air, free and chaotic.
For a straight minute, Judy stared deeply into V's eyes. As if trying to meld into her soul.
"I know I've been an ass recently." She quietly whispered. Even if River was in another room, she still wanted to keep her words strictly for V alone. "Well… not really an ass… but. Ah fuck it, I ain't good with this gooey shit."
Normally, V would have retorted with a smirk and some witty comment.
Not this time. She instead remained silent and waited. Listening.
"What I wanna say is… ugh…" Judy furrowed her brow. V still remained silent, but she couldn't help but allow a tiny smile to pull at her lips. It was always so endearing watching Judy struggle with her emotions. "I just wanna say I love you. I poke fun at you and make gonk remarks, but you know that I really do love you, right?"
"It was never in question, y' gonk!" V lightly tapped Judy's forehead with a finger. "I'm not the easiest person to love. Don't do myself any favours, that's for sure."
"But you're tryin'. And that's what matters to me."
The two shared a kiss.
The simple act of affection was common between them, but tonight felt different. The sensation of the contact sent electricity all throughout V's body. The kiss turned into another, longer embrace. V's heart pounded as she fell into bliss. It wasn't lustful passion. It wasn't a primal urge. It was love. Pure and simple.
They wordlessly wrapped themselves in their own little world for a sweet few more minutes before reluctantly breaking away.
The light dusting of Judy's blush was nearly enough for V to give in and rush in for another bout of kissing. Instead, the couple held each other in a comfortable silence. Enjoying each other's presence as it soothed all the stresses they had built up over the past few weeks. V wanted the moment to last forever.
"We're a couple'a cases, eh? Whatever issues we have, I want us to work through 'em together. As gonk as it sounds, I wanna spend the rest of our lives together…"
"Judy, are… you…"
V couldn't finish her question. A sudden rush of emotion balled up in her chest. The look in Judy's eyes was all the confirmation V needed. The follow up was just a bonus;
"Will you marry me?"
"Of course I fuckin' will."
They locked into another kiss. The pulsing energy reached a crescendo and the rush of dopamine was overwhelming. Each touch sent electricity through her body as she went into complete emotional overdrive.
Finally, their kissing faded and once more, they returned to a comfortable silence.
As they lay in bed, both their eyes grew heavier and soon they both fell asleep entwined in each other's arms.
Whatever tomorrow might have brought, V fell asleep content in knowing they'd face it together.
I am thou, thou art I.
Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath.
Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion and break the yoke of thy heart.
Thou hast awoken to the ultimate secret of the Magician, granting thee infinite power.
Thursday - May 26th
"So this one's a kitchen, huh?"
River looked on over the Seedling Palace. The paths in Night City's Mementos leading up to it weren't completely unlike those of Tokyo's Mementos. The most pressing difference was the general aesthetic. Instead of the dark tunnels of a subway line, it was the halls, balconies and passages of a megabuilding.
Dilapidated and covered in the same mass of twisted veins.
Another similarity between the two was the general set-up of its Seedling Palaces. Giant motes of land floating in the endless abyss.
Andrew Carson's had indeed taken the form of a kitchen.
An eerily quiet kitchen.
One that looked straight out of Konpeki Plaza. High end equipment, polished utensils, shining tile floors, the complete works.
Morgana wandered deeper into the area and hopped atop a counter. There was a workstation that had half finished food prep sprawled over it. Like whoever was working had suddenly stopped and left without cleaning.
The cat hummed to himself.
"Well, this Andrew guy is still very much alive," he said, poking a peeled potato with a foot. "If he wasn't, this Seedling wouldn't be here. I'm a little concerned about the lack of activity, though…"
Everyone agreed. It was far too quiet even for a Seedling.
There were no Shadows in sight, nor anything coming up on the Mona-Dar. This place was just empty. Lifeless.
Judy had joined Morgana in the inspection of the workstation. Whatever was being prepped wasn't necessarily a complex recipe. The beginnings of a broth bubbled on a nearby stove top. Vegetables lay waiting to be washed and chopped. Meat lay waiting to be seasoned. It was pretty standard. What wasn't standard was the level of quality the ingredients seemed to have.
Everything was fresh. Organic. No synthetic substitutes in sight.
Definitely not the kind of thing a chef working in a gang owned dive would be working with.
"Just throwin' out a theory; do y' reckon they might have done somethin' to the real Andrew? Like… rendered him braindead?"
Mona thought for a moment. "I… don't think so. Seedling Palaces form from the growing distortion of someone's desires. If he was braindead, there wouldn't be any desires to distort and sustain this Palace." His reply prompted a frustrated huff. One that rippled through everyone, one at a time. "Maybe… sedated. The air does feel sluggish."
Once the cat brought that observation up, V instantly took notice too.
Mementos' air was pretty stagnant to begin with, but in this Seedling, it felt moreso. Thick, even. Not completely unlike how it felt when V first came to the Metaverse.
"This is uncharted territory for me. No fucking clue what standard MaxTac procedure is for suspects they take in alive. I don't think they have a standard procedure." A frown rivalling Takemura pressed heavily against River's lips. Even during his days on the force, the man never liked MaxTac. A fact he wasn't ashamed of talking about during the many drinking sessions he had with V. "Let's look around some more. Might turn up some kind of lead."
The group then split up into teams of two. They fanned out and began the process of a thorough investigation.
Oddly, V hadn't ended up with Judy. The techy had instead stayed with Morgana. Granted the cat spouted some burning desire to partner with 'Lady Ann'. A desire that was swiftly denied by the girl herself.
Instead, V was stuck with none other than Ryuji.
Awkward as not speaking the same language was, the two didn't seem to have much issue silently working together.
Though Ryuji's dying need to start talking was obvious. His quick glances and nervous fidgeting didn't help the matter.
A few minutes passed and after V had dug through a set of draws containing nothing but cookware and crockery, she sighed and flicked out her phone. Quickly, she typed out something and showed the screen to Ryuji. He was caught off guard and let out a surprised yelp. The phone displayed text in clear Japanese.
"Looks like you have something on your mind."
He read the message and from under the skull mask, V could see his eyes widen, then look away bashfully.
He tried looking up at her, only to falter and return to staring at his boots. This repeated for two more times before V growled in frustration. She couldn't exactly hold it against him. The two hadn't been alone before and Ryuji seemed like the kind of person to thrive better with more people around.
Finally, he steeled himself enough to hold eye contact.
"What… what's it like havin' prosthetics? Can you… like… feel 'em?"
The subject of cyberware was quite a common one. It was on par with asking about someone's tattoos. For a moment, V thought it completely absurd Ryuji was so reluctant about asking. She then managed to switch her mindset to Ryuji's reality.
He likely thought it devastatingly offensive to even bring up the subject.
She then decided to give him a reassuring smile. She tapped away at the phone as quickly as she could to reply.
"Feel them like they were my originals."
Ryuji once more read through the text. Coupled with V's smile and the genuine nature of the reply, he seemed a bit more open about the subject. His shoulders visibly relaxed and his constant looking away stopped. "So cool…" he breathed as V caught him admiring her exposed arms. He then glanced down at his own leg, the one V had noticed was messed up in some fashion.
V tapped away; "Thinking of getting chromed up?"
The boy gasped at the question and had the look of someone who had just been caught red handed. He gave a sheepish chuckle and nodded. "My leg's been busted ever since that bastard Kamoshida broke it. Long story."
V studied Ryuji with an intense gaze.
Getting chrome might have been like getting a tattoo to the regular Night City citizen, but it was still incredibly invasive and not without risk. It was a huge decision and - unlike tattoos - was completely irreversible. Ryuji struck her as the sort of boy to dive head first into something without properly thinking it through. He reminded her of herself in that regard.
"I can only take you to my Ripper. However, talk to everyone first." That at least was enough for Ryuji to agree. They then went back to work.
But no matter how they looked at the area, there was absolutely nothing.
Another set of draws, another set of cookware. Cabinets filled with ingredients. Condiment racks. All standard fare for a commercial kitchen. V quickly glanced over to the other groups. Their lethargic movements conveyed they too were having no luck.
"This is fucking rediculous…" V muttered, slamming a cupboard shut. The metallic clang resonated through the area and despite there being no walls, it echoed.
"Anything over there, Skull?" V heard Lynn call from one end of the kitchen. The boy growled and shook his head. He even made a thumbs-down gesture. By now, there should have been at least some sort of hint. Even if it was the Seedling treasure.
In a burst of frustration, V spiked a tomato into the ground. As expected, it completely exploded and painted the floor and cabinets in a thin layer of goopy red goodness.
Then something caught her eye.
A slightly uneven patch of tiles.
Insignificant under normal circumstances. But if this kitchen was modelled to resemble a high end, luxurious and professional kitchen, something like uneven flooring just wasn't going to be a thing.
She lowered to a knee and inspected it more closely.
"A… door." She muttered, earning the attention of her current partner.
"Found somethin', Merc?"
She quickly nodded and moved to feel the floor with a finger. The slightly raised area gave way under her touch. Much like a large button. She pushed down and a metallic hissing noise sent a gust of compressed air gushing from the edges of the raised area. The floor then began to glow an ominous blue as the tiles folded in on themselves. Within seconds, a decently sized opening appeared on the floor. Accompanied by a cold stone staircase leading down into inky darkness. As she studied the new passage, V felt a hearty pat strike her shoulder.
Ryuji let out a joyous yell. "Alright, Merc! Hey guys! Merc found a cool secret passage!"
Everyone regrouped around the new passage, crowding around it with uncertainty in the air. This was definitely new to a Seedling Palace. Getting a flashlight from Judy, V tried shining it down into the stairwell.
The darkness refused to shift.
It was like the light simply stopped existing as soon as it touched the edges of shadow.
"Why do I get the feelin' we're bein' watched?" No sooner had the words left Judy's lips had a large bloodshot eye burst open as if floating within the shadow itself.
An ear splitting cry rocked the ground and a burst of force sent everyone in different directions.
A mass of liquid shadow erupted from the passage and with speed greater than anything V had seen before, it zipped around and slammed into the floor a few feet away from the passage. At first, it resembled a mass of pulsing black liquid swirling midair. It then began to sprout limbs in an unnatural, jerky fashion. The eye remained wide open and erratically looked around, its pupil refusing to focus on one thing for more than a second. Disturbingly, the eye took up nearly the entire head-like protrusion.
Once it assumed its form of a tall and gaunt humanoid, it began to move with jerky motions. Snapping and clicking sounds creaked from its body with each action.
"What… the fuck is that!?" V barely managed to stammer.
Morgana was seemingly in a full on panicked confusion. "It feels like a Persona! But… where's its user?"
There was no time to answer. The creature lunged forward and slashed the air, raking its newly formed claws across stainless steel countertops. Sprays of liquid arched in line with the creature's motions. They collided with several surfaces and a very distinct hissing erupted from each puddle.
"Oh fuck me running… ACID!" Cried V, jumping backwards and narrowly avoiding an incoming globule.
She returned fire, running for cover as she did so. Everyone else had a similar idea.
"Skull, Panther, use Carmen and Kidd to keep it busy!" Lynn's voice called out over the cacophony of gunfire. Her tone was solid and self assured. "Hunter, get Boudica ready. We're going to take that thing down." That was all well and good, V thought, but how they were actually going to do that was another matter entirely.
Still, the kiddo was learning.
From what data V had collected on the various Personas at the thieves disposal, Captain Kidd was excellent at garnering attention. Loud, flashy and tough. Meanwhile, Carmen's attack power and healing capabilities were a perfect combination. V then looked towards Morgana, although Lynn had yet to issue him a direct order, he seemed to know exactly what to do.
As the thieves dedicated healer, his job was to stay back and provide support only when necessary.
Bursts of power exploded from all corners of the kitchen. A flash of lightning and a roar of flame. The two Personas appeared in kind. Without missing a beat, both Carmen and Captain Kidd charged in to engage the black creature.
Out of the corner of V's eye, she glimpsed Lynn and Shiho slide behind a worktop. A brief glint of silver shone from underneath the domino mask and V could clearly see a toothy grin pulling at Lynn's lips. Not one to be out done, V turned to Judy who was now mere millimetres from the merc's face.
"Carson's a Night City ganger. That might mean he's got a subnet in here. Think you could try getting in and uploading a Ping Daemon?"
Judy wasted no time, nodded and fished a small, portable terminal from one of her pouches.
"Might take some time breakin' through the ICE. Keep 'em off me."
Both V and River were one step ahead. Entering a full on defensive posture, V laid down suppressing fire on the creature.
Or rather, pot shots as Kidd was doing a mighty fine job of keeping the thing occupied.
The creature lurched forward and attempted to claw at Kidd. The attack struck true and the skeletal pirate grunted as hissing erupted from the torn fabric of his coat. [That be an expensive garment y' be ruinin'! I'll be takin' repayment out yer hide, y' scallywag!] The pirate let out a rattling cackle, levelling his arm cannon at the creature. Thunder cracked the air as lightning charged shots blasted the creature, knocking it back.
Carmen wasn't far behind with a controlled stream of searing flame.
The creature screeched and backed away to regain its footing.
Ichor dripped from its body like an oil leak, pooling on the floor before dissolving into vapour. Its eye moved much more erratically now. It was sickening to look at.
It shook off its staggered footing and returned the assault. Oily acid flew at the two Personas and with barely a millisecond to spare, both narrowly avoided it. They split apart and flanked the creature.
[Not how I imagined my evening turning out, but I don't mind going in from behind.]
[Ya'har! That be a mighty idea! Take it from both ends!]
V barely made out Ann's desperate plea; "God… stop you two!"
She definitely heard Lynn's childish giggle from across the way. Even the merc had to admit the back and forth was amusing.
With perfect sync, both Kidd and Carmen lunged forward. Kidd's weapon morphed into the gleaming black scimitar and Carmen made a motion like she was about to stomp on the creature. The needle sharp point of the Persona's heel made contact at precisely the same moment as Kidd's own attack.
Effectively pinned against two Persona, the creature writhed in agony. It flailed and clawed but couldn't find any purchase.
It was - however - still very much alive.
"Skull! Panther! Now!" Lynn's voice bellowed over the sounds of shrieks and cries. A beat later, both Kidd and Carmen dashed away and out of immediate engagement. It was then that Shiho and Lynn performed their part of the fight. "Shiki-Ouji!"
"Boudica!"
The statuesque form of Boudica erupted from a blinding burst of pure light. Alongside the warrior, a whirlwind of paper and strange sigils formed a large humanoid figure. A creature made of origami resembling something like a samurai.
Shiki-Ouiji's arms reached out and with a strange red glow, channelled some unknown energy into Boudica.
Near instantly, Boudica's muscles tensed and her flaming hair surged with intensity.
In the next moment, Shiho and Boudica acted in perfect sync as once again, they performed a combined attack of pure annihilation. Blinding radiant light seared the area and engulfed the creature. Everyone shuddered at the shrieks and sounds of wet crunching. It was a solid few seconds before the blast settled and the area dimmed to bearable levels.
There, stood motionless in the centre of the crater - created by the blast - was the steaming figure of the creature. Leant backwards and grasping at the air in a motionless panic, its liquid hide solidifying like a statue. The eye had finally stopped moving and was now slowly glazing over.
The entire Seedling Palace fell deafeningly silent.
"Did we… do it?" Shiho fell to her knees as Boudica pounded a fist to her chest and disappeared back into Shiho's soul.
Lynn caught the girl before she fully fell and gave a questioning look to any of the others she could see. V looked down into the destroyed crater. Ash was beginning to flake off the creature's body. From a cursory glance, they had indeed done it. That said, they made that mistake once before. Leading to a near catastrophic result.
"Hold position!" V called. She briefly addressed Judy; "keep doing your thing, babe. Badges, cover her. This might not be over yet."
The merc then stepped out of her cover and inched her way towards the edge of the crater.
The creature had yet to move again, but she wasn't convinced.
Carefully and slowly she took aim with Seraph.
Her eyes narrowed and her trigger finger tensed. Cautiously, she began to pull the trigger. Then there was movement.
One of the creature's claws twitched.
Creaking and groaning began to creep through the thick air. Then a large crack burst open, running up the creature's torso. Explosive movements jolted the creature as it broke out of its hardened shell. The pupil of its large eye dilated and contracted quicker than what was natural. From the crack, protrusions sprouted. Sharp and bone-like.
Teeth.
The maw shrieked and sprayed a gout of black acid.
Immediately, V opened fire. Only to witness a third arm-like appendage burst from within the maw - like some twisted tongue - and deflect the bullets with blinding speed.
"Fuck! Everyone get to cover!" V bellowed as the creature leapt from the crater, straight for her.
She braced for impact and the weight of whatever this thing was crashed against her with the force of a raging bull. She dug her heels in and tried her best to push back. Even staring into the gaping, toothy maw, she held fast.
As V wrestled with the beast, bullets from all angles began pelting against the creature's hide. It faltered for a brief moment, before a fourth arm erupted from its back. Each bullet was blocked and batted away.
The eye was now focused solely on V with a disturbingly static leer.
"Ever heard of a fucking breath mint?" V growled. A flash of blue energy shimmered over her arms. She grinned and called out to the depths of her soul. "Mithras!"
The blue energy roared and out from V's back, the adonis figure of the Sun Diety emerged as if breaking the surface of water. In a fluid motion, Mithras glided through the air and flanked the beast. He then brought down his gladius with deadly intent. Its celestial blade pierced cleanly into the inky black. Gouts of ichor sprayed up from the wound. The beast roared and raked its fourth arm against Mithras' torso.
"Hunter, got another in you!?"
Despite the wound, the beast was still unrelenting and single minded. All its energy was currently devoted to overpowering V. A goal it was slowly beginning to achieve.
"That's a negative, Merc!" Lynn was the one to reply. A sinking feeling gripped V's chest. She could feel her legs beginning to buckle. Even with Mithras doing his best, contending with the fourth limb, this was a grapple V was losing.
[Hold fast, Warrior. My strength is yours!] Mithras retreated from engagement and with movements like a falling star, the Sun Diety dove back into V's body. The blue energy returned and this time, it roared with blazing strength. V took a step forward, gaining some ground back against the tide.
"Captain Kidd!"
"Carmen!"
"Berith!"
V didn't necessarily see the explosions of power. She felt them.
Each burst thundered through her very being and with it, she took another step. "Get fucked!" She roared before giving an almighty grunt. She threw the beast wholesale into the air, a repelling force of blue energy catapulting the beast.
First was lightning, then raging flame. Then finally a deadly demonic trident.
Each blow blasted shreds from the creature's hide. Before finally, the trident appeared to pierce straight through whatever the creature considered as a heart. As it was held aloft, impaled on the trident, it struggled and growled in its final moments before finally slumping and dissolving into vapour. Leaving no trace of there ever being a creature at all.
Once more, the kitchen fell silent.
A moment passed.
Then another.
Nothing.
The threat was gone. Everyone visibly released their tension and quickly regrouped near where Judy was jacked in. It appeared she was still working on breaking the ICE.
Honestly, it was a crapshoot to begin with. There may not have even been a subnet anyway. As it turned out, there was.
Whether or not anything useful could be gleaned from it was yet to be seen.
"Is… she ok?" Ann hurriedly knelt down at the techy's side.
"She's fine. Just jacked into cyberspace," River replied, still in a sort of overwatch mode, "I barely understand it, though. I'm no netrunner."
"Technically neither is she, but she's the closest thing we've got to one."
As they conversed, a message popped up over V's holo. It was from Judy. It simply read [I can still hear you, babe.] V could only snort in amusement. Much to the confusion of everyone else. She winked and leant against a nearby counter. For now, all they could do was wait. Even still, there was still an edge to the atmosphere.
Morgana's statement before the fight began still scrolled through V's mind.
It felt like a Persona?
As the thought lingered, she noticed the cat in question pace up and down the counter top V had been leaning on. "Something about that thing…" he began, garnering the attention of the thieves. "It had the same presence as a Persona, like I said, but it was… different. Like it was feral."
"You mean like a wild animal?" Shiho's brow perked. Since the conflict had ended, the girl was starting to recover from exhaustion.
Morgana nodded. Concern rife on his rotund features.
"Feral's certainly one fucking word I could use…" V chimed in. "Completely fucking whacked is another."
Eventually, Judy rejoined the land of meatspace and gave a deep inhale of relief. "I'm through. Didn't have a lot'a time, though…" She withdrew her link from her portable device and dragged herself up to her feet. After a few deep breaths, she joined her girlfriend. "That passage over there goes deep. I sent a few probes into the net; no one else is here, no human anyway." Even with that said, Judy's expression had grown increasingly concerned. "We're not up against Arasaka, V…"
That struck a cold chord in V's spine. Her brow furrowed and as she tried racking her brain for another explanation, everyone could tell she was coming up empty. "... Then who?"
"Night Corp."
"Jesus fucking christ…"
Under her breath, V whispered her disgust. She was expecting something unsettling on the other side of the passage. What the group found was far beyond unsettling. A scene straight out of some kind of horror BD. A machine that looked identical to Mikoshi lay towards the far end of the room. Much like Shiro's Shadow, Andrew was strung up and wires dug into his skin. The red light of the machine pulsed an ominous dull glow over the dimly lit room.
It looked to be some kind of field research lab.
Several terminals, server banks, generators and other bits of tech lined the walls, leaving a mess of cables and wires snaking over the floor.
Andrew's Shadow had been reduced to a husk. Leathery skin stretched sickeningly over bone and muscle. His eyes were sunken and dark. Any semblance of colour had been completely sapped. And yet, the wires were still taking more.
It was enough to turn the stomach.
"This is… effed up…" Ryuji muttered in complete disbelief.
Sadly, the truth of the matter was this was somewhat tame compared to the grizzly underbelly of Night City. It still disgusted and infuriated V to no end. The fact Mikoshi was involved only added to her growing fury.
Still, they needed to get to the bottom of whatever was going on here.
"Merc, you might wanna take a look at this…"Judy had taken the initiative and had already begun to look through any of the still functioning terminals. V was quick to join her and looked at whatever Judy had found. From a cursory glance, it was a report. One that had yet to be encrypted. Which was quite unlike Night Corp.
Project: Shade
Progress Update
Our research into this newly discovered dimension - now designated as "The Shade" - is progressing quicker than expected. With the probes we sent in gathering data for us, we were able to avoid any unnecessary personnel deaths. After exploring the main structure of The Shade, we discovered that several miniature offshoots exist, each one apparently tied to an individual citizen of Night City.
These Offshoots contain or produce an enormous amount of energy.
One major problem we have encountered is the presence of strange entities. They are highly aggressive and incredibly deadly. We've had many incidents and engagements with these creatures leading to numerous casualties. The MaxTac boys are referring to them as "Shadewalkers." They exhibit extraordinary powers. Some even hold control over primordial elements such as fire, ice, electricity and wind. The potential behind these beings is infinite! If there were some way to tame and control them, we could utilise this power to great effect.
The development team believes they have a way to harness the energy the Offshoots produce. We were able to subtly acquire research data on Arasaka's Mikoshi project before it was destroyed. Using that technology and some of our own findings, we could extract the energy and use it for ourselves. Clean, reusable, unlimited energy. Freely available for all Night City!
As V read, her expression grew darker and darker. "This is dated… four months ago. So the missing people we were originally sent after were just… probes?" Her fists clenched tightly. Judy's nod confirmed as much. "Fucking corpos…"
"What should we do about… him…?" Shiho timidly spoke up and gestured to the emaciated husk of Andrew's shadow.
Grimmly, Morgana held an expression of absolute sorrow. "I don't think there's anything we can do. His cognition's been completely sucked dry. Even if we stole the treasure of this Seedling Palace, the real Andrew would never be the same. It'd be like his soul would be just… gone. The lights are on but nobody's home." The lab fell silent. Morgana's tone said it all.
"Mona, killing the Shadow will kill the real person, right?"
The cat nodded.
V returned the nod.
"Mox, grab everything you can from these terminals. Everyone else, go back to the entrance. I'll handle this."
Confidant Deep Dive - V
The Magician - Judy Álvarez
Judy and V's relationship started on a rough note in that they met thanks to Evelyn's hastily planned, high risk heist. A heist that sadly ended in spectacular tragedy. However, after clawing tooth and nail to save Evelyn from becoming the next Death's Head victim, Judy warmed up to V, eventually befriending her and developing a kind of respect for her willingness to do what needs to be done. After Evelyn's suicide, Judy was lost, distraught and incredibly depressed. V - either through a sense of responsibility or genuine compassion - did everything in her power to help Judy through the loss. Despite having her own problems. It was during this time that romantic feelings began to develop between the two. Their feelings grew to a breaking point just after the Clouds raid and take over. The two have been dating ever since. Their love for each other has been tested time and again, but they have made the ultimate commitment to be together through thick and thin.
The Empress - Rogue Amendiares
Under normal circumstances Rogue would never have given V the time of day. Just another garden variety Edgerunner with something to prove. That said, V turned out to be a unique case. Stalwart and gutsy, V earned Rogue's attention thanks to the advice of Johnny Silverhand. After proving a capable gun hand, V has earned Rogue's respect. Even if their relationship is largely business, Rogue has - incredibly rarely - demonstrated a softer side when dealing with V. Perhaps it may have had to do with the romantic moment Johnny and Rogue shared, or maybe V reminds her of how she used to be.
The Emperor - Sebastian "Padré" Ibarra
Much to his alias's namesake, Sebastian became the closest thing to a father figure V and - to a lesser extent - her brother has ever had. Even going as far as to give V her first gun - Seraph - in line with the Heywood tradition. Although V was never a member of the Valentinos, Sebastian still cared for her in her times of need. Now, V is one of Sebastian's go-to Edgerunners for the most high profile of contracts that come his way. Aside from that, he is always ready to welcome her with open arms and a wise word.