V awoke the next day feeling a bit less worse for wear than the day before. Her body still felt like a ton of bricks when she opened her eyes close to noon. She had a fitful sleep and had a feeling it would only get worse from here. Between her dreams and Johnny's memories, it seemed unlikely she would get any sort of peaceful rest from here on out.

As she slowly got up from her bed, V remembered her conversation with Mama Welles the evening before. Today was going to be Jackie's ofrenda and she had promised to be there. Without a single moment to spare, she sprung up from the mattress and quickly made her way over to the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, she got herself dressed and slipped into the kitchen for a quick meal. She grabbed something haphazardly from the fridge, pulling out a prepackaged breakfast burrito that she ate cold. She wanted to head over the Coyote Cojo as soon as possible to help Jackie's mom out with preparations. A lot of guilt was weighing on her mind and she wanted to make up for at least some part of it.

Once she had finished eating her poultry meal, she grabbed one of her jackets from the wardrobe and walked out of her apartment, making sure to lock the door behind her as she did. She then made her way downstairs and rounded the apartment building to retrieve her bike. Once she had mounted her motorcycle and slipped on her helmet, she kicked off in the direction of Heywood, where Mama Welles' bar was located.

It was still quite early in the day when she reached the family owned bar. There were barely any customers inside when V arrived. In the distance, she could hear Jackie's mom talking to someone. As she rounded the corner, she saw her speaking to Pepe, the Coyote's bartender. They were discussing whether or not to get rid of the large pool table in order to make more room for the ofrenda. When Mama Welles saw her approaching, she immediately turned her attention to her.

"V," she greeted her, sounding more dejected than she had ever been before. "Nice to see you."

She stretched out her arms and pulled V into a hug. V wrapped her arms around her, making sure not to squeeze her too hard with her cybernetic arms.

"I'm really happy to see you, Mama Welles," she said, still holding her.

They both stayed in each other's arms for a moment, almost not wanting to let go, but as they slipped out of each other's embrace, Mama Welles invited V over to sit at a nearby table.

"Oye, sit…" she insisted. "You want a beer?"

V walked over to the table and sat down on one of the stools. "Gladly."

Jackie's mom then grabbed a pair of bottles of Calavera Feliz from a case she had previously set down on the table. Using the edge of the table, she cracked open both bottles and handed one over to V.

"Salud," she said as she raised her bottle to V before taking a swig.

V imitated her, lifting her bottle to her before gulping down a long sip of beer.

"A loooot of time has passed," the Hispanic woman spoke. "How've you been?"

She felt a pang in her chest as she recalled everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. She pondered for a moment if she wanted to tell her what had happened, but figured it wouldn't be right to burden her with her problems while they were mourning her son.

"Hanging in there, somehow," she answered noncommittally.

Mama Welles nodded. "Somehow…" She then changed the subject. "You could have come over for dinner. Nuestra casa es tu casa."

"I know I-..." V felt her throat tighten suddenly as she struggled with her words. "Perdóname, Mama Welles."

"It's alright, V… We put it behind us, hm?"

She nodded in agreement.

"I was in the middle of preparing the bar for Jaquito's ofrenda when you arrived," Jackie's mom explained. "There's still so much to take care of…"

"Let me help you, Guadalupe," V pleaded with her. She wanted so badly to make up for the times she couldn't be there for her and her son.

"Gracias, mi niña, but I will manage. It's enough that you came today to say goodbye…"

V lowered her head. "Look I… I don't mean to sound ignorant or whatnot, but how exactly does this ofrenda thing work?"

Guadalupe smiled softly. "Friends and family gather to celebrate the departed, our memories of them. We bring things they loved in life and might need in the after."

A slight chuckle erupted from V's lips. "I'm sure beer would be at the top of Jackie's list."

His mom laughed softly as well. "And there will be plenty of beer."

V's smile only lingered for a few short moments. "I really want to participate, Guadalupe. I want to do things right and in line with your traditions, but…" She hesitated. "I'm afraid I have nothing to lay by Jackie's grave…"

"Your heart is in the right place, niña, so don't worry." She reached for V's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Look for something in his garage. His past is all there."

V stared at her, surprise washing over her features. "Jackie had a garage?"

"He used it for his motorcycle, mostly. He had moved in not so long ago. You'll find something there, I'm sure."

"You won't mind me digging through his stuff?"

"No mija. He's gone, and funerals are for the living, not the dead. Go ahead, take the key."

She pointed to the key she had left out on the table. V grabbed it between her fingers to look at it, then turned her attention back to Mama Welles.

"Thanks Lupe," she thanked her as she stuffed the key in her pocket.

"Don't mention it, V," Jackie's mom smiled. "You have respect. I admire that. You'll find the garage on Republic." She then waved at her. "Ahi te veo."

V got up from her stool and stepped forward to hug her once again. After sharing another tender embrace, the two women separated as V made her way out of the bar from the side entrance. As she started making her way down the alleyway towards where Mama Welles had said the garage was, she recognized a familiar figure sitting next to the garage door with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Misty?" V said as she approached.

"Hi, V…" Misty replied, seeming a little embarrassed.

"Did you come here all by yourself? This isn't exactly the safest neighborhood, you know."

Misty looked up at the metal stairs up above leading into the nearby apartments.

"I used to sit on the stairs when I was ten," she said calmly. "I'm twenty-six now. If anything was gonna happen, it wouldn't have taken this long…"

V gave her an affirmative nod, then shrugged. "What are you doing here?"

"Sittin' and waitin'," Misty replied, lowering her head. "And yeah, waitin' for him, even though I know he's never comin' back. Lately, I've just been comin' here to sit. An hour, sometimes two…"

V gave her a sympathetic look, even though she wasn't looking at her.

"I know it's gonk," Misty defended. "It's just… I miss him. A lot."

After listening to her talk, V finally moved to sit down next to her.

"Hardly gonk at all, Misty," she said to her in a reassuring tone, wrapping her shoulders with one arm as she pulled her close. "It's just human, and you're not the only one who misses him a lot…" She gave her shoulders a slight squeeze as she paused. "Did you and Jackie know each other long?"

"Half our lives," Misty admitted. "We grew up in the same streets, saw each other a lot but just never got together… til a year ago. Best darn year of my life."

"Jack talked about you a lot," V confessed to her. "He was always going on about how much you meant to him."

"Did he really say that? I bet he used different words."

"Maybe." V gave her a slight chuckle. "But I knew that's what he meant. I really believe he cared about you deeply, Misty."

"But you actually got to know him - the real Jackie. Everybody else thought he was a goofball with a rough-hewn face and an edge. But they're wrong…"

"I mean… He was kind of like that actually." V's laugh grew a bit louder this time.

"True," Misty laughed with her. "But he wore his heart on his sleeve, and wasn't afraid to live life to the fullest. He did have his inner demons, though…"

"Who doesn't?" V certainly had her fair share of inner demons. One of them was a terrorist who bombed Arasaka tower back in 2023.

"Exactly. They're what makes us who we really are on the inside." Misty looked up towards the garage door next to V and pointed to it. "There's a huge chunk of his past in there."

"Wanna help me look around?" V offered, getting up from her sitting position and offering her hand to Misty. "I need to find something he really cared about for the ofrenda."

Misty looked nervous. "I'm not sure I should go in there, V…"

V looked at her confused. "Why not? Still too soon?"

"No, it's not that. Mama Welles and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. She wouldn't want me touching any of his things. That I know…"

"Come on, Misty. Jackie would've wanted you there, that I know for certain."

She continued to offer her hand to her, insisting that she come with her into Jackie's garage. After a few more moments of hesitation, Misty finally relented and took V's hand as she pulled her up to her feet. V then made her way towards the garage door, crouching down to where the lock was. She pulled the key from her pocket and slotted it inside, giving it a smooth turn as the latch rose with a satisfying click. She then pulled the door up with both hands and invited Misty to step inside.

The two girls looked around the first room, which was a space Jackie had dedicated almost entirely to his motorcycle. It sat to one side of the room in pristine condition. V started walking over to it, trailing her fingers along the handle bars as she reminisced about when he had first gotten it.

"A fine piece of metal and mechanics he had there," she commented, smiling to herself. "He was so psyched when he found out I was getting a motorcycle as well."

She lifted her head towards Misty, who was awkwardly standing in a corner fiddling with her sleeves.

"We used to race around Night City together," V continued, her eyes lowering as her smile faded from her face. "He never did manage to win against me in the end…"

"Jackie loved that bike," Misty replied. "He was fifteen when he got on his first motorcycle."

"Knowing him, it's a miracle he never wiped out."

They both chuckled. V continued to make her way around the room, looking around for anything that was worth offering at the ofrenda. After a few moments, she stumbled upon an old basketball signed by someone named Dante Gonzalez. Misty explained that everyone in Heywood played basketball, but Gonzalez could run circles around all of them. He was the first kid to leave the Valentinos and went on to become captain of the NC Blackouts. Like Jackie, he left the Valentinos because he wanted more out of life, but unlike him, Gonzalez actually went on to live a more fulfilling life.

As V continued to look around, she found a few more mementos: a book written by Ernest Hemingway, a case full of unopened bottles, a set of collector nude posters… All of it brought so many memories back. It was hard to believe he was gone forever. After looking around the garage, V opened the door to Jackie's apartment, stepping through the door as Misty followed close behind. What greeted them on the other side surprised them both.

"Oh Jackie…" Misty breathed.

"Is that… a mandala?" V asked as she approached the makeshift coffee table where the mandala had been drawn.

"Mhm… Oof, it's a long story."

Misty sat down on the couch near the coffee table, her eyes transfixed on the colorful mandala Jackie had drawn using sand. She started to tear up and she quickly tried to wipe her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt without disturbing her makeup.

"Hey, you alright?" V asked, her voice soft as she sat down next to her on the couch.

"I'm so much better than alright, V," she answered, looking up to smile at her. She then turned her attention over towards the mandala. "I once told Jackie he should sweep all the dark energy out of this place. A sand mandala would do the trick, for example. He then told me that, out of sand, he'd build a castle, a home, the Welles' family hideout, stronghold or somethin'..."

"I guess you made a bigger impression than you thought," V said.

"I guess I did…"

Misty started to cry softly as V wrapped her arms around her once again. She held her against her chest, making sure she wasn't pressing her face against any of her cyberware. She then looked over at the incomplete sand mandala, admiring it for a few seconds.

"I didn't know Jackie had an artistic side to him," she commented.

Misty chuckled. "Jackie was no artist."

"Probably explains why it looks kind of janky then." V laughed softly.

"It's hideous… but it's also the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

V completely agreed with that sentiment. She continued to stare at the mandala for a moment, rocking Misty back and forth as she comforted her. Misty was one of the few people she had grown close to since she had left Arasaka and she was grateful to have her as a friend. She hoped Misty felt the same way and wanted to make sure that she knew she could always count on her being there for her, especially now that Jackie was gone.

While she continued to comfort her friend on the couch, V's eyes scanned the room for something she could bring to Jackie's grave. She was surprised to see an old aquarium sitting in the corner of the room and Misty explained how Jackie had gotten a miniature shark once named Taco. Jackie had gotten rid of Taco at some point and apparently had never gotten rid of the aquarium. She then noticed another item sitting on Jackie's desk: a worn out leather belt. She picked it up with one hand, inspecting it before turning her attention over towards Misty.

"Don't think I've ever seen Jackie wear this," she commented.

Misty's face grew grim. "It was his dad's. Used to beat Jackie and his mom with it, until one day, Jackie fought back, kicked his butt, told him he'd kill him next time. Old man was hospitalized and then he left."

V sneered as she immediately set the belt back down on the desk. "Why'd he hold on to it?"

"In case his dad ever comes back…"

Jackie had never told her about his father. She knew he was absent from his life and that he didn't have a good relationship with him, but he had never told her about the beatings he gave him and his mom. She understood why, of course, and regretted bringing up the subject with Misty. As she moved on from his dad's belt, she noticed an unopened bottle of Jackie's favorite tequila sitting on a table at the far side of the room. She commented on the fact that it was unopened, which prompted Misty to start laughing.

"It's his lucky charm," she explained. "One of the first bottles ever made by Jesus de Abajo…"

"The founder of Centzon Tequila?" V replied, brows arching in surprise.

Misty nodded. "Only a hundred left of 'em in the world - all owned by the one percent."

"How the hell did Jackie manage to get his hands on this one?"

"Some shriveled abuela in Mexico sold it to him. Told him de Abajo had stolen her recipe."

The two of them started laughing as V grabbed the bottle in her hand.

"This'll make for a good offering, I think," she stated, examining the bottle in her hand.

Misty nodded in agreement. "I think so too."

V then started making her way out of the room. "Better get back to Mama Welles then…"

"Actually, V… I think I'll stay for a while. Say bye to him here… Mama Welles wouldn't want me there anyway."

This gave her pause as she turned around to face her.

"What's going on between the two of you?" she asked, a look of concern washing over her face.

Misty lowered her eyes, her face twisting into a resentful expression.

"Let's just say she didn't see me as daughter-in-law material…"

This sudden revelation shocked her. She had never expected Guadalupe of all people to be the kind to reject someone. She had always been so accepting towards her, even though she knew she had worked for Arasaka in the past. Hell, she had even teased Jackie a few times about going out with V, so it was hard for her to believe she would discriminate against Misty of all people.

"What did she have against you?" V asked, still feeling confused.

"That my name wasn't Camilla and that I wasn't Jackie's ex-ouput," Misty responded. "Camilla was Mama Welles' favorite."

V started to nod, understanding the situation now.

"Still," she spoke. "You've gotta come, Misty. You have every right to be there…"

"I'd rather not get in Mama Welles' way," Misty replied, shifting uncomfortably. "It's for family…"

"You are family, Misty. You most certainly were to him." She moved towards her as she gently placed her hand on her shoulder. "If Mama Welles says anything, I'll be there to vouch for you, okay?"

"Thanks, V…" Misty answered, the flicker of hesitation present in her avoidant eyes. "I guess you're right. So, shall we go then?"

V nodded as she made her way out of Jackie's garage. She waited for Misty to step out of the building before locking the door behind them, then made her way back towards the bar. Misty seemed nervous still, so she tried to ease her mind by changing the subject to something else.

"You ever thought about leaving Night City?" she asked.

"Sure," Misty answered plainly. "Once upon a time, I even tried."

"Really?" V was astonished to hear this. "What happened?"

"Packed my bags and hopped on a plane," Misty explained. "To Nepal. Thought I'd stay there. After a week, I realized I couldn't live without the traffic outside my window and my neighbors hollering."

The two of them entered the bar through the back entrance. V slipped into the building first, making sure Misty was not far behind. She wanted to stand with her during the ofrenda. As they both entered the main bar area, V recognized one of the guests' voices.

"My deepest condolences," the voice said to Mama Welles. "He was a fine boy."

"Then go raise a glass to him, Padre," Guadalupe responded. "A few glasses."

V then saw Sebastian Ibarra make his way over to the bar. A few more people had arrived at the Coyote while V and Misty were checking out Jackie's garage. Misty tucked herself into a corner where she wouldn't be noticed, but seeing as V was standing beside her, it was hard for her to go completely unnoticed.

"V, it's good you're here," Mama Welles called out to her. "We're about to start. Come, sit down, please."

She motioned for her to sit near the front of the reception, motioning towards an empty spot next to another very familiar face. Viktor had shown up to the reception holding a pair of old boxing gloves. It was a rare sight to see him without all of his gear. He noticed V standing next to Misty and waved at the two of them. V then turned towards the young goth woman, who assured her that it was okay for her to sit next to Vik'. She gave her a sympathetic look as she gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze before moving across the room to take her seat. Music started playing shortly after and the ceremony began.

"I thank you all for coming," Mama Welles began to speak as she walked up to Jackie's altar. "I'm not going to tell you what kind of man my son was or lament about how much I miss him." She paused, turning to face the people that had gathered for her son's funeral. "Instead, I'm going to tell you a story… When he was about nineteen years old, Jackie was in the Valentinos. They were at war with Maelstrom back then… I get a call from the hospital. They tell me he got shot. Three times. Right next to his heart. He was conscious when I got there. So many tubes coming out of him… He looked like a pulpo, like an octopus or something."

The whole assembly chuckled lightly.

"I remember, he said 'Ne te preocupes mama.' Look, I'm bulletproof. Nothing bad'll ever happen to me." There was another pause where she reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring. "And when I go, he take off his Valentinos ring. He swear he won't need it anymore. But he was not scared. He just didn't want me to worry."

She then turned to face the altar, placing the ring down on the table before turning away.

"Descanse en paz, mijo," she said, leaving the shrine so that other people could go pay their respects.

V saw Viktor rise from his seat next to her. He then took a few steps towards Jackie's shrine, taking place where Mama Welles had been standing mere moments before. He turned to face the rest of the assembly, clutching the boxing gloves he had brought as he mustered up the courage to speak a few words.

"Among the membership of the Night City Devils boxing club, we had this saying," he said to the room full of people. "Make your best friends among the fighters who knock you out cold." He paused, looking down at the gloves. "And it's true. Jackie's arm was a cannon. No one's ever hit me as hard… Heh, I can still almost feel it."

He chuckled, turning towards the altar as he set the pair of boxing gloves down on the table. From where she sat, V could see that Viktor was trying to hold back his tears.

"Twelve rounds, buddy," he finally said after a long pause.

He then sat back down next to V, who gave his shoulder a friendly rub as another person stepped up to speak on behalf of Jackie. After a few people had come up to offer a few words, Mama Welles asked if anyone else had something to say. V, dreading this moment from the very start, gathered up the courage to stand up from her seat. She gave Guadalupe a weak nod before standing in front of the altar to speak.

"I uh…" she started, her hands gripping the tequila bottle anxiously as her eyes darted to the floor. "I often think back to the first time Jack and I met. Feels like it happened a century ago… At another time, in another place, Jackie saved my life. And then, years later, he saved it again. At a time when I thought I'd lost absolutely everything." She looked at the bottle in her hands, eyes filling up with determination. "I found my own freedom, but it wouldn't have happened without Jackie's help."

She felt her chest tighten as the emotions started to swell within her. She lifted her face up towards the ceiling, trying to choke back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her.

"Jackie Welles," she continued. "Best friend you could ever ask for. Loyal to a fault… Once he set his mind to something, he was ready to die to achieve that goal." She let out a soft chuckle. "He once told me 'Hermana, the one thing we can't do is be afraid of others.'" She turned her attention towards Mama Welles and Misty. "For his loved ones, he'd sacrifice his life without hesitation, but most importantly, Jackie loved life and had no fear. He wore his heart on his sleeve and didn't overthink things. He just went for it. He thought he was bulletproof and…" She swallowed her sadness, taking in a huge breath before continuing. "And that he'd become a legend at the Afterlife."

She turned to face the shrine where everyone had left their offerings for Jackie. She stared at his picture for a while, resting her hand on top of the frame as she took a few deep breaths before resuming her speech.

"Ultimately, he did what he set out to do," she said, her voice cracking as tears started pouring down her face. "Shit in the shoes of some powerful people. And if he is watching, I bet just about now, he's flippin' 'em all the bird."

She held the bottle of tequila up to examine it one last time before setting it down on the table.

"He always wanted more than he got out of life," she proclaimed as she placed the bottle of Centzon in the middle of the table. "Rest in peace, Jack."

She then quickly ran back to her seat as she started hastily wiping away the tears that had managed to slip past her defenses. Now it was Viktor's turn to give her a friendly shoulder squeeze while Mama Welles stepped in front of the assembly once again.

"I would like to say a toast," she said, grabbing one of the shot glasses from the table next to her and handing one to V. She then took one for herself, raising it in front of her. "Por mi hijo…"

V turned towards the altar, raising her glass to Jackie's photo before chugging the contents of her glass in one fell swoop. She then shook away the lingering sensation from her mouth as the crowd slowly started to disperse throughout the bar.

"I'm glad you're here," Mama Welles declared as V slowly got up from her seat. "It was a beautiful ofrenda we gave him."

V gave her a silent nod.

"Lot of people came today," the woman continued. "Even that putita Jackie was messing around with…"

V gave her a pleading look. "Lupe… Misty's a good woman. Jackie loved her very much. He wouldn't have wanted you two to fight..."

She could tell that she was less than pleased with her reaction, but ultimately, she relented.

"You're a good woman, V," she spoke to her softly. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. "Jackie would have wanted you to have this."

V looked down at the key, realizing that it was the key to Jackie's motorcycle.

"Mama Welles I…" She was at a loss for words. "I can't… Jackie would kill me if I got so much as a scratch on it."

"Then don't get any scratches on it," Mama Welles replied, arching her brow in response.

"Still… I can't accept this. I hope you understand…"

The old woman nodded as she placed the key back in her pocket.

"Thank you again for coming, V," she thanked her as she took her in her arms.

V squeezed her tightly. "It's the least I can do, Mama Welles. I just hope you and Misty can learn to get along with each other."

Lupe gave her a weak nod. "You don't need to worry about it, V. Now go enjoy the rest of the festivities."

She kissed her on the side of the head as she was releasing her from her grasp. V gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning away. She noticed Misty standing at the far side of the room all on her own and went to meet with her.

"That was beautiful, what you said about Jackie," Misty complimented her.

"Thanks…" V replied. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine… I think I'm just still in that garage, mentally. Don't worry about me. I just need a sec."

V nodded. "Just tell me when you want to leave. I'll drive you back to your place."

"Thanks, V, but you really don't need to fuss over me."

"Please, Misty. I'm not feeling forced. I just want to help."

"That's sweet of you, honey, but really, I'd rather be alone. I hope you can understand."

V answered with another affirmative nod, then left Misty to process her feelings all on her own. She noticed Viktor sitting at the bar and walked over to him, sitting down on the stool next to him. She greeted him with a quick nod, then waved for Pepe to bring her a shot of tequila.

"It sucks to meet like this," V admitted as she stared emptily at the space in front of her.

"Farewells aren't that bad once you get used to 'em." Viktor tried to seem comforting.

V breathed a sarcastic laugh. "Have you gotten used to 'em?"

Viktor stared straight ahead. "When you get to my age, friends don't come and go. They mostly just go…"

"Ain't that the truth…"

Pepe returned with V's order and she lifted the glass up towards Viktor.

"Here's to Jackie," she said. "Gone off to greener pastures I hope…"

She threw her head back as she swallowed.

"To Jackie, a proud son of Heywood," Viktor proclaimed, before imitating V and gulping down his glass.

The two of them stayed in silence for a moment, contemplating the day's events and everything that came along with it. After taking a few more shots together, they started reminiscing about Jackie. After regaling each other with stories of their friend, V excused herself as she went to mingle with the rest of the guests. She met with Padre Ibarra on the second floor balcony that overlooked the entire area downstairs.

"Here to say goodbye to one of your own, Padre?" V asked.

"I'm here to say goodbye to a good man," he answered cryptically.

"So um… Do you believe Jackie's looking down upon us… from up there?" V had never been one for religion, but she had to admit it was a comforting thought.

"I believe he has met God."

"That's it?"

He smiled. "I don't know if God left the meeting happy, but I'm pretty certain Jackie did."

Truer words had never been spoken. This made her smile.

"Did you know him well?" V inquired.

"I remember the day his mother brought him into this world," he said to her. "The day his father left… The day he took you into his home. So, yes, V, I knew him quite well."

She nodded affirmatively at his words. She stood in silence for a moment, looking down at the guests below. After spending a few moments with Padre Ibarra, she started making her way back down the stairs. As soon as she reached ground level, she saw Judy's icon pop up on her holo interface. She immediately accepted the call, hoping she would have good news for her regarding Evelyn.

"Hey Judy," V greeted her calmly. As soon as she saw Judy's face, though, she immediately knew something was wrong.

"V? Can you come to my apartment ASAP?" she said, her voice coming out in a shaky mess.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" V sounded instantly more concerned.

"Yeah… Just come."

She immediately left the call afterwards, leaving V to wonder what the hell was happening. She quickly made her way towards the exit, excusing herself to Mama Welles as she told her she needed to leave for an emergency. Guadalupe thanked her once again for attending the funeral, then V quickly made her way out of the bar. She turned to the alleyway where she had left her motorcycle and quickly hopped on. She then booked it towards Judy's apartment in Northside, not wasting a second in reaching her destination. As soon as she hit the apartment complex, she jumped off her bike, almost forgetting to turn it off before running inside the building. She then hurriedly climbed the stairs to Judy's apartment, her heart pounding as she reached the door. She knocked on Judy's door but no one came to greet her. Instead, the door just slid open, probably Judy opening it for her remotely, and V stepped inside to see what was going on.

"In the bathroom!" she heard Judy call out from the small room across the hallway.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to find on the other side of the bathroom door. As soon as the door opened, V was greeted with a horrific sight. Evelyn was lying motionless in the bathtub while Judy sat next to her on the edge of the tub. Blood covered the entire bathtub as well as the small carpet in front of it. Judy was also covered in gore, probably from her attempts at helping Evelyn.

"What happened?!" she shouted, rushing to Judy's side as she crouched down next to her.

She then heard a familiar sound coming from behind Judy.

"Bird offs herself to express her undying gratitude for saving her ass…"

She saw Johnny suddenly materialize behind Judy, looking over her shoulder at Evelyn's bloodsoaked body. He'd been quiet throughout Jackie's funeral, but of course now had decided to show up at the worst possible moment.

"Shut up Johnny…" she growled internally.

"I w-was…" Judy stammered. "I was only gone an hour…"

"How did this happen?" V reached for Judy's arm to comfort her.

"I don't know!" she belted out, waving her hand away as she began to sob uncontrollably. "I stepped out to get groceries and when I came back I found her… like this!"

V gave her some space while she examined Evelyn's body. She had slashed her wrists open which explained the amount of blood and as the realization slowly settled in, she started to feel herself dissociate from reality.

"We need to do something with her," she spoke flatly, staring at the empty space before her.

Judy lifted her face towards V. "Don't want any trouble. I'm callin' the badges…" She paused, sniffling like a small child. "Can you carry her to the bed?"

V then heard Johnny speak in the background. "As if that'll change anything…"

"For fuck's sake, Johnny! Can't you just shut the fuck up for once in your GODDAMN life?!"

Judy saw some sort of unknown emotion flash in V's eyes as she mentally scolded Johnny. She then promptly pulled Evelyn out of the tub, her blood staining her dark clothes as she carried her to the bedroom. She set her down gently on the bed while Judy was out in the kitchen filing a report with the police over the phone. After exchanging a few words with the police, V heard Judy raise her voice at the officer on the other side of the call.

"Tomo-...? NO! Today!" she yelled out. "What part of 'dead' don't you understand?!"

V continued to listen to her talk from the bedroom where she sat next to Evelyn's body, staring emptily at the air in front of her. She could feel Johnny's presence near the front of the room, like an annoying itch she refused to scratch. She closed her eyes shut hoping he would just disappear, but no such luck. When she opened her eyes, Judy had walked into the room after threatening the police on the phone.

"They'll be here soon," she declared as she sat down on the bed next to her. "Can you believe they told me to put her on ice 'til tomorrow? The fuckin' balls!"

V finally snapped out of her apathy once Judy entered the room. "I can… Death's a common occurrence for them. That doesn't make it any more right, though…"

She exhaled harshly through the nose, pinching the knot between her brows as she tried to figure out what she was going to do.

"I'm gonna put somethin' on her," Judy spoke again. "Rather she look like a person than a body." She then turned to V. "Could you wait outside?"

V nodded as she rose from the edge of the bed and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her to give her some privacy.

Later on, after the cops had shown up to retrieve Evelyn's body, V and Judy went up to the roof for some fresh air. V sat down on one of the lawn chairs and started fiddling with Evelyn's cigarette case. She still couldn't believe she was just gone. She had held out hope that she would somehow pull through, but now, she would never know if Evelyn knew anything about the biochip. It seemed so foolish now. V didn't blame her for wanting out, not after all she had been through, but it still didn't make it any easier to swallow.

"Can I bum a cig?" Judy asked. She had been staring at the cityscape for the past fifteen minutes without saying a word.

V looked up at her, surprised to hear her speak. "Didn't know you smoked."

"Urgh… Quit, been years. But, right now, I need somethin' 'sides air in my lungs." She walked over to where she was sitting. "Please, V. Just one."

She snapped Evelyn's case shut and handed it over to Judy. She examined tentatively, turning it over slowly in her hands as if it were a delicate object.

"This was her smoke case," she declared.

V nodded. "She smoked some strange, boutique brand."

"That's Evie. Whenever she pulled on a new face, it was down to the details."

"Think a lot of people knew who she really was?"

Judy paused. "No. Nobody…"

She then pulled a cigarette from Evelyn's case, then handed it back to V. V could see Johnny standing off to the side, staring expectantly at her. She gave him a disapproving glare, then exhaled tiredly and pulled out a cigarette for herself. She then proceeded to light both cigarettes using a spare lighter she had picked up from her apartment and took a long, hard drag.

"Fuck, Evie…" Judy cursed after taking a first drag of her cigarette with her. "I let her down. I thought if I gave her space or time, she'd get back on her feet."

V took another long drag of her cigarette. She could see Johnny out of the corner of her eye smiling from ear to ear, but she was too mentally tired to give a damn.

"I'm not sure what to say…" she spoke candidly. "What she went through… I can't say I blame her for wanting it all to be over."

Judy gave her a weak nod. "Her condition - couldn't wrap my head around what was wrong with her. Tech-wise, she was clean. Doll shard was operational, uncorrupted. So that leaves us with psychological trauma - had to be that. Did some more diggin' in her virtus, found Woodman…" Judy's face contorted into anger. "He kept her, had his way with her. The things he did… And once he got bored, he pawned her off."

V scowled as she thought back to her meeting with Woodman. Had she known he was such a monster, she wouldn't have hesitated a single second to put him down like the dog he was…

"Had no idea he was such a monster," she admitted to Judy. "Would've killed him otherwise…"

"You needed him to find Evelyn," Judy responded. "Wasn't your fault, V. He puts on a convincing façade. I knew he was trash, but I never thought he'd be that sick in the brain."

There was a moment of silence where the two of them just sat next to each other, gazing out at the sprawl laid out in front of them. Once Judy had finished her cigarette, she exhaled deeply and turned her attention over towards V once again.

"Thanks, V," she said to her. "I appreciate the help but I… I think I'd rather be alone right now. Promise I'll keep in touch."

This was the second time she had heard those exact words today, but V didn't take it personally. Had she been in Judy's shoes, she probably would have said the exact same thing. She nodded affirmatively and stood up from her seat, throwing her cigarette bud to the ground before stomping it beneath her shoe.

"You sure you don't need anything?" V asked.

Judy shook her head negatively. "No but… sweet of you to ask."

V gave her another affirmative nod. "If anything comes up, holler on the holo."

Judy gave her one last nod before turning her gaze towards the city lights. V then started her descent towards the ground floor, crossing paths with Johnny as she reached her vehicle.

"So, what now?" he asked, leaning up against the front of her bike.

V exhaled tiredly. "Need a breather…"

"Need I remind you that you're on borrowed time, V! There's no time for you to sit there and feel sorry for yourself."

She was absolutely fuming, seething with rage. "Don't pretend like you're even remotely concerned for my well-being, you narcissistic asshole! I bet you're real' pleased with yourself knowing you were right all along…"

"D'you honestly think I'm not disappointed with how things turned out, V? Difference is I don't deflate immediately when things don't pan out the way that I thought they would…"

She shot him a murderous glare. "You're an incentive prick, you know that right?"

"At least I'm staying focused on what really matters here!"

"Oh and what would that be, Johnny? Keeping you alive? Well you can fuck right off with that…"

She pressed on the gas, roaring the engine to life as she kicked off towards her apartment, leaving Johnny in the dust behind her. Today had been a hard day and the last thing she needed was an argument with a sentient brain tumor.