Big Bad Wolf

The number 20 showed itself, and before the doors finished opening, V activated the Optical Camo implant of her Integumentary System. The augment triggered a bubble around V and in a fraction of seconds, reflected the complete light spectrum around her, making her, her clothes, her Seraph handgun, and the baseball bat in her hand completely invisible.

The doors slid to the sides, revealing two massive but sharply dressed men, standing by next to the elevators.

15 seconds.

Judy peeked her head out and looked around, confused.

"I'm sorry," she asked the two gorillas, "is this the twenty-first floor?"

One of them grunted. "Nah, one more up. Get moving, girl, before troubles find you."

Judy paled slightly. "Ah, I see. Thanks a lot. I'll be going."

In her head, she heard Caitlin's comment: "door's unlocked, V." As she saw the gates of the lift close, she noticed the panel at the right end of the hallway sliding open.

11 seconds.

She pressed the button for the upper floor and grabbed her right hand with her left, trying to stop it from shaking.

9 seconds.

V immediately assessed the threats. They were pretty obvious anyway: two mountains of muscles, one pouring himself a drink in the kitchen on the left, the other sitting on the couch watching the TV. Deckard was sitting in his chair on the right, facing a computer screen, absorbed in his reading of a datasheet V couldn't decipher from her position. He was clearly very different from the other Animals. He was smaller, thinner, with long blond hair tied in his back. His muscles didn't look overgrown like the others of his gang, but still perfectly defined underneath the black shirt he was wearing. His flexed arm on which was resting his chin highlighted the protuberance of his biceps.

V couldn't see his face fully, but he looked young, younger than she expected. He matched the description Caitlin had given her perfectly, but she still couldn't believe this man was meant to fight Razor Hugh, at least two weight categories above. None of them were facing the entrance, so none noticed the panel opening.

V's legs didn't look the part, but they were elegantly modified to allow her to move as silently and swiftly as possible, even in a crouching position. She positioned herself, still invisible, at the most strategic position possible: behind Deckard, with a view of both bodyguards.

4 seconds.

She held her bat with her left hand and held the Seraph's grip with her right. She wanted to check her silencer, but couldn't see it anyway. She took a deep, silent breath. Her pupils retracted as she entered her Deadeye mode, her enhanced nerve circuits allowing her to see more clearly, to hold more steady, for time to move more slowly. She aimed. She breathed. Her body followed.

2 seconds.

The man on the couch would never sit up again.

A red splash stained the white tiles of the kitchen wall.

V let go of her handgun and grabbed her bat with both hands, arming her shot all the way behind her back.

0 Seconds.

The Optical Camo augment disabled itself, running out of battery. Deckard slightly turned his head, intrigued by the sound of the body collapsing behind him, but never knew what had happened. V hit the back of his skull with all she had, jerking his head forward straight into the computer screen, spreading shards around, cutting the skin of his face.

Not wasting any time and taking any chances, V rushed to slot Caitlin's chip into Deckard's slot, on the right side of his neck, underneath the collar of his shirt. At first, nothing happened, but after a couple of seconds, his Kiroshi optic implants turned green beneath his closed eyelids, and a short electric spasm shook his body. Mindful and careful, V put her finger on his jugular, trying to confirm the presence of a pulse. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Impressive," commented Caitlin in her comms. "Really impressive, V."

"Where's Misty?" she murmured back, not paying attention to the compliment.

"According to my readings from earlier, in the room behind you. But there's no camera in there, I cannot tell you more. Be careful."

"As always."

She picked up her Seraph from the floor and checked that the suppressor was still properly attached. Eight bullets left in the charger would be enough for now. Triggering her own Kiroshis, she scanned the door and wall, but did not find anything relevant.

Slowly, crouching behind the door, she put her palm on the handle, ignoring the thought that her thighs felt heavier and more painful than usual. It opened without a sound. She stared at the lifeless vision of Johnny Silverhand in the corner of the room, but she knew it wasn't her friend. There was no snarky comment, no bullshit philosophic bits. Just his shape, standing there, looking into the void. Her own personal ghost, nothing more.

Ready, her grip firm on the handle, she inspected the inside of the bedroom with a very quick look but spotted nothing except for the shape sitting on a chair in the corner. She relaxed, entered.

"Hey Misty."

Knees brought all the way to her face, gathered in the smallest shadow possible, dressed in her favorite purple sweater, Misty looked up.

"V…" she whispered, half her face covered by her messier-than-usual blond hair. Her voice did not carry relief, nor fear, nor happiness. It felt heavy with pain, a deep sadness that rarely reached the surface.

"You came back," she said, with a hint of regret in her voice.

"Someone had to save your ass, Misty. Come on, we still gotta get out of here."

Finally, a smile shined on her face, gentle and all-knowing.

"You really are like my Jackie," she whispered.

V felt a smile rising to her lips. She shook it off and moved back to the main room, on her way to pick up Deckard's body. But the man was unexpectedly heavy, more than V could afford to lift. She tried to, but all her joints ached simultaneously, and she dropped him on the floor, almost falling to his side.

"V!" cried out Misty in concern.

"I'm... okay!" grunted the merc.

Caitlin cut her train of thoughts. "Movement on both floors. I'm not sure how, but I think you've been spotted. Be ready."

"Elevator is locked," confirmed Judy on her side. "They'll have to take the stairs."

"I don't think they're going down…" whispered Cait. "V, be ready. Vi, it's your cue."

"Time for a beatdown," grinned the brawler on their comms.

V felt dizzy, and her vision blurred, everything around her melting like overheated paint on a canvas. Mindlessly, she extended her arm toward Misty, in an effort to grab her and for support and helping herself up. Still, despite her state, she could feel the ground shaking beneath her feet and hear screams through the floor. Something in her ached to connect to the camera system and spy on the carnage Vi was unleashing on the floor below, but she always feared that this simple hack would already be too much for her body and brain.

Misty spoke something; she didn't register it. Her right knee buckled again. The echoes of Johnny's voice rang in her head again, but none of it was even intelligible. She reached for her pocket and popped another pill.

"V," warned Caitlyn in her head, "all targets on your floor are outside their rooms. They're trying to call the lift."

"They can keep trying," sneered Judy.

"Girls," breathed the red-haired merc, "I can't carry Deckard, I can barely stand."

"Hold on I'm coming!" said Judy with a completely different tone. "Hold on."

"Judy, no…"

"V, two of them coming your way. Probably wondering why Deckard is not coming out."

"Okay. You can take care of the others?"

"I can. Get ready."

V gestured to Misty to get down, get cover, anything. Without a word nor a protest, the young tarot reader obeyed, stepping back into the prison she just came out of. V let herself fall on the floor, back against the wall, under the window and the gorgeous view of the city she didn't take a second to appreciate. The noise downstairs had not died down yet, but for some reason, she was absolutely not concerned for Vi. She rather pitied the poor souls facing the pink-haired warmachine. She gazed at the Seraph in her hands. It felt heavy. Bigger. She lifted her arm, and she thought lifting the building would have been easier.

"Hold on," repeated Judy in her ear. "

"Incoming in 2….1…" counted Caitlyn at the same time.

The door panel opened silently, sliding gently to the side. V fired, emptied her clip without thinking about it. The two bulked-up men that had entered, despite the weapons in their hand, were caught off guard and mowed down on the spot, skulls and torso pierced like paper by V's bullets.

At the same time, screams and the smell of burning flesh rose from the hallways, soon followed by the elevator's bell, the sound of its gate opening, and a couple more gunshots.

V felt the pill taking effect and managed to lift herself up with a groan, quickly joined by Misty to support her weight.

"Thanks," she managed to articulate. Judy then erupted into the room, panicked, a few drips of blood on her boots and pants. Something in V's heart cracked, torn not by her affliction but by the broken promise she had made to herself.

"Judy?" croaked the merc. "You alright?"

"Yes, don't worry about me. Just one gonk that Caitlyn didn't fully put to bed and that needed some convincing. My god, you're so pale."

"Vi?" asked the dying woman. "Any chance you can get to us? I don't think we can carry him down. He's really heavy."

"Yeah," panted the woman on the other end of the line. "I'm done here. Easy. Easy… gimme a sec to catch my breath."

"The clerk is suspicious," informed Caitlyn. "He sent calls to security and to the NCPD. I blocked them both, but he's going to know something's wrong very soon."

"Dammit," grumbled the brawler. "Okay, I'm coming. I'm coming."

Silence fell in the bloodied living room, littered with corpses, only broken by Misty slowly coming back to them, finding V held tight in Judy's arms, head on her chest, eyes closed, while her girlfriend just looked to the horizon through the window.

"Hi," she said timidly. "You must be Judy."

Suddenly realizing why they were here at all, Judy jerked.

"Oh! Hi! Yes, I am, nice to meet you, Misty! Sorry this has to be under such circumstances."

"V told me a lot about you. I'm happy to meet you finally. Thanks for coming for me." Then, gently frowning. "It will be alright, Judy. Don't let fear consume your soul, for you have a beautiful one."

"I…" She was cut by Vi barging in, out of breath, almost tripping on the two dead bodies in the entrance. Her clothes were stained and torn, and her pink hair was now fully red with blood. She assessed the situation very quickly and rushed to Deckard's body, pulling him from the ground with one hand and tossing him over her large shoulders.

"Let's go," she ordered. "Can you walk, V?"

V nodded. "I think so."

She still needed the support of her girlfriend and the woman she was here to save to put one foot in front of the other. The hallway back to the elevator was a scene of a nightmare. Four bodies crumpled on the floor blocked the path, emitting the distinct stench of roasted flesh. Some of the muscles had melted, revealing titanium bones underneath; one man was missing part of his head, blown to bits by Judy's iron. The Overheat hack was rarely a pretty sight.

Vi pressed the call button ten times in a second, impatient. "We're coming down, Cupcake," she warned. "You got our backs?"

"Always, love."

The elevator arrived and opened its welcoming arms.

"Perfect," said the British while pressing the 0 button. "We're on our way down. Both cargos in hand."

"I know, I saw. Everything's ready."

Behind her shades, Caitlyn kept her eyes on the counter above the lift's doors. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

She turned over to Jacob at the front desk, clearly panicking and trying to get through to the police's phone line. She scanned him, and in half a second, triggered her Optical Reboot hack. A sharp electric sound resonated in the lobby, and the young man cried out in surprise.

"Ah! What? The hell? I'm blind!" Caitlyn jumped out of her seat and ran to the desk.

"Oh my god, what's happening?" she screamed, covering the sound of the elevator reaching its destination and the doors opening. She gave a quick glance to her blood-covered wife and the unconscious body on her shoulder, the pale ghost stumbling out, carried by the two young women Caitlyn wanted to save. One from her captors, the other from the pain and fear gripping her heart.

With a sharp nod, she ordered them to leave and reported her attention to the clerk. "It's probably a glitch, Jacob. Breathe. It will come back. I've heard that Kiroshis had a streak of problems recently."

The man tried to calm himself and obeyed her command.

"If… If you say so, Madam'."

"Don't worry, it will come back in a second, I'm sure."

"I… I think you're right. I think it's coming back."

"See? As I told you. Do you see me now?"

Jacob took a few seconds to answer, but finally nodded. Caitlyn offered him her warmest smile.

"Lovely. Although you might want to get these implants checked out soon, in case it happens again."

"I will, Madam', thank you."

"Of course, dear, of course. Well in any case, it seems my friends are running late, so I will be going, they will join me later. Take care, Jacob."

She turned away promptly, not giving a second thought to the stare on her silky blue hair from the man's freshly recovered eyes, regally walking out of the building while he stuttered his confused farewells.

Outside, the warm wind of the city slapped her with unexpected strength, carrying the smell of oil, gas, and gunpowder. The group was waiting for her a few steps down the street. In London, everyone would be either running or taking pictures of the spectacle they offered. The blood dripping down their hair, burnt clothes, weapon at the belt, body on the shoulder. But in Night City, she guessed, this was just another Tuesday.

She glanced at V.

"Are you alright?"

V turned her head away and spat some blood.

"Never better," she answered with a blood-stained fake smile.

Judy's grip on her jacket tightened.

"What now?" she asked.

Caitlyn's dark blue eyes turned slightly darker.

"Now you say your goodbyes, V."

Everyone tensed, and V's hand unconsciously went to her holster.

"The fuck you're saying?" cut Judy, sharp and defensive.

"We got a shuttle ready at NCX Spaceport. We'll be in London in three hours. We have to leave now, V. Look at you, you'll be dead by sunrise, if not earlier!"

V wanted to protest, but she couldn't. She didn't have the strength, and even if she had, she knew that Caitlyn was right. She felt it in her guts. It was her last hours on Earth, and she knew it.

"Take Misty home," said Caitlyn to Judy. "Vi will join you in a few hours."

"The shuttle is planned for three passengers," explained the brawler. "Was meant for us and Deckard. I'll leave my spot to V. I just need to help them set it up, Cupcake can't carry a body like I do."

A bubble of hope mixed with deep sadness and helplessness swelled in Judy's throat.

"I… No, I can't."

"Jude," smiled weakly V, leaning a bit harder on her shoulder. "It's okay. I got this. I'll hold on just long enough. Don't worry. I'll be back in a few days; you won't even notice I'm gone."

"V…"

"Plus," she added with an awful smirk, "someone's gotta be here for Panam when she arrives, and that ain't gonna be me."

Her balance faltered, and she slipped, maintained standing only thanks to the support of Misty on the other side. A Delamain vehicle arrived at their location and stopped in front of them. Caitlyn opened the trunk and helped Vi shove Deckard's body in it.

"Come on V, we have to go! Jayce is expecting us, he's prepared everything. We can't delay any longer."

V gently kissed the top of Judy's head and freed herself from her embrace, limped to the opened door waiting for her.

"It was nice to see you again, Misty. Vik will be happy to see you. Take care of Judy while I'm off."

Misty simply nodded. "It was nice to see you too, V."

"Judy…"

"You promised V. You promised. You better come back!"

"I know."

"I love you, V."

The merc offered her brightest, bloodiest, cockiest, last grin.

"I know."

Without another look, she turned away and let herself fall in the backseat of the car, next to Vi, while Caitlyn took the passenger front seat.

"Hit it, Del." She whispered.

The engine roared, and the car leaped forward, leaving in its rearview mirror the vanishing shape of Judy sobbing on Misty's shoulder.

"I gotta admit," said Vi, "I was expecting you to kiss her so bad we'd have to separate you and force you into the car."

"Nah. If I had kissed her, it'd have felt like a last time. Gotta have reasons to come back, you know, to do it again."

Then she smiled, revealing bloody gums.

"Besides, didn't want to get blood on her lips. Unbecoming of a lady."

"Miss V," commented the Delamain AI, "my readings indicate you are in a critical condition. Should we take you to the nearest hospital?"

"No," cut Caitlyn. "To the Spaceport. We have to take her to London immediately, this is her only chance. Hurry, please!"

"Understood, Lady Kiramman. You may find an adrenaline shot under your seat. This might help Miss V."

"Good idea," whispered the merc. "'Cause I'm about to check out."

Voices around her muffled, drowned into the sound of the engine and the city around. Lights faded slowly, and a gentle, relieving darkness swallowed her whole. If a needle was slammed into her thigh, she never felt it. She just thought of the only thing that mattered. She thought of Judy, of the color of her hair, the smell of her skin, the taste of her lips, the sound of her laugh.

She thought she was dying too soon, but lucky, until she didn't think at all anymore.

A/N : An obvious little reference, of course :). One chapter left, the epilogue... Are you ready to say goodbye? I'm not.