Thief Team: Alpha
The splintering of wood and metal echoed across the apartment building's fourth floor.
Lynn's kick blasted the door straight off its hinges with force enough to carry it five feet across the room. Granted, the frame was half rotted and the hinges were already loose. It still surprised the thief with just how easy it was to breach.
Room 403, the supposed seat of power Trigger had given himself.
She wasn't too sure what she expected. This was a gang squat after all. The first thing she caught sight of was the collection of shelves and display wracks of firearms bolted to one wall. There were many, many, many other guns strewn about the rest of the lounge area. No rhyme or reason. As if dumped and forgotten about. In addition to the mess of weapons, there were hundreds of unspent bullets sprinkled around.
Someone didn't take care of their weapons. It was a horror show to simply look at. Or at least it was for Lynn the Gun Nerd.
Despite the offensive state of the apartment, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Merely a lounge-slash-kitchen, and then what was likely a bedroom.
Not that Lynn had the time to get caught up on the details. The complete lack of any inhabitants sparked a growing worry. Did Trigger make a break for it? Escaped in the chaos while Lynn and Shiho fought their way up through the building?
It certainly fit the profile Lynn had slapped together in her own head.
"Trigger! Where are you!?" She bellowed.
She almost missed the scuffling noises coming from the bedroom. Like someone was rushing around as quietly as they could. [Shit, shit, shit. Where are my men…? Fuck, it ain't ready yet…] a hushed whisper crept out from under the doorframe. [Ah fuck! What am I doin'? It's one fucking cat bitch. Want something done, do it yourself!] The tone turned to anger and had ditched all semblance of sneakiness.
From the sounds of it, Trigger was still under the impression Naomi was the only intruder.
These Sixers were supposed to be ex-military. For a bunch of soldiers, their communication was sorely lacking. Did no one have a direct line to command?
Still, gift horse, mouth.
"Trigger, I won't ask again!"
[Fuck you, bitch!] The door to the bedroom slid open and the barrel of an assault rifle poked into view. [You ain't scarin' me!] He growled and opened fire. Incredibly unfocused and erratic fire. He hadn't taken any aim, nor had he properly checked his sight lines. All he managed to do was pepper the far wall full of holes. Completely missing both Shiho and Lynn by a mile.
The magazine ran dry with distinct clicking. The gunfire stopped and for the first time, Lynn saw their target. Dressed in heavy duty combat fatigues and strapped with a tactical harness, his wiry frame was completely swallowed by the heavy duty clothing. Tactical wasn't the right word. It was more of a fashionable piece. All it really served was to give the impression that he was bigger and scarier than he really was. Lynn knew that type of person all too well. It was surprisingly common to see someone at an Airsoft game day who took it way too seriously. The kind of person who thought they knew what they were doing. As infuriating as it was, Lynn always tried to at least have fun where she could.
Everyone partook in the hobby for different reasons. Lynn tried not to judge.
But this wasn't an Airsoft game.
The normal mild irritation and resignation had been traded for anger and a need to get this whole thing done and over with.
With that, she collected herself, glared at the man - to which he gulped in both confusion and apprehension - and lifted a hand to her mask. Cursed flame licked across it and curled around her fingers. The rattling of chains emanated from within her soul. It was time to end this.
"Arsene… dinner time." As calm and cold as she could, she removed her mask and tossed it across the apartment. Violent pulses of azure and crimson fire swelled to form the spectral thief himself. He cackled and the demonic eyes locked onto their target. Hunger practically seeped from the fiery gaze.
[Oh fuck! What the fuck is th- aaaghk!]
Arsene pounced and forced his way into the bedroom and out of sight, dragging the poor sod with him. Sickening, horrific noises leaked out from within. Wet splattering, crunching, snapping, violent snarling, pained whimpering and maniacal laughter. It all painted a vivid, disturbing picture in Lynn's mind. Her stomach lurched and her expression tightened into a wince. After about a minute of listening to the scene, it finally stopped.
Arsene stepped out of the massacre, adjusting his cravat as though nothing had happened. [A little too gamey for my tastes. Perhaps an accompanying Chianti would have done the trick. Oh, don't look at me like that, Trickster. I have my standards.] The Persona chuckled at the visible discomfort Lynn tried hiding from him.
"You know Joker's a minor, right, Arsene? We can't drink alcohol." Shiho responded.
Her voice was shaky, to be sure, but she was trying to alleviate the situation. Ignoring the fact a cognitive being had literally been torn apart and devoured in the next room. Shiho was made of stronger stuff than Lynn, that was for sure.
Again, Arsene let a rumbling laugh roll through the air before taking a deep bow. The Persona's form dispersed with a swift curtain of cursed flame swirling around his form, retreating back into Lynn's mask.
"So that was Trigger. I was honestly expecting something a little more… climactic." Lynn huffed. Now that the job was done, she actually felt somewhat unsatisfied.
[That's how some of these things go, kitten. Nice work, bee-tee-dubs.] Naomi's giggle came as a surprise. There she was; casually laying on the run down couch and looking at her nails with indifference. Her katana leant sheathed against the arm rest that supported her head. It was like she had always been there and Lynn just now had seen her. [No idea what that devil choom of yours is, but he certainly ate his fill. Not everyday you see someone get fucked up that viciously.]
"Wait… you were here already?" Lynn's brow furrowed. When she had breached room 403, she could have sworn there was still a raging firefight lower down the building.
The cat woman barely glanced over to acknowledge Lynn and Shiho's surprise. [Maybe. Doesn't matter. My gig was never Trigger anyway.]
"Then what was your… uh… gig?" Shiho asked with a hint of trepidation.
[Duh. You two were.]
On instinct alone, Lynn reached for her pistol. Shiho followed suit and brandished her spear as threateningly as she could. Admittedly, the sudden bout of shaking didn't help. In response, Naomi giggled once again. Its trill sounded almost like a purr.
[Relax, kittens. It was a protection gig. Not a hit. Rogue sent me.]
Lynn wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that.
Perhaps the shrewd Fixer didn't think Lynn and Shiho were up to the job. How could she? The two thieves were an unknown quantity. On top of that, they were minors. It would be insane to trust something like this to a pair of nobodies. Granted, name dropping V seemed to carry a lot of weight. It was likely the only reason Rogue gave them the time of day to begin with. With that aside, Lynn's curiosity bubbled. "Did you find out why Sixth Street was here?"
[Fuck if I know! Again, not my gig. Not yours either.] Naomi spared a glance over at Lynn, rolling her eyes at the sight of her frown. [They were transportin' a fuck ton of explosives, drugs and iron. It's not the first time Sixth Street's made a play for more turf. Heywood almost fell into an all out war a few months back. New leadership and all that shit.] The cat girl was right. The "why" of this hideout wasn't their job. Getting rid of it was. A job they had apparently been successful in. Now that the fight - if one could call that a fight - was over, it was overwhelmingly noticeable just how quiet the building had become.
Even if killing Trigger didn't do the job, between Naomi's slaughter of the lower levels and the thieves' assault up through the apartments, the sheer body count had.
The adrenaline of it all faded, leaving a hollow feeling in Lynn's chest. Again, the unsatisfied feeling poked at her subconscious. It was like making her way through a hard section of a video game filled with building tension and promises, expecting some big confrontation that would test her abilities. Yet, all she got was a quick-time-event "push button to win" ending. It was wrong to feel that. She had to keep telling herself it was just the heat of the moment. She didn't actually enjoy this whole distraction.
That was a lie.
It was exciting. Thrilling. Blood pumping. On top of that, it was fun.
What did that say about Lynn as a person?
It certainly proved a lot of the school rumours to be true. At the end of the day, she really was a violent criminal. And yet, that sort of thing was almost celebrated in V's world.
Without even realising the passage of time, Rogue's voice startled Lynn right out of her own thoughts. When had they gone back to the office ruin? Her head was fuzzy. She had gone into autopilot right up until this very second. It was jarring to say the least.
[Nice work, kids. Probably didn't even need to send the cat.] The mature, analytic features of Rogue studied the pair of thieves. Her eyes lingered on Lynn for a moment, a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips. [So, you wanted access to the Private Lounge? That's it? Makes my life easier, I guess. Already sank a fuck load of eddies into this gig already…] her smirk soured as she shot a pointed side glance at a certain cybernetically altered cat girl, currently lounging on a pile of boxes like they were some kind of throne. Naomi replied in kind with a toothy grin and a delicate wave.
After another second of glaring, Rogue sighed and pulled a small electronic chip from a back pocket. Sliding it across her desk, she made a gesture.
"Thank you. You won't regret this, I swear." Shiho looked to have taken the lead. She had noticed Lynn's decline into another 'Rin Spin', it seemed. A fresh pang of guilt tightened Lynn's chest. She needed to figure this out properly. Whatever this was. If not for herself then at the very least for her fellow Phantom Thieves.
[Careful when you head out that way. The Relic's doing some real damage.]
Shiho smiled and pocketed the electronic key. "That's why we're here. To help get rid of the Relic's influence."
Lynn wanted to add to the conversation, but she couldn't find her voice. Each time she tried speaking up, something blocked the words at the top of her throat. They stuck there, unsaid yet still taking the breath from her lungs.
[Figured as much. Well, you've proven yourselves capable. Even the cat said she was impressed.] A mischievous giggle rolled from Naomi's direction in response. It elicited a spark of irritation on Rogue's otherwise stoic features. [Alright, everyone out of my fucking office.] With that, Rogue snapped her fingers and apparently brought the debrief to an abrupt end. It jolted Lynn out of her spin, which was a blessing at least. A quick glance over to Naomi's box throne came as a surprise. Or rather not at this point. She was nowhere to be seen. Vanished into thin air like she was prone to do.
It was time to move on to their own destination. Finally.
They lost a good hour to that detour and during that time, she hadn't had the chance to check in with the other teams. Honestly, she was a little worried she was falling behind.
So when she failed to get a single response from either team during their trip to the lounge, her anxiety spiked through the roof. Her mind spun around in circles, always landing on the worst case scenarios. Thankfully, the sight of the lounge poking through the haze of heat dragged her back on target. If something had gone wrong, both teams knew to call in an emergency. They were just busy. That had to be it.
The ruin of the lounge itself was remarkably well intact. Or at least part of it was. A heavy duty looking pod - of sorts - made of metal, glass and carbon fibre stood in the centre of the crumbling remnants of a larger room. Beer kegs lined one corner of the outer room. Singed cardboard boxes cluttered another.
The high tech looking pod didn't fit with the grimey storeroom feel of the outer ruin. Like it was a new addition slapped down with little regard to decor.
"Guess that chip is a key. Look. The door has a little keyhole in it." Shiho pointed to the dark glass door. The pod pulsed with a dim light from within. A shape was just barely visible inside. It was like the console from the bar. Their target.
Quickly, Lynn took the key from Shiho, slotted it into the hole and watched as holographic words scrolled across the glass of the door. [Welcome. Privacy and Security courtesy of Net Watch.] A trilling beep startled the two girls. Following up was a pressurised hissing as the hermetic seal on the door broke. It slid open and revealed the interior. A rather cosy looking meeting room fitted with streamline leather seating and a minimalist table. All in a sleek slate black.
Jutting up from a ruptured hole in the pod's floor was the Relic console awaiting input. It thrummed with a pulsing tone similar to a heartbeat. Much like the first console they had encountered.
"Thank god. Alright, there was a safe room near Rogue's office so we should probably hang tight until everyone reports in." Said Lynn. The exhaustion of their journey here hit her all at once. The ambient heat made everything one hundred times worse. A short rest in a safe room was just what she needed. Plus, she needed to dig herself out of her own head.
She thought she was over the identity issues.
Apparently not.
Thief Team: Beta
With each button press, the safe let out a piercing beep.
Two-Oh-Three.
The display flashed green on the final number. The lock disengaged and slowly, the safe swung open. Inside was bare except for two objects. A strange, handmade pendant and a two inch long chip. It was the Relic. Or at least a replica of it.
Either way, Morgana snatched it up, all but ignoring the pendant.
Yusuke, meanwhile, took interest in the pendant. Gently, he picked it up and examined it with a keen intensity.
"Is… that a bullet?" He asked. It was a delicately made piece. The artist could tell a lot of warmth had been put into it. Spirituality, too. The resemblance to a dream catcher was also a notable aspect.
"Looks like it. I think I saw something like that in V's apartment." Morgana shrugged. To him, it didn't seem all that important. The pendant he had seen was hung up in the corner of a closet, left to gather dust. It didn't strike him as something particularly significant to V. Though in hindsight, it was a little odd that it wasn't with V's other pieces of jewellery and accessories. Like it was kept separate for a reason.
For now, it was probably best to simply keep hold of it. Perhaps it would come in handy elsewhere.
That sort of thing was usually the norm for Palaces.
Morgana scurried up to the hatch and, after confirming Yusuke was ready, slid the Relic into the slot. It was a perfect fit. A tone chimed and a green light raced out from the slot and ran up either side of the hatch's border. It slid open, allowing a musty breath of stagnant air and dust to kick up from the depths. It was a staircase. One that led quite a ways down.
If Morgana had to guess, it led underneath the main lake of lava.
"This seems a little… easy. We haven't faced any security or resistance." Morgana hesitated to take the next step.
Much to Yusuke's chagrin. The artist hummed to himself.
"This is just a theory, but perhaps this part of V's cognition is more willing to let us help it? We encountered plenty of opposition elsewhere, hinting that Miss V has some ingrained need to push us out," he spoke, idly pushing his palm against the tip of his sword's hilt, "however, this part of the Palace almost seems welcoming. Much more so than the other sections we've visited."
"I can see that logic. Still, best be on the lookout. The last time we opened a secret floor hatch, we were attacked by a feral synthetic Persona monster."
"I… see."
"You weren't there…" Mona shuddered, "ugh… I still get nightmares about that eye."
"I shall take your word for it. Shall we?"
With that, Mona nodded and took a hesitant step down into the stairwell. With each passing second, the fear of ambush slowly faded. Last time, it was instant. So, in a matter of a minute, Morgana was descending at a normal, casual pace. He still kept his senses trained to shifting in the dark or the general presence of potential threats. There was nothing.
Soon, they reached the bottom of the stairwell and emerged into a small hallway. A well lit and oddly clean hallway.
It reminded Morgana of the corridor that led to V's apartment. In fact, thinking about it, this was the corridor that led to V's apartment.
From here, there were two doors that they could see. One of which emanated the familiar, welcoming sensation Mona got when approaching a safe room. The other was less welcoming. Ominous light leaked out from under the door. Pulsing like a heartbeat. Even the air felt heavier the closer they got to it.
Sure enough, the Relic console was just behind the door, situated in the centre of a simplified representation of V's luxurious penthouse apartment. They were hundreds of feet underground, so the balcony and clear view of Night City caught the cat off guard. It took a moment to remember that Palaces really didn't play to the rules of reality.
The Relic console itself looked to have burst up out of the ground in a violent emergence. The ruptured flooring lay cracked across the apartment.
"Target acquired!" Mona happily chirped. Even with the relief he felt, there was still lingering guilt. With a hint of uncertainty. Whether or not he should tell V he had seen her memories was likely a question for another time. For now, it was best to take a breather in the Safe Room and try to raise Lynn on the radio.
They left the console alone and did just that.
Their mission wasn't physically taxing, but it was definitely emotionally draining. Despite the lack of conflict, Morgana was exhausted all the same. He slumped down on a rocky chair and pressed a paw against the radio's receiver. "Alpha, you there? We've found our console, we're taking five in a Safe Room."
"Oh thank god…" Lynn's voice was more relieved than expected, "I've tried radioing you guys a couple of times. I was getting worried something had happened."
"Don't worry, Joker! Like I'd let anything bad happen to the new guy!"
"Good to hear," replied Lynn, "we've found our console too. Have you heard anything from Gamma?"
That sparked a small twinge of worry. "No, but I saw them enter a weird cave after crossing the lake. Before that, I heard roaring and the sound of battle." He also thought he caught a glimpse of a small boat floating in the lava. That had to be his imagination, however. A mirage brought on by the heat.
"I'll try again in a few minutes. For now, we should regroup at the back entrance's Safe Room. I don't think it'd be a good idea setting the consoles off today."
Something in Lynn's voice was shaken up. Morgana had spent enough time with the girl to notice when something was wrong but she was trying to keep a brave face. He knew better than to outright ask her, though. All he could do was be there as a calming presence. Whenever she had a panic attack, she always managed to calm herself by running fingers through his fur. It wasn't much, but he was happy to help in any way he could.
Mona gave his acknowledgement. He then addressed Yusuke with a gesture. It was time to shift back to the rendezvous. With the infiltration route secured, there wasn't much point hanging around.
Thief Team: Gamma
The world was on fire.
Cyberspace raged with a neverending inferno. Bewitching cackles echoed as if bouncing around thin air. Vicious snarling rumbled across the glass-like surfaces of the fortress. Hecate was a true force of nature, gracefully spinning, twirling and bending in a seductive, devastating dance.
With each motion, the flame spread, purging the Shadows unlucky enough to be caught in its path.
Ann, herself, had joined the front lines alongside her Persona. Burning crimson flame coiled around her legs and imbued her kicks with explosive impact.
As the two Femme Fetale cut a swathe through the horde, both Ryuji and Captain Kidd looked on in awe. Jaws firmly falling to the floor. The boy was so distracted by the display, he had completely forgotten about the freshly closed goring wound from a Shadow's mandible. "Holy shit… since when was Panther so scary?"
[Don't ye be thinkin' she's always been scary, my boy? That be one hell of a hot headed lassy.]
"Hot headed is… pretty effin' on the ear."
[Nose, my boy. Not ear.]
Had Ryuji really just been corrected by a manifestation of his own rebellious spirit? He tore his eyes away from the raging slaughter and glared up at the huge skeletal pirate. "Not you too… Ugh, it's bad enough when Joker does it."
[Hah! Smart Lass!] Kidd nodded with a sage-like attitude.
As annoying as the pirate could get, at least he offered respect where it was due.
"Shouldn't we help?" Ryuji turned his attention back to Ann and Hecate. It was less a battle and more a wildfire.
Kidd choked on thin air, giving his master a pointed glance. [If ye be wishin' to ship off to Davy Jones' Locker, be my guest, boy! That, there, is but a two woman show. Ye be just gettin' in the way.]
Ann and Hecate had fallen into an almost dance-like rhythm. They coiled around each other, throwing waves of scorching flame at approaching Shadows. Ribbons of crimson scattered across the open space, showering the data fortress in blistering heat.
A larger Shadow lanced forward and broke through the onslaught. Its huge body acted as a wedge and broke the two women apart.
It briefly halted the firestorm. Ann growled and propelled herself back against the offending Shadow. "Hecate!" She called, instinctually catching the handle of the chain binding one of the hounds. A surge of power rushed through her body and with a tremendous heave, she swung the hound around like a wrecking ball.
Razor sharp teeth hooked deep into chitin and tore through it like skin. Huge gouges cut the Shadow lengthways, spraying ichor and vapour like a geyser.
A second later, it burst and dissolved with a horrible shriek.
Satisfied, Ann tossed the chain back to her Persona. The remaining Shadows looked like they were hesitating. The security alert was still buzzing away, but - for now at least - there was a halt to the reinforcements. The Shadows looked to have finally gotten the message. That's what Ann wanted to believe. For all she knew, they were just waiting for something bigger to arrive.
"Any word from Nix?" Ann panted. The fatigue had started to return and she could feel her focus on Hecate slowly fading. She only had a few minutes left in her at most.
The boy scrambled to fish out the weird holographic data-made device Nix had given them. Some kind of cyberspace communicator. His avatar's brow furrowed and he pulled the screen closer to his face. He squinted. "This thing says he ain't here anymore. It just says Peripheral Offline."
"What does that mean!?" She groaned.
Then a flicker in her vision caught her attention. A visual glitch like static. Subtle at first, it spread across the glass-like surface of a nearby wall.
[System Reboot imminent. A Data Purge protocol has been initiated. Access Points will be remotely disengaged.] The automated voice boomed through the air with a robotic monotone. The Shadows that remained began to scramble and writhe in what looked like panic. [Please stand by.]
The Shadows had kicked up into a frenzy. All semblance of self preservation had apparently vanished. In one huge wave, they charged.
A last ditch effort to eradicate the intruders.
Ann was running on fumes. Hecate swung a hound to intercept a charging Shadow. Adrenaline took up the slack and the girl pushed off a charred wall. With a great kick, she sent the Shadow into the maw of the hound. Its skull was crushed under the razor sharp fangs.
Another Shadow snaked forward, crashing into a wall. Fragments of data and chitin pelted Panther's body. Mandibles bore down on her.
She braced for impact, only to be saved by a burst of electrical energy. With a rising, lightning infused uppercut, Ryuji destroyed the Shadow in one fell swoop. He carried the momentum through and let the residual electricity blast away at two more Shadows. Their carapaces bubbled and burst in sprays of ichor.
"Captain, bring the thunder!" Ryuji bellowed.
[With pleasure, my boy! The stormy seas be at your mercy! Hoist the colours!] Ghostly waves surged forward. Storm clouds converged overhead. The rumbling and flashing of lightning pulsed through the air with electrifying energy. It tingled the hairs on the back of Ann's neck. Static energy thrummed like the tide of the ocean. All of it coalesced within Ryuji.
"Ultimate Attack; Storm of the Dragon!" He cried with excitement and passion.
Cringe worthy declarations aside, what followed was nothing short of awe inspiring. The clouds overhead opened to the heavens and gargantuan lightning bolts fell like shooting stars. Ghostly rain pelted the area and the Shadows below screamed in agony. Each bolt exploded with ear shattering booms like the roars of a raging dragon.
The storm lasted a few more seconds before it became too much for Ryuji. With one final, dramatic gesture, the last bolt of lightning struck a central structure of the fortress. Shockwaves pulsed downwards in a chain reaction. It shattered the glass-like surfaces and turned the entire thing into a huge deluge of razor sharp shrapnel. The whole attack had not only decimated the horde, but had also levelled a huge structure made of data. That was power.
[Shut Down in 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.]
Static consumed the world and for a brief moment, complete darkness engulfed the two thieves.
The feeling of weightlessness came to an abrupt end. Gravity took hold and Ann stumbled forward on solid ground. She tripped and slammed face first against the cold hard ground. "Ow! What the hell!? Skull, did you push me!?"
"Why would I… uh… Panther, I think we're back in the volcano."
[Sorry about the rough exit, kids.] Nix's voice startled the girl. They were indeed out of cyberspace. Instead, they had arrived in a small, shiveringly cold office space. Cool air blew from several air conditioning units. Servers lined one wall. A chair similar to one Ann would expect to be in a dentist's office sat near a bank of monitors and computers. Nix himself - free of the blank, featureless avatar he wore in cyberspace - was typing away at a holographic keyboard. [The fuckers had completely derezzed the entire damn admin access for the subnet. Impossible to get control back. So, I did the next best thing; full on data purge. I'll have to rebuild the fortress from scratch now… but it ain't the first time. Probably won't be the last, either.]
"What about the Relic console!? That was the whole point of our attack!" Ann immediately set off into a panic. However, Nix responded with a hearty chuckle and a shake of his head. Though he wasn't mocking, it still didn't help Ann's misunderstanding.
[I isolated the data for it before I purged the subnet. It's all in that shard,] he gestured to a long and thin object resembling an SD Card from a camera or computer, [just jack it in to your personal link and run the program. Should do whatever the console was supposed to do.]
His choice of words really didn't help instil confidence. She just had to take his word for it. Nix was the Netrunner, not her.
Ann gave a long sigh. Her exhaustion hit all at once and her legs finally buckled. She fell to her knees and a sudden rush of heat burned at her cheeks. So much power had flowed through her body. The fact the small Netrunner Den was so heavily cooled was a godsend.
Not that Ryuji seemed to catch on. He was far too busy poking at the shard.
It was like he hadn't just created an entire natural disaster through sheer power alone. Credit where it was due, the boy had endurance.
At least the goring wound he suffered wasn't causing too much of an issue right now. Not only had the summoning of Hecate boosted Ann's power output, but it also seemed to have boosted the strength of her healing ability.
That said, she couldn't feel the Persona's presence any more. Only Carmen's.
Her disappointment showed on her frown.
"What's with the look, Panther? We did it, right? Baldie said we just need to put it into a personal link." Ryuji's eyebrow quirked.
"That's just it. We don't have personal links." The boy still didn't get the problem. For a moment, Ann forgot how dense Ryuji could be when it came to certain things. She pointed to the side of her neck, just below the ear. "Those metal circles Merc, Badges and Mox have. Don't you listen? It's a piece of vital cyberware." That, at least, sparked some recognition. It was pretty hard to miss, honestly. Even if they did look like simple tattoos from a distance.
"Oh… right. Those things." He scratched the spot where the link would have been if he had one. "Guess we need to bring one of them in after all." His brow furrowed. Even he understood that was going to be a touchy subject. "By the way, Panther, you look exhausted. We… prolly should get Joker on the line and regroup, I guess."
"Good idea…" and with that final word, the last of Ann's strength faded. The exhaustion had grown too much and the girl lost consciousness.
With the whole of the Phantom Thieves regrouped and debriefed, Lynn was admittedly more at ease.
Her heart stopped when Ryuji showed up with Ann slumped, unmoving over his back. Her already overthinking mindset assumed the worst. With a hasty explanation, it turned out to be exhaustion. Once more, Lynn felt her heart calm itself. Her decision to call it quits for the day was the correct one. For a number of reasons.
The girl shivered as she made the journey from Yongen Jaya Station to the small neighbourhood she called home.
After spending so long in an actual volcano, the gentle late Spring air of Japan was surprisingly chilly. It was a small blessing, at least. Her friends all basked in the evening shade for a whole half an hour before going their separate ways for the day. Lynn thought about going straight to Leblanc to throw herself against her bed and yell into her pillow. However, there was one stop she needed to make before she did that.
With a heavy sigh and a quick farewell to Yusuke, she turned down the narrow street that led to Takemi's clinic.
"So… we really need to ask them to tag along tomorrow? It seems a little… heartless." Mona poked his little head out from Lynn's bag as she walked.
"Ryuji and Ann's console existed in a weird digital space. Nothing more than a cluster of data. Which… unfortunately means we need their personal links." The girl sighed. She knew it was asking a lot. Judy was still in a bad way. River was keeping his own emotions to himself, but Lynn could see he was hurting just as much as Judy. The three of them cared deeply about each other, that was obvious. "If neither of them are up to it, we'll have to think of something else. But… something tells me they desperately want to be a part of this whole thing."
"It must be torture for them. More so for V herself. The memories Yusuke and I had to experience were… enlightening."
"You never actually told us what those memories were."
"That's because they're not my or Yusuke's stories to tell. It's not all that important, really. We found the console and that's what matters."
Both points were true.
Curiosity killed the cat. Lynn dropped it. Just as well as she entered into the small back alley clinic. She was immediately met with a sudden appearance of a familiar little girl wrapping her arms around Lynn's legs. "Big Sis!" cheered little Chizuru. Her exclamation was followed up by a short burst of coughing. However, she quickly got over it. Her condition was improving by the day, it seemed.
All thanks to Dr. Takemi.
"Hey, Chi-Chi!" Lynn let a genuine smile melt across her lips. As uncertain as she was about everything, seeing the little girl act like a little girl made things seem less bleak. "Here for another check-up?"
Chizuru shook her head with a goofy grin. "I just wanted to visit Big Sis Tae! And now Big Sis Rin is here too! Awesome day."
With that, Lynn's eyes wandered over to the reception counter. She could barely keep a snorting laughter locked down in her throat. On top of the usual gothic makeup and 'devil-may-care' disposition was the colourful doodles of a happy child gone mad with face paint power. Takemi herself was very unimpressed.
The foreboding glare Lynn felt sear into her soul was enough to stifle the laughter completely.
Hell hath no fury than a goth scorned.
Still, the fact the face paint was there in the first place was a good sign. For a number of reasons. Chizuru was doing well thanks to Takemi's treatment. It also meant Takemi wasn't as scary as she wanted people to believe. She was originally a paediatrician, after all. Chizuru was probably a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stagnant existence.
It didn't stop the woman from angrily gesturing to the back room. She knew why Lynn was here and would rather she finished her business before closing down for the day.
Not wanting to annoy the good doctor even more, Lynn placated the energetic girl with some affectionate head patting, a promise to play later and some loose change for the vending machine outside. Then it was into the long-term stay room nearer to the back of the clinic. Small and only fit to house one patient and one visitor for a longer period of time. A saggy looking leather couch played host to a mess of sheets and dishevelled pillows. Judy was sitting vigilant at the bedside. The sight of V's comatosed, barely moving body hit Lynn with full force.
The soft beep of the hospital machinery cast a strange atmosphere in the dimly lit room. The only light being the monitors and a small lamp on a small table next to the sofa.
"Hey, Lynn. Any news?"
"Yeah, but where's River? Morgana and I have something we need to go over with you."
The faint streaks of teary mascara creased. She had been crying not too long ago. "He went to start workin' with Ishida. Turns out Mi Calabacita here did us a favour before we poked her brain too hard." The woman chuckled at the Spanish nickname. Lynn had no clue what it meant, but it was likely something pretty personal. "She managed to get a Media on Ishida's scent. The whole thing had gotten rollin' already. I can give 'im a call if it's important."
Lynn gave a nod with an understanding smile. She had to give Judy credit. The techy was a tough one.
River had apparently dropped everything when Judy called him. Not even ten minutes passed when he emerged into the small room. His human eye looked tired and haggard. A large bag had even formed under his mechanical eye, too. His clothes were dishevelled like he hadn't slept in a few days. Not that Lynn could blame him. He gave a quick nod at her and strode across to V's side.
"No change, huh. Fuck." He huffed and let his shoulders relax. "So what's the sitch? You needed to talk, Lynn?"
"We're getting ready to slash the chains, but we've hit a bit of a snag…" Morgana took the lead, gently purring under Judy's dextrous petting. "One of the consoles exists in a data format, so we need someone with a personal link to use it." Judy's fingers tightened reflexively. She let out a short exhale and returned to stroking.
"In other words, you need one of us." River surmised.
"Yeah. I can understand if it's a little difficult for either of you."
Without even a hint of hesitation, Judy gave her reply; "I'll go. I wanna see this through for V's sake. No… I need to go for my own sake." Her eyes fell on River. "Would you stay here with her? I don't want her to be alone if this whole fuck-a-doo snaps her awake. Or… worse."
"You got it."
That was a lot easier than Lynn thought. Granted, it was actually understandable. As much as Judy didn't want to risk leaving V's side, she also had an unbearable need to do everything she could to make sure V actually woke up.
Respectable and admirable.
River was no doubt in the same mindset. However, he knew someone needed to remain with V.
"When are we doin' it?"
"Tomorrow. We don't know what's going to happen, so… prepare for anything." With such a short deadline they needed to adhere to, every day counted. Especially with the added uncertainty around Madarame's change of heart. June 5th was only two days away. If they had failed, then legal action was bound to fall on Yusuke and, by extension, the rest of the Thieves. Simply by association. "Thank you, both of you."
"Should be us thankin' you, kid. You're the ones doin' the work, here."
"Maybe, but at the same time, we couldn't have helped Yusuke without you guys. Among other things." Lynn paused. She remembered what River was doing just before he came. As pressing as V's situation was, there were other matters Lynn needed to tend to. "Speaking of; what's the news with Ishida?"
River tapped his metal hand against the wooden arm of his chair. "The Media chick V put on Ishida's scent is pretty damn good at her job. Between the three of us we've built a solid case with a metric shit ton of evidence. Not just on Madarame. We've uncovered an entire damn art fraud racket." At least there was good news on that front. Lynn was worried Madarame had covered himself too well for anything to stick. "Ishida had been trying to get out of Madarame's clutches for a while, it was only after our Metaverse investigation that she actually got the courage to do something."
"You're planin' a two-fold attack, right? Get the Media to write an exposin' article, then have the badges launch the full investigation with all the evidence you guys got." Judy's lip curled into something resembling a smirk.
River nodded in response.
That, coupled with the change of heart, would spell the end of both Madarame and his lackeys. There was no hiding from cold hard proof.
Lynn counted up the charges in her head. Fraud, plagiarism, money laundering, murder, sexual assault and child abuse. That was one hell of a rap-sheet. Along with a huge sentence. It was safe to say the man would spend the rest of his life in prison. Of course, it wasn't set in stone yet, but it sounded like it was heading that way.
Only time would tell.
"By the way… what smells like a fuckin' dumpster caught on fire?" Judy sniffed the air.
Lynn growled. "Don't ask. Seriously." She replied with a pointed inflection. This was one thing she didn't want to talk about. At least for a while.
Both Lynn and Morgana spent the rest of the night by V's side. She was so used to seeing the merc act so confidently and competently, it was hard to comprehend the frail woman lying in a hospital bed was V.
Judy shared a few tales of their exploits together.
The fact Judy was in the sex industry was no secret. However, learning of Dolls and the services they provided filled Lynn with a cold, tight feeling in her chest. The more she heard about V Team's home, the more horrifying it became. Yet, they spoke of it like it was normal. Like it was just a part of life. It likely was to them. They existed in a world of corporate greed taken to the absolute extreme. A world where gang violence was the daily norm.
Lynn had experienced it first hand. At least a condensed version of it. Both she and Shiho had tasted the life of an Edgerunner.
And it was bitter.
But despite everything, the small spark of excitement Lynn had felt remained, burning tiny holes in her soul.
Saturday - June 4th
"Are you in position, Mona?"
Lynn and Judy stood just outside of the Private Lounge, awaiting a response from Morgana and Yusuke. The console within awaited activation with the same dull, pulsing pressure of a heartbeat. A few seconds passed before the cat's voice came back through the radio. "We're here. Awaiting your signal!"
"Panther, is your team ready?"
"Ready! The tower is just as creepy looking as ever…"
With Ann, Ryuji and Shiho acting as a vanguard in case something happened, everyone was in place.
Joker gave a thumbs up to Judy and the shard was quickly slotted into her link. After a responding thumbs up, it was time to carry out this operation. Both River and Takemi had been informed of a potentially violent spike in brain activity. It roused some suspicion for the doctor, but at this point, she had just grown to accept the weirdness for what it was. She gave her word she was ready for whatever happened.
Now, it was a case of focusing on breathing. Lynn steeled herself and stepped into the pod. "On three."
"One." Mona's voice called back.
"Two." Shiho's timid tone had been replaced with stalwart determination.
Lynn's heart pounded as her hand drew closer to the console. Whatever happened next was on them. For better or worse, V was about to receive one hell of a kick to the metaphysical teeth. "THREE!" Lynn bellowed and slammed a fist down on the console. The lilac strips of glowing light running down into the ground below turned blue. Then red. Much like the first console they had activated.
Immediately, the cavern shook and the sound of crushing rock, grinding metal and screeching filled the whole Palace.
It was much stronger than the first time.
"Joker, the chains are detaching!" Ann's voice barely registered over the radio. Such a cacophonous array of noise nearly caused Lynn to miss the update. "Something's moving… the tower is… oh my god, the tower is crumbling!" A sharp yelp cut off her play-by-play. The rumbling and shaking only grew worse and worse with each second. Lynn was knocked against the slate black couch, then to the ground. Grunting, she tried regaining her balance to very little effect.
Judy was in a similar state.
Dust and fragments of rock tumbled from the sub-cavern's roof. Then a large crack sundered one side of the wall.
The Private Lounge was about to collapse any second. "Mox, we need to get out of here!"
"Way a-fuckin'-head of ya!" The two clambered across the floor as quickly as they could. The quake left barely any time to rebalance before they were on the ground again. Scraping of rock prompted Lynn's instincts to scream at her. A huge slab of stone dislodged from the ceiling right above Judy.
"Arsene!"
Azure flame lurched forward and raked through the air like spectral claws. The Persona coalesced and in a fluid motion, struck the slab in an uppercutting action. Immediately, the stone crumbled and scattered into ash as the cursed flame burned it to nothing. Judy glanced up at Arsene, eyes wide at the thought of being flattened. They had no time to think, yet. More chunks of rock began to shift. It was turning into a full cave in.
Usually, Arsene had a few witty things to say. In this situation, however, he remained silent as he lunged back toward Lynn. Under one arm, he scooped his master up and swiftly dodged falling rubble with a beat of his raven wings.
In a blur of speed, he glided across the cavern and scooped Judy up in the other arm.
"Pixie, get your ass out here and help cover us!"
A spark of yellow arched from Judy's body. It struck a falling rock causing it to explode. Shrapnel fired off in different directions. Larger fragments smashed against other falling debris. In a chain reaction, the attack had parted a relatively straight path through the deluge of rock. That said, Pixie hadn't manifested physically. It didn't stop her fearful shrieks from threatening to shatter Lynn's ear drums, however.
The trio burst through the cavern's entrance and into the facsimile of Night City. It too was in the process of self destruction.
Cognitions ran through the streets screaming in fear. Glass windows exploded under the force and sent razor sharp shrapnel raining over the streets. Some of the smaller buildings had already begun to buckle and collapse. Even if it was merely a reflection of the real Night City, it looked like the world was ending.
A nearby power transformer burst and sprayed sparks into the street. A pool of stray oil ignited and within seconds, the whole street was set ablaze.
"Joker, Mox," in the chaos, Lynn picked up Shiho's call, "something weird is happening! There… looks to be a cage suspended from where the tower was driven into the ceiling."
"A little busy here, Hunter! Shit, Arsene watch out!"
Lynn cried out as a falling, sparking sign came hurtling out from a raging wall of fire. The Persona twisted in an unnatural direction, allowing the neon sign to sail straight past. It missed him - and his two passengers - by mere millimetres.
Shiho had picked up on the urgency and had cut the comms chatter.
"Mox, try and keep our path clear. Arsene, just focus on getting us into the main cavern!"
Judy didn't need to be told twice. She aimed her arm like it was a gun and narrowed her eyes. Bolts of lightning fired from her palm, striking against falling debris. One such arc lanced out to a fire hydrant, giving it enough force to blow its top. A powerful jet of water burst in a constant flow. It was nowhere near enough to douse the raging oil fire, but it was just enough to open a path through.
After several close calls and skillful flying, they finally broke free of the crumbling caverns. Without a second to spare.
A final explosive shudder spat the thieves out into the main cavern. The passage they had just come from finally collapsed completely. Stone and ceramic fell and blocked the passage off. If they had been a second slower, they would have no doubt been crushed. They were flung against the ground with a hard thud. The heat of the main cavern hit with full force as they rolled and tumbled over rough terrain. Right up to the feet of the vanguard team.
"Joker! Mox! Are… you ok?"
"No. No we are not. Ow…" That final tumble was going to leave several bruises. However, they were alive. "What about Mona and Fox?"
"We're ok, Joker. Our console was directly next to a safe room, so we just shifted to the Palace entrance." Mona spoke up, approaching from across the way. Both he and Yusuke were completely unscathed. Somehow, for some reason, that sparked a small pang of irritation within Lynn's inner thoughts. It was lucky for some. Still, she couldn't complain. It wasn't like she wanted them to potentially get hurt. "The quaking's stopped and we haven't been forced out of the Palace… so… that's good!"
"Still not used to all this damn Palace bullshit…" Judy muttered under her breath. She dragged herself to her feet and took in the main cavern. As did Lynn. The relic tower had indeed crumbled away. Its fragments falling into the lava below. In its place - much like how Shiho had said - was a small cage. It was too far away to discern any real detail, however, Lynn could see there was at least one figure standing within.
Or perhaps two.
The haze from the heat was distorting her focus.
She tried to focus on picking up more detail, to little effect. "The fuck is that!?" Judy's sudden expletive startled Lynn out of her tunnel vision. Just in time for a piercing roar to shake the air. A huge, clawed and blood-red scaled hand gripped against the edge of the nearest cliff. The stone cracked and shifted under the weight as whatever the hand belonged to lifted itself up.
Gargantuan, leathery wings unfurled and beat down for an added boost of lift.
Lynn was met face to face with two reptilian eyes, laser focused on the gathered group. Their slitted pupils narrowed and leered down on each Thief. A long, flared snout held small metal and bone spines that ran the length of the head and cranium, leading into a robotic spine grafted to the muscular, scaled hide of a-
"IS THAT A FUCKIN' DRAGON!?"
The beast growled and took in a deep breath. Glowing energy ran over its scales like veins coalescing in the throat.
"EVERYONE, MOVE!" Ordered Lynn. Instinct took over and each thief darted to the nearest cover. Barely in time for an exhale of raw, searing flame to flood across the plateau. The heat alone physically burned Lynn's skin. The lump of rock she was hiding behind was starting to melt and a small trickle of fresh magma sent a spike of panic across the leader's chest. The torrent of fire continued for a few more seconds before finally ceasing.
"We have to fight an effin' dragon!? Holy shit this is so effin' awesome!" Cried Ryuji.
"I will actually shoot you, Skull!" Replied Ann.
The dragon beat its wings once again. The wind pressure forced the group to slide several feet across the stone floor. It took to the air and let another roar briefly deafen the group.
Blue lights running down the mechanical spine flickered to life. There was an odd hum to the air and with a sudden burst of blinding speed, the dragon shot through the air like a bullet. "Oh fuck, that's a Sandevistan!" Judy called. Not that she had a chance to react. At full force, the beast made an impact with the plateau. Huge fissures burst open as the floor itself shifted and buckled. A shockwave of pure destructive force battered against the group. Sharp debris bit at skin and larger shrapnel threatened to blast each thief away. Between the raging roars and sundering earth, Lynn could just about make out the panicked realisation in Judy's call. "That's fuckin' V's Sandevistan!"
Oh.
"Shit…" Lynn muttered as the plateau finally gave way. The group screamed as they tumbled and fell into the huge pitfall.
They were plummeting directly into the lake below.