Seventh day
V watched the yard ahead with watchful eyes but a calm expression. There were two cops in there and three cameras circling the entire site.
He sighed and returned to his cover on that small roof, crouching down again. On his legs was a laptop he had bought earlier. It was a famous brand, good materials, although the model wasn't that powerful. No matter, things were a little easier with one of those.
"I'm here." Takemura said through the call, and V looked at the laptop screen, loading the information Goro was collecting.
"We're connected." V said as the cameras' interface appeared on the screen. One was outside the patio, and the other two were on the opposite walls of the patio, surveying the entire site.
The two officers stood with their arms crossed next to the parked vans, talking to each other and waiting for the signal they would receive.
"Let me know when you get close. I can freeze the images from the cameras for thirty seconds, no longer than that." V said, waiting for Takemura. While the man made his way over there, V took out his phone and called Delamain.
They had arrived there hours ago, waiting for the cops in charge of the vans and the fulfillment of the deal with the tiger claws. Delamain couldn't stay in sight, so the AI parked in the alley behind the building they were in.
Crawling forward, V stood up with his laptop still in hand and put his backpack on his back, entering the building and starting down the stairs as Takemura returned.
"I'm in position." Goro said, and V hurried his steps to the entrance of the alley, meeting up with Delamain.
He deactivated the two cameras that overlooked the patio and placed the laptop inside Delamain's, turning and running down the alley shortly afterwards.
With the momentum he had gained while running, V jumped onto the dumpster in front of him, grabbing onto the edge of the patio's garage wall. The place was surrounded by barbed wire, but as they had arrived earlier, they had managed to cut the wire and leave a small opening on two sides of the courtyard. In the alley, and behind.
Propelling himself upwards, V leapt over the wall and landed on the side of the garage, making eye contact with Takemura who was already positioned against the wall ahead.
"Twenty seconds, let's go." Goro whispered, turning and moving towards the vans shortly afterwards, and V followed just a few steps behind.
They crouched down, taking advantage of the fact that the police had no view of them since they were in front of the second van.
Positioning himself behind the first van, V gently opened the rear gate of the vehicle and Goro entered first. Turning around, he held the gate while V got in, and they both closed the gate, careful not to make even the slightest noise.
"Now we just wait." V said, walking slowly to the corner of the van and crouching down on his knee, the side of his body against the metal frame.
"Remember, when we get in, we'll be surrounded by tiger claws. If we're found, it'll be hard to get out." Goro said, crouching down in front of V, on the other side of the van.
"They won't be able to call in reinforcements. Remember, ten minutes, we take what we can get, get out of there and meet up with Delamain. If things get bad, we split up and meet at the hotel near my house." V went over the plan, and Goro nodded that he had memorized it.
They waited patiently inside the van, not as if they could do anything more than that. They heard the sound of a car engine approaching, then voices, and finally, someone getting in and starting the vehicle.
V sat down on the floor of the van and leaned his back against the metal frame behind him. A short, low sigh escaped his lips and he massaged his shoulders.
If he got what he wanted, if that day ended as a success, he would have finalized a large part of his plan. Perhaps even the hardest part, he dared say. Once he gets his bike back, there would only be two items left in Night City, and after that, he would leave town for good after the last item, which was Johnny's car.
A month... he'd say that was the maximum amount of time he could spend on his personal little mission. It seemed like a long time, given that it had barely been a week since he had started.
Lowering his gaze, V focused his eyes on the screen of his cell phone. 02:47 in the morning. They would probably only arrive at 03:15. Sighing once more, he rests his head against the wall of the vehicle and closes his eyes.
The loud, annoying whistles echoed through the underground garage as the vans backed up to park in front of the gates. The men driving them soon opened the doors and got out of the vehicles, walking towards two other tigers ahead.
"What's up? Did you see the fight?" One of them asked as he approached, and a brief scuffle broke out between the small group.
V and Goro nodded to each other as they opened the rear gate of the van, and got out of the vehicle, remaining crouched down while V took out his phone, connecting to the cameras at the scene.
Goro, for his part, snuck to the side and watched the group of tigers ahead. There were four in total, two of them with their backs to where they were.
Takemura turned and V raised his thumb towards him, signaling that everything seemed ready. The former mercenary raised his hand and three fingers upwards, lowering them one by one until they both nodded and advanced towards the group.
Goro took the lead and threw an EMP grenade into the center of the group, who, taken by surprise, only grunted as the grenade exploded.
Takemura advanced towards the first and plunged his knife into his neck, turning to the other soon after and grabbing him tightly, placing him under his arm and breaking his neck in one simple movement.
V for his part released his blades and pierced the skull of the first tiger, using its body as a stepping stone, he jumped up and pierced the chest of the second.
Takemura grabbed both the bodies next to him by the feet and started dragging them towards the vans, leaving them out of view of the cameras for when the frozen images returned to normal. V did the same, and they both moved towards the entrance to the site, which was to the right of the unloading gates.
Goro, still in the lead, opened the door and entered the small room. There were no cameras around, just a few cabinets, a desk and a computer in front.
Moving at a fast pace, they made their way to the next door and opened it. Their eyes scanned the long corridor that led to another room. However, all they had to do to access the warehouse was literally jump over the railing.
There were a few people there, however, both inside the next room and at the beginning of the warehouse. From what they could see, the place was pretty big.
"There are a lot of cameras around here." V said, pointing to at least five different cameras, apart from the ones they couldn't see. "We won't be able to disable them all, not with the equipment we have."
"I can go to the control room, you take care of getting rid of any obstacles." Goro said, and V nodded, deactivating the camera above the corridor.
Goro moved forward almost immediately, passing through the door and grabbing one of the tigers sitting on the chair.
Meanwhile, V put on his mask.
GORO
Goro threw the man's body to the floor and crouched down again, observing the room for a few brief moments.
The place was small, with some shelves in the corners with some papers, food that had probably been there for at least a day, coffee cups and bottles of booze. Well, the smell of the place alone was evidence of all this.
To his right was a long table facing a window that overlooked a large part of the warehouse.
Turning around, he walked to the door leading to the staircase and climbed the steps at a fast pace, bumping into two men, who widened their eyes in confusion and surprise as soon as they saw him.
Jumping the banister at the top of the stairs, Goro kicks the man on his left in the chest and punches the other, stunning them both.
Twirling his knife in his hand with great skill, he throws it at the neck of the man he had kicked, then grabs the other man's arm, spins him around and in one strong movement, breaks his neck, following his limp body to the ground to avoid noise.
Positioning himself against the wall next to the door, he leans slightly to one side and looks inside the control room through the glass door.
There was just one man sitting in a chair in front of the monitors writing something in a notebook, a pizza box next to him along with a bottle of drink.
Goro slowly opened the door and began to sneak into the room silently. As he approaches, he grabs the man from behind with both hands, one covering his mouth and the other just behind his head, pulling him back violently, almost causing him to fall off his chair, and in one swift movement, he breaks his neck.
Goro throws the man's body aside and focuses his gaze on the camera monitors, preparing to turn them and the alarms off.
"What the fuck...?" His eyes widened slightly when he heard a man to his right, standing next to a cabinet, a notebook in his hand. They stared at each other until the man reached for his gun. Goro grabbed the bottle of drink and threw it towards the man, who raised his arm towards his face in an attempt to protect himself, dropping his gun in the process.
Goro advanced towards the man and hit him with a kick to the side of the leg, followed by a punch to the face that left him briefly stunned. However, just as he reached for his knife to finish the man off, the gang member unleashed his mantis blades and blocked the attack, pushing Goro backwards.
Takemura clicked his tongue and took a step back as the man attacked. Reversing the grip on his knife, he got into a defensive position and waited for his enemy to strike.
The man tried a vertical blow from below, which Goro dodged by throwing his torso backwards, but grimaced briefly as he saw part of his jacket being torn off.
The man advanced and tried a piercing blow. However, Goro dodged by stepping to the side and throwing his torso in the same direction, countering with a punch to the man's face, followed by a horizontal blow from left to right with his knife.
The man dodged the blow and countered by turning his body and brandishing his blade, aiming for Takemura's neck, who in turn dodged by crouching down. However, before he could do anything else, the man took advantage of the momentum of his movement and kicked Takemura in the chest. The man grunted as he staggered backwards, but managed to ignore the pain.
The tiger claw advanced towards him again, his arm raised and his blade pointed at Takemura's chest. However, Goro dodged again by throwing his torso to the side and grabbed the man's head with both hands, activating the EMP gloves that V had built.
The man opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. He tried to move, but his body stopped responding to his commands and began to convulse. With force, Goro threw the man's head against the wall, and the man fell to the floor with blood dripping from his forehead down his face.
Turning around, Goro walked with heavy steps towards the computer.
"Cameras and alarms off, doors locked. You can go, V." Goro said, turning to the man who was trying to get up from the floor.
Grabbing his knife, he pushes the man forward and steps on his chest, forcing him to the ground.
"Anata wa watashitachi no dentō ni taisuru bujokudesu." (You are an insult to our traditions) As he says this, Goro plunges his knife into the man's neck.
Taking his blade back, he wipes off the blood and puts it back in his belt, looking around shortly afterwards.
Crouching down, he picks up the man's body at his feet and drags it behind him, opening one of the cabinets and putting him inside. Then he turned again and did the same with the other body.
The doors were locked, he doubted anyone would get in there until morning, but it was better not to risk it.
Walking over to the computer, he began to remove the components and tear them apart. Even if someone showed up while they were down there, they wouldn't be able to reconnect the cameras and alarms.
Goro soon made his way towards the warehouse, catching a glimpse of V eliminating two of the tiger claws ahead.
The man observed the mask he wore, and as much as thoughts of his homeland were now far from his grasp, as much as it wasn't the same and V had no knowledge of its beliefs and stories, he almost liked seeing someone following a tradition. Only warriors wore a mask like that, and V was a very skilled one.
Goro jumped over the railing and crouched down, noticing V dealing with two more tiger claws and heading deeper into the warehouse. He, in turn, focused his gaze on the three men in front of him, loading boxes onto a vertical cart.
Goro stood up and advanced towards them, his heavy, quick steps drawing the men's attention. However, he had already come close enough.
He threw his knife at the man holding the notebook, hitting him in the center of the chest as he continued to advance towards the other two.
The first man stepped back and reached for his pistol, but Goro was quicker and grabbed his forearm, landing an elbow to his face, followed by a punch to his stomach and a kick to his chest, sending him backwards and knocking him to the ground, bringing the other tiger claw to the concrete with him.
Goro stepped on the first man's head and focused his eyes on the other who had just gotten up. The tiger claw picked up a pistol and pointed it at Goro, who in turn just grabbed it and held it, letting him point it at his chest, his EMP glove activated.
The tiger claw pulled the trigger, but his eyes went wide when the gun didn't fire. He and Takemura stared at each other for a few moments, he tried twice more until Goro punched him in the face, grabbed him by the back of the neck and threw his head against the wall again and again, until the concrete was stained red, and he fell to the ground motionless.
Turning back, he grabs the last man and breaks his neck, throwing his body to the ground with a certain violence and indifference.
V
V jumped over the railing and walked over to a nearby forklift truck, leaning to the side and observing the aisle that had formed between the shelves. The floor was littered with boxes, briefcases, bags, even some luggage. No wonder that gang had managed to hold on for so long.
Three men stood in this corridor. Two were close to each other, who were consequently the closest to V. The other was further forward, taking some boxes from the shelves and organizing them next to him.
V advanced on the man closest to him, thrusting his blades into his neck. Retracting them quickly, he picked up one of his throwing knives and threw it at the man in front of him, turning to the other soon after.
The gang member screamed at the sight of him in a mixture of fear and surprise. He tries to reach for his weapon, but V unleashes his blades again and attacks him.
The man dodges by throwing himself backwards, but his mistake was to insist on grabbing his weapon, because the moment he did, V drove his left blade into the man's forearm, and before he could even scream, he drove his other blade into his mouth.
The former mercenary watched the man's body fall to the ground after retracting his blades, and continued on his way.
Going deeper into the warehouse, V took cover against one of the shelves full of boxes and leaned to the side.
There were three members of the Tiger Claws in front, two carrying the boxes and placing them on a vertical cart, while the other stood in front with a pen and notebook in his hand, counting.
Looking to his right, he focused his eyes on two other tiger claws with melee weapons in their hands, apparently on patrol. V blinked a few times and narrowed his eyes when he saw the implants on one of them.
It was a woman, covered head to toe in implants, a katana still in its sheath. If he was discovered, she would be the most dangerous one there. It was the most logical choice to deal with her first.
Moving forward, he picked up an EMP grenade and waited for the perfect opportunity behind a flat cart with some boxes.
The steps came slower than he wanted, but when he saw the opening, he leaned to the side and threw the grenade at their feet. The grenade exploded in a silent puff, temporarily disabling the implants of both gang members. The man put his hands on his head and staggered a few steps while the woman knelt on the ground, grunting at the sudden deactivation of her limbs.
V came out of his brief hiding place and advanced. Throwing himself forward, he let himself slide to the ground, kicking the man in the side of the leg at the same time as releasing his blades, driving both into the back of the woman's head.
Retracting his blades, he turns to the man who had been on his knees and grabs him with both arms, breaking his neck in one simple movement.
Leaving the bodies behind, he walks forward, heading towards the voices he could hear muffled in the background.
The warehouse was huge, with imposing shelves laden with crates and stacked containers, casting long shadows across the dusty floor.
When he reaches the middle of the warehouse, V finds himself surrounded by rows and rows of shelves, forming a storage labyrinth. The shelves are arranged in a grid pattern, creating narrow aisles that V could walk through without being detected.
To V's left, a series of shelves stretch towards the far wall, loaded with crates marked with the Tiger Claw gang's distinctive insignia. These shelves contain various contraband items, from illicit cyberware components to black market goods. Even from a distance, his mask was able to analyze some of the visible items.
To the right, a network of corridors leading to a central clearing where three other gang members are engaged in various activities, unaware of V's presence. Crates and containers were stacked along the shelves, providing ample cover for V to maneuver and remain hidden.
However, there was no way he could approach without being seen, at least not if he went directly. Sneaking to the side, V grabs hold of the corner of a large crate and propels his body upwards. Gaining momentum soon after, he leapt to the top of the nearest shelf and made his way to where the gang members were located.
As he got closer, the air was filled with the smell of oil and metal, mixed with the faint scent of cigarette smoke.
Positioning himself above the three men, V threw a throwing knife towards the man on his left, then jumped towards the one below him shortly afterwards and landed on him with his blades embedded in his upper back.
The other gang member opened his eyes wide and shouted in surprise, immediately reaching for the gun in his waistband. However, V was quicker and grabbed his silenced pistol, firing once. A hole formed in the man's head, and he fell backwards with a thud.
"Nē, ano sakebigoe wa nanidatta? Karera wa soko ni ochita nodesu ka?" V heard a female voice approaching, along with a set of footsteps.
Clucking his tongue, he ran towards the footsteps with his blades drawn, and then his eyes focused on the two gang members who, as soon as they saw him, widened their eyes and opened their mouths to scream.
V, however, threw an EMP grenade at their feet, preventing them from reacting, and with his blades, pierced the woman's chest and the man's neck.
What he didn't see, however, were two other people behind the first ones, who, because they were just a little further away, weren't affected by the EMP grenade.
Two men, one with the sides of his head shaved and a bright green mohawk. The other had a yellow Oni mask, not dissimilar to the one V was wearing.
V gritted his teeth when one of them attacked him with a machete, and he defended himself with the blade in his left arm. Then the masked man moved to the side and tried to pierce the side of his body with a katana.
The former mercenary threw his body to the side, dodging the attack, and retracting his blades, grabs the mohawk guy's head, activating his EMP gloves. Kicking the side of the man's leg, V brings him to his knees and kicks him towards the masked man, releasing his blades again as he sees the man stagger.
V tries a horizontal attack from above, but the man defends himself with his katana, kicking V in the stomach and causing him to stagger back a few steps. The man advances, attempting a vertical strike with his katana, which V blocks with both blades.
But in doing so, he was unable to dodge the kick to his chest from the other tiger claw, sending him backwards again and crashing his back against the wall.
V's eyes widen as he sees the man try to pierce his chest with the machete, and reacting quickly, he steps to the side and strikes back, driving his left blade into the man's stomach and using him as a shield against the other man's attack.
Retracting his left blade, he pushes the man's body aside and advances towards his other opponent, who has taken up position waiting for him.
As he approaches, the tiger claw turns his body and attempts a vertical slash from below. However, V threw himself forward and let himself slide to the ground, tilting his torso slightly to the side to dodge the attack, and counterattacking by slashing the side of the man's leg with his right blade, making him kneel on his affected leg.
Getting up, V releases his left blade again and drives it into the back of the man's head, turning and looking around frantically afterwards.
After seeing that he was alone, he sighed heavily, lowering his head and gritting his teeth. His hand went straight to his sore chest. Fucking bastard narrowly missed kicking him in the ribs, but it still hurt like hell.
Shaking his head, he turned and walked towards the front of the warehouse again. His EMP grenades were gone, and from what he had counted, there were only three more of the tiger claws left... he would have to think of the best way to take them out, he wasn't in the mood for hand-to-hand combat again.
However, as he approached, he stared in pleasant surprise at Goro, who was wiping the blood off his knife, the three bodies of the tiger claws on the ground.
"You all right?"" V asked as he approached, and Goro nodded, putting his knife back in his belt.
"The place is clear. But we'd better get moving." Goro said.
Takemura quickly takes control, his movements swift as he assesses the contents of the nearest boxes. With expert knowledge of the cyber underworld, he identifies the most valuable items, carefully selecting the boxes full of rare and illicit cyberware components.
V, for his part, opened the front gates of the warehouse, checking his surroundings and then opening the rear gates of the two vans.
Goro transported the goods using the cart, and V was in charge of putting everything into the van. They worked quickly, and in a matter of minutes, both vans were full.
V and Goro exchanged glances and nodded to each other, then they closed the warehouse gates and each got into a van. They soon drove out of there, Goro taking the lead, and the moment they reached the street, they sped off to get out of that shitty place.
V looked at his watch for a moment. 4:06 a.m. still. It wouldn't be long before the first rays of sunlight hit the horizon, and he smiled to himself. By the time the tiger claws realized it, they would be long gone.
Thirty minutes later, they stopped and got out of the vans under a bridge. There was Delamain, waiting for them.
V immediately opened the hood of the van and took out his device, plugging it into the vehicle's electrical system. He then re-entered the van and removed the dashboard, tidying up some of the wires inside.
"Transfer completed." He heard Del say, and without doing anything, the van turned itself on. V smiled and got out of the vehicle, closing the door. All he did was leave Delamain in control of the van, the AI would be in charge of driving to his house while he went in search of Jackie's bike.
"Is everything ready?" Goro asked, and V nodded.
"You did great in there, Goro! Great job!" V exclaimed, somewhat excitedly, squeezing Takemura's hand tightly, who didn't seem as excited as him by his expression, but nodded with equal amity.
"You too, V." Goro said simply.
"Later I'll call a contact... I think I can sell most of the stuff we get by the weekend without being traced." V said, opening the Delamain's back door and taking out his computer again, putting it in his backpack.
"Great. I'll drive to your place and drop off the van. Then I'll have to stay somewhere. I don't think it's smart to go back to my apartment in Japantown. I'll call you when I find it." Goro said, and V looked at him with an arched eyebrow.
"I agree. But you can stay at my place, man. There are two rooms." V proposed, watching Delamain drive away with the van.
"Are you sure? It's not a very big place."
"That may be, but I'd rather we didn't split up until we've finished here. Not to mention that we'll be leaving this place soon." V said, and after a few moments in silence, Goro just nodded and turned around, walking towards the van.
"I'll wait for you there, then." He said, getting into the vehicle and driving away.
V watched him for a few moments, until the vehicle moved out of his line of sight. A sigh escaped his lips. All he wanted to do was go back, get something to eat, take a shower and sleep now. But, well, he could do that later, preferably with Jackie's motorcycle next to his garage.
V squinted at the scene ahead. The exterior of the establishment was modest, with neon lights casting a dim glow on the deserted street.
The former mercenary moves towards the back of the place, avoiding the few cameras outside.
Leaping over the small wall, he landed in front of a dumpster in the small alley that surrounded both the back and sides of the place, his eyes then focused on the power panel ahead.
He sneaks over to the power board and opens it. From his backpack, he took out his computer and plugged it into the side of the power board, waiting for the information to be transferred.
He looked from side to side, focusing on the screen again when he managed to access the power board, and the back door opened.
Putting his computer back in his backpack, he entered the room and was greeted by the strong smell of cigarettes, irritating his nose.
Fucking hell, those bastards were like chimneys.
Looking around, he walked to the door that led to the stairs that went down to the underground garage. However, he bumped into a sturdy metal door.
Clucking his tongue, he rolled his eyes. He would have to find the control room, and to do that, he would have to go upstairs.
Turning around, he sneaks into the front room, where he comes across some sleeping tiger claws. One on a sofa against the wall on the left, the others on a table in the center of the room.
V moved in silence, approaching those lying on the table. Looking up, he took his phone from his back pocket and froze the image on the camera above him.
Sneaking up behind the sleeping men, V places his gloved fist just below the back of each of their heads and activates his blades, which pierce their heads.
Turning around, he walked over to the sleeping man on the sofa and did the same, before moving to the stairs. The place was poorly lit and it was almost impossible to make out the silhouettes of the men. It would be difficult for the camera to see the blood dripping.
The second floor, unlike the first, was more open. The walls separating the rooms had long since been destroyed to form a single room. A few sofas were scattered around, and ripperdoc stretchers lay in the corners.
It was generally used as a place for them to pass the time, check cameras and drink. The third floor was used for meetings and more important matters, but it was rarely used. It wasn't the main building, it was just the one they liked to hang out in the most.
Chiba put his hand to his head and sighed in a mixture of tiredness and anger, cursing softly as he sat on the sofa where he was trying to sleep. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, he found himself disoriented, almost as if his surroundings looked different.
He looked around, briefly catching sight of some other sleeping bodies, barely visible due to the poor lighting.
Turning his torso backwards, he leans on the sofa and looks at the corner of the room where the computer and camera monitors were. The woman who had been in charge of the shift that night was still there, drinking what looked like a cup of coffee. But next to her was a bottle of whisky, and Chiba almost laughed. He was sure she had mixed the drink into the coffee... that was strong.
Turning over again, he thought about going back to sleep. But then he blinks, and in the corner of his eye he sees what looks like a shadow moving slowly. Turning around, he blinks a few times in confusion as he sees nothing but the light in front of the stairs, which occasionally flickers dimly.
Scratching his eyes, he shakes his head... in an instant, the sleepiness he felt was gone. He felt a strange chill in his chest, and his confused mind was having trouble getting its thoughts in order.
Deciding that it was just something in his head, he got ready to lie down again and cast one more quick glance in the direction of the woman monitoring the cameras, and that's when his body froze. The woman was no longer there, the chair was empty.
He blinked again, standing up slowly as he looked around. He hadn't even heard her leave, and the bad feeling in his chest only grew stronger.
Circling the sofa, he takes a few steps closer, looking around. Maybe she'd just gone to the bathroom, or to throw something in the garbage can. Maybe he was just losing his mind due to stress.
However, the coffee cup was still there, the smoke indicating that it was still hot.
He approached, checking the cameras briefly before returning to look for the woman. Everything seemed in order, most of the men were still asleep, a few were smoking near the balcony.
... He shakes his head and turns around, but feels his body lock up again when he sees that the man lying on the sofa opposite him has disappeared. Not only that, but the others around him were no longer there.
"What the..." He muttered, looking around now with a certain frenzy, a sense of unease plaguing him, chills running across his skin. "Where is everyone?"
He asked no one in particular, looking around in search of someone, but saw nothing and no one.
With short steps, he began to back away. There was no way they could have gotten out of there, he would have heard them, let alone had a reason to.
His back connected with something solid, and as he turned, he grunted as he felt his stomach being pierced. His eyes went wide and his body began to convulse weakly at the sight of the glowing lenses on the Oni's face.
The Oni removed the blade from his stomach and watched him kneel on the ground, blood dripping heavily down the concrete, his body growing weaker by the moment.
He looked up again, noticing, in the corner of the room, the bodies of his men piled up next to each other.
V stepped on Chiba's back at his feet, no longer able to look at the face of that lump of shit. With heavy steps, he walked over to the computer and turned off the cameras, opened the doors and switched off the alarms.
Raising his mask slightly, he sipped at the coffee on the table and grimaced a little. Coffee with whisky... it wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad either.
Turning around, he walks to the stairs, now a little more at ease. He made his way to the underground parking lot.
There were few vehicles there, but they were all branded, fast, very expensive vehicles. V remembered buying a few of them.
A customized Mizutami Shion, painted with the gang's symbols and Japanese characters.
Quadra type avenger red, armored body, the design of a tiger on its hood, the animal's eyes represented by the headlights.
Yaiba Kunazaki... the bike was great, and the standard model was very nice. He didn't understand why the tiger claws left the seat with the back so high like that, it ruined the design.
It was a shame to leave such vehicles there, they were worth a lot of money, not to mention that they could be very useful, but the vehicle he was after was right in front of his eyes.
Jackie's motorcycle... a modified Nazaré. It was different, the red paint was still used as a base, but the tiger claw symbols had been added to the paint, the wheels were thinner, the exhaust had been modified, the engine had received some changes.
Well, at least they didn't ruin it too much.
Taking a seat on the bike, V starts it up and sighs, nodding to himself.
"How I've missed this." He muttered to himself, speeding the bike out of the garage.
"V?" Rogue's voice showed surprise, and even a little confusion. "Hm, to what do I owe the call? You still in town?"
"Of course I am, but not for long. Anyway, say, Rogue, I need a buyer for some of my things." He said, accepting the beer Goro handed him and watching the man sit down in the chair next to him at the back of the house they were in.
"Hm... I already know the answer, but I'll still risk asking. What kind of buyer? And what kind of things?" Rogue asked, one eyebrow arched and a small smile on the side of her lips.
"The kind that doesn't divulge information, doesn't ask questions and doesn't refuse some things, shall we say... frowned upon by authority." He said, taking a sip of his beer while Rogue just shook her head to herself.
"You're smuggling now? V, you like messing with the wrong things, don't you?" He just shrugged.
"You can't play fair in NC. Anyway, are you going to help or not?" He asked.
"I thought I said that would be the first and last favor I'd ever do for you."
"I thought I was just asking a friend for information." He smiled and she rolled her eyes.
"Of course you were." She said sarcastically. "Maybe I know some people... but they'll want to see the merchandise first. And I'll arrange the time and place of the meeting." He nodded.
"Fair enough. That's why you're the best Rogue."
"I know, I know, don't try to inflate my ego, kid." She said, ending the call. V snorted a laugh and put his cell phone back in his pocket.
"Well, now we just have to wait."
"You have... interesting contacts." Goro said, taking another sip of his drink and staring up at the late afternoon sky.
"You have no idea." V said, resting his head on his fist.
"What we did today... was more than I've done in the last two years. More than I thought I would do after I ran away." Goro said, lowering his head, staring at the ground with a distant look. "And it made me think... maybe there's still a chance for redemption."
"You're alive, Goro, you always had that chance." V said, and Goro sighed slightly.
"It makes me think... that I could have done something similar earlier." He said. "But... it seemed so pointless."
"Don't beat yourself up so much. Yes, maybe things would have been different if you'd acted sooner, but it's in the past, there's no point in dwelling on it. Who knows, maybe you would have left here by now." V said.
"Or I'd be rotting in some ditch." Goro said, and as much as V didn't say it, deep down he agreed, it was a possibility before, and it was certainly still a possibility now.
"Well, I'm glad you're not." V said, raising his beer. "Cheers to redemption." He said, taking a long sip afterwards.
They sat in silence for a few moments, caught up in their thoughts, or simply enjoying the quiet evening.
"You look quite... determined." Goro began after a while, breaking the silence. "The gloves, the blades, everything you've built shows focus. I respect that about you." Takemura said, finishing his beer and picking up another bottle from the cooler next to his feet.
"Where do you plan to go when you're done here?" Goro asked, and V sighed, remaining silent for a few moments.
"Can you believe I still don't know?" He replied, smiling to himself. "I woke up not long ago from the coma, everything happened so... fast. In that time I've been so focused on simply winning this city that I haven't thought about what I'd do when I succeed." He said, lowering his gaze and staring at the drink in his hands.
"Well, technically, I have a goal. One of my cars is in another city, I'm going there to get it back, but after that..." He shook his head, shrugging shortly afterwards. "What about you?"
"I'd like to go somewhere quiet. After everything, I've accepted the fact that I'm never going back home. Now, I just want peace." He said, and V looked at him with sympathetic eyes.
He sympathized with that. Or rather, he respected it. And seeing the nostalgic face, the distant tone with a hint of sadness, only motivated him to help the man even more.
"... Well, I hope you find your peace, Goro. I really do." He said, and for the first time in a long time, V noticed a small smile on the man's lips.
And he wasn't the only one surprised. That was the first smile he'd given in years.
"What about you, V? What are you looking for?" Goro asked, and V leaned back in his chair, raising his head and watching the increasingly dark sky.
"... It's funny... I always wanted to be at the top. To be part of the elite, to be filthy rich, to have my name on the lips of gangs, corps, even the fucking government. And in a way, I did... well, V from before did." He said, thinking of Vik's words, of Misty...
"I don't know the answer to that question, Goro. The only thing I know is that simplicity isn't for me." He said, and although it sounded a bit confusing, Goro nodded slowly.
"How old are you?" V arched an eyebrow at the question.
"Ahm... twenty-six." The answer made the man's eyes widen slightly.
"Twenty-six?! Pff, you've still got a damn lot of time ahead of you. Kuso, you haven't even reached your thirties yet." He said, and again, for just a few brief minutes, silence fell between them, until Goro raised his beer bottle.
"To the future, V." He said, and V snorted a smile, also raising his bottle.
"To the future." He said, they toasted, and both drank at the same time.