Chapter 6: Sweet Dreams
-T-Bug's Apartment, Night City-
V yawned as he slowly sat up from inside the bed of his output's bed, feeling about as rested as he could've been, at least until his system showed him an error notification on it.
"Oh great…" He groaned as he felt his head start throbbing.
"Something wrong, hon?" T-Bug groaned as she slowly sat up next to him.
"I think I picked up a virus after jacking into Sandra's neuroport." V replied, kissing her.
"Go and head to Vik's. Can't be too careful." She told him.
"Right." The Nomad groaned as he sat up, his body aching from the virus. "See you later, then." He said, giving her one last kiss before leaving.
(Later)
After taking a shower and getting dressed, V walked out of his output's apartment and started his walk to Vik's clinic. On his way there, however, he got a call from Jackie.
"Hey Jack." The Nomad said in greeting to his choom.
"Hey, mano. You didn't come back last night, so I decided to look after Jerry Lee for ya." The street kid replied, much to V's slight relief since he had been a bit concerned about his pupper. "Was your hookup with 'Bug really that quick?" He questioned knowingly.
"Is it really that obvious?" V deadpanned as he stopped at a crossing.
"It wasn't hard to figure out. Just had to connect the dots." Jackie shrugged. "But enough of that. I got your car patched up, and it actually looks factory new, now." He added with a smirk.
"Meet me in front of my megabuilding so I can have a look." The male twin of the Night siblings instructed as started walking again.
"Gotcha. I got some news I wanna share with you and Viv, too. More on that when we talk in person." The bruiser nodded before ending the call.
(Later.)
After taking the metro back to his Megablock apartment, V took the time to grab a quick shower, say hi to Jerry Lee and such before heading down to a street vendor to get some food.
"Hey, V!" A voice called as he exited his apartment, turning, the Nomad noticed that it was his local gunsmith, Wilson.
"Hey Wilson. What's up?" He asked, walking up to his area.
"Got a new gun for ya. Come have a look at this beauty." The gunsmith grinned as he showed his best customer the gun he was talking about.
It was a legendary tier M-10AF Lexington with a custom Kanetsugu Kel-Tek skin and several chassis upgrades from Malorian arms. Specifically it had a slide and barrel reminiscent of the 3516, but its shape was like that of the Lexington. Similar to Bad Night Rising.
But unlike V's current gun, it was slightly bulkier like the Lexington with the pop in clip gag having shape memory poly fiber carbon nanotube bullets which took the shape of regular rounded bullets but became more pointed once shot.
The gun's slide had the name "2nd Conflict" engraved in it, with the army star front and center.
"Damn. It's bulky, but I'd be a liar if I said this thing looked lame." V whistled as he looked it over.
"Feel free to give it a few practice shots on the range." Wilson told him.
"Probably will later. Thanks Wilson." He nodded, holstering the pistol as he left the building.
The vendor that was currently open was a Chinese food stand that was just outside the Megablock, so he plopped himself down and ordered himself a box of noodles and dumplings to eat for breakfast.
"Yo, V!" A familiar voice called, prompting him to turn and see Jackie walking up to him and taking a seat. "Been here long?" He asked, ordering some noodles and egg rolls to eat while they talked.
"Not really. Just having some breakfast." The Nomad shrugged as he ate his meal. "So, What was it you wanted to talk about?" He asked.
"Not much, just that I just snagged us a sweet ass J-O-B." The Street kid replied. "Not that it's much, just that it's headed by a little someone by the name of Dexter DeShawn." He added, causing V to choke right as David appeared in the seat at his left.
"Say what?!" The Nomad coughed as he cleared out his airpipe.
"Huh. First I've heard of Dex since my time." David remarked. "Remember doing a job for him once, was right before Pilar got flatlined." He added. "Dude's alright, if totally self centered." The engram finished.
"P-Pretty sure that's all fixers." V wheezed as he cleared his throat again.
"Oh yeah, only one of the biggest fixers in Night fucking City! Fat-assed black Jesus of the Afterlife! Three hundred pounds of partly gold plated cool." Jackie grinned.
"Where the hell's he been the past two years?" The Nomad wondered, drinking a bit of water to soothe his throat.
"He took a little vacation. Now he's back and needs fresh talent, and found us." The bruiser grinned.
"Two years? That's exile, not vacation." David chimed in.
"Heard that was because of something that went wrong in Pacifica. That true?" V asked.
"Yeah, bodies piled up after the shooting started." The bruiser nodded. "That's why he left, to let tempers cool." He continued. "But, not to put pressure, but this deal, it's all on you, ese." He added.
"Me? Why me, specifically?" He asked.
"I already had a word with him. Knew it was a done deal the second he laid eyes on me." Jackie stated. "He already knows T-Bug. I'm yesterday's news, and now he wants to meet you." He added.
"OK, guess that makes sense. But what's this gig? We meant to make it out in one piece?" The Wanderer asked.
"Our lord and savior said he's gonna give you the deets personally." Jackie replied.
"Okay then." V nodded. "For now though, let's go see Vik." He added as they finished eating.
"Alright." The bruiser shrugged before taking out a keycard and handing it to the Nomad. "Here. It's factory new, like I said earlier. Go on, give it a call." He prompted. V did so, and his Quadra came around the corner a moment later, stopping not far from them.
"Let's see this factory new ride." The Nomad nodded as they got in.
"Hey Holmes, easy on the gas huh? I just ate." Jackie said as they drove off.
(Later)
V stretched a bit as he and Jackie entered Misty's Esoterica, the bruiser deciding to chat up his output while he went to see Vik.
"Have a nice visit, V! And congrats on getting with T-Bug!" The blonde called.
"Just don't brag about it!" V called back as he stopped briefly to pet the siamese cat he liked to give chin scritches to whenever he swung by. "Morning Mr. Brighthouse." He smiled.
Then he entered the clinic, finding his ripperdoc sitting in front of a box TV set watching a boxing match.
"Viky! Spry as ever, ya old ripper. Good to see ya." He grinned.
"Good to see you too, V. It's been awhile, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The man asked.
"Jacked into a client's neuroport yesterday. Got the feeling I might've gotten spiked." The Nomad replied.
"Let me guess, nausea, aches, pains, hyper sensitivity to bright lights?" Vik questioned, adjusting his working arm.
"Whole kit and kaboodle." V nodded.
"I see." The Watson ripperdoc hummed as he kicked his stool towards the bench. "Well, don't worry, kid. We'll sort you out in a flash." He continued. "'Sides that, how're things?" He asked.
"I need to upgrade my kit. With heavy duty stuff, Vik…" He continued before David appeared and leaned against the desk right as he spoke. "It's time I chromed the fuck up." He added in unison with David.
"Really? Now? Finally?" The doctor chuckled.
"Yep. Got a job from Dexter DeShawn." The Nomad nodded in reply, causing Viktor to turn serious.
"The Dexter DeShawn, hm?" He mused. "I've heard things about him. Careful, V. He's not as chill as he seems." He told the merc seriously.
"Don't need to tell me about fixers, Vik. They get a client, find the cheapest gonk to do the work and dump their bodies at a landfill. Very few of them are ones you can trust." V stated as he laid on the chair.
"True. But let me guess, DeShawn hasn't paid you yet?" Vik questioned.
"Quit cryin' Vik. You know me, I always make good on my debts." He replied.
"... Last time, ya hear?" The ripper sighed as he took an injector and used it on his left arm. "Now, siddown. Browse and peruse while I get everything ready." He instructed, prompting the Nomad to lie on the operating table and allow some screens to lower before him.
"Alright." V nodded as he laid back. "Legendary tier quick hack chip and ballistic grip? Alright, I'll take it." He nodded as Vik pulled something out.
"Kiroshi optics, best I got and should be good given the circumstances." Vik said, pulling out some optics that also looked to be legendary tier.
"Kiroshi? Nothing beats that stuff." V commented with a blink. "I said I'd pay ya back, but–oof, this might be too rich for my blood." He added.
"Don't worry. When you get to the big leagues, just remember where you came from." The ripper told him as he got a specialized mechanical cutter ready. "Just lay that major league arm of yours here, and I'll apply some anesthesia before getting to work." He instructed. The Nomad placed his hand in the gizmo, and got some anesthesia applied to his arm before the machine started working. "Feel anything?" The Watson ripper asked.
"So far so good." V shrugged.
"Alright, lights out for a minute, alright?" Vik nodded before V's vision went dark.
(Later)
V groaned as he came to, and noticed that– aside from some blurry vision– there weren't any bright lights anymore. Or anything from the virus, really.
"Now, check out the scanner. It'll take a bit of adjusting, but it'll get connected to your thought processes." The ripperdoc stated. "I also added an NPC database. Find any ner do wells and you'll know exactly what they ner did well." He added.
V tested it out and scanned Vik, which allowed him to see all his details.
"Now, pull out your gun." The cyberware expert prompted, and the Nomad saw a targeting crosshair along with an ammo counter at the bottom right of his vision.
"Shit, Vik, this is great." The man grinned. "Thanks a lot." He added.
"Hahahaha, no problem, kid. Go show 'em what you're made of." The man chuckled, rolling back as V got up.
"Will do, Vik. Stay safe." He nodded, leaving the clinic.
The Nomad then went back to Misty's and found Jackie talking to her. He caught some stuff about spiritual stuff, but nothing specific that he could place off the top of his head.
"Hey, V! Listen, Dex is waiting for ya in a car outside, you should get moving." The Street kid told him.
"Got it. Thanks." V nodded in reply before he started making his way to the legendary fixer's car. When he arrived, a man opened the car door and allowed the Nomad to get in.
As he got in, he was soon met by a heavyset black man in street chic clothes who had a gold plated left arm.
"Mr. V, a pleasure." Dexter DeShawn greeted as V sat down.
"Dexter DeShawn in the flesh. Ample indeed." V remarked, getting a chuckle in return.
"Let's roll." The fixer told his huscle, prompting him to start driving. "Mind if I ask you a question right off the bangle?" He questioned.
"Shoot." The Nomad nodded.
"Would you prefer to live a long, quiet life, old, shaky and smelling slightly of urine?" He began. "Or go down in history in a blaze of glory smelling of pansies without seeing your thirtieth?" He continued.
"It's how they remember you that counts." V replied. "But at the same time, there's a reason why everyone who becomes a legend is dead: they think of nothing but glory. Like Achilles, his mother asked him the same question." He continued. "I'd prefer to be like Odysseus, a man who both becomes a legend, and lives to be remembered not just by everyone, but remembered by being surrounded by loved ones." He added.
"Well said." Dex nodded in approval. "Now… there's this chip. A Relic. I plan to get my hands on it." He explained.
"But it's under a corp's protection?" V deduced.
"Mmmhmm, Arasaka. Surely that's not a problem?" He questioned.
"I assume you already know my… less than stellar history with Arasaka?" The Wanderer questioned.
"Indeed, T-Bug told me. Your family got sold out to 'em, your dad died standing up after a no-holds-barred fight against Adam Smasher, the boogeyman of Night City." Dex nodded. "This job should be something you enjoy, based on that." He added.
"Perfect opportunity for revenge." V nodded.
"Hmm, slot in the shard." The fixer told him, handing him a shard to use. V did so, and got a series of images. "Here's a little tale for your enjoyment: Psychogang was doing its thing a couple of weeks back, jumped a Militech convoy. In that convoy was a flathead, a prototype, and I need me that bit of military tech." He explained.
"Maelstrom?" V asked.
"Bullseye. Ya see, I flat-out purchased the robot we need, the Flathead, from a man named Brick. That is until his second in command Royce plain dropped his,ass. And I have no idea if he's willing to honor his predecessor's word." Dex nodded.
"Anything else I need to be aware of?" The Nomad asked.
"Yeah. The cherry on top of this shit-strom is one Meredith Stout. Woman's going around asking about the convoy like her life's depending on it. The only lead she has is tied in her trunk." Dex replied.
"Meredith Stout, huh? Now that's a name I recognize." V nodded. "Alright, I think I can work something out." He continued. "Now what's the other thing?" He asked.
"The client, one Evelyn Parker, is anxious and wants to parley with one of the team. Vetting her wasn't easy, put out word that I was lookin' for any kind of info." Dex explained. Some brothers from Pacifica got back to me, told me to stop looking. Can you believe that?" He mused with a small chuckle.
"That… Seems like an alarm bell wrapped in a red flag." V noted, feeling that if he couldn't vet the client, it could be that this is a con.
"Just make sure you choose your words carefully, and thing'll be smooth as synth-silk." Dex told him. "She wants to meet with someone with skin in the game. Make sure things are up and up." He continued. "Yours truly will be remote, T-Bug ain't no people person, and Jackie… Well, ya know." He added.
"Yeah." V nodded in understanding. "I think I can handle that… Say, mind if I ask if I could possibly rope in my sister? Possibly as a backup Netrunner should things go tits up?" He questioned.
"The Widowmaker?" The fixer asked.
"Yeah, that's her." The Nomad confirmed.
"If you're certain she'll be great for the job, then by all means." Dex nodded. "Just make sure that you kids play nice." He continued as the car stopped.
"That won't be an issue." V nodded. "Time to get to work." He continued, opening the door.
"Now remember, Mr. V: quiet life, or blaze of glory, hmm?" Dex repeated one last time before the car stopped. "Go on, now." He prompted, allowing the Nomad to get out of the car.
With that, V started walking away and texting Jackie about what they'll be doing, right as he got a call from Val.
"About time I got through to you! Did you even see my messages?" She questioned, sounding a bit miffed… Not that she had the right to be.
"So? You did the same to me, sis." He told her as he walked down the street leading to Lizzy's Bar.
"... Whatever." The Widowmaker huffed. "Anyway, since I have you now, I decided to set something up for you." She continued, getting to the point.
"Really? What'd you set up for me?" V asked as he kept walking.
"It's a surprise meeting at Lizzy's Bar with someone we haven't seen in years." She told him. Then she hung up before V could pry further.
"... What was that about?" David asked in confusion as he appeared.
"No clue." V shrugged in reply.
(Later)
As the Nomad arrived at the BD bar that he and Jackie went to get a good BD, he soon found that two Moxx girls were standing outside the door in his way.
"Lookin' a little put out there, input." One of them remarked.
"Think we can interest you in a preem BD?" Another asked.
"Thanks but no thanks. I'm here on business." The Nomad told them.
"Hey, aren't you Judy's friend's brother? Vincent, right?" The first questioned.
"Yep. That's right." The Nomad nodded in reply.
"Go on in, your sister's waiting for you." The second woman told him as they stepped aside.
V then went inside the bar, wondering what his sister had set up for him. Deciding that could wait, he went up to the bar and took a seat.
"What'll it be?" The bartender, Mateo, asked.
"One White Cuban." He replied, prompting the bartender to pour two oz of white rum, an oz of coffee liqueur, and topping it off with heavy cream.
The Nomad then took a metal straw from his jacket and stirred it, before starting to drink.
"Oh yeah, that's the good stuff." The pirate connoisseur nodded in satisfaction. "Now then… I'm looking for Evelyn Parker." He told the bartender.
"Lot of fish swimming around here. You'll have to ask around." Mateo replied.
"Come on, Mateo. You see everything and everyone who comes through these doors. Surely you can give me something to use." V commented.
"Some people like their privacy, though." The bartender told the Nomad.
"Don't worry about it, Mateo." A woman's voice spoke up, prompting V to turn and see a woman with blue hair and fair skin walking up to them. She was wearing a light purple dress with a fur collared coat and heels for attire. "I was waiting for this one." She added.
"Evelyn Parker, I assume?" The man questioned.
"That's right. I take it you're V?" Evelyn nodded, leaning on the bar. "Your sister's mentioned you a lot." She added.
"I bet. The two of us are basically a package deal." V shrugged casually.
"I'm sure." Evelyn chuckled before she stopped leaning on the bar. "Come. We have a lot to discuss." She prompted. "Mateo, if anyone asks, we're not here." She added as she started walking toward the private rooms in the back.
"So, I was told that you wanted to talk to me?" V questioned as he sat down.
"I've heard a lot about you, Dex, Val, Judy. They have a lot to say about you." The woman began as David appeared. "I hope they weren't overselling." She added.
"She reminds me of Lucy, don't know why, but I think she's hiding something." The engram said.
"Gotcha. I'll be careful." V replied. "I'm the best at what I do. Pride myself on quick, efficient jobs with flexible plans. I try to be as adaptable as possible." He continued.
"I hope you can maintain that for this job." The blue haired woman remarked. "Speaking of, you been working long together, you and Dex?" She asked.
"We just started working together." The Nomad replied. Evelyn took a moment to pull a cigarette out of her case and light it.
"The item you're being asked to steal, I trust you know what it is?" She inquired.
"A 'Secure your Soul' relic from Arasaka. Key tech in the program." The man replied. "I'm familiar with the concept because I… encountered a personality construct that was stored on an Arasaka Cyberskeleton's main memory core." He elaborated.
"Oh, truly? Who's construct was it?" Evelyn questioned curiously.
"It was the psyche–or what was left of it–of David Martinez. After he went Cyberpsycho." The Nomad explained.
"Oh my. That's quite the experience." The blue haired woman commented with a low whistle right as David appeared again, sitting down on an opposite couch.
"Man, she doesn't even know." The engram remarked with a chuckle.
"No she doesn't." V agreed with his own mental chuckle.
"That all aside. I do hope you understand just who we'll be hitting, that being Yorinobu Arasaka. The Relic is in his possession." Evelyn continued.
"So we're jumping Yorinobu himself, not the corp… Perfect." V commented with a vicious smirk.
"Nice to see that you're up to the task." Evelyn nodded with an approving look on her face. "The chip's in Konpeki Plaza, ever been?" The woman questioned.
"Psh, classy corp hotels? Yeah, no, outta my price range." The merc responded with a scoff.
"Well the decor's to die for, as you'll see for yourself." The woman explained. "The Relic is in Yorinobu's top floor suite. So you'll be striking there." She continued.
"That means he'll likely have guards there." The man interjected.
"No, Yori keeps exactly zero huscle around. Well, except for one very select attack dog he has eating out of his palm." Evelyn corrected.
"Is it who I think it is?" V asked, narrowing his eyes.
"You'll find out soon, provided we're done gossiping about the Arasakas." Evelyn responded.
"Alright, let's go." V nodded as they left the room. "So, what are we doing exactly?" He questioned.
"I'm going to show you a brain dance of Yorinobu's suite. One I snagged myself with a BD Rec implant of mine." She explained.
"You mean to say you know Yorinobu personally?" The man said, an eyebrow arched at that as they went through a few rooms.
"Strictly a business commitment, nothing more." Evelyn waved.
"Alright. Also, why exactly do you need the chip anyway?" He questioned.
"I have employers who want it for themselves." She told him.
"Guys from Pacifica, then?" V noted, surprising her. "Only net savvy people I know that far out are the Voodoo Boys." He continued. "You do realize that they kill the gonks they hire after they do the jobs they're hired for, right?" He added.
"How did you…?" Evelyn trailed off before shaking her head. "I guess I'll need to come up with a contingency to save myself." She sighed.
"And get the scratch to pay for the job. Cuz news flash: the Voodoo boys won't pay up." V interjected.
"That won't be an issue. Once I get them the data they need, we'll be getting the chip to NetWatch, they'll be giving us the money." Evelyn told him.
"Sounds like a plan." V nodded before they kept going until they came to Judy's workshop, the Moxx woman busy looking over a BD. "Hey, Judy." The Nomad greeted, getting her attention.
"Huh? Oh. Hey, V." The BD editor nodded back. "You're certainly early, Val isn't here yet." She noted.
"Wait, you two know each other personally?" Evelyn questioned.
"We met a couple months back. Long story." Judy replied with a shrug.
"It's true." V nodded in confirmation.
"Huh, well that's something I certainly wasn't expecting." The woman hummed.
"In a city like this, the unexpected happens a lot." The Nomad told her.
"Touche." Evelyn conceded. "Anyway, Judy, is my BD ready?" She asked, turning her attention to Judy.
"Still a bit raw, but yeah. It's ready." The editor replied with a nod.
"Alright then, just let me slip it into my reef and we can get started." V nodded as he laid back in a chair. "... On second thought, think I can call in a member of my team?" He questioned. "Her name's T-Bug, a Netrunner on my team. She can help me figure out the spot we're looking for." He continued.
"V, just because I trust you doesn't mean I'm gonna trust any of your crew." Judy told him firmly.
"Judy, T-Bug is discreet to a fault." V stated. "... And as of recently, she's also my output." He added after a beat passed. "So believe me, if I trust her, you can trust her."
"... Alright, fine. But if she tracks me, so help me–!" Judy began.
"She won't. T's also professional to a fault as well." V retorted as he started calling his netrunning girlfriend.
"Hey, V. Need something?" The woman asked upon answering.
"I need your help looking through a braindance of Konpeki Plaza. Got no idea what to look for when I'm in." The male Night sibling replied.
"Konpeki? Urg, thought as much…" Judy cursed with a groan.
"Who's there?" The Netrunner questioned.
"The client and Judy Alvarez. Ya know, my sister's pal?" The man replied, keeping things on track.
"Oh, okay." The netrunner shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyway, I need to hook up to your BD setup. She added before she started doing a few things that ended in her hooking up to V's BD wreathe. "Okay, we're good to go." She nodded.
With that, the BD fired up.
-Braindance-
"Alright, V. Keep those Kiroshi's peeled for anything useful. Can't leave any stone unturned." The woman told him.
"Got it, Bug." V nodded as the playthrough started.
Right as Evelyn stepped out of the elevator, she was greeted by a giant and hulking mass of metal with a face that could barely be called human.
"You look like a cut of fuckable meat, are you?" The borg questioned, and right off the bangle, V recognized him.
"Adam-fucking-Smasher!" He growled angrily.
"Eeeeasy, V, keep that dog on a leash. We'll deal with him if and when he becomes an issue." His output told him placatingly.
"Right… right…" The Nomad sighed as he cooled his jets. He then scanned two objects in the room. "Weapon security systems, fresh firmware and cameras at every angle. Any ideas on work arounds?" He asked.
"I can take 'em out, but I'll need to get into the hotel's subnet." T-Bug replied.
They then went on to listen to a conversation between Yorinobu and Anders Hellman, the former complaining about Saburo Arasaka and the latter explaining the Relic's specifications.
"Okay, so the Relic needs to be kept at a constant temperature." V noted.
"Looks that way. Look around for the manual." T-Bug instructed. V did so, and came upon it right as Yorinobu and Evelyn were about to get it on.
"Found it. Looks like we're looking for a cold storage unit. So that rules out the majority of the areas around here…" The Nomad noted as he swapped to thermal imagining next.
It took him a bit of searching the reel, but he was able to find the cold storage unit in the floor in a seemingly empty area of the penthouse.
"Temperature matches the specs. This is it." V reported.
"Good. I'll be sure to let Val know so that she can sweep by Konpeki and scan its specs, try and cut our time retrieving the chip in half." T-Bug nodded.
"Dex already told you my idea?" The Nomad questioned.
"Yep. anything that can help the heist is worth knowing." His output stated.
"Fair enough." V shrugged before he came out of the brain dance.
-Reality-
"Whoo! OK, that's it, I'm done." V sighed as he took the reef off, noticing that while he and T-Bug were working, Val had arrived downstairs apparently. "Hey sis." He said as T-Bug hung up.
"Hey, bro. Any reason you were lookin' through a BD?" The assassin asked.
"It's for a job at Konpeki Plaza." V replied.
"Oh so it's that job." Val nodded. "Ev, maybe give me a bit of warning next time you drag my family into one of your little schemes?" She told the woman.
"Sorry, Val." The blue haired woman replied apologetically. "That aside, I trust everything is in order now?" She asked, turning to the Male Nomad.
"Got no complaints here." V shrugged before turning to his sister as he got out of the chair. "Now, you said you had a surprise for me?" He asked.
"Yeah. Head up to the bar when Evelyn's done with you." Val nodded as she left, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.
"Right." V nodded before he looked at the blue haired woman, who motioned for him to follow her.
"So, how are you feeling about the job now?" She asked as they headed back to the bar after saying goodbye to Judy.
"I still wanna do it to stick it to Arasaka, but we'll have to be seriously careful if we wanna come out in one piece. Adam Smasher is the boogeyman of this city for a reason." V replied. "Speaking of which, I assume he's the attack dog Yorinobu hired?" He questioned.
"Spot on." The woman nodded in reply. "Smasher's been Saburo's loyal servant for decades, but up until about seven years ago, his loyalty's shifted." She continued. "My guess is the Emperor and his most loyal lieutenant had a bit of a falling out." She added.
"Let's just hope we can get out of Konpeki without fighting him. We are nowhere near his level." He sighed.
"I hope that you and your crew don't have to fight him, too." Evelyn nodded in agreement. "But if push comes to shove, do you have a plan?" She questioned.
"Yeah. I've… studied Smasher for close to a decade. I think I've got a few ways to at least knock him back long enough to escape." V nodded.
"Good. You may need those ways." The bluenette nodded.
"Anything else you wanted to bring up?" The male Night sibling asked.
"... Not at the moment." The woman replied after a bit of hesitation. "You should focus on getting the other things ready for the heist. Plus, I'm sure Val is waiting for you." She told him.
"Fair enough." V shrugged before he made his way upstairs.
(Later)
It didn't take long for V to find his sister, considering she was standing outside of one of the private back rooms waiting for him.
"Hey bro, your surprise should be just inside here." She told him.
"Okay, sis, out with it. Just what is this 'surprise'?" He questioned.
"Head inside and see for yourself." The assassin prompted.
V just shook his head and went inside… And froze when he saw who was waiting for him.
"Hey there, Vinny." A huskily sexy voice purred. "Long time no see, it's been awhile." She purred.
"Ch-Charlote?" The Nomad gasped. She still had the pink hair and eyes he remembered. Attire wise, she had the hat he remembered her always wearing, a pink bikini top with red spots on it and a pair of maroon shorts. She also had a white military jacket hanging from her shoulders. Her footwear was nothing but a pair of yellow stilettos.
Her figure was straight up hot, and the definition of a MILF. Her breasts were a supple G-cup, she had a plump peach shaped ass and her hips were nice and wide from bearing the thirteen children she had.
"Surprised to see me after five years?" The MILF grinned coyly from her seat on the couch.
"Well, yeah. I didn't figure you and the Thelas Nation even came to Night City these days." The Nomad nodded as he walked to her seat, sitting down next to her.
"We came because Val called to let us know you two happened to be here." The pink haired woman chuckled in reply before she frowned a bit. "I'm… also sorry about what happened to William." She added, pulling him into a hug, which V returned.
"Thanks…" The former Bakker sighed sadly.
"Your father was a good man, your mother an even better woman. They didn't deserve the hand they were dealt." The Nomad woman sighed as she let V rest his head on her chest. "Val… Told me you had something you wanted to tell me last we saw each other. Wanna tell me now?" She asked.
V hesitated at this. He had a feeling this might happen, but now that it has, he could finally clear things up with her.
"... When I first saw you, I thought you were one of the greatest women I'd ever met." He began. "First, I viewed you as a second mom, and then… I started growing feelings for you. It was hard not to, with how you were with us." He continued, looking at the floor. "You're an amazing woman, and I wanted to show how much I mean that." He added further.
"Vinny…" The woman gasped, blushing a bit before she caught his wording. "Wait, you wanted to?" She questioned.
"I used to." V sighed in reply. "I had a lot of time to think after we went our separate ways. I realized I was just having a childish crush on you, and I won't lie when I say we're better off with a familial relationship." He continued.
"... Yeah… You're right." The pinkette sighed in agreement. "Come here, and give your second mom a hug." She smiled, pulling him into another warm embrace.
"I love you, mom." V uttered with a smile, relishing in the comfort he got from the Thelas woman. "Also, I think I might take some time to introduce you to someone." He added.
"Oh?" The woman hummed as she looked down at her surrogate fourteenth son.
"He's talking about his netrunner girlfriend, Tiana Brooks. Callsign T-Bug." Viv chimed in.
"Oh~! Somebody got busy before I showed up." The pinkette purred. "I look forward to meeting her." She added.
"Well, that certainly makes things easier." V sighed, feeling a little relieved that his surrogate mom wasn't upset.
"When can I meet her?" She asked.
"Sure. But it'll have to wait until tonight. I've got some stuff to take care of." The man explained.
"I can wait." The MILF shrugged, causing her rack to bounce a bit. "'Till then, darling." She added with a purr, giving V one last kiss on his forehead before she let him go and walked out.
"See ya later, V." Val chuckled. "And you're welcome." She added as she left.
David then appeared next to the man and whistled. "Ya know, I may be more into girls like Lucy, but that woman's got the looks to even put my mother to shame " He noted.
"And she's got that motherly aura that draws you in. I think you can see why I fell hard for her when I was younger." V remarked in agreement.
"Yeah. A woman like Charlotte is someone you wanna keep in your life. Well done." The engram nodded in reply. "The fact she's from a sea-faring Nomad clan makes her cooler, actually." He continued. "I never actually met any sea Nomads when I was still around, now that I think about it." He hummed, tapping his foot rapidly as was his habit.
"Huh. Figured you would've met at least a few in your time." V remarked.
"You'd think, but no." The engram shrugged. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Flathead is next on the bucket list." He noted.
"Yeah, but first. Let's get in touch with our Militech contact." V nodded as they exited the room, David disappearing as the man called the woman in question.
"Stout here. Who is this? How'd you get this number?" One Meredith Stout demanded upon answering.
"Name's V, and I think we can help each other." The Nomad replied as he walked out of the bar and got into his car. "Heard you lost a convoy." He added.
"You, shut him up!" The blonde snapped at someone. "Alright, spill what you know." She told him.
"Nuh uh, not on the horn. Either we meet in person, or not at all." V told her. "We'll cut a deal." He continued.
"... Fine. Drainage channel under the bridges. Don't keep me waiting." The Corpo woman conceded before shooting him some coordinates.
"... She is in a really bad mood." The Street kid engram noted, appearing in the passenger seat.
"Definitely looks that way. Not sure if she'll play ball or not, though." V replied as he started driving in the direction of the coordinates.
(Later)
Meredith Stout exhaled a puff of smoke from her cigarette as she impatiently waited for the man who contacted her.
From the appearance she was able to glean and the guy's callsign logo–that being the Nomad N with the Edgerunner logo on top of it–the guy was a Nomad who had silver eyes (a rare trait) and had on an old NC EMT jacket.
It was odd, she'd admit that. But the rest of him seemed… actually rather handsome if she did say so herself.
She was torn from her thoughts when she heard a car speeding her team's way fast, prompting her to turn to the service tunnel just in time to see a black Quadra Turbo with a green pinstripe in the shape of the ER logo on the hood, skid to a stop in front of her van.
Then the man that had called her stepped out… And she had to admit, he didn't look too bad in person, either.
"Meredith Stout, I take it you're the one who called?" She questioned, subtly tapping her heel to get her huscle to get ready to grab him.
However, instead of responding and walking towards her like she'd expected, he actually started to move to the side… at the same speed as a Sandevistan!
Before she knew it, all of her huscle was down on the ground groaning in pain. Then the Nomad stopped in front of her with his arms folded, which was accompanied by a raised eyebrow.
"Did you really think your huscle had a chance at restraining me?" He questioned flatly.
"How did you–?" She questioned before scanning him. "Wait. That Sande, I recognize the model." She said before almost laughing through a scoff. "The Mk. 50 Militech Spinal Sandevistan. And here I thought it up and got destroyed." The woman said with a slight growl. "How the hell'd you get it?" She questioned.
The Nomad simply just leaned back on the hood of his car, arms folded. "Why don't you ask David Martinez?" He quipped.
"Oh, of fucking course." The blonde grunted as she took a drag from her cigarette. "You must've inherited it from him. Barring that, one of his old crew got their hands on it and stashed it away for someone–you, in this case–to find." She deduced.
"Huh, you're pretty perceptive for a Corpo." The merc responded as he walked towards her, hands in his pockets. "Name's V. Short for Vincent, Night." He told her. "I came here to tell you about who wrecked your convoy. Do me a favor, and I'll not only point the finger, but I'll even help you find ways to keep this from happening again." He continued, holding out his left hand–probably his dominant hand. "Well, how about it?" He questioned.
"... Alright. Deal." The Militech woman nodded after a moment of thought, shaking his hand in agreement. "So, who are the culprits?" She asked.
"Maelstrom. They set up shop at an All Foods factory, and more than likely have the stuff from your convoy there, too." V explained. "That also includes something I'm in need of, namely the Flathead they klepped." He continued.
"Alright. One Flathead is hardly a drop out of our bucket. We can always make more." She nodded. "I assume you'll be going there soon?" She questioned.
"Yeah. They'll be expecting payment, but I've got a plan to work around that." The man shrugged as he adjusted from one foot to the other.
"Fine then." The blonde nodded before tossing him something. "Take the cred chip and deposit it after you're finished. As a token of my 'appreciation' " She told him.
"Alright. Thanks." The Nomad shrugged casually as he took the chip and put it in his pocket. "Be seein' ya." He added, turning around.
"Hey, V!" The Corpo called after him. "Your name, Night. You wouldn't by any chance be Holly and Willie's kid, would ya?" She questioned.
"Yeah. Why?" V called back, stopping just short of hopping in his Quadra.
"Militech's been meaning to settle a debt with your old man for years now before he went off grid." She said, "After all, he kept Arasaka off our backs long enough for us to bomb Arasaka tower back in the fourth corporate war." She continued.
"... He didn't go off grid. Arasaka sent a squad led by Adam Smasher to kill him." V replied with a sigh.
"Seriously? Shit." Meredith cursed. "Well, all the same. Keep my number. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer." She told him.
"I think I will." V nodded in reply before he got in his Quadra and drove off.
(Later)
It was close to sunset by now, and V had decided to meet up with Jackie in front of the Maelstrom occupied All Foods factory. He decided to take the Hell Cycle there, however.
It was that roaring engine and blood red headlight that got Jackie's attention when he heard it.
"Damn, mano. Talk about lettin' people know the devil's out to get someone." The street kid quipped with a chuckle as V got off the supernatural themed ride.
"Let's go get these skullfuckers." V said as he pulled out 2nd Conflict, surprising Jackie.
"Whoa. I thought Bad Night Rising was you packin' heat." He whistled.
"Wilson got this to me. It's apparently a Militech and Malorian Arms collab project." The Nomad responded as they started walking towards All Foods.
Once they were at the front door, V rang the doorbell, as the saying goes.
"Don't know you." A borged out voice rasped.
"We're here about the Flathead." V told whoever this gonk was.
"... Top floor. We'll be waitin'." The voice told the two before the door opened, granting them entry.
As they made their way through the factory, it was obvious they were making liberal use of the tech they'd gotten from the convoy. Mines, sentry guns, the works. Luckily for V and Jackie, they didn't have to fight their way through all of that.
These gangoon gonks practically rolled out the red carpet for them.
"Maelstrom, these fuckers are about as unpredictable as a whacked out compass." David noted, walking alongside the two.
"You deal with them often?" The Nomad questioned.
"Yeah. Gonkbrains actually kidnapped Rebecca once." The Edgerunner replied with a nod.
"Damn." V whistled mentally as he and Jackie went through a few more rooms.
"Got a bad feeling…" Jackie muttered.
"Don't worry, Jack. I got a plan." The Nomad told him.
"I hope it works out, mano." The bruiser gulped as they reached the meeting room, where a Maelstrom member greeted them… Or whatever qualified as a greeting with them.
"Alright, sit your asses on the couch." He ordered. V did so, but Jackie stayed standing. "Aw shit. You too, dumbass." He grunted.
"I think I'll stand." Jackie shrugged casually.
"Is this really so fuckin' hard? Plant your ass on the damn couch!" The gangoon barked as both of them got in each other's faces.
"Jack, calm down. It'll all work out." V told his choom. Jackie hesitated a bit before sighing.
"It better." He grunted as he sat down.
"Alright. Now, to get down to business." The maelstrom boy said as he sat on the table. "Name's DumDum. You here for the Flathead?" He questioned.
"Yeah. We got a job that requires its use. Our employer actually paid for the bot ahead of time, so we're just here to pick it up." V shrugged, rolling his sleeves to show his Mantis implants, an intimidation tactic.
"We'll get to that." The gangoon told him as another Maelstrom member brought them what turned out to be the Flathead's case. "Behold! The Flathead, model MT0D12." The thug boasted before picking up the control shard. "Fucking tricked out, this thing. Once the spider starts crawling, ya can't stop it." He added.
"Yeah, and you'll lose your lunch." V nodded.
"Let's see it in action." Jackie requested. Seeing no problem with that, the thug put the shard in his neuroport and made it start crawling over the place before bringing it back to the case.
"Impressive. I can see Brick wasn't overselling it." V nodded in approval before a bigger Maelstrom member, Royce himself, stomped out of a private room.
"Nobody said anything about Brick!" He growled, pulling out his custom pistol and pointing it at the Nomad.
"If you think I'll pay twice, then those chromed eyes of yours must be eating your brain." V stated, his voice calm as his silver eyes staring at the Maelstrom man with little to no fucks given.
"Oh look at this, boys! We got ourselves a hardass!" Royce laughed, his underlings joining in the laughter.
"Not a hardass, just a guy who's not intimidated by a bunch of buggy posers " The merc stated.
"You want the Flathead and not a bullet to the head, I better see some eddies." The man snapped, pressing his pistol to V's temple.
"If you want that, then you better give us a discount if you wanna keep all your limbs." The man warned, still not even phased.
"Oh, that's fuckin' adorable." Royce scoffed. "Ya know you never did say who you were, who you're working for." He added.
"Name's V, my sister's the Widowmaker, and my old man… Is the guy who nearly flatlined Adam Smasher." The Wanderer stated in a firm tone.
"Oh shit, you're one of Willie's kids?!" Royce gasped in actual surprise. It was at this moment that V got up, pulling out his guns and put them under Royce and DumDum's chins.
"Yeah I fuckin' am, and I'm taking the Flathead whether you assclowns get paid twice or not." The Nomad declared firmly, glaring into Royce's eyes. This continued into a Mexican standoff, right until Jackie and V nodded. "Bang." He grinned, blasting the two before he and Jackie started zeroing the guys in the room.
After that, alarms started blaring.
"Damn! We're cut off!" Jackie cursed before spotting a ladder. "V, grab the Flathead and let's go!" He exclaimed as he ran for the ladder, the Nomad grabbing the bot they came for along with all its equipment.
"Got what we came for! Let's move!" The Nomad yelled as he followed his choom up the ladder.
Right after clearing a meat processing line,V decided to investigate a particular room. Upon having a look at the computer, he found something interesting and incriminating for one Anthony Gilchrist.
Apparently the cargo was marked LOA by him.
'Oh yeah. This'll come in handy.' The Nomad nodded, already planning on filling Meredith in.
V and Jackie kept sneaking their way out, but then they heard something.
"Hey, what's going on out there?!" A gravelly cybernetic voice called.
"I know that voice, mano. It's Brick." Jackie whispered. "If we help him out now, he'll help us later." He added.
"Alright, but we're gonna blow our cover if we do this." V told his friend quietly.
"It'll be worth it, mano's better than Royce anyway." The bruiser assured him. With that, the two decided it was time to go loud. "Ladies and gentlemen– JACKIE WELLES!" He yelled as he started shooting up the Maelstrom members with V doing the same.
V then went into another room and saw a detonator, pressing a few buttons, he disarmed it and then walked over to the door where Brick was and stabbed the panel with one of his knives, unlocking it.
"You Brick?" The Nomad asked.
"Yeah. What are you two doin' here?" The Maelstrom man questioned.
"We're here to bust you out. Come on." V told him as he led the two out of the area.
They then snuck their way to a part of the facility that led to the exit in a straight line. V grinned as David appeared beside him.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" The merc questioned.
"Let's do it." The Edgerunner nodded in reply.
Seconds later, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" started playing on V's internal music system as V activated his Sande, and then started pulling a Quicksilver.
He zipped around and threw frag grenades by the dozens, zipping around and letting them be 'suspended' in the air for the duration of his Sandevistan run. He left no corner unchecked, and there was a grenade at virtually every corner of the room. Then he returned to Jackie's side and let time resume flowing.
Seconds later…
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the building, causing Jackie to fall over as V stood with his back to the explosion, letting the flames that blew past him light his cigarillo, before he puffed from it as carnage and sprinklers rained down on him.
"Chingada Madre!" Jackie yelled as he fell down.
"Damn, I'm good." The Nomad said in a cool tone as he let out a puff from his tobacco stick.
"A bit extreme, broder, but I guess that's true." The bruiser blinked as he got back up.
"Come on, we better get outta here." He told his friend as they left the building.
Once outside, they were met with a Militech squad led by Meredith.
"I heard the blast inside. What happened?" She asked once they were in talking range.
"I used my Sande to throw a bunch of grenades all over the place and blow up the Maelstrom gonks guarding our exit." V shrugged in reply.
"Shockwave really messed my back up." The bruiser groaned.
"Ah, you'll live." Brick grunted.
"I bet." The Corpo woman chuckled. "Me and my people will clean up behind you. And I look forward to that advice on preventing our convoys from being jumped." She added, motioning for her subordinates to move in.
"By the way, I had a look around Maelstrom's systems and found out the identity of your mole, and how all this was put together." V told her.
"... I'm listening." The blonde said with interest after a beat passed.
"The problem lies on the state line. The cargo was stamped LOA, and was "lost" just after it crossed the border." The Nomad explained. "The whole thing was an inside job by someone you know, that being Anthony Gilchrist." He continued.
Meredith looked visibly pleased by this information, judging by the smile on her face.
"It's satisfying to know you're just as professional as your father was." She told him. "This whole thing will be seriously rewarding for you; count on that." She added before walking off.
"Good to hear. I'll be expecting your call." The Nomad nodded as he left the woman to her work as he mounted his bike. "So, wanna go get drinks at the Coyote, Jack?" He questioned.
"Sure. Could go for a drink after today." The bruiser nodded in reply.
"Sweet. I made sure to feed Jerry Lee before I left, so we're good." V stated.
"I can take care of myself from here. If you guys need anything from me, I'll have you covered." Brick told his rescuers.
"Preem. Let's ride, mano!" Jackie exclaimed as both of them started up their bikes and made a beeline for the street kid's home.
Needless to say, a lot of cars parted the way upon hearing the Hell Cycle's roaring engine.
Dragon Emperor0: Let's see, that's… basically all the pre-heist missions done in one chapter… At this point, I'd say we're just about ready to get this show on the road.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah, and in comparison to the original, we decided to squeeze in rescuing Brick since we forgot to do that in the original. We also found out about a hidden dialogue option exclusive to the Nomad path.
Dragon Emperor0: Not bad for one chapter, and we've also included his second custom weapon… Now all that's left is to plan out that Konpeki Rooftop boss battle with Adam Smasher we've planned for the next chapter.
ThermalsniperN7: Metal Gear fans, hold onto your butts! You guys could be liable to recognize what that's based on. Anyway, see you guys next time.