Chapter 1: The Dragon Lady
Within the space station, V is in a room recovering from all the tests the Arasaka staff are making on him. He feels weak and powerless as he is not in a good headspace right now. "Fuck, betting on these bastards was not a good move. I shouldn't have listened to Johnny but now he is gone," V said as he used to be Co Intel agent for the company to put several years of his year guarding the company's interests and this is how it turns out.
"V, you have a visitor. You are quite lucky," the researcher said as he looked over to see a lovely Japanese woman coming in to meet him.
"Hello there V, I am Ayaka Sakai. I was sent here to meet you," she said as V looked at this woman standing 5'3 tall, sporting long silver hair tied in a high ponytail, blue cyberoptics, and snow-white skin. Also, she has very exotic features like blue thin dragon-like horns, long pointy ears, and a long metal combat tail. She is in a lovely formfitting blue gown showing off her lush curves.
"Gee, did an angel come from earth to send me to my death," he said still feeling weak as Ayaka giggled at this.
"That is very sweet," she said sporting a light Japanese accent fitting a princess carrying a lot of posh and grace. "I am a big fan of yours, your career in Night City is very impressive including killing Arasaka's best solo Adam Smasher," Ayaka said.
"Oh, you want an autograph or something?" V joked as Ayaka giggled again for V noticed she had a very pretty smile.
"That would be nice but I am here on business. My friend wants to give you an offer but you must not take what Helman is going to give you. Decline him and call me when you return to earth," Ayaka said as she placed her business card which had Arasaka on it.
"You work for Arasaka. Why are you helping me?" he asked.
"My friend knows you worked for the company for many years. You were always loyal to it and never betrayed it. That should be rewarded, I must go. Remember what I did, I will be waiting for you V," Ayaka said bowing her head to go off to the door.
V looks to see her curvy ass forming the back of her gown along with her long tail swaying with her wide hips. "Tight fit," he thought.
"Seems like he took the bait. Now we wait," Ayaka goes to the shuttle in the hangar to go towards the planet.
"Well how does it feel to be near him," the woman asked on the phone.
"Oh Michiko, he is so handsome and nova. He seems weak but still charming," Ayaka said.
"Well it's nice to have you meet your crush," Michiko teased as this made Ayaka blush on her pale white face looking like a tomato.
"Stop it," she said as Michiko laughed at this.
"Well, V will make the call and then we can begin saving him to put him to work," Michiko said as the clock was ticking with Ayaka at the Night City Spaceport. She sits outside to see several Arasaka guards clad in blue and white instead of red and black.
"How did the meeting go?" the guard asked.
"We wait and he will call to us," Ayaka said within the hour. She can see in her eyes that V is calling her. "Good to know you reached out, you declined Helman's offer?" she asked.
"Yep, being locked in a digital cell sounds like a shitty idea. What is your offer?" he asked.
"I know your body is failing you. Have you ever heard about Project Geppetto?" Ayaka asked as V was confused by this.
"No, never heard of it," V said as he was on the shuttle heading back to Night City Spaceport.
"Project Geppetto which is heavily based on Soul Killer made by Biotechnia for their cloning program. It involved scanning your brain, pulling in all the memories and personality, and making multiple AI copies that can be put into cloned bodies," Ayaka said
"That's crazy," V said.
"Well, that is your ticket to being cured. Transferring your mind via engram and putting it into a new fresh body. We will take your cyberware from your old body and put it in the new one you will use," Ayaka said.
"What is the catch?' he asked.
"Oh yes, you made a big mistake aiding Saburo to regain the company. Things are becoming very tense on Earth. We need your help to fix this. You will be getting a new position as a Special Agent for my best friend Michiko Arasaka," Ayaka said as V was surprised to hear this.
"Michiko Arasaka wants my help to stop her grandfather?" he asked as he looked through the side panel to see the earth down below.
"Yes, you hear about the liberal Dove Faction within the company. We desire an end to Arasaka engaging in corporate wars and for meaningful reforms to take place. Arasaka is built on old Japanese imperialism and xenophobia of the West. Arasaka needs to change or it will drag everyone down with it," Ayaka is serious about this.
"Reforming Arasaka, is it possible?" V questioned.
"It's the only way forward unless you want countless dead millions on your conscience," Ayaka said.
"Pretty heavy stuff," he said.
"Yes, but it's needed. I heard about your firing from the company. That is quite terrible. You have been loyal to the company for a long time and that should be rewarded. Michiko will give you new life and then some if you join us," Ayaka said as V took his breath
"Fine, Geppetto is my best bet," V said as Ayaka had a big smile on her face.
"Excellent, I am happy you agree. Meet me outside the spaceport, we got business to attend to," she said feeling happy about this.
Within the hour, V managed to touch down at the Spaceport to go outside to see the dragon lady herself. "I am thankful you are here. Come, we will meet with my friend Michiko and then we can start getting you a new body," Ayaka said as the guard opened the door of the AV Excalibur to get inside.
"Very luxury," V said as they took off to speed towards the location.
"Only a hundred of these exist. I was lucky to get my hands on one. Very expensive but well worth the price. Nice to have you in the flesh," Ayaka said as V could see how lovely she looked up closely.
"So, you are an exotic huh?" he asked to see her two blue thin bony dragon horns sticking out of her silver hair from her forehead, her long pointy ears, and her long metal combat tail attached to her spine to let lightly stroke his back.
"Oh, you just noticed my lovely dragon features?" she flirted as she noticed him looking at her ass and her tail.
"I mean it's very notable," V said as Ayaka has a shapely curvy behind formed against her gown while the metal tail appears through a silt above her rear. The gown can't hide her impressive large bust getting V's attention.
"Oh, I bet, come. No time to waste, you will be better in no time," Ayaka said.
"Why help me at all?" he asked.
"You saved Michiko's life in the boardroom meeting. Yorinobu was planning on killing every single board member including her. She has given you life since you saved hers. Also, she saw your fighting strength against Adam Smasher, someone like you would be good by her side to rebel against her grandfather," Ayaka said.
"I am grateful but how are you going to make a clone body when my old body is too corrupted to be useful for that?" he questioned.
"Easy remember your Trauma Team membership?" Ayaka asked with a sly smile as V looked on with surprise.
"I knew that would be useful," he said.
"Yes, it was. You have your genes and blood in storage at the TT center. Michiko went to take that and used it to make you a clone body. Now we need to get to her location and get you on the Engram station for Geppetto," Ayaka said.
"Interesting," he said as they flew into an unclosed location in the hills in the badlands to go into a secret hanger.
"Good work Ayaka, nice to meet you V. I am Michiko, and I can help you with your problem," Michiko said as V got off the AV to see a Japanese American woman with blue hair, piercing blue cyberoptics, and blue and white bodysuit fitting her slender frame.
"I am in. My new life to stopping Saburo," V said as Michiko patted him on the shoulder.
"Good choice, still can't believe he managed to do that. Using Soul Killer and putting himself in Yorinobu," she said feeling disgusted by this.
"Sad about Yorinobu's death?" V asked as they walked through the hallways of this secret bunker filled with white and blue Arasaka troopers loyal to her and her ideals for the company.
"Not really, he did try to kill me remember? Besides he has darker intentions if he got away with what he did," she said as V was confused by this with Ayaka by his side watching his condition.
"What do you mean, he wanted to destroy Arasaka," V said.
"Yes, by triggering a fifth corporate war," Michiko said as V looked shocked by this.
"What, bullshit," he said.
"Nope, it's true. I spied on him and he planned to trigger a war so big, that it would destroy Arasaka completely. It would go the way of the IEC back in the 2030s, becoming defunct but this would result in hundreds of millions dying because of it," Michiko said.
"Fuck me, I didn't know," V said.
"Now you do but first we need you to get into your new body and then we can talk about our next move. Keep watch over him Ayaka," Michiko said.
"Yes Michiko, easy for me to do," she said in a flirty tone.
"Keep your hands on the prize," Michiko said to wish her luck with her crush.
"Well do," Ayaka said lightly as Michiko went off with Ayaka leading V to the Engram center.
"Nice sword," he said as he looked at the katana at her side.
"Oh, you noticed this beauty, it's a family heirloom. It's called Mist Slicer," she pulls out the blade to see it has a bright purple blade with a black hilt,
"Big Corpo family?' he asked.
"Yes, the Sakai family is one of the most well-known in Japan. Been around for over 400 years," Ayaka said.
"Damn old money runs deep in Japan," V said to put the blade away.
"Indeed, it does, I will tell you more when you are better," Ayaka said as they reached the room. She kisses him on the cheek. "For luck, I will see you when you are in your new body," she said smiling softly.
"Of course," V said feeling nice for a while to get onto the chair to link with Geppetto.
"Hey Ayaka, thanks for giving this gonk a second chance," he said feeling grateful.
"Well, it's worth it. I am happy about it as well. See you on the other side," Ayaka said holding onto his hand as V is turned into an Engram while his brain is purged leaving his old broken body behind.
Within the week, V's engram is transferred into a clone body with the operation being a success. All of his cyberware is transferred into his new fresh body allowing it to adjust to all the changes.
Suddenly V gets woken up by Ayaka via radio as the base is being attacked by Militech. "V, time to wake up. We are being attacked by Militech," she said on his comlink in his ear. V flops out of a chamber to be naked.
"Oh man," he said as he felt like a million eddies now with him feeling good and ready to go. "Hot damn, it worked," V said filled with energy that he is back in action.
"Good seems like your condition is sounded. I need you geared up, there is a weapon locker and some combat gear you can use," Ayaka said.
"Why is Militech attacking, I thought Saburo made peace with them and the NUSA?" V asked.
"Doubtful, it's been a couple of months since you went with Lady Hanako to kill her brother. Saburo doesn't care about anything but his ambitions. There is still tension between the two Megacorps which will lead to a fifth corporate war," Ayaka said.
"Damn it," V puts on a combat uniform with body armor and a helmet to cover his whole head. He rolls up his sleeves to show off his Mantis Blades. "These look new," he said feeling stronger and lighter than before.
"We upgraded them, very preem cyberware by the way," Ayaka said in his ear with her soothing soft voice with her cute Japanese accent gave him comfort in this confusion.
"Thanks," he said grabbing a Kappa smart machine pistol and a Masamune assault rifle equipped with an extended magazine filled with 33 rounds of 6.8x43mm rounds, a combat scope, and a flash hider. "Time to get moving," he thought to cock the rifle to kick a door down to fire the three-round bursts to slice through the Militech soldiers to drop them onto the floor.
"Get to the hanger. I will meet you halfway there," she said wielding her Mist Slicer to use her inhuman speed to dodge and deflect incoming bullets from Militech soldiers. She swiftly lunches and slices the soldiers in half with her combat tail grabbing onto a soldier's neck to snap his neck.
She uses her Arasaka Cyberdeck chip to activate violent shocks in their cyberware with some of them getting vaporized by the powerful electric hack attacks. She severs their heads and limbs while using a Nue pistol to blast them in the head with .45 Super rounds putting them down quickly.
She hacks a turret nearby to take control and unleash a hail of bullets to tear into the incoming troops making a pile of dead bodies covered in guts and blood. She switches to an Aki Ashi which is an Arasaka bullpup tech precision rifle firing in three-round bursts while holding 18 rounds in the magazine.
She tosses a Recon Grenade to scan several targets through the walls. She charges the gun to fire the three rounds through the walls to nail her targets with ease.
She keeps going to see a Heavy trooper wielding a Defender machine gun to fire at her. She uses her blade to deflect the heavy bullets like she was a Jedi knight back of the heavy to hit him a few times.
She uses Cyberware Malfunction to make the heavy drop his gun and feel pain from his Cyberware not working. She pulls out a PLS from her left arm to fire a Pyro rocket to blast the enemy troop burning him to death.
A trooper fires a rocket from his RPG-A while Ayaka uses her Grapple gun from her right arm to latch onto the ceiling to flip up over the rocket. She kicks off the ceiling to use her blade to slice the trooper in half while pulling out her Nue to kill off three soldiers in the head.
V is using his Apogee Sandy to go fast and dodge incoming bullets and rockets. He uses his Mantis Blades to slice and tear into their bodies scattering them across the floor.
He bounces off the walls to get hit a few times but due to his Chitin armored skin, he tanks it easily. He kicks a soldier into the wall to break his neck on impact. He pulls out his Kappa to lock onto the heads of the Militech soldiers to blow them off becoming red mist.
He uses his Optical Camo to sneak around to use his blades to gut soldiers while they are unaware of his presence. He pulls out his Masamune to nail several guys in the head. He heads for the hanger to see targets getting nailed by charged tech shots.
"V, looking good there," she said.
"Looking fitted for a fight," V looks on to see her sporting a white and blue combat suit covering everything below her neck. The suits off her every inch of her curvaceous hourglass figure. "Damn good as well," he flirted as he sees her tail curling up in happiness.
"Thanks, looking combat ready too," Ayaka gets sniped in the head to send her flying across the hallway.
"Ayaka!" V screamed to see her get back up without much harm.
"Gee, that stung," she uses a quickhack to burn the soldier alive.
"You, okay?" he asked, looking worried.
"Thanks, but I am good. I have this skin weave, Dragon Silk. Very strong Bioware that can block 50 BMG with ease," she said getting helped up by V. "Come on, let's fight our way to the hanger," the duo craved their way to the hanger with a lot of soldiers falling before them.
Ayaka uses Cripple Movement to make them vulnerable while V uses his arm blades to chop them to pieces. She lunges into the group with her blade in hand to slice them up while her combat tail is cutting and spearing targets. Her combat tail is covered with electricity to taser her target to slice into their bodies.
"That is a combat tail?" V asked as her tail cut through the head of a soldier with ease.
"Yep, it's a weaponized prehensile mechanical tail connected to my spine, Very handy," she said as her tail was deflecting bullets away to fire her pistol to take her out.
They got to the hangar to see an AV nearby for them to shoot their guns to kill off Militech troops. They hop inside to fly out of there.
"Michiko, we are out of here. The only ones who survived the attack," Ayaka said.
"Good. V is, okay?" Michiko asked.
"Yes, and better than ever," Ayaka said as they split the call with V.
"Good to know you are still alive. Geppetto was successful like I promise you, you are cured," Michiko said as V felt grateful for their help.
"Thanks, a much better deal than what your aunt did," V said.
"Yes, unless my aunt. I take care of my deals, it's only proper business to build trust. Now that is done, you will help us deal with my grandfather," she said.
"Of course, this is going to be rough," V said.
"Yes, it will be. We need to hit Arasaka hard and there is only one thing that will do that," Michiko said.
"Mikoshi," V said.
"Yes, we need to destroy it along with Secure your Soul. This will cripple the company and deeply slow them down," Michiko said as V laughs at this. "What is funny?" she asked.
"One of my plans was to destroy and use it to save me," V said.
"Well, this will greatly weaken my grandfather and send the company into chaos. Rest up, I need to come up with a plan," Michiko said.
"Okay do what you need to do," V said.
"Okay, I will keep in touch. Also, watch the fireworks," Michiko said lightly as the bunker on the outskirts of Night City was destroyed in a self-destruct wiping out all Militech forces in a big explosion.
"Well V, we can go to a penthouse I own in the city. We can go there and rest," she said.
"Ayaka, I was so lost in that station and when you came to me. You were an angel who gave me a second chance. Thank you," he said as Ayaka went to kiss him on the cheek.
"Well, we make a good pair. We need each other. I am grateful as well to meet you. Come, let's go," Ayaka said as she found someone interesting to partner with.
"Also how long did you know Michiko?" he asked, being curious.
"Oh well, I have known her for over 40 years. We are best friends, she is like a younger sister to me," Ayaka said as V was caught off guard by the length of years they had known each other.
"40 years, how old are you?" V asked.
"Well, it's quite embarrassing but I turned 105 this March," she said as V's mouth dropped.
"Wow, looking pretty fresh for a 105-year-old. Those anti-aging treatments doing you good," V joked as Ayaka uttered a small laugh.
"Yes, they do. I have access to better treatments which are quite potent. These new treatments are quite powerful in refreshing the body. With it, I will live even longer than this. Taken time to enjoy life and with you by my side, it's only going to be more interesting," Ayaka said as they headed to her penthouse in Night City with V going on another journey to take out Saburo Arasaka for Michiko.