Well everyone, its been a few years. I can't lie. Life happened and then I lost the muse for this one completely and everything I wrote was trash. I scrapped and rewrote this chapter or parts of it so many times. I played Phantom Liberty recently and damn did the ending leave me feeling hollow. But it also inspired me and gave me some ideas. I also can't leave so very many of you hanging when you're so invested in the story.
Apologies if the tone is different as I try to get back into the swing of this one, some things as far as format are going to change as I've grown and changed as a writer and taken many reviews to heart. Thank you all for your critiques, they were always kind, respectful, and came from a place of wanting to help. Which is all I can ask for. (I am a casual writer, by no means am I a professional, and I don't have anyone editing my work, never have, just lil ole me. Not looking to change that. Just saying I do my best editing it, but stuff is gonna slip through the cracks so bear with me).
Comments and stuff are always welcome if you're so inclined, but no pressure to do so. Thank you all, sincerely, for reading and reviewing in the past and giving this story your time. Time is the most valuable thing we can give. I hope this doesn't suck completely. But here we go.
Thank you all again, enjoy.
~Fateful
—-
V gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles went white, rapidly blinking back the moisture in her eyes. Her brow furrowed as she wrangled her emotions, the memory playing in her head again.
—-—-
V got out of the back of Panam's truck. The morning sun was already hot on the desert landscape and V's skin. Her chest felt heavy with the weight of the impending goodbye but she did her best to push it aside. She clenched her jaw, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. The shame of breaking down in front of Celeste and Panam made it easy for her to push the swelling emotions down. She would have her moment in private, where no one would see, and she needed to be strong for Jackie. He wouldn't admit it, but she knew him, and knew how hard leaving his family, Misty, and everything he knew and loved behind, would be for him.
Jackie exited the truck and walked over to V, not slowing as he barrel-hugged her, lifting her off her feet and walking a few feet with her in his arms. V exhaled and felt the air forced out of her lungs from the strength of Jackie's hug, a slight twinge in her slinged left arm. She wheezed, laughed, and coughed all at the same time, rapidly tapping his elbow. Jackie laughed and set her down. As soon as he loosened his grip V wrapped her one good arm around his torso and hugged him, gritting her teeth hard. That damn lump formed in her throat again.
"You-" V's voice broke. She paused and cleared her throat, "You better take care of yourself Jackie-boy. You go dyin' on me, I'll find you and kill you myself." The usual mirth in V's voice wasn't present. When she spoke next her voice was hushed, so only Jackie could hear, "I'll miss you. You're my brother, you better know that. I love you, man." She squeezed onto him with all her might.
Jackie tightened his hug on V again, tucking his head down into her small shoulder. "Don't worry V, I'll be ok. Shoot first, ask questions later, yeah? Don't worry. I'll be fine. Couple of years of layin' low, and I'll be back, better than ever!" He cleared his throat, swallowing the lump he couldn't admit was forming. "I love you too Hermana. Dumbass. Like I didn't already know we were family. And you say I'm slow." He chuckled.
They stepped back, clapping each other's shoulders fondly. V wiped her nose, scowling.
Jackie wiped the corner of his eye. "Damn dust got in my eye. Shit's everywhere."
V laughed as she exhaled, shaking her head but running with it, "Gotta watch out for that kinda shit. Someone will think you've gone soft."
"Who me? I'm hard as nails." He winked and smiled in that characteristically Jackie kinda way. The sort of way that made V somehow believe everything would be ok.
"You'll call when you're safe, from a new number?" V nodded her chin up at Jackie, stuffing her free hand in her pocket with a sort of final acceptance of the situation. She also knew if she didn't, she'd go in for another hug.
"Of course! Contact'll be minimal, but you'll hear from me. Can't get rid of me that easily." Jackie playfully pushed V's shoulder. She smiled, dipping her head and shifting her feet to roll with the endearing push.
"Not to be heartless, in my interruption of this.. vomit-inducing goodbye. But we do have a security time window to get you two out of this god-forsaken city. I'd rather not spend another day in that hideout. Its charm has officially run its course for me!" Panam hollered, sitting forward in the driver's seat, both arms on the steering wheel as she craned her neck to peek around Celeste in the passenger seat.
V and Jackie shared a brief silence, the finality of it sinking in for both of them like a weight in the air around them.
"Take care of Misty for me."
"Duh."
"And Mama Wells."
"Goes without sayin'."
"And-"
"Jack. I'll take care of our family. You have my word. Now go. Take care of yourself and come back to us."
Jackie's lips curled into a bittersweet smile. They clasped hands and Jackie clapped her on the back, holding an embrace for a few solid seconds before separating. Jackie turned and got into the back passenger seat without another word or a backward glance. V knew he couldn't look back. If he did, he might not go, and he knew he had to.
Celeste leaned out of the passenger window, her lips curling into a cheshire cat smile. "I guess I'll have to try to get you another time." She winked as she leaned back into her seat, seemingly not expecting a response, or waiting for one.
Panam gave a single wave at V and a shout of, "I'll contact you with an update when I can, V!" The truck's tires spun, kicking up dust as they drove off into the desert. V watched until their dust cloud disappeared behind hills and she couldn't see them anymore. Her fist clenched inside her jacket pocket, and her strong stance concealed her inner sadness at losing her best friend. A physical show that was more to convince herself she wasn't sad.
'Just for a time. It's only temporary.' V mentally consoled herself, forcing herself to believe in the best, and shoving away the dread that settled like a rock in her stomach, praying they wouldn't be tracked or found.
V turned, walking the short distance to the highway, remote requesting her Javelina to her location.
—-
V pulled off on the outcrop overlooking the city, near the cemetery. She lit a cigarette as she leaned against the hood of her Javelina; looking out over the city as the morning sun glittered off the high rises. Flashy ads scrolled through the sky and played on every surface. The City of Dreams indeed.
For the second time, she felt like she wanted to actually leave Night City. For good this time. Atlanta didn't pan out, but this time could be different.. Night City had always given her what she needed, even if it was a fight to get it. Survival of the fittest. She still had people here though...people she needed to talk to, badly.
Like Misty, who she had to break the news that Jackie left, without giving her the option of tagging along. Fuck. Also Mama Wells and Vik..
And of course Judy, who she really hoped she didn't completely ruin her chances with. She really needed to talk to her, but she didn't want to be distracted, and needed to take care of her business first, that way Judy would have her undivided attention. Stress-free. Something new and positive to focus on. Something of a new beginning, she hoped.
Another stressed sigh escaped V's mouth. She also had one stolen Relic to take care of..She could only think of one person capable of it.
V pulled a draft on her cigarette and her eyes lit up blue, Rogue Amendiaries dialing in her peripheries.
"V. What do you need?"
"I need to get somethin' hotter than hell off my hands. I think you know what I'm talkin' about.I need it to not come back to me, at all."
Rogue's face remained schooled, yet icy, nothing betraying her thoughts.
"Come to the Afterlife tonight." Rogue didn't wait for a response, she just cut the line.
V tilted her head back, options of how to go about her business running through her head.
She worried her lip and bounced her foot before opening her messages and selecting Judy from her contacts. She had to get this out of the way so she could focus on everyone else.
V: Hey. I've been a ghost for a few days, I know. I'd like to explain, and make good on the drink I owe you. Tonight? Afterlife, if you're free. 10:00 PM. I'd really like to see you."
V hit send before she over-thought it. Now though, she was overthinking it, but the damage was done. No take backs, for better or for worse. V groaned as she realized she was dreading rejection from a girl she only sort of knew, and only spoke to less than a handful of times. How much of a simp could she be? Fuck. No use fighting it. She had it kinda bad already, but as much as it chagrined her, she had to admit she sort of liked it. Being swept up so suddenly and unexpectedly. It was a kind of excitement that she wasn't used to, a feeling she never thought she'd have, but here she was. But she dreaded the very real possibility of rejection.
V sighed and facepalmed, scrubbing her face. She just wanted to un-fuck her life. In the maelstrom of chaos and recent events, those moments with Judy were..fun, light, and so very easy. She just…wanted to spend more time with her. Really find out who she was, what she liked and- V groaned, scrubbing her face with her hand again. Focus, damn it. Get your shit done, and you can get all lovesick puppy-mode later. The beast inside her grumbled at the thought.
—-
Misty took the news..well.. In her usually Misty fashion. In stride and not betraying any emotions. A strange peace about the whole thing. V gave her Jackie's apartment key and they chatted for a bit. God it was so tense, neither of them knowing how to make small talk at the moment. V only left after Misty asked to be alone. Awkward as it was, V would have stayed and been there for Misty, she promised Jackie she would be. Misty closed her shop after V walked out. She knew it wasn't her fault, and knew Misty didn't blame her. Misty sincerely thanked her for getting Jack out alive. V still carried guilt for it all anyway.
V went and saw Vik after. He took the whole thing really well and was genuinely happy they got out, and everyone was alive. He even commended her on a job well done, saying Jackie having to lay low for a while was the best outcome they could have hoped for. As a congratulations and attempt to keep her alive longer (his words) he fixed her up with some reinforced bone and skin weave, subdermal armor, and an addition of a limited invisibility skin mod. No more broken arm for her. V stood up and moved around, happy with the improvement. Vik was going to do it pro-bono, but V insisted on paying him. Vik wouldn't take the eddies, so V would have to get creative later on ways to repay him. Maybe she'd just leave a stack of eddies or something.
She saw Mama Wells about mid-afternoon, and spent a few hours with her, filling her in, and stressing the importance that if anyone came knocking, she should play a worried mother who hadn't heard from her son, but she couldn't give anything up. Thankfully Mama had been around the block and knew how to lie with the best of 'em. She was just happy her son was alive and safe. V felt confident Mama Wells would be safe as well. They exchanged a tender hug with a promise to keep in touch and V went on with her day.
By that point V was actually in better spirits, considering the positive reception from everyone about Jackie being gone, but all in all safe. Unfortunately, there was still a major dampener on her mood; she hadn't received a text back from Judy, and she was anxious because of it. Desperately needing to blow off steam or take the edge off.
V was cruising through town on Jackie's bike, looking for some type of solace in it. She knew he was safe, right? But she kept wondering if he'd still be hunted. What if he and Celeste didn't make it out? And if they did, would they be safe, would Jackie be smart and not make reckless decisions? A lot could happen in a few years. He could easily get into deep shit out there without her to pull his ass out of the fire. She also just lamented not having her best friend around. It was selfish, but true. She prayed Celeste would stick with him, keep him safe, but she wouldn't know anytime soon, and Celeste had no obligation to do so.
She was at a red light when she got an NCPD scanner drop of a local crime in progress. Authorization to neutralize any targets by any means was granted. Perfect. The engine revved as V tore off with a smoky skid, and made a turn in the direction of the bounty, zipping through traffic with an exciting rev of the engine, the wind ripping past her ears, her muscles taught with control as she maneuvered the bike with the tiny, precise movements. She felt her inner beast pacing with excited anticipation.
She had tested out her new stealth skin initially, and successfully killed a handful of the gang without being noticed before she got bored and wanted the adrenaline rush from a good fire fight. It was good to have and know how to use in case a situation called for it. But she couldn't help herself.
All she remembered was the sound of her own heart beat, her measured breathing, the smell of gunfire, blood, sweat and burned flesh from synaps overload of her dead targets. The whir of her mantis blade mechanics, so similar to the feel of muscle twitches. An unnatural extension of her arms. The movements were faster, more rigid, less fluid than an organic movement, and yet they flowed smoothly and with an unnatural speed all the same. She lost herself in the familiarity, the carnage. Time almost slowed as she dashed, lifted into the air, her body twisting. The satisfying flits of hot air as bullets and other projectiles ripped past her, barely missing, heightening her focus and excitement. Hyper focused on her movements, and everything around her drowned out her other lingering worries and she reveled in the freedom of it.
As she descended from her leaping twist in the air, her mantis blade crashed down into the top of a gunman's shoulder. He screamed, shots firing into the ground between them as she jerked her blade down, pulling him with it, the blade momentarily caught in his ribcage. V snarled, sinking her left mantis blade in next to the right one, she inhaled hard, and with a snarling grunt she pulled her arms apart, ripping through muscle, organs and bones as she freed her blades. The front of the man's chest cavity separated with a sickening gurgle, sucking sound, sputtering a fountain of blood in a cough as he fell to his knees. V sidestepped, her eyes locked in a deadly stare at her next target, as her victim fell with a squelching flop to the ground by her feet where she was just standing
The man she was staring at wore an indescribable fear as he stood there. With a desperate scream he raised his machine fun. V lowered and shot off to the left, her mantis blade at her sides. Gunfire trailed her as she dashed between points of cover. She slashed a mans head from her shoulders as she closed on her original target. Her eyes glowed blue as they widened and she looked at a man on the balcony nearby, remotely detonating his grenades, a red orange explosion preceding a gory rainfall, littering the ground with hunks of flesh, bone and blood.
V dashed and slid as her intended target locked onto her as she broke free from cover, his bullets hitting the dead air above her. V hacked with a charged force, knowing she would need it, and cleaved off both of his legs in an outward sweep. She continued the momentum and quickly, cleanly removed his arms.
She stood over him, took note of his wardrobe. The gang leader, most likely. He's the most decked out here. She glared down at him, and a dark part of her she only indulged in her work snarled with joy at his fear and knowing his death was impending. She stood over him, her feet stradling his hips and with a quick snap, sunk her blades into his chest, through his lungs and she felt the hard chnk of her blades hitting the concrete below.
She stood over the gang leader, her blades still buried into his chest. She watched as he gurgled his last breath, the life leaving his eyes and his blood quickly pooling wider around them. She panted, a deadly scowl contorting her blood strewn face. Through bared teeth she drew slower, controlled breaths.
V remembered catching her own reflection in his blood. The quiet fury of her expression as she breathed deeply, but controlled, from the fight. She recalled the pleased growl from her beast, echoed in person. She stood up slowly, her mantis blades withdrawing with a wet slipping noise. She flicked them once, blood splattering into the pool of blood she stood in, rippling, in a grim beauty before they shifted and compacted back to her arms. The familiar faint his, feeling the rotating and mild heat as they self cleaned, the blood ejecting from a small port before closing.
Her head lolled back lazily as she looked up into the sky, her heightened senses taking in all of the smells and sounds around her. She felt the mechanical pieces and gears shifting as she flexed her cybernetic muscles again. Her mind-body connection felt the same. Simple thoughts of flexing, or wanting her mantis blades to open was all it took. The code of the program teaching her brain what to do, saving her, or anyone, years of learning how to operate a new limb. It was like they had always been a part of her.
She looked down at herself. She had been reckless, and she knew it. She didn't have a death wish, but with all the stress she'd been under, the lack of control she had these past few days.. It was nice to let go and fall into a familiar rhythm. Deadly though it was. It's who she was, and she accepted it a long time ago. And it was Night fucking City. Kill or be killed, survival of the fittest. There was no room for remorse. They chose their path, and she chose hers. Unfortunately for them, their choices put them in her line of fire.
The beast inside of her that she'd hadn't been able to unleash for a few days hummed in relief at its release. Her clothes had damage from the bullets of the recently fallen opposition. Most, if not all, left no real damage to her beyond superficial cuts or scrapes, and the high caliber rounds that did hit her barely pierced her skin, or ricocheted off, and the skin was already reweaving itself. In her haze of battle, she didn't realize they had hit her, she was sure at the time she dodged them all.
She wished she had this upgraded shit before. That fight at the warehouse might have gone differently. Also, she was now under the impression that Vik gave her a significantly better set of upgrades than he made it seem. She'd get him something nice. Real nice.
V wondered at her nerves during that fire fight where she got injured. That fight had been different though, she reasoned. She was stressed, trying to lay low, and was being hunted by big, big names and probably even bigger guns. She might have just gotten into her own head about being up against bigger fish, or maybe they were just that good, with better equipment. She didn't know. But she resolved to never let it happen again. Who the enemy was from now on didn't matter. She'd take them down all the same. She didn't have Jackie boy with her anymore, she had to be a solo now.
This type of merc work, her bread and butter, was done on her own terms. She was the hunter. Where before, she felt like prey…
Fuck that.
V felt her face contract with a scowl of seething determination as she looked down at her forearms and body. She clenched her fists, the faint whirring of gears in her hands and arms flexing in the stillness. She heard it like you heard your own blood flow if you clenched your teeth hard enough and plugged your ears, like an echo in your own body that no one else could hear.
She wouldn't be prey again. She had upgrades now, good ones, and she would get more. She'd be ready next time, she'd be prepared to be caught unexpectedly by big game. The possibility of it happening was higher than she'd like to admit. She hoped it would drop significantly after she passed off this Relic.
V collected the bounty's eddies and went home after that. She ate, showered and donned some nice black synth-leather pants, ox-blood and black boots, and a teal and black corset style bralet thing that showed off her abs. She didn't know the technical term for it but she liked how it looked on her. Eventually she decided to put on a black high collared runner jacket with a blue illuminated inner collar. She liked the feminine look but she still likes to add a little tomboy flare. She changed her hair so it was long on top and shaved in an undercut, she wore it flipped to one side and dyed it a pale silver blue color. She changed her eyes to a lavender color. A change in look would probably be beneficial. V checked her pistols on her, making sure they were good to go, and she made her way to The Afterlife.
The meeting with Rogue had gone well, all things considered. Rogue didn't give details, but said she would be able to move the Relic and sell it off without it getting back to her. But the cost of her not only fencing it, and pulling some strings and favors to keep it all hush hush was going to cost V sixty five percent of the profit off the Relic. For a moment, V was going to fight it, but if it meant the safety of her loved ones, and herself, she'd take the thirty five percent. Rogue told her to forget about it, and that moving on like nothing was wrong was going to be her best approach. So V handed it off, and felt the weight lift off her shoulders as she walked out of Rogue's booth.
And here she sat, ordering her second round of tequila from Claire. She got it the way Jack liked it, with grenadine and a splash of love, whatever the hell that meant. She smiled fondly at the thought.
Something must have been wrong with V's face because Claire poured two more shot's, and slid one to V while she leaned on her folded arms against the bar.
"Kid, you look rough. No other way to say it." Claire smiled her knowing smile and held up her shot, looking at V expectantly.
V sighed and ran her hand over one side of her face, resting her chin in her hand, a small smirk forming. "That obvious huh? And here I tried to clean up before I came out." V picked up her shot, and clinked it to Clair's before they both downed them.
V winced, and then smiled through the burn, "That wasn't tequila."
Claire smiled, "Your face said you needed something stronger. So I gave you 'a kick in the pants'. My own custom creation for those extra trying days. You're welcome." She picked up the glasses with a smile and set them out of sight somewhere under the counter and came back with fresh glasses. "So?"
V was actually smiling, she enjoyed bantering with Claire. She had an easy-going air about her. "So, what?"
Claire tilted her head, one hand on the bar and the other on her hip. The look she gave V told her she knew exactly what Claire was asking, but she decided to play the game. "So, I pour drinks, you spill your burdens." She gestured with her hand making small circles between them, "Kinda how this whole bartender, patron thing usually works."
V's smile remained but waned as she looked at her glass being filled with another shot, this time with her ever comforting and favored straight tequila. Why was she upset? She spoke as the realization hit her, the alcohol likely loosening her up, allowing her to confront it all, and somehow have the balls to say it out loud. Weak though it may make her seem. Or maybe she was using it as an excuse to open up, and share this with someone she trusted enough, and didn't know well enough yet, to feel judged.
"Just everything, …can't go into deets on the work part, but it all worked out. Which I'm very thankful for. So I should be happy. Just gonna miss my friend, and hope he'll be ok. Guess I'm still just… waitin' for that other shoes to drop, ya know? Aside from that. While I was helpin' him out, I think I messed up anything I coulda' had with Judy."
"How so? Put yer foot in your mouth or something?" Claire was attentive, leaning on the bar in her usual manner, no judgment on her face, just genuine empathy, a listening ear. It spurred V, in her slightly inebriated state, to go on.
"No. Worse. I unintentionally, but still, ghosted her for three days." V grumbled and scrubbed her forehead where her brows furrowed. "Didn't get back to her messages at all. But I couldn't at the time, wouldn't have been safe." V groaned, and buried her face in her hands with a sigh before continuing, "Was in a fire fight. Shit went sideways. Had to go into hiding, no contact in or out, and I was under for a while. Woke up to her messages, and.. Well it seems like she got the impression I wasn't into her." V sighed and slammed her shot back, the burn no longer as powerful in her throat. She was getting where she wanted; numb and out of fucks to give.. Well. She'd give a fuck to one person. As many as she wanted, actually. "Only problem is, why the fuck would she even believe any of that? I lived it, and I can't fuckin believe it." She plopped her head in her hand, idly twirling the shot glass along its rim on the bartop.
Claire tilted her head in a small bounce of a nod, like she understood her predicament and the hard spot she was in. "Well, did you reach out when you woke up?" Her face had a slight wince, her tone trilled just a bit as she asked, like she was assuming the answer already, given V's state.
"Well, I texted her 'ventually. Didn't wanna risk her gettin' caught in the cross hairs. Wasn't sure if our channels were safe or not yet. Didn't want her gettin' blowback from my friends' mess. And I had other things to take care of still.. So I texted her this mornin'. Told her I'd be here at ten, if she was interested. I still owe her a drink. But! Iiii'm pretty sure I fucked it. She never messaged back." She pursed her lips an a loathful grimace, pressing her hands on the edge of the bar and pushing back so she was leaning back, stretching her slightly fatigued muscles.
Claire looked thoughtful, "I think I remember this Judy chick now. You and her were flirtin' here pretty hard right? Pink and green hair? Suspenders? A cute face that carries a little annoyance? To say the least?"
V huffed a small laugh, "Damn good memory on ya." she leaned forward, crossing her arms on the bar, her head dipping. "I'll take another."
Claire conceded a small nod, "Yeah, that.. aaand she's been standing behind you and listening this whole time." Claire raised her eyebrows and smiled as she pushed off the bar to pour some drinks elsewhere. She had a triumphant smile and gave V a warm wink, mouthing 'you're welcome' before turning to tend to other customers.
V, who was just leaning on the bar forlorn, shot up ramrod straight and turned in her chair so fast she had to catch her arm on the bar to keep from slipping out of it.
Judy stood behind her in that simple, but adorable outfit of a white crop top and black suspenders with only one side clipped. Her face seemed guarded on the surface, but V zeroed in on her eyes and the softness that tinged the hard edges, the small pull of the corner of her lips as she looked at V, her arms crossed.
V could feel the smile pulling at her mouth, and she didn't try to hide it. She was genuinely happy to see Judy. "Hey, Judy." She just sat there, smiling like an idiot, intermittently biting the edge of her bottom lip nervously. Since when did she not know how to talk under pressure?
Judy sighed and uncrossed her arms, "Hey yourself." Judy's guarded exterior melted just a bit, but a hard edge remained, "Heard what you said to Claire. Must be true since ya didn't know I was listenin'." Judy placed one hand on her hips, shifting her weight to that leg as she got lost in thought, "Sorry, bout not textin' back, wasn't sure if I'd come or not. Plus. Give you just a taste of the medicine you've given me for days. It's petty, I know, but…well. Never said I was perfect." She looked down to the side, slightly ashamed, and crossed her arms defensively, and in a form of self comfort.
V scratched the back of her head, grimacing into a smile, "Yeah. Yeah that's fair. I can't say I blame you."
"That was before I heard your little confession though." Judy stepped a little closer and V froze on the spot, feeling the heat rise on the side of her neck. She fought to push it down.
Judy smiled mischievously, clearly noticing and enjoying V trying to keep her composure when she so badly wanted back into her good graces. Judy had been sick with worry, and more than a little miffed when V texted her, but beyond it all she was glad she was ok. And relived that she hadn't scared V off. She also really didn't know V, or have a claim to her, so holding onto a grudge for something she just heard a reasonable (Okay crazy as shit, but reasonable) explanation to, seemed unnecessary. Especially when she was still interested in V regardless, and wanted to move past it.
Judy softened her smile and her hazel eyes warmed, as she stepped a little closer, her crossed arms dropping easily to her sides.
V felt her heart stop and then race in her chest. She didn't try to hide the color rising to her cheeks. Her stare was open, a twinge of desire, and unyielding determination. She was waiting for Judy to do something, trying her damndest to be respectful and let Judy make the decision on how this would go. She felt she owed her that after ghosting for three days, at the very least.
Judy's eyes had a spark in them. A playfulness, and a knowing? Mischief? V couldn't place it, she didn't know Judy well enough yet. But she would, if Judy would let her have some of her time.
"About that drink." Judy smirked and winked, moving in closer. V's breath held in her throat. For a brief moment she thought Judy was coming in for a kiss, but she was just sitting on the barstool next to hers. The gap was small, and with how V was sitting, she had to get close to sit down before the small gap between them widened as she sat. Well fucking played. V smiled, picking up on the tone Judy was setting, and more than willing to play it.
V smiled and turned in her seat to face Judy, who was resting the side of her head in her hand, elbow propped on the bar, and her legs casually crossed. She was clearly enjoying all of V's reactions.
V took it in stride and leaned back into her chair, arm draped on the bar, her head tilted with a look of enjoyment, and a happy smile splayed across her face. Now that she knew everything was ok(she prayed she was reading that right), all the weight was gone. She could breathe and relax into this moment with Judy. "A drink I do owe." V said with a slight dramatic flair.
Judy exhaled a short laugh, "Don't go all master Yoda on me. Little, green, and men, aren't my cup of tea. I like the hair change though. And the eyes." She winked as she took an appraised look over V.
V chortled, running a slightly self conscious hand through it. Wtf since when did she ever feel self conscious? Shut up, at least she likes it. Focus damn it. "Yeah, change was kinda necessary, I think. Glad you like it." She gave a wolfish grin, "And still recognized me."
"Well, I know that voice if nothing else." She held her hand up to Claire for a drink, "Whatever she's having." She ordered and turned her attention back to V.
"Can't lie. Never had my voice complemented before." She raised a playful eyebrow, and gave a smirk.
"Did I say it was a compliment?" She questioned with a mirthful glower as she picked up the drink Claire set before her.
"Ouch! Damn. I think I'd rather be shot right now than hurt like that." She breathed a laugh, a playfully dramatic hand to her chest, bowing her shoulders in mock injury.
Judy laughed, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I really do like your voice." She leaned forward a bit, a comforting hand on her knee, and a warm playful smirk on her soft lips.
V smiled, feeling emboldened again, lifted her chin with a smirk, "What else do you like about me?"
Judy hummed thoughtfully, sitting back in her seat and shooting her drink, Tequila, nice. "Well, you got a decent face." She winked, "Really nice ass though. And don't get me started on upstairs." She wiggled her eyebrows a few times, failing to hold back her blooming smile and soft laugh.
They shared a laugh, "Wow. Never thought I'd like being objectified. You, Judy, are a woman of many talentsit seems." V tipped her glass downing her shot.
"Flattery. It might get you far. Keep tryin', and we can find out." She winked playfully, leaning forward a bit as she purred the sentiment.
"Well, you're smart, independent, funny, beautiful, and uh…" she looked pointedly up and down Judy's body with a wolfish smirk, "Over all just…wow." She laughed at herself, the confidence and bravado lost at her flop on the finish line, and she was thankfully joined by Judy in her laughter. "Ok, apparently I'm not good at pick up lines when I'm actually trying to impress you."
Judy smiled, a coquettish edge to it, "Well, maybe I like to see you fumble a little. It's cute."
V actually sputtered a bit, and Judy laughed covering her mouth as the fit overtook her.
"Sorry, Jud', cute isn't…I guess I've never been called cute before." V's features morphed into perturbed contemplation. "Not sure how to take it." She laughed again looking down at her now empty glass.
"Is it a problem that I think you're cute?" She leaned forward again, craning her neck and tilting her head, giving an edgy, flirty glower as she invaded V's personal space.
V paused, her lips parting, caught off guard by her forwardness. While unexpected, V found she really liked it, "Uh, no. Not at all. It's…surprisingly pleasant. Maybe…you can call me whatever you want." She gravitated towards Judy, her eyelids hooded slightly, a slight smirk pulling at her lips. She knew she was tiny bit tipsy and Judy wasn't, being on her first drink, but she wasn't off-put, and that was encouraging.
At this point the music was bumping, loud and convoluted with other conversations. It afforded a sort of privacy in their conversation, and this bubble of intense looks shut out all other noise for V. She wanted to kiss Judy, and if Judy's look and steady lean forward was anything to go by, she did too.
V's lips ghosted over Judy's, her fingertips grazing over her cheek. Her other hand quickly put the empty shot glass on the bar. Her lips pulled up a bit as she registered Judy's small gasp at the contact of their lips. It wasn't audible, but she felt the pull of air with their mouths so near. Both moved forward, their lips pressing together in a slow, languid dance. V felt her pulse quicken, and her hand slipped to the back of Judy's neck, fingers weaving into her hair. V tensed with excitement when she felt Judy's hands thread inside her jacket to her sides.
She hummed when she felt Judy nip gently at her bottom lip, and after another few slow, passionate kisses, she felt her tongue on her lower lip, asking for access. V nipped at Judy's lip in response, canting her head as their tongues gently met. As she started to feel herself getting lost in the heat and passion of the moment, she froze, her ears perked up and she was abruptly jerked from her moment of euphoria.
She picked up elevated voices, tinged with an edge of urgency, not the general rabblerouse of a bar or a small disagreement. She broke the kiss, but her hand remained on Judy's neck, their faces close. She could feel Judy examining her face.
"V?" Her voice was low but laced with concern, and she looked over her shoulder to where V's eyes were locked.
The bouncer was shouting and standing in front of someone out of sight blocked by the wall. All V heard was "Corpo's aint allowed here, get lost." V's heart started racing. She immediately assumed they were there for her, who else could it be? With a dreadful sense of confirmation, Rogue was suddenly beside them, the briefcase containing the Relic being shoved in V's arms.
"Take this. And your output. Go out the back. I'll let you know later where to take it. I'll handle this, but this can't be found here. Here." She handed V a key, "Take the car. You'll know the one. Leave it somewhere safe and let me know the location. I don't care where you go, just don't get caught. If you do, you're on your own."
V's demeanor changed as she took the keys and the briefcase, the alcohol suddenly and seemingly evaporating from V's attitude. Judy picked up on it, sitting up and shifting to a more serious mood herself.
V squished the fear trying to grip at her heart. She wouldn't be prey anymore. Her resolve from earlier in the day steeled her spine. Her beast growled and she rolled her shoulder back. She took the briefcase and Judy's hand, nodding at Rogue, "Give me some time, and we'll ghost. Thanks, Rogue. I'll be in touch."
Rogue grunted with a brief nod, "You know how to piss off big dogs, I respect that. Now get outta here."
V stood pulling Judy with her, who thankfully, quickly followed. Having heard the conversation, and sensing the urgency, Judy didn't question anything, it wasn't the time.
"I'll explain everything once we're safe. Promise." V cast a sidelong glance at Judy. She knew Judy didn't ask, was thankful she didn't right then, but felt obligated to give her that solace anyway.
Judy clutched V's hand. The playful, stumbling, flirtatious V from earlier was gone, replaced by a dark, decisive, confident V, and she was giving off a deadly presence that both frightened and excited Judy. She wasn't sure if her heart racing was from fear or excitement, but she didn't really have time to think about it.
They quickly walked to the back, when they broke from view of the front door, V pulled Judy into a light run. They burst through another doorway and when V paused, unsure, someone who likely worked for Rogue, and V vaguely recognized, looked at them and jerked their head to a door down a hallway. V nodded her thanks and pulled Judy into another light run. They made their way through the door and up the stairwell.
V paused at the door, turning to Judy, her eyes had a flash in them in the dim light, all business and brokering no argument. "When we leave here, act casual, follow my lead, and stay close to me, no matter what. If I tell you to do something, I need you to do it without question." Her gaze softened ever so slightly for the briefest of moments, "I need you to trust me, okay? I'll keep you safe."
Judy stood there, frozen in V's gaze and feeling oddly scared and safe with V at the same time. She just nodded.
"Good girl." V said it without thinking as she turned back to the door, and Judy was glad as her cheeks flushed from the statement before the reality of the situation settled over her again, sobering her errant thoughts. She packed that away for later.
V pulled a pistol with a silencer from a holster on the back of her pants, hidden by her jacket and opened the door. She walked casually, the pistol at her side, and slightly back. Judy kept pace with her, but when she noticed V's eyes, darting to every area that could conceal someone as they walked through the alley, Judy started trying to keep an eye out too.
"Don't. You're moving your head too much, too obvious. Just…start talking to me. Doesn't matter what about, I won't be listening, but it'll be a good cover, make you seem more natural while I keep my eyes out."
Judy was momentarily miffed by being called out, but V was right. Even though she noticed V looking around since she was so close, now that she took better stock of her, she noticed V's eyes were the only thing moving, but her body language, expression and all, remained casual and not obvious to a passing stranger.
Damn. V was good. Judy smiled, an idea of what to talk about came to her mind and she couldn't help herself, especially knowing V said she wouldn't be listening.
"It's really sexy how you're taking charge. Don't get me wrong, I liked the other side of you before, the flirting, nervous, playful side. Very cute. But this?" She hummed appreciatively, "I'm excited to see…more of you V." She smirked, her gait naturally becoming flirtatious as she bantered, and her thoughts ran rampant, the severity of the situation clearly forgotten. How strong was that drink?
V, to her credit, didn't give any outward signs or responses to Judy's banter. Suddenly, V set the briefcase between two large trash cans, holstered her pistol behind her back, and pulled Judy against her. She quickly led Judy to a wall, pressing their mouths together in a heated kiss, her hand on her sides, pulling at her with urgency, caressing her exposed midriff. Judy was surprised, she didn't expect this response when she started talking, but filed that knowledge away for later too.
Judy groaned, wrapping her arms around V's neck, grabbing her hair, and pressing her body against her. V's tongue invaded Judy's mouth and the accompanying moan made Judy gasp and wrap her leg around V's hips. She was pleased when a strong hand ran up her thigh to her hip, pulling her against V.
V continued the display until the two suited figures stumbled upon them, grimaced about their actions, making some off handed comments, and moved on, muttering something about low class street trash or something. Knowing they moved on, and they were safe for the moment, V let the contact and kiss continue, growling as she broke the kiss with a final nip at Judy's lip. It was also smart to let it continue in case they doubled back. She was pleased the ruse worked, maybe a simple change of her hair color and style was enough for their cursory looking. Clearly they didn't scan them. Sloppy on their part, but V would rather be lucky than good. Her Kiroshi optics would scramble her face, and her identity was blocked, that would be a sure give away, or at least grounds for inspection.
She stared and smiled at Judy's dazed and breathless look. She thumbed Judy'd cheek, hearing the footsteps continue further away and out of her heightened ear shot. "Come on, it worked."
"What worked?" Judy asked incredulously, breathless, as V took her hand, retrieved the briefcase and led them to the mouth of the alley. She paused, looking around and making sure no one was nearby. Across the street was the vehicle Rogue promised. It was an iridescent pearl caliburn. V's eyebrows raised, 'I would know it, indeed. Definitely can't damage or lose this one.'
V didn't respond, and Judy knew now wasn't the time to ask, but she would definitely ask later about "what worked". Her brow furrowed in minor annoyance, but was once again offset by the general feeling of excitement. None of this felt particularly dangerous to her at the moment, but V seemed on edge so she took her lead, she just didn't feel any overwhelming fear at the moment.
V opened the door for Judy, keeping her eyes out as Judy hurriedly sat inside. V closed the door, briskly walking around the back and scanning the surrounding area she could see. Satisfied they were alone she placed the relic in the back seat, and got in the driver's seat. The engine hummed to life and she slowly pulled off, driving as normally as possible, constantly glancing around and checking her mirrors for any pursuing vehicles as she began driving through the city aimlessly.
"So…where are we goin'?" Judy asked in an uncharacteristically soft voice. She could feel V's heightened tension and awareness and didn't want to startle her.
"I don't know yet. Trying to work that out." V's brow furrowed. Maybe Judy could help if she shared her thoughts. Two minds were better than one. "My place is out, so is yours. We don't want to lead them to our homes to find us later. I had a safe house but we used that recently and I don't know if it's burned. Only option I can think of is some run down hotel somewhere nondescript. But even that seems wrong being in the city. So it's likely gonna be somewhere out of town."
There was a long silence and Judy chewed her lip. "I have a spot outside of the city by the dam. I use an old abandoned house sometimes. Would that work?"
V perked up and thought about it. It wasn't perfect, but it seemed like their best option for now. She would ask later why she had use for an old abandoned house. She considered going to the Aldelcados but she didn't know how they would be welcomed, and she didn't want to bring Corpo heat on them either. "Sounds like it's our best bet for now. I'll have to park this somewhere and let Rogue know. So, we can catch a Delamaine there."
Judy nodded. To be safe, V drove them around the city for about half an hour, to all corners, and when she was sure no one was following, parked the car at a safe location, and messaged Rogue its location. She hid the keys in the grill. They walked a few blocks to a travel station and in short order they got a Delamaine and began their journey. V didn't talk the entire time aside from short directions of where they were going, and Judy took it as not being safe to talk yet.
When they got to the dirt road leading to the abandoned lake house, V stopped the delamaine and they walked in the brush off the dirt road. Once the Delamaine was gone V spoke, "Didn't want fresh tire tracks on this dirt road, and don't want fresh foot prints on it either. The brush should conceal any prints if someone comes driving by. But I think we did a good job of shaking them."
When they got to the house, V sent Judy inside and checked the perimeter, getting a lay of the land around them, and setting some well concealed laser mines around the property that would alert them if someone broke it. Not a guaranteed stop, but an alarm all the same, precious moments when they would count most. V noticed a generator and turned it on, thankful it wasn't too noisy.
As V walked inside she locked the door and sighed, letting the beast diminish a bit from her outward demeanor, but still heightened and on alert. She could hear Judy in the kitchen. V took a quick visual stock of the interior layout before walking over and sitting on the couch with Judy. "Sorry, bout all this. I…if I'd known I wouldn't have invited you out. I didn't want you to be in danger."
Judy pursed her lips in thought, "I 'preciate the thought, V, really. But I'm still glad you reached out." Her mouth screwed up a bit in thought. She didn't know how to delicately ask this, so she just came out with it, "What kinda trouble are you in exactly? What happened? Think I deserve to know if I'm in it now." She leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms, her look was firm.
V's lips curled in a small grimace, she leaned her arms on her knees, letting her head drop for a second. "Okay. That's fair. And I did tell you I'd explain everything." She breathed in deeply, sitting up and running a hand through her hair.
V went into recounting everything, from the job offer at the beginning, to the botched job her friends committed, to getting their ID's wiped and re-spec'd, the firefight, going into hiding and being under from her injuries, to her friend and new acquaintance getting smuggled out of Night City terf by a nomad, all the way to the very end, up until her meeting Judy at the bar earlier. It took a while but Judy just listened, her changing expression the only thing she interjected.
The severity of the situation settled over Judy, and she sat back on the couch, her shoulders slowly lowering from her ears, seemingly counterbalanced by her raising eyebrows. Now she understood why V hadn't messaged her sooner. The logical part of her agreed that maybe she should have ghosted her for longer until this all blew over. A thought suddenly occurred to her.
"Ok, first off, that's…a lot. I get why you didn't reach out sooner. It was smart, I'd have done the same. Knowing' what I do now, wouldn't'a blamed ya for ghostin' me longer, to be sure it was all clear. But, we're here now."
V exhaled a sigh of relief at how well Judy seemed to be taking it. But a part of her knew it was because she hadn't really been presented with any real danger. And V had every intention of keeping it that way.
"So, that thing is the relic. What is it, exactly?" Judy's gaze shifted to the large briefcase-like case on the coffee table.
"Honestly, no idea. I think it has something to do with the new shit Arasaka is selling, all the shit about immortality."
Judy was intrigued, V could tell, as she sat forward. A hand slowly moved forward, but hesitated. "Can I?" She gave a very mild pleading look, mostly intrigue painted her features.
V thought about it. I mean, she already stole it, why not? Might as well know as much as she could about the hot shit she was carrying around. Maybe the more she knew, the more she could get for it in a pitch.
"Sure. Why not? You have a computer set up here?"
Judy chewed her lip, contemplating, "Not my full set up, no. But I have a small set up, should be able to run basic diagnostics on it and get an idea of what it is at least. Let's see what we're workin with first."
Judy adjusted to the center of the couch and set the suitcase closer. V scooted to the side to give her room, her elbows on her knees, head raised in cautious intrigue.
Judy opened the briefcase, and with a small hiss and puff of cold air, it opened. Judy's technological eye looked over the inside. The most obvious thing was the data stick front and center. It was mounted on what looked like a compact but powerful computer. The more she poked and looked around she realized it was not only a computer, but a temperature control system. Apparently this thing needed a specific environment to prevent degradation, was her educated guess.
Her eyes lit up as she lifted a small latch, revealing a port to jack in. She lifted her wrist, pulling the cable from her forearm. No computer might be needed after all.
V's lips pursed, and she quickly put her hand on Judy's to halt her, "Wait, you sure this is safe?"
Judy smiled at the mild concern lining V's voice and features. She returned a confident and easy smile. "I'm sure. It's a jack in port. I highly doubt there's any harm that can come from it. Arasaka didn't believe this was going to be stolen, I don't think. If they did they would have put some type of fail safe around the case itself. Whatever this is, they don't want it destroyed. If somethin' bad starts happenin', just jack me out quick. I trust you." She gave a small wink.
V pursed her lips, she wasn't sold, but she was choosing to trust Judy. Also, she kinda wanted to know what this thing was, and clearly Judy did too. V didn't ask her to do this, she wasn't going to make her, but she wasn't going to stop her either. V finally nodded, her hand open and ready to remove the link if Judy started spasming or showing signs of something bad happening.
Judy jack-ed into the case's port and sat back, her eyes shifting to a digital blue blur of shapes and infinitesimally small code. Judy felt the familiarity of her body relaxing, falling into a sort of afterthought as she felt her mind begin to separate from it. It was a sort of out of body experience. Not completely gone, but not entirely there either, like her physical senses were redirected.
Her mind reconciled with the shift and she saw the world around her pull around her body, forward and away at the same time. The lights and objects stretched quickly and indescribably slowly, the liminal moment seeming to last only a second, or perhaps a minute. It was always impossible to tell.
She felt her consciousness in the digital space in an almost physical sense. It was a 'felt sense' really. Like the energy of who she was, remembered what it was to have a body, to be in one, and so it represented itself that way. But she knew she wasn't in a physical form, and didn't have the same sensations a body afforded. She was aware of all of the code around her, knowledge of what it was wasn't innate, that required interaction in it, but she could move through the code freely and at the speed of thought.
Judy wasn't a netrunner, but even she knew this wasn't online. This was a program, a file surrounding the data, file, or whatever was within the data stick. It reminded her of when she made a brain dance or tweaked one. Sort of.
"You okay?" Judy could very vaguely hear V speaking to her, her voice echoing a bit.
"Yeah, all good. Nothing trapped or triggered, just getting my bearings. It's a program within a program. Hard to explain. Lemme just keep digging."
She knew she was talking normally in the outside world, but speaking while jacked in was harder than anyone admitted. Being consciously divided from your body makes it take more effort to project your thoughts into spoken words in your detached physical form. In the digital world of any kind, thoughts flowed freely and unhindered. Taking the effort to speak through your body while jacked in felt like trying to speak to someone while submerged in mud, even though there was no detectable lag from the physical world. It was an odd juxtaposition of the senses and reality.
Judy brought her focus back to the program around her. Her mind reconciled with her new environment, and she has a sense of herself floating. The data pixels 'appearing' as color shifting, outlines of cubes, moving subtly, constantly, like tiny particles in constant movement, made large enough to observe.
Judy reached out with her senses, sifting through the files. Suddenly text from the files is all that filled her vision, the information of each dumping at impossible speed into her mind. She could try to explain it as she got it, but the lag and effort always annoyed her, so she would explain once she was jacked out.
She was surprised at the amount of data in this computer. It felt somehow careless that all of this intel was in this portable unsecured 'terminal' for lack of a better word. Judy shifted through the code files, checking for the author's digital signature. Most of the basic programming was some name she didn't recognize, but all of the sensitive data was uploaded later. The signature made her proverbial jaw drop, unsure if her physical body shared the reaction or not. The sensitive data was uploaded after the fact by Yorinobu Arasaka himself. Judy recalled V telling her that her friends stole it from Yorinobu, who stole it from Arasaka. She reasoned he must have uploaded stolen files before he absconded with it all.
She dove into the program files and the reality of all of it was mind bending. This was the first engram, the prototype to their newest product "Secure Your Soul" or whatever the fuck it was. But this wasn't just anyone, this was an engram, a copy of the personality, and memories of none other than Johnny Silverhand. She dove deeper. A program called Soulkiller was used, made by a woman named Alt Cunningham that Judy had never personally heard of. But she must have been some hell of a netrunner to make a program that could do this.
There wasn't much else aside from the need for the engram to be contained in a controlled environment of a specific temperature; which was basically that of a human body. The engram could be stored in this case or a port in a person. It was made to imprint its consciousness into the body it was injected into, but it would only take over and rewrite if the body was dead. The file went on to say an immediate death and insert of the data drive was preferred, to limit damage to the brain and body, and the programming and nanobots of the engram would repair the damage, and allow the construct to take over the host body.
Judy shifted her consciousness to the engram in the data stick, but didn't enter. She ran a diagnostic scan of it instead. The copy of Johnny's consciousness was 'alive' and well inside, suspended in time. She idly wondered how time passed for it, if it was caught and going insane, or stimulated somehow to prevent mental degradation into insanity.
Satisfied from a distance at the engram and what it held, Judy started to look into any security measures for this thing, just out of curiosity. She was pulled to a program file and she felt her physical stomach drop in a muted but impactful way, there was a tracker on the briefcase.
Judy immediately pulled her consciousness out and un-jacked from it, panic painting her face.
V sat up at full attention, "What is it? What's wrong?"
Judy shook her head, still reeling, "The case, it has a tracker." She let the statement hang in the air, finally looking at V with fear.
V felt her stomach coil with a dread that quickly turned to adrenaline as she heard one of her landmines detonate outside.
—-
Woooooo! Okay, that was a beefy chapter, but it kinda all needed to happen to get this puppy movin' again. I also wanted more fluff and finally hit the spot in order to involve Judy more in the story with V.
Hope you all enjoyed everything. Trying to strike a balance between the conversations (because I love writing the exchanges), the gory combat and that darker side of V (Who else loves the gory details? Just me?), and the fluff (because I'm also a big fucking softy).
The plot thickens as danger encroaches. I don't know how long until the next chapter will drop but I'm realistically aiming at about two weeks given my work life schedule at the moment.
I did edit this, but if I missed anything, apologies. It's gonna happen, but I think I caught all the major ones.
Hope you all enjoyed!
-Fateful