FOURTH_TIMER: 11%

[IMAGE OF A HAND REACHING OUT TO THE SUN DISPLAYED]

CURRENT_STATUS: "If You Can't Hold On To Me"

ENTRY_DATA:

The moment has arrived. This netrunner might've eluded Arasaka, but she won't elude you, especially not after what she's promised. You have no idea what kind of person this suit is going to be, but she's going to finally stop the ticking time bomb nestled in your head. She has to, or you're screwed.

Best not dwell on it. Just to focus on your end of the bargain, flatlining each and every last upstart gonk that thinks they can get between you and what you want. You're good at that.

You're damn good at that.

The Basilisk jolted to a sudden halt, hovering just above the ground. They had already met resistance before they had even reached the downed AV.

V felt every pulse, every vibration, not through physical controls, but through the neural link plugged directly into the base of his neck. The connection was alive, buzzing with raw power, as though the massive panzer was an extension of his own body. But then came the bullets—slamming into the hull like an unrelenting storm.

The sharp, metallic impacts reverberated through the neural link, sending jolts of sensation coursing through V's nerves. His breath hitched, panic rising in his chest as the machine shuddered under the barrage of gunfire. Even the mighty Basilisk was struggling to endure the sudden, unexplained onslaught, its platings beginning to gradually crack under the pressure.

"Panam!" the merc gasped through gritted teeth, his jaw tight as he tried to steady himself.

He felt her presence, just as connected as he was, through the neural interface. She was trying to manoeuvre the massive war machine, but the barrage would not stop. Every hit sent shockwaves through their bodies, the mental link amplifying the sensation of the Basilisk's struggle.

"Fuck!" Panam cursed in frustration, her thoughts bleeding into the connection, trying to manoeuvre the vehicle away. "Where the hell did their drones find us already?! We're not even close yet!"

V's breathing was shallow, the sensory overload pressing in on him from all sides. His entire body tingled, the feeling of the bullets biting into the Basilisk's armor flooding his senses. He tried to push past it, focus on his role. His job was not to steer—he just needed to control the guns.

But aiming was easier said than done. Through the gunfire, he directed his thoughts, sending the commands through the connection. The Basilisk's cannons roared to life, massive guns swivelling toward the source of the incoming fire. He could feel the recoil through the neural link, like a punch to his gut, as the guns unleashed a hailstorm of bullets back at their unseen attackers.

"They're ripping us apart!" V growled, the mental strain of controlling the guns while enduring the sensory assault nearly overwhelming him.

Panam's focus was razor-sharp, but V could sense her frustration bleeding through the neural link.

"I'm…trying to move us out of range! Give me a second!" she snapped, her neural impulses racing through the machine's systems.

The Basilisk lurched, trying to dodge, but the rain of bullets would not end.

Something was not adding up. While V and Panam had, of course, expected resistance, they never imagined it could be to such a degree. Kang Tao could not boast such incredible firepower, enough to rattle even a Basilisk, and especially not with this fast of a response time. The crash site of the AV was not even in sight yet.

V, continuing to keep his head down, glared out of the corner of his eyes, trying to see through the window and hail of bullets. His tactical display flickered before his eyes, and he pushed his mind deeper into the interface, trying to get a better look. For a moment, he saw nothing but dust and shadows—but then he caught it. A faint, sleek silhouette in the distance, headlights cutting through the desert night. More than one. Several.

He looked closer, his breath catching in his throat as the shapes became clearer. Black, low-profile vehicles, sleek and deadly, racing across the sand with predatory precision. Heavy, military-grade vehicles that looked far too clean and advanced to be a backup response for Kang Tao. Another force had intercepted them.

Arasaka.

V's blood went cold. His grip on the neural interface tightened as he locked onto them, his gut twisting with the realisation. These were not Kang Tao drones—they were being intercepted by an Arasaka strike team. Kusanagi bikes cut through the desert with terrifying speed, flanking the Basilisk on both sides, their riders—black-clad Arasaka operatives—taking precise shots with tech rifles that bit into the Basilisk's hull. And Shigure assault vehicles, heavy and lumbering, fired anti-armor rounds from their mounted turrets, each hit shaking the panzer to its core.

"Arasaka! It's fucking Arasaka!" V shouted to Panam, his voice trembling with a mix of panic and fury.

Either they were after him, or they were once again attempting to find Songbird and silence her forever, with the merc just happening to be in the way and in need of elimination. Regardless, V and Panam were dead centre in the crossfire.

"Hang on!" Panam yelled, her voice tight with adrenaline.

She pushed her thoughts into the neural link, commanding the Basilisk to kick up its speed. The massive war machine responded instantly, surging forward, its turbines howling as it raced alongside the Arasaka vehicles. The bikes roared next to them, their riders continuing to take shots at the Basilisk's armour, while the larger assault vehicles fired from their installed turrets.

V forced himself to breathe through the sensory overload. The cold metal of the Basilisk's systems bled into his consciousness as he focused, channelling his thoughts directly into the turret controls. With a surge of desperation, he fired the cannons directly at the pursuers.

The first few shots missed, streaking past the fast-moving Kusanagi bikes, but he adjusted, tightening his aim with raw, stubborn determination. The next volley hit dead on, the cannons slamming into the side of a bike. The rider did not even have time to react before the entire vehicle flipped into the air and erupted into a blazing fireball.

"Got one!" V nearly cheered as he saw the flames rocket through the air.

But the merc's smile immediately dissipated as he watched the fireball grow from the bike he had just obliterated. The flames surged outward, catching the other nearby bikes and vehicles in a violent chain reaction. In a split second, the small explosion became a massive inferno, a blazing wall of heat and destruction racing toward them.

"V, that's–!" Panam tried to scream, but it was too late.

The fireball slammed into the Basilisk with brutal force. The entire vehicle shuddered violently, metal groaning under the impact. V and Panam were thrown from their seats, sent flying by the sheer force of the explosion. V's head cracked hard against the ceiling, his vision exploding into stars as pain flared through his skull. He felt himself tumble back down, colliding painfully with his seat, gasping for breath.

The wires connecting them to the Basilisk's neural interface ripped free from the base of their necks, yanked out by the chaos. V immediately felt the sudden, jarring disconnection from the machine, his mind reeling from the sensory overload snapping away like a cord suddenly cut.

The Basilisk nosedived, losing all control as it crashed into the desert ground with a deafening roar. The giant war machine flipped end over end, the once indomitable beast now a helpless hunk of metal tumbling across the sand. Each impact sent shockwaves of pain through V's body as he was battered around inside the cockpit. The world around him was a blur of fire, sand, and shattered metal.

Finally, with one last agonising flip, the Basilisk came to a grinding halt, its enormous frame half-buried in the sand.

Eventually, V's eyes pried themselves open, his vision still blurry and hazy. For a moment, all he could register was the intense ringing in his ears and the overwhelming smell of burning metal. He groaned, struggling to push himself up from the sand beneath him, his muscles aching with every movement. His head throbbed, and his entire body felt like it had been put through a grinder. As he coughed from the fumes of smoke swirling around him, the cold night air biting into his skin, it hit him—he was not inside the Basilisk anymore.

He blinked hard, trying to focus. Pieces of twisted metal, flames licking at the wreckage, and thick black smoke surrounded him. His chest tightened as the memory of the crash flooded back. They had been hit, sent tumbling...then darkness.

"P-Panam…" V rasped as he forced himself up onto shaky legs.

His heart dropped when he spotted her—Panam, lying still in the sand not far from him. Her body was limp, half-buried in the desert, dusted with bits of debris from the Basilisk's destruction. Without thinking, V staggered over to her side, adrenaline surging through him, ignoring the pain tearing at his ribs and limbs.

"Panam!" he called again, voice raw with desperation as he knelt beside her.

He gently took hold of her thin arms, shaking her, trying to rouse her from unconsciousness. His eyes darted over her, scanning for any sign of serious injury. He could see bruises forming on her exposed skin, small cuts here and there, but no major wounds. The relief was immediate, but it did not ease the worry gripping his chest.

"C'mon, Panam, wake up…" V muttered, his voice trembling slightly as he shook her again, more gently this time.

She did not stir at first, her face still and covered with a light sheen of dirt. For a terrifying moment, V's heart seemed to stop, his pulse thundering in his ears as the smoke thickened around them.

Just as he was about to shout again, her eyes fluttered open, a groan slipping from her lips.

"V…?" she murmured weakly, blinking up at him in confusion, her voice hoarse.

Relief hit him like a tidal wave. "Yeah, it's me. You're okay." V breathed, his hand still on her arm, holding onto her as if anchoring himself. "You with me?"

Panam winced, sitting up slowly as she touched her head, clearly dazed. "Yeah...I think so." she looked around, taking in the wreckage. "What the hell happened…?"

"We…crashed." V coughed, helping her sit up fully. "Basilisk took a hit. We got thrown out when it flipped. But you're okay...we're okay."

Panam nodded weakly, though her expression was grim as she took in the smouldering remains of the Basilisk and their surroundings.

The nomad's eyes lingered on the smouldering Basilisk for a while in silence, her heart sinking as she took in the damage. The massive vehicle laid broken and battered in the desert sand. Its once bulky, armoured exterior was charred, the side plating dented and scorched, with large sections of the hover thrusters completely shattered. The cannons were bent and disfigured, their barrels twisted from the explosion. The smoke still rising from its frame gave off an acrid stench, but at least the fire had died out.

Though the Basilisk was clearly out of commission, a part of it still looked...salvageable. The core structure was intact, the armour had not completely caved in. It would take time, and serious repairs, but it was not lost forever—not if the Aldecaldos had anything to say about it. Panam exhaled softly, relief flashing briefly in her eyes. But only briefly.

With V's help, she got back onto her feet, her legs shaky beneath her. "T-Thanks…" she started, her voice rough, ready to express her gratitude.

But before she could finish, a sharp cracking sound rang out, followed by the whistling of bullets cutting through the air right past their heads.

"Shit!" V cursed, both he and Panam yelping as they instinctively ducked low, spinning around to face the source.

An Arasaka man, bloodied but still very much alive, had somehow survived the chaos. He was crouched behind an intact assault bike, his rifle aimed squarely at them, squeezing off shot after shot. His dark tactical armour glistened in the moonlight, smeared with dust and blood, his helmet visor cracked but still intact enough to give him cover. Whoever the man was, he refused to die. The charred corpses of his fellow colleagues did not deter him in the slightest.

"Son of a—!" Panam hissed, eyes narrowing as she reached for her weapon.

But V could see it. Panam's movements—she would be too slow, not enough time to pull her weapon before she would be shot.

Without thinking, V closed his eyes and activated his Apogee Sandevistan.

A flood of raw, electric energy coursed through his veins, like lightning crackling inside his body. The world around him drained of all colour. The howl of the wind, the crackle of dying flames, even Panam's sharp breath—all reduced to a dull, muted hum.

Time slowed to a snail's crawl.

V moved, his body a blur in the night, leaving a trail of shimmering afterimages behind him. The bullets that had been fired at them hung frozen in the air like glinting specks of silver, and V sidestepped them effortlessly, each step almost casual. The Arasaka operative—crouched behind his bike, weapon raised—was nothing more than a statue now, frozen in the moment of his impending doom. V reached him in a split second, bridging the gap in no time at all.

Without a shred of hesitation or mercy, V lifted his right foot high above the operative's crouched form, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, echoing through the slowed world around him. The man did not even have time to react, could not register what was happening before V's boot came down with brutal force.

The crunch of the skull beneath his heel was sickening, and yet, V felt nothing as life left the operative's body in an instant.

Time resumed its normal flow, the world exploding back into motion. Colour bled back into the desert, the wind roared again, and the gunfire stopped. The Arasaka operative's lifeless body slumped to the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath him.

V winced as the pounding in his head intensified, the aftermath of the cyberware leaving his nerves feeling raw. His vision swam slightly, but he forced himself to steady, breathing through the pain. He had done this enough times to know the drill—push through it, or die. Thankfully, something within him always staved off the worst side effects of his cyberware, even when he heavily abused them in a single day. Though he did not understand why, something was acting as a buffer for it all.

Panam sighed, her posture relaxing just enough to show her relief. "Thanks, V." she said, her voice softer than before. "For real, this time."

He gave her a faint nod, too exhausted to respond properly. But the moment of calm lasted only seconds before Panam squared her shoulders and snapped back into action.

"But we're not done yet. We still have a ways to go." she said, her eyes shifting toward the horizon.

V followed her gaze, spotting the faint trail of smoke rising in the distance—exactly where the Kang Tao AV must have gone down. The crash site was still far off, but it was within reach. They just needed to keep moving.

Panam looked back at the ruined Basilisk, her expression tight. V could see the pain in her eyes at the sight of the once-mighty machine lying smouldering and lifeless in the sand. Leaving it behind was clearly eating at her, but there was not time to mourn it now.

"Damn it…" she muttered under her breath before glancing toward the bikes scattered among the wreckage. "We'll have to come back for it later. For now, we take the bikes."

V's eyes followed hers, spotting the Arasaka motorcycles, still intact despite their riders lying dead nearby. They would not be needing them anymore.

"Hop on!" Panam commanded.

V nodded, shaking off the last of his disorientation. With swift movements, they both straddled the bikes, engines growling to life under them as they revved the throttles. Sand and dirt sprayed up behind them as they took off, leaving the crashed Basilisk and Arasaka corpses in their wake.

The desert blurred around them as they raced across the wasteland, the cool night air whipping against their faces. The smoke from the AV loomed larger on the horizon, getting closer and closer.

It was far from over.

Judy sat crouched over a scattered mess of tools, her knees pressed against the cold desert floor, hands limp in her lap.

The faint hum of the Aldecaldos' camp buzzed around her, but she barely noticed. Her mind was somewhere far off, lost in the expanse of the horizon where the distant flicker of lights had faded moments ago. The fireworks she had seen out there, like tiny explosions in the sky, were proof enough that their plan had worked. The drones she had scrambled to modify for the job had disabled the Kang Tao AV just like they were supposed to.

Yet, she felt nothing.

Her fingers traced the edge of a soldering iron absently, eyes staring through the tools without really seeing them. The weight of her thoughts pressed down on her, heavy and unmoving. She closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. The image of V and Panam filled her mind, racing through the desert on their way to the crash site. Heading straight into the fire, with no guarantees they would make it out. A coin toss. Fifty-fifty.

Judy grimaced, her throat tightening as she shook her head, wondering where the empty, gnawing feeling inside her had come from.

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped her out of her haze. Carol's familiar shuffle brought her back to the present. Judy opened her eyes, glancing up as the older woman stepped into the tent, her expression gruff, though there was a softness in her eyes.

"Hey." Carol greeted her, voice low. "You okay?"

Judy blinked a few times, trying to muster a response. Her throat felt tight, but she forced the words out. "Yeah…um, just thinking."

"About what? Your friends?"

"No—yes? I dunno…" Judy groaned, holding her head in her hands. "What the hell is this…feeling?"

Carol took a step closer, peering at the girl's face. "Why're you here, Judy?" she asked, her tone quiet but pointed.

Judy nearly laughed, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips. "Good fucking question…"

She lowered her hands, staring down at the tools again as if they held some kind of answer. They did not. Nothing did.

After a long pause, she finally spoke again, the words tumbling out slowly, almost as if she was not sure she believed them. "I'm here to save V's life." she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "He's done…so much for me. I owe him a favour."

Carol just shook her head. "No, kid. You're here because you feel responsible for the mess he's in."

Judy froze, her eyes widening as the weight of Carol's words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her mouth opened, but no words came out at first. Carol was right—Judy knew it, deep down. She just did not want to admit it. The older nomad knew hardly anything about her, yet was perceptive enough to know exactly what was eating at her, almost as if her mind was being read.

After a few moments of silence, Judy slowly nodded, her voice hoarse as she began to speak. "This is all…because of Ev." she stumbled over the name, quickly correcting herself. "I mean, Evelynn. She's the reason V's in this mess to begin with—and I helped her. Needed me to play back a BD she scrolled for V, and I just…I couldn't say no to her. I was a fucking part of it."

Judy stopped herself, feeling the knot in her throat tighten. The guilt, the weight of everything she had buried so deep, came rushing to the surface.

Carol raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smile. "You were sweet on her, weren't you?" she asked, her tone teasing, though not without warmth.

Judy stayed silent, her gaze dropping to the floor. It was not the kind of question she was ever prepared to answer.

Carol's smile faded, her expression growing more serious. "What exactly did your friend do, Judy? And what's this thing that's killing V?" she asked.

Judy's breath hitched as she looked back at Carol, her lips parting like she wanted to say something, anything. But then, she hesitated, the promise she had made to V, to the others, ringing in her ears. They agreed not to share too much, to keep people out of the mess as much as they could.

"I can't…" Judy shook her head, rubbing her arm nervously. "I'm sorry, Carol. I can't get into details. We all agreed, you know? But just…she made a deal she shouldn't have. A really bad one, and V got caught up in it. Now he's paying for it."

Carol studied her for a long moment, her frown deepening but without pushing for more. She could see the strain in Judy's face.

"Don't worry about it." Carol said, shrugging lightly. "I get it. People have their secrets. Just…" she paused, sighing as she ran a hand through her short, greying hair. "I'm worried about Panam. That girl's got a habit of diving headfirst into shit she might not come out of. I hope she's not getting herself in too deep."

Judy managed a small, sad smile. "She'll be fine. I only just met her but…I get the feeling she's tough as nails."

"Yeah, but even nails can bend if you hit them hard enough." Carol muttered, her voice heavy with concern. "All I know is, if you're only doing all this out of guilt—get out, now."

"What—think I'm going to be distracted? That I'll put your Panam in danger?"

"That—but also for your own sake." Carol muttered. "You don't deserve to risk your life for him. I don't care how guilty you feel. I can tell just by looking at you—you're a good person, maybe too good."

Judy opened her mouth to respond, but Carol held up her hand and continued. "Listen. If you really wanna help him, fine. Stay. But if all you're doing is running on guilt? You need to get the hell out of dodge. Go see the rest of the country like you said you planned, or hell, the world. Live. There's a lot more out there than this city. Night City—it'll strangle you with its baggage if you let it."

The words hit Judy like a cold wind. She felt herself falter, taken aback by the directness, the raw truth in Carol's voice. "W-Why…why are you saying all this to me?" she asked, her voice quieter now, tinged with confusion. "You don't even know me."

Carol's wrinkled face creased into a small grin, her eyes warm despite the seriousness of their conversation.

"Maybe not. But…you really remind me of myself when I was your age. It's fucking weird." she said with a slight chuckle. "Same fire, same damn stubbornness. I've seen how this city can chew up people like us and spit us out. And I wouldn't be doing you any favours if I didn't tell you to think about saving yourself."

Judy stared at her, processing the weight of Carol's words, unsure how to respond. A part of her wanted to push back, to say that she had to stay, that she could not just leave V to fight this alone. But another part of her—the part that had been exhausted for months, drowning under endless pain and misery brought on right after she had met the merc—could not deny the appeal of Carol's suggestion.

But could she really just run away? Leave it all behind?

Judy stayed hunched over, her gaze fixed on the sand and dirt beneath her. She felt torn, pulled in two directions, with no clear answer emerging. Carol was right. Even after agreeing to help V, deep down she still was not fully committed. Doubt was eating away at her, ravenous and starved.

One way or another, she would have to decide—and soon.

Because time was running out.

V crouched low atop a sandy hill, his breath shallow as he peered down at the crash site below.

The Kang Tao AV lay broken and smouldering, its once sturdy frame now dented and torn, with small flames licking at the edges. The impact had carved a crater into the desert floor, sand scattered in every direction like the aftermath of a bomb. The area around the downed AV was a fortress of tension, with Kang Tao operatives already moving into position, rifles held tight and visors scanning the perimeter.

"Looks like they're ready for us…" V muttered, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

The operatives below were on guard, their black, angular armour shimmering under the pale moonlight. V counted nine of them, all heavily armed, patrolling around the AV in tight formations. Most were equipped with Kang Tao's signature tech—smart rifles and thermal optics—and flanked by the presence of combat robots marching directly beside them. The robots were armed with high-calibre machine guns that whirred softly as they moved in sync with their human counterparts, primed and ready.

A turret had been deployed on the far side of the crater, its twin barrels sweeping across the open space. Mounted atop a sturdy tripod, it was designed for one thing—keeping intruders at bay until backup could arrive.

Panam crouched beside him, her lips pressed into a hard line as she surveyed the defences. Her fingers moved over her sniper rifle, adjusting the scope until it clicked into place with a satisfying sound. She looked through the lens, tracking the movements of the operatives patrolling around the AV, her face calm but focused.

"They've got the whole damn place locked down." she whispered. Then, she nodded to V. "I'll cover you from here, as we agreed. They're expecting us…but I've got the high ground."

V glanced over at her, giving a quick nod of approval in return. He trusted her incredible aim, trusted her to make every shot count. As much as he felt he could take on the operatives all by himself, having Panam's sharpshooting in play certainly would not hurt. Better to stack the odds.

"Got it." V whispered back, adjusting his grip on his pistol. He exhaled slowly, mentally psyching himself up for what was about to come. "I'm going in."

The merc slid down the hill, expertly manoeuvring on the shifting sands. His footsteps were light, barely making a sound as he approached the AV and the patrols around it. The wind carried the faint scent of burning metal and furious flames. He could already hear the faint hum of the combat robots and the whir of the turret sweeping the area.

But without warning, V's body suddenly seized up.

His muscles spasmed violently, fingers curling inwards as if possessed by some invisible force. A sudden surge of pain shot through his skull, his vision flickering like a broken holo-display. The world around him bled into darkness, static swallowing up the landscape as his every nerve screamed in protest.

He tried to keep his balance, to maintain his slide down the hill—but his legs buckled under him. The sand beneath his feet gave way, and he tumbled uncontrollably, crashing down the slope in a painful roll. His body hit the ground hard, again and again, each impact sending shockwaves of agony through his already strained muscles. The hot sand burned his skin as he crashed to the bottom of the hill, limbs twisted and jerking from the violent attack coursing through his system.

Panam's voice crackled through his mind, barely audible. "V! What's happeni—?!" but it glitched out just as quickly, swallowed by the chaos in his neural interface.

Lying face down in the sand, V's vision continued to glitch as his breath came out ragged and shallow. The agonising convulsions forced his arms to tremble, his fingers twitching uncontrollably in front of him.

Realisation soon followed—he was being hacked. Some unseen Kang Tao netrunner was inside that downed AV, sinking their claws deep into his neural systems, tearing through his defences with surgical precision. His ICE was simply not enough, his internal countermeasures crumbling under the onslaught. The pain was unbearable—his head pounded like it was about to split open, his hands shaking uncontrollably, his vision swimming in and out of static.

Unable to move, unable to even think straight, V curled in on himself, clutching his convulsing hand close to his chest, the pain coursing through his body like white-hot needles. He let out a guttural scream, desperate and raw, feeling utterly powerless. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Johnny's digital form appeared beside him, standing over his crumpled form, but he was certainly not his usual collected self. The rockerboy's figure was flickering, his own body twitching and convulsing in sync with V's pain, his features twisted in agony. It was as if the Relic was reflecting V's torment onto him.

"Johnny…!" V gasped, his voice filled with sudden desperation. "Help…me…!"

Johnny turned to look at him, his face strained with shared suffering.

"Fuck…you're…not going down like this, V…" he growled, his hand reaching out toward him, though it trembled like it could barely stay steady. "You're…not gonna die here!"

V tried to believe him, tried to hold on to those words, but the blackness at the edge of his vision grew larger, consuming everything. The pain became too much. The static, the searing agony in his head, the world—it all slipped away, and the last thing he saw was Johnny's outstretched hand before the darkness swallowed him whole.

Everything went black.

CONNECTING TO TARGET: .

INITIATE PROTOCOL: KT_AV_SEC_HACK_OVERRIDE [9x3b74]

/System breach in progress...

BYPASS ICE: [PROTOCOL SKIP]—COMPLETE

ACCESS NEURAL NETWORK: GRANTED

INITIALISE SUBROUTINE: INTRUSION_CONTROL [7431_surge]

DISABLING MOTOR FUNCTIONS...

ERROR: Resistance detected in synaptic pathways

ENGAGING OVERRIDE: [CONTROL_FORCE_86L4]

RESPONSE: Synaptic failure at 68%

DISRUPTING NEURAL CONNECTIONS—LIMITING VISION FEED

[ERROR: User signal interference detected]

ERROR: RETRIEVAL ISSUES

SUSTAIN ATTACK: DISCONNECT MOTOR NEURONS

DEPLOY SYSTEM SHOCK: [PROTO_839_REFLEX_CRIPPLE]

/ System shock response initiated...

NEURAL OVERLOAD PROGRESS: 45% /Ice integrity: 12% remaining

EXECUTE DISCONNECTION SEQUENCE: [655_TEAR_MEMORY_BANK]

SUBROUTINE COMPLETE. EJECT CONTROLLER.

/ System malfunction—awaiting user collapse.

WARNING: UNIDENTIFIED SIGNAL INTERCEPTED

SUBROUTINE: _?ERROR_NOT_FOUND.

HALTING ATTACK PROTOCOL—CONFLICT DETECTED

/Unknown source initiating firewall lockout...

SECURITY LOCKOUT ENABLED ON CONNECTION: [FORCE_DISCONNECT]

FORCE RUN: [56h1r_SUBROUTINE_ABORT]

OVERRIDE: TERMINATING EXTERNAL ACCESS.

EXTERNAL FORCE SUCCESSFULLY EJECTED

ERROR: SECONDARY EXTERNAL CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.

Unknown Source: Signal classified as unidentified.

Pathway: Administrator-level access request.

0001X-INITIATE Running diagnostic…

Error: Signal trace failed.

002A-QUERY Signal origin UNKNOWN.

0004Y-REJECT Access Denied.

Overriding system defences…

Code: 19AB43-DATA

Level: Admin Bypass

Access Point: *001_RELIC*

Reassessing Signature:

- Data stream matched. Searching archives…

- Match Found. Processing…

- 9AC-SB_ADMIN01: Administrator detected.

- Verification: Complete.

0009B-GRANT Full access authorised.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

…

0007Z-ACCESS Administrator Identified: SONG-SO-MI

SYSTEM RESET

3…

2…

1...

V gasped for air, the coarse sand sticking to his clammy skin as he lay on his side.

Each breath filled his lungs with a mix of relief and confusion, a pulse of gratitude that he was still alive—even if he did not fully understand how. His body felt heavy, weighed down by the aftermath of the netrunner's assault, but he could feel the thrum of life within him, a reminder that he was still kicking.

With great effort, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, his elbows resting on his knees. The world around him was a hazy blur of sand and debris, the acrid scent of smoke lingering in the air. His head was hung low, and he took slow, deliberate breaths, each inhale a step toward regaining his composure.

"Johnny…?" he croaked, his voice raw and strained. "You there?"

In an instant, Johnny's digital form flickered into view, standing above V once again. He looked shaken, the edges of his holographic image vibrating slightly, as if he were struggling against the grogginess still clinging to him.

"Didn't go anywhere—got put through the fucking wringer, just like you."

"What the hell was that attack just now?" V demanded, pushing himself up a little further.

"The better question is…why aren't you dead?" Johnny replied monotonously, primed to reach for his holographic cigarette.

Before V could consider any explanations, a sudden red, vibrant glitching effect flashed across his vision for just a fraction of a second, causing him to blink rapidly in confusion. In that instant, he noticed Johnny's head perk up, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the distance—at nothing.

"W-What? What is it?" V asked, sensing the shift in Johnny's demeanour.

"Something's not right." Johnny muttered, his expression agitated. He turned slowly to face V, his brow furrowing as he struggled to even comprehend the new feeling. "The fucking Relic, V. It feels…different."

"Huh…?" V responded.

The rockerboy's gaze seemed distant. "Can't feel it in the back of your head? That...thing? It's almost like there's someone else—"

He paused abruptly, his attention shifting. V followed Johnny's gaze, frowning. Johnny's expression turned even more grave, and he finished in a hushed, ominous whisper.

"…like there's someone else here, with us."

It took V a moment to register that Johnny was not looking at him. His eyes were fixed right above the merc's head.

Johnny was glaring at something behind him.

V's heart raced as he turned to look behind him, every instinct screaming at him to remain alert. There, just out of reach, stood a pixelated shadow cloaked in a shimmering reddish-purple hue. The figure fluctuated, glitching in and out of visibility, still attempting to form and mould itself.

As the distortion began to stabilise, the form of a young woman emerged.

Her striking magenta hair, laced with vibrant orange highlights, framed a face marked by an intricate cyberware pattern that snaked across her features. Her brown eyes, accentuated by bold red eye shadow, were locked squarely on him, soft and relaxed.

She wore an uncommon netrunner suit that transitioned from crimson at the top to a midnight black at the bottom—an ombré. Over it, she sported a distinctive denim jacket, greyish-black and adorned with both patches and pins.

V recognised the digital form immediately, the face he had been shown by Mr. Blue Eyes was not easily forgotten. His mind raced with confusion and disbelief, unable to comprehend how the projection materialised before him. Instinctively, he rubbed the back of his neck, where the biochip nestled—a constant reminder of his connection to digitised shadows and ghosts. He could almost feel it pulsing, the chip growing hot beneath his fingertips as if reacting to the new presence it was now housing.

As the netrunner took a few tentative steps closer, V's breath caught in his throat. She knelt down before him, her translucent form hovering just above the sand, yet her presence felt achingly real. Gently, she clasped his free hand in her own, the sensation sending a jolt through him. It was as if warmth truly radiated from her touch, from her…skin.

It felt real. It all felt too real.

The merc recoiled, almost intimidated, as the warmth of the woman's hands spread to his own. He was acutely aware of Johnny's tense silence, the rockerboy still hovering nearby, wide-eyed at the strange sight he was beholden to.

"Hey, V…" Songbird said softly, her smile radiant and reassuring. "Are you alright?"