"So Mi? You in there?" she heard V's voice echoing through her brain.

Song groaned in discomfort. The more she regained her senses, the more pain she felt, specifically in her head. It felt like her brain was swelling against her skull, itching to break free. "Fuck…" she murmured.

"What the hell were you thinkin', Song!?" V scolded her. "You could've gotten us both killed!"

"And what would you have had me do? Just sick back and let you get ripped apart by rogue AIs?" Song asked as her eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing the hideout she'd been in when she first jacked in. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you actually liked suffering on other people's behalf." She paused, looking around.

"If this was the alternative, then yes! Do you got any idea how excruciating it was living with two minds in my brain?" V sighed and her voice softened. "I didn't want you to have to go through that, too. You don't deserve to deal with that."

Song took in a deep breath through her nose and forced it back out through her mouth. "And I didn't want you to bear my weight on your shoulders again- not after last time. You need to trust me… let me help you," she insisted.

"I just…" V trailed off, letting out a defeated sigh. "It's all too much. But… thank you, Song. Being beyond the Blackwall for all that time… let's just say I'm glad to be out of there, even if this was the only way out."

Song nodded. If anyone understood what dealing with the Blackwall was like, it was her. "So… you're in my brain, huh?" she asked, looking up, as if trying to see her forehead.

"Seems so," V guessed. "Guess this must've been what it felt like for Johnny- it's weird as hell." A sudden realization came to the merc's construct. "Wait a minute, does that mean…"

Her voice trailed off, and suddenly, an image of V flashed to life in Song's eyes. She looked almost identical to how Song remembered her on that last night she saw her, wearing the Samurai tank-top and leather pants she wore at the launch platform.

"Aha! It worked!" V cheered. She turned around to face Song. Although it looked more like she was squinting into a mirror rather than the woman carrying her mind. "Fuck, this is… weird," she said, holding her hands up to her face. "It's like I'm seeing myself through your eyes. How the hell did Johnny make this look so easy?"

Song looked at the image of V and couldn't help but smile. Throughout all the- albeit limited- time she'd spent with the merc, Song had never seen this side of her. She only saw the tough, flirty merc with a good heart. But with the way V was looking around, she seemed so joyful that Song was convinced that this was who V truly was- a woman that was just so full of wonder.

"Having fun?" she teased the voice in her head.

"Fun might not be the word that I would go with, but… I won't lie to ya, So Mi. This is just… a sensation. By the way, pro tip from someone who's been in your shoes before: Ya don't gotta speak out loud to talk to me- helps keep you from looking like you're crazy to anyone passing by."

Song opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly, she felt a sharp pain digging into her head, like a knife trying to scoop out her brain. She recoiled in pain, grabbing onto her head and squeezing tight, but it didn't do any good. Her whole body was tingling in the worst possible way, but her head… it felt like she was stuck under a hydraulic press, and there's was nothing she could do about it aside from groaning in agony.

Eventually, though, the pain faded- slowly but surely- and Song picked herself back up. "Fuck, that was… how the hell did you put up with that for so long?"

V's construct re-appeared in front of Song, gesturing the glowing red glitching effects outlining her body. "Well, in the end, I didn't, but we should probably… do something about this. Fortunately for you, I know just the guy. Take us to Watson; I'll tell you more once we're there."

Song shrugged to herself and opened the door to her safehouse. After making sure it was securely closed and nobody was watching, she made her way out of the alleyway. It wasn't until she stood on the edge of the sidewalk that she came to a painful realization.

"Aaaaand, I don't have a car," she realized, looking around helplessly. "Meanin' we've got no choice but the walk."

"Y'know, I can probably help with that, too," V offered, walking alongside Song as she out on her way. "But we've gotta be in Watson for that, too, so… enjoy the walk, I guess."

Song let out an exasperated sigh as she moved down the sidewalk. "Y'know… it'd sure be nice if your abundant helpfulness could come into play just a little bit earlier."

"Hey, you're a big girl. You'll manage," V teased her with a smirk before leaning in close. "Besides, I thought you'd enjoy spending more time with me."

Song out a sigh filled with feigned exasperation. "I guess that's a plus," she replied sarcastically.

"You, there, stop where you are," she heard a man say with a thick Japanese accent as she rounded a corner. It didn't take her long to notice two men in all black suits stopping a woman on the sidewalk. "We are looking for a fugitive of the Arasaka Corporation that we believe is here in Night City."

V glared at the two men. "Stay on you guard, Song- no telling what they do or don't know about where I went."

The second man produced a tablet with a picture that Song couldn't make out. "Do you have any information regarding the whereabouts of this man?" he asked. "He is the murderer of Hanako Arasaka and is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous."

The woman they stopped squinted at the picture before shaking her head. "Sorry, never seen him before."

"Wait… Hanako's dead?" V asked in disbelief as she and Song kept moving. "I guess a lot more changed than I thought." She started looking around at the city as they walked, even though she could only see what her host saw.

"No kidding," Song agreed. "After two years in a coma, it feels like I don't know anything anymore."

V suddenly stopped. "Hang on a sec." She spun around to face Song, revealing a kind of lost and almost hurt expression on her face. "It's been… two years?" she asked, her voice wavering.

Song blinked in surprise. "You didn't know?"

V looked as if her head was reeling. She practically fell onto the nearest bench. "Never had any concept of the passage of time beyond the Blackwall," she murmured, staring off into the cityscape. "I felt like I just… was, if that makes sense. I- I thought it'd been no more than a couple months, but…"

Song sat down beside her, sighing as she gave V a sympathetic look. "If it's any consolation, I was right there with you- coming back way longer than you anticipated being gone only to feel like the world… moved on without you. Only difference is that I lucked out- got to be asleep for the whole thing. You… you had to deal with shit I couldn't even begin to imagine. It's not fair." Even though, V's construct wasn't physical, Song reached out and held her hand- to the best of her ability, anyway. "But we're in this together now, until the end- promise." She allowed herself a soft laugh. "We don't really have a choice but to be."

V nodded, still looking straight ahead. She gave her host's hand a squeeze, in spite of their lack of actual touch. "Thanks, Song," she murmured softly before getting back to her feet. "Now c'mon, let's get moving before your brain starts having a fit again."

Fortunately for them, there was a Metro station not too far away. One short ride later, Song stepped out in Watson. V promptly appeared and tried taking in every detail. She looked absolutely enamored with the place- so much so, in fact, that she almost forgot to tell Song where to go: Bradbury and Buran. The closer they got, though, the more anxious V looked. Song was tempted to ask why, but ultimately decided not to.

"Okay, here we are," V announced, her voice quivering as she stood in front of an unassuming storefront.

Song raised an eyebrow at her curiously. "Misty's Esoterica?" she read the name on the sign aloud. "How's this supposed to help us?"

"Well for starters, Misty's a good choom of mine, but more importantly, the best ripperdoc in NC operates just behind her," V explained. "Ask for Vik. She'll help us out."

Song froze as she connected the dots. Misty… like from the memory she saw. That's how V knew her. She glanced at V for a moment, choosing not to bring it up and step inside.

"Hello, welcome!" a woman at the counter greeted her in a chipper voice. She had straightened blonde hair hanging just above her shoulders and wore a jacket that her brain screamed at her saying was familiar.

V walked up to her with widened eyes. "Holy shit, Misty looks so… different." She held out a hand, waving it in front of Misty's face which garnered no reaction from the woman. "Just wish there was some way to tell 'er I'm right here."

Song walked up to the counter. "I'm looking for Vik. Is he here?" she asked.

Misty nodded. "He's just finishing up with a patient right now. He should be ready in a minute or two."

An awkward silence set in, and as Song's gaze flicked between V and Misty, she cleared her throat. "So… you wouldn't happen to know someone who goes by V would you?" she asked out of curiosity.

Misty smiled and let a soft chuckle escape her lips. "Lemme guess: you're out to follow in her footsteps? Be a Night City legend like she was?"

"That happen often?" Song asked.

"More than you probably think," Misty replied. "Vik's busier than he's ever been because of all the mercs looking to make it big at the Afterlife. But, to answer your question… yeah, I knew her." Her smiled faded. "She was one of my best friends… I miss her a lot."

V had been silent up until that point. All she could manage to say was, "Fuck, Misty…"

Misty looked back up at Song. "Anyway, Vik should be ready for you now."

"Er- actually…" Song stammered. "Could you… come with me? I wish I could explain why but I- the words aren't coming out. Call it a… connection, if you want."

Misty gave her a curious, almost suspicious glance before stepping out from behind the counter. "I suppose…" she murmured. "Come with me," she said leading Song out the back door of her shop and into a small commons area.

Suddenly, the door at the bottom of the stairs opened, and three people- mercenaries, no doubt- came out. "Thanks, Vikky! You're the best!" one of them called back as they left.

V let out a shaky, nervous breath. "Fuck, I don't know if I can do this, Song. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Hey, I'm with you every step of the way," Song promised her as she followed Misty down the stairs. "We've got this- you've got this."

"Hey, Vik!" Misty called out as she opened the gate into the ripper's shop. "Got someone lookin' for you."

Song saw an older man sitting in an old office chair spin around. He looked Song up and down and hummed to himself. "You here to get chipped?" he asked.

"I, er… I've got a problem, and, to be honest… I'm not really sure where to start," Song babbled, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "But… a friend said you could help."

That's when she felt it. The pain came on slowly at first- nothing more than a mild headache, but just as she was about to react to it, the rest came crashing down like a tidal wave. Song dropped to her knees, groaning in pain and reaching for her head as if squeezing her forehead with all the strength she had would help alleviate the pain. It didn't.

Misty rushed to her side, helping Song to her feet and leading her to the chair at the center of Vik's room. "Well, I guess that explains why you needed help."

As the pain slowly began to fade, Song let out a slight chuckle. "You have no idea."

Vik rolled his office chair next to Song. "Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to help," he assured her before reaching for the link on his diagnostics hardware. "Jack this in. We'll start with a brain scan and see if we can't find out what the problem here is."

As Vik started the diagnostics, V reappeared, getting close up to Vik and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "C'mon Vik, please see me. Please." She looked up toward Song. "Can't you like… I dunno, give me control?"

"And how would you propose I do that?" She wasn't exactly opposed to the idea, even if it did make her nervous, but she still felt like she had no idea what she was doing.

V, who at that point had started pacing around the clinic, shrugged her shoulders. "I- I don't know I just… she walked back up to the ripperdoc as he continued to watch the diagnosis progress. "C'mon, Vik. You're the best goddamn ripperdoc in Night City. You saved my life about a dozen times. If anyone can help, I know it's you," she pleaded.

Suddenly, Vik stopped typing and just stared at the screen- his eyes wide with… shock, it looked like. "V…? Is- Is that really you?" he asked in disbelief.

Misty, who had been sitting on the stairs until that point, practically lept to her feet. "V?!" she echoed, rushing up to Song and Vik.

V's voice started quivering again, but this time, she spoke with a relieved smile on her face. "Vik? You can hear me?"

"Er… not necessarily 'hear' you, per say, but I can… see your thoughts, for lack of a better explanation," he replied. "But… kid, what happened? And who's this? I mean, everyone thought you kicked it at Arasaka Tower."

V sat down, exhaling a thousand burdens and concerns out through her mouth. "What happened is… a long story," she turned to look at Song. "But I'll let her speak for herself."

Song cleared her throat. "My name is Song So Mi. I'm a netrunner" she introduced herself. "I am- was part of the FIA, but I got out, thanks to V. Now I'm trying to return the favor."

"When I stormed Arasaka Tower with Johnny, things went great- better than I thought they would be a longshot." V smiled. "I even put a bullet between Adam Smasher's eyes. "We made it to Mikoshi, but… there was a problem: the Relic changed too much of my body. If we went through with our original plan, I woulda been dead in six months."

Vik's head hung low. "I shoulda known something like that might happen. I should've done… more. More to-"

"Vik. It wasn't your fault," V insisted. "Besides, after everything the two of us went through, I decided that Johnny deserved a second chance at life- a chance to be… better, so I left him my body and went beyond the Blackwall."

"So… how'd that lead to…" he paused, glancing over the Song. "Whatever, this is?"

"About a week ago, I woke up from a medically induced coma," Song explained, sitting up slightly in her chair. "It'd been two years since I went into surgery, but… I had to know what happened to V. She…" her voice trailed off, and she looked at V's construct with weary eyes. "She's really important to me, so I went into the net looking for her, but really she found me."

"I was getting pushed around by some rogue AIs," V continued the story. "And Song wanted to help, so she did the only thing she knew to do; used her expertise to punch a hole through the Blackwall and pull me out. Now I'm in her brain, kinda like Johnny was in mine, I think."

Vik's expression darkened. "That… may not be a good thing," he murmured softly, as if not wanting to say it. He looked up to Song. "Your brain can only handle so much information. Those headaches you've been feeling? That's your brain getting overloaded from having two psyches in it," he explained. "In, V's case, the overflow was at least partially managed by the Relic, but since V's construct didn't have anywhere else to go, it somehow went directly into your brain. I'm gonna level with you two; if you don't deal with this soon… there's no telling what could happen- nothing good, I know that much."

V gave him an expectant glance, even though had no way of seeing her. "So… what would you suggest we do?"

Vik took in a deep breath. Hesitating before he answered to allow himself time to gather his thoughts. "Well for starters, getting your construct on some kind of… biochip or something similar would at the very least buy you two some time. But at the end of the day… you need to get out of Song's head- into a database, a server, hell, even another body if you can get one. I- I'm sorry, but… that's all the help I can offer."

"You've done plenty, Vik," V assured him. "Thank you."

"V… y- you have no idea how happy Misty and I are to see- hear from you again. We missed you- a lot."

"I missed you guys, too," V assured him. "I missed you a whole fuckin' lot- more than words could do justice."

Suddenly, his eyes flashed blue, and Vik's contact info briefly appeared on Song's optics. "If you two need any help. Don't be afraid to call."

Song nodded as she stepped out of the chair. "Thanks…" she murmured softly. "V was right. You really are the best ripper in NC. You set us on the right path. Now all we've gotta do is follow it." She said as she stepped out of Viktor's clinic and out into the streets.