The Delamain glided smoothly through the streets of Night City. Inside, the cabin oozed quiet opulence—soft leather seats, ambient lights pulsing low and steady. It was the kind of comfort V hadn't touched since her Arasaka days. Back when luxury wasn't a favor, but a given.

The back-seat screens flickered to life, revealing Delamain's interface—a sleek, minimalist face rendered in soft blue lines, its digital features smooth and symmetrical. Two glowing cyan eyes blinked slowly from a dark, polished backdrop, expressionless yet oddly formal.

"Welcome. I am Delamain, and I am pleased to chauffeur you to the Konpeki Plaza this afternoon," the car's synthetic voice announced, crisp and perfectly polite. "Estimated time of arrival: twenty-one minutes. Would you like to hear the weather forecast or a curated news briefing?"

Jackie, practically bouncing in his seat, waved his hand with a grin. "Nah, we're good, choom. Just enjoyin' the ride." He said, slapping the side of the armrest. "Delamain doesn't mess around with their top-tier rides. Look at this shit, V. Feels like we're ridin' on a damn cloud."

V chuckled, appreciating Jackie's excitement. "Yeah, it's preem. But this ain't about the ride. It's about the biochip we're kleppin' from Arasaka's noses."

Jackie leaned back with a satisfied sigh, letting the plush leather cradle him. "Still, wouldn't hurt to know what this thing can do." He tapped the display on the screen, eyes gleaming. "Hey, Del! What kinda tricks we got under the hood? Turbo mode? Smoke screen? Maybe a couple mini-missiles in case we need to outrun Corpo gunships or somethin'?"

Delamain responded without missing a beat. "I assure you, Mr. Welles, the Excelsior package is tailored to our premium clientele equipped with advanced defensive countermeasures, reinforced ballistic shielding, and full evasive subroutines."

Jackie smirked and thumbed a button on the console—just to see what would happen.

A brief alert flashed red across the screen: Combat mode locked.

Delamain's voice chimed in, calm but firm. "It does not appear that we are in any immediate danger. I must advise that any unauthorized activity conducted while this vehicle is in use will constitute a breach of your contractual agreement with Mr. DeShawn."

Jackie laughed, hands up in mock surrender. "Chill, chill! Just curious. Y'know, guy likes to be informed before the bullets start flyin'."

"I will, of course, endeavor to ensure that bullets do not, in fact, start flying," Delamain replied dryly.

V cracked a faint grin. "Good luck with that in Night City." She muttered, eyes on the city lights streaking past the tinted glass.

Jackie leaned back, one arm draped casually over the seat, the other waving off the warning like it was background noise. "Ah, come on, es todo parte del paquete! This is how you wanna cruise into the major leagues. After this, they'll be talkin' about us in the Afterlife like legends!"

V scoffed. She stared out the tinted window, the city lights casting flickers of neon across her face. "Legends, huh?" she muttered, voice flat. "One big score and suddenly we're famous? Doesn't really work like that in this city. I wouldn't get overly excited."

Jackie shot her a sideways glance, his voice dropping to something more serious. "What do you mean, doesn't work like that? ¿No me oíste? We steal from Yorinobu Arasaka—that'll make anyone's name! We could retire on this, V. Forget workin' jobs for scraps. We're talkin' real money—enough to change our lives for good."

V leaned back in her seat, arms crossed tight, her eyes locked on Jackie, her mind weighing the enormity of it all. "Yeah, I heard you. But let's be real, Jackie. This is Arasaka we're talkin' about. It's not just a big score—it's THE big score. You think they'll just let us waltz out of there with a chip that could change everything?"

Jackie's grin was gone, frustration flickering across his face as he threw his hands up in frustration. "Chingado, V, not this again. Since when do you get cold feet? You feel those eyes on us? People are already talkin'. After this gig, we won't just have Arasaka's attention—we'll have the whole city watchin'. And this time, we'll be the ones callin' the shots."

V didn't blink. Her jaw clenched as she tilted her head, voice low and weighted with doubt. "Dunno, Jack… kinda feels like you're losin' that steel grip of yours."

Jackie's look hardened, his excitement now tempered with confusion. "So you think I'm not takin' it seriously? I'm the one who's gotta have your back, V. Seems to me like it's you who's got some kinda problem."

"You don't get it, Jack." She shook her head, steel coiling in her voice. "Arasaka doesn't just let you off the hook. If we mess up, they'll make us disappear."

Jackie sat with that a second, jaw twitching as his hands curled into fists on his knees. "So, what? You're tellin' me you're not pumped about this? You've been itchin' to get back at 'em since—"

"I'm pumped, Jackie. But I'm also not stupid," V snapped, her voice edged with frustration. V's expression hardened, but she didn't back down. "I'm not walking in there with my head up my ass, Jack. But I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. This is real."

She leaned forward, elbows braced on her knees. "I know Arasaka. I know what happens when you mess with them, Jackie." Her voice dropped a notch, steady but tight. "You've seen it yourself—what they did to me."

Her fingers curled into fists, knuckles pale beneath the cabin's dim lights. "If we screw up, it's not just a couple of cops showin' up at the door. It's the whole damn company. They'll hunt us down like we're nothin' more than bugs to squish." She paused, letting that sink in. "This isn't some game where we just walk away with a paycheck and a story. It's a damn risk—one wrong move and we're dead."

Jackie didn't look away, but now his voice had a defensive edge. "You want to just sit back and let them walk all over you, huh? You really want to let them win? After everythin' they did to you?" He waved his hand toward the road, frustration creeping into his tone. "We get in, grab the Relic, and get out. I'm not saying we don't have risks. But damn it, V, it's worth it. You know it is."

V stared at him for a long moment, the weight of her past pressing in. Jackie didn't get it. He didn't know Arasaka the way she did.

She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms, a hint of tiredness in her eyes. "I'm not sittin' back, Jackie. But I'm not gonna pretend like this is some easy score. Arasaka's not the type to just roll over 'cause we've got a lil' success. And you can't act like this is all fun and games. We're walkin' into their lion's den, and the only thing that'll get us out is luck and speed."

Jackie's grip on the armrest tightened, his eyes flicking over to her. "I get it. But I'm not about to let you down, V. I've got your back. We're doin' this together, and when we pull it off? We're not just gettin' by. We're takin' over. That's what makes us legends!"

V's voice dropped, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Need you to keep your head clear and in the game. We're not legends yet, Jackie."

We might not ever be…

Jackie fell silent, his eyes drifting past her, staring out the window like the city itself might have the answers. "You're talkin' like we're already dead..." He said, his voice quieter now, like the weight of his words was finally settling in. "I'm not talkin' about just bein' legends. I mean doin' somethin'—proving that we're not just some nobody mercs. After everything we've been through, I'm not lettin' Arasaka decide how our story ends. And you shouldn't either."

V didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, but her mind was reeling. She could feel the tension crackling between them, like a live wire. The silence stretched on, uncomfortable, like the air in the car had thickened around her.

Jackie's voice cut through the stillness, rough and determined. "Lemme explain somethin' to you, V," he said, his words heavy with the weight of years spent in the gutter. "I've spent my whole life in this shit—crawlin' through it, breathin' it in. And I ain't goin' back."

V's eyes flickered briefly toward him before returning to the road. The punch of his words landed harder than she expected. Maybe she'd pushed too far. Maybe he was right—maybe she'd been too quick to shut down the dream he was holding onto. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but in that moment, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was suffocating under the weight of their reality.

The ride continued in silence, tension settling like fog between them. When the Delamain finally slowed to a stop outside the glimmering facade of Konpeki Plaza, the building rose before them—towering, pristine, merciless. Its mirrored glass caught the city lights and threw them back like the edge of a blade.

"We have arrived at Konpeki Plaza," Delamain announced smoothly. "I shall remain on standby until your return. I trust your evening will be... memorable."

Jackie adjusted the collar of his jacket and cracked his knuckles. "'Bout damn time." He muttered under his breath.

Before they could open the doors, a soft static buzzed in their ears. "Comms check," T-Bug's voice came through their internal link. "Kiera, Ramon—talk to me."

V rolled her eyes slightly at the use of their aliases. "Kiera's loud and clear."

"Same here," Jackie chimed in. "Ramon in position. Lookin' fly."

"A'right," T-Bug said, satisfied. "Signal's stable. Just don't stray too far from each other inside the building. You start getting interference, I won't be able to pull you out if things go to shit."

Jackie's signature grin is back, his hand still on the door. He turned toward V, his brow furrowed in mock seriousness. "Not planning on splittin' up, but thanks for the reminder, Bug. We're not amateurs."

"Good to hear. You get in, act like you belong. Kiera, Ramon—keep it clean. Flathead stays out of sight 'til you're in the suite. Got it?"

V nodded, shifting her weight as she checked her reflection in the sleek metal door for a second. She adjusted her collar, her gaze meeting Jackie's. "Got it," she said, her voice dropping into a cooler, more corporate tone. "Let's get this over with."

"Copy that, Bug," Jackie said, voice calm but focused. He glanced at V, gave her a steady nod. "Let's roll… Kiera."

The way he said it—calm, but clipped—told her he was still stewing from their earlier argument. He didn't have to spell it out. V caught the look he gave her, one that said we've got a job to do more than we're good now. She pushed the thought aside.

The two stepped out of the Delamain, the cool, almost clean air of Konpeki Plaza greeting them. The soft glow of ambient lighting and the quiet hum of Night City felt muted—almost dreamlike.

Jackie circled around to the trunk, popping it open and grabbing the case carrying the Flathead. He took the first step forward, his boots clicking softly on the polished floor as he moved with purpose. V followed closely behind, her pace steady.

They moved in sync, each step in perfect time, the quiet hum of the building surrounding them as they made their way to the entrance.

"We're out front, Bug." V murmured into her comms.

"Remember, reservation's in your name… Ramon," T-Bug replied, cool and composed in her ear. "You're here to meet Hajime Taki—military tech department rep."

Security stood just beyond the entrance checkpoint, a sleek scanner arching over the glass doors like a silent sentinel. As they passed through the courtyard, the Konpeki staff bowed politely, every word and gesture laced with formal Japanese precision.

At the checkpoint, one of the two guards by the entrance stepped forward, expression unreadable beneath the professional mask.

"Welcome to Konpeki Plaza," he said curtly. "Please proceed through single file."

"You got it, holm—uh, ahem, sir," Jackie replied, catching himself just in time and smoothing out his tone.

He stepped through first, shoulders squared, but the moment he crossed under the scanner, a sharp chime pierced the air. Red lights flashed across the archway.

"Sir, hold on." The guard stepped forward, one hand raised to halt Jackie, the other instinctively drifting toward his holstered weapon. "Care to explain why you're bringing a combat bot onto Konpeki Plaza premises?"

V's breath hitched—a sharp catch she buried fast—but her face stayed locked in chrome-cold composure. Her optics flicked to Jackie briefly, then to the security.

T-Bug's voice came through almost immediately, sharp and urgent. "Shit. V, you're gonna need to talk your way out of this—make it quick."

Her pulse hammered in her chest, but she gave nothing away.

She stepped forward, heels crisp against the marble floor, her voice cool and composed—wrapped in that sharp-edged confidence she'd honed during her time at Arasaka.

"We're arms dealers." V said matter-of-fact. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Her tone not confrontational, but authoritative—used to being obeyed.

The guards stiffened at her tone, standing straighter, but their eyes were impassive, trained to handle the likes of her. "Ma'am, this is standard procedure," one of them replied, his voice unwavering.

"This is standard disrespect," V cut in coldly, her voice low but piercing. "We're on official Arasaka business. You really want to be the one who delayed Arasaka guests?"

The guard didn't flinch, but his optics flared, his expression hardening as he scrolled through their system. V felt the seconds stretch painfully, unsure if their bluff would hold.

Just as the tension peaked, the concierge approached them, his stride brisk and purposeful. Fully chromed in gold, his uniform glistened under the bright lights, a stark contrast to the sleek, cold steel of the plaza. His polished efficiency was evident in every movement as his eyes locked onto V with professional scrutiny.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked smoothly, his fingers tapping across his datapad, the golden sheen of his chrome reflecting the surroundings.

V didn't miss a beat. "We're here for a meeting with Hajime Taki. He's expecting us."

The employee's eyes darted to his pad as he ran a quick check, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he looked up, offering a tight but polite smile. "Ah! You're here to meet with Taki-san. Please accept my apologies for the confusion." He bowed, his voice was smooth, professional, with just the right amount of deference. Without breaking stride, he turned to the security guards, his order crisp. "Let them through. There's no issue."

The guards exchanged a look, still cautious, but they stepped aside with a reluctant nod, their red optics scanning V, Jackie, and the hotel staff. V acknowledged them with a brief, cool glance as they passed through the checkpoint, Jackie's eyes gleaming with a mixture of annoyance and relief.

As they stepped into the hotel, the weight of the mission didn't exactly lift, but the sterile luxury of Konpeki Plaza made the air feel a little less suffocating. V's instincts were still on high alert—this was far from over. Jackie shot her a quick nod, and they made their way to the front desk.

The reception area of Konpeki Plaza exuded a cold, meticulous elegance. Polished marble floors gleamed under the soft wash of recessed lighting, which bathed the space in a warm, amber glow. Sleek, minimalist design merged seamlessly with gilded accents and walls of glass. The atmosphere wasn't just luxurious; it was crafted to intimidate, as if to remind anyone walking through that this place didn't cater to anyone who wasn't willing to play the game. V and Jackie couldn't help but take it all in, the quiet perfection almost too immaculate to touch.

The woman behind the desk greeted them with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her skin gleamed with a subtle golden hue—Gene-Tek RealSkinn, the synthetic covering so flawlessly crafted it was nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Every movement she made was deliberate, a reminder that here, everything—down to the smallest gesture—was meticulously curated.

She met their gaze and offered a deep bow, her gesture formal but not overly stiff.

"Youkoso. Greetings and welcome to Konpeki Plaza," she greeted, her voice smooth and professional, thick Japanese accent. "How may I assist you today?'

Jackie nodded, stepping up to the desk. "We'd like to check in."

"Of course! What is the name on the reservation?"

"Ramon Martinez."

Her fingers moved swiftly across the sleek keyboard, the soft clacks echoing in the pristine, quiet lobby. "Double room, two adults, one night. Is that correct?" She looked up, her expression perfectly courteous.

V gave a small nod, her expression neutral but watchful.

"Excellent," the receptionist replied, bowing once more with robotic grace. "I'll notify Taki-san of your arrival."

V's spine went rigid.

In her ear, T-Bug's voice hissed, tight with urgency. "Fuck! V, not part of the plan. Keep her talking—stall her, now!"

V's eyes locked onto the receptionist, unblinking. Her lips curled into a sharp, almost predatory smile—one that carried no warmth. Her voice dropped—smooth, cold, and commanding.

"Did I say you could notify him?"

The woman blinked, her composure faltering just a fraction. "I—I'm sorry?"

V took a slow step forward and leaned on the desk, letting the silence stretch and crackle like a live wire. She squared her shoulders, her gaze cutting like a monowire through glass.

"You were instructed to check us in. That's all. You step outta line again, and I'll make sure your next job has you scraping gum off alley concrete. Now. Do your fucking job."

The receptionist blinked, a flicker of hesitation passing over her features. She froze for a second, clearly intimidated by V's commanding tone. The air around them seemed to hum with the sudden shift in tension.

"I—I apologize." The woman stammered, bowing low in a show of respect. "I misunderstood. I'll ensure your suite is prepared immediately."

Her fingers danced across the keyboard once more, this time with a hint less confidence. "You'll be staying in the Lapis Lazuli Suite on level forty‑two," she said, her voice dipping slightly. "Please place your palms on the scanners in front of you to validate your SID chip."

Right on cue, Jackie and V pressed their palms to the scanners. Each pad lit green with a soft chime.

The receptionist bowed again, her expression tight now—still professional, but laced with unease. "Everything appears to be in order. We wish you a pleasant stay at Konpeki Plaza."

V gave her a stiff nod, not bothering to offer any words as she turned to Jackie. The tension had passed, but the feeling of unease still lingered in the air. As they moved away from the front desk, Jackie glanced over at V with a raised eyebrow.

"That was too close," Jackie muttered, voice low and tight. "Chingado, T—what the hell happened back there? You said we'd waltz in clean. Instead we damn near got flagged at the door. Security looked like they were itchin' to pull iron."

T-Bug's voice crackled through the comms, clipped and laced with tension. "I don't know... I scrubbed their security protocols myself—Flathead should've passed clean. Either their system updated last minute or someone's watching closer than we thought. Just keep your eyes peeled, alright?"

V clenched her jaw, silently acknowledging T-Bug's warning. The line went quiet as she and Jackie moved through the reception hall. The familiar hum of the hotel's immaculate interior did nothing to ease the tension in their guts. The air was too clean, too curated—every step they took felt like it echoed in someone else's ears.

They stepped into the elevator, the doors slid shut with a muted hiss, leaving V and Jackie in the sterile quiet of the lift. The soft hum of the machinery was the only sound that accompanied them as they ascended. The walls of polished marble reflected their faces.

V leaned back slightly against the wall, arms crossed, eyes on the glowing floor numbers ticking upward.

Jackie shifted slightly, glancing at the sleek lines of the elevator's interior. "What do you think, V? This place ain't like the usual dumps we're used to," he muttered, running a hand over his suit like it was a foreign object. "Most times, it's some grimy hole-in-the-wall, ceilings lookin' like they might collapse. But this—this is somethin' else."

V smirked faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "We don't belong here, Jack. All this polish? It's camouflage. Underneath, it's still the same city. Still the same rot."

Didn't matter how many crystal chandeliers they walked under or how smooth the jazz piped through the vents sounded—at the end of the day, they were still mercs. Disposable. The kind people like Arasaka stepped over without looking down. Fancy walls didn't change the game. Just made the fall look prettier.

Konpeki's luxury coiled around them like a silken noose—silent, pristine, and tightening by the second.

Somewhere above, past gold-plated panels and layers of security, was the payload. The only shot they had to crawl out of the muck—for good.