Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

He was always told that "When he grew up, he would be good at something". There was no telling what that 'something' would be. Raking trash and slinging scop dogs in Arroyo a mile from where he was born wasn't what he had in mind as a kid. As determined and hardworking as his father was after finishing his service in the military, his efforts to get his family ahead in life never really got him anywhere. Any attempts... whether to start a business... build a portfolio... felt more like tires spinning in the mud of a fixed yet broken system. As time went on... those attempts became less and less frequent... the death of his wife bringing a dead stop to his motivation. His father... drained by his depression over the years... stopped leaving the house... barely even left his chair... a tattered lazyboy fitting for the street.

If he wasn't working or taking care of his father, he'd often find himself throwing a Broseph back with a choom or two; Every now and then tucking in for the night to dabble in some black market Braindances. Mind crippling memories played on a loop at your leisure... the traumatic, often violent experiences that go on to change or define a person... experiences that wither away at the psyche while never letting go. Everything from the brutal, personal death throes of an innocent victim... to the adrenaline rush of their cold hearted murderer... in their element fulfilling their darkest desires. Sold into a desensitized society by card carrying sociopaths for a buck... no different than an old time DVD. A thriving, well adjusted market with high demand... created on the backs of trauma and dismay.

With so much going on around him, there wasn't much left to do except... exist. Born into a life where all the cards are already dealt, none of which being good... forced to play a game with the winners already decided. He held spite for Night City in so many justified ways and yet, there was nothing he could do about it... and the city made sure he knew that. Whether it was luxury AVs flying by in the sky, or the occasional Rayfield parked in the neighborhood... conducting shady business surrounded by huscle; The opulence and power on display sent a clear message to him and everyone else around: Not For You.

He looked on at these occurrences as they happened with less spite and more curiosity over the years as he grew up. As a child, he'd often think "Who are these people anyway..? Why do they come here...? Why do they have... and I don't..?"

Night City... a living, breathing entity in it's own right. A town where order and chaos live under the same roof... dancing hand in hand in a whirlwind of violence, passion and hyper-stylistic allure. Where an endless cat and mouse game relentlessly permeates throughout all echelons of the culture and society. A place where the experiences you have and the relationships you make can be just as intense as they are fleeting.

It was a cold and foggy morning... the air was brittle... filled with the smell of folly and dejection... dorph heads skezzed out of their minds wandered the streets like zombies. After taking the time to get his father situated, he was out front getting his cart ready for the day while contemplating his route through the district. The blue collars are steadily heading to work... with the dirtkids being dragged to school.

With the city's morning commute well on its way, he abruptly hears the sound of screeching tires and gunshots off in the distance.

"Sixth Street" He immediately thought; And without much of a second one... he continued to get ready. However the distant sounds began to grow louder as the invisible conflict grew closer. Hell, people all over the block started to stop doing what they were doing to look around at where this was coming from. Almost like an impending wave they heard but couldn't see.

The gunshots and screeching tires suddenly come flying around the corner at full speed... burned rubber from skidding tires sends thick smoke and tire shrapnel flying. High and small caliber rounds blend together with the whirring zaps of tech guns creating a symphony of violence. Everyone on the block, kids included, either scattered for cover in back alleys, behind stoops, or reached for iron. It was so quick, he could barely react, diving and taking cover behind his small metal cart... barely dodging a volley of high velocity lead. As the two fighting cars pass by the front of his house, the exchange of gunfire lights up the pavement and his cart. Bullet holes the size of his hand riddle the area as he curls into a ball, covering his ears and head with gritted teeth bracing the heat. The cars continue flying up the road until one rams the other hard through a street pole... the momentum skids the pair of cars into someone's stoop toward the end of the block. A Chevillon Emperor turned a Quadra T sixty-six Avenger into a crushed soda can.

As the commotion up the street fades, and several of the vehicle occupants flee, he exhales heavily.. quickly checking his body for wounds before slowly standing back up. He glances down the street trying to get a look at the aftermath.

Looking back at his cart, the amount of sudden damage and bullet holes perplexes him... grateful to still be alive as the thick smell of burned rubber and gunsmoke begins to subside. He turns back to see his home riddled with bullet holes and blown out windows... shrapnel, scattered debris and blackened singed spots covered the front porch and face of the entire house.

A look of shock combines with disbelief as he frantically rushes back into his home... stumbling over his own feet. "DAD!!!" He screams as he struggles to yank open the shredded front door.

He enters and sees his father sat... as he did for quite some time now... in his chair. He slowly walks toward him in the darkened house shrouded in morning gloom.

He sees his lifeless father... leaking blood streaming out of several gunshot wounds... one being the head.

The man stared... frozen in disbelief... hyperventilating as emptiness and fear overwhelm him. The very air in his lungs is yanked out of him... a high pitched ringing in his ears silences the commotion of the aftermath going on outside as he stares at his father.

The room begins to slowly spin... his light headedness sends him to his knees... he collapses into his father's lap as he starts to weep.

The distant sounds of the aftermath and commotion outside among the neighbors fade out of focus... offering a rare Night City moment of silence.

Just another soul... claimed by Night City. The staunch callousness of an environment that's already moved on.

He sat with his dead father in an emotionless trance all day... never leaving his side... various scattered memories of time spent with each other blur together in a haze of broken emotions.. numbed by the day's events."

Finally... as evening approaches... he hears the growing sounds of sirens off in the distance getting closer. He raises his head to glance in their direction as he hears a quick, subtle crash behind him in his backyard.

Instinctually... he quickly gets up and darts to the backdoor kicking it open.

He gasp startles a woman kneeled down near his garbage cans... making some very quick observations: Shes injured... blood running down the side of her head and face... holding her arm and masking pain... her eyes wide open in shock. Shes fairly tall and lanky... wearing a modified Kuomori black leather trench coat; but the most important observation he makes: Shes Not From Here.

As he opens his mouth to yell at her, she pulls her iron while clicking the safety off... a jet black, modified Nue with an extended barrel. The look of fear and desperation on her face is clearly visible in her eyes... even with a black leather facemask on. Her bloody hand pointing iron shakes under the weight of the pain. The two of them exchange an extremely tense stare at each other... neither wanting to make first move. The sounds of the approaching sirens arrive and the tires screech to a halt.

With his hands in the air in surrender he glances back in the direction of the siren sounds. The woman takes the opportunity to turn and run... jumping fences and suddenly fading into the light starved neighborhood. He looks back towards her in the direction she ran before being startled by what's left of his front door being completely smashed in.

"NCPD! HANDS IN THE AIR!! NOW!!!"

Two badges storm the house clearing it. With his hands still up, he stands in disbelief... unable to find any words with the accumulation of the day's events.

"WHERE IS SHE!? WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" One of the badges shouts with iron drawn, pointed directly at him as he slowly moves closer.

"SEARCH THE BACK!!" He yells to his partner before yanking the man by his shirt and pinning him to a wall with force.

"I said.. WHERE is she and the WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!!?"

In this moment... a spattering of emotions run their course through his mind. The daily risks of Night City have found their way past his front door and into the very living room of his life.

Whether it was his traumatic upbringing... the traumatic day... the pig having his hands on him... or the very nature of Night City itself, feeling more determined than ever to drive him to his knees.

It made something click in his head... giving him a numbed feeling that laid dormant for so long. Numbed... but with fire... an undeniable energy behind it.

Snapping out of it... the man looks up at the cop as his partner re-enters the house from the back.

"Name's Brian... Brian Varga... and I don't have shit to say to A FUCKIN PI-" Before he can finish, Brian is pistol whipped in the face with full force, sending him to the floor.

As the two badges proceed to beat Brian down... the woman who fled stands with her back pressed against the side of his house. With an emotionless gaze on her face... she walks away into the night.

Chapter Text

       The cold brittle morning returns like a broken record. The quiet stillness of air rests alongside Brian laid facedown in his own cold and drying blood. With a deep, strained cough and inhale, he rolls over onto his side to face his father's chair; Empty. He gently rolls onto his back... staring up at the withered and decaying ceiling as the pain settles in. His eyes bloodshot... his face cut up and bruised... he glances down at his chest to see a piece of paper on it. He grabs it... cutting his chest from pulling out the staples.

The front reads: R.E.O.

He crumples the paper without reading it.. dropping it to his side. Staring up at the wrecked ceiling, he takes another strained deep breath before sitting up.

Brian walks outside onto his wrecked porch, cigarette in mouth. A break in the clouds allows the sun to beam down on his tender face... kissing and hugging his open lacerations and bruises.

He lights his smoke and takes a glance up the street to see kids collecting bullet casings... throwing debris at the badges securing last night's crime scene. It gives him a painful grin that splits open a cut on his lip a bit more.

He takes inventory of his damage... ringing headache... blunt force trauma scattered across his arms and torso... even a man as tall and burly as he is can be broken down with ease when lacking the right chrome. Night City never has a problem reminding you where you stand on the food chain. Those who tend to forget or refuse it.. are either made an example of at worst... or at best... become just another tale for the next dreamer.

As Brian smokes and looks on, he notices more than just badges securing the crime scene. Various suits and private security also littered the area. Drones floated above scanning various buildings, debris and areas around the crushed T 66 Avenger. Neighbors looked on as some were being questioned. He quickly realized the badges weren't the ones conducting this investigation at all.

Halfway done with his smoke, he leaves his front porch in the opposite direction... walking painfully... but with purpose.




The idle beeps, buzzes, and hospital chatter fill the space as rickety carts are wheeled by with half dead and groaning patients. The tattered, dirty environment reeks of morbid failure and dismay. It was as if the place was more morgue or mortuary than hospital.

"I had Mikey take the rest of the day off so you didn't have to deal with that gonk... sorry about your loss man."

"Thanks Graves." Brian responds.

"I also gotta tell ya, you've used up the last of the cred your mom had here with this one. You know she was a superstar here for us back in the day but..-"

"What do you mean last of the cred..?"

"B.. you know how R.E.O. is... heartless and sociopathic... and with all the medical support your dad'd been gettin' over the past few years... well, it added it up."

"Added up huh..."

"To be completely honest with you.. its past added up... I'd been doin' em a solid for a while now... no one here knew... now with patching you up as well as your cremation cost here, there's really nothin' left i can do for you bud."

"I get it, i get it... thanks."



Brian turns to walk away and gather his father's ashes... Graves stops him again.

"Hey, Brian, about that cred... well... could really use your help on somethin."

Brian turns back around, "If its scraping viscera and smeared scop off the streets next to a flaming Supron then count me out choom.."

"Know you don't have a head for this man. Talkin' about somethin' a bit more... lucrative."

"No." He responds condemningly

"Come on choomba.. this is easy scratch! Done this before. Just would be more chill if I had someone roll with me y'know? Whole neighborhood's heard by now you can take care of yourself out there! No viscera or scop either. Promise!"

A brief pause sits between them... Brian looks down at the messy, bloodstained hospital floor. The various events of an unforgettable day weighing heavy on his mind. Almost as if they felt like an inevitability.

"Alright." He mutters reluctantly... still looking down at the floor.

"Preem! Gonna finish up a few things here, you can post outside."

Brian looks up at graves walking away from him "You mean we're doing this right now..?"

"No better time THAN the now choomba!"

Graves goes back upstairs leaving Brian in the quiet front lobby. The loud obnoxious sound of the buzzer was unmistakable... turning Brian's attention toward it.

Crematory Service in bright neon lights atop a metal slabbed wall shakes and clunks out a heavy metal urn like a vending machine.

Enrique Varga Handle with care written on a white label.

Brian grabs his father's urn and just stares at it... he closes his eyes.

Chapter Text

Leaned up against a wall, cig in hand, Brian stares up at a huge neon advertisement barking out into the city.

"SEVEN MINUTES OR A REFUND! THAT'S THE TRAUMA TEAM GURANTEE!!"

He looks down at his lit cigarette before a glance at his father's urn... he takes another drag. He gently touches the bandage on his nose... jolting in pain aggravated.

He takes a deep breath... slowly exhaling with the back of his head planted on the wall... a haze of melancholy shrouding his jaded emotions... buried in a perpetual cycle of loss.  His mind flashes back to the woman who pointed iron at him in his backyard.

He hears the sound of her clicking the safety off... that deep gasp when he startled her... that look on her face... he just can't get that look on her face out of his head. It's almost as if he felt how dangerous she was... but in that moment, she was at her most vulnerable. The contrast stuck in his head like a faulty, overworked braindance chip playing on a loop. Arroyo and Rancho aren't often home to much corpo antics. Whoever she was... she was a long way from home.

"AYE CHOOM!" Graves yells out walking towards him, snapping him out of his thought loop. "You ready? Got a little time, lets roll."

The pair walk up the crowded block... people littered the street as much as trash did. Their imposing frames catch glances from bystanders with nowhere to go... nowhere to be. Mulling around in a rat race for fleeting pleasure and scraps of scop. They hop into a parked all black Colby Butte and speed off. Listening to some Royal Blue radio, the pair cruise the streets of NC with the mellow hum of the engine.

       Neon lights and Friday night firefights... the lifeblood of the city flows through the activities of it's inhabitants. Night citizens run the streets flatlining rivals... claiming territory and klepping desirables. Slamming drugs and slinging chrome with no real intention to see tomorrow. Meanwhile the ascended elite meticulously tamper with the human genome generation after generation... constantly pushing the limits of weaving metal and meat. Unbothered by repercussion... the ramifications of this constantly escalating arms race even has the likes of them careening toward the edge. Hopelessly obsessed with the power structures they've forged through corporate corruption and brutal disregard. Sinking their claws deeper and deeper into the ever changing landscape destine to slip from their grasp. This city is home to them all.

Graves lowers the music a bit.

"Listen man... been meanin' to ask-"

"-You're always askin' somethin."

"Hey, y'know i'm used to you bein' the one with the answers anyway. Steerin' the ship's never been my forte. Besides... how the fuck else would i learn huh? hahaha"

"Maybe try listenin' sometime." Brian mutters watching the busy streets drift by.

"Hahaha! Maybe... but hey, listen... been meanin' to ask for a while now. Y'know since uh... everytime I try to serve you up a dunk you walk away." Graves claims looking over at him.


A brief pause takes over the interior of the Butte... he doesn't respond. Graves continues.

"Know you haven't... y'know... been in the game for a while... I just... was wonderin... y'know, why? I mean there's kinda been-"

"-You already know why."

"B... you know just as well as i do there's nothin' you coulda did about that. Things just got outta hand overtime... all the layers... moving parts... she pushed too hard... was in way over her head... we all were... gotta let that shit go choomba... you know she'd want you to."

"...nothing i could do about that huh..." Brian mutters to himself under his breath.. his gaze fixed on the street.

The two share some somber silence together before Graves turns the music back up.

Later in the evening, as the sun begins to turn in for the night, so do the straight and narrows of NC. Clocking out after a double shift and making it home with all of your limbs was often a well earned victory in itself. Daughter's home without being kidnapped by gang goons... wife's stable and happily cooking dinner with her freshly chipped neuroimplants... stabilizing her parkinsons... a valued gift from all that corpo 'volunteer' work. Nevermind what tomorrow may have in store for you... when you step back out that door... you do so with an understanding... that the edge is always waiting for you just a few steps away. One wrong turn from daughter on the way home... one wrong dosage of nuero-suppressants from wife. Life... happiness... looms in the most momentary of fleeting stasis... and fought for tooth and nail.


Brian sat in Graves' car just outside his apartment complex finishes a smoke... flicking it out of the window onto the trash littered pavement.

Looking out into the street, there's endless activity going on with the locals at a steady pace regardless of the time of day. Street networking for that next gem of information, transactions being done, shouting matches taking place, music blasting, graffiti being hit up, drugs being slammed. He sits wondering where these people even live... do they even sleep? With all this energy they expend... is the end result even really worth it? Is life just an arbitrary chase for the things you desire? Even if it means going right over the edge? What are they exactly doing with their lives...? To what end..? Do they even care...? The sound of the trucks side panel being opened snaps him out of his thoughts. It slams closed and the driver side door flys open, Graves hops in. "Alright. Let's go."

The pair drive as the evening sunset concludes making it harder to see. However the darkness is short lived... giving way to the blooming neon lights of Night City. That notorious, glowing allure that draws people in via some of the most profound... inexplainable sensations and experiences. For some, an opportunity to escape... to transform themselves before their very own eyes... for others... an inescapable cage of light... fixated on revealing to you your true self... before driving you to your knees.

"So is it time for you to finally tell me what were doin' or am i supposed to just wing this one." Brian asks.

"Quick trade choom! You know how I rizzoll!!"

"Y'know, you bein' a six foot eight ex-animal with gorilla arms honestly makes me think you'd be workin' huscle for some corpo gonk... not still out here in Santo doin'... 'quick trades'."

"And you, bein' an equally six foot six tall ex- uhhmm..." Graves glances at Brian who glances back at him... he looks forward again. "uhhhmm...yeah, I would be thinkin' you'd be out of Santo by now yourself but it is what it is y'know? And besides, i klepped these arms remember?" He says raising a balled fist. "You were there, was a hell of a night!"

Brian shifts subject "Who are we doin' this 'quick trade' with? Is it Abby again?"

"Abby? Ha... she's been outta the picture for a while now. Nah, this is a new contact i got in good with through Marcus. Shit... choom's buyin' big!"

"Marcus...? Hes still around..? His contacts've always been shit... always one step from either a jail cell or some Maelstrom ganger's trunk."

"Its networking B! Marcus has an in on a distributor who linked me up with this guy we're headed tooo! Cmon, you know how all this shit works-"

"-I'm not a merc, Graves." Brian snap responds in monotone... watching the vibrant city lights flicker by.

"RIIIIGHT! YOU'RE A SCOP DOG SALESMAN! REAL UPSTANDING NIGHT CITIZEN RIGHT B? Tch, gimme a break."

"What's he buyin?"

"You know... a little bit of this... little bit of that. Little bit of all of it really." 



Brian gives him a stern look that Graves is all too familiar with. He catches it... doing a double take before looking back at the road and clearing his throat. "Syn, lace... and glitter."

"WHAT!?"

"Mostly glitter."

"Where the fuck did you get Synthetic Coke? And Black Lace? Who the hell are we doin' biz with?!"

"Choombatta... relax... no volume here... just a sample package to start a hopefully long and... fruitful business relationship."

"Did you bring iron?" Brian asks with angst

"Course i brought iron... you?"

Brian quickly looks back out the window contemplating. "No..." He mutters regretfully

"Damn, still not carrying huh? In Arroyo? You're psycho choom."

"Gimme yours." Brian quickly reaches over and grabs Graves' Lexington... checking the magazine and chamber.

"What the- why..?"

"You've got those gorilla arms, you'll be fine... besides... easy scratch right?"

Chapter Text

The slow rolling tires on cracked concrete brings the Colby Butte to a stop with squeaky brakes... as the engine rests idle purring, the pair scan their surroundings. Kabuki. Eleven pm.

The bright lights of the district glow off in the distance... illuminating the hustle and bustle of the NC night life... casting an even denser shadow over the area the two resided in waiting for their contact. The cherry from Brian's cigarette glows bright with every drag as he scans the location around them. The mood is somber but alert. The both of them are clearly focused. Like most situations, Brian makes some acute observations: Isolated area... lack of sightlines... too dark for comfort... not enough deets..... far away from home. This type of situation, although not unfamiliar, kept him on his toes.

"Christ, where the hell is this guy??" Graves belts with angst, getting restless.

"Look." Brian nods over to a pair of headlights slowly approaching from the lit street.

Before getting too close, the vehicle adjusts its direction slightly... slowly driving in circles around Graves' Butte. Passing to the side for the first time gives Brian a dim but clear look at the car... a red and green Mizutani Shion Mz2... blacked out tinted windows, red rims and greenwall tires. Brian's eyes open wide.

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me Graves, TYGER CLAWS?? That's who we're doin biz with?!?"

"Wha-? I didn't know choom! Marcus never told me!"

"Yeah.. because he knows we wouldnt've done it.." He slams his fist onto the glove box. "FUCKIN' Marcus..."

Brian keeps eyes trained on the circling shion as it takes a final lap.. before slowly driving back toward the direction it came in from.

"The fucks he doing?" Brian grits.

"That's the signal... we're supposed to follow him."

As they follow the Shion through the streets, the area become less and less crowded... less and less lit up. As if the city's pulling them into a shrouded spat out of their control.

Brian stares deeply at the vinyl tiger printed on the back of the Shion glaring right back at him... flickering in the dimness of the inconsistent street lighting.

As he stares deep into the eyes of the tiger, his mind begins to wander... he thinks back to an event from his past... hearing only the unforgettable screams of a woman "NO! NO! PLEASE! VARGA! VARGAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

"Don't like this shit choom... got a bad feelin' about this." Graves mutters deeply...  snapping Brian out of his thoughts. The energy in the cab steadily filling with tension each block they roll through.

"Yeah, me neither." Brians says racking the slide on the Lexington... checking side streets for follow cars. "But what are we supposed to do now hm? Turn off right here and go home..?"

"That's exactly what the fuck we should do."

"Yeah, but we're not gonna are we..."


Graves looks over at Brian... already knowing the answer.


"We're marked already... if he's got somethin' in motion then we're already in it- nothing we can do now. Head on a swivel choom."

           

     Turn after turn they continue following the Shion, the air in the car is draining as the pair take on different responsibilities. Graves being the driver focused on watching for tails and crash cars... Brian being the passenger focused on direction and area recognition. The driving pace was slow... and it was clear they had very little to go on... gradually drifting into unfamiliar territory. Different districts in Night City can feel like different countries at times.

Brian eventually breaks the silence... they go back and forth in a low tone.

"What're you thinkin."

"Dunno man... ever since you reduced spec and just stayed mostly ganic I was wondering if you'd be able to even do somethin like this again."

He doesn't respond... glaring out the window as if in the wilderness... checking streets and clutching Graves' Lexington.

"I mean... this is Night City B... you're born n raised here like me... its almost like an inevitable upbringing you-"

"-Fuckin City of Dreams Graves... doesn't hurt to change your approach... or at least question other's"

"What the fuck does that even mean..?"

"Hey, we're here." The conversation breaks as the pair notice the Shion slowing down.

      They follow the Shion through one last turn onto a street unfamiliar to both of them. Still clearly in Kabuki, the alley was dark and lit up dimly by a few apartment lights bleeding into it. The Shion finally comes to a complete stop near the back of the alley.

A lone man gets out of the driver side... walking toward Graves' wheels at a brisk pace. Wearing red, traditional Tyger Claw formals, he rakes his short, dyed hair back catching a glimpse at the dragon tattoo on his forearm. His energy looks no nonsense... almost in an uncomfortable hurry, briefly calming the two of them in the moment. Brian tucks his iron as Graves rolls his window down. The Tyger uses his forearm to lean on the hood and into his window... speaking in broken English with a deep, raspy voice.

"Marcus' friend right?"

"That's right. Graves."

"And you?" He looks over at Brian with eyes already trained on him.

"Brian."

The man nods in acknowledgement before glancing into the back area of the cab in Graves' Butte. There sat the big silver urn storing Brian's father's ashes. He wrinkles his eyebrows at the sight of it before a slight grin.

"A third choom in the back huh? That supposed to bring good luck?"

Graves and Brian glance back forgetful that it was even there considering the situation. The man continues with a ramble looking at Graves.

"Haven't seen one of those in a while! I always wonder... how can you know there are ashes in there...? Can you even open those...? I hear you can't once they seal them up. Could be just selling people heavy chunks of metal filled with scop or a bunch of-"

"-How bout we just stick to biz and get this over with huh?" Brian jabs forth.

The claw turns his full attention over to Brian, raising his palms in the air mocking. "Ohhkay ...'Brian'" He grumbles sarcastically. "...Biz it is then."

The ganger takes a step back away from the car as Graves and Brian get out. "Well, where is the kit?" He asks.

"Back here." Graves says walking to the back of the Butte.. opening up the side panel revealing the box.


He hands it over to the tyger who rummages through it... clinking glass and plastic around before a look back up into each of their eyes.


Without a word he turns around and walks back toward one of the few lit alley windows on the first floor apartment... knocking on it four times. The window opens and the claw briefly mutters something in Japanese while handing over the box.

The window closes and he walks back to the driver's side window of the Shion to reach in and grab something.

Graves and Brian briefly exchange a look with each other.

He returns back to Graves and hands him a cred chip, looking up into his eyes. "Good." His raspy voice grumbles. "Know that next time we won't be meeting in-"


The Tyger Claw stops mid sentence as all three hear the sudden sound of a roaring engine quickly approaching from up the alley. 

          All three turn to see a Yaiba Kusanagi speeding up to them... stopping about ten yards away on the side of the Shion. The crimson red bike with green leather seats shined... reflecting clean even within the dimly lit alleyway. It paired well with the red leather biker gear the rider wore... another Tyger Claw. 

He hops off the bike... screaming something in Japanese towards the claw Graves and Brian are dealing with. He B-lines it up to him... yanking off his helmet and tossing it to the side as the two yell at each other in Japanese, occasionally pointing and looking back at Graves and Brian.

Brian recognizes the biker's carrying no guns that he can see... making him shift focus to other details. Graves and Brian take a step back from the arguing Tyger Claws and take a step closer to each other. Graves leans over with a whisper: "A, let's delta, we got th-" 

          Before he can finish, the sound of a blade slicing through bone cuts through the air like a gunshot. The pair look to see the biker with a mantis blade protruding from his right arm... slicing the dealer diagonally across the skull... dropping him to the floor with a thud. The biker watches his brain matter spill from it's skull casing before quickly looking at Graves and Brian. Within arms reach, the biker lifts his bloodied, bladed arm to swing at Graves. Brian quickly goes to pull his iron, getting caught on his jeans while Graves quickly reaches and grabs the biker's arm by his elbow mid swing... stopping the strike dead effortlessly. The sharp air compression and working servos in Graves' gorilla arm kick in as he squeezes the Tyger claw's arm like a vise... slowly crushing it while raising his other fist to punch him. The Tyger Claw screams in pain before engaging his second mantis blade... driving it directly through Graves' stomach and piercing out of his back... the momentum of the impact sprays blood into the grimy alleyway. Graves and Brian's eyes open wide in shock.


Brian instinctually dives on top of the claw, forcing the blade out of Graves' stomach. Graves drops to his knees looking down... before falling over on his side motionless.


Brian's momentum drives himself to the ground first, Knocking the Tyger Claw off balance. He attempts to scramble to his feet using the side of the parked Shion. The claw regains his balance... striking with a full force stab with his one working mantis blade. Brian quickly throws his body out of the way, falling to his side... causing the tyger to stab the Shion through the corner of it's hood, piercing it's metal body effortlessly. He instinctually turns to face Brian while trying to yank his blade out of the hood, forcing it to be jam even tighter. Brian siezes the opening... quickly scrambling up and throwing his body at the ganger, pinning him up against the car.

        He grabs the claw's crushed, dangling mantis blade arm.. forcing him to scream wildly in pain... echoing through the dark alley. He desperately twists... his body around in an attempt to push Brian away... flailing his dangling mantis blade failing to re-contract back into place. It swings upward with weighted force... cleanly slicing through Brian's jacket then up to his neck... the tip of the blade connects deeply with the neck... then upward off of his jaw gashing him open. Brian's eyes snap closed tight as he flinches in pain, staggering back... he slams his body up against claw even harder, pinning him to the Shion once more. Brian hooks the crushed mantis blade arm under his own arm before cranking it back towards himself with all of his strength. The ganger shrieks with a feral roar... at the same time, Brian grabs his Lexington with his other arm... placing the barrel at the base of his skull and unloading five shots. The first two rounds exit out of the ganger's face... as the three behind them send blood splatter spraying wildly into the dark Night City air like a fountain. The dead claw still pinned by Brian's force is shoved hard as he scrape collapses to the ground lifeless... gravity pulls blood from his face to water the ever thirsty streets... his arm left jammed in the hood of the car.

Chapter Text

       The pouring rain drowns out the sound of tires screeching to a halt. The backdoor of the R.E.O facility is kicked open with full force, letting in a tremendous gust of wind and rain. The lights of the run-down facility are off, making the place look abandoned. The sounds of strained grunts and streak dragging clothes pair together with the heavy wet footsteps of boots. Brian gets Graves into an operating room.. struggling to lift him onto the table.

Brian frantically looks around the room... violently opening drawers, tearing open synth-gauze packages, and riffling through endless empty maxdoc inhalers... he knocks over a bunch of metal tools and glass containers... clanking and shattering to the tile floor. Graves' eyes open wide... coughing up blood, struggling to breathe as Brian races back to the table.

"COME ON MAN!!" Brian screams gritting his teeth... pressing down on Graves' wound making him shriek in immense pain. Unsure of if he should even be doing that, he quickly rips his hands away... before quickly putting them back on... then taking them off again. He quickly glances... looking around the room before sitting up and putting his bloody hands on his head. Scanning Graves' body while frantically yanking clothes out of the way. Brian desperately yells again. "WH-... WH-WHAT DO I DO?!! Y-YOU GOTTA TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!... PLEASE!!!!"



The sounds of rain and frantic panic in the blood filled operating room gives way to the feint sound of a woman's playful giggle.


As he desperately tries to work on Graves, the woman's feint giggle grows strong... as a flashback to Brian's past begins:

"Hands up choom!! Now gimme that shard!!" The woman grabs a fistful of Brian's shirt, trying to drag him to the floor with all her might.

He grabs the woman's arm... effortlessly spinning her around towards him... pulling her in close.

"Not bad." He whispers in her ear with a big smile on his face before shoving her down onto the bed.

The woman's laugh is infectious to him... "Not bad?! hahaha that was horrible!! Who the hell am I scaring with that?"

Brian sits next to her at the edge of the bed... the bright beautiful sun beaming in through the window.

"The how can be taught pretty easily... I need you to spend more time thinking about the why."

"What do you mean?" She asks with a grin... playing with Brian's blood red, crimson Nue, tilting it... making it catch the rays of the sun at just the right angle... giving it a glossy wet glimmer and sparkle.

"Take that same scenario... Iron in hand, shard to be klepped... but instead of some street punk gonk like me in your hands.. say its a mother of three... with her hands in the air... and her eldest trying to fend you off."



The woman's grin is wiped away... a face contemplating washes over as she loosens her grip... lowering the Nue. Brian continues.

"There's always going to be cases where force is the only option... but even in those cases... its not the only option."

"GOD VARGA! What the hell does that even mean!!?" She shouts gritting her teeth as she sits up and wraps her arms around his neck from behind. The pair laugh as Brian turns around to face her, still in her arms, lifting her slightly before both fall to the bed in embrace.

"Usually better to think before you act... that way you don't have to act before thinking... remember... the discretion of a solo-"

"-Can be as lethal as their iron." She whispers with a smile... finishing his sentence while looking deep into his eyes. The two giggle at the symmetry... sharing a brief silence in each other's arms. An impossible moment.

"And what about you huh? Mister merc guru with all the answers... what are you doing in that scenario?" 


Brian stares deep into her eyes... a big smile as the two move closer to kiss.

The sound of pattering rain and heavy wind woosh back into focus... ending the flashback.

Graves coughs up more blood... struggling to take a deep breath... looking at Brian trying to apply gauze to his wound. He grabs Brian's jacket... yanking him in close, struggling through the pain. Brian grabs Graves' fist holding onto him.

"B-Brian..... li-listen to me. im.." Graves beginning to apologize stops himself... closing his eyes tight with a clear pause.. turning his head to the side and tensing up before looking back into Brian's eyes. "I just... wanted... I just wanted to GET BACK UP THERE Y'KNOW?!" He struggles to shout... fighting tears... letting out a big exhale and cough. He looks up at the ceiling. "I... W-We were..."

Graves pauses again with heavy breaths... thinking deeply... as if he feels his run on the edge nearing it's end... the pain... the glory of a life spent reaching above the squaller of his roots. Successes and failures shaping the life of just another street kid.



His tired voice looks Brian deep in his eyes.

"Y-You... you have to remember B..." He looks back up and away... another pause... an exhausted... fleeting breath.

"Remember for her..."

Graves' grip on Brian's jacket loosens as his hand surrenders to gravity... Brian grabs hold of it even tighter to prevent it... He pulls Graves in tight as the pair rest their foreheads on each other. Seeing only their silhouettes, the sounds of Brian's guttural screams are left completely muted and unheard... the sound of the gentle rain continues to relentlessly patter the windows of the darkened operating room.

Some time later in the night, Brian slowly pulls back up to the front of his house in Graves' Butte. The rain blankets the roof of the vehicle with numbing consistency alongside rolling thunder. He puts the Butte in park before looking down... he then looks over at the passenger seat stained with excessive amounts of blood... before letting his eyes drift away from it. The blood soaked bandages and gauze barely hanging on to Brian's open wounds stick to his damp, shredded clothes and body... another long night in NC has taken it's promised toll.


Brian goes to walk up his porch before stopping... staring at the wide open door frame and destroyed door letting in excessive amounts of rain and debris. The crack of the lightning briefly illuminates the destroyed front of his house... nothing more than a brittle shell as dead as he is... with stored memories of what it once was.


With his father's urn in hand, he steps in through the door frame to his completely pitch black house... crunching broken glass beneath his boots with every slow step.

Feeling completely empty and alone... lost... broken... an already tainted soul now ravaged with fresh wounds by the wrath of a grim and unforgiving city. He stands at the kitchen counter with the weight of the world baring down on his shoulders... he reaches to turn on a light.

The unmistakable sound he had trouble forgetting re-enters his mind instantly. The safety of a Nue being clicked off forces his eyes wide open.

Turning around... he hears the voice of a woman that hes never heard before... "Busy day?"

Chapter Text

"...Busy Day?"

       Brian turns around to see the woman in black he found in his backyard from the prior evening... sitting on the couch in his now dimly lit and tattered house. With that jet black Nue pointed at his skull sponge, she sat comfortably on the living room couch adjacent to the kitchen area and his father's chair. The steady rain outside occasionally wafting in with the strong breeze continuing to soak the patio and entrance to his home. The rolling thunder compliments the sparse cracks of lightning adding to the tension.

       Instinctually, Brian makes some quick and familiar observations of the woman as he assesses her. Tall and lanky... dressed like an operator... wouldn't be surprised if she was a solo... perhaps a merc even. Upon second glance however... the picture becomes far clearer. Excluding the jacket, her kit looks formally retrofitted... all the way down to her boots. The various implants he could barely notice are clearly tailored to her specific figure... minimal EMP threading... minimal LEDS. Her chrome weaved cleanly with both her ganic flesh and high quality RealSkinn... so well that he could hardly tell if or what she had. This level of professional work...? The silent thought hits him conclusively:






"Corpo." 

       He calmly raises his eyebrows and tilts his head slightly showing his deep neck wound... running up from his chest to his jawline. The deep gash barely covered by blood stained gauze has left his light skin raw and red. Several quick flashes of Brian's intense scrap with the Mantis Bladed Tyger Claw are seen... Graves being stabbed... and Brian unloading Lexington rounds into the back of the Tyger's head. A silent flash of lightning briefly fills the room followed by a crackle of rolling thunder.

The woman raises her eyebrows in slight surprise before speaking through her black leather facemask... her voice feminine yet fairly gruff.

"VERY busy day i see." She looks Brian up and down noticing his condition... and the urn he'd just rested on the kitchen counter. She patiently glances around the house while Brian stands there silent... she continues.

"Y'know, i almost thought this place abandoned. I was probably gonna just-"

"-Are you alright..?" He interrupts.

She raises her eyebrows again shocked... chuckling before gesturing at his wounds. "Am i alright..? Ha. Looks like you can barely stand."

"You didn't look it last i saw you..." He looks down and away slightly with lowered eyebrows. "To be frank... I haven't been able to get it out of my head."

"Where is it?" She asks with squinted eyes, nodding her head up... iron still trained on him. The extended barrel on that jet black Nue makes it look like a cannon.

He exhales a tired deep breath "...Where's what."

She pauses... crossing her long legs, the tight black leather on her thighs rubbing together... she continues with that gruff, feminine voice alongside the sounds of pattering rain.

"You know... I gotta be honest... it wasn't easy getting the spec on you."

Brian's posture shifts as he grows attentive. She continues.

"Your records spotted... barring several mediocre run-ins with NCPD i'd say its pretty vanilla... no more... current living relatives" She glances at the bloodied lazyboy. "And no known associates either. At least none database stored."

Brian wrinkles his eyebrows continuing to look at her... almost attempting to check her condition. Several quick flashes of how she looked when he found her in his backyard rush through his mind. The panic on her bloodied face... iron shaking in her hand... her wide-eyed gasp of fear. The woman shifts her weight on the couch, switching her crossed legs and setting her Nue down by her side.

"Said it yourself... vanilla." He responds dismissively.

"Mm.. that was before digging." She crosses her arms... resting her back up against the couch in an even more passive posture. "You've done several gigs... no record of who for. Few and far between but big scores nonetheless. The only real pattern to emerge was the lack of traces found in the work..." She raises her eyebrows, scratching the back of her head. "It just got me thinking... who the hell does this guy have scrubbing data for him...? Must be good."

Rolling thunder rests alongside a brief pause... she asks. "You F.I.A?"

Brian scoffs with a smile... putting his hands on his forehead... turning and looking away... "F.I.A..." he chuckles condescendingly.

"Even if you got someone good enough to scrub intel for you... can't get rid of everything. Arroyo born into a military family-"

As she rattles off basic public information, Brian grows completely disinterested in what shes saying or talking about. He turns his back to her... reaching onto the counter for his pack of smokes. While doing this... the woman, still looking at him, tilts her head up slightly and pauses... almost preparing for what shes about to say next.









"Marilyn Parker."

Brian immediately stops mid motion... glancing back toward her over his shoulder.





The rolling thunder and pattering rain hitting the windows takes over the brief dead silence.

"Sister to one Evelyn Park-"

Brian turns and snap draws his Lexington pointing it directly at her... she gasps as her eyes open wide. The spinal column of the woman fires triggering her sandevistan. She flashes behind Brian, yanking one of his arms behind his back and slamming him head first into the kitchen counter... pinning him to it as his Lexington goes flying. The force pressing against him feels like the weight of a car as he hopelessly struggles against it.

"Struck a nerve?!" She barks through her teeth... holding him down, feeling him resist.

Brian's open wounds begin to run again... his blood starts to leak onto the sleeve of the woman's black leather Kuomori trench coat.

She shouts, gritting her teeth "Wanna tell me about her? Cuz i couldn't find SHIT!... WHY is that huh?!"

Brian slowly stops struggling... his resistance fades as the blood loss and force leads to a ringing in his ears... muffling and distorting the woman's demands and questions... he passes out.

Chapter Text

\+/ PAST \+/       


       Marilyn's deep, labored breaths grow heavier with each stride... her shoes slapping pavement and cracking broken glass ties together with loud sirens, and gun shots. Marilyn... having never done this before is in a clear panic... her mouth and eyes wide open as she sprints down the street as fast as she can. Her dilated pupils illuminate her big, beautiful green eyes under Night City's neon glow.. passing by advertisement after advertisement. Countless holograms of eye catching marketing tactically placed in your pathway like a game trail snare... right in front of your face for as long as possible. The fabric of her jean shorts rubbed together vigorously as she hops a loud, clanky chainlink fence.. landing hard before sprinting down a back alley shrouded in shadowed darkness.

Moments later, she makes it to an edge... the rubber of her shoes skid her sprint to a stop, hesitating with a startled look down... just pavement and streetlight.

The hesitation is short lived... she remembers her reasoning... her why... sending herself right over the edge... a final leap down a 10 foot dead drop... the impact stumbles her down to hands and knees with a subtle grunt. She scrambles back up to her feet, taking on a brisk walking pace up the dimly lit street toward a parked Cortes... the occasional look back over her shoulder.

       She swings the passenger door open... hopping in out of breath and close to hyperventilating. Brian sitting in the driver's seat calmly smoking a cigarette slowly looks over at Marilyn struggling to catch her breath. She glances at him and reaches over.. yanking the cig out of his mouth before using her labored breathing to take a deep puff of it. She presses into the headrest while arching her back... nervous energy flushing itself from her body. The intense adrenaline coursing through leaves her wide eyed and restless... struggling to calm herself. Its as if she had plenty of energy left to spare... like the sensation of her run on the edge itself was fueling her. The mellow, Royal Blue playing on the radio has the volume lowered creating a calming atmosphere in the car... as if Brian knows exactly how to settle her.

"Shard?" He asks flatly.

Marilyn produces the shard from her jeans pocket... looking at it with longing curiosity... Brian quietly observes.

She goes to slot the shard before her forearm is grabbed with a skin slapping speed that startles her.

"Klep... the shard. Not slot it." He calmy reiterates... taking the small, metal piece from her hand and holding it up in front her. He continues.

"This is corpo trash Mare... alright? Less we know about it the better. You can use your imagination to discern what's on it... and i'm sure it'd be pretty spot on. Some corpo gonk tryna get a taste of the NC night life... probably got a bit too comfortable and started openin' his mouth... or has an acquired taste for somethin' he'd rather no one knew about."

Marilyn, takes another long drag of the cig before a response.

"A corpo this sloppy..." She plops back into the seat. "hm... couldn't we see what's on it and like... use it to our advantage or something? Maybe get some extra eds out of him- Or a favor...? or both? I mean he is doing biz around here outside of a fixer after all... his recourse at this point is practically zilch right?"

He looks over at her with a proud smile. "Easy tiger... this guy's low level... scop tier... a corpo rat like this wouldn't have much worth extracting even if it meant having a favor owed... But yes. You're right."

He pauses with raised eyebrows... tilting his head to the side. "Already using your discretion huh... eyes trained on potentialities... unseen opportunities to be seized... hm... I'm not creating a monster am i...?"

She looks over at him with a pearly white grin... before looking forward out into the streets.. taking another drag of the smoke. He switches subject.

"And The Moxes that had it...?"

Marilyn looks over with a shifted expression... almost forgetting that part of the job.

"Oh! uhhm... they love me!" She chuckles. "Initiation for me is 'sometime in the near future' she said."

"..............Good... You'll be ready." Brian responds promptly starting the car.

Marilyn flicks the cig out the window, sitting up in her seat. "So where we going..? Off to the rat?"

"Off to the gym... if we take longer... he'll think the job was harder."

The pair glance at each other at the same time "Extra Eddies!" They exclaim in sync... laughing together with a casual drive away into the night.

Chapter Text

\+/ PRESENT \+/

       The cool breeze of the early morning draft through the hollow home nips at Brian's wounds... finding himself once again flattened by the powers that be. He awakens on his couch... sitting up he feels a sharp twinge of pain on his chest and face... another brief coughing fit. 

Was last night a dream? Flashes of the events fly by in his mind... Graves' lifeless embrace... the idle sounds of his frantic scrambling in the operating room trying to save him... his final words... "Remember for her." Echoing in the back of his head against his will.

Most of the pain is surprisingly mitigated... he looks down at wounds... gauze and bandages have been applied.. some quality patchwork. He glances over to see his blood soaked jacket and shirt draped on his dad's bloody lazyboy. The cold air of the morning wraps itself around him like a new jacket. That very early morning quiet well settled in and almost over... he takes a deep labored breath, feeling his wounds slowly throb and contract.

The costs behind every action you take out there are often paid in blood and regret. Compounding mistakes... unforeseen factors... force a desensitized and often stoic mentality into the culture of Night City. With a never ending flood of events going on at any given time... in any given place... a jaded mindset's created... compelling people to just move on.

He slowly rises to his feet... gingerly draping his jacket on as the strong scent of cigarette smoke emits from the front porch.


Brian slowly staggers outside onto his front porch. He sees the streets of his neighborhood waking up and carrying on like they normally do... already far removed from the events that have now changed his life forever. Shouting matches, dice games, loud music, kids at play... the occasional stray gunshot settle in for the day.

He looks out at remnants of the morning his father died... the intense series of events laying forgotten in scattered debris on the block... reminding him of just how fleeting the events of Night City are. You can be on top of the world one day before it all comes crashing down the next... and completely forgotten the following. A cycle Brian's all too familiar with... one he contemplates regularly... applying the concept to any days events.

He glances to his right... the woman in Black's back's leaned up against the house smoking. He sees his pack of smokes on the porch railing... grabbing them without a look at her. He pops one in taking a deep breath... lighting it as she stares forward out into the street.. the idle smoke from her own gently wafting to the morning breeze. smoking her own in deep thought as


The pair share a morning silence together in each other's presence... just... two people on a porch... neither able to see each other.

"Thank you.." Brian mutters deeply... glancing down at the patchwork she did on him.

"...Who the hell are you..?" She asks impatiently... having sat on the question for hours now... the black leather facemask muffles her speech... complimenting the unique tone of her voice.

"Seems you already know who I am... should be askin' you."

"Lost something more than just my Avenger when i was being chased you know... they-"

"-You mean the chase that killed my father." A dead tone looking out into the street... he takes another drag.

She stands up flicking her smoke... crossing her arms before walking toward him. The heavy sounds of her black leather boots walking across the withered porch add weight and thump with each step... she stops almost shoulder to shoulder.

She looks at him for the first time directly. "I'm... sorry about your dad... Enrique was it...? I didn't-"

"-What're you lookin' for." Brian snaps impatiently turning toward her approaching him... looking at her for the first time directly in daylight.



Unprepared for how close they are... he's caught off guard... again some instinctual thought reactions: "We're the same height... vibrant emerald green eyes... long black hair? Too long for a corpo."


Beyond just his mind's sudden reflex... he can see the worry in her eyes.

"An access card." She replies. Her tone genuine.

Brian looks away and takes another drag while thinking... with a posture of reluctance to get the cogs in his head turning on the subject. Its as if he knows where this is inevitably going... how can he not coming from where he's from.

The kids on the block playing takes over the brief pause. She continues

"Stashed it in your backyard just in case they caught me... came back around later... it wasn't-"

"-Come." He takes a final drag of his cig... flicking it towards the street before walking back into the house. The woman promptly follows.

Chapter Text

Brian steps out onto his backyard scanning the area before stepping down the backsteps into the patched dead grass and dirt with litter scattered everywhere. The Woman in Black follows him out the backdoor with her arms crossed watching him.

"You think I didn't do this already..?" She proclaims

"Well, if you found it, you wouldn't still be here would you?" He says looking back at her; She looks at him directly as Brian continues.

"No... you wouldn't. In fact, I'd go as far as to say you can't go back to wherever you've come from without... whatever the hell this is." He goes back to searching briefly before shifting focus and walking back into the house right past her... she promptly follows.

        Brian exits back out on to the front porch of his home while lighting another cigarette. The feelings... frame of mind.. and energy he now has feels in complete contrast to when he first exited his home that morning. This dormant, buried energy of proactive motivation he once had has returned so unexpectedly that he doesn't even notice it... instead remaining focused on the task at hand. His front porch offered him a great view of the entire block's landscape... enabling him to see it's activities and inhabitants more like a chess board. He scans the street out front with focus while he takes a drag of his smoke before stepping down onto the side walk. Brian looks at the burned rubber tire marks of the Avenger and the pursuing Emperor... they drag in a drift right past the front of his house before returning to the road slightly and continuing up the street.

       He calmly smokes his cigarette as he follows the path of the tire marks up the street occasionally glancing at various areas and debris around them. Local pedestrians stumble by detached from reality or self involved in their own business... The woman sticks out like a chrome thumb as she catches hard looks and hears subtle whispers from vagrants and street toughs. The unfamiliarity of the environment grips the woman... the level of squaller and sketchiness causes her to remain guarded with her head on a swivel.

       She follows behind him at a good distance with her arms crossed attentively watching him work... observing his methods of tracking. The area was in ruin... with trash piles that all sort of blurred together. The overall typography of the place made it a nightmare for her untrained eye to discern new remnants from old... the streets were just littered with the aftermath of various compounded events left to rot in their final resting places. On her own... it'd be like looking for a needle in a bonestack.

       They reach the end of the tire marks as Brian looks around the impact/crash site. To his surprise, the area that it went down in is noticeably far more clean than your standard NCPD wipe up. All traces of both vehicles are completely gone besides several twisted metal scraps and a lot of broken glass... it was as if they wanted to be sure not to miss anything... nothing left for the local buzzards of the neighborhood this time. Brian takes another drag before looking around the impact site then up to the top floor of a nearby apartment complex. He takes a final drag before flicking the cig into the street and letting out a deep breath. "Shit.." He whispers in a tired tone.

"What is it..?" The woman asks confused.

"Come on." He B-Lines it into the apartment at a steady pace as she follows. The pair walk past a clearly destroyed elevator to take the stairs up.

"What are we doing..?"

"We're gonna try and have a chat with someone."

"Up here..?"

"Nicholas Howard.."

Brian says while reluctantly closing his eyes and continuing up the flight of stairs.

"Who..?" She asks.

"For as long as I can remember, playing on this street, we kids would always look up and see ol' Nick staring blankly out of that damn window right inside his living room. We would laugh and make guesses as to what he was looking at or what the hell he was even doing... just standing there all day like a fuckin' potted plant. Nothing about it was certain except for the fact that he was always there... always looking up and down the street day in and day out... stood stone like a fuckin' gargoyle."

"And you think he saw... what exactly..?"

"We'll find out." The flight of stairs is no joke as both traverse them, neither of them get winded or tired on the way up. Brian continues. "Besides... its not exactly what he knows that matters." The woman promptly looks over at Brian as they both reach the front door of the apartment. Brian returns the look. "Its what he won't tell anyone that matters." Brian knocks on the door 4 times with light force.

"So he doesn't talk to badges huh." The woman proclaims figuring out the purpose of the visit

"He doesn't talk to anyone..."

"So why the fuck would he talk to you..?" She asks while putting her hands in her jacket pockets.

A brief pause takes place.

"...He knew my father."

Brian responds before impatiently knocking harder another 4 times. "NICK! Its Brian! Open up!"

Brian knocks on the door harder as the woman in black waiting rolls her eyes. Shes clearly impatient by nature but has worked on it. "He's not here." She proclaims as she stands back up straight ready to leave.

"Oh, he's here... he's just fuckin around... NICK!" Brian bangs again. The sound of an Achilles tech rifle charging up on the other side of the door startles the woman as she quickly turns to face the door. Brian calmly puts his arm out in front of her... gently moving her over to the side out from in front of the door. Next they hear an M2038 Tactician get racked as Brian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath looking down. The heavy footsteps of Nicholas slowly approach the door as they hear several locks and chains get fiddled with and removed... some dropping to the carpeted floor with a hard thud.

The door finally opens with a slight crack as Nicholas peeks through. "Brian..." He says in a deep, rough voice

"Nick.." Brian responds while looking at the man's red eyes and disheveled thinning hair, holding the rifle.

"What do you want Brian... Where's your-"

"He's gone Nick... shootout you heard the other day."

Nicholas stares at Brian before briefly looking down in mourning. Brian continues while letting himself into the apartment slightly pushing himself past Nicholas. The woman, surprised by this, promptly follows behind Brian as Nicholas looks at her confused.

"Y'know, if you ever took the time to actually leave this place you'd have a better idea of what's goin' on outside the view of your windows here." Brian says as he glances around the apartment and walks up to the window showcasing a clear cascading view of the subsequent backyards leading up the street towards Brian's house.

       The woman in black takes the time to make some observations... all things considered, the place doesn't look anything like she guessed. It was spotless... everything was in order and squared away... A direct contrast to the scattered trash and debris you find in the streets and in that very apartment complex. The place smelled of fresh linseed oil and polish from woodwork. It was clear to her judging based on the man's big, imposing frame and organized living space that he was most likely ex-military. Upon further observation she notices his opened weapon locker with various guns scattered within it and a lone picture of 2 men in uniform side by side resting atop it.

"There's nothing left out there for me Brian... you know that. I don't belong here... never did."

"I know Nick... my dad-"

"-Enrique..." Nicholas interrupts

"My dad told me-"

"My only choom.." Nicholas says as he stares off in the distance

"Nick..."

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him...The only reason I stayed in NC..."

"Nick.."

"Right by his side... no matter what... even if it meant being in this shithole Arroyo-"

"NICK!"

Brian yells a final time getting Nicholas re-focused and standing right in front of him... Nicholas turns his attention to Brian.

"After the shootout and the crash... what did you see out here Nick. Who did you see?" Nicholas stares at Brian briefly before turning his attention to the woman in black leaned up next to the backyard window.

"So that's why you're back here huh." Nicholas says to her... getting her full attention.

"Wanna know what i saw?" He says raising his rocky, grumbled voice looking at Brian.

"I saw HER!" Looking over at the woman in black. Brian looks over at her then back at Nicholas.

Nicholas continues while face to face with Brian but only looking directly at the woman. "They were on her ass like i'd never seen before. Cornered her... then she went to work... right there." Nicholas points vaguely at the window.

"I saw her kill 3 chromed out corpo huscle... yeah, i know they were corpo... she even sent a 4th one fleeing..." Nicholas turns his body away from Brian and towards the woman while squinting his eyes and grinning slightly... he continues.

"What was that... sandevistan and a K-Bar? Ha... they almost had you. I thought it was over after they got your iron." Nicholas pauses briefly before shifting subject.

"Where the hell did you get that implant huh...? Military grade combatware... and who the hell would even be able to chip that for you huh? Cyberware acquisition at that echelon... tch... damn near unheard of... everything's catalogued"

"Nick.. who else did you-" Nick ignores Brian and starts walking towards the woman before continuing.

"You wanna know what stood out to me about that..." He says slowly stepping towards her as she shifts her posture and attention towards him.

"Nick.." Brian says agitated... attempting to interrupt.

"I've seen and been apart of some scraps in my day... but that... that was brutal." Nicholas pauses briefly. "You like killing corpos... don't you." He says as he stands in front of her now face to face.

"NICK!" Brian yells.

Nicholas matches the tone and yells back while still looking directly into the woman's eyes. "The fourth one didn't get away!... Did he?" He exclaims.

"She tackled him... strangled him while he begged for his life." The woman now fully locked into his eyes uncrosses her arms. Nicholas continues with a smile. "You didn't have to. You wanted to... didn't you." He whispers in her face.

The woman looks down and away from him before he continues... getting even closer to her face and lowering his rocky grumbled voice.

"What did they do to you huh?... what did they take-" The woman quickly looks back up at him and into his eyes... an expression of nervous intensity washes over her face... she says nothing.

"Because THAT'S! WHAT THEY DO!! THEY ONLY!! TAKE!!!!-" Nicholas shouts right in her face.

Brian grabs him from behind, tripping him and quickly slamming him to the floor of the apartment. He pins him down with his knee on his back while holding one of his arms and pressing down on his head. The woman looking away flustered doesn't react... feeling the tension of the moment suddenly break.

"I don't think you're hearin' me Nick." Brian says through his teeth with an intense look on his face.

"Gaahhhh!!! Brian! You little shit!!!" Nicholas shouts in pain while squirming to get up or move with no success.

"AFTER it went down and everyone was gone... WHAT. Did. You. SEE! NICK!"

"NCPD SQUAD CAR! OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE!!" Nicholas yells while in pain.

"WHAT ELSE!!" Brian yells through his teeth while holding him down and yanking slightly... The woman in black stands there watching while still in a haze.

"Aaagh! 6th STREET! THEY WERE AT YOUR PLACE! BACKYARD!" The woman, snapping out of her trance re-focuses her attention... Brian, uneasy at the news continues.

"How many."

"JUST ONE!! AAGHH!!! WHAT THE FUCK!! LET GO!!!"

Brian looks directly at the woman while holding Nicholas down. She returns it with a confirming look... Brian then lets Nicholas go and stands up over him as he lets out a shriek of relief while still laying on the floor.

"Get out of this city Nick... you said it yourself... nothing left for you here." Brian says in a dead tone... staring down at Nicholas with heartless pity and the jaded numbness of different times

Brian glances at the woman before turning and walking out of the apartment... She stares down at Nicholas left in pain on the floor... thinking deeply. Nicholas stares back up at her without saying anything... She follows after Brian out of the apartment.

Chapter Text

\+/ PAST \+/

       The neon soaked cityscape of Night City glows bright on a Friday night. The loud booming music of Lizzie's Bar cascades throughout the densely packed block drowning out car horns, boomboxes, commotion and loud conversation. Tourists and night citizens walk the streets with high energy and debauchery on their minds. Everything from Rayfields to modified street racers loaded with Choo2 reflect and shine bright under the neon lights of Lizzie's parking lot.

       Throughout the noise and chaos of the night, a loud thumping is heard across the street... the sound of a steel baseball bat crushing bone leaves a man screaming in pain. A crowd gathered around the commotion includes suits, bar hoppers, and gangers of various outfits cheering and looking on... some with disgust... some with astonishment... and some with arousal. Within the crowd... given a wide birth, stood another smaller circle... glowing with various vibrant colors... hot pink platform shoes, tight turquoise spandex and jewelry that glowed brighter than the sun worn by a small group of toned, voluptuous, skin showing women also screaming and cheering on.

       Within THAT circle, the back of a denim jean jacket is brought into focus... rocking the patch of a bow-topped turquoise and pink neon glowing skull on it. The blood soaked red bat lay beside the woman thats on top of the man beating him nearly unconscious. As it is revealed that the woman in the center is Marilyn, she grabs the corpo by his collar and pulls him in close. With blood streaming from a cut in her mouth and her eyes wide open, she yells through her blood stained teeth nearly exhausted from the beatdown, "DON'T FUCK WITH THE MOXES.." before punching him a final time leaving him in a bloody puddle lifeless on the pavement. Marilyn is assisted back to her feet by her sisters who shower her with pats and praise as they all walk away making the crowd disperse. Marilyn walks up to the joytoy that the corpo was involved with stood off to the side... gently grabbing her face and looking her over... the young woman with her clothes torn sports cuts and bruises on her neck, face and forearm. Marilyn pulls her in close resting the sobbing joytoy's head on her chest while consoling her.

       With the joytoy in her arms, Marilyn glances past her shoulder up the sidewalk to see Brian crossing the street towards her from Lizzie's Bar. Her eyes light up and widen at the sight of him as her voice cracks and she instinctually calls out to him; "BRIAN!?" Marilyn yells surprised.

"Take her." Marilyn glances over and calmly says to the other Moxes as they gently escort the joytoy back across the street toward Lizzies. She walks up to Brian and punches him in the chest stumbling him slightly.

"Where the FUCK have you been Varga." Ignoring her question, Brian grabs her beautiful face... looking over her wounds and wiping the blood with his bare hand.

"What the hell are you doing..?" Brian whispers in a calm voice with his eyebrows wrinkled.

Marilyn stumbling over her words shouts back frantic.

"Uh? pf- what am I DO?- WAITING FOR YOU! You haven't.. called.. you haven't been answering me! I didn't know WHERE YOU WERE! YOU LEFT M-"

Brian stops her outcry with a long deep kiss while still holding on to her face... getting her blood on his lips and jaw. Marilyn breaks eye contact and looks down while holding both of his wrists... she calmly continues.

"I don't know... what i'm doing here... You didn't tell me.. what to-"

"Exactly." He says cutting her off. "This is who you're becoming... without me telling you what to do... that's why its important that you know exactly what you're doing... and i don't.. Your path is yours to walk."

"This isn't my path.." Marilyn responds in a whispered tone... still holding onto his wrists tightly. A brief pause happens amongst the intense nightlife of the city as Brian still holding onto her face looks down past her almost with guilt.

"...It is now." He whispers barely audible over the loud sounds of a night out on the town.

Marilyn looks up at Brian with slight distress and confusion. "Varga... i-"

"Come." Brian turns around with his arm around Marilyn pulling her in close. She rests her head on his chest as the pair of them walk up the street a few yards as Marilyn stares at her cut, bloody and bruised knuckles.

"We need to talk." Brian says while pulling out a pack of smokes; He gently places one on her lips before caressing her cheek and lighting it for her. He lights one of his own as Marilyn takes a seat on the edge of a concrete structure. Her tight, thigh high denim shorts rub against the concrete as she crosses her bare legs. She inhales deep and exhales even harder.

"Listen, me and Graves got into some shit... It wasn't-"

"Why didn't you tell me." Marilyn quickly responds in an exhausted tone with no eye contact.

"Too dangerous. Shit got outta hand with this Maelstrom deal... we were with-"

"I can help you... and you won't let me. What do you think that feels like..?"

"This isn't a fuckin college course Mare... people die."

"AND YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!?" Marilyn yells before uncrossing her legs and turning toward Brian. "You stick me here in Watson then split without so much as a 'good luck, you got this'? Popping in and out of my life whenever you want!?"

Marilyn pauses taking a drag and calming herself. "Everything you've been teaching me... all of the training... all of the busy work. Why? Just to... Varga... if something were to happen-" Brian cuts her off.

"There's a wreath that I have stashed with Graves... belongs to this Maelstrom fuck head that owes us some serious eds. We know hes got the scratch... apparently the guys been hoarding from his entire crew. Graves' girl Allie confirmed it for us... deep in Maelstrom turf. Thing is, this gonk never leaves the block let alone their flophouse... too busy neck deep in XBDs or high off his ass on S-Keef. Guys such an isolated prick none of his chooms even come around him anymore."

       Marilyn continuing to smoke looks over at the parking lot of Lizzies and sees her girls coming back out front. The high-polish, neon gloss on her fingernails catches the light glow of the city perfectly reflecting their vibrant color. Marilyn's outfit is a perfect display of the grit and beauty brought about by the Night City street life. The active mentality she carries day in and day out has gone on to define her in significant and powerful ways. As her rep as a Mox increases... so does her capability with Brian's guidance. He continues

"Hes looking for a custom tuning and gave his wreath to Allie for some reason... I don't know... Guys an idiot. Thing is, after that shit that went down with Softsys my tuner skipped town a long time ago... We need something that'll keep him occupied while something a bit more... deliberate happens... We're at a dead end here Mare."

       




       The two of them share a brief pause in each other's company while smoking. The stray laughter and party atmosphere of the area settles in as thoughts weigh heavy on both of their minds. Unlike some of their high energy romps through the streets they've shared in the recent past... tonight's different. Its as if the pair rest sat a crossroad. In Night City... the choices... the decisions you make often go on to define you. The never ending rat race between the haves and have nots is often what drives people to take those daring risks... sending em right over the edge.

"My sister." Marilyn says in a dead tone breaking the silence. "She has this good friend of hers.."

"Who? What's their name?" Brian asks with an eager tone of hope.

"Ummm... ahh, i can't remember... Whenever i'm at clouds though I see her staring at me alot... uhm... sometimes.."

Brian looks over at Marilyn with his eyebrows wrinkled and a puzzled look, she looks over at him awkwardly.

"Its... kinda weird- Anyway, apparently shes a real wizard with all that tech stuff and does high level custom tuning all the time. Eve's always talking about how good she is. I think they've gotten pretty close to each other... especially recently."

"Is she game?"

"I don't know Varga, I have to ask Evelyn... You know how she can be."

Chapter Text

\+/ PRESENT \+/

       The flick of Brian's lighter is heard on the front steps of Nicholas' apartment complex... car horns blare out amongst booming music and chaotic street activity. An NCPD squad car in hot pursuit of a fleeing Cortes screams by with stray gunshots being exchanged without so much as a flinch from preoccupied pedestrians. Just a watered down version of yesterday's events with iron of a much smaller caliber... not serious enough to even react to in this part of town as it screeches by headed toward Heywood. Brian psychologically numbed to the chaotic nature of his environment takes a heavy drag of his smoke as he glances up the street. The heavy booted footsteps of the woman in black thump down the stairs behind him as she exits onto the porch causing Brian to look back at her. While doing this, he watches her remove her black leather facemask for the first time.

       His instinctual thought reaction: "Shes beautiful." The rays of the sun hit her fair skin illuminating her face in a light Brian has yet to see her in revealing a deep scar along the side of her neck and jawline. Resting in the exact same spot in which he just got sliced by the Tyger Claw mantis blade the prior night... the coincidence of the placement perplexes him... it was a matching scar. To Brian, her scar compliments whom he's grown to understand her to be in their limited time together... with so many fleeting questions left unanswered and hanging in the air. Instinctually, he can't help it... his curiosity peaks... what would an operator of this caliber be doing getting chased around in Santo Domingo? Her recklessness is clearly pointed... but what would the cause be? He quickly checks himself before allowing his subconscious to poke and delve into places he'd rather not involve himself in. The slippery slopes of Night City often end in blood and betrayal... broken trust... and barren promises... these are realities that Brian knows all too well.

       The woman not paying attention to Brian at all lowers her mask in one hand and runs her fingers through her long black hair with the other. Clearly rattled by the interaction with Nicholas she stares down in deep thought. She's definitely not one used to being seen... let alone understood through the observations of strangers. She grabs one of her cigarettes before looking for her lighter... before shes able to start really looking, Brian lights her smoke for her. She glances at him before looking back down, taking a drag and putting her hand on her forehead. The two of them share a silence for a bit smoking as the ambience of the neighborhoods various activity rings out... the silence of their proximity to each other working as good enough company. The woman begins to speak but glances up to see Brian promptly walking away up the street at a steady pace. Surprised, she flicks her cig and follows after him up the sidewalk matching his speed.

"W-Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Wha-? But... you know 6th street right? This is your neighborhood."

"Trust me... barely at all." He says continuing to walk at a steady pace occasionally glancing back at her trying to keep up.

"Well listen, I don't know these people... i... i don't know Arroy-"

"Not interested." He raises his voice dismissively

"I need your help." She proclaims.

Brian quickly stops and turns around as her momentum trying to catch up to him puts her right in his face as he looks her deep in her eyes.

"I CAN'T!" He says in a whisper forcefully through his teeth before turning back around and continuing to walk away leaving her standing there.

"Y'know... your record wasn't completely spotted. Not hard to piece together when you think about it a bit." Brian ignores her and continues walking.

"THIS WHERE YOU WANTED TO END UP?!" She yells cracking her gruff, feminine voice, getting him to stop in his tracks. He hears the tone and emotion in her voice in a way he never has before without any interference from her mask. She continues while slowly walking towards him.

"Look... I see where you were... and I see where you are now... I just don't understand... why? Its almost like... you put yourself here. Even though this isn't where you wanted to be."

Brian turns around to face her standing right in front of him. Looking at her directly makes him glance away almost as if its hard for him to do. "I don't even know you..."

She lowers her eyebrows and responds. "You think that-"

"And what about YOU hm..? You got the spec on me but let me take a couple guesses." Brian cuts her off as he locks in, looking directly at her face to face speaking in a raised tone but quietly so only the two of them can hear.

"Car chase through Arroyo, shootouts, body count, collateral damage, and for what? You don't even have what you were after... AND!-" He stops abruptly to look over his shoulder to see if anyone's listening to them before looking back at her and checking his tone. "And you don't know where it is."

As the frustration increases, his voice lowers. He pauses before shifting subject and squinting his eyes..

"And where the fuck did you get that Sandy hm? ...Who do you have up your ass trying to rip that out of your back these days..? tch... as capable as you are-"

He looks her up and down as he steps in, leaning toward her. "You're lost."

The woman looking at him breaks eye contact... she looks down and away before he continues in a lighter tone while turning and walking away.

"Go get your chooms to help you... you've got your lead."

"What chooms..?" The woman replies cracking her voice. Brian instinctually turns back around toward her hearing the distress in it. She continues.

"You think i'd be fucking around in Arroyo if I had reliable help..?"

Brian at a loss for words takes a deep breath before looking down.

"I'm... my name's Zaunya."

Chapter Text

       The flick of Brian's lighter is heard inside of his dilapidated home. The state of it is in shambles... broken glass, no front door, and the victim of at least one bum raid while he was away briefly resulting in tossed furniture and rummaged through belongings. If there was one thing Brian's father did it was keep the house in complete order. Similar to his choom Nicholas' place... it was spotless in times past... a direct contrast to the current condition. As Brian smokes he thinks about how pissed his father would be to see it... and how uninterested he personally is in fixing it back up. The metaphor of times changing in Brian's life are clearly seen through his home.

Zaunya sat back on the couch with her long slender legs crossed already smoking watches Brian slowly pace back and forth in the living room. Its clear due to their energy and body language that a conversation has happened prior to them being back at his place.

"So who's this for." Brian asks finally breaking the silence.

"What?"

"The gig, who gave you the job."

"This isn't a gig... just a... solo endeavor... why?"

"Any significant moves made in this city always catch a whiff from fixers..." He turns away and walks towards one of the houses front windows scanning outside before continuing slightly under his breath. "Especially in this shithole where nothings ever going on... That car chase and shootout raised some serious ears by now i'm sure. It gets easier to decipher the difference between a random street spat and a fallout amongst corpo huscle."

He looks back at Zaunya and catches her subtle reaction to the claim before continuing. "6th street is everywhere in this neighborhood... but when it comes to who could've took it in such a small time frame.. you won't have to look far."

Zaunya takes a drag of her smoke "Your neighbor said there was only one."

"Only one he saw." Brian takes a drag. "Remember... he doesn't know shit outside of those window views." He pauses briefly while changing subject. "Did you check the angles while we were up there."

"Yeah." She responds

Brian starts to continue, "Two blindspots in the backyard window and-"

"One in the front on the-" Zaunya says.

"Right side." They both say in sync. The chemistry gives Zaunya some levity while discomforting Brian and making him pause while shaking his head slightly. He turns back around and continues. "And what's on that right side blindspot out the front window?" He says as he can't help himself but test her ability to observe.

"The street." Zaunya replies figuring it out.

"And you're telling me you have NO idea who it could've been."

       


       Zaunya takes another drag before flicking her cig out the front window. "I was chased to Arroyo... had no business here." She glances outside before licking her lips and putting her black leather facemask back on... Brian catches another glimpse of her defined scar... running from her neck up to her jawline... just like his fresh wound but on the opposite end of her face. "They mirror each other..." He thinks to himself. She continues. "Honestly have never really been down here before outside of the occasional flyby."

"There's an outfit across the street that i know... ran by one Rick Forrester... real bleeding heart this guy. Been a 6th streeter for as long as I can remember. They get first dibs on pick throughs in the neighborhood whenever something like yesterday goes down. They tend to be far more... proactive than they really need to be lets say. Tried to get me to join once upon a time but..." Brian catches himself before finishing the thought. He changes the subject. "His crews small... but loyal... only 4 or 5 em i think... We should go have a talk with em."

"A talk..? Really..? That's the plan..?" Zaunya chuckles

Brian flicks his cig out the same window she did before glancing at her. She continues.

"I'm familiar with how these things go... But yeah, lets talk." The pair share a silence with each other for a brief moment as they prepare to leave. Zaunya breaks the silence. "Y'know... you haven't asked me any-"

"If you don't know the how... i'm not even gonna bother with the why." Another pause takes place before Brian looks directly at her.. "Not yet at least."

She breaks eye contact before Brian continues.

"First move is ours... alot of advantages to that when dealing with a situation like this. Information is key when searching around in the dark... especially around here. I know this asshole as well so.. that helps." Brian realizes hes thinking out loud before turning the thoughts towards Zaunya. "Just be discreet alright? Wait for me to move first." He says impatient.

"Oh, you think i can't be?" She raises her eyebrows and smirks forcing her cheeks slightly above her facemask.

Brian scoffs. "Yeah.. lets avoid burned rubber car chases and neighborhood shootouts alright?"

Zaunya gets up off of the couch and stands in front of Brian nodding her head in silent agreement.

He's again taken aback by her slender 6 foot 2 frame matching his height almost exactly... him being slightly taller. He returns the nod... looking at her emerald green eyes... This hits him with a wave of discomfort before turning to walk out the front door. The pair exit his home.

Chapter Text

       Later in the evening, Brian and Zaunya are seen in Graves' Butte finishing some smokes taking the time to scope out the 6th street house on the block. Its clear another conversation has taken place between them prior to this. Although the evening hue of Night City brings with it a shifted tone to it's inhabitants... the danger and energy only increases. Mellow lulls before flashes of action in the simmering pan of the black asphalt and slabbed concrete... this flow of motion that exists within Night City is one that takes some getting used to if learned before its too late. To their surprise, attentively as they watch, they don't see any foot traffic in or out of the house all afternoon bleeding into the late evening. Brian decides its time to go by simply opening his door, with no signal; Zaunya follows.

       With the sun now set and work commuters turned in for the night to tuck dirtkids into bed, Zaunya and Briancan be seen walking with purpose through the mellowed streets of Arroyo... just on the border of Rancho Coranado. Stepping over dorph heads caughing and huffing... skezzed out their minds and past kids running around breaking into abandoned buildings and busting windows or trying to start fires. The two share a silence, walking at a steady, determined pace side by side as she follows his lead up the street... neither have a need to talk at this point as the plan is clear. The two of them reach the 6th street house... a huge purple skull with a giant 6 on the forehead lay spray painted onto the wall of the house silently glaring at both of them. The pair both glance at each other before ascending the porch steps. Brian takes a brief pause before knocking on the door forcefully, it startles Zaunya a bit.

"WHO THE FUCK IS IT!!?" A loud, booming, scruff voice yells through the door seemingly across the house.

"Its Brian, open up." He says matching the tone. A long pause happens as the pair outside waiting glance at each other... they hear heavy locks and chains release with some thumping to the floor. Footsteps are heard on the otherside of the door along with scattered shuffling around before it finally opens. A short, older man with a brown leather bomber jacket and a white cowboy hat swings the door open. A huge smile takes over his face:

"BRIAAANN!!! LOOK AT YOU! GOOD TO SEE YA!!!"

"Rick." Brian says before attempting to walk into the home. Rick stops Brian in his tracks by putting his hand on his chest. Brian immediately grabs his arm with quick force, stepping towards him and holding onto it tight while squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth. Rick, unbothered by this turns his full attention towards Zaunya.

Rick and Brian disengage as Rick leans the forearm of his prosthetic up against the door frame and crosses one of his short legs over the other looking up at her. "And you sweetheart? who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Rick says in a lowered monotone trying to be sexy. Zaunya looks back into the man's eyes with a serious expression.

"Z" She simply says in a flat tone.

"Z huh..? haha.. alright, fair enough." Rick continues to smile big raising his eyebrows and checking her out before stepping out of the door frame letting the pair of them in watching Zaunya walk past.

       The 3 of them make their way through the 6th street hangout. They feel the warmth of the building hit them immediately.. a direct contrast from the cold streets just outside. With Morro Rock playing obnoxiously loud in the background they see scattered Broseph and polished off Whisky bottles layed everywhere. The place smelled like tobacco and spilled liquor...'Live Free or Die' spraypainted in blue is seen in the main room with various 6th street gear and clothing scattered about. Rick speaks as they follow.

"Hey... some pretty crazy shit a couple days back huh? Did you see ALL that corpo huscle? Tch... sniffin' around here like bloodhounds i tell ya... pretty much scraped the entire damn place clean! Funny how some of these rats like to keep things 'extra' tidy at times."

Rick stops abruptly in his tracks and looks back at the pair of them remembering something. "And hey Brian... sorry about your dad." Rick says in a serious tone... he looks down and away briefly in mourning. "We lost a real soldier with that one..." Rick turns back around and continues walking. "You checked on Nick at all since? Better to before he strings himself up first. I know he never really wanted to be out here.-"

       Rick continues to ramble as the pair silently scan the area following behind him. Stacks of various crates and boxes with old military tech are piled up in the corners with an endless assortment of weapons laying about everywhere... Some being taken apart and laying in pieces to be cleaned, others mounted on the walls like trophies... some belonging to other gangs: A Tyger Claw katana, A Turquoise metal bat from The Mox and even a golden Valentino prosthetic arm formerly belonging to some poor unfortunate choom. Rick sits at a desk displaying the trophies overhead behind him as Brian and Zaunya take seats across the desk from him.

       With the music now turned down and cigar smoke from Rick's stogie tacking the room completely out, Rick continues to ramble to the two of them about the car chase and shootout from a few days back. Brian and Zaunya struggling to remain patient sit back attentively listening to Ricks verbal diarrhea drone on and on almost turning it into background noise. The pair of them glance at each other before Brian finally engages while Rick is mid laugh.

"So where's everybody at..?"

"Crews out workin right now... Badlands."

"Still got em out there rollin' around in the dirt huh." Brian chuckles

"Hey, Eds are eds Brian... nomads are usually good for it. Last fuck up turned out to be on OUR end... we flatlined that trash though. Fucker had the audacity to look me straight in the eyes and lie to me... RIGHT in my face... i mean... can you believe that? I don't even think the-" Brian cuts him off before he can get going with another ramble.

"Did you find anything out there after the badges split Rick... We're lookin' for an access card." 

Rick abruptly stops talking and takes a long drag of his stogie leaning back into his chair and changing his facial expression. The pause in conversation allows the radio to take back over and makes Brian and Zaunya lock back in...

       Rick takes one more puff before putting out the stogie in a dirty, littered ashtray that looked like a graveyard for smokes. He then reaches over in to the top drawer and pulls out the access card. It has a sleek all black finish with gold trim throughout it which shined even under the dim lights of the hangout. No identifying markings, brands or logos on it at all... just a clean sleek piece of metal that he promptly puts into his pants pocket. Rick finally speaks in a now lowered and serious tone.

"I sent Angela over there after things got quiet... Didn't tell her to go snoopin' through people's backyards though... shes a real go getter that one."

"Mm. And what do want for it." Brian asks

Rick wrinkles his eyebrows and crosses his arms before continuing, still leaned back in his chair.

"Where's Graves a-"

"Dead." Brian immediately responds in a flat tone looking Rick straight in the eyes. Rick raises his eyebrows surprised and looks down n' away before looking back at Brian.

"...You know he owed right?"

"No, I didn't Rick... the hell does that have to do with-"


"He'd been your fuckin' choom since the sandbox Brian. I remember seein you little shits runnin' around this block all the time. Was he chasin scratch..? You'd know. He better have been. Shit. We might need to take a look through that apartment of his tomorrow when everybody gets back." Brian blankly stares at Rick stone cold... keeping his emotions buried expertly and not reacting.

Rick shifts subject slightly due to the lack of response now looking at Zaunya... he leans forward in his chair.

"Sweetheart... let me ask you somethin'... Do you have any idea who it is you're runnin' around with? Hm?" Zaunya, sitting back in her chair with both her legs and arms crossed doesn't respond. Rick continues gesturing toward Brian.

"This is the son of Enrique Varga... haha... of course you don't know who Enrique Varga is... but if you did... you'd damn sure know who his son is." Rick giggles softly before reaching over and grabbing a bottle of Massy. He continues

"Something I picked up servin' always stuck with me... everytime I think about it... makes me think of you." Rick says glancing over at Brian while pouring a glass of Massy for himself. The sound of the liquor filling the glass takes over the lack of sound due to the now turned off radio. Rick continues while raising the filled glass.

"Talent... Talent hits a target that nobody else can hit... Genius hits a target that nobody else can see." Rick takes a swig from the glass before continuing still looking at Zaunya whose attention is now raised.

"You see... Brian is a brain. Alright...?... You're not gonna find him on the receiving end. Any conflict you have in the streets leads back to a thought. A thought someone, somewhere once had that manifests itself into action. In our world... our game... in this city... its not the guy whose gonna pull the trigger you have to worry about... its the guy who plans it."

Brian staring at Rick finally breaks his stare looking away slightly bothered. Rick takes a final swig finishing the glass before continuing. "I still say to this day you would've been the best damn thing to happen to this outfit Brian. Your dad made sure that never happened of course... unfortunately."

"What do you want for the card Rick.."

       Rick completely ignores Brian before continuing. Still looking at Zaunya. "He disappeared into NC once upon a time... Don't know what the fuck happened but when he came back, well..." Rick reaches over and re-opens the same drawer he pulled the access card out of. He pulls Brian's blood red, crimson Nue out of the drawer and gently lays it on the desk in front of them...the heavy weight of it makes it knock down onto the wood hard.

Zaunya and Brian both look at the Nue shine and glimmer even in the dimly lit, darkened hangout. Brian stares deeply at his iron... almost as if seeing someone he buried... got rid of for good long ago. Rick proclaims: "Graves ain't the only one that owed."

       Brian's blood red, crimson nue lay resting on the desk in front of the 3 of them. Brian staring deeply at it doesn't react, keeping a straight face. This iron represents a multitude of things in Brian's life... past successes... past failures... past regrets. The sight of it sends a flood of memories back into his head...most he's chosen to bury away to no avail... others that he had luckily forgotten return with vigor and clarity. Rick breaks the silence snapping Brian out of his trance.

"I mean... how could I have ever said no to THIS." Rick says to Zaunya while smirking. Rick grabs the Nue and raises it up toward the light turning it back and forth making the dim light reflect off of it.

"I gotta say Brian... everytime I look at this thing... well... she's a real looker alright... definitely one worth a display hm?" Rick says looking back at the various iron, cyberware and tech mounted on the back wall like trophies.

"As good as she looks... doesn't really fit the criteria for the wall... you being a nobody n' all." Rick says placing the Nue back onto the desk hearing that heavy knock of the wood again before continuing. "I'm guessin'... he never told you why he came back did he?" Rick says to Zaunya before finally turning his attention back over to Brian locking in and looking directly at him while squinting his eyes.

"Care to tell her Brian? Hm? Care to tell her what sent ya scurrying back to daddy in Arroyo? I'm sure we'd all like to know at this point. Or maybe tell her about what 6th street did for you when you had nowhere else to turn."

Rick pauses for a bit before looking deep into Brian's eyes leaning forward onto the desk. "Who are you now Brian." He says in a deep tone.

"The card Rick... what do you-" Brian says impatiently in a raised voice tired of his rambling before being cut off.

"You don't have aaanything that I want Brian!..." Rick says in a now raised tone leaning back into his chair and laughing condescendingly.

"I know damn well ya got no eds! As good as you were... this city chewed you up and spit you back out. Ha... honestly thought when you left i'd never see you again. As fate would have it... here you are."

He then looks over at Zaunya... scanning up and down her long legs and lanky frame.

"Your friend here on the other hand... 'Z' was it..? How bout you do me a favor and take that mask off hm?" Rick says licking his lips and leaning forward in his chair.

"Shit, I'll give ya the card... no idea what its for... don't care either. I just wanna see that deliciously beautiful face i know you're hiding." Rick gets up out of his chair and starts to walk around the desk... both Brian and Zaunya sit up in their seats. Now standing before both of them but still resting up against the desk. Both of them shift their posture, Zaunya looking directly at Rick standing in front of her grows uncomfortable while lowering her eyebrows and trying to stay calm.

Rick leans in uncomfortably close making her instinctually lean back... a rapid succession of memories suddenly hits Zaunya like a truck... A series of quick flashes enter her mind.

      She sees her mom smiling and cheering in celebration... she sees a corporate executive office with muted blue colors and lighting... She then finally sees a bed with bright neon pink lights surrounding it... flooding the room with vibrancy, pink silk sheets that shined in the dim light... and the unforgettable sound of dress shoes tapping across the marbled floor step after step after step... Rick's voice snaps her out of the flashing memories.





"Come on... why hide your beauty..? Is it really worth that much? Hm? How bout a kiss... through the mask." Rick goes to push up toward her for the kiss.

       Before Brian can reach over to him, Zaunya throws a punch at his face. Rick dodges the punch, grabbing her wrist and quickly throwing her over the desk, slamming her back up against the trophy wall with great force making a loud bang sending various trophies flying around the room as Zaunya falls to the floor. With his attention turned toward where he threw Zaunya, Brian tackles Rick from the side as both fall to the ground wrestling. Brian, now on top of Rick starts raining down fists and elbows while holding Rick's arm. Each strike deters Brian from throwing another one as the damage being done to Brian's knuckles and elbow outweighs the damage being done to Rick's face. The impact of bone on chrome is excruciatingly brutal but Brian ignores it. Rick instinctually tries to get up but Brian stops him, still holding him down with his much bigger frame attempting to crush Rick's throat.

       Rick quickly grabs brian by the throat with his prostethic... Brian grabs the metal hand with both of his while gritting his teeth trying to rip it away. "Still mostly ganic huh!?" Rick says gritting his teeth trying to get Brian off of him. Rick punches Brian in the face sending him flying off of him as he knocks over a bunch of empty glass bottles breaking some of them. Rick, without getting fully up scrambles on top of Brian... the weight on top of him feels like a full sized car. Rick quickly draws a blue and white stinger from his ankle and stabs Brian in his bandaged wound on his shoulder from the Tyger Claw blade a few nights back. It causes Brian to scream in pain in a tone never heard before. Without hesitation, Rick yanks the knife back out and raises it to stab Brian again in the face.

       The booming sound of a gun shot rips through the hangout hitting rick in his collarbone from behind and exiting out of his neck from the front... spraying blood all over Brian's face. The velocity of the shot sends Rick tumbling off of Brian immediately giving Brian a clear view of Zaunya holding her nue with her hand shaking and a smoking barrel. As Brian rolls over in pain struggling to get up, Zaunya helps him to his feet checking his body and stab wound as he breathes in relief, flustered trying to calm himself as he shakes her touch off. Their attention is then quickly turned to Rick who has crawled over to a wall and sat up against it with his eyes wide open caughing and spitting up blood as he struggles to breathe.

       The fear and panic in Rick's eyes is clear as Zaunya slowly walks up to him, squats down, and grabs his knife. She holds it up admiring the craftsmanship and customization. The white and blue steel faded in and out all the way to the handle with a single white star along the body of the blade stained with Brian's blood. "Now THAT'S a trophy." She says in a detached voice completely contrasting Rick's state before standing back up fully and casually tucking it in her belt. She turns back around to see Brian stood over Rick's desk not moving before she continues to search Rick's person... opening up his jacket, jostling his arms and legs around and patting down his pockets as he grunts in extreme pain with every movement she makes him do.

Brian slowly reaches onto the desk grabbing his nue... the feeling of the iron in his bloody and bruised red right hand sends a warming shock through his core... drowning out the sound and commotion of everything happening around him. He stares at it in his hand deeply as Zaunya walks back up to him explaining their current situation... due to his current state of mind... it was completely inaudible.

"Brian..? ... Brian..?" Zaunya says softly realizing his state and snapping him back out of it... he quickly looks at her.

Rick struggling to speak through the lack of air and blood gets both of their attention as they turn to look at him while standing side by side. "You're... you're dead... the both of you... are FUCKIN DEAD!!! ya hear me!!!?" Rick's eyes begin to glow orange as he attempts to make a call on the holo. Brian and Zaunya both raise their nues simultaneously unloading a flood of loud, booming shots into Rick's face and chest leaving behind gunsmoke and an unrecognizable, barely together torso.

Chapter Text

       A close up of Rick's lifeless body slowly zooms out as he lay in pieces on the floor of the hangout... the blood leaking from his cracked open skull and shredded torso leave Brian and Zaunya completely unfazed. They're both seen scrambling throughout the hangout rifling through various containers, desks and areas of Rick's office. The heat inside of the building from the recent rumble has caused the windows to fog up with condensation alongside blood splattered walls. The amount of hardware throughout the place nearly overwhelms them after taking a second look at all of it. New and used cyberware implants, taken apart iron and tech shotguns, drugs waiting to be packaged for distribution, and various 6th street armor plating and combat vests. Brian glances out of one of the windows to see several neighborhood kids peeking in before quickly scattering into the night.

       He walks around to the opposite side of Rick's desk to find a heavy wooden chest with a giant 6 and "Blessed Be The Patriots" carved into it. He yanks the heavy chest out from underneath the desk to see a heavy iron lock on it. Brian glances over at Rick's shredded corpse briefly before looking back at the chest and pointing his Nue at the lock. He shoots the lock before kicking the rest of it off the hinge and opening it.. Zaunya, with Rick's blood on her sleeves and hands, makes her way around the desk as he does this.

They both stare together at the now opened chest as Zaunya's eyes open wide. The chest, full of eddies makes her instinctually bend down and reach for it before having her forearm quickly grabbed, the speed of the grab makes a skin slapping noise that startles her.

"No." Brian says as she quickly looks up at him with confusion. Before she can ask anything, he yanks her behind him heading for the door. While being pulled away by Brian she looks back at what's left of Rick's body as they pass by it.

She hears his voice echo in her head in that gravely deep tone. "Come on... why hide your beauty...? Is it really worth that much..? Hm?"

She then quickly hears Nicholas' voice after: "What did they do to you huh?... what did they take-"

A flashback to Zaunya's past begins:

"Zaunya?... Zaunya honey." Zaunya's mom says in a soft caring tone getting her attention. A young, adolescent Zaunya snapping out of her daydream looks up at her mother with her big emerald green eyes. "ohh honey... your hair... this just won't do." Zaunya's mom quickly works to fix Zaunya's hair into a presentable fashion before continuing in a tired and slightly irritated voice.

"You know how they demand standards with presentation Zaunya.. Petrochem says first impressions are everything! Come here." She turns Zaunya back around further touching her face up.

"Do you know how hard I had to work to get them to accept you so young?" She says before pausing and taking a deep breath.

She puts both her hands on Zaunya's shoulders speaking in a soft, proud tone. "You're going to do great honey! They're going to love you!"

Another pause takes place as Zaunya's mom stares at her little face... her eyes well up with tears as she caresses her little cheek "My beautiful baby girl..." She whispers to herself with a smile on her face holding back tears. The two of them turn and begin to walk toward the door leading out of an office in the PetroChem HQ.

Zaunya's mom, holding her hand tightly leans down and whispers in her little ear:

"Remember... whatever they want... whatever they ask... the answer is yes. Ok?

..the answer is yes. Ok?

..the answer is yes. Ok? "

The sound of Zaunya's mom's voice echos on repeat in her head as she stares blankly out of the window of the Colby Butte. Brian reaches over and gently places his hand on her shoulder making her jolt... snapping her out of her thoughts... she quickly looks at him.

"Hey.." Brian says in a softened tone having kept an eye on her... silently paying close attention to her state of mind. "You ok?"

       She doesn't respond and goes back to looking out of the window... Brian lights a cigarette and takes a deep puff. The pair of them have taken a position in the Butte that offers them a perfect view... looking down into Brian's neighborhood allowing them to see both sides of the street clearly. The pitch black, residential darkness of Arroyo contrasts the well lit up other districts the closer you get to the city center. The sounds of chirpping insects and the cold open air take over the lack of city sounds the pair are used to hearing... offering a quiet, general calmness for the both of them to share. Zaunya finally breaks the silence.

"Why didn't we take the eddies." She says in a monotone

Brian realizing shes shifting topics away from her state pauses and re-focuses himself.

"You saw that holo call he was making right." Brian says as Zaunya finally looks over at him. He continues.

"I'm sure they're already on their way."

"Soo.. no traces left behind is the reason huh? They won't know..?"

"Oh... they'll know." Brian says holding up and showing her his blood red, crimson nue. "Its just a matter of how far they wanna go with it."

"And the lack of klepping is..what? an attempt at a seize fire before it even begins..?"

"look." Brian says as he takes another drag of his smoke as Zaunya reaches for her own.

       The pair of them see several 6th street gang cars caravanning together up the block towards the hangout. As they all exit their vehicles, various kids from the neighborhood begin running up to them. Several run up to a woman heading the caravan... Angela, whom has exited the lead car... she bends down listening to the kids as they point toward the hangout. She quickly looks over at it before running in with the rest of the crew following behind her.

       Brian and Zaunya quite far away quietly watch the 6th streeters scramble back into their hangout creating silent tension. A fair amount of time passes by with the two quietly smoking in the butte. Night City in many ways is the city of action... initiative... making it the home repercussion... vengeance. Costs associated with actions often compound... leading to often unpredictable bouts of chaos... or retribution. This vicious cycle rests like a powder keg permeating throughout the culture and events that go down here. Whether or not you're capable of surviving that reality... is a different story entirely.

They look to see that same woman leading the caravan come back outside... putting Rick's white cowboy hat on and stepping out onto the street with her crew in tow. Brian and Zaunya watch the group B-line it down the block to Brian's house... pushing past pedestrians and street thugs while armed to the teeth.

Zaunya in shock gasps as she looks over at Brian emotionlessly watching them. 3 of the 6th streeters pile up outside the door before storming in with Angela walking in unarmed behind them. Brian closes his eyes briefly as the two of them hear the low, feint sounds of glass breaking and the interior of his home being completely destroyed along with stray yells of them communicating with each other.

"Brian..!?" Zaunya says, cracking her voice, getting him to open his eyes back up.

He sees a small bright orange glow begin to emanate from his home as the 6th streeters all file out.

The small bright orange glow rapidly grows into an inferno within the home as the 6th street gangers stand outside watching it. Angela pulls her iron and unloads shots directly at the house before looking around at the rest of the now woken up neighborhood watching them work... Brian whom has seen enough starts the car and turns it around to drive away.

Chapter Text

\+/ PAST \+/

The neon glow of Night City shines bright within the darkness of the night sky... reds, blues, pinks, purples and yellows... the neon pollution becomes more and more imposing the deeper you venture into that cage of light. A concrete jungle... a cesspool of desire and debauchery coated in the various loud sounds of a thriving and active city. The city of dreams... a place you dare not call home.

       We enter a megabuilding to see Brian and Graves, stood across from each other squared up in stance with their fists in the air. Graves closes the distance and feints before throwing several punches at Brian whom dodges each of them before attempting to tackle him. Graves recognizes this and effortlessly stops the takedown by flinging Brian to the side with a big smile on his face. Brian gets back up to try again, this time feinting a punch to distract him before trying to tackle him with full force. The two struggling hear a knock on the heavy metal door to their room causing them stop.

       In walks Marilyn... sporting her Mox best... neon-turquoise platform high-heels with pink bottoms, black leather spandex so tight that it really made her curves pop. The color pattern in her outfit weaved between light and dark as the glow of her fit cascaded down the front of her bare legs down to her neon glowing toenail polish. Her EMP threading was subtle and seductive... pairing well with her petite, lanky frame. Brian walks over to the radio and shuts it off as Marilyn walks past him. Graves takes a seat before whipping out a Black Lace inhaler and taking a whiff. Brian speaks.

"So? How'd it go? Evelyn's friend still eye-fucking you?" Brian and Graves both chuckle.

"Fuck off." Marilyn says rolling her eyes while lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. She takes a seat on the couch and crosses her legs before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She pulls out the wreath the maelstrom ganger gave to Allie along with the tailored, unmarked BD. Brian grabs both admiring the end result of Marilyns work before moving her cigarette away from her lips and giving her a deep kiss. She immediately pops the cig back in as Brian leaves her lips and she looks out of the window.

"Right.. now, lets go over this again" Brian says

As Brian paces back and forth in the room breaking down the plan, Graves listens attentively while Marilyn gazes out of the window out into the beautiful neon glowing Night Cityscape behind the couch. The city stares back at her... longingly... infatuated... their connection feels... inseparable as the first taps of rain begin to hit the window... Marilyn recalls a memory:

Marilyn sat in the basement of Lizzie's Bar rests her back up against a wall patiently waiting... taking long drags of her smoke and crossing her arms. She surveys the warm room.. curious about the various tech and hardware stacked in there before taking a seat in the scrolling chair. Evelyn walks in and sees her.

"What the FUCK!! I said you can't smoke in here!" A hand is quickly placed on Evelyn's shoulder from the side as a woman walks past her.

"No no, its ok Ev." The woman says continuing past Evelyn and approaching Marilyn... her gaze fixated directly on Marilyn's eyes with hidden desire. She kneels down in front of her at the scrolling chair and hands her the BD.

"Here you go! Should be all set... i've uh... honestly never tuned a virtue like this before."

"Thank you SO much!... really I... your name again?" Evelyn stood in a corner watching with her arms crossed rolls her eyes.

"Judy." Judy says with a smile on her face slightly disappointed.

"JUDY! RIGHT!.. I'm so sorry, it's just been-"

"Hey, don't worry about it..." Judy smirks and pauses before looking down then back up into Marilyns eyes with a smile. "Its not everyday that i get to help out Mox royalty." The two giggle together as Evelyn turns and walks out of the room. Judy looks back at Evelyn leave then turns her attention back to Marilyn as the door closes... she stands up, walking back to her desk while continuing.

"She's... got a lot going on right now... the stress is killing her."

"I know.." Marilyn says taking another drag of her cig while glancing at the door Ev walked out of with skepticism. "Susie won't let me get involved.."

"Why..? I mean...  She's your-"

"As calculated as ever. You know her... I've pretty much stopped bothering to ask at this point." Marilyn sits up and shifts her weight in the seat, slowly crossing her bare legs which catches and holds Judy's eye.

"She's... the brain and you're the fist huh..." Judy says while checking her out mesmerized.

Marilyn takes another drag while holding up the BD in the light and looking at it from various angles "Hm... Don't let her 'calculated' demeanor throw you off.. I've still got a ringing in my ear from my initiation." The pair laugh together before a long pause... Judy breaks the silence.

"I've... gotta ask. I can't help it."

Marilyn looks up at Judy.

"Your... friend that you run with. Brian was it..?"

"What about him." Marilyn asks in a shifted and flat tone, locking into Judy's eyes and taking another drag of her smoke. The shift in tone and direct eye contact intimidates Judy a bit.

"Uhhmm... Ev told me a little about him."

Marilyn scoffs and breaks eye contact. Judy continues

"Mainly.. that... she doesn't know much about him...? And.. how much that bothers her."

"Everything bothers her." Marilyn dismissively says putting her smoke out underneath the arm rest of the chair and getting up.

"Yeah.. i just..." Judy pauses... now standing in front of Marilyn... blocking her path and looking down contemplating. She looks back up at her before continuing.

"Just be careful... ok? Please..." Judy pleads in a serious tone of concern. Marilyn looks at Judy inquisitively after hearing the crack in her voice. Judy continues

"Night City street mercs... They'll do anything to get what they're after... risks and consequences be damned. The truly lost ones... set no limits for themselves... They're committed to the edge."

Marilyn looks away deep in thought at the statement... a long pause is shared between the two in each other's presence as Judy backs up slightly to move out of the way. Marilyn finally speaks... projecting her thoughts outward at Judy.

"But... but what if I don't know what they're after?"

Judy looks at Marilyn... feeling a breakthrough.

Chapter Text

\+/ PAST \+/



       The pitter patter of rain on the megabuilding's window provides a white noise in the room... the warm atmosphere of the cozy apartment contrasts the cold harshness just outside and desperate to get in. Marilyn on her 3rd smoke remains in deep contemplation as she stares out of the window with tonight being a bit different than most others. Tonight... she understands full well what's being asked of her... it carries risks and stakes higher than anything shes taken on in the past and she feels it. The experience shes gained... the skills that shes acquired over the course of her evolving person have lead her to this moment as she bares the weight of it. She buries her nervous energy expertly as she mentally prepares for the edge. The bright neon glow of Night City cascades outward away from the window shes staring out of... the wet buildings and pavement grab ahold of the light making them shine and reflect with a glossy neon soaked finish.

Several attempts to get her attention have now passed as Marilyn hears Judy's voice in her head: "The truly lost ones... set no limits for themselves... They're committed to the edge..."

"Mare.."

"...They're committed to the edge..."

"Mare."

"...They're committed to the edge..."

"Mare!" Brian says a final time snapping Marilyn out of her thoughts. She looks over at him and nods... Brian then looks over at graves and nods his head up at him. Graves understanding the signal gets up and promptly leaves the apartment. Marilyn looks on confused before sitting up on the couch and resting her elbows on her knees... putting her hands on her forehead. The door slides closed leaving the two of them alone... Brian understanding her tense, nervous energy breaks the silence, speaking in a softened tone.

"Do you remember... when we first met?"

"Jig Jig street." She says taking a final drag of her smoke before flicking it in the room.

"What were you doing there that night..? I never asked."

Marilyn pauses, crosses her arms and shifts her weight in her seat before responding in a calm tone.

"My sister... She'd been trying to get me to leave NC for a while at that point.. I guess... the deeper she got into the merc world the tighter her grip on me became."

She gets up off the couch and starts pacing around the room. "Shes more like a mom to me than she ever was a sister... Can't blame her though... things weren't easy when we were young... Shes never seen me as someone who could become...well... me." Brian listens on with a serious look of admiration on his face. She continues.

"She came at me with a fucking one-way to Oregon. THAT SAME NIGHT! To our AUNT'S HOUSE OF ALL PLACES! That crazy bitch... she hated our mom." Marilyn pauses briefly. "Tch.. Ev knew it wouldn't have worked... Hate seeing her when shes desperate."

"What did you say to her?.. Why not leave?" Brian asks while sitting down on the now free couch.

"I just... ran." Marilyn pauses. "And i didn't stop running..." Marilyn makes her way to the window by the couch near Brian. She gazes out into the neon cityscape with a sense of awe and mesmerization... the towering, cascading cityscape stares back at her with an intimidating and silent glow. The power of Night City's beautiful allure on full display and undeniable... creating sensations in those who gaze into it rarely able to explain. She places her hand on the window firmly... looking past her emerald green eyes in her reflection. "I don't know... This City... it calls to me... I feel it at the core of my being."

She stares deeply into the city as the pattering of rain keeping the glass windows cold takes over briefly...

"Can you feel it Varga?" She asks in a whispered tone of awe.

"I do..." He whispers back in a deep tone as he closes his eyes.

Marilyn takes her hand off of the glass while continuing to stare at the city... she finally looks down before finally stepping away from the window and continuing.

"Ended up on Jig Jig street... talking to some.. joytoy about.. nothing. The music was too loud to hear her anyway. Bouncers had just finished cleaning up a barfight... sweeping up glass and dragging some unconscious, lead head gonk out the front door to make way for the next batch of loud bar hoppers. It felt... familiar. Warming... Like home."

She continues to pace around the room. "Eventually we went outside for a smoke... she insisted we walk down toward the storage tunnels away from the bar... It was a pretty slow night that night and didn't carry much foot traffic through the back streets. It was late enough that most people had already decided to delta. That's when they grabbed me... Scavs... I was... so overwhelmed... the only thing i could do was... scream." She looks over at Brian who picks up on it.

"When i heard your scream I... I didn't even think about it. I just came running... to be honest... I heard the fear and desperation in your voice more than anything." Brian pauses before glancing out the rain filled window. "3 shots, 3 dead scavs. ... Flatlined em all. ... 'cept one." He looks over at Marilyn. "Do you remember."

"The one you were wrestling with on the ground? Yeah."

"And what did you do Mare." Brian asks leading while making that eye contact with her that she craves. She looks away... visualizing the events of a night that would change her life forever:

       


       The joytoy that lead Marilyn down into the storage tunnel entrance pulls iron and places it at the back of Brian's head. Marilyn wraps her arm around the joytoy's neck from behind and yanks back... making her misfire and send the gun flying out of her hand. It slams onto the tile and skids across the sewer grates causing a loud echo in the tunnel. The joytoy struggling to get Marilyn off of her is off balance and flailing her arms trying to turn around and face her. Marilyn moves with her momentum, never letting go of her neck causing the both of them to fall. The joytoy falls face first onto the hard tile floor of the storage tunnel... splattering blood with Marilyn riding her back.. allowing her grip to sink in even tighter. The Joytoy struggling to breath puts both of her hands onto Marilyn's forearm gripping it tightly while kicking and flailing her legs around. Marilyn buries her head behind the joytoy's head closing her eyes tight and squeezing as hard as she possibly can. The joytoy goes limp while Marilyn continues to squeeze as hard as possible.. letting out a blood curdling scream through her teeth. The pressure Marilyn is applying causes the joytoy's body to twitch uncontrollably before finally stopping lifeless.

       The area has long cleared of stray bystanders as Brian goes to grab Marilyn, struggling to pull her off of the dead joytoy. Marilyn stumbling to gain her balance grabs ahold of Brian's jacket before looking up at him. He sees her cut up, bruised and bleeding face while holding onto her shoulders... they lock eyes for the first time. Strangers with a kinship being forged through violence... where life and death hang in an uneasy balance for all. The moment is suddenly broken as their attention is turned toward deeper into the storage tunnel by a shout.

"FREEZE! NCPD!" 2 badges yell while running toward them in the storage tunnel with iron drawn. Brian grabs Marilyn and yanks her closer to his chest as he points his Nue in the direction of the badges. He fires a shot that hits a climate control unit causing sparks and the fan blade to fly directly at them before sending several more shots their way causing them to take cover. The pair of them then take off back toward the north entrance to Jig Jig street fleeing the area.

Marilyn looking down and finishing the recollection looks back up at Brian... He stands up and walks toward her... she meets him in the center of the warm apartment. He hands her the wreath and the BD before gently placing her forehead onto his. They both look down... embracing each other in their arms in the center of the room as the rain on the window leaves behind only their silhouettes.

Chapter Text

\+/ PAST \+/

       A cold and foggy dark night in Watson has Marilyn on edge... her senses are heightened as she hears the distant sounds of sirens and car alarms. She walks with a brisk pace up the damp cold street past the Totentanz club blaring cyber metal out onto the street... her high heels tapping on the pavement heavy with each step one after the other as she passes by a sewer grate wafting white smoke of waste and decay. Several Maelstrom gangers, both male and female smoking outside the club cat call her as she passes by begging her to come in.

The cyber alterations to their voices yell out to her: "WOOOHOO!! HAY HAY! COME ON IN HERE BABY! I'LL BUY YA WHATEEEVER YA WANT!!! HAHAHAAAA!!" Marilyn glances over at the pack briefly while continuing to walk by minding her business. She turns the corner at the end of the block making her way down it halfway past the long abandoned Foody restaurant to the first apartment complex.

       She knocks 3 times on the garage door to the side with a sign atop that reads 'Ruf Tread Racing Gear'. She crosses her arms waiting as a few seconds pass before the door slides up. Shes suddenly face to face with something barely resembling whats left of a human being. The top half of his head was completely chromed out lacking traditional facial structure along with his multiple glowing bright red eyes... leaving the bottom half of his head below the nose ganic with a scattering of piercings all over his face. He sported a black leather sleeveless vest showing his prosthetic cyber arms with various Maelstrom quotes and exploits carved into em like tattoos. The amount of cyberware augmented onto his body takes Marilyn aback briefly as she looks up at his lanky, imposing frame... she holds her nerve.

"Well well well.." The man calmly says in a deep cybernetic voice. "You're earlier than i thought you'd be... Name's Caine" He says with a big smile on his face looking her up and down checking out her bare thighs and legs all the way down to her cherry red painted toes. Her short, neon red thigh high skirt hugs her curves tightly as she shifts her weight with her feet. With the darkness and true grit of Night City as a backdrop... its as if light was radiating off of her.

"Mare..." She smiles back introducing herself. "Been looking forward to this." She says as she starts to walk in. Caine puts his hand out in front of her stopping her in her tracks and starts giggling.

"Nah nah, I never scroll here."

Marilyn looks at him lowering her eyebrows confused. "But-"

"Too much traffic in n out... cmon, this way." Caine says cutting her off and promptly stepping outside to where she is and turning around to slide down the garage door, slamming it closed.

Marilyn's heartrate increases as a wave of nervous energy washes over her briefly while his back is turned. She bottles it up quickly as he turns back around to face her with a smile as she grins back. The pair of them turn the corner from the garage and start to walk their way down the street together under the dimly lit streetlights. Her discomfort builds one step after another... with each step taken... fear creeps in... uncertainty grabs ahold of her. Marilyn glances back over her shoulder with a concerned look... her mind racing at the unexpected location change as several snap thoughts cross her mind on what she should do. She has no idea where hes taking her and neither does the crew. After everything Brian and Marilyn have been through... this feels... different... wrong.

This is not part of the plan.

Marilyn... strongwilled and determined as ever to prove herself has no thought of turning back... they continue on around another corner.

       Brian standing out in front of Grave's Butte positioned on the opposite street corner down the block a bit away from the street lights, iron in hand squeezes it so tight that you can hear it. The rest of the crew watches the pair of them turn the corner away from the Ruf Tred garage. Brian quickly turns around and B lines it back to the car looking directly at Graves. "Buzz - Allie - NOW!" He says through his teeth while walking past him to the trunk of the Butte.

       Marilyn and Caine are next seen quietly entering the nearby apartment complex with a series of storage garages attached to it. She closes the door behind them as they make their way past the staircase leading up to the rest of the apartments; remaining on the first floor. They enter the first floor apartment which happened to be connected to one of the storage garages by a single blue door. "Just finally got the place cleaned up the other day. These scop puppets can't seem to keep anything clean longer than a day in here." Caine says proudly walking in.

       Marilyn closing the door turns around to see a surprisingly organized apartment. Even though recently cleaned, the amount of used and new tech alongside various legacy tech and cyberware littered about has already begun to gather a bit of clutter. Various Maelstrom logos have been spray painted about the place alongside tagged quotes and sayings. Oil and smog stains various pieces of equipment as well as the furniture. It clear the place sees high traffic even though its currently dead in there.

"Wow, Lot of chrome, lot of iron in here." She says looking at the spread of it in the living room. Caine looks back at her with a big smile on his face before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an access card, shifting subject slightly. "You have no idea how much work went into me havin' these keys." He giggles.

"This scop ain't nothin' doll... Check this out" Caine walks over to the door connecting to the garage using the access card to open it as Marilyn follows him in. She gasps and jumps slightly at the sight of a stockpile of cyberware that overwhelms her. Cytech, Zetatech, Dynalar, Militech you name it. Branded crates and boxes filled to the brim with various chrome. Some of it organized by size, type and quality while most of it just layed piled together. Some was in high quality biometric security containers while others sat in stray trashbags. Shelves filled with various netrunner gear and accessories, Cybernetic limbs of various sizes and quality hung from the ceiling... gorilla arms, mantis blades, P.L. systems, Titanium fragments... most of it shined in the dim garage light...an organized yet unorganized cache.

"Oh my god-" Marilyn says under her breath in a whispered tone with her eyes and mouth wide open as she puts one hand on her chest and another over her mouth with an astonished and intimidated expression on her face.

"I know right?" Caine says in a seductive tone continuing to smile from ear to ear. "We moved everything over here and put a jammer up a while back after it started to get... well.. serious in here; Can't ever be too careful." Caine pauses briefly before continuing.. rattling off a bunch of chrome they have stocked.

"Kiroshi's latest models over there.. top of the line, fuckin' preem, fresh off the belt Microrotors, Adrenaline Converters, Sandys, Kerenzikovs, you name it! Shit, even got some Cellular adapters lyin' around back there somewhere. Tetratronic, Dyna, BioTech" He takes a deep breath then pauses. "Ain't it just...gorgeous?" He asks looking back at her before briefly pausing again.

"Nowhere near as gorgeous as you though." He says turning back around and slowly walking towards her.

       Marilyn looks at him deep in the face while grinning and backing up back into the apartment slowly removing her black fur coat in front of him revealing her short, tight neon red dress. With the glowing allure of her incredibly sexy body, She pulls the wreath out along with the BD and holds it out between the two of them. Caine grabs both of them and casually tosses them to the side onto the couch.



Marilyn's facial expression abruptly changes from seductive to startled and serious.






The tone and energy in the room instantaneously intensifies...

"What are you doing..?" She asks in a serious tone as he steps closer to her.

"Eh, we'll scroll later... I want the real thing" He says as he looks her up and down reaching out and grabbing her by the small of her back trying to pull her in. Marilyn instinctually puts her arms out in front of her to stop him... trying to create separation while giggling nervously. "Wait...- stop cmon.." She says, struggling to push him off as his grip on her tightens. "STOP!" She yells in a panic cracking her voice and using all of her strength to try and shove him away barely staggering him back. He cocks back and slaps her with full force making her shriek, sending her hard to the floor of the apartment and cutting her face. She tries to get up but is stopped by one of his spiked boots which he uses the bottom of to push her back down flat onto her back on the floor. Caine gets on top of her as she reaches up and punches him in the face square in the chrome hurting her hand. She swings again with her hand open due to the pain attempting to slap him. Caine stops her by grabbing both of her flailing wrists and pinning them to the floor.

"NO!" She screams in a frantic panic through her teeth kicking and flailing around vigorously doing everything she can to get him off. "BRIAN!" She instinctually yells out in a scared tone desperately to herself, continuing to scream. "NOO!"

"Stop- FIGHTING!" He says through his teeth struggling to fully hold her down "Just let this happen." He says in a forceful, aroused tone.

       Marilyn continues to franticly scream and resist. Caine raises his fist and punches her hard in the face once quieting her... then a second time even harder dazing and knocking her nearly unconscious. He lets go of her other wrist while still sitting mounted on top of her... breathing heavily and watching her completely stunned. He effortlessly rips open her dress as you hear the loud tearing of thin fabric exposing her chest; he continues to rip down toward her stomach as she shrieks. Marilyn still barely conscious doesn't move as Caine runs his long tongue along the side of her face first, then her neck down to her chest.. laying the full weight of his body up against hers. He releases a lot of tension as he enjoys the feeling of her soft, silky skin on his hands... he takes a deep whiff of her delicious smelling perfume while taking his time. As she begins to regain her senses she shrieks and twitches while crying subdued.

Caine now overwhelmed with pleasure instinctually whispers: "Delicious ganic... you're mine." He reaches over onto the nearby coffee table and grabs a syringe. He squirts a small amount of fluid out of the syringe, checking the level. While doing this, Marilyn reaches over to her right and grabs an old spiked stun baton layed on the apartment floor and shoves it through Caine's neck with full force letting out a feral scream.

       The force of the impact causes her hand to slide up the handle turning it on... sending a surge of electricity through Caine's body causing his entire body to twitch and vibrate...The surge blasts Marilyn's hand away and off of the handle. Caine lets out a roar of pain that wildly changes in pitch and tone multiple times as the electrical surge fries his vocal cords and throat sending him to the ground falling off of Marilyn. Without thinking, she quickly gets on top of him and grabs the spiked baton again, shocking herself and yanking it out of his neck before slamming it back in. Her hair wildly flails around along with her ripped dress as she continues to stab Caine over and over with gradually increasing force. As the stabs switch from neck to face, she breaths deep inbetween her grunts and screams through her teeth. The true feral nature of her being is brought out as she continues slamming the baton into his face and neck covering herself in yellow synth blood now squirting and spraying out with each strike. Caine now lays there lifeless... as she continues to cave his face in, her grunts and screams build up louder and louder within the dead silence of the room. The sound of the front door of the apartment being blasted and ripped open doesn't stop her at all. She is quickly snatched from behind by her shoulders sending her falling backwards and the baton flying across the room.

"Mare!-"

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF MEEE!!! NOOO!!!!" She screams flailing and struggling to resist.

"Its me! stop! Mare! stop!" Brian struggles to say while wrapping his arms around her and falling back onto the apartment floor. He grabs her by the face forcing her to look at him as she aggressively clutches onto his forearms. "Hey! hey... Its me.. Its me." He says softly trying to calm her down as he looks at her bruised, cut face covered in both synth blood and her own. Marilyn realizing its him completely breaks down... screaming and cracking her voice as he pulls her face into his chest. He wraps his arms around her tight as she lets out a blood curdling scream... hitting him with her fist while crying and convulsing uncontrollably.

       Graves and their side choom storm into the apartment shortly after with their rifles drawn. "CHECK THE BACK! GO!" Graves yells to the backup shooter while clearing the rest of the apartment himself. He moves over toward Brian and Marilyn sat on the floor. "Marilyn.." Graves says in a somber tone before looking at the scene that transpired around her in shock... Seeing the syringe, the gored Maelstromer and all the random tech lying around. Before he's able to say anything else their side choom yells out to him.

"Yo! Graves!" Graves looks over and sees the blue door leading to the garage open and quickly walks over with his gun raised. Graves lowers his gun, placing it onto the ground and putting his hands on his head.

"Holy shit..." He says in a whispered tone to himself with his eyes wide open at the site of the cyberware cache.

"HOLY SHIIIIT!!!!" The side choom yells before being quickly grabbed and shushed by graves.

"SHHH!!!! SHUT UP! GO BRING THE WHEELS AROUND, SCOUT THE BLOCK! MOVE SLOW!!" He says before yanking the man back toward the entrance of the apartment.

Graves then quickly moves back to Brian. "B... B you gotta see thi-" Graves says in a lowered tone reaching for Brian's shoulder. Brian quickly slaps Graves' arm away without looking before clutching onto Marilyn tightly again as she continues to shake and cry into his chest.

Graves grabs his rifle and exits out the front of the apartment to secure the street and the Butte pulling in... leaving the pair locked tightly in each other's arms alongside a decapitated Maelstromer. The stray white noise in the streets of Night City take over... leaving you unable to hear her screams.

Chapter Text

\+/ PRESENT \+/

       A beautiful sunny day shines in through Graves' apartment window. The thin grey whisps of cigarette smoke calmly twist and spin amongst the sun's rays undisturbed. The clouds of smoke disperse as Zaunya is seen slowly walking through it past the window with both her iron and a proximity mine in hand. Brian is seen walking past her before opening Graves' weapon locker with the passcode... pulling out Graves' M2038 Tactician. The custom finish on it was a Cyberpunk yellow with a quote engraved in black along the barrel that read 'Negotiator' in Cyberpunk lettering. Brian raises the gun up over his head admiring the work and reminiscing to himself about times past... memories buried in time.

The heavy sound of Zaunya's boots slowly walking up behind him causes him to turn around. Standing before him, she hands him a combat knife which he grabs before stepping past her. She continues past him back over to the window looking out onto the street... she lights a cigarette before glancing back to see Brian on the other side of the apartment messing with the proximity mine.

Yet again... it is clear that the pair have had several conversations before now. The calmness in preparation within the apartment is palpable... the air holds a feeling of inevitability that the two of them look to have accepted... together. Anticipation of the unknown is often filled with any number of emotional anomalies. This combined with the countless series of events leading up to this point have the two of them in a complete flow state.. remaining expressionless and sharing no words with each other.

       As Brian walks back across the apartment, Zaunya glances over at him before taking another drag of her smoke and looking back out the window. He walks over to a dresser and stands before it... picking up and staring at a small framed picture of him and graves in front of Graves' Colby Butte when he first got it. As Zaunya looks on at him doing this, she places her lit cigarette onto the window seal and puts her black leather facemask back on before getting up and walking toward him. Her heavy footsteps, once again grab his attention... he glances back at her and notices shes looking up past him. He glances back forward... looking up at the CCTV screen above Graves' dresser where they both see 2 6th street gang cars rolling up the street towards the entrance of the apartment. They both stand before each other looking deeply in each other's eyes with their Nue's clutched in their right hands... mirroring each other.

       Brian holsters his Nue while holding Graves' shotgun in the left... he looks away from her as she turns around walking toward the other side of the apartment. Zaunya takes her position on the far end of the apartment away from Brian staring at him focused. Brian hugs the shotgun while patiently watching the CCTV. He watches as they pile out of the two cars...he slowly looks over at Zaunya and holds up 4 fingers, signaling the amount of them coming. He glances back at the CCTV again to see a final person leave the first car from the backseat, Angela, still sporting Rick's white cowboy hat. The group of them all carrying enough iron for a proper street war. Brian glances back at Zaunya and instead holds up 5 fingers. He watches them enter the building and make their way to the top of the staircase outside of Graves' apartment before walking away from the CCTV and taking his own position.

       The front door is gradually ripped open by a prybar slowly building up the tension of the moment. As the various members quickly flood in, the first one in the door looks left in Zaunya's direction seeing her crouched waiting before getting pushed from behind by the 2nd one. Brian blasts the second one that enters in the head, ripping a chunk of his skull off and sending it flying upwards toward the ceiling. The concussive sound of the blast sends the first and 3rd ones that entered instinctually falling away from it in the opposite direction right into the proximity mine triggering it instantly. The explosion of the mine sends fire, smoke and debris pluming throughout the apartment muting and ringing everyone's ears while knocking them off balance. As the explosion goes off, the 4th 6th streeter to enter, falling onto Brian in his direction, grabs the barrel of Brian's shotgun pushing it up toward the ceiling as Brian struggles to see through the smoke and debris. As Brian goes to draw his Nue, the guy tackles Brian to the ground with what felt like the weight of a truck.

       While this is happening, during the explosion, Zaunya triggers her Sandevistan, sprinting through the black and grey smoke clouds with shrapnel and debris floating through the air in slow motion...almost like zero gravity in space. She quickly executes the 2 6th streeters with point blank headshots as their bodies continue to fly off balance through the air from the momentum of the mine explosion. Still continuing forward, she sees Angela at the top of the stairs still in the process of drawing her revolver. Without hesitation, Zaunya dives through the yanked open apartment door flying toward Angela raising her Nue up to her face. Angela quickly pushes Zaunya's hand upward toward the ceiling while also finishing drawing her revolver and pointing it at Zaunya's gut. Zaunya notices Angela was able to trigger her own sandevistan just in time. With her wrist being held by Angela she uses her momentum while still in the air to throw her right knee at the barrel of Angela's revolver right before it fires... knocking it out of her hand and landing on top of her. The finishing momentum of the explosion sends the 2 of them flying down the staircase.. tumbling in each other's arms yanking and throwing strikes with unseeable speed.

       Brian, still in the apartment has Grave's shotgun being pushed up against his throat pinning him to the wall on the backside of the apartment. Brian throws a headbutt at the 6th streeter snapping his head back slightly which has no affect on his chrome plating only cutting himself open in the process. He throws a headbutt back at Brian, stunning him and doing serious damage. Brian then throws an elbow at his face which the 6th streeter takes, while also using the moment of the strike to quickly toss Brian onto the ground. He cocks the shotgun and aims it at Brian directly on the ground. Brian quickly throws his leg up and kicks the barrel away from him sending a blast through the wooden floor of the apartment kicking up wood chips and dispersing more explosion smoke. Brian then gets up and charges at him, picking him up and slamming him onto the ground onto the back of his head stunning him. Brian shoves his forearm down onto the guy's throat holding him in place while finally drawing his Nue. As he raises it up toward the 6th streeter's face, he pulls a knife and plunges it into the side of Brian's ribcage. The shock of the deep stab causes Brian's entire body to flinch and tense up... making him pull the trigger at the same time sending a bullet from his Nue directly into the 6th streeters face. His lifeless hand still clutching onto the knife gets effortlessly pushed away leaving the knife stuck deep in Brian's side as he unloads 5 more shots into his face... sending blood splattering all over his own face and chest.

       Before he can even gather himself... covered in blood, clutching the collar of the lifeless 6th streeter hes sat on top of, he hears the sound of footsteps at the blown off front door. He raises his Nue and points it at the sound with his right hand while still clutching the 6th streeter with his left. He looks to see Zaunya stagger back towards him before falling onto the door frame in pain. He instinctually attempts to get up and rush to her aid only to be reminded of the knife stuck deep in his ribs. He grunts in deep pain struggling to get off of the corpse and stagger to his feet as Zaunya slowly slides down the side of the doorframe covering it in blood and falling to her knees.

       Brian yanks the blade out while shrieking in pain before tossing it onto the floor of the apartment next to Graves' shotgun. With blood seeping out of his ears, he staggers over to Zaunya to help her up. He takes her by the same hand that her Nue is in to help bring her to her feet. Their matching, bloody red right hands... separated by only the gun... as they both unknowingly, fully embrace that first personal contact with each other. Still stunned, she falls into his chest with her forearms as he places both of his hands on her face looking over her bloody cuts and injuries. He gently looks her over as her bottom lip streams from a cut inside of her mouth down her chin past her scar. He slowly helps her down the stairs past Angela's now mangled corpse only identifiable by that bloodied, white cowboy hat...The pair leave behind nothing more than a bloody spattering of dead 6th streeters and an ashing lit cigarette on the untouched far-side windowsill.

Chapter Text

       The low tone buzzing of a bright light beaming down on Brian's face jolts him awake suddenly. With his vision in a complete haze and his hearing still coming too, he hears the sounds of two people talking with muffled voices. The ceiling of the room slowly spins as he begins to regain his senses.. feeling the heavy after effects of being put under for an extended period of time. He attempts to raise his head slightly only to feel an intruding weight and stiffness in his neck... he feels a dramatic shift in his overall weight and heaviness almost to the point of feeling held down. He hears the sounds of tight, new chrome creaking with every slow, ginger movement he makes as he finally sits up with his head resting on the back of the padded chair. He hears the sound of a door sliding closed which grabs his attention, looking over at it too late to see who left. Through his blurred vision he sees various tools and equipment around him covered in blood alongside gauze, rags and syringes. The amount of blood surrounding his area makes it almost hard to believe there's no corpse nearby. The remnants of a frantic yet surgical overhaul lay to rest like a storm that recently blew through and now rests silent.

"Mornin' love." He hears from a soft, feminine voice hes never heard before as his blurred vision continues to adjust. The bright lights beaming down on him are suddenly clicked off as he glances over in the direction of the voice. He looks over to see a woman in a white, blood covered tank-top with black jeans and boots sitting in a chair off to the side smoking a cigarette. She's petite and coated in tats, running down from her neck to her finger tips along with a spattering of various piercings complimenting her make-up and short white hair.

She has one leg raised up onto her desk with her other foot resting on the bottom of Brian's chair itself as she takes another drag observing him closely as he comes too. He shifts his weight in his seat to face her, causing the chair to squeak and creak under his now heavy weight. Still in a haze... he lays his head back onto the seat feeling restless and failing to get up. The woman finally speaks.

"Easy honey... its gonna take some time. Take it slow." She says in a calm tone before taking another drag of her smoke.

"Wh- what...?" He says, barely conscious closing his eyes tightly and putting his hands on his forehead. The weight of his hands catches him off guard as he quickly removes them to hold them up and look at them making sure they're still his hands.

"Titanium vanadium bones." She says in response to him before continuing. "You got lucky. I don't just keep complete skeletal structures just lying around... especially none your size." She says while raising her eyebrows. "Afterward, i figured.. there's no way he's gonna be able to move around any good with that amount of added weight... so I went ahead and hooked you up with some Bionic Joints as well... definitely shouldn't have any problem carrying the load. Your chrome to ganic flesh ratios are pretty stable and in a good place."

"N-..no no no.. you can't-" Brian says straining to sit up in his seat. He feels the ganic flesh of his muscle tissue adjusting to the weight and denseness of his new and dramatically improved bone structure... the tissue squeezes and contracts around the chrome as metal and meat are forced into harmony.

"As for your... pokes and slashes, well... stitching was the best i could for your ganic... Gotta say, that's gonna make quite the badass scar there." She says with a grin gesturing to the long slice from the Tyger Claw mantis blade going down from his jawline, past his neck, down to his chest now patched together with some high quality stitch work. "Blood Pump should take care of you from now on." The woman finally pauses briefly, taking a deep breath and resting her back up against her own chair.

"She must really care about you." She says matter of factly in a genuine tone

"No no... i'm not taking any of this... reduce spec." Brian says without making eye contact in an exhausted tone.

The woman giggles with a smile "What..? hahaha it doesn't work that way. You should know that by now. I saw the traces of previous work you've had done. Figured considering how conditioned your body already is to the process that the steep jump up in modification wouldn't give your nervous system much of a problem."

With no energy to protest or bitch about it inhales deeply before plopping his head back onto the chair and exhaling... taking a moment to shift subject.

"I'm guessin' you chipped her Sandy huh."

The woman raises both her eyebrows, shoulders and black, tool tipped ripperdoc hands at the same time.

"She ask ya to do that too or did she just wake up to it." He asks in a mocking tone

The woman quickly sits up in her chair and aggressively leans toward him. "Hey, this isn't a fucking arts and crafts project alright? You were half a flatline when she drug you in here. Didn't even have time to help her while i was working on your ass... she ended up having to take care of herself."

"Who are you...?" Brian asks looking directly at her.

She breaks eye contact with a frustrated expression on her face before standing up and walking over to one of her shelves. He strains to finally sit up fully, hanging his legs off the edge of the chair as he stretches and glances around the place briefly. She comes back over with a small brown paper bag handing it to him.

"Immuno blockers.. DO NOT start taking them right away... From what i could tell... your nerves took to the chrome... extremely well honestly. They're just in case... for now.." She says walking back to other side of the room.

"Where's Zaunya."

"Outside... waiting for you." The woman chuckles before crossing her arms and leaning up against a wall. "Hm... funny... she once told me she doesn't wait for anybody anymore." The woman pauses for a while thinking deeply, debating whether or not she should express something before leaving the wall and slowly walking toward Brian with her arms still crossed. "I don't know who you are... but... I honestly haven't seen her like this in well... quite a long time."

"Like what?" He asks. She stops before Brian looking at him deep in his eyes.

"Alive." She says raising her eyebrows with a serious expression on her face. Brian breaks eye contact as he looks away thinking deeply. She walks past him sitting down back at her desk.

"You were never here. I'm sure that's obvious enough." She says glancing up at him before looking back at her computer. "Shes got deets for you." She says gesturing over toward the exit door. Brian finally gets up off of the chair... the weight of his body thuds to the ground with a subtle but heavy impact. He feels the dense, heavy bones underneath his flesh struggle to catch up with the rest of the neurological responses firing off throughout his body. The bones lightly jostle around underneath his flesh as they softly settle and catch up with every movement.

The new weight distribution catches Brian off guard as he struggles to regain his balance and stumbles a bit. He gingerly walks over to an opened locker containing his clothes and gear which he slowly puts on... working his coordination and range of motion. He makes his way to the exit door before hearing the woman's soft feminine voice speak to him a final time causing him to glance back at her over his shoulder.

"And don't worry... I'll be seeing you again."

The door to the exit slides open as Brian walks out.

Chapter Text

       Zaunya waiting outside the entrance of the ripper's is seen leaned up against a chainlink fence. Her black leather facemask hangs out of her front pocket as she posts one of her long legs up against the fence for stability. The lack of ambient street and advertising lights has her nearly shrouded in darkness as stray sirens and car horns can be heard far off in the distance. Its been a long day... thinking of Brian's injuries causes her to take a brief inventory of her own damage. With chrome as quality as hers, damage that'd normally rip a choom in half like wet tissue paper is nothing more than a few dings and dents to her.

The hierarchy of power that exists within every circuit... every wire... every single piece of chrome anyone may have walking down the street... creates a never ending cybernetic arms race driven by things so very human...

Fear.

Understanding of the sheer precariousness... the fragility of the world around them... bendable to the will of the strongest and most determined.

Zaunya takes long, calm drags of her smoke as she stares deeply into a small puddle beneath her feet... recalling a memory:

       Young Zaunya, now about 16 is seen frantically organizing an opulent tea set. She places the various cups and silverware onto a gold tray. Engraved at the base of the tray reads 'PETROCHEM' glaring up at her. Her hands are shaking as she nervously lifts the tray and makes her way down a long hallway in the corporate mega-structure. She makes her way past various corpos going about their business hearing stray shouting matches, whispered conversations and office equipment being used. Janitors on their hands and knees cleaning up alcohol spills and party trash, vacuuming open offices and scrubbing desks.

       She arrives outside of a board meeting room and is just tall enough to peek in through a small window on top of the door. She sees various suits sat at a huge table deep into a meeting. Her green eyes catch a man sitting at the head of the table with his elbows on the table and his hands folded resting on his forehead looking down. Its clear hes either irate or uninterested in whats going on. She glances behind him to see her mother, standing behind the man seated massaging his shoulders.

       Zaunya enters the room abruptly, bumping into the door awkwardly with the tray causing a clanking noise that startles everyone inside, throwing off the flow of the conversation and causing everyone inside to glance over at her including her mother. The executive being massaged is the last person to look up at her. He glances over at her with a half surprised expression. The conversation continues on normally as everyone re-focuses and Zaunya begins quietly serving tea. She silently offers each member of the table a cup of tea to which some accept and some deny. As she slowly makes her way around the big table she glances over at her mother giving the man at the head of the table a massage before her attention is immediately turned to the man himself staring directly at her. It startles Zaunya as she glances at him realizing just how hard hes staring at her as she attempts to stay focused on her task. After serving each one she would glance over to still see him staring right at her... it was almost as if time had slowed and everything happening around them was inaudible as her senses heightened and her heart rate increased.

       She finally makes her way to him as she sees her mother with her hands on his shoulders with both of them now looking at her with smiles on their faces. The man places his hand on her mother's hand signaling her to stop massaging and to take a step back as he quickly sits upright as Zaunya approaches. Zaunya pours the man a cup of tea as his eyes never leave her face. She quickly goes to turn away without looking at him before hearing his deep, intimidating voice for the first time. "Thank you sweetheart." He says with a big smile on his face making her jump slightly. She turns back around to face him, forcing direct eye contact for the first time as she smiles and nods before quickly turning and walking away. She collects the tray and heads for the door; As it slides open and she steps through, she instinctually feels him still staring at her which compels her to turn around and check. She sees him a final time staring right at her with his hands folded. She stares back fearful as the door slides closed forcibly breaking their eye contact with each other. Ending the recollection.

       Zaunya drops her lit cigarette into the puddle, distorting her reflection. She hears the sound of the door slide open off in the distance causing her to glance up. She looks over to see Brian walk out, quickly looking around the street for her in the opposite direction. He finally looks over in her direction and sees her before B Lining it toward her... She calls out to him.

"Hey, good... You're ok.." She says letting out a sigh of relief. He doesn't respond as he continues walking at her with vigor and anger. Recognizing this, she shifts her tone.

"What..?" She asks confused as Brian gets closer... not responding or altering his speed.

"WHAT?!" She asks again in a raised tone now frustrated, lowering her eyebrows and raising her arms confused.

Brian shoves her toward the fence... The force of the push surprises her and sends her falling back onto it causing the chainlink to clank loud and echo down the alley. He puts both of his hands on her shoulders pushing her up and pinning her against the fence.

"Four days!? Four fuckin' days i spill blood for you and you bring me to a FUCKIN RIPPER?!" Brian shouts cracking his voice and looking her deep in her eyes "WHAT THE FFFUCK!?"

Zaunya struggles to release his grip to no avail. She yells back through her teeth. "You wouldn't... stay awake! You were... dying!"

He quickly lets her go and turns around walking away running his fingers through his short hair with his mouth wide open and his eyes closed tight.

"Was I supposed to just... let you bleed out!? There was NOWHERE. ELSE. TO GO!" Zaunya yells cracking her voice and watching Brian pace back and forth.

"What does she want... Who the hell was that?" He says trying to calm himself glancing over at the door to the building and the surrounding street, recognizing its unmarked and next to impossible to identify.

"Look.. that doesn't matter right now alright? Because this? THIS is time sensitive." She says holding up the black and gold access card they retrieved from 6th street. "Your place is gone... You're going to need this to start over."

Brian puts his hands on his face and raises his eyebrows in disbelief at her audacity. He looks back at her with his raised eyebrows and points directly at her face. "You. You and i... are gonna have words." He says as he walks past her toward the street. Zaunya unable to find the right words quickly follows behind him.

Chapter Text

       Another late night in Night City... The engine of Graves' Butte can be heard with a low and calming hum as the pair drive the streets of Watson gradually making their way over to Arroyo. The flickering, color changing neon lights of Night City fill the cab of the Butte just as quickly as they exit it. Brian glares out of the passenger window with Zaunya behind the wheel driving as his motor functions continue to adjust to the chrome. She occasionally glances over checking up on him as the cab is completely quiet with only the sounds of the engine and ambient city antics happening on the street filling the space. In Night City... you can often find yourself thrown into high stakes situations with people you barely even know or just met... re-enforcing the principal that its not really who you are that matters... only what you're willing to do.

2 strangers driven together by buried emotions and circumstance rely on their personal experience to ground themselves by falling back onto their tried and true ways of operating.

Brian lights a smoke and takes a drag feeling his muscles and bone structure adjusting with every slow exhale. As widely common as cyberware augmentation has gotten over the years... the metaphysical transition from man to machine is anything but trivial. He breaks the silence.

"Who are you." He asks in a dead tone looking over at her.

"Is that really what you wanna know right now?" She promptly responds looking him up and down.

Brian raises his eyebrows and goes back to looking out the window. "Biz then... Access card. I'm assuming you already have a plan or a plan isn't needed for this."

"Why's that."

"Because you've never mentioned it... I've seen the way you look at that thing. 6th street hangout, Back at my choom's place...tch.. you look at it as if seeing an old friend" He says before taking a long drag of his smoke and continuing. "Needless to say, all goes well, divvy should be in my favor. I'm sure you'd agree... all things considered."

"What..?" She asks confused trying to pay attention to the road

"The divvy... payment." He responds impatiently "50/50 just... won't do. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh. Yeah.. right. Of course." She responds dismissively. Her reaction catches Brian's attention. Being the type of person that he is, he makes a mental note of this before shifting subject.

"The Ripper... who the hell keeps a station equipped like that running in a hole in the ground. And how the hell do you know em?"

"Audrey? What, she didn't tell you her name..? Tch.. still doing that ominous bullshit i see. Anyway, she told me that mantis blade cut you got dug into bone past flesh.. i'm assuming it got worse after 6th street... she said it was a miracle you were still able to be up and moving. As for your stab, it hit ribs... broke a few with the force. She could've got you stable and just stopped there but you wouldn't even be on your feet right now.. So... she did me a favor. Didn't tell me what she was gonna do.. just said: 'I got it.' Zaunya takes a deep breath and shakes her head before continuing. "Didn't have any time or options... I'm sorry."

Zaunya apologizing causes Brian to finally look over at her. After a pause of silence in the car he finally responds.

"You saved my life... Don't be sorry." He says in a deep monotone before continuing to look back out of the window. She looks over at him, barely missing his eye before looking down then back at the road. A long pause happens in the cab while the NC nightlife passes by with flying colors before they pick back up.

"So other than S-tier basement rippers what other contacts ya got hm? What do you even do...? How'd you meet her?"

Zaunya looks over surprised, raising her eyebrows with a now slight smile on her face.

"Questions galore now huh? That how you deal with your nerves before a gig?"

"Eh, I don't usually dive head first into some work completely blind."

"Could've fooled me. That speech cowboy hat gave back there seemed pretty far off the mark from where i'm sitting."

Brian looks down on the floor of the cab still holding his lit cig with a now big grin on his face. Zaunya looking over notices this.

"What?" She says giggling

"You're cute when you flirt." He says before taking another drag and flicking it out of the window. Clearly understanding that Zaunya won't get into who she is, he uses the ripper in attempt to pry further and find leads. He raises his hands out in front of him before clinching them both into fists and taking the time to really feel his skeletal structure, joints and muscle density. The process of merging meat with metal promises to have different affects based on the host body as well as the quality of chrome applied. Any even slightly unstable mix of the aforementioned can lead to catastrophic results... all things considered... Brian no doubt won the cybernetic lottery with this rip. He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"This isn't just some over the counter, bargain basement cyberware. Its already neurologically settled.. with little to no side or after affects... How the hell do you get someone like that on call?"

Zaunya looks over before quickly looking back at the road.. another pause takes place between the two of them.

"She knew my mother."

Brian looks over at her without saying anything, thinking only to himself: 'Knew her mother?' his mind begins to race. 'Was her mom a corpo? Ex-military? Politician? I don't have the spec on her at all... don't know her chrome. Don't know where were going... what shes doing... don't know... anything.'

This thought hits him hard and sticks with him as he begins to feel and understand the same feelings Marilyn once felt when dealing with him. Brian sits back in his seat without responding to her. The feeling of a reckoning takes ahold of him as the pair continue to drive through the neon soaked Night City.

Chapter Text

       The tires of the Butte creep into the dark back corner of an alley between a fence and a series of warehouses planted side by side. The destroyed condition of the building they sit next to is clear. Being on the border of Arroyo, he keep his head on a swivel remaining alert... hes familiar with the usual back alley hotspots that you can find all sorts of activity happening at odd hours... this particular setup not being much different. He glances over to see Zaunya NOT doing the same thing as she instead has a fixed stare on the towering 'Petrochem' mega structures across the street. Leaned up against the Butte, she takes deep inhales of her cigarette not paying much attention to Brian checking his iron and supplies. She carries with her a stoic energy and tenseness that he picks up on making him wary. The closer they got to their destination on the ride over, the less and less she spoke... almost in a trance while being now singularly focused on something that seems almost irrelevant from Brian's perspective.

       Zaunya flicks her cig out through the fence down into the waiting embankment to their left. She puts her black leather facemask back on as the pair of them pick up their pace almost into a light jog moving behind the series of warehouses. They slip in to the nearest one through a giant hole in the side of its wall with crumbled concrete. Brian then effortlessly lifts her, boosting her up to the second floor before casually jumping, and lifting himself up the rest of the way. The pair of them take a position, peeking past their destroyed building looking onto the warehouse next door, which happened to offer some dim, ambient, red and blue lighting from a glowing sign that read 'Electric Corporation'. The pair silently observe several posted guards walking the perimeter and interior of the building. They both glance at each other preparing to make their move.

       

       They wait until the perimeter guards pass by before quietly dropping down out of their building and quickly sneaking past the gate entrance and road leading in. They quickly hug up against a wall of the facility before crouching down by a door after spotting an active surveillance camera. Zaunya quickly stands up... they share a look with each other before Brian grabs her by her waist, lifting her up towards the camera... She lightly pushes the camera upward, forcing it to look up blankly at the night sky. He gently lets her down, dropping her onto her feet while still holding onto her waist; She instinctually grabs for his shoulders to catch and stabilize her balance. This is now the most intimate their contact with each other has ever been as the pair glance at each other... catching each other's eyes before quickly letting go at the same time... recognizing the intimacy and ridding themselves of it.

       An abrupt bang from something metal falling off of a shelf inside the building breaks the moment and refocuses the pair. They both duck back down outside the door as Zaunya attempts to force it open. Brian switches places with her, moving closer to the door before placing the palm of his hand on the left side of it and slowly running it up and down the frame feeling for something. He lightly taps at several areas around the frame before working his fingers inbetween a loose groove near the locking mechanism and applying just the right amount of pressure to bend it outward, freeing the lock and sliding the door right open.

The pair quickly duck in as Zaunya slides the door closed behind them. They hear the sounds of 2 blue collar Petrochem employees talking as they listen from a nearby empty room.

"GOD DAMNIT!" One of the men yells looking on at the big pile of pipes spread out around the floor of the warehouse just recently fallen off of a collapsed shelf that couldn't handle the load.

"I told ya they wouldn't fit up there choom. Even if they did... i knew this piece of shit wouldn't be able to hold em." The other man says with his arms crossed looking on.

"FUCK this. I'm not pickin any of this shit up. Lunch time anyway. Cmon, lets go."

"Oh, no no no choom.. I'm not doin Buck A Slice again. That scop turned my fuckin guts inside out last time."

"Choombatta... come on. Chick workin there LOVES me! How can ya turn down some free slices!" The second man takes a deep breath before responding.

"Ahh..fuck it. I'm starving... lets go." He says as the two of them make their way to the garage exit on the opposite end of the building carrying on a conversation.

       




       Zaunya and Brian enter the dimly lit, open warehouse making their way past the pipes littered on the ground to another door requiring a pin. Brian glances around the warehouse before watching Zaunya pull out the black and gold access card and hold it up in front of the reader. The pinlock lights up green and beeps before the door slides open, revealing a steep staircase leading to another door. Its clear at first glance that this staircase now leads deep under the structure itself with no indication as to where to. Before Brian can whisper anything, Zaunya puts her arm out in front of him motioning him to take a few steps back. She takes a knee right by the entrance to the door and uses the palm of her hand to feel along the floor right inside of the opened door frame. She lightly presses down with her hand causing a small strip of the concrete to sink into itself. Brian looks on confused before his attention is turned to the staircase. They both watch as dozens of infrared lasers instantly appear covering the entire staircase. It makes Brian jump slightly and take a step back as the lasers quickly switch from red to green indicating safety.

       Zaunya goes to step in through the door frame as Brian quietly grabs her shoulder with uncertainty and hesitation. She looks back at him and reaches for his arm before grabbing it and gently pulling him toward going in. The pair make their way down the steep staircase as Zaunya uses the card again to open the door at the bottom. The two step through as Brian slides the door closed behind them. Zaunya stops him again in his tracks as they look on down a well lit, long, empty, narrow hallway. She takes a deep breath before closing her eyes and re-opening them with focus. She triggers her Sandevistan... sprinting full speed down the narrow hallway getting to the end of it and pressing a red button near the pin lock and almost falling on her face. She feels light headed and dizzy... unable to get back up to her feet forcing her to stay planted up against the door taking exhausted deep labored breaths. Brian watching this, sees her condition and goes to step forward... she quickly puts her hand out toward him silently signaling him not to move. A brief, tense moment passes as the infrared lasers again fill up the entire hallway before blinking green several times and disappearing.

       Brian makes his way down the long hallway to her still in a haze on the ground... clearly the use of her sandevistan is taking its toll... Brian makes a mental note of this. He slowly helps her up to her feet with her equilibrium still off... he begins to open his mouth to ask if shes ok before she quickly places her hand over it while shaking her head signaling him to stay quiet. She regains her senses and pulls the access card back out holding it up in front of the pin lock... it beeps once before following up with an invalid error sound. Brian quickly looks over at Zaunya with growing concern... she holds the card up again only to hear the same invalid beep as the tension grows and her heart sinks. She steps back and takes a deep breath with her eyes closed for a moment... a routine technique she uses to center herself in tense moments before trying again. This time the pinlock quickly beeps invalid again before correcting itself and turning green with a confirmed beep causing the heavy reinforced door to slowly slide open.

       They slowly walk into the room as the sensors for the lights are triggered illuminating the space. Brian's eyes and mouth open wide as he looks on at an almost endless spattering of chemical barrels stacked from floor to ceiling. Shelves filled with various vials of samples and tools used to operate the warehouse are scattered around the area alongside various biohazardous containers and tubs. He notices a wall filled with smaller chemical barrels towards the back housed behind thick glass isolated from the rest of the supplies stored. Overwhelmed and confused he turns around to confront Zaunya only to see her jacking in to a computer nearby the testing station and ripping data as her eyes flicker blue briefly.

"What the fuck is all this!?" He shouts amongst blaring alarms turning around to look at her.

Zaunya completely ignores him before getting up and aiming her Nue right past him, thinking shes aiming it at him causes his heart to sink- "Was my intuition right?" He quickly thinks to himself. A flood of various thought reactions flood into his mind while staring at the barrel of her iron.

Instead, she aims at the glass and unloads a volley of rounds sending loud booming echos throughout the warehouse, causing him to flinch and puncturing the glass along with the barrels within it. The punctured barrels quickly begin to pour out thick, green glowing liquid onto the warehouse floor as a loud buzzer and flashing lights start to go off triggering the automated security voice.

=ALERT. CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL INITIATED= ALERT. CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL INITIATED=

       Brian quickly looks back to see the heavy reinforced door they entered in from closing as slow as it opened. He sprints back to it and uses all of his strength to prevent it from closing as he fights against the pressure. He looks over to see Zaunya shooting several automated extinguishers on the ceiling attempting to coat the green liquid pouring out while running back towards him. She uses her momentum to slide under past him back into the hallway. Brian lets the door go as it slams closed and the pair of them sprint full speed down the narrow hallway listening to chemical chain reactions igniting and exploding on the other side of the door. They race up the steep staircase as the entire building begins to violently shake occasionally knocking them off balance. The flames spin at a rapid pace blasting the containment door down the hallway and sending a purge of flame up and out of the staircase and the rest of the warehouse. The loud booming explosion shakes the earth and lights up the dark Night City streets with a green hue and smoke plumes as the pair are seen sliding down the embankment leading into the river tunnel before sprinting further down it.

Chapter Text

       Brian screeches the Butte to a halt on gravel and dirt. They find themselves on the outskirts of Night City in the Badlands... He hops out of the car and walks in front of it gazing out at the distant, silent glow of NC... with feint green plumes of aftermath smoke off in the far distance. With his adrenaline rushing he hears Zaunya's passenger door open. He looks back directly at her before B-Lining it up to her pissed off, her shout stops him in his tracks right in front of her as he irately listens.

"WE GOT WHAT WE CAME FOR..." She yells in a raised defensive tone. "This was the-"

"What THE FUCK was going through your head back there!? That was a fuckin Petrochem warehouse buried in the FUCKIN GROUND!!"

"We just needed the data to the!-"

Brian leans in close lowering his voice and looking directly into her eyes instinctually making her step back intimidated. He grits his teeth... a tone of anger and disbelief. "Petrochem's a fucking MEGACORP!! They're gonna have eyes all over this shit! Corpos don't give a fuck about the first strike... they make sure they take the last one... and for WHAT!?" He pauses briefly.

"You're not a merc, you're a fuckin' terrorist." He whispers to himself as he steps away and turns his back to her.





The pair separate and share a long pause... allowing the ambient sounds of the baron badlands to take over briefly. Zaunya finally speaks in a softened, forthcoming tone... narrating her own recollections.




"I was born in Night City... not really how most people are though... there wasn't much in the way of a childhood where i come from..." Zaunya's boots kick rocks and scrape gravel as she walks toward the edge of the cliff... looking out into silent glow of Night City. She continues.

"I come from a legacy family of security... Protectors of some of the most high-value assets in the city. My grandfather was once sworn shield to the PetroChem CEO himself. His abilities were second to none... Heightened sense of awareness, sharp reflexes... but most importantly... unwavering loyalty to the corp. These gifts... abilities... permeated throughout the family... raising our status and value overtime beyond that of even some of the most valued corpos in the city. Fear and success... kept us safe... gave us access to a life lived by few and desired by all..."

"My mom was shield to a PetroChem board executive... one of the highest ranking members of the company... born into it of course. They uhm... they didn't give us names." Zaunya says shakily as a flashback begins:

       

       Zaunya's mom is seen engaged in high intensity combat training in different scenarios against various opponents. Skillfully stopping or immobilizing each one after the other with brutal technique while using her cyberware augmentations to maximum efficiency. Petrochem executives and developers whisper amongst each other as they watch her showcase her capabilities with the latest in chrome and tactical training PetroChem had to offer. As if they were looking at the latest Rayfield super-sport model being showcased... she was just another product. Everything from Robot R MK 2s to slabs of concrete and granite are effortlessly cut down by her speed and power. The discretion of her implants was paramount as well... needing to maintain a professional look when with the appropriate clientele.

"Training was life. The only driving motivation we had was... to do everything in our power to keep PetroChem HVTs safe."

       Zaunya's mother is next seen at a high level corpo meeting taking place in a neon soaked bar deep in Night City, stood behind an executive she's assigned to. An assassin resembling that of someone gone cyberpsycho crashes in through a nearby window at break neck speed. Several other security are decapitated through the psycho's sheer forward momentum charging toward his target before he lunges for her executive. Zaunya's mom quickly steps in between the two of them causing her to be impaled by the assassin's mantis blade through the gut. The impact of the strike sends her blood flying directly into the face of her executive before he's yanked out of the way to safety by another suit. She instinctually shrieks in pain before gripping on tightly and shoving the mantis blade deeper into her own gut... pulling the psycho in closer allowing her to grab his head. Before he can swing his other blade, she squeezes with all of her strength... blood seeps out of her mouth with an intense look on her face as she crushes his skull into an explosion of brains and metal that covers her face. She falls facedown motionless on top of the headless corpse as her executive scrambles away in fear now surrounded by a small army.

"Sacrifice... was our purpose of living."

Several other PetroChem bodyguards swarm the area in the aftermath around Zaunya's mom rushing to her aid, rolling her over, and securing the perimeter around her and the executive.

"Always figured they didn't name us because... we needed to be expendable. Nothing more than a write-off... if anything were to happen to us... It was like we never existed. How we were viewed to the corp in public was nothing like how we were viewed in private... even amongst those of status and absolute power. Being the weapon in a room full of targets often put you at the top of this weird... social hierarchy. Such a contrast... fucked with our heads."

You next hear Zaunya's mother's high-heels tapping across a marble floor in a pristine executive office... shes wearing a thin gold slip accentuating her curves and highlighting her long legs. She opens a concealed door on the wall toward the back of the office, leading into a hidden room.

       The room housed a bed with bright neon pink lights surrounding it... flooding the room with vibrancy... pink silk sheets that shined in the dim light with various mirrors surrounding the room all focused on the bed. The Petro executive, leaned back on the bed with no shirt on watches her enter the room with fire and lust in his eyes. He looks her up and down... slowly gazing at her face all the way down her body to her feet. Zaunya's mom slides the door closed.

"After things started to settle down... Petro execs needed less protection and more... service."

Zaunya pauses and takes a deep breath, struggling to find the words she wants to say next. Brian continues to listen from the hood of the Butte, watching her stare off into the city from behind her. The silhouette of her long black hair lightly blowing in the wind along with the tail flaps of her modified kuomori trench coat. She continues.

"I was late to cleaning the execs office one evening at the end of the day... hadn't seen my mom around for quite some time at that point. I just... pressed up against the wall lightly by accident and the door slid open... scared the shit out of me."

       Young Zaunya walks into the hidden room where she is met with a neon pink ambient glow and a spotless bedroom setup. It grabs ahold of her curiosity and draws her in.. The door slides closed behind her as she slowly walks throughout the room covering herself in neon pink ambient lighting and slowly taking it all in with her mouth agape... wondering what the hell all this is... it was as if she had stepped into another world. It was warm... the marbled floors were heated... and the mirrors were spotless. Even though dead silent... the room carried intensity... an energy she couldn't possibly describe but certainly felt.

       

        Zaunya hears the front door to the executive office beep and slide open causing her to gasp and turn around. She then hears the sound of a man talking loudly with a slurred speech and a woman giggling alongside him as the sounds of their steps grow closer. She recognizes her mother's giggle and instinctually dives under the bed to hide... her heart begins to race as the tandem steps of dress shoes and high heels on the marble floor grow closer toward the hidden door. Before she can even think, the door slides open and the pair bring their outting energy into the bedroom. Zaunya sees only her mother's feet in high heels next to a pair of dress shoes as she giggles while being pushed onto the bed... the exectuive quickly follows behind her.

The combined weight of the two slams onto the bed forcing it down slightly on top of Zaunya's back making her jump and opening her eyes wide. She forces her hands over her mouth before she hears her mom speak.

"You've had too much. I can tell." She says to the executive while giggling.

"Ahh... too much- Never! hahahaha!... Never too much of you!" He responds before starting to make out with her on the bed.

As the action progresses and the movement on the bed increases in intensity... Zaunya hears the sounds of moaning in ecstasy turn to fear and turmoil.

As the executives tempo increases.. so do his grunts of pleasure... as do Zaunya's mom's grunts of pain. The bed continues to give under their combined weight lightly pressing down on Zaunya's back.

"S-slow down! What are you d-doing!? S-STOP!" Zaunya's mom struggles to say... he grabs her by the throat tightly with one hand and pins her arm down to the bed with the other... with all of his strength continuing to pump harder and harder.

"S-STOP!! PLEASE!!!" Zaunya's mother struggles to yell through her teeth as she shrieks with her breath being taken away... the executive continues to grunt even louder. Zaunya's mom goes silent as the executive continues holding her down by her neck and pumping as hard as he can.

Zaunya under the bed covers her ears with her arms as the bed presses down on top of her repeatedly.

Zaunya takes another drag of her smoke before closing her eyes tight, forcing tears down the side of her cheeks as she turns her head to the side. The distant neon glow of the Night Cityscape catches a slight reflection off of her tears. She continues to recall the past after taking a moment to gather herself:

Several days later, young Zaunya is now seen sat at the opposite end of the executives desk subtly staring at the hidden door in a trance. She's now surrounded by a bunch of nameless suits who have gathered around her for a meeting at the executive's desk without him in attendance. His new assistant speaks to her in a softened, feminine tone feinting excitement.

"Good morning Zaunya! I hope you're having a good day. We just wanted to come together to share some great news with you!" Zaunya looks up at the woman... staring at her manufactured smile.

"Y-Your mother has been assigned to PetroChem Abroad! This is one of the highest honors to be sure! She'll be responsible for overseeing all of the most important protection and safety initiatives of the entire company! She will even have her own personal team under her leadership!"

       Little Zaunya, intimidated by the imposing suits around her, is forced to sit and listen to the woman. As the sound of the woman's voice fades into the background... Zaunya looks back over at the hidden door as tension begins to course through her body... rendering her unable to breath as she begins to hyperventilate.

The sound of the woman repeatedly calling her name snaps her out of it, causing her to quickly look up at her.

"Zaunya...? Zaunya? Your mother even took the time to leave you a message that we have for you right here." Zaunya, confused in disbelief quickly sits up in her seat and focuses in on the laptop in front of her... her eyes begin to well-up.

She sees her mom sat at a blank brown desk with a muted black background behind her in a pre-recorded video. Her mom gathers herself on video slightly before speaking.


"Uhm... H-Hi Zaunya! Sorry I couldn't see you... before I left." She pauses and glances at several of the people off camera.

"I've... i've been told that my services are in high demand throughout the companies' various locations and... they'll be needing me far outside of Night City." She pauses again, at a loss for words... struggling to find the next ones before continuing.

"I'm... i'm not sure when i'll be back sweetie..." She says now staring into the camera as if talking to her daughter in person with no one else around.

"Please... please take care of yourself... my... my sweet baby girl." She says half smiling and half crying.

She pauses even longer as her and Zaunya stare each other deep in the eyes through the screen... the world around them fades to black.

"......I love you honey." She whispers cracking her voice.

The video cuts. Leaving nothing behind but a blank screensaver and text that reads: 'PETROCHEM'

Chapter Text

The cold stillness of the badlands has the pair in quiet, deep thought. Brian leans up against Graves' Butte... heavily impacted by Zaunya's story. He remains silent as he watches her gaze upon the distant neon glow of Night City... her long hair and koumori trench gently fluttering in the breeze. He carries an expression of disbelief before looking down in mourning. She continues.

"I was... trapped- I had... no one. Nowhere to run... n-nowhere to go. Confined to the will of the megacorp that killed my mom." She begins to pace back and forth again... pouring her inner thoughts out in a way Brian didn't know she could considering how guarded she's been.

Her hands shake from clinched fists... tightly cracking her knuckles as her voice cracks while shouting.

"They gave me her position... presented it to me like a FUCKING GIFT! Forced me to be by his side constantly. He... he never brought another woman around us... and... he never looked at me..... he wouldn't look at me. All of our communications were done through proxy... even though i was right by his side. His guilt did nothing but enrage me." She squats down, still looking at the city with her back turned to Brian... the wind gently continuing to blow the loose fabric of her clothes. She gathers herself before continuing.

"I retreated into my training... being shield to one of the 'highest valued' execs on the board came with perks... tch, they treated me like fucking royalty. Tried to give me my own handlers, high-end experimental cyberware upgrades, master level security clearances, the works. I always knew it was him... the way he'd look at me... it was like... he knew i knew." Brian crosses his arms and shifts his weight leaned up against the Butte. She continues

"Years went by like this. As i grew up, I just became... numb to it. Stopped thinking about ways out... started focusing on ways in." She mumbles in a monotone gritting her teeth. With clinched fists, her tone shifts to building anger... a close-up of her green eyes reflect the glowing Night Cityscape within them as she stares deeply off into it.

"What'd you do." Brian speaks for the first time... asking in a serious tone unfamiliar to her.

Zaunya finally breaks focus on the city off in the distance... she turns to look at him over her shoulder... her expression is one shrouded in growing rage.

She says nothing... A flashback begins:

       Zaunya is seen barefoot... slowly walking in the hidden room at the back of the executive's office... a place shes now grown far too familiar with. The light slapping of her feet on marbled floor combines with the loud snoring of the executive passed out in the middle of the bed naked. She's gently slipped each of his limbs into steel wire restraints tied to the gold framed bed as he comfortably sleeps, completely worn out. Shes wearing a red slip, accentuating her curves and long legs as it lightly flows behind her from her walking speed. The neon-pink hue of the room warms the space as Zaunya receives a text message from Audrey:

=Jammers up. Delta the fuck out of there... Now.=

Zaunya glances at the text before glancing back at the executive... her instinct compels her to seize the opportunity to finally flee... but a wave of dark memories flood her mind like stabbing knives. The culmination of loss... sacrifice and brutality... brought about by a lifetime of service grabs ahold of her and doesn't let go.

       She looks back at the table shes standing in front of and grabs the K-Bar formerly belonging to her mother before looking back and walking towards him. She gently mounts on top of the executive and rests her weight on his stomach, staring down at his unconscious face. She grips the K-Bar tightly with both hands and raises it up as high as she can before bringing it down with full force... driving it deep into his abdomen. The force of the stab jolts him awake, instantly opening his eyes as wide as possible and making him shriek in immense pain. Zaunya jolts in fear at the sudden onset of brutality as he desperately triggers his sandevistan in an instinctual attempt to flee. He attempts to lift his right hand and swings at her with all of his strength while triggering a blade in the palm of his hand that slices Zaunya's neck and up to her jaw, cutting her deep and sending blood flying. The jolt of his wild, incapacitated movements knocks Zaunya off balance as the tension of the steel wire holding his arm re-tightens and yanks it back down. As he continues to repeatedly fire the Sandy, the chrome begins to short circ as electro static smoke begins to plume and shoot out. Zaunya panics... she scrambles back on top of him and begins to repeatedly stab with all of her strength... With each plunge, the pair of them let out feral shrieks and grunts on a rattling bed struggling to carry their weight.

       The executive's shrieks eventually stop as the taught tension on the steel wire holding him down begins to loosen and he lay there lifeless. Zaunya continues to stab repeatedly with all of her strength... her eyes wide open and gritting her teeth. The knife plunges deep into the neck, face and chest as an overwhelming amount of blood begins to spray out covering her nearly naked body. The feral sounds of her grunts and screams vibrate the sound-proofed walls as she continues to stab... only stopping due to exhaustion.

As her grip strains, she lets go of the knife while still sat atop the now barely recognizable corpse... just a pool of viscera with hair on top. The new silence in the room gives way to Zaunya's deep labored breathing. She stares deeply at the naked, now faceless executive... a tension release is followed by a brief feeling of closure... a feeling gone as quickly as it arrived.

       A long pause takes place with Zaunya in a trance on top of the body as she slows her breathing. She then grabs the knife again and raises it towards him as she begins to slice and hack his body in half using experienced muscle to work her way past various chrome, ganic flesh and bone. She removes his broad shoulders and the top part of his head seeing various blinking lights from the s.o.s and trauma team pings triggering unsuccessfully due to the jammer.

She bags the executives torso before throwing a bunch of various items and trinkets on top of it she had collected overtime... some holding irreplaceable memories. The final thing being a picture of her as a child... smiling in her mother's arms in front of a PetroChem corporate building... Ending the flashback

Zaunya continues to stare out into Night City with the wind blowing. "I could have just... ran." 


She takes a long pause... her voice still and genuine. 

"But there's nowhere to run to like Night City..... A cesspool of chaos where yesterday's events are tomorrow's forgotten history."



She begins to open her mouth to speak but unable to find the words... overwhelmed with emotion.

She hears the sound of Brian's footsteps behind her crunching rocks as he approaches. She turns to face him as tears start to run down her face.

"She could've killed him.." She says... her voice trembling.


Brian pulls Zaunya in to his chest, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight as she breaks down.

"SHE COULD'VE KILLED HIM!!!" She yells into his chest as she falls into him... the momentum drives the pair to their knees holding each other tightly as she cries uncontrollably into his chest. Her true self... her true being laid to bare before him... for Night City... an impossible moment.

Their silhouettes hold each other tightly in the darkened Badlands... overlooking the towering... imposing glow of the Night Cityscape... awaiting their return.

Chapter Text

       The heavy taps of black high-heels rapidly stomp one after the other across a linoleum floor. Various corpos throughout the halls doing various tasks and carrying on various conversations quickly realize who she is and move out of her way. Some bow their heads in respect while others offer a nervous smile with wavering eye contact. The smells of fresh roasted coffee and business colognes combine with designer perfume and recently cleaned carpets. The woman makes her way through the long, wide PetroChem megabuilding halls to a gold elevator that scans her before opening.

       The elevator rises with a gradual hum... there's a brief pause of stillness before the woman takes the moment of privacy to hyperventilate; Catching her fall by posting her hand on a wall in the elevator and struggling to catch her breath. Shades of her humanity begin to pierce through the cracks of her corporate shell while no one's looking. To climb this high to the top and still remain rocksteady is often only possible for those who've ridded themselves of such things like 'humanity'. This one however...... seems to have somehow slipped through the cracks. She quickly gathers herself before taking a final deep breath and stabilizing the shaking in her hands... clenching them together tightly. The emotionless gaze worn by a veteran of this daily struggle washes over her face as the elevator dings open.

       She enters an executive suite with a birds eye view overlooking the sunny and bustling Night City's Center. The lavish opulence of the office suite glimmered in the eye of the sun's rays beaming in through the wall sized windows. A beautiful black and gold theme was present throughout... marbled pillars and floors with glossy high-polish reflections. Intricate corpo trinkets and awards rest in calculated locations for prestige. Spotless jet black carpets sported golden PetroChem branding with various gold patterns and trim throughout them. An executive leaned up against his black wooden desk smoking a cigarette stares out into the City with his arms crossed. He speaks in a deep tone... clearly on edge.

"The postmortem. Is it complete."

"Yes sir." The woman promptly responds. "They're still digging through the details. The clean up is gonna be a real bitch... collateral damage reached most of the block and across the street. Families of the deceased employees are being paid for their silence and cooperation with public statements. N54 and all other media outlets sniffing around are being fed diversion or damage control."

She steps across the black and gold marbled floor... her high heels tapping one after the other causing a hollow echo to flutter through the air. The fabric of her jet black corpo skirt rubs against her thighs as she makes her way beside him... joining him looking out into the cityscape with her back straight and hands clasped behind her back. She continues.

"Product is completely irretrievable. No security footage recovered now that the buildings been leveled. Several eye-witnesses are being probed as we speak. Instructions were clear to focus on intel gathering over cleaning on the building site... not much you can do with a fucking explosion though. Its everywhere by now. Dealing with this by the book is going to take a shit ton of time."

He listens while still gazing out into Night City, taking long drags of his smoke... his gold ring with the PetroChem logo on his middle finger briefly catches the sunlight and reflects off. He speaks.

"Rectifying the product shortage is priority number one regardless of time." He takes a deep breath letting out a sigh... calculating the various compounding problems looming on the horizon. "The new formula won't be easy to replicate. Why the fuck was security not-"

"Board made the call sir... they decided on discretion for the product over security."

"Fuck discretion. They're shooting themselves in the foot. The product was integral to finally obtaining leverage over Sovoil. For it to go up in smoke just like that... cleaning this up is gonna be a real bitch." He says before taking another drag.

"What are next steps sir."

The exec pauses briefly... thinking deeply while smoking.

"Touch bases with the research team. See what can be done about the product setback... if further funding is needed for whatever reason... provide it. Have the auditors on high alert. If any traces of the formula make their way to the streets I want to know about it. Its essential this doesn't get into the wrong hands."

A long pause takes place between the two... they each continue to look out into the cascading Night Cityscape... hearing the muffled sounds of a busy city behind thick glass in each other's presence.

"And the goons who did it?" She asks.

"Get local PD to sniff around. Start with the vehicle witnesses saw." He continues speaking as you quietly see Brian and Zaunya driving through the pitch black badlands with the city off in the distance from the night prior.

"Fact is... Whoever did this... knew exactly what they were doing... We just gotta find out why... to find the who."

Zaunya takes drags of her smoke in the passenger seat with a fixed gaze out of the window into the badlands. Brian meanwhile has his gaze fixed on the bright neon lights of Night City off in the distance. The rumbling engine of the Butte settles into the late evening breeze... the warmth of the cab takes over the pair sharing a quiet, somber silence after an intense and personal interaction.

The bonds and connections made on any given day in Night City can grab ahold of you as strongly as they can push you away... Whom you choose to trust or open up to could lead to outcomes you may not even wish on your worst enemies. The collective experiences you have may drive you down a path you'd soon rather set ablaze than take a single step down.

       Completely exhausted, the desire for the two of them to interact at this point is far gone... with so much on each of their minds and so much they'd like to say... for one reason or another... they've both found it best to keep thoughts and words to themselves. The quiet ambience of the baron badlands far away from that of Night City's booming, relentless ambience is a welcome change of pace... allowing for some quiet time to organize thoughts. The pair slowly approach a parking lot with neon pink lights gradually filling up the cab the closer and closer they get.

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       The white noise of scattered insects fills the baron wastes... the communal buzzes and chirping overlapping each other isn't much different than idle street chatter during a bustling night on the town. Brian, in a quiet focus rests his forearms on the balcony railing in deep thought... taking heavy drags of his smoke and staring at a neon-pink flickering sign that reads 'Dollop of Sunshine'. The area's mellow with very few passers by to and from along with the occasional off-roader flying by.

The type of quiet isolation you can find this far removed from the energy... the pressure of the city... can often bring out unseen aspects of one's self. Isolated confinement for people like these... is an entirely different type of battle.

       Zaunya, just inside their motel room behind Brian impatiently paces back and forth with her jacket off.. showing her sleeveless black leather vest. She slowly stretches her neck... restless adrenaline seeping out of her like pressure cooker steam. She kicks a dresser with a bunch of glass bottles on it sending them rolling... smashing to the stained carpet floor. She's trying to maintain her nerve unsuccessfully... revisiting the past has brought back buried emotions... traumatic memories return like waves pounding the rocky shore. Vulnerability and sorrow... turning to rage and bloodlust like a stoked flame. She aggressively runs her fingers through her hair... gripping tightly... yanking on it... struggling to maintain her cool.

Again... it is clear that the two of them have had several conversations before this point... the contrast in the pair's mental state lends to what some of those conversations just may have been.

Brian stuck in a state of deep thought drowns out the environment around him as he hones in on a memory... triggering a flashback:

       The bright glowing neon sign towering above all of the chaos reads 'Jig Jig Street'. Marilyn runs through the street in a hurry with Brian in tow, dragging him behind her as he attempts to keep up with her pace. She giggles gleefully with excitement as they weave through crowds posted on the block including some of her Mox sisters at work beating down some corpo rat as "DON'T FUCK WITH THE MOXES!!" Is shouted off in the distance. The variety of vibrant colors on display is staggering. Neon trimmed skirts and leggings, glowing tattoos and piercings, designer fashionware with wet, glossy finishes... denim vests and platform heels with chasing LEDs... flashy jewelry and hyper-stylized implants sported by chrome bodied baddies. Joytoys slinging sex and dealers slinging drugs... alluring debauchery drawing in the lustful hunger of even the most straight edged out there. A fly trap for the corpo class that yanks em in and doesn't let go.

The loud booming music vibrating the streets of a hot summer night in Night City... is in full swing.

       Marilyn and Brian rush to and arrive at their destination... stood outside of a pod with a front that reads "BD SHACK". Marilyn attempts to lightly open one of the shacks to no avail. She then runs her fingers down the slit of the door and works them inbetween before attempting to force it open. As Brian watches, he hears the compressed air and working mechanics of her gorilla arms engage and the door frame give in to the force. As the door rips open they see a couple in the shack engaged in intense intercourse... the woman on top of the man glances back at them briefly before continuing completely undeterred. Brian and Marilyn quickly look at each other and share an embarrassed laugh amongst themselves. Brian slides the wrecked door closed back into place leaving it basically open as Marilyn pulls him toward the next shack beside it.

       They enter the empty BD shack and sit on the tattered couch inside... the door slides closed as the pair of them lock eyes and get close. Marilyn, with a huge smile on her face grabs Brian's left hand and raises it up between the two of them. She then raises her right hand and laces her fingers in-between his... squeezing his hand tight before loosening the grip and adjusting the angle. Their matching gorilla arm cyberware hands sport a sleek, blood red metal finish, reflecting the dim light; the cyberware augmented onto them weaves perfect with the RealSkinn still left on their hands creating a clean finish... some of the spoils of their raid on Maelstrom. With their palms connected and their fingers now loosely laced, Marilyn begins to weave a thick wire around their connected hands. She weaves the wire between their fingers and wraps it around their palms and wrists... yanking it tight with each loop being sure not to leave any space between them while never breaking their deep, intimate eye contact.

"What..?" Brian asks in a calm tone with a big smile on his face as Marilyn continues to giggle.

"What..?" he says again giggling with her. She grits her teeth as she yanks the wire tight a final time... constricting one of each of their hands together.

They continue to lock eyes as Marilyn places Brian's wreath on his head while kissing him before placing her wreath on her own head.

       With the muffled sounds of loud booming music and people partying outside the door of the shack, Marilyn and Brian sit laid back on the couch stared up at the ceiling in an open-eyed trance... engaged in an intense braindance. Their bodies twitch and jolt in ecstasy as Marilyn's moans of extreme, overwhelming pleasure grow louder and louder. Her body begins to tense up as she squeezes her bare thighs tightly together and curls her toes. As the intensity in their physical responses grow, their tightly laced hands twitch and yank... straining the wire working hard to hold them together. Marilyn's deep moans and breaths of ecstasy build and build in surrendering intensity.

A loud crash of breaking glass in the motel room behind Brian snaps him out of his flashback.

Zaunya screams in rage to the sounds of more shattering glass and screaming... causing Brian to glance back into the room. As more furniture gets smashed and glass breaks... her screams in anger build. He flicks his cigarette out into the parking lot below before turning to re-enter the room.

Chapter Text

       A close-up of Zaunya's cut and bloody hands shaking do their best to try and stabilize themselves... she takes slow deep breaths as she sits up against a wall in the back of the small motel room... her bout of rage subsiding and returning to a simmer. The quiet stillness of the room combines with her heavy breathing and the stray sounds of engines speeding by outside. While collecting herself... she hears the door to the room slide open.

       She looks up to see Brian calmly walk into the room and approach her. Without a word, he grabs a cloth out of his pocket and kneels down next to her... he begins gently cleaning her hands. Zaunya feels a wave of embarrassment wash over her as Brian checks her hands for deep cuts. While holding one of her hands, he places a cigarette on her lips and lights it for her... taking a seat next to her sitting up against the wall. He lights one of his own as the pair sit in silence taking deep drags allowing the busy noise outside the room to take back over for a bit.


Brian breaks the silence.

"Petrochem-" He says... making Zaunya look over at him.

"-Is one of the biggest megacorps in Night City... plenty of eds to snatch..." She quickly responds dismissively

"No... I mean, if this is just a means to an end for you... If this is just a one-way. I need to know. Corpos don't forget. At best... shit just gets filed away only to be re-opened later."

"Then what the fuck is your point Brian." She asks impatiently.

"My point is... if we're gonna do this... I need to know where your head's at. Going in blind ain't gonna cut it."

She takes another drag of her smoke and runs her fingers through her hair without responding. Tampered emotions attached to unforgettable memories continuing to fester that shes uninterested in delving into.

A long pause happens as the pair sit next to each other. Brian again breaks the silence.

"I lost my best friend." 




Zaunya looks over at him curious. His mind defaults to Marilyn... visualizing her beautiful face smiling at him. A series of quick flashes passes by in his mind of some of their time together... one's hes uninterested in sharing with us. He quickly catches himself before mentioning her... shifting the direction of the story last second.

"That same night we met... I had a uh... had a gig..." Brian shifts his weight and takes another drag of his smoke before continuing.

"It was simple... just a quick trade... easy scratch he said." He looks down and closes his eyes tight... a series of quick flashes enter his mind of the sudden life or death struggle that occurred in that alley that night. Reminding him full well the fragility of the environment they exist in... the ruthless speed in which things can change forever.

"He took a gut shot... i got a scar to last a lifetime."

Zaunya glances at Brian's stitched, soon to be scar running up from his chest to his neck and finishing on his jaw. She finally sees the resemblance in her own scar... how they mirror each other. The coincidence intrigues her... a spoon fed sensation of connection that she hardly understands.

"I got him to an R.E.O operating table but... there was nothing I could do... didn't... d-didn't know what to do." He takes a deep breath while looking down. "He uhm... he bled out in my arms."

Zaunya looks down as Brian stands up and slowly walks to the center of the room.

"The Butte we've been rolling around in was his... the bloodstains are both of ours... brought it home that night... where you happened to be waiting." He takes another drag of his smoke.. pacing back and forth briefly.

"In the end... he told me something that I haven't been able to shake out of my mind. Told me to remember who we were... before all of this shit; to remember who i was..."

"Before what shit...? Brian... Who. were. you?" She asks in an exhausted tone with a heavy desire to know... having now laid to bare who she truly is to him.

Brian looks back at her... looking directly into her eyes... he says nothing.

He turns to walk out of the motel room... as the door slides open, Zaunya quickly gets up and follows after him out the door.

He's next seen walking through the parking lot of the motel and onto the dirt of the badlands. Condensation billows out of his nose and mouth into the cold open air. The idle darkness of the area dimly lit by moonlight and flickering motel bulbs. Zaunya a few yards behind, quickly follows after him.. trying to catch up to his pace.

"B-Brian?" She says and gets no response. The sound of rocks and dirt being crunched and kicked underneath their boots as they walk takes over the space along with the chirps of insects.

"...BRIAN?... Wha- Where are you going?" She asks flustered. He makes his way over the lip of an embankment and approaches where he's stashed Graves' Butte. He grabs a length of rubber hose from the trunk before pulling open the gas port causing Zaunya to stop in her tracks at the top of the embankment. He lightly sucks into the tube causing the Choo in the tank to begin to flow before sticking the hose into the cab of the Butte. The choo begins to flood inside soaking the blood stained seats and the dashboard... filling the area around him with a dank chemical smell that'd grab your nose. The choo splatters across personal trinkets on the dashboard as well as burn marks and seat stains worth a thousand stories.

He takes a few step back before flicking his smoke into the cab causing the choo to instantly ignite, lighting up the area around them with an orange glow. Brian makes his way back to the top of the embankment before turning around to stare at the glowing flame. She says nothing.

Zaunya and Brian's silhouettes stand side by side as the flames gradually take over the Butte in the darkened badlands... the emotion of the moment grabs ahold of him... overwhelming.


He shuts it down before turning and walking back toward the motel. Zaunya's sight fixed on the flaming Butte recognizes this and quickly turns to follow him.

       As they make their way back to the motel, the flames begin to grow above the embankment before a loud boom... sending flames and chunks of metal scrap into the air causing Zaunya to flinch and stumble over her footsteps. Looking back at the explosion she instinctually puts her forearm out in front of her face. Brian doesn't miss a beat as he continues to walk back to the motel completely unfazed.

Graves' Colby Butte is laid to rest in flames out in the desolate Badlands... Fading to black.

Chapter Text

       Thick clouds of smoke gently whisp through the air undisturbed... the sun's rays beam through the shadeless window of Brian and Zaunya's motel room. The scattered stray sounds of various cars and people going about their day are feint on the other side of the door. Brian pacing back and forth in the room causes the gently wafting smoke to scatter and dissipate... he occasionally glances out the window to check the roads. Cigarette butts scattered throughout the trashy room, most of them being fresh.

Zaunya sits at the edge of the bed with her legs crossed and her elbows rested on her lap. The idle smoke from her cig remains consistent and still as she stares down at the floor of the motel in deep thought... a heavy woosh fades in... as a flashback begins:

*BANG BANG BANG* "AUDREY!!!!" *BANG BANG BANG* A loud shout suddenly rings out on the other side of a metal door jolting Audrey awake as she falls out of her chair. The screams and banging continues as Audrey quickly scrambles to get up and get to the door. As she slides it open she sees Zaunya struggling to carry Brian with his limp arm slung over her shoulder. Audrey's eyes open wide in disbelief at the sight of Zaunya... she gasps and steps out of the way allowing her to drag Brian's unconscious body down into the room with streaking blood trailing behind him.

Zaunya and Audrey work to quickly get Brian lifted onto the ripper chair in the quieted clinic with the sound of scuffling on linoleum combining with rumbling thunder.

"MOVE!!" Audrey shouts as she pushes in-between them and quickly begins to cut and rip Brian's clothes off with her tool tipped ripperdoc hands... covering her fair skinned forearms in blood. Metal clanks violently as she rummages through desks grabbing for various tools and equipment. She storms by, flipping on various pieces of equipment as the beeps and whirs of her medical tech begin to fill the room. Zaunya slowly steps back... putting her hands on her head with her eyes and mouth wide open... she absentmindedly gets his blood smeared on her face... completely flustered in a panic.

"Is... is he alive?" She says under her breath to herself as Audrey scrambles to work on Brian.

"SHIT!" Audrey snaps gritting her teeth. "He needs blood.." She says to herself while B-Lining it to a cabinet.

Brian lays on the ripper chair... completely mangled with his ears ringing... looking as if fresh off the battlefield of a corpo war. Audrey and Zaunya's frantic communications back and forth are completely muffled to him as they fade out and he goes unconscious.

Sometime later, Audrey and Zaunya stand just outside of the clinic leaned up against the side of the building with smokes in hand. The distant sirens and Night City street sounds take over the space as the two rest in each other's company covered in blood. Audrey breaks the silence.

"Where the fuck have you been Zaunya." Audrey asks in an exhale... Zaunya doesn't respond.

Audrey steps in front of her and starts checking her wounds and patchwork... occasionally opening her coat and lightly grabbing her face and turning it. Zaunya gently grabs Audrey's wrist and moves it away from her face.

"I'm... i'm fine." Zaunya insists while turning away.

After a brief pause... Audrey's energy shifts with growing anger. 



"I told you to get the fuck outta the city..." She points back at the door with her thumb. "And who the fuck is tha-" 

"-I'm sorry.. Audrey.." Zaunya says while looking down at the street.

"Sorry..? You're SORRY!!?? Do you know what the fuck's gonna happen if they find out you're still here!!??" Audrey yells cracking her voice trying to keep it low unsuccessfully... She takes a few steps away turning her back and looking up and down the street.

"You knew i wasn't going to fucking leave Audrey-"

"-Zaunya..." Audrey responds exhaling... closing her eyes while looking down.

"This isn't over... Audrey... Its not gonna be... I have to finish it."

Audrey quickly turns around and walks up to Zaunya getting right in her face and gently grabbing both of her shoulders... her tone shifts again abruptly as she begins to plead with emotion.

"No no no Zaunya please... l-look at me. You can't do this... y-your...... your mom-"

Zaunya looks at her directly into the eyes... Audrey growing overwhelmed with emotion tries to continue to speak but struggles to find the words to say.


As Audrey looks at her... its clear the woman she's looking at is no longer the same one she once knew and cared for. She sees in her eyes a different person... one with energy and purpose. Her demeanor feels lighter than its ever been... emotions she once felt are long gone or buried. Its as if her mind is not only clear... but pointed with calculated determination... an energy all too unfamiliar. Audrey picks up on this energy after taking a long hard look at Zaunya's face... it causes her to let go of her shoulders and take a step back... neither of them break eye contact.

After the moment of realization in Audrey... Zaunya takes another drag of her cig.

"I'm gonna bring the whole thing down." She says while exhaling smoke... leaned up against the building and looking deep into Audrey's eyes.

The two separate and share a pause as music blaring from a car passes by along with more sirens off in the distance... the weight of time's past adds to their distant familiarity. Two women with deep history brought back into each other's life by pure circumstance. In Night City... the costs of your actions are rarely seen coming... instead they crash.

"Now tell me what you want for all of this." Zaunya says stressed and exhausted.. pointing back at the door with her thumb.

Audrey, near the street with her back turned closes her eyes and puts her hands on her hips... she takes a deep breath in defeat before a pause.

"An eye." She says causing Zaunya to stand up straight and look over at her with her arms crossed. Audrey continues.

"There's this corpo gonk who got my number from someone I don't even speak to anymore. He was climbing the brown nose mountain and well on his way to a cushy executive existence. At the time he was mostly good for the eds... but luckily i know how this game works and made em pay for one eye at a time. He must've pissed someone higher up off soon after because I never even received full payment for the first one. Its an Oracle... I don't just keep those lying around and can definitely do better with a pair instead of just one."

Audrey finally looks back at Zaunya over her shoulder at a distance.

"Bring me the eye." Audrey says in a serious tone nodding her head up.



Zaunya, with her arms crossed, takes a drag and drops her cigarette before stepping on it. Cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       The sound of a slow ticking clock accompanies Zaunya and Brian as they pace back and forth right past each other in the small motel room... they occasionally glance out the windows checking the roads. The restless, chaotic nature of their personalities have bubbled to the surface of their being... forced confinement is something neither of them can snarf during a time like this. Needless to say... its better than getting clapped in an open field.

The black smoke rises in the sunbaked badlands above the distant embankment where the burned Colby Butte lays to rest. The various remnants of Brians past continue to shed... left behind in charred smoke.

Its clear that the pair have again had several conversations before this point and are on edge. Often times... anticipation and calculation can be more daunting than just making a move.

The accumulating series of events that have driven these two to where they are now feels less like an end and more of a beginning. Regardless of the actions they take.. the people they kill.. the enemies they create... they find themselves at each other's side for better or for worse. They're intelligent.. therefore their instincts are to question everything... even the nature of consistency.

I mean... who even are these people to each other... Night City is the city of dreams after all... not trust; However, as time goes on... actions speak louder than any words or principals. They haven't been honest with each other from the beginning... however circumstances have forced the pair to do so... for the sake of survival.

"How much longer are we going to sit on our asses..? We're running out of smokes." Zaunya complains.

"I just got some more from a choom downstairs." Brian says handing her a pack of Death Styx brand cigarettes.. the black box.  "-And not yet... if they did a postmortem, which they DID.. then they'll have been combing the entire city nonstop... the race to keep this bottled started as soon as that green juice went up in smoke. When nothin' comes up, they'll-"

"-Start looking on the outskirts.. probing nomads, shaking down shacks, turning over old rocks." She says opening the black pack.

"And when that happens-" He asks leading... unable to help himself... the exact same way he used to lead Marilyn through thought processes. A quick flash of her smiling face staring deep into his eyes hits him like a speeding Supron.

"-We'll be trading places." Zaunya responds nodding her head and finishing his sentence. The synergy of the moment gives her some much needed levity... but causes Brian to retreat into a much less relatable topic. He abruptly shifts subject to something a bit more confrontational.

"Your Sandy."

"Huh?"

"Back at the warehouse... the after effects you suffered after using it weren't common with high-end chrome like that being chipped. Been told they usually do their best to tailor the specs directly to the associated user... symptoms I saw of yours are often associated with neurological instability. Did the-"

"-Klepping a sandy from a Petrochem exec via decapitation isn't going to yield the most ideal results. When Audrey chipped it, she told me it wasn't a good idea at all... that I would probably have to do something about it eventually."

"But..?" He asks leading.

"Body acclimation. Started to get better over time to the point where she saw no reason to do anything. Just told me not to use it too many times a day; pretty easy compromise if you ask me."

"Speaking of your ripper friend... I know for a fact shes not doing work like this for free." Brian says gesturing at himself. "What does she want for... this." He points at his own body as if it were a set of new clothes.

Zaunya raises her eyebrows and looks away from him... almost having completely forgotten the debt.

"This... corpo she used to run with has something of hers... we need to klep it."

Brian turns away laughing in disbelief. "From terrorism to extortion... You're fuckin' psycho girl-"

"-I KNOW who he is and where we can find him... snake got his fangs ripped out and now hes on the outs with his corp... works for this small time PetroChem affiliate company. In these kind of corpo circles they can lose influence and power just as quickly as they gain it... saw it happen an endless amount of times."

"Item of interest. What is it."

"A kiroshi Oracle."

" 'A' Kiroshi Oracle...? So you mean just one..?"

She looks at him without responding... He takes a deep breath and raises his eyebrows before shaking his head and turning his back to her.

       Later that night... like birds released from a cage, they finally leave their motel room together as Brian takes lead. The sounds of their boots thump down the stairs with weight one after the other before making it down to the dirt and cracked pavement. The lack of ambient lighting gives the environment around them a damp, dusk landscape illuminated by moonlight as their boots crunch dirt and kick gravel. They pass by several strays and vagabonds before turning a corner at the opposite end of the motel and head down its stretch.

       Brian B-Lines it up to a Galena G240 parked on the side of the motel and smashes the driver's side window open with his elbow creating a loud bang causing Zaunya to jump slightly. He reaches into the car and unlocks it from the inside before stepping to the side and holding the door open for her. Without words, he gestures her into the driver's seat which she does with startled hesitation. The Galena speeds off into the night toward the bright, glowing neon cityscape towering above them off in the distance... awaiting their return.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

       The sirens of Night City whale off in the distance... white smoke rises from sewer grates, wafting into the air. The size and density of Night City often offers alot of deadzones... areas that were once or even never inhabited. Abandoned store fronts... crumbling construction projects... businesses that just never got off the ground... shell after shell of hallowed out, soulless infrastructure. Its no wonder so many in society... whether vagrants, criminals or runaways call this place home. A cityscape where opportunity and dismay dance together hand in hand in a whirlwind of chaos and uncertainty. Whether its dorph heads skezzed out and living in squaller, wandering the streets like zombies... or blue collar workers snarfing scop dogs on the street corner before double shift... its home to them all. Such is the folly of Night City... the desire to change things ever loses to the white knuckling of another day on the streets.

       Amidst the feint sounds of the empty, isolated block; 3 people turn a corner off the main road down an alley. The darkness of the alley hidden away from direct sunlight engulfs the 3 as they make their way down its long stretch. They get to the end of the quiet, trash littered stretch and hop a short chainlink fence before turning a final corner. They walk another 30 yards down after turning the corner and stop in front of an unassuming door. Audrey waves her hand over the locking mechanism causing a dim green light to appear illuminating a small, feint area of the alleyway. Audrey then places the palm of her hand over the green light and holds it there briefly.. causing the door to beep subtly before sliding open.

       They make their way into her hideout still pitch black and slide the door closed behind them. Audrey's Kiroshis briefly flicker blue as she turns on the lights giving a clear view of the living room area. The pristine nature of the living space is in direct contrast to the surrounding neighborhood... the second story apartment looked barely lived in... untouched by high traffic and regular use. It was almost as if stepping into a portal to a more high-end part of the city. Although no opulence was on display, it was well put together... plush... comforting... things were organized and had their own place.. it was cozy with 2 bedrooms and a small living room connected to the kitchen area.

"You guys can stay here for the time being... Its not much, but definitely safe from prying eyes."

Audrey says as she watches Brian and Zaunya slowly walk through the place checking it out. She continues. "CCTV is setup to watch the mainstreet and this back alley here. There's not too many directions of approach in this area as well... pretty straightforward ins and outs from strategic perspective really."

"Interesting location for a get-away vacation home." Brian says looking around the layout of the place.

"Well, if you're trying to 'get-away' for 'vacation' or because a multibillion eddie mega-corp is hunting you down, i'd say you've been brought to the right place. This area sees no through traffic... a geographical dead end on the city's grid. Just... one of hundreds of deadzones in Night City... nothing more than a shortcut home for a corpo slave or a quiet street for a crusty to lay their head at night. Other than that, if things do get hot for whatever reason... there's several spots you can use as shooting nests up along the fire escape and rooftop... buildings also been retro-fitted for small arms and explosions... heavy concussive impacts."

Brian looks over at Audrey with confused skepticism. She continues.

"And if all else fails... come here." Audrey says as Brian and Zaunya gather to follow her. She walks into the kitchen area behind the bar counter and opens a couple of cupboard cabinets underneath it... revealing a ladder that leads down into a dark hole. "You can use this to get down into to the sewer systems... hopefully well... you won't have to. Bought this place years ago... long before property managers in the area could sink their claws into the district."

"Thanks Audrey... I don't know how to even repay you I-" Zaunya says.

"Don't mention it... just bring me that eye and we should be square." She responds closing the cupboards.

"I gotta ask..." Brian says gazing out of a window, watching the front street with a slight grin on his face and his head down. Zaunya and Audrey look over at him. He continues

"The location... this place... a lot of work went into it... a lot of thinking. I don't know... It just screams disstrust to me... me n' her aren't the only ones on the run here are we..?"

A silence sit between the 3 of them briefly.... Zaunya looks over at Audrey without saying anything

Audrey pauses for a second... focusing in on Brian... she checks him with a serious tone hes unfamiliar with.

"...When you're in service to a mega-corp... doing work off the books. You don't get deets... you get orders. Sure, they pay well but it comes at a cost." She says while slowly walking up to him. She continues while getting closer.

"I'm a tool. She's a weapon." She says with a flat tone in his face while gesturing back toward Zaunya now looking down and away with her arms crossed saying nothing.

"Tools and weapons... They don't get a break. They don't get to retire. They don't get a say. An opinion... a heart...a conscience. They're simply used until they are no longer OF use. To then be disposed of... replaced... forgotten." She looks down calculating while taking a step back. "This is just in place for that inevitability.."

"So you're still tied to em huh." Brian says.

"More like chained..." She replies with a nod... looking deep into Brian's eyes before a brief pause. "More like chained." She repeats before turning around and making her way to the couch.

"So what? Do they not track you or..?"

"Contract work honey. Technically i'm not theirs therefore not their responsibility... plausible deniability... no liability whatsoever and all that. Don't ever let them hear that claim though... I'm sure they'd say otherwise. 3rd party contractors like me are retained... usually only looked at when needed. Like being filed away in a cabinet or on a shelf till called upon."

"Hm.. not much different than the merc fixer relationship i guess huh."

Audrey shrugs in reply... saying nothing.

"Thanks for this Audrey... really." He says sincerely.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have biz."

Brian and Zaunya exchange a brief look with each other as all 3 of them converge on the living room space. He grabs a cigarette and lights it before tossing the Death Styx pack onto the table. Zaunya drags a chair from the kitchen to the living room area to sit on.

"Ready?" Audrey asks glancing at the pair of them.

Chapter Text

A top down view of the round coffee table in the living room slowly spirals as they gather around it... pulling up chairs and settling into the space.

       One of the primary culprits that makes such a lawless pit of chaos like Night City so hard to stomach is often two fold: too few ladders out... and the undying lack of cooperation. A cybernetic arms race looms over it's citizens caught in the crossfire... scratching and clawing just for another day above ground. Frantic power grabs conducted by everyone from high-class corporate executives reaching for that last rung on the ladder, down to scop-tier street punks clutching onto their last enny. Factors like force and momentum often lead the charge with malice and treachery at the wheel. Regardless of the players involved... all it takes is one misstep... one miscalculation... a single crack in the tempered glass of your persona's like blood in the water for the sharks. Fleeting trust... the seed catalyst that can uproot and decimate some of the most formidable of entities-

Zaunya, Brian and Audrey sit around the coffee table calmly smoking.

-However... those able to garner trust... strike fear... inspire loyalty... or dare to love; create power. Power that just might keep you breathing a day longer as the scattered remains of any day's events take their toll. In Night City... there's only action. The ones you choose to take can go on to shape the very foundations of the cityscape... etching your mark alongside all those who have come before you. Dead or alive.

"This isn't gonna be your run of the mill smash and grab. Like i said before... guy was well on his way to the top of the corporate foodchain before he stepped on somebody's loafers on the wrong day. That means hes sure to have stray huscle... stray resources." Audrey says as Zaunya and Brian attentively listen. The conversation flows as she continues.

"A choom of mine used to be close with his sister. He let me know that she told him, he'll be staying in heywood across the street from The Coyote in some apartment complex.. top floor... Didn't get the exact one."

Brian picks up after taking a drag. "Its a dense area... A lot of foot traffic. Should be easy enough to blend in... use a simple cover even if we need to. That area of Heywood is usually pretty active so... there's gonna be a lot of eyes combing the streets. Fixers often have as many scopes scanning out there as your average street slinger."

"When they've had a taste of the high life like this one... corpos get comfortable with not being on the streets pretty damn quickly. Flying high above the crowds in their AVs to and from every destination... wearing corpo huscle around like fashionware... handlers making sure they never have to lift a finger. Soon as all that gets stripped away they're left feeling naked... vulnerable... like a Kabuki Joytoy at the TotenTanz." Zaunya adds.

Brian nods in agreement looking over at her. "They stand out."

"Well, by all accounts he's still committed to the high-lifestyle even minus the eds. Apparently hes been restless... regularly hitting bars in the area to rant about the corps while drinking his sorrows away... preachin' what ifs... guys completely gonked." Audrey scoffs

"Then we're better off catching him outside. The closer he is to his nest the safer he becomes." Brian says as Zaunya nods in agreement. He continues.

"You said hes on the outs with his corp... doesn't mean they're not still up his ass. He'll most likely still have have at least some sort of tail from em... making sure he's not saying or doing the wrong things to or with the wrong people. Based on this situation as a whole with the given context... there's no rush. We'll take the time to gather info and pick our moment." 



A brief pause in the conversation causes Brian to shift subject.

"Audrey." He says causing her to look over.

"I need a favor... need your eyes and ears on Petrochem while this shit's goin' down. Contact me if you hear anything new about the explosion aftermath. We came back a bit earlier than we probably should've. There's a burned Butte we stashed out in the badlands... and they've got to have several witnesses from Arroyo that had to have seen SOMETHING. Probably lookin' to squeeze an eddie out of em by now... let me know as soon there's any beat."

"You got it." She says in a flat tone... taking another drag of her smoke.

"I mean it. Anything at all. As soon as you hear about it, we need to know... Corps move quick when bloods in the water." Brian says nagging.

"Take me for a fuckin' gonk? Heard you the first time."

"Thanks Audrey.." He says as he stands up. "I'm gonna go sort through some of our gear."

       


Brian walks to one of the bedrooms... Audrey and Zaunya get up and head out onto the fire escape to finish their cigs.



With their forearms rested on the iron railing of the fire escape, the thick white clouds of smoke whisp in the gentle wind; complimenting the bright, white moon light as they share a silence together... neither wanting to speak first. Its almost as if they know what each other are going to say... and are both just waiting for each other to say it.

"You don't have to do thi-"

"Zaunya..." Audrey whispers in a tired tone shaking her head.

"I'm serious Audrey.... Th-This... this isn't your fight-"

"-And what the FUCK do you know about my fight huh!?!?" She shouts under hear breath while quickly turning to face Zaunya catching her off guard... Being sure only the two of them can hear each other.

"You split Zaunya... Who do you think they came to after what you did huh...? Do you-... do you think they believed me...?" She says in a lowered tone... squinting her eyes and looking deep into Zaunya's.


Zaunya breaks eye contact as Audrey continues.

"You know and understand their structure and protocols better than anyone... when they find out your hands are on this-"

"-Audrey PLEASE!!" Zaunya pleads gritting her teeth

"There's no going back Zaunya... Whether you want it to be or not-" She stops and glances back gesturing toward the direction Brian is in. 

"-This isn't just your fight anymore."

Audrey takes a final drag of her smoke and flicks it over the fire escape... she turns to walk back into the apartment leaving Zaunya at the rail.

She stops in her tracks and looks down with her back toward Zaunya... she pauses... deeply buried emotions clawing back to the surface... she turns to face her.

"....Y-You..... you know what your mom said to me?........ the last time i saw her."

Zaunya quickly turns around and looks at Audrey in her eyes.

Audrey gets choked up... struggling to speak the words as the emotion builds on her face. 




"S-She........ she told me to make sure you don't lose yourse-" She cracks as tears begin to run down her face... she rolls her eyes as she wipes them away while gritting her teeth in anger and turning to walk away.

Zaunya turns back toward the fire escape... looking out into the silent, moonlit glow of Night City.

Her breathing grows heavy as a single tear runs down her cheek... she slams her fists down onto the thick iron railing leaving behind a caved in dent... cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       The heavy weight of Zaunya's boots on carpet slowly thump one after the other as she paces back and forth in front of the window of the apartment. The cigarette smoke casually makes it's way out of the open window into the Night City air. Her shadow plays peek a boo with the curtains as she struggles to maintain her patience... feeling as restless as she did back at the motel. Idle hands is often the devil's playground... especially for someone using the weight of time's past like a spear on the front lines like she is.

The place is dead quiet... no foot traffic in or around for sensory distraction... just her against the mind.

With her arms crossed tightly... she hears various voices begin to echo in her head... starting with her mom's:

"Remember... whatever they want... whatever they ask... the answer is yes. Ok?"

She hears Brian's voice: "tch... as capable as you are... You're lost".

She hears Audrey's voice: "This isn't just your fight anymore."

She runs her fingers through her long black hair... gripping it tightly while slowly pacing back and forth. Her heart pounding in her ears... the tension in her shoulders and neck becoming unbearable.


She hears Nicholas' voice: "What did they do to you huh... What did they take."

The feeling of powerlessness brought about by a lifetime of serving and the instinctual need to do something about it bares down on her. The traumatic events of time's past begin to flood back into her mind untamed... as the tension builds within.. she grits her teeth and hits her own head several times with the palm of her hand. Her pacing increases vigorously as the voices in her head grow louder and louder.

She hears Nicholas' voice echo a final time: "BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO!!...THEY ONLY!!! TAKE!!!!"


Zaunya's tension reaches it's peak as she hears the front door to the apartment abruptly slide open. She snap draws her jet black Nue and points it directly at Brian as he enters.


He stops in his tracks and stares directly at her pointing iron at him... he lowers his eyebrows and tilts his head up slightly at her without saying anything.


She lowers her Nue while closing her eyes tight and breaking eye contact with him... he picks up on her energy before speaking... his voice deep and mellow.

"Any move you make... involves a thought... an action that reverberates throughout the city... Intentionally doing no action... often the hardest part."

Zaunya looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath. The tension release causes her to drop her Nue to the carpeted floor with a heavy, weighted thud... she covers her face with her hands.

"Waiting...... is a skill in itself... to be studied... learned.... mastered." He says slowly approaching her.

He gets right in front of her as they both look at each other briefly. He reaches down and picks up her jet-black Nue before looking her deep in her eyes and pausing.

"...Waiting ends today." He confirms in a deep tone before placing her Nue back into her hand. She looks up at him and into his eyes.... the two share a brief silence.

       Sometime later in the day they find themselves in Heywood... sitting in the Galena G240 parked strategically scoping out El Coyote Cojo and the surrounding neighborhood. The sunny streets are busy and in full swing as Night citizens go about their day in a cesspool of chaos they've long become numbed to. Overworked blue collars on lunch breaks they have no intention on coming back from... corpo rats running around doing grunt work... dirt kids ditching school posted on the block while mercs comb the streets like bounty hunters.

We pick up on the pair toward the end of a conversation.

"Talked to Mama Welles. Gave her the description you had... was right on the money. Apparently the rat is overstaying his welcome... shes at the end of her rope with him n' his 'goons'. I guess makin' more racket than a janky servo... deterring regulars and-"

"hahaha geez; 'rat'..? You really are a streetpunk aren't you... How's that 'climb to the top' working out for you huh? That chase to become a legend." She says prodding.

"Legend's a title they give to sorry gonks who bit off more than they could chew... Only way to it's in a hole in the ground... often end up there before you ever even get close." He sees a quick flash of Graves' bloodied corpse in his arms in the R.E.O facility... His lifeless face rested permanently in a gaze.

"Ha... yup. A street punk through and through."

"Is that right." He mutters staring out the driver side window.

"Mercs don't question. They simply do what they're told to do for eds... incorporating as little discretion as they can along the way. Not you though huh... You're a whole different... kind of something aren't you."

"Interested in pickin' my brain... probably flow better over a drink instead of a stakeout-"

"-Heh. I disagree." She snap responds giggling.

"Mama Welles gave me a time window she usually sees them at-" Brian's kiroshis glow blue briefly as he checks the time "-which is about now"

"So what's the move?"

"They'll more than likely be there." He points at the Coyote bar.

"We'll be there." He points at an apartment complex across the street from the bar.

"Mama Welles did us one better... big mouth gave up his room number a few nights back. Apparently had the nerve to invite her over to his place. Ha... guy really is fuckin gonked." As he continues to articulate the deets, the pair of them suddenly see the corpo amongst the heavy foot traffic. He carries an energy of no nonsense with a bitter scowl... feeling the locals are hardly even worthy of his presence... even as he lives among them. Projecting his insecurities of inadequacy with every step he takes... sticking out like a neon thumb with his escort of degenerate looking huscle as they make their way into the Coyote.

"THERE HE IS!" Zaunya shouts as she quickly puts her black leather facemask on and opens the passenger door to start to get out. Brian quickly grabs her forearm causing her to stop and look over at him.

"The less your masked face is out in public the better. Stay here."

"WHAT?"

"Think they're the only ones that stick out around here...? Petrochem is scanning the entire fuckin' city right now.. any significant moves involving corpos are gonna get sharper looks... All it takes is the wrong set of eyes on you and we're done and-"

"-Brian." She says in exhale with a low tone looking him in the eyes. She feels his energy.

He opens his mouth to respond instinctually but quickly catches and stops himself... the look in his eyes imply a subtle level of fear as he breaks eye contact with her. He lets go of her forearm and slowly pulls his hand away.

"Lets go." He says opening the driver side door of the car.

Chapter Text

       Brian and Zaunya carrying a brisk pace weave through heavy foot traffic and a shouting match over a fender bender. The hustle and bustle of Heywood amongst the chaos echoes the get down you'll find in Santo Domingo... however, to the natives? To Brian?... This is where the lucky chooms are born... at least their daily life or death struggle comes with a chance to rub shoulders with the ruling elite... grass is always greener n' all that. Closer you are to the city center... the more fertile the ground.


       The pair enter a stacked apartment complex with endless floors. They make their way through the unkempt front lobby past various residents and blue collar building mechanics going about their day... giving them subtle glances as these two towering solos pass by packing gear like they mean business. No matter how well you might try to blend-in in this town, if you're not from there... people know it. A light breeze flows through the long hallways as Brian and Zaunya exit an elevator onto the top floor. They walk down the long tattered hallway with stray trash and stained carpet.. noticing multiple cameras throughout it. Some were completely busted... however the cameras that were functional followed them directly as they walked past each one. Brian notices this and abruptly stops walking causing Zaunya to stop and look over at him.

The cameras follow suit and stop as well... locked in on the pair of them. Zaunya now picks up on it and glances directly at Brian who returns the look. The pair continue walking as the cameras follow them.

They arrive at the apartment door matching Mama Welles' deets. As Brian takes a knee and begins to run his fingers along the edges of the doorframe, it abruptly slides open causing Zaunya to snap draw her Nue and point it inside. He stands up and slowly pulls his Nue... they exchange a look with each other and enter with iron drawn.

       The apartment catches them by surprise as they look to see the massive size of the living area. The next 3 apartments over have had the walls removed allowing for a huge open and cascading living space. The opulence on display was waning but still clear. An all white and red theme was visible throughout... white leather couches, red furniture with white and red cushions... chandeliers hung from the ceilings as they walked on white marbled floors. It was as if the rat had cracked open his piggybank and sunk whatever he had left into this place... doing his best to look like the biggest fish in the smallest pond of Heywood.

"What the fuck..?" Zaunya whispers confused as the pair make their way through the place clearing rooms and checking out the opulence on display. Zaunya uses her Kiroshis to scan the area, temporarily turning her eyes a golden yellow and offering her enhanced sight and detection.

"Definitely not a temporary stay for this one. A stealth place like this..? Choom had the mind to plant roots here no doubt." He says

"Where do you want to set up-" She asks glancing over at him.

She suddenly sees Brian's entire body begin to tense and seize up as several static sparks fly out of some of his neuro ports. He screams in pain briefly stumbling to one knee.

"Brian!?" She shouts as she rushes over to him.

"I'm... i'm alright... the fuck was that?" He says taking deep breaths trying to gather himself and slowly staggering to his feet. The pair of them raise their iron as they continue to scan around the apartment on alert. Zaunya then hears the sound of Brian's Nue drop to the white marble floor with a loud thud and cracking a piece of the floor on impact.

She looks over and sees him with his hands on his head as he shrieks in pain and collapses to floor. Brian's vision begins to black out as he sees yellow static and particles flickering.. making it nearly impossible for him to see.

"BRIAN!!" she yells as she runs back over to him; He blinks and rubs his eyes trying to clear his vision while withstand the pain. It feels as if someone is twisting the very nerves in his brain... like a migraine combined with a taser shock. Zaunya looks up to see someone stood at the far end of the apartment nearly 50 yards away looking over at them.

       They stood still with their arms rested at their sides... they sported a sleeveless Cyberpunk yellow hoodie with black jeans and boots... their hood was up... leaving her only able to see a black digital mask covering their entire face. The mask has yellow LED lights... illuminating what looked like digitally pixelated eyes staring directly at the two of them ominously. The pixel nature of the face made it look emotionless... creepy... as if it were designed to evoke a particular neural response.

She quickly points her Nue up at the person causing them to take off... sprinting through a door they were stood next to at the far end of the connected apartments. Zaunya triggers her Sandevistan... Brian laying nearly blinded watches her flash after them out the door on the far end.

       Brian groaning, rolls over on his side and begins to immediately feel relief... his vision and body abruptly return to normal as the neurological tension in his body releases. He takes deep labored breaths as his eyes open wide in shock as he slowly stumbles back up to his feet. He hears the sound of Zaunya scream in pain louder than he even thought possible causing him to jolt as he races out of the door they came in from.

He looks down the long hallways and sees Zaunya collapsed onto the floor twitching and contorting her body as she rolls around in pain... the yellow hoodie standing over her with their back toward Brian.

Zaunya screams again even louder as her eyes open wide from the unbearable amount of pain surging through her back and limbs as she helplessly rolls on the ground.

Brian suddenly yanks the person down by their hoodie from behind causing their mask to fly off down the hallway and yanking the hood off of their head. Zaunya immediately feels instant relief as she lays on the ground rolling back and forth crying in deep, fleeting pain as her entire body begins to throb. Brian points the Nue directly at the person's forehead as the the safety clicks off.

Brian's eyes open wide as he abruptly stops in his tracks... his finger curled around the trigger and a twitch away from firing. In total shock and disbelief he whispers to himself under his breath... gritting his teeth:

"Its a kid....... Its only a FUCKIN' kid..."

The expression on the kid's face is one of complete fear and surrender. With his eyes open wide he puts his hand up in front of Brian's blood red, crimson Nue.

"P-Please.. i- i didn't-" The kid says as Brian slaps his hand away and presses the barrel directly to his forehead.

"What the FUCK did you to her!" Brian yells with eyes open wide.

"She- Shes ok! i- i let go! i didn't-" The kid pleads as Brian shoves him down further onto the floor before quickly getting up and rushing to Zaunya's aid.

He gently rolls her over and tends to her... hearing her deep labored breathing as he cradles her in his arms... she wraps her arms around him as he slowly helps her to her feet. She falls back onto the wall of the hallway with a thud... looking down, completely out of it as Brian gently grabs her face checking on her. The power of this kid's quickhack having taken a serious toll on her. While doing this, they hear the sound of the elevator ding as it casually slides open... causing all 3 of them to look over.

As the elevator casually slides open they see their target with 3 huscle of various sizes. The corpo sees the 3 of them as his eyebrows lower and his eyes open wide. "HEY!!!!!!!!" He screams at the top of his lungs to the 3 of them. The kid quickly rolls over onto his stomach and faces the elevator to see who it is.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ON MY!-" The corpo's screaming is interrupted by one of his huscle quickly yanking him back deeper into the elevator. "GO!!" He yells to the biggest one of their group as he confidently steps out of the elevator into the hallway. He's huge... sporting traditional black corpo security wear... based on his size and implants looks to be a former member of The Animals boostergang. He steps forward while the other 2 huscle quickly step in front of the executive to sheild him as the elevator casually closes.

Without hesitation, The Animal charges down the hallway at break-neck speed... the sounds of his weighted boots thump hard... shaking the walls and weak wooden floor boards underneath them giving way.

"Oh SHIT!" The kid shouts as he quickly rolls out of the way of the charging huscle barely avoiding getting trampled.

The Animal crashes into Brian at full speed.. the impact knocks Zaunya off of her feet as she falls to the ground still stunned and out of it. Brian catches The Animal's charge energy.. sprawling before attempting to twist his body and throw him using his own momentum against him to no avail. He grabs Brian by his waist and uses all of his strength to lift and fling him at the wall of the hallway letting out a labored roar of a grunt. Brian hits the wall hard causing a loud crack as a massive chunk of it caves in kicking up drywall dust and debris into the air. The force of the impact doesn't faze Brian at all... as he lands on his feet, he grabs the corpo by the back of the head and throws an elbow directly at his face. The impact of his new titanium vanadium bones powered by his new bionic joints combine with his refined technique... delivering a crushing blow with booming impact as chrome meets chrome... staggering the ganger back stunned. Brian throws another elbow... chrome cracks chrome meeting flesh this time... effortlessly sending blood and teeth flying... leaving a caved in dent in his face. Brian then steps forward putting his leg behind the ganger stumbling backward to trip him. As The Animal falls, he grabs Brian's jacket and the back of his neck causing them both to tumble to the ground.

       The Animal uses his momentum to roll on top of Brian grabbing one of his wrists and using his other forearm to pin him down by his neck choking him. As Brian reaches up to claw at his face, it becomes clear to him their physical strength is near equal even if their skeletal structures aren't. The air compression and sounds of working mechanics engage in the Animals gorilla arms as he begins to apply immense pressure to Brian's neck and wrist. As the strength of the cyberware begins to slowly overwhelm Brian, sparks begin to shoot out of the arms as the pressure quickly begins to let up around his neck. The pressure of the gorilla arms suddenly release as the Animal sits up and looks at his arms with wide eyed confusion. As sparks continue to fly out of them, the Animal quickly grabs his own throat with both hands strangling himself. The force of the strangulation causes the Animal to fall to his back and off of Brian.

Brian looks over to see the kid stood about 10 yards away... seeing the red glow in his eyes and a serious look of focus on his face as he quickhacks the boosterganger.

       Brian takes the opportunity to jump on top of the Animal... he begins punching him in the face repeatedly with rapid force. The pace and strength of Brian's punches and breathing gradually increase as blood begins to fly up to the ceiling. As his punches increase in power... the Animal's face begins to cave in... blood sprays violently onto Brian's face as he doesn't let up... causing the kid to back off in fear at the level of brutality. Feeling and hearing that level of weight and chrome clashing at that speed and impact up close... was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The raw speed and power on display was whiplashingly deafening.

"BRIAN!" Zaunya yells as she stumbles over to him. "STOP!! BRIAN!! Stop!-" She says gritting her teeth.. struggling to grab him from behind and pull him off. The force of her pulling causes Brian to fall backward on top of her and the kid to take another step back.

Chapter Text

       Brian and Zaunya slowly stagger to their feet as they stand over the Animal... staring at his lifeless body with his face caved in over pooled blood. She turns to face him and grabs both of his hands to get a closer look at them. To her surprise, although dripping with blood, they're completely unscathed... really showcasing the quality of the cyberware Audrey chipped him with. Although the chaos of Night City can see anyone flatlined... there's still an established pecking order... a never ending arms race of chrome and technology that's ever evolving. Looming over every confrontation... every choom you pass by on the block...... wondering if today's the day. As physically imposing as the Animal was... it didn't make much of a difference.

The kid finally speaks... stuttering over his words with a shaky voice.

"H-Hey... uhhm.. are-... are you the-"

Brian snap points his blood red, crimson Nue directly at the kids face and says nothing... Zaunya glances at the kid while crossing her arms... uncomfortably before looking down and away.

"Woah woah.." The kid says putting his hands up in surrender... he takes a few steps back. This causes Brian to lower his Nue... still staring daggers at the kids eyes.

He recognizes the fear... the kids intimidated. He turns around and walks back into the apartment.. Zaunya quickly follows behind.

"He won't be coming back here..." Brian says to Zaunya as he begins to rummage through a computer desk.

"Don't think he's gonna run to his corp about it do you..?"

"Nah... as far as he knows, they may be the ones that sent us. Regardless, we're on a timer now... don't really have time to-"

They hear the sound of the door slide open as the kid slowly walks in. Brian points his Nue at his head again from a good distance.

"Yo choom... easy.. easy... white flag." The kid says putting his hands up in surrender again.

"If i see those specs turn red... this is gonna be the last thing you ever see." Brian says in a monotone.. staring the kid deep in the eyes.

"Did um... did they send you guys..?"

"Did Who send us..." Zaunya asks annoyed.

"I mean, well uh... his corp." He says with a nervous chuckle. "I mean... this rat's made a lot of enemies y'know. Even one of the-"

"-Who the fuck are you kid..." Brian interrupts lowering his iron.

He opens his mouth but hesitates to answer. "I'm-.... uhh..-"

"-Lets delta... No shots fired but we're all over this complex's feed. We should hit their server room before we leave if they have one." Zaunya says cutting him off  ignoring him.

"Not leavin' yet. We gotta do cleanup first. Trails and fails.. remember." Brian says

The kid chimes in while slowly lowering his hands: "H-Hey! I can wipe this place clean if ya want."

Nervously, he looks over at Brian staring daggers at him.

"Hey choom, chill! Look, nothin' up my sleeve. Promise!" The kid says raising his hands again. His Kiroshis turn red as sparks and smoke shoot out of every camera and electronic device around them.. even several hidden cameras come slowly burning out of the walls and ceiling.. crashing to the ground. The computer they're standing next to also starts to smoke and pop causing Zaunya and Brian to quickly look over at it.

"See..? Done and done. All clean. Hardware n' Software to boot."

       
Brian picks up on the efficiency... the speed of the kid's capabilities... impressive... but the age and skillset simply didn't match... often signs of someone trained with formality and structure at a young age.







"Corpo." He thinks to himself dismissively.





       Brian takes a harder look at the kid and notices several details: Tall for a kid... pretty scrawny... easily intimidated... skittish. All traits that become a real problem with the wrong power behind it... however... he also sees no bullshit in his eyes. Determination with a layer of fear on top of it usually means: genuine. Not to mention... what he was able to do to the both of them with minimal effort. Intimidating... but in-experienced.

Brian and Zaunya quickly glance at each other and then back at the kid before they make for the exit out of the apartment. Zaunya steps by him as Brian purposely shoulder checks him hard.. knocking the kid off balance as they exit out to the hallway.


As they make their way to the elevator and step over the kid's black digital mask they talk next steps.

"We gotta move quick on this cleanup.." Brian says. "Mama Welles might have-"

"-Hey!" The kid shouts rushing out of the apartment into the hallway after them. "Are you uhh.. like.. still goin' after this guy..? I can-"

Brian cuts him off. "-Get back to the academy kid... or whatever corpo boot you crawled out from under... we don't have time to babysit a-" 

"-CUZ IF YOU ARE I KNOW WHERE HE'S GONNA BE NEXT." The kid shouts in a serious tone they haven't heard yet... causing them to stop in their tracks and look back at him.

Zaunya and Brian glance at each other with uncertainty. 

Chapter Text

The back alley door to the hideout screeches open to Audrey with a look of shock on her face. She's met by Brian carrying Zaunya with one of her arms slung over his shoulder completely unconscious. Audrey's heart drops at the sight as her eyes open wide... she immediately helps Brian carry her in as Zaunya's feet drag behind them.

"What the FUCK HAPPENED!?" Audrey shouts in a panic as her and Brian make their way to one of the bedrooms frantically talking back and forth about the op. The kid slowly steps into the hideout after them looking around at the place in stunned admiration.

"Nova..." The kid whispers to himself in awe. The contrast in location to the quality of the living space catches him off guard. Its a level of comfort and cleanliness just not found in this part of town.

"How would they... tch.. why would they setup here..?... They on the run too..?" He thinks to himself. His thoughts are abruptly cut off as he hears escalating commotion coming from the bedroom behind him, making him glance back at it.

He turns to see Audrey B-Line it out of the room with iron in hand... with Brian quickly following behind her. "Audrey.. come on." Brian pleads in a mutter. Audrey with her eyes locked on the kid shoves him up against the closed apartment door pinning him by his throat and pressing her iron to his face.

"WHAT THE FFUCK DID YOU DO TO HER!!!!!!!" She screams scaring the shit out of the kid... unable to speak while being choked, he looks at her with his eyes open wide in complete fear and surrender.

"AUDREY!!" Brian yells

She ignores him and yanks the kid off the wall... throwing him to the ground by his throat. The palm of her hand grips his throat tightly as she digs her knee into his chest with the iron pressed to his cheek... making him squeal as he starts shaking. The fire and intensity in her eyes is primal... the look of someone who has shown restraint for countless years... burying their instincts behind a surrendered veil now re-awoken.



She whispers in a softened tone gritting her teeth... looking directly into his eyes as she changes the energy of the moment with growing rage.

"Shh... shh... listen to me... shh... listen........ if she has permanent neuro damage from this shit... i will END you do you UNDERSTAND ME!!? DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAN-"

"-AUDREY!" Brian yells as he yanks her off of the kid by her shoulders. The kid lays there with his hands up shaking... overwhelmed by the situation. She turns to Brian and shoves him hard.

"What the FUCK happened out there!? And why the hell would you bring this kid HERE-"

"-Kid tripped us up... rat gave us the slip. We had to do some clean up... no shots fired so we got outta there pretty unnoticed before the-"

"-PRETTY UNNOTICED!?" She shouts.

"-WE WEREN'T NOTICED." Brian shouts back sternly... changing the energy of the moment... briefly calming Audrey. "The kid knows where he ran off too... and its not his corp......... its not a loss, its a reset."


A tense silence rests in the room briefly with subsiding energy.

Audrey turns away from Brian and looks at the kid on the floor with fire... she glances back at Brian before B-Lining back toward Zaunya's bedroom is laying in. She stares daggers at the kid as she steps over him... saying nothing and sliding the door closed. The kid watches her walk back to the room before Brian yanks him up to his feet by his hoodie.

"Get up.. come on." Brian says as he yanks the kid over to the couch and shoves him down onto it. He grabs a chair and places it right in front of the kid before sitting down and looking directly into his eyes... his blood red, crimson Nue rested on his lap. The kid finally speaks after glancing over at the occupied room... and down at Brian's glimmering iron.

"Yo man... l-look, I... I promise i-"

"-The rat.. where's he gonna be." Brian says during an exhale. Carrying the tone and energy of someone who's been here before.

"No. S-Seriously choom I didn't mean to hurt your girl. She has-" Brian lightly slaps the kid in the face, cutting him off.

"-Focus kid. Focus." He says in a calmed tone. "The rat." He repeats sternly.

"I can help her! Let me help her!" The kid pleads frustrated.

Brian opens his mouth to speak but the kid cuts him off in a serious tone speaking in a near whisper.

"Listen.. she's got vulnerability points that she can't just be runnin' around with out there... If i can do what I did to her... there's no tellin' what another runner out there with bad intentions can do."

Brian sits back in his chair... staring at the kid with his hand rested on his iron saying nothing for a long pause.

The break and silence makes the kid uncomfortable as he impatiently waits for Brian to say something. The quiet tension in the apartment takes over as the kid in unfamiliar territory restlessly squirms in it... He glances over at the room and then back at Brian.

"L-Look choom its gonna get worse before it gets better!" The kid says impatiently with his hands out... looking at Brian with a serious expression on his face.

Brian looks deep into the kids eyes... the kid returns the look with the same depth and seriousness.

Brian recognizes the truth in them as he continues to stare him down... the kid does the same unwaning.

Chapter Text

       The tapping of black high-heels on marbled floor echo down the long stretch of a PetroChem megabuilding hallway. Various corpos and office employees going about their day scramble to get out of the woman's way walking with a brisk pace over to the elevator.

She enters with a straight face... once the doors closes... she begins to hyperventilate. She puts her hand over her mouth and posts the other on a wall... trying to catch her balance. The extreme anxiety she feels builds in her stomach as she starts to gag... Doing her best to gather herself... taking deep breaths and getting her shaking under control. Her daily ordeal feeling heavier today for some reason.

As the elevator door opens she walks out with confidence and sees the executive stood with his back toward her... leaned up against his desk, smoking a cigarette and looking out into the Night Cityscape.

"Status report." The man says in a deep monotone, taking another drag of his smoke.

"The blast site has been completely combed through and overhaul clean-up starts tomorrow. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything of note found on site... several of the eye-witnesses we had went on the run as soon as we made contact. Typical.. but not ideal."

"The board can thank the company's public reputation for shit like that." He scoffs. She continues.

"We still have a couple of them. One of which is probably the most valuable of the entire bunch. Hes asking for a big payday for what he knows... typical Night City street scum... fishing for a fucking eddie on shaky ground."

"We don't have time to waste on this shit. Pay him."

"Yes sir." She responds. Taking a moment to join the executive by his side... Her hands clasped behind her back looking out into the Night Cityscape.

"Shit like this is too often looked at as a simple write-off... completely disregarding the fact that at this magnitude the fallout can snowball or cascade... spending too many years at the top makes you comfortable... when you're comfortable... you're careless... and complacent. Never forget that." He concludes as he takes another drag.

"Yes sir." She responds with a slight bow of the head.

"Whoever did this... isn't done here... can't be done here.. I just know it." He concludes as we see Zaunya laid unconscious on the bed back at the apartment.

The door to the room slowly slides open as they see Audrey plugged into one of Zaunya's nuerosockets.. trying to diagnose and tend to her. She glances over her shoulder to see Brian and the kid enter..

She doesn't react.



Brian glances at the kid whom returns the look slightly confused. He silently gestures the kid to go over there and help as he said he would. The kid hesitantly approaches slowly.

"H-Hey.. uhm" He says in a softened tone clearing his throat. "May i..?" He asks gesturing toward Zaunya... Audrey looks at him skeptical but unplugs and moves out of the way. The kid reaches for Zaunya's head but Audrey quickly snatches his arms violently forcing him to stop... making him jump slightly. She gently moves Zaunya's head into position for the kid... moving her long black hair out of the way. The kid jacks into one of Zaunya's neuroports while she lay unconscious and begins to scan her. His Kiroshis glowing blue and flowing with code.

After some time passes, he speaks in a serious tone.

"There's... a lot of holes in the ice... Looks to me like not the best patchwork was done. Most of the problems i'm picking up derive from her sandy but there's a few other things going on. Her chrome definitely isn't... consumer grade but considering how much there is she'll need some serious work on her ice." Brian glances over at Audrey who returns the look.



As the kid's eyes flicker blue, flowing with code he notices several things that give him an instinctual reaction of surprise that he couldn't mask quick enough. Audrey picks up on it... almost as if he saw something he knows no else could've seen. The discovery catches him off guard as he unplugs and clears his throat again.

"That should uhh... get her stable."

"What did- you do..?" Audrey asks looking over at him.



While he responds... she glances at the kids neck and gets a clear, up close look at a small, very subtle tattoo sitting near his nuero sockets that simply reads: "NTK". The realization causes Audrey to open her eyes wide in shock.

"The work shes had done on her is... f-fuckin' preem to say the least." He stammers with a nervous chuckle. "Holy shit.. I mean... i've never even seen chrome like that. Its like... all no-cat." He whispers to himself in awe before continuing. "Her hardware is solid but the soft is... just not up to the same standard at all really. Had to do a bios scan.. refine some of the-" He abruptly stops as he looks over at Audrey quickly stand up staring straight at him.


The tension in the room suddenly increases.

"Impossible.." She whispers under her breath... it grabs Brian's attention as he stands leaned up against a wall with his arms crossed. The kid also looks over at Audrey nervous and confused.

"What is it." Brian says uncrossing his arms and coming off the wall.

Audrey speaks... eye still locked on the kid. "One of my clients and close friend BugBear... one of the best damn runners I know... A few weeks ago we were hangin' out and she was droning on and on about this unknown runner building a heavy rep. Raiding Cytech and MiliTech data fortresses for sport... and just doing random unpredictable hacks on various sectors of the city; Serious plug head level runner stuff... power grids, Biotechnica black labs, Confidential Trauma Team platinum client specs, you name it. She told me they'd penetrate then just... leave... doing no damage.. stealing no data... Only thing they ever left behind was a calling card in the ice... NTK." She says as she points over at him. "She said only runners with a specific skillset are able to decipher the abreev."

"The fuck is NTK...?" Brian asks

"Netty The Kid." She says with a tone of discovery while giggling.

"Hah... I bet none of those code fiends would've ever guessed that its ACTUALLY a fuckin kid." She concludes while smirking... resting her back against her chair as Brian approaches... standing behind Audrey's shoulder with his fists clinched staring daggers at the kid.

"H-Hey... I don't want any trouble." The kid proclaims in a serious tone as he puts his hands up.

Brian responds as he steps forward past Audrey. "Then you've come to the wrong place."

Chapter Text

A mellow cadence of reggae fills the room much like the smoke from Audrey and Brian's cigarettes. Netty The Kid sat on the couch watches Brian pace back and forth occasionally glancing out of one of the apartment windows. He waves his hand over his face in discomfort... overwhelmed by the excessive cigarette smoke.

"If what you're sayin' is true then we shouldn't have much of a problem." Brian proclaims.

"Yeah. Its a good plan." Audrey agrees.

"The only problem we got is his huscle... Hes gotta have beefed it up by now right?" Netty says.

"Since he's on the outs with his corp his funds can't be too healthy... corps tend to operate on company accounts not personal ones... just another way to keep em in line. Huscle shouldn't be too much of a problem... the location change works to our advantage. Isolated and away from prying eyes. Probably figures the bigger the castle the safer he is... doesn't realize the closer you get to the bottom of society makes you all the easier to break. Typical corpo gonk" Brian responds. He continues after another drag.

"We're only gonna have one shot at this... I'm gonna take the kid with me." Netty looks over at him in surprise.

Brian glances over at Audrey with a serious expression. "Watch her... Holo buzz me when she comes too." 

Audrey nods in agreement.

Brian gets up and grabs his iron off the coffee table and racks the slide.

"W-Wait. We're goin' now..?" The kid asks nervous.

"No better time than the now. Let's go kid." Brian says as he turns to walk out the front door... the kid quickly gets up and follows.

       Later that night, Brian and Netty drive through the streets of Watson... The hour is late as the sun gives way to the darkness... a fertile canvas for the blooming neon light of the city. Brian lights a smoke as Netty stares out the passenger side window.

After the series of violent and chaotic events of the day, heavy thoughts weigh on his mind... being that close to cybernetically enhanced brutality has taken its toll. An adrenaline dump like no other. The fading stress of a life or death struggle seeps out of the open window as they continue to coast through the streets. He hears a man's voice from his past come into focus:

"You don't want this life son... but I understand that I don't control what you want... if you're gonna follow in my footsteps-" "-You're gonna learn." Netty says to himself under his breath making Brian glance over at him but say nothing.

Brian picks up on the kids energy before breaking the silence.

" So... 'Netty The kid' huh. tch... you runners are somethin' else with your handles."

"Name's Netaniel. Choom of mine took to callin' me Netty when we were still in the sandbox... stuck n' evolved from there. Honestly been thinkin' of droppin' the 'kid' ever since i passed eighteen but... let's just say the name was given to me and i've always dug it."

"Where you from kid."

"Watson... family moved all over the city though... was in Heywood for a while.. then Kabuki.. we even had a small place over in Westbrook for a little bit."

"Y'know, at your age I was more concerned wit chasin' tail. What're you doin involved in shit like this..? Don't strike me as crim if i'm bein' honest. Goin' after a corpo's never a good idea. Pretty far out on the edge there choomba."

"Cmon' choom you know how it goes in this city-"

"Nothins free, nothins fair." The pair of them say at the exact same time.. sharing an instinctual chuckle. Finding connection in familiarity.

"Havin' a rep in this town can prove to be more of a problem than an asset. 'specially these days." Brian says

"Yeah... no kiddin'.. that's why i keep things encrypted... stay outta the spotlight if you know what i mean... Honestly didn't know what was gonna happen after your friend made me... its never happened before."

"A tat with your calling card on your neck says otherwise kid.."

"Tch.. yeah.. Good luck to anyone tryin' to get close enough to see it." The kid responds in an unexpected tone... causing Brian to look over at him.. masking being impressed.

"And your cyberdeck..? Some impressive stuff you were able to pull back there. Made it look effortless. Who'd you klep that from."

A pause takes place as the idle sounds of the busy streets take over briefly as the pair drive by a crowded Jacked and Coke.

"It was my father's."

Brian looks over at the kid now staring back out the window and says nothing. The beginning patters of rain start to tap on the windows of the Galena G240.

       


Audrey Back at the hideout rests her forearms on the fire escape railing having a smoke and listening to the growing patters of rain settling in.

Shes uncertain about all these factors that've come crashing into her life... but as a veteran of patience, she rests in a brief calm... looking forward to a warm night inside. The moonlight glow gets a few final peeks before being masked by rainclouds as she thinks deeply about her past. Various thoughts and memories having been laid to rest begin bubbling to surface of her psyche. Her mind races with anticipation on what might happen or what she might have to do. She glances down at the caved in railing Zaunya slammed her fists into and shakes her head... taking a deep breath before another drag of her smoke. She looks back into the apartment in Zaunya's direction before she receives a call on the holo... causing her eyes to glow orange.

=Audrey... its Bear. I was just over near your shop and saw badges snooping around.=

=What?=

=Didn't think much of it till I saw a corpo Chevill roll up next to the squad car... then another... looks like a serious pack of suits.=

Audrey flicks her smoke out into the rain and quickly walks back into the apartment.

=Scan them for me.= She says sternly as she quickly begins to put her jacket and gear on. =I'm on my way... meet me at our spot.=

=Roger Roger.= BugBear responds before ending the call.

Audrey grabs her iron before walking back to the room Zaunya is passed out in... she stands over her with anxious concern.

She bends down and gently places the palm of her hand on her shoulder firmly before closing her eyes.

She opens them with a serious look on her face.

She turns to leave the apartment... sliding the door closed... cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       The heavy rain on the car windows settle in as the Galena slows to a stop with squeaky, worn out brakes. Brian and Netty gaze out at a lone, isolated warehouse with several service vehicles parked out front of a towering, fenced off, brick building. Its clear the pair have had several conversations before arriving. The kid is anxious... intimidated at the imposing site... he tenses up and takes deep breaths while doing his best to stay focused. Doing his best to keep in mind the crash course he was given on the ride over by Brian when it comes to situations like this. He feels a heavy hand placed on his shoulder causing him to jolt and look over at Brian.

"Easy kid. Stay focused. Besides... your ass isn't leavin' that seat."

"What?"

"Slot this shard." Brian replies as he hands him a light blue, blinking shard.

Netty grabs it hesitantly and holds it out in front of him staring at it. Brian silently watches.

"Is this a-"

"-Tracker." Brian replies. "You never know with ops like this... Anything can happen."

The kid scoffs "Psh.. what, you mean like me runnin' off? I ain't no coward man."

"Better safe than sorry choom. The last thing i need to be worryin' about during some shit like this is where you ran off too.."

"I ain't runnin' off!" The kid shouts frustrated.

"Link into comms and let me know when you've got ahold of the building. Nothin' starts without your say so." Brian says as he opens the door to the car letting in a heavy flow of rain. The two share a brief silence as Brian turns back to face Netty with his hand on the roof.

"You're up kid... It's time." He says raising his eyebrows and looking Netty straight in the eyes.

Netty returns the look with a determined face as Brian closes the door.

"How long have they been over there." Audrey asks BugBear while the pair of them scope out Audrey's clinic from a safe, unseen distance... watching as the corpos loiter around the front like some Afterlife rockerboys on a smoke break.

"No more than twenty minutes... I called as soon as they pulled up. I was on my way out when i got no answer from you. Good thing i was gone before they got there..." BugBear says as she takes another drag of her smoke.

"What'd ya get?" Audrey asks

"Leader looks to be one Molly Seeker. PetroChem employee, job title redacted, no public record... shes even got corpo immunity... 'Do Not Delay, Detain or Arrest For Any Offense.' huh... that's a rare one... Must be a heavy hitter.. Guessing a lot of collateral damage follows wherever she goes. The badge and her personal huscle didn't turn up much. A few write-ups for insubordination, corporate misconduct... the usual... typical dogs in debt to be yanked around on a leash at her service."

"Molly Seeker... fuck, why does that sound so familiar?" Audrey says to herself

"Well, judging by what i've picked up so far just by watching them over there she's impatient... wirey. In that little of 20 minutes i've already seen her chew out her own corpo security and grab the NCPD badge by the throat and slap him twice in the face." BugBear says as she raises her eyebrows and tilts her head slightly with a smirk. "She must be running out of time."

"Thanks Bear.." She says as she gets up and begins to leave toward the corpos. BugBear quickly reaches and grabs Audrey's wrist stopping her.

"Hey! W-What are you doing..? Aren't you gonna tell me what this is all about? I mean, You seem to know more than I do at least."

"I can't... not yet." Audrey replies as the two share a pause.

BugBear slowly lets go of her wrist and looks at Audrey feeling dejected. Audrey grabs BugBear's hand firmly causing her to look at her.

"Wait here... watch my back yeah?" Audrey asks causing BugBear to nod silently and look over at the group of corpos.

Over comms, BugBear and Netty simultaneously say: =Can you hear me?=

Brian and Audrey simultaneously say: =Loud and clear.= as each pair connect via their respective holos.

=Alright. Now! GO!= Netty shouts to Brian over the holo. He quickly hops the chain link fence making loud clanking noises being masked by heavy rain fall. He lands on the other side and quickly takes cover behind a stack of crates.He looks up to see a camera above a door several yards away staring right at him. He instinctually points his Nue at it.

=Yo! Chill choom! Its me! See?= Netty says as he moves the camera up and down as the light on it turns green. =Front room is clear, move up!= Netty says as he opens the door for Brian whom quickly sneaks in.

"Can I help you?" Audrey shouts as she approaches her shop in the heavy rain causing all the corpos to look over at her as she steps under the building overhang toward them.

She's met halfway by a woman sporting a black blazer with a matching black thigh high corpo skirt hugging her curves tightly. Audrey listens to the sound of her corpo high heels tap heavy on the pavement as she approaches. Her hair is a long, flowing silverish white and she sports several subtle but clear face tattoos.

"A corpo with face tats...? that's another rare one" Audrey thinks to herself as the woman approaches with her hand out for a shake.

"Audrey Presca?"

"Yes?"

"Molly Seeker. PetroChem auditor. Investigations Department. Its nice to finally meet you!" She says with a big greeting smile on her face finishing the handshake.

"What's uhh.. all this about?" Audrey says raising her eyebrows and glancing at all the huscle and NCPD badge tending to his face.

"Oh! Just my babysitters.. Don't mind them! I asked if all of this was necessary and they told me 'Absolutely in Night City'. Odd i thought" Molly says with a light giggle.

"Investigations? Did something happen?"

Molly continuing to grin with the same big smile pauses for a second while staring deep into Audrey's eyes to an odd and uncomfortable extent... making Audrey uncomfortable...



She lowers her eyebrows and points with her thumb over her shoulder and finally replies. ".........There was... a huge explosion. Not too long ago?"

"Oh! That! Right! Yeah. That's uh... Just another day in NC!" Audrey replies as the pair laugh together breaking the tension.

"Great... well, i'm actually here for a check-up doc! Didn't have the chance to get around to it before i took off. Do you mind? You come recommended by some of the best on file." Molly asks still grinning big as she begins to walk toward the shop entrance... Audrey forcibly follows.



=There's 2 in the room up ahead. Hang tight till they pass by.= Netty says as Brian patiently waits crouched behind a desk with his knife out.

=Shit! They split! one of them's headed to your room! now!= Brian quickly gets up and moves to the side of the door and presses his back up against the wall. The door slides open as one of the huscle steps in.

       The lights in the room cut off leaving it darkened with little to no visibility causing the guard to flinch. Brian grabs him by the neck from behind with his left arm and quickly stabs him in the throat twice causing him to squeal as blood comes squirting out of the wounds onto Brian's arm and shoulder. He slowly brings him to ground as he lets out another spit gargle and his body begins to shut down. Brian yanks the knife out of his throat causing the blood to run and pool in the small, clean office.



"You weren't waiting too long out in that rain i hope?" Audrey asks as she turns on the lights to the lab and takes her jacket off.

       Molly steps past her toward the ripper doc chair and slowly removes her blazer revealing her tight white corpo dress shirt while shaking out her hair. As she does this; Audrey can't help but check out her well toned body from head to toe... She slowly gazes at her tight figure from behind... down past her tight skirt squeezing her curves... to the back of her bare legs as she watches her slowly shift her weight in her high-heels. She quickly gathers herself before Molly responds.

"Not at all! Sorry for not contacting you ahead of time. This entire thing was pretty last minute so they've been briefing me since touchdown. Things feel like they're about to start getting pretty antsy up at the top."

"Whys that?"

Molly looks over at Audrey as she sits in the ripper chair and crosses her bare legs.. catching Audrey's eye. 

"Because i'm here... I'm not brought in unless someone fucked up nearly beyond repair and would rather few knew about it... whether off record or not."

"I see. socket please."

"Oooo... not even going to buy me a drink first?" Molly says seductively with a smile as she casually flips her long white hair out of the way and gently turns her head to the side.. allowing Audrey to jack in and get to work. She continues, changing the tone.

"You know... i've never been to Night City before... from what i hear, it checks all the boxes... depravity, deception, debauchery, degeneracy. Hm... some city of dreams you guys have here."

"Hm. I'd say the sooner you can get out of this city the better... For most that's just a pipe dream."

"A pipe dream? Hahaha you say that like its a prison cell... Why not just leave?"

Audrey pauses for a fair amount of time Leaving Molly curious for an answer. 

"...I think thats a question all of us struggle to find an answer to. Whether its one reason or another... this city has a way of grabbing ahold of you and not letting go..."



=There's 2 more in the room now! They're coming back!= Brian quickly darts out of the room and charges at one of the huscle tackling and slamming him to the ground as he begins to wrestle with him. The other huscle draws his iron as sparks fly out of his neuro sockets causing him to tense up and shriek in pain. He fights through it and points the iron at Brian as his neuro sockets explode... letting out sparks of electricity and black smoke causing him to drop to the ground dead with a heavy thud. His iron scrapes across the cement warehouse floor as blood leeks out of his mouth, ears and eyes. Brian strangles the man hes wrestling with on the floor overwhelming him with his size and strength... crushing his wind pipe. He then drags the two corpos into the room and piles them on top of each other.

=Thanks kid.= he says breathing heavy.

The kid stumbling over his words does his best to keep himself together in the heat of the moment. =There's uhhm.. there's... no more i can see in or around the office- w-wait... I... I see him! I see the rat! Hes outside!= Netty shouts as he stares at the corpo pull up in an unmarked Chevillon. Netty gets a clear look at the short corpo as he exits the vehicle and looks around paranoid... sporting the chrome Kiroshi Oracle with a sleek, gold finish.

=I've got this.= Netty says with certainty while opening the door.

=NO! Plant your ass right there! I'm comin' back out!= Netty ignores him and disconnects the holo as he jumps out of the car. He races across the street in pursuit of the corpo.

       He gets to the end of an alley way with chainlink fence on both sides and sees the rat with his 2 huscle turn a corner heading into the warehouse casually. Netty starts to walk deeper into the darkened alleyway in the heavy rain with little more than the few dim and flickering street lights for visibility. He feels the impulse of his spring into action begin to fade and give way to paranoia and uncertainty with every step closer to the building that he takes. One of the huscle unexpectedly comes back around the corner and is met by the kid standing about 10 yards away. It startles Netty as he instinctually stops in his tracks and turns around to quickly walk away.

"HEY!!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!" The huscle yells at the top of his lungs as he draws his iron.



"PetroChem bringing in special agents for public events like this doesn't happen too often. I know that with some of the past events in the area there's been some friction when it comes coordinating but... well... If you end up finding anyway i can help ya out. Please feel free to Let me know." Audrey says subtly checking her out and fanning Molly's ego a bit as she finishes her check-up and disconnects from one of her neuroports.

"Oh! I'm certain that won't be necessary doc... I'm sure you've got no place in any of this!" Molly says chuckling with a big smile... looking over at Audrey while rested at the edge of the ripper chair.



Netty quickhacks the huscle.. "AGHH!!! I CAN'T FUCKIN SEE!!!" he screams as he drops his rifle onto the gravel below with a hard rocky thud. The man stumble charges in Netty's direction at full speed and trips over himself running head first into the chainlink fence making a loud clanking noise as he falls to ground rolling around.

Netty, with his eyes still glowing red feels a sharp pain enter his head causing him to close his eyes tight and shriek. He turns around to see the other huscle, a netrunner, attempting to quickhack him... wearing a blood red netrunner visor that glowed bright in the dim alleyway.

The quickhack distorts Netty's vision briefly before he turns to face him and counters... he focuses in on the corpo runner... causing him to scream loudly in extreme pain while holding onto his head. Netty slowly walks toward the corpo runner with an intense, violent death glare on his face. The huscle screams even louder as smoke begins to emit from his ears and mouth as he falls to his knees in immense pain. As the quickhack increases in intensity... his visor explodes with a bright red shock... letting out a final shriek before collapsing to the ground lifeless while Netty stands over him.



"Although, how fun would it be if our paths DID cross again because of this operation!" Molly says to Audrey with a big smile on her face.



Netty stands over him still quickhacking before he's suddenly tackled to the ground from behind with full force... they crash to the ground hard sending rocks scattering. The weight of the impact knocks the wind out of him as he looks to see the first corpo he blinded now on top of him. He punches Netty in the face with full force nearly knocking him unconscious as he pulls his iron and points it directly at his forehead. Before he's able to pull the trigger, his head explodes in a shower of blood that fills the dimly lit air and covers Netty's face. The corpo's body falls off of Netty to the side as he sees Brian standing over him clutching his Nue. Netty looks up at Brian with a traumatized face as Brian yanks him up by his hoodie.

"I told you to stay. in. the CAR!" Brian yells gritting his teeth as Netty finds his footing and looks back down at the 2 dead huscle they're standing over.



"The honest, specialty ripperdoc, corpo contractor-" Molly says as she leans in closer toward Audrey.



Brian slowly opens the door to the main office as the rat stands there holding his Lexington and shaking uncontrollably. He raises his Nue without hesitation and unloads 5 shots into his chest sending him flying back over the desk... sending scattered paper and glass bottles flying. The 2 approach as Brian focuses in on the golden eye attempting to get his fingers into the dead corpos eye socket. "Rippin' without a ripper? What are ya? A scav?" Netty chuckles.



"-Who turned out to be behind the whole thing." Molly says to Audrey staring deep into her eyes and leaning in even closer... still smiling and building the tension.



Brian grabs a machete off of the office table and begins to hack the corpo's head off... sending chunked bone and blood flying... causing Netty to gag and throw up in a corner of the room.



".....But I guess that'd just be another tale from night city huh." Molly shrugs with a smirk.. concluding in a softened tone.

Lightning flickers into the dark office while Brian holds up the severed head of the corpo rat as Netty watches blood drip from the base of it.

Chapter Text

       Thick clouds from Audrey's cigarette fill the living room of the hideout as she paces back and forth... occasionally glancing at the room Zaunya lay passed out in. Shes tense... clearly rattled by the interaction with the corpo auditor.

"Molly Seeker..." She says to herself under her breath as her flowing adrenaline builds. "Just a middle of the night check-up!?". She pictures a quick flash of that dead stare attached to a big smile Molly had on her face during most of their interactions. "What does she know...? What. does. she KNOW!!" she mumbles with a low roar, gritting her teeth.


The adrenaline... the tension and internal dialogue shes engaged in builds to peak... triggering her to recall a memory:

       Audrey is seen on the lower levels of a PetroChem megabuilding being politely escorted by two PetroChem building security. The long, hollow halls carry a quiet, chilling breeze down their long stretches... barely able to see any further than 6 feet in front of you with the sparse lighting. The quiet stillness in the air carries tension and dismay... halls were spotless... as if whatever's going on down there is neatly sealed away behind closed doors and the guise of clean floors. They bring her to an empty concrete slabbed room and leave her isolated for an hour with a single camera attentively watching her pace about back and forth. Her nerves run rampant as she thinks of the recent event that's sent shockwaves throughout the entire organization... creating this unpredictable chain reaction in house. This level of structural resettlement within the company is felt even at her level... pretty much no different than the head of any gang being severed.

Eventually a man enters the room wearing a black suit with a small gold Petrochem logo pinned on his lapel. He stands in the doorway making eye contact with her as she does the same.

"What's going on..?" She asks lowering her eyebrows nervous and confused.

The man approaches her without saying anything as the echoing taps of his dress shoes on concrete get closer. He reaches for her shoulder, gently ushering her over to the lone chair and table in the room. "Please, have a seat Presca."

She sits down frustrated... planting her elbows on the table with her forehead rested in her hands. Her knee begins to bounce uncontrollably... the nervous anticipation makes her feel like a caged animal backed into a corner.

"Smoke?" He asks as he pulls out a pack of cigs.

"No... thank you." Audrey quickly responds frustrated. He pulls a smoke out and lights one for himself... he then walks over to a corner of the room and leans his shoulder up against it... crossing his arms and legs.


A brief pause takes place as he makes her sit in the silence.

"What do you guys wan-"

"-Where is she Presca." He interrupts with no eye contact.

"Where's-?"

"-We know the pair of you were close... inseparable even. Clearly you were the last one to-"

"-SHE NEVER TOLD ME!-"

"-YOU WERE THE LAST ONE TO SEE OR MAKE CONTACT WITH HER... WHAT! DID! SHE! SAY!"

"SHE WOULDN'T! TELL ME!"

       
       The door to the interrogation room slides open as another corpo woman walks in wearing black leather gloves and sporting black corpo business attire. The sound of her high-heels tapping across the concrete floor quickly towards Audrey intimidates her... she gasps as she approaches. The man stood up against the wall with his arms crossed calmly watches her step passed him.

The woman steps to Audrey and punches her in the face with full force... blood sprays onto the cold slabbed wall as she falls out of her chair... sending her to the concrete floor while she lets out a shriek of pain.

"Where is she." The corpo woman says in a calmed voice spoken like someone who has done this countless times. She punches Audrey even harder... again causing blood to spray out of her mouth onto the dry, cold concrete floor. Audrey's deep breaths and squeals of panic combine together with each thumping punch she takes to the face. The shadowy depths of the PetroChem megabuilding being put to their lighter use.

"WHERE!!" The woman yells as Audrey looks up at her and flinches in fear and surrender.

"S-SHE DIDN'T T-TELL MEE! S-SSTOPP! PLEAASEE!!" Audrey screams through her teeth with thick blood running out of her mouth as shes grabbed up by her hair and tossed up against one of the concrete walls. The woman grabs her by the throat and pins her up against the wall as she struggles to breathe.

       The man stood in the corner watching slowly walks over with his arms still crossed. His dress shoes tapping on the concrete as he steps through a puddle of Audrey's blood... painting the soles of his black dress shoes red. He stands alongside the corpo woman as he stares deep into Audrey's eyes. Audrey resists... she shrieks as the corpo woman holds her still and he jacks into one of her Neuro ports. After a short amount of time he disconnects.

"You may not know where she is right now Presca... but you're gonna help us find her... if its the last thing you do." He concludes before the corpo woman yanks her off the wall by her neck. Ending the flashback.

She hears the sound of the back door to the hideout slide open causing her to look over. She sees Brian and Netty slowly step in casually talking about the gig as they enter... she notices Brian carrying a white sack with dark blood seeping through and dripping out of the bottom of it.

"Did you see that shit choom!? They almost-" Netty says before hes immediately cut off.

"-BRIAN!" Audrey says as she quickly approaches him and begins rattling off what went down in a frantic panic.

"What? H-Hold on- wait- Slow down.. slow down... What happened." Brian says putting his gear down and instinctually glancing over at Zaunya's room. Netty keeps quiet and makes his way over to the couch.

Audrey slows her breathing and takes a moment to gather herself while still breathing heavy.

"A corpo... c-came by my shop... said... said shes been brought in to lead an investigation on the warehouse explosion.. she-"

"-WHAT?!" Brian shouts causing him to storm over to the farside window of the apartment watching the main street. "Did they follow you!?" He shouts quickly looking back at her.

"They weren't after us! They!-"

"WERE. YOU. FOLLOWED?!" Brian yells as he storms up to Audrey standing right in her face.

"NO!!" Audrey yells. "I didn't just fuckin come straight back here!! I was-"

"-What did they say!?"

"A woman... Molly Seeker. She... It was... she's... she's fucking crazy!"

"Audrey..." Brian says in exhale trying to get her to focus.

"She doesn't know SHIT! OK!? She's never even been to NC before... just landed even. Said shes being briefed on the situation and doesn't have all the deets."

"Then what are you?-"

"I DON'T KNOW OK?! Its just... the way she looked at me... the way she spoke... the time she decided to show up at my shop?! Its just fucking weird!! Brian... I-... I don't know what to-"

The sound of a door sliding open from one of the bedrooms in the apartment grabs the attention of all 3 of them as they look over.

They see Zaunya stumble out of the room holding her head in exhaustion... she catches her fall with the doorframe. Cutting to black.

Chapter Text

"Zaunya..."

Audrey whispers in exhale surprised... she quickly rushes over to her and gently grabs her face to look into her eyes while tending to her balance. Netty gets up off the couch and approaches himself and begins to scans her concerned.

Audrey and Netty glance back as Brian slowly approaches.. causing them to each take a step out of the way. He stands before Zaunya and embraces her... She braces with her forearms on his chest as he raises her face to get a better look at her... the two share a moment. A quick flash of Marilyn's face enters Brian's mind as he looks her over.

He's never seen Zaunya under this level of duress... the brutal nature of Night City has the ability to keep even the strongest in check. Scary part is it doesn't even take much to do it... the right amount of force... applied to just the right place... at just the right time. Should keep you honest... keep you on your toes... a reminder there is no one true way that rules all in this game of Night City rock paper scissors.

"Hey..." Brian whispers.. his tone deep and gentle... smile on his face.

Zaunya hears his voice and gives him a big hug... holding him tight and burying her face into his chest. Audrey and Netty glance at each other. Zaunya finally speaks:

"I.. need a smoke.."

       Some time has passed along with the tone in the room as the pitter patter of rain settles in outside the windows of the hideout with rolling thunder. The hideout's warm and cozy... the house music's mellow... a stark contrast to the cold, harsh elements outside trying to get in.

Audrey sits at a desk with a bright light beaming down on the severed head of the corpo rat... bloody and disheveled. She turns on an even brighter point light that rests on a monocle like strap on her eye... hyper focusing on his unsightly mug. She begins to skillfully carve in and around the golden Oracle eye causing stray blood to occasionally squirt out as they hear her slice and rip chunks away from the face, carving deep into the skull... being sure to avoid the high-end cables and wiring. Brian paces back and forth through gently wafting cigarette smoke.. occasionally glancing out the window and back at a resting, lethargic Zaunya as all 3 smoke cigs.

Netty glances down onto the coffee table at Brian's pack of Death Styx. He grabs the black pack and looks at it with curiosity... staring at the famous white skull on the front smirking at him and giving him the middlefinger. Beneath the skull rested the name of the flavor - 'Shoot You In The Fucking Face Menthol', causing him to lower his eyebrows. He flips the pack over to check out the back: 'Take a dive on some of our other deathlightful flavors such as 'Crush Your Fucking Skull Cranberry' or our latest and now most popular: 'Slit Your Fucking Throat Cinnamon'! Remember, with Death Styx, Ya Can't Miss! He glances up at everyone puffing away on these things taken aback. He pulls one out and looks at it's black paper and bone white filter closely before taking a sniff of it and gagging. It gets a genuine chuckle out of Zaunya having kept an eye on him even in her hazed state.

       


       Further time passes by deep into the night... the rain really begins to pick up... the pattering on the roofs and asphalt in the alleyways intensifies as the rain plays in the puddles. The 4 of them hear an abrupt knock at the backdoor making them all glance up at it. Audrey puts down her tools and quickly gets up to answer. She sees BugBear standing there, sporting her red netrunner jumpsuit tucked under a pair of black jeans with a cyberpunk yellow riding jacket on. She speaks while stepping in out of the heavy rain.

"Geez.. wasn't easy finding this place. I knocked half expecting no answer."

"Come in quick." Audrey says ushering her in and quickly sliding the door closed behind her. BugBear glances at everyone in the room as she walks in... she sees Zaunya resting on the couch.

"ZAUNYA!?" She shouts with her eyes open wide cracking her voice as she instinctually rushes over to her. She wraps her arms around Zaunya tight and buries her face into her shoulder and starts sobbing. "When I couldn't f-find you... I thought... I thought-"

"I know honey... I know... I'm ok." Zaunya says exhaling in a soft tone being held tightly by BugBear.

"She must've put the jammer up for them that night..." Brian silently thinks to himself connecting dots and saying nothing.

A bit more time passes as the group gathers in the living room. BugBear takes a drag of her smoke sitting on the couch as Brian continues to rest near the window watching the street through pattering rain. The warm calmness of the energy in the hideout highlights the heavy rain pouring down outside.

As everyone listens attentively, BugBear speaks.

"I stuck around for a while... when Audrey didn't show, i took off. They rolled up not even 2 minutes after I split."

"We're you followed here." Brian says slightly changing subject as his paranoia gets the better of him.

"...One of the earliest things I learned being a runner is how to not be followed... in or out of the net.." She responds looking over at him.

He reluctantly lets it go as he continues to occasionally glance out of the apartment window. She continues on topic.

"I watched them pretty closely before I called... The amount of huscle she had with her didn't sit right... didn't make much sense... even moreso with a random NCPD badge alongside her. She looked lost, this corpo woman. It was clear to me she didn't know where she was... y'know, there's a lot of benefits to being a Night City native. Outsiders can't help but stand out. The harder they try not to... the easier they are to spot. She wasn't trying though. Almost gave off the energy of a feral animal in unfamiliar territory."

"You're right. Shes not from here... told me this is her first time in NC... PetroChem auditor... investigations department she said."

Brian closes his eyes tight and subtly shakes his head. "And you're telling me they don't know shit?" He says in a frustrated tone to Audrey. Before Audrey can shout back shes interrupted by Zaunya.

"-There's a lot of layers and factors to shit like this. In the corporate world.. whenever there's big, uncontrollable mishaps damage control can get tricky... Goals and intentions can splinter throughout everyone involved... it gives way to miscommunication... leading to distrust and mistakes... finger pointing... and eventually betrayal... these are our points of attack."

Brian Chimes in "Sounds kinda warped. In my experience.. corporations as big as PetroChem run like a well oiled machine regardless of the event... there's protocols in place... contingency plans... unlimited database access... an unlimited well of huscle and operators on speed dial... their reach and influence seems fuckin' limitless." 

"Its a front. Trust me-"

"-Explain..." He responds skeptical.

Zaunya sits up on the couch resting her forearms on her lap and crossing her long legs.

"Why do you think they're considered so powerful..? Is it because they're omnipotent...? Invincible...? No... it's because those they rest their boots on the necks of have NOTHING. If you ever see quick, rampant escalation happening so high up in the chain of command.. then its running on borrowed time. Desperation has hit and someone's racing to avoid catching the falling knife. They'll exhaust every avenue of their often limited reach and resources to make it go away... or at the very least pass the problem off to someone else. The bigger the corp... the more varied the interests of all those involved... its volatile." Zaunya pauses briefly as they all take this valuable information in. She concludes:

"Corpos are only as powerful as their enemies are weak........ and we're not weak." Zaunya closes her eyes tight as she exhales... feeling a deep, sharp pain.

"Zaunya!" BugBear shouts as she grabs her forearm and looks her over. "What happened!?"

"My... back.." Zaunya winces in pain.. holding her head and falling back into the couch cushions. Audrey instinctually moves closer and gently cradles her... holding her tightly before She feels a sudden hand on her shoulder... causing her to look up.

"I've got this." Netty says in a softened tone looking down at Audrey with a genuine look. "I'm gonna need some of your hardware though." BugBear puts her arm out in front of the slightly taller than her kid and gets inbetween him and Zaunya.

"Uhm- I'm sorry. Who is this kid?" BugBear says glancing at Audrey and then over at Brian.

Audrey raises her eyebrows and responds after a brief pause... a slight smirk on her lips. "That's NTK"

BugBear's eyes open wide as she looks over at him. "WHAT!?" she shouts causing Netty to look over at her.

"Heh, yeah... we plucked him outta the jaws of a corpo rat nest. I honestly think-"

"-Bullshit. Show me." BugBear says cutting Audrey off in a serious tone as she stands up. They look at each other as her eyes glow and flicker blue... Netty's eyes do the same. He quickly shows her a private key signature confirming his identity.

"Holy shit!" Bugbear says in exhale and complete shock... the look on her face serious with marvel. "The Militech datafortress? I heard about that Cytech hardware catastrophe too! The Dynalar black lab momento!"

Netty listens on feeling slightly embarrassed. Apparently to trained eyes in the know, he's not as out of the spotlight as he may have thought.

BugBear pauses briefly and takes a few steps back... still looking directly at Netty... completely changing the tone and the energy of the room. The heavy rain outside pattering on the roof and windows of the hideout takes over with occasional rolling thunder. She gathers herself and prepares for what shes about to say next.

"And the Black Wall..." She says causing Netty to look over at her with a serious expression and say nothing. She continues

"Shit... I heard Netwatch has an entire specialized team dedicated to YOUR spot on the wall... corpo runners scanning and scratching their heads about it like junior ammys during a college course. Fucking NOVA man."

"Black wall...?" Zaunya asks curious.

"Its a barrier... kind of like a virtual border that's meant to protect runners on the net... think of it kinda like two sides... the traditional net you or I would use on one side... and the untamed remnants of a forgotten age of the net lying just past that. To most, going beyond it is plainly considered suicide... the rogue a.i's that exist on that side are relentless... rabid. Some of the greatest, highest skilled runners out there that've dared to go beyond it are simply looked at as slow, helpless maggots... strays... fragments of outdated code with no significance... to be purged and removed... fried to a crisp. Anyone crazy enough to go beyond it let alone TOUCH IT... has gotta have a deathwish. Netwatch put the thing up back after the datakrash n' things were really starting to get outta hand. There's a lot of debate and theories about it these days amongst runners under the surface... back and forths about who and why but one things clear... No One fucks with the Black Wall... Nobody... Except i guess... NTK."

The energy of the room shifts as everyone listens raptured in the tale. BugBear inevitably continues.


"How the fuck did you-?"

"-Its a long story... don't really wanna talk about it." Netty responds dismissively in a serious tone thinking deeply.

"PSH! Don't wanna talk about it? You're-" She says as she catches a look from Brian subtly shaking his head at her signaling not to pry causing her to stop. Brian picks up on Netty's dismissive reaction and takes mental note of it.

"We should get started." Netty says looking over at Zaunya. The pair of them get up and begin making their way to Audrey's room in the hideout. Audrey promptly starts to follow the pair to the room but is abruptly stopped by Zaunya with a look over her shoulder.

"Alone." Zaunya demands in a serious tone... causing Audrey to reluctantly stop in her tracks.

The pair enter the room... sliding the door closed behind them.

Chapter Text

       The wet black asphalt rests with scattered puddles as the cold rain continues to pour down from the night sky outside... pattering the windows of the hideout hard with relentless consistency. Cigarette smoke calmy wafts through the air in the warm, cozy living room of the hideout while some mellow reggae plays on the radio with a low volume.

"Hahaha... no shit... Netty The Kid is ACTUALLY a fucking kid. Hah... what a time to be alive." BugBear says with a smile as she lays back into the couch and kicks her feet up onto the coffee table with a fresh smoke in hand. "Y'know what makes that so fucking preem? We didn't even KNOW that shit was possible! I mean carving INTO the blackwall like that? Leaving a mark that big? Fuck! Its gotta be permanent!"

"Yeah, but what does it do..?" Brian asks comfortably leaned up against the window, watching the rain pour down and occasionally checking the dark streets with sparse lighting. The occasional pair of headlights drifting by.

"SHIT!!" Audrey grunts gritting her teeth while sat hunched over, still working on and carving up the severed corpo rat's head... ripping and slicing skin as blood occasionally squirts and flys out past her shoulders.

"Psh!! What does it do? It sticks the biggest fucking middle finger EVER up to Netwatch and all the other corpos that have no choice but to look on at it. A clear sign of the Black Wall's potential vulnerabilities... leaving JUST enough left to the imagination for ANYONE to run with!" Bugbear shifts her weight on the couch and sits up slightly. She pours a few glasses of Centzon for everyone before getting up and walking over to Audrey... she rests one of the drinks in a pool of blood on the table shes working at. Audrey reaches for it with her bloody hand and takes a quick swig before placing it back down into the pool of blood... the high pitched buzzes and whirring of her tools get back to work. BugBear walks back over and plops down onto the couch next to Brian. The mellow energy and warm comfort of the safehouse contrasts the harsh elements and hazards just outside the walls.

"You see, not everyone has actually seen it like I have... its still just rumor amongst runners like most shit is. But any runner good enough and well... curious enough that's gotten past Netwatch's security to see it for themselves, AND crack the encryption to reveal the meaning of the abbreviation KNOWS the significance. To be straight with you.. its pretty fucking legendary. The simplicity of the code compliments the staying power of the hack. Its left Netwatch and any runners in the know COMPLETELY stumped! Just standing there... looking on at this thing with confusion and awe. Whether its Netwatch too hesitant to fuck with their safety net or runners too pussy to even get close enough to see it. Countless smooth brained gonks running the net with constant back and forth bickering and debate over who and why like it even fuckin' matters at this point right? Hahaha 'NTK'... Beautiful art permanently carved into a fucking wall of death. Hahaha... god... how the fuck did he do that." She smiles before taking a swig of her drink.

"Alright... it's almost ready." Netty says with a serious tone as Zaunya sits straddling a wooden chair with her back toward him and her shirt off in the dimly lit apartment room with muffled reggae seeping in from the living room. The rain continues to patter the windows and roof... her black leather Kuomori trench coat hangs off the edge of the bed as she feels the various wires connected to her augmented spine jostle around lightly. The intertwined neurological sensations of meat combined with metal is a stiff, discomforting feeling shes grown all too familiar with. The amount of chrome shes packing underneath her RealSkinn is intimidatingly hard to spot with the untrained kiroshi. She hugs the back of the chair tightly with both arms with restless anticipation and lingering pain. Netty has used several of Audrey's bio tech hardware to plug both Zaunya and himself into a central diagnostics interface... focusing on her sandevistan.

"Hey uhh.. listen.. I gotta ask. Didn't wanna in front of everyone else." He says while finishing his prep. Zaunya glances back at him.

"Your chrome. Its all corpo licensed... even got some experimental black lab models that i don't even have a point of reference for. Even the data to its origins is encrypted.. in my experience it usually means executive level clearance when it comes to high end corporations... and your sandy? Its not yours... the bios foundation doesn't match up. I'm guessin' that explains the compatibility malfunctions... Are you-"

"-Not anymore. Its... its a lot that... i'd rather not talk about right now m'kay?" She cuts him off... her voice soft and tired.

"Hey, listen I get it... My dad worked in service to them pretty much his whole life. Plucked him off the streets of Watson when he was just a kid messin' around wit city drop points and rippin' of vendits... they feel like they own everything... everyone." He says while grabbing a small piece of wrapped cloth. "They take what they want when they want it... to either champion it-" He hands Zaunya the cloth. "-Or dispose of it". He concludes looking at her eyes.

"Recognized some of your symptoms post quickhack... we're gonna need to do some major overhauls to the soft. Reinforce the ice and take care of the compatibility vulnerabilities. You're gonna wanna bite down on that... Shits gonna hurt." Netty plugs in to the hardware as the pattering rain on the windows combines with the whirrs and wizzes of Audrey's cyberware equipment dialing in. His eyes glow blue as he hears Zaunya's voice.

"Thank you Netty." She whispers in a genuine tone... he glances down at her... giving a warm smile.

"SO. What's going on now hm? What are you guys gonna do about this corpo chick?" BugBear asks Brian who has now joined her kicking back on the couch as they enjoy their glasses of Centzon in the warm living room.

"So many factors at play... so many moves to make... just a lot to think about." He says before taking a swig from his glass. "Fortunately, based on what we know so far and how I feel right now, we have some breathing room. Taking the time to cover our tracks has been a big payoff... Don't know... Honestly told myself I wouldn't be apart of shit like this anymore a long time ago."

"Apart of what? Had a crew?"

He pauses for a moment... taking another sip. "Somethin' like that." He mutters looking up at the ceiling... taking a deep breath.

"Familiarity can make the mind vulnerable... you make yourself responsible for people... and when they... they become apart of you-"

He hears the feint sounds of Marilyn's screams re-enter his mind with vigor "NO! NO! PLEASE! VARGA!! VARGAAAAAAA!!!!" causing him to close his eyes tight.

"Their pain becomes your pain... and when they're gone? Well... you lose parts of yourself. Like a fuckin joytoy on a scavs table." The two giggle softly together before taking another sip from their glasses. The rolling thunder alongside rain continuing to patter on the roof and windows creates a warming white noise complimenting the brain massaging reggae.

BugBear sits on the sentiment for a bit after another sip from her glass.

"Well, from where i'm sitting... seems like you know what you're doing... Zaunya doesn't stand by people she doesn't respect... hasn't in a long time... heh... Audrey especially." BugBear says giggling causing Brian to look over at her with a serious expression. "These are good people you have here Brian... hell, i've known you all of about 5 seconds and even I can see they look to you a lot." 

She continues... looking at him in the eyes.

"Never lose sight of what brought you together. Remember what you stand against... crew's loyalty and trust... only as strong as their leader's." She concludes as the pair share a sincere smile with each other.

"Thanks Bear." He says softly as the two share a moment.

"FUCK YEAH! DONE!!" Audrey yells while quickly standing up at her table causing Brian and BugBear to look over.

The sounds of Zaunya's muffled screams rattle Netty as she bites down hard onto the wrapped cloth with eyes wide open. The wooden chair beneath her struggling to stay on all fours.

She shouts through the cloth in a frantic panic "NO! NO! STOP!! P-PLEASE STOP!! NO MORE! I... I CAN'T-" she begs before tensing up again... snapping her head back in uncontrollable pain.

"Stay with me! Breathe! J-Just Breathe... Shh.. Its ok.. we're almost there! Almost... there." Netty says frantically trying to keep her body stable and from falling out off the chair. Zaunya's grip on the back of the chair tightens as the wood begins to crack in and give way to her arm's squeeze.

"You're ok, hang on!" He says in a panic as Zaunya continues to muffle screams through the cloth with her veins protruding from her forehead.

She eventually passes out from the pain... her body goes limp over the cracked chair and her long black hair hangs down in front of her face nearly touching the carpeted floor.

"Easy... easy.. you're ok... you're ok... Alright, now i can REALLY get to work. No runner's fuckin' with you after this." Netty whispers to himself as his eyes continue to alternate glowing from blue to red and flowing with code.

"Check THIS SHIT out!" Audrey says holding up the golden Kiroshi oracle eye as coagulated blood drips down from the golden wires attached to it. Brian and BugBear stand up and walk over to the table. He glances down at the bloody gore covering the work area and a barely recognizable head of a human being... looking as if a cyberpsycho had dug into him.

"Holy shit! NOVA!!" BugBear shouts as Audrey hands the eye to Brian. He holds it up to the light, admiring the intricate workings of the small piece of chrome with a smile of success on his face.

"And NOW. We have a set." Audrey says as she walks over to a desk and pulls out a clean matching gold Kiroshi Oracle still sitting housed in its cylindrical metal capsule.

"I'm telling you. You're gonna love what all this bullshit was for!" Audrey shouts at Brian with a big smile on her face.

All 3 of them hear the door to Audrey's room slide open causing them to look over. They see Zaunya and Netty walk out... Zaunya clearly looking to be in a much better state. She takes a deep breath of relief as Audrey rushes over to her and gently grabs her face. Zaunya grabs Audrey's forearms as Netty steps past the 3 ladies toward Brian... Brian looks down at Netty in his eyes.

"All good?" He asks in a low tone. Netty returns it with a genuine look.

"She'll be fine... better than fine now." He responds in a low tone as the pair look over at the women talking and laughing amongst themselves.

"Good work kid... I owe you one." Brian concludes in a deep, sincere tone looking at Netty with pride as he taps him on the shoulder with force causing Netty to stumble.

"HEY! Listen. Lets get outta here." Audrey says to Brian causing him to look over confused. She continues.

"We just hit fucking BIG! Its time to celebrate! On me!"

"Probably not the best idea." Brian says as Zaunya quickly agrees with him. He briefly hears the sound of Graves' voice enter his head but we're not quite able to hear what he says... hearing only his feint laughs of joy inbetween him speaking.

"Fuck that, if we spend another minute in this fucking place playing hide n seek we're gonna lose our minds. Fuck the corps, fuck the trail, we need to unwind. CUT LOOSE!! I know the perfect place away from prying corpo gonk eyes filled with ONLY the right people. LETS MOTOR!!!" Audrey proclaims as BugBear and Netty cheer along with her.

The group slowly files out of the apartment talking amongst themselves.

Chapter Text

       The loud, booming music of Jig Jig street fills the air with the intense night life of Night City in full swing. Dealers making moves, Joytoys making profits... entire lifelong relationships beginning and ending. The crew walks together in tandem through shoulder to shoulder crowds talking amongst themselves as they passively follow Audrey to their destination. The bright, vibrant variety of neon Night City colors were on full display. Bright, glowing neon clothing and accessories dawned alongside vibrant matching chrome and sleek hardware. Animated accessories expressive of unique statements and personalities pass by with flying colors one after the other to the sounds of booming music from cars and storefronts. The night sky served as a black canvas for the colors of Night City to really pop as people clink glasses, light smokes and party the night away.

"HEY CUTIE! Mmm.. why don't you come on over here and talk to me..!" A joytoy seductively barks at Netty while licking her lips. He turns his full attention over to her with a big smile. His kiroshis drift up and down her long legged frame... her thigh high skirt a neon yellow... her platform heels were as crystal clear as glass. She shifts her weight in them as his gaze rises to her pristine face. She meets his eyes with a grin... revealing her pearly whites as she subtly flips her short hair. Night City's dynamic allure is finely tuned... tunnels and pathways into the unknown... life changing journeys... always but a single touch... a single hello away.

"H-Hey! I uhh-" he says before being abruptly yanked back to the group by Brian as they continue walking down main street.

       They reach their destination, a neon pink soaked bar with a packed house. Pole dancers put on a show while bar patrons scream and cheer in ecstasy as the crew makes their way through the crowded floor being lead by Audrey. They make their way to the bar as Brian takes a moment to get a feel for the area... the intense heat of the place brought about by the sheer energy being projected by everyone in attendance. He glances over at Audrey whispering into the bar tender's ear before his attention is turned to the floor of the bar itself. He can't help but spot the various suits cascaded around the place... some drinking and glaring about... some breaking business deals with locals... some just sitting alone somberly leaving their worries and sorrows at the bottom of a glass. His heightened sense of awareness tends to always come out in times like this... something about the lack of awareness of his people... knowing their guards are down... it often drives him to keep his up.

Brian feels a heavy hand on his shoulder snapping him out of his scanning and causing him to turn around.

"Come on!" Zaunya says with a smile of excitement on her face as she grabs him by the arm.. pulling him toward the door the rest of the crew is standing by. A quick flash of the serious look on her face she had grabbing his arm and pulling him deeper into the PetroChem warehouse enters his mind... both the similarities and contrasts of these two moments blindside him with lingering impact.

       


       The bartender unlocks the backdoor behind the bar... ushering Audrey and the rest of them in. As it slides open, The crew begin to descend down a narrow staircase carrying on conversations amongst themselves. Their energy is lively with anticipation as they effortlessly meld into the high octane night life they're accustomed to in Night City. They descend further down the surprisingly steep staircase... the music of the bar above begins to fade out as a new, louder tone and bass booming from below gradually fades in and takes over. They get to the bottom and Audrey bangs hard on the heavy metal door several times causing a small metal window on the door slides open. She speaks the night's password.

"Wires and Roses. Cyberpsychosis." She says causing the little window on the door to promptly slide closed and the door to open. The crew are met with a flood of bright red neon glow as the loud thumping sounds of heavy metal come flying out of the doorway.

       


       They step in to what looks to be a different world. The atmosphere and energy of the basement bar and dancefloor pulls them in as they step through a packed crowd watching an unknown band shredding like they belonged on world tours. Rockerboys cutting loose to the eclectic band blasting energy out onto the dancefloor, feeding the untamed and darkened atmosphere with a red hue. Drugs shift hands under card game tables alongside antes over drunken five finger fillet rounds. The vibrant colors of all the hyperstylistic cyberware and fashionware on display brought with it a drip that you could only find in Night City. A local's paradise for those at the forefront of the culture... for those in the know.

The crew are next seen clinking beer bottles and glasses in shouts, cheers and celebration at their success in a corner booth elevated a few steps.

You get an establishing shot of the entire crew hanging out and enjoying themselves deep into the night. Swapping stories... sharing intense laughter... people watching... and getting to know each other on a far more personal level... filling in blanks... testing social boundaries. The energy of the crowd and crew themselves is euphoric and positive as they all revel in it together. Something that's often hard to find in Night City. It was clear it was just one of those nights where everyone in attendance was determined to make it one to remember.

"Listen kid. Whatever you're lookin' at, whatever you want in this place tonight, its on me alright?" Brian says with his giant arm around the back of Netty's skinny neck pulling him in close causing Netty to giggle.

"I didn't think i was ever going to see you again girl! Where the hell have you been!?" BugBear asks Zaunya while Audrey attentively listens as the ladies catch up and share laughs.

The night carries on as you would expect... the crew takes the time to unwind while fully embracing some of the most coveted perks Night City has to offer. The type of night tourists fly halfway across the globe with their fingers crossed in hopes to get even a piece of. The bread and butter of what makes city life what it is... and how it shapes those within it. Building bonds through violence and suffering is a lot different than building it through good times and euphoria. The staying power is often different... just as the foundations are.

"You never really know what you're gonna get with people in this city. Conflict spreads like a plague... can fizzle out faster than a lit match. That's why adhering to what you actually CAN control is what matters." Brian says rambling on and on while Netty listens like a kid in class. "Regardless of your intentions for someone.. you can control nothing but yourself... you did good back there kid... its clear to me you can carry your own weight." He says as he takes another swig of his Brospeh causing Netty to do the same... a pause in their conversation allows the music to take over.

"But remember kid... There's no one in this world you can trust more than yourself." Brian says in a serious tone causing Netty to look over at him with a serious expression.

"As soon as you start to lean on others... start to hold on too tight... you're in trouble... Got me?"

"Yeah, i uhh... i got it." Netty responds before they both swig their Broseph's together and the music takes over.

Later in the night, Brian finishes up a conversation with a choom at the bar after buying a pack of smokes off of him. Little does he know... he's had a pair of emerald green eyes tracking his moves for quite some time now. Thoughts weighing heavy on her mind.

"I'll be right back." Zaunya leans over and says to BugBear who's watching Audrey dance intensely on a stripper pole with a joytoy. Audrey snatches the Joytoy's neck while Netty gazes on with his mouth hanging open.

The backdoor to the hidden underground bar slides open letting out into a quiet, narrow alleyway below street level... muffling the booming atmosphere just inside. Zaunya exits and quickly glances up the alley to see Brian near the end of it leaning over a railing preparing to light a cig. She slowly walks up to him as he hears the unforgettable tapping of her boots... causing him to take a deep breath.

"Hey..." She says in a softened tone causing Brian to glance back at her. He silently offers her a smoke; As she takes it, he lights it for her and the pair share a silence with each other for a while smoking. They hear the feint, bustling and lively activity of Jig Jig street above. He can't help himself... he breaks the silence.

"What're you thinkin'" He calmly asks in a deep tone.

"You know... i should probably be asking you that." She responds causing him to look over at her. The dim glow of the Neon Night city streets above bleeds through down onto them... giving them a unique color spectrum to loiter in.

"You do a good job of holding your cards close... a defense mechanism perhaps." She says before taking a drag of her smoke "...I just.... I almost feel like the more you learn about me... the less i realize i know about you-"

"-What's there to know."

"-OH, CUT the bullshit Brian! Stop treating me like some fucking geek off the street you accidentally bumped into in the City Center." Zaunya says in a raised tone causing Brian to look over at her.

"You want a non-starter? How bout this..." She says as she steps toward him locking in. "Graves? That cowboy back at the 6th street compound? I haven't forgotten any of this shit you know! Oh, and the last time i mentioned HER name...? You were about ready to blow my fucking head off." She shouts in a challenging tone... causing Brian to turn and face her... looking deep into her eyes.

She steps towards him even closer... getting right in his face... speaking in a lowered tone, squinting her eyes. "You wanna talk about trust?... I don't even know who the fuck you are."

"YO! uhh.. I hope i'm not uhhm.. interrupting anything?" Netty shouts as he slowly walks towards the pair from a distance.

Zaunya continues to stare deep into Brian's eyes as she slowly takes a few steps back with her fists clinched tightly... she turns around to walk back toward the bar past Netty. Netty slowly approaches Brian who turns his back to continue leaning over the railing.

"Is uh... everything alright?"

"What is it kid." Brian says before another drag of his smoke.

"I uh... I heard somethin' in there I think you're gonna wanna know..." The tone of his voice is street... Brian quickly looks over at him.

Chapter Text

Netty walks up and stands next to Brian at the railing. "Hey man. I just heard-"

"-Why are you here." Brian asks cutting him off.

"I uh- i'm trying to tell you-"

"-No... I mean, why are you here." Brian says cutting him off again.. he turns to face him. "The rat... what's your connection and why were you there that day."

"Listen choom.. i don't-" Netty responds with a half shake of the head before looking over at Brian staring daggers at him.

Brian taking him to task catches Netty by surprise. He pauses for a moment and closes his eyes while leaning over the railing as Brian attentively watches him. Netty continues.

"I was just... followin' a bunk lead." He says looking out away from the railing.

"My dad was a freelance runner... used to do contract work for some of the city's top clients... corporate executives, high level politicians, multi-billion eddie businesses, you name it. Fairness was he steelo though... he'd often do runs pro bono for locals that couldn't afford it but needed the help. Single moms with assistance funding being withheld... mom and pop shops under attack from rival corps hellbent on putting em outta business. A true blue plughead with an iron hand. He wasn't alone either... ran with a crew that he grew up with. They were all dedicated to the craft... fuckin' preem work on the daily, no hiccups, no fuck ups. Their reputation for consistency and discretion were second to none... true ghosts of the net. Not often do you see a 'crew' of runners who could coordinate like that on such a level."

Brian leans back over the railing and takes another drag of his smoke as he quietly listens.

"His chooms were like my uncles... each of them always had a piece... a gem they'd pass onto me daily when they realized I really took to it. They had kids that I grew up with... my best friends... there were... 5 of us." He says slightly raising his eyebrows... looking down and away.




He recalls a memory:

Netty and his friends, no more than 8 years old are seen sprinting down a street laughing and fleeing from a store owner.

"GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKIN KIDS!!" The owner shouts as he helplessly chases after them well out of shape and bereft of any stamina. As Netty and his friends hop a fence, one of them quickhacks a powerbox next to the store owner causing it to explode and knocks him off balance... he slams to the ground sending trash scattering. The kids hop the fence and continue sprinting down the alley.

"Since our dads were pretty much constantly plugged into the net or on the move we pretty much had free reign with a longing desire to follow in their footsteps. We all had our own cyberdecks by 10.. most of them being our dad's original models... It was kind of like a badge of honor whenever one of us was handed down one. They even re-tailored them for us... cleaned the nav so we can personalize em. Usually left some real goodies behind too... nasty programs... real vintage shit. Made sure we knew what the fuck we were doing with em... or at least what we could do with em." He says with pride under his breath.

Netty takes a step back from the railing and begins to slowly pace back and forth in the alley.

"As we got older... stakes got raised... We would constantly push each other to do harder... riskier shit... became like... like this endless escalation of competitive drive between us... god they were so fuckin' good." Netty says as he pictures the faces of several of his friends.

"We'd learn of some of our dad's exploits and try to emulate em. Whenever one of us would pull somethin' unique or special off, me and the boys would work tirelessly to try n out do it. We elevated each other this way... kept us off the streets... during a time when we really needed to be y'know... our discipline and ability was on a steady incline. Just... immersed ourselves into the craft on an obsessive level." Netty says with his back turned to Brian.

"We never did it for 'our principals' or any of that ideological 'power to the people, death to the corpos' bullshit. Why would ya? It'd just be like pushin' a boulder up a hill... No, it was for sport moreso than anything... proof was in the work. We usually didn't fuck with anything or... anybody while we were in there. If any of us ever started to get a bit too esoteric or agenda driven we'd often stamp it down and call em a 'hero' as a dismissive insult... consistently reminding each other of OUR code... why we do what we do and the importance of it. Runnin' the streets of Watson was always unpredictable... never knew what was gonna happen next. I guess you can say there was a certain level of comfort in it... we were the masters of our domain after all. Gave us the safety to kick our feet up pretty much wherever we pleased."

He takes a deep breath... continuing is recollection:

Young Netty hears a loud bang just outside his room causing him to jolt. He rips his headphones off at his computer desk and looks toward the door as his father storms in. He grabs Netty by his shirt and lifts him up onto his feet while moving back toward the entrance of their house. "You gotta split. Somethin' came up."

"I never bothered to ask what was going on... shit like this was pretty commonplace. He was never the best at communicating the things he really wanted to. It... was a problem at times."

       Netty and his dad share an unheard exchange briefly... his father explaining something to him before gesturing him toward the street and closing the door to the house in his face. Netty casually makes his way through the cold, rain soaked streets of Watson with hoodie up and hands pocketed. It was late... he didn't have much of a plan to be out there so he makes his way to an unmarked, abandoned building several blocks away. He makes his way across the huge open floorspace, all the way to the back of the tattered open warehouse. He opens a locked door with a kiroshi scan hidden behind a scrap of heavy metal that falls back into place upon his entry. A rush of warm air hits his face from all the hardware running as he enters to see his friends setting up for a deep dive... gearing up and sorting a bunch of hardware out. Their biz was running on all cylinders as usual... just a group of capable kids with a unknown cause running amuck through the net. Even though he told them he wouldn't be there... they're not surprised to see him.

"We had our own setup by then. Fuckin preem, top of the line hardware that took us ages to klep and gather... fully integrated links, seamless connection quality, discreet and formidable. Took us quite a while to dial everything in perfectly with everyone's different specs but once we did... It really was somethin' special. You don't ever really see THAT many runners coordinating together at that high of a level like that... we were young but... felt like our heads were in the right place y'know." 


Netty pauses briefly on the thought. Clearly something he's spent countless hours thinking through.

"It made us cocky... careless... felt untouchable... full of ourselves. More daring less... cautious."

He paces back toward the railing.

"We had been working this Kang Tao datafortress for a while by then... nothin' too spicy or out of our wheelhouse but... was kinda odd it had taken so long... we'd spend whole nights lounging in some of our favorite kick it spots in and out of the net speculating on it at times. Everyone had their own theory... thinking of different ways to approach it. Then-"

He closes his eyes tight.

While all 5 of them are plugged into their setup... a sudden flash of red lightning sparks from the visor of one of Netty's friend's runner goggles causing them to short circ and explode. The static purge emits a sharp whir in the silence of the room... his friend lets out a loud shriek of pain as his body seizes and tenses up... shortly after, the tension in his body slowly releases and re-settles into his runner chair... as blood begins to seep out of his ears, nose and mouth... slowly dripping from his neck to the floor. The rest of them still plugged into the net see his icon shatter into countless fragments of code before disintegrating. This causes the rest of them to take formation and react... immediately playing defense while searching for the source of the attack as their heightened awareness locks them in. Executing a series of different programs unsuccessfully. One by one, as they attempt to flee and disconnect the same red lightning rupture happens to each one of them. Some of them putting up quick, unorthodox and strong resistance before ultimately falling prey to this overwhelming, unknown source. Fractured failsafes untriggered or simply just didn't work.

"I just... ran.. and I didn't stop running... until... I saw him."

Netty slowly approaches his dad's icon in the net who has his back turned toward him standing still. His interface flowing with code as he quickly navigates it. He slowly reaches for his father's shoulder causing him to quickly turn around and grab Netty.

"There's no time. You have to go. NOW!!" His father shouts. He yanks Netty in close... his eyes quickly flicker blue causing Netty's to do the same.

"DAD!?" Netty shouts in complete panic and desperation.

"JUST GO!!!" His dad says as he shoves him away knocking Netty off balance.

"...Just fuckin go.." His dad whispers a final time... the emotion in his voice unforgettable to him. A lifetime of thoughts articulated into a final command. A tsunami of distorted, red lightning floods toward them as Netty takes a final look before turning to run away.

Netty suddenly jolts awake in his runner chair. His eyes open wide as he takes a deep gasping breath as if resurfacing from underwater after nearly drowning. He quickly yanks his helmet off along with all of his plugs while hyperventilating. The various alarm beeps and buzzes of equipment pinging for warnings and overloads fill the space in a chaotic scramble. He rips the last of his wires out of the system before falling out of the chair to his hands and knees... coughing and vomiting. With his head spinning in a daze, he slows his breathing down and scrambles to his feet.

He sees his friends laying lifeless in their chairs with blood seeping out of their ears noses and mouths... gentle, idle black smoke rises from the various machines and wires connected to their setup. The stench of death fills the room alongside cooked machinery crackling under the pressure of fire and heat... melting skin and charring chrome.

"NO! NO! NO!!!" He screams as he rushes over to one of his friends... he instinctually reaches for his friend's wires before he hesitates to touch any of them. "COME ON!!" He yells through his teeth while grabbing his lifeless friend's shoulders and shaking him. He takes a few steps back to look at his 4 friends laying dead in their chairs. A high pitched ringing enters his ears as he looks on in complete disbelief. The emotions of the moment overwhelm him... his head feels light as the room starts to spin. His screams of panic are left completely muted as his silhouette frantically attempts to tend to his friends... ending the flashback.

Netty stands looking over the railing as Brian rests his back against wall of the building with his arms crossed listening attentively.

"It was a trap... they let us get deep enough into the dive before they put us between a rock and a brick wall... with the only way out being the edge of a cliff. Everytime one of us tried to disconnect, we were fried. Only reason I made it out was.."

He pauses briefly before shifting subject slightly. "His.... his body may be gone... but he's still alive. He's still in there... I know it."

"Alive? Like retreated into the net..? I've heard of stuff like that happenin' before but it never-"

"-He's alive." Netty insists sternly while quickly looking back at Brian with a serious face... a single tear running down his cheek. "I know it... he was too good to just go out like that... I know hes in there. Somewhere. He's gotta be."

Netty stares out into the distant city lights... a pause accompanies the change in subject.

"The Black Wall hack was for them."

You see Netty fearlessly standing before the Black Wall face to face... alone deep in the voids of cyberspace... truly on the edge.

"It was a hack just like any other we had done... to send a message... it was about... taking back... control."

With eyes red he raises his hand out toward the Black Wall... it's foundation in front of him begins to shake, resist and distort in an intense fit.

"It was about letting them know that i'm still here..."

The Black Wall begins to cave in slightly as Netty places the palm of his hand directly on it... straining hard while gritting his teeth. The reaction of the wall only intensifies as the affect of his touch begins to ripple throughout the area surrounding his point of contact. The very void of cyberspace around him begins distort... glitching along with an intense shake resembling that of an earthquake lasting for a period of time. The subtle whispers of connected voices beyond ring out in a violently inaudible mess as he doesn't back down... a numbing sensation washes over.. quickly turning to a needle like sensation spiking through his hand and rapidly intensifying... making its way through his body in a gripping motion.

"That WE'RE still here..."

The Black Wall then begins to slowly settle as Netty staggers back a few steps away from it, nearly falling on his ass... leaving behind his calling card of 'NTK' burned directly into it about the size of a large street sign... concluding the flashback.

"Letting who know..?" Brian asks in a low tone.




Netty looks back at Brian before turning and walking toward him.




"Doesn't matter... what matters right now is I think we're being tracked."

Chapter Text

Zaunya and the rest of the ladies back in the booth laugh while enjoying their last drinks of the night in the underground club. The band takes pictures with fans and bar staff as they wrap up for the night. Last call has been announced as various patrons find seats to catch their breath and slam final shots... plotting their next destinations while others are dragged out unconscious by their chooms. Although Night City is often a place of re-inventing yourself... being whoever you want to be... your sense of identity tends to be shaped by the people and environment around you... things beyond your control. Its often overlooked the longer you're in it... the influence of such a polarizing place... it does things to you.

"I would've been gone long ago if I ever planned on walking away."

"That's not the point Zaunya... the point is you still CAN." Audrey asserts as BugBear passively listens on knowing her place and not interjecting.

"I got my hands on one of their intel databases and several datashards back at that warehouse before it went boom. Leave it to PetroChem to leave a bunch of valuable eggs in one fucking basket... Its a spattering of various shit; locations, inner company people of interest- some i even recognize... cataloged biomon data and medical records... redacted cyberware and firearm inventory ledgers... and more deets on this 'experimental' choo2. Where we might be able to find it... maybe whose making it even.. Its weird... its almost like-"

"-Zaunya... going to war with these corpos only leads one way... you know this."

Zaunya listening to Audrey plead her case feels a sudden heavy hand on her shoulder causing her to look up and see Brian standing over her with Netty making his way back to the table and booth. The sounds of various glasses clinking and being cleaned up mixes together with chairs being dragged and rags being used to wipe down tables.

"Hey, we need to talk." Brian says with a subtle tone of urgency and panic while raising his eyebrows and gently grabbing her arm up.

"What happened? Is everything ok?" She asks with a concerned look on her face. She instinctually feels his uneasy energy and quickly matches it with a wary tone of panic.

"Yeah.. yeah everything's fine. Just... come" He says in a reassuring tone catching her reaction. Knowing how she can be... he tries to remain subtle while now firmly grabbing her arm and leading her toward the staircase going up and out of the hidden bar.

Netty plops back down onto the booth where Audrey and BugBear are... the loud commotion and conversations of the bar, along with the idle house music make it impossible for him to hear them.

He takes a look around the club and has a moment to himself to sit down and process where hes at in life and why he's there. A quick flash of his friends taking a group picture together on the roof of a corpo megabuilding feeling on top of the world enters his mind... then another flash of his father handing him his first cyberdeck. He hears his father's voice echo: "If you're gonna follow in my footsteps Netaniel; you're gonna do this shit right, do you understand me? I'll only allow you to do this... to become the best." Fond memories he's never let go of. Thinking about the countless hours... the repetition of rigorous and thorough Netrunner training he did with his father... he takes a final swig, finishing his drink and resting his glass on the table.

He glances over to see Audrey and BugBear get up and quickly start to make their way to the stairs with purpose causing him to get up and quickly follow behind them.

       The 3 of them exit out of the front of the bar onto street level into the mixture of warm and cold Night City air and make their way toward their parked Galena off in the distance. Foot traffic has thinned greatly this deep into the night with dispersed crowds littering the near empty area. They see Brian and Zaunya at the hood of the car finishing what looks to have been a brief but intense back and forth conversation. As the 3 of them approach; Brian who's standing in front of Zaunya glances over at them past her shoulder... causing Zaunya to turn around and face them at the same time.

"Hey! You guys ready to delta or did you wanna hit another bar? I'm kinda starving honestl-" Audrey says while stepping past Brian to get into the car.



He quickly grabs her by her arm and slams her down onto the hood of the Galena G240 with force causing her to shriek... he pins her down by her head.. holding her in place.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!!!!" BugBear screams as she steps to Brian and punches him in the face with full force flinching him slightly and hurting her hand badly in the process. She instinctually opens her hand due to the pain and instead slaps him as hard as she can in the face before shes grabbed by the waist from the front and pushed backwards away from Brian by Netty causing her to scream. Zaunya quickly steps inbetween Netty and BugBear with her hands out in front of her before she grabs BugBear's shoulders to calm her down and hold her back "Stop honey, s-stop! hold on! w-wait!" Zaunya pleads as BugBear franticly struggles to free herself while shrieking.

"LET GO OF MEEE!!!! YOU FUCKING GONK!!!! WHAT THE FFUCK!!!!!!" Audrey screams through her teeth trying to resist under Brian's grasp.

"DO IT KID.." Brian shouts sternly while holding her down as blood begins to run from his mouth from BugBear's punch. Netty quickly turns around leaving Zaunya to hold back BugBear as he runs over and stands over Audrey. He hesitantly jacks into one of her neuro ports as his eyes begin to flicker blue and he begins scanning.

"AUDREY!!" BugBear screams frantically struggling as Zaunya holds her back by her waist from behind.

A short time passes before Netty quickly unplugs from Audrey's neuro socket and takes a few steps back.

"Holy shit.." He says under his breath with a look of fear on his face causing the commotion to stop and everyone to look at him.

Chapter Text

       The heavy taps of black high-heels rapidly stomp one after the other across a marble floor. Various corpos throughout the halls doing various tasks and carrying on conversations quickly realize who she is and move the hell out of her way. Some bow their heads in respect while others offer a nervous smile with wavering eye contact. The woman makes her way through the long, wide PetroChem megabuilding halls to an elevator that scans her before opening. As the elevator rises with a gradual hum, the woman once again takes the moment of privacy to hyperventilate; Catching her unstable fall by posting her hand on a wall... struggling to catch her breath.

Often our moments of privacy are where we allow ourselves to be our most vulnerable... in the life of a corpo on this level however... vulnerability tends to be more of a lover's mistress.

She quickly gathers herself before taking a final deep breath... stabilizing the shaking in her hands by clenching her fists tightly. The emotionless gaze in her eyes take over as the elevator dings open... concluding again what feels like her daily ordeal.

"What's the status on the site clean up." The waiting executive says gazing out of the wall sized windows.

"Finished sir. Its to be re-purposed into a parking lot for the new hires as requested."

"Good... and the paid informant?"

She pauses briefly before responding.

"He's given us a lead on a truck he reportedly saw fleeing the area soon after the explosion. He had been just out range of the blast site and saw a black Colby Butte with 2 occupants drive past him in the direction he was driving in."

"Is that really it? Are you fucking kidding me?" His tone sharp.

"Not quite. Out of curiosity he followed the Butte out to the city border. Said it took off into the East Badlands before he stopped following. Not really too many locations out there they could've scurried off to."

"Get a team out into the dirt to track it immediately... make sure they're discreet when they take off... remind them that this off record. Have them hit every location of interest we have out there... if no one else in the city saw anything then that means anyone who did is going to be out in the wastes. In the meantime, have research dig into the 'E.P.V' database. Not the common one... too many hoops to jump through... the extreme personal vendetta database. Return to me with a report on what names show up. We currently have scop for leads... no clear pattern, no clear lead up, no clear motive... may mean the lack of a pattern IS the answer." He concludes as he takes another drag of his smoke.

"Yes sir." She says with a slight bow of the head before a pause.

She lives in the brief calm of silence for a while stood behind him before gulping. She strongly hesitates before speaking... the tension in the back of her shoulders gets heavy.

"There's... uhm.. another issue sir."

He glances over at her without saying anything.

"I've been informed through one of my points of contact that the board of directors may have a 3rd party investigating the explosion."

A dead silence takes back over the already quiet office.

"What." He says in a dead tone quickly looking over at her. The sudden snap startles her... she does her best to not show fear.

"Its... unconfirmed but there was a significant shift in street security detail over the past few days. Several full units along with an entire investigation team have been consolidated to one in house entity for a 'black' project here in the city. Some of ours believe it to be an auditor."

The dead silence lingers... the tension in the air tight enough to strangle an iron neck.

He clinches his fists tightly and slowly walks over to his desk... the tapping of his dress shoes echo throughout the spacious office.


He hunches forward... resting his fists on it without a word. The woman nervously stands at the opposite end awaiting a response or... whatever was coming next.

"I'll see you at the upcoming briefing... we'll discuss this then." He replies with a clenched jaw. Feeling the weight... the vague feelings of shifting tides and control slipping away. Often inhouse with corporations... strikes aren't delivered with weight and noise... they're silent... sharp... delivered before they can even be felt. The statement from the board up at the top is clear...




There is now doubt.




He grits his teeth and bares it in the moment.

"Yes sir." She says in slight relief with another bow of the head before quickly rushing her way back to the elevator.

As the elevator closes and heads down, the executive still hunched over his desk breaths heavy in and out... shades of his humanity bubbling to the surface in private. As the anger builds, he slams his fists onto the hardwood desk causing a loud crack and bang... leaving it crushed in half.

The woman breathes a sigh of relief as the elevator gradually hums down.

       

       Brian stands across the street a block or so away from the hideout smoking a cig, pacing back and forth occasionally glancing at the building and up every street. Zaunya silently watches him do so as its clear the two have had several intense conversations before this moment and are taking the time to gather themselves. The streets are cold... wet with scattered puddles and sparse street lighting as the occasional pair of headlights slowly roll by on a late night.

"Point is.. I trust her more than anyone I know... she'd never willfully put me in danger... put us in danger-"

"-And how can you be so sure Zaunya. huh? What if she just fucked up and made a mistake?"

"She's already saved your life once Brian... mine more times than i can even count... let's just... see what they turn up in there." She says looking over at the hideout that blends in with the rest of the spattering of smashed together architecture.


Often times in the city streets... it can be misunderstood that the later it gets, the more dangerous it becomes... however the opposite is true. Even the psychos of society turn in at some point... leaving this eerie... peaceful quietness filled with stray ambience and freeway whitenoise. Intimidating to some... and to others... warming...... like home.

The heat of the hideout has been recently turned on gradually warming the space as a cold breeze lightly pushes up against the windows from outside. BugBear leans up against a wall with her arms crossed... her eyes glowing red and flowing with code, casually running a jammer. She watches Netty plugged into one of Audrey's neuro sockets as she lay there unconscious on the couch of the living room.

"Its outdated code, trust me... back when i originally checked it out-"

"-Its fuckin' not outdated code, I'm tellin' you. Its old but its still dormant. Easily triggerable if someone has a mind or reason to do so. The warehouse explosion wasn't long ago so they probably haven't started reachin' this far yet... but point is they can." Netty responds cutting her off.. "jesus.. what the fuck even is this shit...?" He says to himself under his breath as his eyes glow and flicker blue, flowing with code.

"Honestly I can't even remember how many times I went in, tinkering around trying to find different ways to remove that shit. Did some digging into the source code once upon a time... combed through a bunch of it used to operate a piece of tech like that. Info was all over the place with a flood of various specs... Couldn't find much in terms of installation let alone removal... and this ones clearly corporate grade... so its not gonna have deets just lying around to catalogue through." BugBear says before walking over to the coffee table to grab her pack of smokes.

"Yeah, that's what i'd assume you'd get with somethin' like this if you try to remove it... when they hardwire shit like this its done with the expectation that there'll never even be a removal so I wouldn't even try... but replacing it however.." He says in a tone of discovery causing BugBear to catch on to his point... she looks over at him impressed.

Chapter Text

The bright full Moon beams down on the quieted Night City streets. The sounds of stray sirens and slow rolling cars on wet pavement fill the air as we focus on the entrance to the hideout discretely tucked away from prying eyes. No light, no angles of observation.



As Audrey lay unconscious being tended to by Netty... she finds herself reliving a memory through her dreams:

*BANG BANG BANG* Audrey hears a sudden, heavy pounding on the door to her shop, jolting her awake and nearly falling out of her chair... she quickly looks over at it.

*BANG BANG BANG* "PRESCA!!" *BANG BANG BANG* She quickly gathers herself and rushes over to the door... she slides it open to see two uniformed PetroChem huscle. They slowly enter struggling to carry an extremely heavy black body bag.

"Easy! Easy! Watch it! Don't bang anything ya gonk!" One of the huscle yells to the other straining hard. "Table! Right here! Hurry up!!" He yells as Audrey moves out of the way... they drop the body bag on the table with a loud, heavy clink... the chrome meets the metal table with serious weight. They both rest their hand's on their hips in heavy exhaustion taking deep breaths.

"The fuck is this..?" Audrey asks with lowered eyebrows and her hands out.

"Got an A-thirty-six for ya doc. Rip and Recycle... I tell ya, the craziest ones always come in at the wildest hours y'know."

"A-thirty-six...? Executive Blacklist..? W-Who is this?"

"Said it yourself doc... Executive Blacklist. No deets, No clue. Other than the fact that they're fuckin' tall n heavy... you do the math." The huscle says dismissively while quickly scanning the body bag and entering some information onto a smart tablet. "Be seein' ya doc" He says as the pair promptly leave.

Audrey watches them exit and the door slide closed. She turns around to see a lone bodybag in the center of her shop on a cadaver table.





The dead silence intensifies the heavy tapping of her boots as she slowly walks up to it.




She takes a long, intense look at the lone, yellow PetroChem logo on the jet black body bag... she hesitantly reaches for the zipper.

She slowly unlocks the securing mechanism attached and unzips the body bag down to the chest... revealing Zaunya's mother's pale, lifeless face along with discolored bruising around her neck.

          Her eyes and mouth open wide in disbelief as she feels the air in her lungs get yanked out of her. She slowly stumbles backwards... losing her balance as the quiet silence of a muted room causes a high-pitched ringing in her ears takes over.



The room begins to slowly spin as she hyperventilates... becoming light-headed while her heart pounds in her ears. She runs her fingers through her short hair as she begins to scream... she rushes back over to the table with eyes full of tears... the fading sounds of her screams of terror give way to a gentle nudge she receives on her shoulder from Netty; slightly jolting her awake... and ending the dream.

Audrey slowly opens her eyes with no reaction... this is a dream she's become all too familiar with. A memory incapable of being lost to time.

She glances over her shoulder to see Netty unplugging from her neuroport... giving her a gentle pat on the back of her shoulder. She glances over to see BugBear stood in a corner of the room with her arms crossed watching him work.

"Rise n Shine." Netty says in a soft tone with a slight grin. "Didn't wanna wake ya, you honestly seemed like you needed the rest... you were mumbling somethin' in your sleep."

"What did... what did you find." Audrey says groggy as she slowly sits up on the couch while scratching her head.

Netty glances at BugBear before responding. 


"You uh... you had some sort of... nano tracker embedded into one of your neuro sockets. If they wanted to... they could have geo-sats pinging your location at anytime... It was still inactive so... I guess it was just waiting for a trigger remotely. We tried combing through info but couldn't find anything formal on whatever the hell custom hardware that is... You didn't know about this..?" Netty asks looking over at Audrey.


A pause of silence fills the room.


She closes her eyes tight without responding... plopping her head back down onto the sofa; They then hear the backdoor to the hideout slide open as Zaunya and Brian step back in.

       They're next seen gathered in the living room of the hideout... temporarily both warm and safe from the various brutal hazards of Night City... early rain drops begin to fall. The energy of the crew has shifted as everyone sits patiently while Brian paces back and forth. He occasionally glances over at Audrey while doing his best to avoid making eye contact... an aura of embarrassment claws at the back of his neck.

BugBear breaks the seal on a fresh pack of Death Styx... she flicks at one of the bone white filters popping it up into the air. She snaps her fingers as the black cig flips toward her, catching it with her mouth effortlessly before lighting it. Netty looking on with awe is casually offered one... he hesitantly takes the cig and places it on his lips... getting that first taste of tobacco... Night City's finest. He fights back the gag as he leans over toward BugBear who lights it for him. He takes an uncomfortably big, rookie drag of the smoke... forcing out a deep, uncontrollable cough causing drool and spit to go flying. BugBear closely watching him die lets out a cute giggle with a hand over her mouth.

"They were after me once upon a time. However like all things in this city... focus changes from one event to the next. Like I said before, in times of crisis... they run on borrowed time. Think about how many enemies a megacorp like PetroChem makes a day... overtime it gets hard for them to see what's coming and from who. Different branches of the company move with different interests at times. They can splinter... deviate." Zaunya explains as the idle smoke from her cig whisps in between her fingers.

Netty finally finishing his cough puts the barely smoked cig into an ashtray on the coffee table. "I was able to isolate the geo-sat trigger and replace the resulting ping with something a little more... appropriate."

"Appropriate?" Brian asks.

"If they trigger the bug, those gonks'll get an urgent S.O.S pinging them directly to this deeply hidden compound run by The Animals. A nosy buddy of mine used to do dives into their subnet just to peep on em for whatever reason. Ended up learning more about The Animals than any of us really needed to. We used to always fuck with him and say he was lookin' to join up and they had a personal stack of synthroids waiting for him. Real chrome heads these guys... almost like they communicate through violence over words."

"So not only will it route them there but Audrey will still get notified of the trigger as soon as it hits." BugBear says to Netty piecing it together in an impressed tone.

"Exactly." Netty replies with a grin back at her. The two share a brief, subtle moment.

Brian instinctually opens his mouth to confront Audrey on the tracker but quickly catches himself... he instead switches subject slightly.

"Good work kid... I need you to do me a favor... do a quick sweep of the local networks in the area and cross reference them with that trigger. Let me know if anything comes up."

"You got it." Netty replies as the crew disperses around the hideout to do their own thing.





Brian sees Audrey make her way to the fire escape on the balcony. He waits for her to exit onto it alone before he follows her out.


She lights a smoke and rests her forearms on the dented railing... the pair listen to the rain settle in for the night... sharing a silence with each other before Audrey breaks it... the tone is somber.

"Hey... listen... i'm sorry I didn't-"

"-No, i'm sorry Audrey... I'm sorry... I didn't handle that shit the right way at all... I just-" He grits his teeth... clenches his fist... and shakes his head lightly before continuing.

"-Communication and results... they never pan out the way I expect or hope em to. Risk assessment is just.... it's just second nature to me. I don't know- its just... its hard to trust people without holding onto em too tight. I guess... i guess what i'm trying to say is-"

Audrey gently places a firm hand on Brian's shoulder causing him to stop and look over at her.

"Brian... I'm not the type to keep secrets from the people I care about... i promise. I know how this looks... but I just want you to hear it straight from me. I fucked up... guess I never realized... whatever they did could come back to bite me in the ass like this... regardless of however long ago it was. I don't want you to think I'm not taking the risk seriously."

"What'd they do exactly?"

       She sees a series of quick flashes one after the other of her screaming while being tortured... interrogated in various traumatizing and inhumane ways. Being slowly cut on different areas of her back... slowly strangled by a rope around her neck tied to the ceiling... trying to to balance on a small flimsy cardboard box with one foot. Being waterboarded while crying... begging in a desperate panic... these thoughts cause her to close her eyes tight in discomfort before responding.

"Megacorps... operate on ownership... if they feel they own you? Well... you piece together the rest." She says taking another drag of her smoke before exhaling deep. "Shit they do changes you... violent or not."

"So no love lost then... between us huh?" Brian asks in a genuine tone shes yet to hear before.


The two of them glance at each other with a friendly smile.


"Depends." She says before flicking her smoke out into the alley below and pausing to think deeply. The pattering rain on pavement takes over briefly.

"I need someone to ride with me." She says causing him to look over at her again. She continues.

"My buyer has been bothering the shit out of me since we left for Jig Jig. The optics you guys helped me piece together aren't just nick-nacks... they're gonna fetch us some serious scratch. More than i'm comfortable with just picking up alone... even though the buyer was kind of a good choom of mine once upon a time, the area is pretty shit... and so are his contacts."

"Didn't answer my question choom... are we good?" He asks sincerely in a vulnerable tone.

Audrey pauses as she crosses her arms... a big smile washes over her face.



She nudges Brian's shoulder hard with her shoulder. "Yeah.. of course." She says gritting her teeth... her tone feminine and nurturing... one he's never heard from her before. The two share a moment on that balcony you don't often find in Night City. One of vulnerable... personal... genuine connection.

"Don't start to get soft on me now Varga... we've still got work to do." She says with a light giggle as she turns and walks back into the safehouse.

Brian hearing his last name out of Audrey's mouth causes him to close his eyes tight... hit with a wave of sudden discomfort... cutting to black.

Chapter Text

The bright, beaming sun shines down into Night City and the No-Tell Motel. The sun's rays shine bright onto Molly's face slowly waking her into a dizzy spin.

       A spattering of smashed and empty liquor bottles lay scattered... lines of synth coke sit on mirrored surfaces throughout the room. A personalized PetroChem combat knife rests in a small bowl of metled ice with the initials 'MS' for Molly Seeker on the white handle, covered in dried blood. Various clothing items belonging to her and another woman lay shredded... tossed about near the foot of the bed... it was as if a tornado had hit the place.

       Molly rolls over and slowly sits up in bed in her black bra and panties... slowly stretching her neck and casually checking herself for marks and scratches. Her eyes catch a joytoy in the room from the prior night... she silently watches her run her fingers through her long black hair... frantically gathering her stuff to leave... rattled after being pushed past her limits on an intense night. She slowly slips her red singlet back on... making her quietly wince in pain as it rubs up against the fresh, deep cuts along her back... causing Molly to smirk. She bends over to pick up her high heels giving Molly a final look at her work before the joytoy quickly tip toes out of the room and the door slides closed.

       Molly sits up at the edge of the bed giving her near naked body another once over checking for marks and scratches... silently disappointed to not find any. She reaches for one of the liquor bottles and shakes it lightly... realizing its near empty, she tilts it up to try and get a swig anyway. She stares at the empty bottle and takes a deep breath before abruptly hearing a heavy knock at the door causing her to roll her eyes.



She slides the door open halfway and leans out slightly.

"Do any of you... have ANY sort of life." Molly says in an annoyed exhale to her small army of huscle stood outside at attention waiting for her. Her personal shield and long time bodyguard Manny, the only other person that arrived to Night City with her, steps forward with his large, imposing frame. He takes a quick glance with concern at her to make sure she's ok before quickly snapping back into character and clearing his throat.

"Ma'am." He says with a slight bow of the head. "We've got intel on a lead... arrived early this morning. We're ready to move as soon as you're uhhm... dressed and ready."


Molly rolls her eyes again and slides the door shut.

       Shes next seen sporting her corpo themed formals that looked perfectly suited for the desert. Calf-high combat boots, thick kevlar coverage around her curves, and an array of various gear and equipment she may need for any and all eventualities. As the Chevillon Emperor shes being driven in exits the city line she looks back through the rear window at the Night Cityscape.


She stares deeply at it while it stares right back at her... neither wanting to look away.

A sudden feeling sets upon her... feeling a deep... uncontrollable urge course through her veins unlike anything she's ever felt before. A well decorated... well traveled corpo hunter with countless years of experience... known for her sharp mind and success in brutality is left feeling vulnerable... hungry urges to JUST. GO. BACK.

The whisper pierces through her core like a gunshot... she quickly recognizes the psychological longing in her emotions... finding it odd... she shuts it down.

"Tell the rest of them to hang back here. We shouldn't be gone too long and I'm not looking to spook the locals."

"Yes ma'am." Her shield Manny says as he promptly radios in to their crew telling them to hold position as Molly's lone Chevillon's tires trail dirt behind the SUV as they proceed alone.

       The Chevillon Emperor sits parked neatly in the desert dirt covered parking lot of the Dollop of Sunshine motel. Various people are smoking and meandering about the Motel balcony; gathering and whispering amongst each other about the foreign corpos sticking out like chrome thumbs. They surround the car after Molly and her huscle walk off... gazing in awe at the clean sleekness of the SUV and afraid to lay a single digit on it.




Molly and her personal shield stand before the hollow, metal shell of Graves' charred Colby Butte left planted in the desert. The gentle, quiet wind takes over the lack of conversation as you hear the sound of Molly's boots crunch the rocks and sand beneath her feet.

"What do you think? Ditched the vehicle?"

"Well Manny, apparently they stashed it THEN ditched it." She says condescendingly. "I mean... look at this shit." she glances around the area. "I don't think you can say 'please don't come looking for me' clearer than this." 


She casually hops into the driver's seat frame of the Butte and places her hands where the steering wheel used to be while gesturing the steering wheel motion.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY GONK! WE HAVE A CITY TO BURRRNN!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!" She yells at Manny standing at the hood of the frame with his arms crossed watching her... he rolls his eyes. She hops back out of the frame making the last of the steel creak under her weight and steps past Manny.

" 'Gonk'..? Really?" He says with a smiling giggle.

"Lets go turn over a few rocks." She says as they both make their way back up the embankment.

Molly sits with her sand and dirt covered boots kicked up on the receptionist's desk with Manny's massive 6 foot 8 frame stood behind her. The receptionist stares up at Manny in fear... intimidated before having her attention turned to Molly.

"Yes dear, I understand. People come and go everyday, at all hours even out here in dirt- however I need to know who came allll the way out here into this hot, beautiful wasteland of a desert only to burn their truck. I mean, did they get a holo buzz from jesus christ himself telling them the next journey was beginning or?" Molly says chuckling while removing her boots from the desk and sitting up.

The receptionist speaks in a heavy accent with an intimidated tone. "I... please... i was told by the other ones never to speak about it again. They say someone like you may be come ask about it soon."

Molly doesn't allow the revelation to show on her face... instead she continues to smile big while now looking deep into the receptionist's eyes. She takes a long pause while doing this... leaving the space silent at an odd time... building the tension in the air for everyone and making the receptionist begin to shake.

"What else did they say about... someone like me."

"P-Please.. just no talk to you. I don't want trouble!!"

"Shh.. shh.. please, its ok dear relax. No need to worry. You see... the suits you talked to are actually in my own department- We have the same boss! They just sent me back around to do another once over in case we missed anything." She says with a giggle while putting her hands up with a big smile.

She pulls out a credchip and places it on the receptionist's wooden desk... it makes a heavy thump as metal meets wood. The receptionist looks down and stares at the credchip... a pristine piece of metal being presented to her just like that. An amount of scratch that'd change the entire course of her life over night... the sight of it excites her about as much as it intimidates her. Being around this level of status is completely foreign to her... overwhelming her senses and emotions. Something about the cold, metal chip... tossed before her like a disposable hunk of bait. She hears Molly's voice, snapping her out of her trance.

"Credchip, 5k." Molly says.

The receptionist instinctually reaches for the chip... causing Molly to casually place her hand on top of it... her other elbow rested on the desk with her hand under her chin. She continues to glare deep into the woman's eyes with a big smile on her face. Molly giggles softly.

"I want everything dear... clear?" Molly says in a conclusive tone as the distant sounds of multiple roaring engines rapidly approaching the motel outside fade in. She doesn't react at all to the sudden onset of the commotion outside and instead remains 100% focused on smiling and staring deep into the receptionists eyes. The receptionist uses the opportunity to break eye contact with her and instead looks out the window at what the hells going on.

Five reinforced badlands vehicles sporting various vinyls of flaming blue skulls belonging to the Wraiths are seen parked in formation in the open parking lot of the motel under the hot sun.

The leader of the squad was tall and built like a brick house.. rocking a spiked, black leather jacket, a blue spiked helmet and a fanged gas mask. He hits a man with his hands up surrendering in the face with the buttstock of his rifle sending him to the ground before pointing it at him. "Get the fuck behind the truck asshole! You're comin with us!" He yells as several other members drag him behind the truck kicking and screaming in a panic begging to let him go. Various people begin to scream in fear and scatter. "HANDS UP!! ALL OF YOU!! DON'T FUCKIN' RUN AND NO SUDDEN MOVES UNLESS YOU WANT AN ASSHOLE WHERE YOUR FACE USED TO BE! GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE NOW OR BE DRAGGED DOWN TO THE-"

"-PLEASE! DON'T SHOOT! P-PLEASE!! I DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE!!" Molly shouts as she exits the motel with her hands up in surrender. Manny make his way out of a back entrance... circling around the building, taking a position unseen. He sees the wraiths tying various people up and loading them into the trucks as some of them resist... shrieking in terror.

Molly approaches the leader with a steady pace pleading in a scared, desperate tone. "P-Please! Don't do this!! You have to let me go! I have a family waiting for me in Night City! T-They don't even know where i am! I have kids! They're... they're waiting for me! PLEASE! I DON'T HAVE-"

"-GET THE FUCK ON YOUR KNEES!!! NOW BITCH!!!" He yells pointing his rifle directly at her face.

       

       Molly swings her fist at the Wraith's gut while engaging her mantis blade. She effortlessly impales him causing an excessive amount of synth blood to spray out of his back like a grenade he swallowed just went off. The booming sound of the impalement piercing through the leader's thick chrome causes the wraiths and civilians to flinch and look over. Gritting her teeth, she lifts the Wraith leader with the blade stuck in his stomach and uses her other hand to post it on him for stability. She runs forward... using him as a shield as the wraiths open fire... she starts taking high caliber rounds to various parts of her body like a tank unfazed. Their focused fire lights up their leader's back sending chunks of his body and blood flying into the hot air as thrown grenades kick up sand and dismember bystanders.

       Amidst the loud and chaotic gunfire and scrambling civilians, Manny sprints forward out of the bushes firing his copperhead rifle at the wraiths while closing the distance and catching multiple off guard and dropping them. Molly uses her posting hand to draw her iron... a personalized, chrome-gold Liberty with a gold holosight, and a matching 'MS' on the white pistol grip handle. She fires at the Wraiths while running forward with her meat shield being completely shredded... various bloody chunks and limbs continue to drop into the dirt of the Badlands. Molly drops several of the Wraiths with clean chest and headshots while Manny finishes his flank taking care of the other shooters. In the midst of the gunfight... Manny is charged from behind and hit in the back of the head with a crowbar causing him to instinctually turn and get tackled from the side... he begins struggling with one of the final wraiths as the scuffle kicks up dirt and dust.

The engagement was short and quick as the silence of the wastes settles back in.


Molly lets the limbless torso of the leader surrender to gravity... as it slides off her mantis blade onto the waiting desert floor. The chrome of the blood covered blade briefly reflects off of the sunlight shining bright before the sleek, crisp working mechanics engage and she retracts it cleanly.

     
       As she does this, another huge wraith built like a tank and sporting a pair of cobbled together, highly modified gorilla arms tackles her from the side at full speed sending the pair of them to the ground hard with a heavy thud kicking up dirt. The wraith on top of Molly grabs her by the throat to pin her down but feels an instantaneous numbness spike through the various points of contact he has on her body. Molly lays there passively with her kiroshis now suddenly glowing a neon pink as she watches the giant wraith's motor functions instantly seize at the points of contact... the constrictions in his body suddenly intensify. She casually pushes him off of her... leaving his body stiff... contorted and completely immobile... even slowly restricting his ability to breathe. Molly's eyes stop glowing pink as she deactivates her custom cyberware implant while standing over him looking up at her... his face in frozen shock and disbelief... unable to move. She smirks before raising her calf high combat boot and repeatedly stomping on his face hard... gradually crushing his skull as terrified onlookers hear the sounds of chrome and bone gradually crunching under the impact.

She then quickly looks over at Manny overwhelming the wraith in the dirt... causing her to roll her eyes and walk back in the opposite direction. Walking away, she hears Manny begin to stab the final wraith multiple times shrieking in pain as steel chunks flesh.


She slowly walks up to the final wraith attempting to crawl away while pooled blood streaks underneath him... the heavy weight of her combat boots crunching and kicking rocks as she approaches. Various captives flee the scene screaming in terror while still tied up... the speed and intensity of the conflict concluded about as fast as it started. Something that could've gotten real bad for everyone in attendance is now just.... over.


The barely alive Wraith crawling away and gasping in pain slowly turns over onto his back to see her standing over him.

Hes unable to make out her face due to the sun beaming behind her... seeing only her silhouette and long hair flowing in the wind.

She gets down and places one of her knees square into the center of his chest... slowly caving it in under her weight... causing him to squeal... struggling to breathe in deep pain... the pressure making him spit up synth blood.

She takes a deep breath of relief while looking up at the sun with her eyes closed... that same big smile on her face that she loves. This is clearly a feeling she not only longs for.. but truly relishes in...



She places the barrel of her Liberty under his chin while looking deep into his barely open eyes.

"Back to Night City!" She says under her breath with a smile... raising her eyebrows in excitement. She pulls the trigger causing a loud bang... cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       The mellow rumbling of the Emperor's engine creates a comfortable white noise in the vehicle for the pair. You see... Night City has an enigmatic aura to it. An unexplainable draw that doesn't just lure you in... it drags you in. This phenomena is quite a unique one that leaves even the most grounded Night City natives unable to explain it. It cares not who you are or what you're capable of... only that it's insatiable hunger is fed... and fed well. There is no bottom to the depths this city is willing to guide you by the hand to... A place that can both give you everything you've ever wanted... and take away everything you've ever had. Regardless of how deep you may dare or desire to venture down into the neon rabbit hole, Night City has a spot reserved... just for you.

       

       Molly slowly cleans the blood off of her hands after putting on a new top and keeping her blood covered pants on. She silently contemplates the PetroChem executives' actions out in the badlands with all the new information she's received.. feeling confident with her theories. However, her normally clear thinking mind has a distraction she's been unable to shake... as she keeps her eyes helplessly fixated on the Night Cityscape. The anticipation on her face was palpable... heart fluttering to an increased rate. As composed and in control of a person she is... she can't help but wear the hungry fixation on her face. Manny, who's driving, glances over at her and picks up on this. Completely familiar with her demeanor and mannerisms, her current state easily stands out to him while she tries to wear it subtly. He breaks the silence to gauge her reaction.

"All good ma'am?" He asks in a soft tone... Molly snaps out of her trance and quickly looks at him.

"Wha-? Yeah.. of course" She responds dismissively, lowering her eyebrows... causing Manny to smile to himself.



The pair share a silence with each other as they gradually grow closer to the city line. Manny decides to speak up again.

"Haven't seen you like this since Monaco."

"Like what..?"

"You know as well as i do this job can get about as redundant as stamping passports... just nice to see you eager to be somewhere again."

"Eager..? To be in this shithole..? Psh... give me a break."

Manny giggles and raises his eyebrows as he glances over at her. "You sure about that..?"

She looks at him without responding... not wanting to concede the truth... she breaks eye contact and returns to looking out the window.

The act of not driving while still being brought back to the city gives her the sensation of zero control as she stares at the towering, intimidating cityscape staring back and effortlessly pulling her in... awaiting her return.

"I dunno... this just sounds kinda off to me." Zaunya says to Audrey skeptical. "Why would they wanna meet there in particular? Said it should be just a quick trade right..?"

"Cmon, be still.." Netty says giggling with a big smile on his face trying to slot one of Brian's tracking shards into one of BugBear's neuro ports. She giggles with a big smile on her face with him behind her as she moves and turns, giving him a hard time.

"This deal was set quite sometime ago so the setting and circumstances can of course change... not really sure why they decided to change location but its not like they swapped a safe one for a dangerous one or anything like that. Not the most uncommon thing to happen. Its a serious sale too so i'd expect em to be on edge." She takes a deep breath. "This all seems quite lucky on my end honestly... never really expected to need this many people coming with me on this but i'm definitely glad to have them... all things considered." Audrey replies glancing around the room.

"Sure but... hmm.. whatever. You know more about this street or... merc shit more than i do." Zaunya concedes as she hands Audrey one of Brian's blinking blue tracking shards. She casually grabs and slots the shard as Zaunya slots her own.

Zaunya's eyes suddenly begin to glow orange... she glances at Audrey before turning and walking out onto the hideout balcony alone.

= Hey. Its Brian. =

= Hey. Everyone should be plugged in by now. Can you see? How's latency? =

= Yeah, everything looks pretty good. I see everyone comin' online. I'll consolidate em in a minute =

= What's the sitch at the meet location. Anything stand out? =

= Other than the gym i'm at being an Animals gym with a bunch of chromeheads grunting their faces off, no. Been keepin' an eye on the spot. Completely dead even this early. Tells me there's no real setup. Least not yet. =

Brian pauses for a bit connected to Zaunya's holo. Several thoughts grab ahold of him... causing him to shift subject.

= How's everyone doin'. =

Zaunya glances back into the hideout to see Netty, Audrey and BugBear talking and laughing together with positive energy... contrasting Zaunya's personal angst.

= They're good. We're almost ready over here. Just waiting for the call from Audrey's contact. Shes thinkin' it won't be till tonight... said hes an ex-Tyger Claw that's been chased out of his gang into DogTown... looking to meet in Pacifica of course... Didn't really sit right with me honestly... I asked her if- =

= Shit.. hold on. I got somethin' =

= What is it...? Brian...? = Zaunya asks as he doesn't respond. He re-racks his weights before walking up to the window of the gym and looking out of it.

= Animals. Scoping the spot. I think I even see Audrey's contact over there. You said ex-Tyger right..? Yeah.. that's gotta be him. = Brian says as he focuses in on the Claw. = Definitely dresses like the choom with the eds we're lookin' for =

= What are they doi- =

= -Just get everybody ready and wait for the call to come in from this guy... I'm gonna hang back here, keep an eye on things and wait for ya'll. Let me know as soon as Audrey gets the call so I can time something... I'll have you guys swing by a few blocks away and swoop me. Buzz ya if anything changes. =

= Roger that = She says before ending the call and turning to walk back inside.

"What are you lookin' for..." Brian whispers to himself as he posts his forearm up against the window of the Animals gym focusing on the group outside and down the street.

       Zaunya walks past Netty and BugBear noticing her handing him a cyberpunk yellow DR5 Nova... he grabs it uncomfortably having never handled some iron before and being completely unfamiliar with the weight. BugBear places her hand on his shoulder speaking to him in a serious tone while looking deep into his eyes... her run down is thorough and personal but Zaunya doesn't hear it. She continues past the pair and slides Audrey's door open before stepping in.

The door slides closed behind Zaunya... she gasps with her eyes and mouth open wide.

       She looks to see Audrey in her bra... putting on a shirt with her back turned toward her, sitting at the edge of the bed.

She sees an almost endless number of deep scars cascading all throughout Audrey's back... starting from the neck down to her hips. The amount of scars she sees overwhelms her, causing her heart to drop. Audrey finishes putting her shirt on before slowly glancing back at her over her shoulder.

Zaunya... for the first time... bears witness to some of the true consequences... the true cost of her actions...

"Audrey?!" Her voice cracks... disbelief on her face. The shock of the moment causes her to tear up.

Audrey turns to face Zaunya and looks her in the eyes briefly before stepping past her... speaking in a flat, aggravated tone.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
"Contact just called. We should get moving."

"Audrey!" Zaunya whimpers while attempting to step in front of her... Audrey glances up and into her eyes.

Zaunya tries to gently grab Audrey's face causing Audrey to aggressively look away.

"Lets delta... we have shit to do." Audrey says cracking her voice in a monotone filled with building emotion as she swipes Zaunya's forearms away and forcibly steps past her out of the room.

Zaunya puts both of her hands over her mouth as she begins to silently cry alone in the room.

Chapter Text

       The distant, early morning car horns chirp to the warm, orange sunrise of Night City. The different light stages that appear throughout the day tend to make the city expressive of various emotions... very human emotions. Its almost like the city itself is a sentient entity... her tone and energy... changing with every weather pattern... every gunshot... every ounce of blood spilled or life saved. A collective hive mind of lust and temptation culminating into an impulsive explosion of unpredictable actions at any given time, in any given place.

Brian, recalling a distant memory, stands looking out into the blooming sunrise over the ocean horizon... he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath:

"What is... the definition of trust." His deep voice warming and mellow as he slowly walks up to Marilyn... their black silhouettes move amongst the beautiful orange hue of the Night City sunrise.

Marilyn scoffs and giggles "You mean mine or yours?" She responds, staring deep into his eyes... pulling a seductive, audible growl out of him.

"Mmmggh... you're so... good..... have I ever told you that?" He says looking her up and down... admiring her as if she was a complete work... a character of his own creation.

"Yeah Varga... but that never stops me from wanting to hear it." She matches his gentle tone as the two embrace each other... her arms clutched around his neck... his around her waist.

"Mmm... all this time we're spending on reps and conditioning you've made me lose count... don't care though... I just love when you sharpen the blade. She whispers with a smile gesturing toward herself.


He returns the smile "Mmm... A sharpened blade I can't break-"

"-Is a blade no one can." She finishes.



The warming sunrise blankets the pair's morning chilled bodies... they rest their foreheads against each others... soaking in the moment... it was as if the entire city had given them the respect of a pause.

"Why do you call me Varga hm?... I've never asked." He confronts.. his tone playful.

She giggles. "Because all those empty headed, street tough gonks out there stand up straight and answer to Brian."

She grabs him by his high collar jacket with both hands... her iron grip clutching as tightly as she can.

"I get Varga." She says gritting her teeth with a smile... pulling him in close and giggling... the pair never breaking eye contact.



The moment was sublime... unforgettable. Catching moments like this... in a city of the opposite.



An impossible moment.

He wraps his hands around her lower back... sliding his Blood Red, Crimson Nue into the back of her jeans' waistband while yanking her hips up against his causing her to moan in pleasure.

"Go fetch Mare." He whispers in a deep tone... causing her to shove her tongue into his mouth... the pair begin to make out.


She shoves him away hard as their silhouettes both step back and turn to walk in opposite directions.

Brian hears the sounds of screams in panic and turmoil alongside booming gunshots from his Nue repeatedly firing off in the distance as he continues to walk away unfazed. Ending his memory.

He re-racks his weights a final time at the Animals' gym before glancing out of the window once more... he grabs his gear and heads for the exit.

       The sound of BugBear's yellow ARCH Nazaré Racer rips through the streets of Night City, turning pedestrian heads in heavy foot traffic.

Netty sat on the back of the bike checks out BugBear's body... awkwardly searching for where he should hold onto her. He hesitantly places his hands on her shoulders which causes her to glance back at him. She lightly shrugs and shakes her body causing his hands to drop down to her waist. As he goes to move them away, she grabs one of his wrists and wraps it around her waist just above her thighs. As he feels the warmth of her soft, toned curves, he instinctually takes his other hand and grabs her waist securing his grip and silently turning him on.

= Are you ready for this? = She asks him through their comms

= Huh?- Oh! uh... as uh... as ready as I'll ever get =

= Just... try to stay calm and keep your eyes open alright. Everything'll be fine. = She says reassuring him as they continue through the endless sea of vibrant neon.

       Netty's vision suddenly begins to distort as it flashes black with pink static sparking throughout it. He instinctually blinks and shakes his head to no avail as the black and pink distortion effortlessly continues against his will. The distortion abruptly stops as a large icon covers his vision. The icon was unmistakable to him... a smiling cartoon shark, wearing a hooded grim reaper cloak, and dangling a little dead corpo on puppet strings. The sight of the icon causes him to gasp in disbelief... his eyes open wide. A squeaky, ominous notification tone obnoxiously accompanies the intrusive, animated icon blocking his vision:

= CORPOS IN MY TUMMY!! YUMMY YUMMY!!! =

= CORPOS IN MY TUMMY!! YUMMY YUMMY!!! =

Before Netty's able to say anything to BugBear the black and pink distortion, along with the notification ping abruptly stops... an encrypted text message from an unknown number suddenly comes in.

The text reads: = Sweet wire causes cavities. Two Two late for depravities. =

Reading the text causes his heart to sink down into his stomach. 


"N-No... It can't be" he thinks to himself... His heart begins to race... his adrenaline surges at the sight of the text... the sudden sight of those words tenses his entire body while he shouts out.

= STOP! STOP THE BIKE! BEAR!! =

Netty's shouting through comms catches her off guard as she quickly looks back at him.

= BEAR! STOP! PULL OVER! PULL OVER THE BIKE!! = He shouts again looking directly at her with frantic panic on his face.

She pulls the bike over on an unknown street somewhere deep in bustling Heywood alongside a spattering of pedestrians passing by. Netty hops off the bike and glances around briefly before quickly walking toward a dark alleyway... BugBear hops off the bike and yanks off her helmet as she follow after him.

"NETTY!! Wha-? What the hell are you doing? Where are you going!?"

"I... I gotta go. S-.. somethin' came up. It can't wait- i'm sorry."

"W-What the fuck are you talking about? We have somewhere to be!! Like RIGHT now!"

"I HAVE TO GO!!!" He shouts back... causing his voice to crack in a tone she's never heard before.


She hears the distress... the panic in it... causing her to realize the seriousness. She shifts her tone as fear and concern wash over her.

"Then i'm... i'm coming with you."

"No Bear... you can't. This isn't somethin' you can help me with alright? Get to the others... keep them safe."

"I'M NOT! JUST! LEAVING YOU HERE!!!" She shouts running up to him in the alley.

As she reaches for the back of his shoulder, a quick spark flashes out of one of her neuro sockets... causing her head to snap back as she gasps deeply with her eyes wide open. She drops to the ground stunned... barely able to move while she lets out a shriek.

Netty glances back over his shoulder at her revealing his red eyes. 


"I'm sorry..." He says in a deep tone as he takes off up the dark alley... hopping a loud chainlink fence before landing on a rusty dumpster on the other side... glass and debris clanks and crashes as he takes off up the wet pavement.

"N- No..." She pleads to herself in a stunned daze... collapsed in the alley... straining to get up.

"Netty.." She whispers... helplessly reaching for him... her vision fades to black.

Chapter Text

A door is yanked open causing the stray neon light of the city to flood into the house before it slams closed. Netty rushes into his home.. passing by the pitch black living room and racing down to the basement. His eyes glow red while he waves his hand over a very particular spot on the blank wall making it slide out of the way, revealing a hidden door that slides open.

       He steps down into his dark basement... it's square foot radius is damn near bigger than the house itself. Clearly re-modeled, the space was a Netrunner's paradise... housing all the necessary and unnecessary bells and whistles needed to manage anything pertaining to netrunning. High-end system links, an automated security drone comfortably tucked away in it's housing, military grade hardware that you wouldn't find in just any hardcore runner's setup. He slowly reaches for his father's personal netrunning jumpsuit and stops midway... he looks down before stepping past it and placing his hand firmly on the arm of his father's large, custom designed runner chair. His eyes glow blue to turn the lights on in the basement, illuminating the space and turning on the various runner equipment. The heavy whirs and beeps of equipment powering on that hasn't been used in quite some time fills the underground space, slowly warming it. Netty takes a deep breath and pauses before hopping into his father's chair and jacking in.


The neurological surge of jacking into the net floods his brain and bones as he connects... briefly tensing his muscles before slowly relaxing into the seat.

       As he enters the net... he traces back to the notification he received, forwarding him to an isolated and secure communications domain... a place him and one of his closest chooms setup ages ago as an emergency contingency. The text message he received: = Sweet wire causes cavities. Two Two late for depravities. = was an agreed upon cipher of theirs... only to be used as a form of urgent notification... when it was a matter of life and death... desperation has set in.. and events are imminent. Uncertain of what he might encounter, Netty has prepared his most refined and dynamic arsenal of counter-offensive and defensive programs. Prepping for deep net affairs? Its muscle memory by now... an unwaverable checklist of software priorities locked from point to point. Netaniel has always entered the net with the state of mind of someone preparing for war... where the matters of life and death take priority over exploration and discovery. It was and never will be a place he ever intends to let his guard down.

       Netty enters the more than familiar domain and proceeds to slowly walk around it. The neon red hue of the digital landscape soaks the area contrasting his light-pink icon. The place was pretty much exactly how he remembered. A large, grassy island platform in the middle of the Pacific ocean... looking out into a warm orange and red sunset. Although it was something they cobbled together a long time ago, it carried with it fond memories he holds onto tightly. In fact... the more he thinks about those memories, the more he realizes just how ridiculous it is for him to be back there.



Suddenly... he starts to hear the aggressive yet feint whispers of an unrecognizable voice echoing in and out of existence... tickling his sense of hearing.

"What Wicked Webs We Weave"

"What Wicked Webs"

"We Weave"

"Wicked Webs"

"What Wicked Webs We Weave"

        Hearing the ominous whispers grow in aggression puts Netty on edge... they sound far too close for comfort. He quickly scans the area for traces of input activity but finds nothing.. further putting him on guard... raising the tension and making him hyper alert. He then feels the light sensation of a hand placed on his shoulder from behind, causing him to quickly turn around... he again sees nothing.


He places the palms of his hands together and slowly rotates them... emitting a neon yellow pulse covering a radius as large as the entire communication domain itself designed to ping any active icons or traces of encrypted inputs and command codes.

As a result of the pulse... a lone icon is revealed toward the end of the domain.


With its back turned to Netty, it overlooks the beautiful digitized rendition of the pacific ocean at the edge of the platform during sunset. The unknown icon was a bright neon white and distorted beyond recognition... his passive attempt to scan them brings up an unknown error causing the code to just sperg out. He slowly approaches the icon... causing them to glance back at him over their shoulder then back at the sunset.


The icon finally speaks... their voice calm and cybernetically altered... distorted to the ear.

"This scene is truly beautiful... Its not very reflective of urgency or desperation i must say... I can tell this is an old ocean... long before it was tainted... so serene... so light."

"Guess it depends... what you consider urgent... or desperate" Netty responds in a softened tone... taking a few steps toward the icon.


It glances back at him again briefly.

"I see you've shown up here prepared for a fight... unnecessary. I merely wish to talk... make an introduction."

"By using my dead friend's encrypted panic ping? Not a good first impression choom."

"I meant no disrespect. However... I guess there are any number of ways one could go about making contact."

"Who are you and what do you want."

"Your involvement with the Black Wall is... peculiar to say the least. I'd be remiss to say what you did isn't worth a meeting."

"No idea what you're talkin' about."

"A lie i'd be more than willing to accept... if I didn't witness you do it myself."

"What...?" Netty says in disbelief.

The icon continues.

"I've spent... i'm not sure how long now... day in and day out watching runners use it for various purposes. Whether its the VDBs doing their weird rituals in front of it or the occasional suicidal shut in looking to end it all." The icon finally turns to face Netty... up close, he sees nothing but a white, unidentifiable silhouette of a person shorter than himself.

"Then... one day... I saw you."

"Saw me huh.."

"You looked... empty... like so many i've seen before. Like you had nothing left... nothing to lose... the numbness in you was-"

"-I'm not speakin' on this with an anon. Could be anybody. Who are you?"

The icon deflects and switches subject. "Noticed you've been poking around some Pacifica subnet these days. Did you do your DD while you were in there...? A pretty unsavory bunch. Might be walking into something dangerous... Something i think you nor your people are prepared for. Figured i'd tell you considering you took the time to meet... gesture of good will n all."

"How does that make any sense..? Thanks for the tip but in doing that, you're holdin' me here away from them and whatever 'danger' they're actively headed to... not answerin' any of my questions? I mean... is this the work of someone trying to help me or someone that needs to be moved out of the way..."

The icon takes the kid's threat to the chest and sits in it unfazed... pausing for the first time allowing the sounds of a gently flowing ocean to take over briefly and fueling the unnecessary tension.



Their nature instinctually compels them to respond.

"If I wanted to hold you here. It wouldn't be a problem."

"You sure about that choom? Try me. Make a move." He quickly responds taking a step toward the icon. His tone confrontational.

It takes a deep breath and sighs... The reaction of someone who's found themselves in this moment countless times.

"Mm... after all these years... you remind me so much of him y'know...... your father Nathan."

"WHAT!?"

The icon initiates a stasis program. Netty suddenly feels a shocking sensation course through his nervous system... his motor functions instantly begin to dramatically slow down... his vision begins to fade. As he strongly tries to resist with his defense, the program slowly begins to take over like sky blue quicksand leaving him nearly immobilized.


He falls to the floor of cyberspace stiff as a board, completely helpless as the constricting pressure bares down.

"The circumstances around us meeting aren't trivial... you and I have a lot that we need to talk about. You'll be fine... but you're coming with me... for now." The icon says as they begin to walk away atop the ocean and off into the sunrise... leaving Netty to use the last of his strength to helplessly resist with his vision gradually fading to black.

He suddenly hears the feint, muffled sound of BugBear's voice screaming through the voids of cyberspace. "NETTY!!!!"

BugBear rapidly types on the terminal connected to Netty's chair while her eyes glow red and his body twitches uncontrollably drenched in sweat. After a brief ordeal, she quickly turns around and disconnects him from the chair. His eyes open wide as he gasps deeply for air... as if re-surfacing from under water after nearly drowning. He coughs recklessly as BugBear catches his collapse... he struggles, gasping for air.

"NETTY!! Hey.. Shh, shh.. its ok.. its ok. shh.. its ok.. I'm here. I've got you... i've... i've got you." She whimpers... her voice frantic and whispered... filled with emotion while cradling his head and shoulders in her arms tight... pulling him in close and rocking back and forth.

Chapter Text

Netty's deep, labored gasps for air slowly come under control as he gradually re-gains his motor functions. The mental and physical exhaustion catches him off guard as he continues to breathe deeply. His skin feels as if its on fire... almost as if his body started to bake as sweat drips from his hair and forehead. He comes too... realizing he's in BugBear's arms... he looks up at her as she looks down at him in a flustered panic on the floor, in the middle of the large basement.

They're next seen in his living room. He wipes his face and the back of his neck with a towel trying to cool off... he holds his head in exhaustion while she slowly paces about with angst.

"How did you find me." He asks groggy from his couch.

"What, Did you think you could hop an Ncart and run here faster than I could ride..? Deading Brian's tracker isn't gonna be enough to stop me from finding you.."

"Then... how did you-"

"-Doesn't matter. Netty... tell me what's going on. W-What the fuck happened in there? Your neuro connection was-"

"-A runner contacted me when we were on our way to the meet... a damn good one at that. They... they used an old panic ping me and one of my chooms setup ages ago... thing was a fuckin' exact one to one copy... how the fuck did they even get the spec for it...? Shit, why would they...? god.. i never saw it coming." He says in a defeated tone.. completely disappointed in himself. "They could've did anything to me in there... they must've initiated the program AS SOON AS I entered... must've had it timed to trigger or... maybe after one of my inputs... thats gotta be the reason I wasn't able to catch it. Fuckin' smart that..."

"The runner... who was-"

"-Couldn't get a scan on em. Masked themselves well. Completely distorted. No spec. No trace... impressive... but not enough. My scraper program logs any activity i interface with no matter what... i'm gonna have to look back through this."

"Scraper won't be enough if they're any good at covering their tracks... but I guess it could be a start." She responds continuing to pace about the room.


Her eye catches a very nice, vintage sound system parked in the living room. She slowly approaches it, searching for the interface to turn it on.


"True... god... i just don't know..." He says in exhale... putting his hands over his face and sinking back into the couch for a moment. "Listen, we need to head out though." He says getting off the couch.

In that moment, BugBear finds the switch for the sound system. Upon turning it on, she hears Gregory Issac's 'Night Nurse' begin to play on the radio. (Press Play Here)

"Oh my god... I love this song..." She exhales and starts to move to the music. Matching its tempo.

"Hey, we gotta get goin-"

"-Come here..." She whispers softly... gently yanking him toward her while dancing. The music plays as the following events transpire in complete silence:

Brian, Zaunya and Audrey pull up to the meeting spot... they stop before a bridge overpass and exit the vehicle approaching Audrey's contact.

Netty joins her in moving to the rhythm of the music... the palms of their hands connect.

Brian glances over his shoulder and sees a car racing toward them. Audrey gets shocked in the neck with a stun baton sending her to the ground unconscious.

BugBear and Netty lock eyes... continuing to move to the music... pressing against the palms of each other's hands.

Brian snap draws his Nue and opens fire, running toward the animals tying Audrey up. Zaunya draws her Nue and triggers her sandevistan. She turns tail, flashing up to the driver side window and places 4 shots into the drivers face and kicks the steering wheel, sending the car careening full speed into a palm tree and exploding.

Netty and BugBear continue to dance... staring deep into each other's eyes... naturally matching each other's rhythm.

Zaunya feels a sharp pain in her spine... her head snaps back and her eyes close tight. The pain quickly dissipates as she looks over to see a netrunner get auto traced.. revealing her location. She flashes up to the runner and blows her brains out... she stands over her watching smoke and brain slowly leak out of her head.

BugBear and Netty continue to dance to the beat, slowly inching closer together... they lace their fingers.

Brian fires and a ganger catches a bullet to the head. He's then rushed from the side but quickly hip tosses the charging animal slamming him to ground hard. He yanks upward snapping his arm and fires two rounds into his face before letting go... he raises his Nue with both hands and steps over him... continuing to fire.

As BugBear and Netty inch closer together, she turns her back to him... their bodies connect for the first time.

Brian takes a slug to the back before turning and dropping the shooter instantly with a headshot. He's then grabbed from the side and bear hugged by a huge merc sending his iron flying.

Netty wraps his arms around her waist from behind... feeling her soft, toned curves sway and push up against him.

The Animal squeezes Brian with full force trying to crush his body. Brian frees his left arm from the grip and uses it to push the animals face away before drawing his knife and shoving it down his throat. He yanks it back out causing the animal to release before stabbing his face and neck repeatedly while blood squirts violently onto his own.

BugBear leans her head back onto his shoulder with her eyes closed tight... an intense expression of pleasure on her face... they continue to move to the pace and rhythm of the music.

An animal rushes Zaunya, slamming and pinning her up against a concrete wall caving it in and closing her Kiroshi's tight. She re-opens them as they glow a neon green and emit a bright green flash.. frying the looking animal's kiroshis and completely blinding him. He lets go of her as she confidently steps toward him and headbutts him hard, caving in his face... her long black hair flails wildly as she drops him... she then stomps her boot through his face crushing his skull in a splattering explosion.

Netty buries his face into her neck from behind as she reaches for the back of his head.

Zaunya is abruptly yanked backwards by her neck and slammed to the ground with augmented force. She's dragged over to where Brian has been subdued... brought to his knees covered in blood, nearly unconscious.

The warmth of Netty's house comforts the pair as their bodies sway and move connected together.

The ganger slams Zaunya hard and pins her head to the ground as she screams something in an intense panic at Brian then the Ex-Tyger.

BugBear turns around in Netty's arms toward him as the pair nearly touching faces continue to sway perfectly timed to the pace of the music in pure ecstasy.

The Ex-Tyger approaches Brian, placing the barrel of his iron to his forehead... Zaunya's eyes open wide as she screams at the top of her lungs in a desperate panic with her head pinned to the ground.

As the tempo of the music begins to fade... Netty and BugBear return to earth. Their dancing slowly stops... they look deep into each other's eyes with disbelief in a full embrace.

"We have to go..." He whispers in a deep tone.

The pair slowly... reluctantly let go of each other.

Chapter Text

       The Ex-Tyger racks the slide of his iron and presses it to Brian's forehead... Brian looks up at him.

With the iron pressed against his head, he catches a glimpse of a crow cawing and calmy flying across the sky which grabs his attention... silencing the moment for himself... hearing the wind blow.


His stunned gaze remains fixated on the crow... 'gotta be a hallucination... right..?' He thinks to himself in a detached haze... hearing the feint sound of Marilyn's playful giggle... remembering just how hard it was to get her to at times.


Zaunya pinned down by her head frantically resists while screaming at the top of her lungs... her eyes wide open... completely muted by the moment.

       As the trigger nears pulling... an explosion causes a bright white flash of light to blind everyone. The force of the impact sends Brian to the floor with his hands still tied... the rest of the mercs duck and scatter. He looks up to see the ex-claw quickly turn around and take a gunshot to the gut. As he falls to his knees... hes shot again in the shoulder dropping him to his back and sending blood flying. As Brian's vision fades in and out, he sees a new group of unidentified street mercs flood the area dropping the various remaining animals and thugs with ruthless efficiency.

The leader of this new group slowly approaches Brian and Zaunya with his revolver drawn, passively pointing it at them. He exchanges a few words over ringing ears with his crew securing the area, before he nods to take them... their both yanked up onto their feet still in a daze. Brian's blurred vision catches a glimpse of Audrey's unconscious body being carried away before a bag is placed over his head.

       The bright neon lights of the city off in the distance assist in shrouding Pacifica in darkness. The lack of ambient light gives the district an aura of the dead... a place that was once home to the heart of Ambition in Night City... casted into the shadows of the forgotten left to rot. We focus in on the Hotel Pistis Sophia. Stagnant puddles of chemical infused rainwater and scattered trash heaps litter the area alongside flaming barrels and burning vehicles. Foot traffic is sparse... the few loitering around being nothing more than a few homeless natives and the occasional pair of headlights passing by. The air was stoic on this Night... carrying a tense energy wafting throughout the leaves of palm trees and ocean waves.

       The feint sounds of torture and interrogation are heard as we slowly make our way down a long, dark hotel hallway. Rooms cascaded outward to the left and right.. some with the walls completely blown out allowing you to see the remnants of what looked like several decades of stories. Dried and blackened blood smeared on the walls, discarded old tech and tattered, decaying furniture lay littered about alongside various rusted chains and restraints.

The dragging of a prisoner is heard as his boots streak-drag down the hallway while being carried by 2 mercs. The prisoner being escorted glances to his right through his bloody, barely conscious vision to see Brian tied to a metal chair by his wrists and ankles. The two of them exchange a brief look with each other before the prisoner passes by the doorway.

       Brian checks his restraints with a light yank on them causing the heavy metal to clank. Iron tight. He looks around the dark, litter infested Pistis Sophia hotel room... nothing but several destroyed pieces of grime covered furniture and more trash than even worth mentioning. A repurposed paradise that looked like a holding facility tailor made for torture, terror and interrogation... naturally coated in wither and suffering over the years. He hears the commotion of various people being talked, tended to and relentlessly beaten through the walls alongside feint screams of begging and pain. Overwhelmed by the sudden onset of the brutal environment, he closes his eyes in attempt to drown out the chaos.

He hears both Marilyn and Zaunya's voices echo in his head one after the other... Marilyn's panicked begging is quickly followed up by the sound of Zaunya... as the ladies' voices alternate back and forth in his mind:

"No no... please! VARGA!! VARGAAAAAA!!!!"

"...I almost feel like... the more you learn about me, the less i realize i know about you."

"This City... it calls to me... I feel it at the core of my being... Can you feel it Varga?"

"You wanna talk about trust...? I don't even know who the fuck you are."

"All those empty headed, street tough gonks out there stand up straight and answer to Brian... I get Varga."

He thinks back to the heart to heart he had with Audrey on the fire escape of the hideout... her nudging his shoulder with a smile on her face.
"Yeah.. of course." "Don't start to get soft on me now Varga... We've still got work to do."

"Who are you now Brian." He hears Rick's deep, rough voice from back at the 6th street compound... causing him to open his eyes to the sounds of distant screams echoing throughout the halls of the Pistis Sophia. He then hears the heavy tapping of boots making their way down the hallway toward his room.



Brian instinctually takes a deep breath and prepares for the worst... maintaining an expression as cold as ice... a mentality he seemed to work for years to bury silently returns with a vengeance... as if it only laid a mere few inches below the surface.

       The merc that initially shot Audrey's Tyger Claw contact enters the room. He has a large, towering frame... dressed like a traditional Night City street solo. His body language carries a heavy aura of confidence and routine as he walks through the room. Brian's instinctual thought reaction is that he looks a bit like his late choom and best friend Graves... this catches him off guard briefly as the merc approaches him... promptly unlocking his wrist and leg restraints... the heavy iron releases and clanks to the stained carpet floor. This gives Brian pause as his mind floods with a bunch of snap thoughts on what he should do with the unexpected move.

The merc speaks for the first time with a deep monotone posted up in a corner of the room with his arms crossed.

"You can pardon the precaution. Some of my boys saw the work you and your girl did out there... two of you sure saved us some time and bodies dealin' with that bunch. Real fuckin' blood bath... on the beach of all places. All things considered, they felt the need to be better safe than sorry." The merc says

"But not you huh." Brian quickly responds.

The merc recognizes the sentiment behind the statement and gives Brian a tired grin and chuckle.. confident in his own ability and experience.

"We got no reason to go at each other choom."

"Well, i'll tell you one thing... if you or your crew did anything to those women you brought me here with... then we've got nothin' to talk about."

"They're as fine as you are... for now."

"Yeah, and why is that exactly..? Could've flatlined us right there n' left us in the sand."

"Cuz first off all, generally, that's not how we roll... keepin' fresh marks... activity in and around Pacifica is always good for business in this shithole. And second of all, i couldn't give two shits about you or your women. After a bunch of back and forth with these circ fiends givin' us the run around we finally got what we came for."

"Then why am i here."

"How bout you start by tellin' me what you were doin' out there tonight huh? What kinda biz could you have with a piece of shit like Saichen."

"Should be asking you the same question. Pacifica isn't necessarily known for being a bastion of organized crime and structure in street activity... let alone territory. I think Ya'll going out of your way to pick over a random street spat in the area while saving my life at the same time in itself is proof of that shitstorm of confusion."

"If you wanna consider your life 'saved' I suggest you start talkin' rather than askin." The merc says sternly.


Brian pauses for a brief moment hearing the thuds of someone being punched in a nearby room causing him to briefly glance in the direction of the sound before continuing.

"We had a quick trade with em. That's it... Kiroshi Oracles."

"Heh. Those were yours huh. Explains the amount of eddies we found on em. Who put you up to the gig?"

"Who?"

"Fixer. Who hired you."

"Santa Claus... i'm not a merc choom."

"Not a merc..?" He laughs "Shit; Playin' a dangerous game in these circles then. Got a habit of steppin' on toes? Or maybe you just don't value your life much. Shit'll catch up to you eventually if-"

"-This interview done or are you lookin' to play some fuckin' pea knuckle too. Think i left the oven on."

"Don't bullshit me choomba... do you or either of your girls know anything about a Maelstrom convoy drop or any of that asshole Saichen's dealings in DogTown."

"DogTown...? Night City's sewer deposit? Thought there was nothin' but broken vagrants and scop bein' flushed into that shithole-."

       The merc steps to and punches Brian in the face hard as a loud thud echoes in the room. It staggers him slightly causing blood to spray out of his mouth... he feels little to no pain at all from the blow but gets a good gauge of the merc's power. Brian looks up at him unfazed... a more serious demeanor takes over. Being free of his chains he resists the opportunity to make a move... instead showing expert level restraint and staying focused. Not knowing their current whereabouts, the number of hostiles, or most importantly, where Audrey and Zaunya are.

"Just an honest deal... quick trade. No idea who the fuck Saichen is. DogTown pretty much sits at the top of my list of fuck that places. Only biz i've ever had there once upon a time involved 2 Barghest gate security girls and a bottle of Joe Tiel... one of em had a voice fit for cartoons. Where is our shit by the way?"

The merc pauses and ignores the question... instead thinking over a a brief period of silence.

"Cmon, lets go." He says getting up and gesturing toward the door.

       


       The pair start to make their way down the dark, low visibility hallway at a slow pace. Brian sees various unknowns looking more like shadows than people... doing various things through the deep darkened hallways of the Pistis Sophia. He sees a man soundly asleep in a cot, he sees a woman mopping up blood in an empty room... the sound of mop water and blood sloshing around. He sees a man bound by chains and hanging from the ceiling of another room unconscious. As these scenes pass by, he keeps his eye out for the ladies... any weapons, and how many bodies he can spot... how many potentially hostile and not hostile... Threat and not a threat... a flood of information racing by as he takes it in. The merc leading him stops abruptly... snapping Brian out of his intel gathering.

"Shit. Hang on a sec." He says as he promptly turns back and re-enters the room he was holding him in.

Brian knows making a move now eliminates any element of surprise he may have left. The merc's nonchalant nature shows a level of confidence thats telling of their current situation and environment... this was his domain... and the lack of alertness could easily be a setup just baiting Brian to try something. He holds fast... testing the limits of his patience and instincts to see where this is going.

In the brief moment alone, Brian just happens to glance over into the open room next door and sees the man who was being dragged past him earlier. After hearing the voice of the merc escorting Brian, it causes the man to glance up and see Brian stood in the doorway already looking at him.

       It gives Brian a good look at this guy. He was tall, had a slender, lean frame with short white hair and a deep widow's peak. He was badly beaten... covered in blood and resting in his restraints completely defeated. Based on his state, Brian could tell he had been there for quite some time. He wore his dejected and drained demeanor on himself like a tattered blanket. The rope restraints around his wrists were blood caked and withered... almost as if they'd been his personal restraints for quite some time. The hopeless, lifeless gaze in his eyes seemed to pierce directly through Brian stood there looking at him. Brian naturally shifts his weight while standing there and accidently steps on a thick piece of broken glass... making a subtle cracking noise... causing the pair to both glance down at it at the same time.

"Cmon, lets go." The merc says returning to Brian.

Brian keeps his foot firmly planted on the glass... covering it up as the merc passes by him. As the merc steps past him, Brian shoves the glass with his foot toward the prisoner without looking and continues down the hallway. The prisoner watches the thick, sharp chunk of glass scrape across the floor towards him... it hits the metal leg of his chair with a light 'tink'. Cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       A slow, spiraling, topdown view looms over Audrey laid curled up in the center of a cold, dark room... her hands bound behind her back. Small goosebumps cover her entire hardened body as she freezes in her thin, white bra and panties. The dark, spacious holding area carries a chilling breeze that bares down on her petite body... thick condensation billows out of her mouth with each slow, heavy breath. A close-up of her raw, red ankles with dried blood caked on the restraints rest down by her bare feet.

The unknown series of events happening to her have caused a psychological break... ripping open the long closed gates of the past, as resisted traumas return with a vengeance.

Audrey lays helpless as her short, white hair recently soaked wet lays draped over her face... she stares at the dark, concrete slabbed wall in a trance while she softly sings to herself.

"A thing of beautyy.. i knoww... will never faade away, what you did to mee... I knoww" 


A single tear runs down her cheek... her tranced facial expression doesn't change.

"What. you. did. to... me-" She whimpers... her voice cracking as the tears flow down her face... she recalls a memory:

       An indoor explosion sends a huge plume of smoke and debris flying in through the window of a bullet ridden, apartment complex room. Audrey and Zaunya's mother quickly slam up against a wall to take cover inside as large caliber rounds effortlessly penetrate the thin walls. Shrouded in thick smoke and surrounded by chaos, various heavy boots are heard scrambling around the complex to the sound of booming gunfire as unknown voices scream out in pain and panic... tactics and marching orders being shouted. Zaunya's mom shifts her position and rests her back up against a shredded dresser as Audrey drops her gun and quickly takes cover next to her.

"WE HAVE TO STOP HERE! YOU'RE OVER-CLOCKING AND LOSING TOO MUCH BLOOD!!"

"So fuckin' PATCH ME UP THEN!!" Zaunya's mom shouts aggressively causing Audrey to quickly pull out suppressants and several tools. She begins to work on Zaunya's mom leaking excessive amounts of blood out of various wounds... gathered over the course of a brutal and extensive operation with impossible odds. Being a finely honed weapon of war, Zaunya's mother quickly barks into her comms to the support leader of the op.

= TELL THE UNIT TO GET READY TO MOVE! WE'RE DOING THE KILL SWEEP IN 3!!! =

"-This has gotta be the last offensive we do Zayta. We can't fucking keep. coming. out here like this!!" Audrey franticly shouts cracking her voice.


Zaunya's mother, Zayta breathing heavy.. stares deep into Audrey's eyes with an emotionless gaze... watching her quickly work on her. Audrey continues.

"Anytime you're still thinking of volunteering for shit like this think of your daughter huh? Understand me!?" She shouts frustrated... her adrenaline surging.

"My daughter..." Zayta mutters injured and exhausted.. sat up against the dresser, looking down. "They're... they're turning her into a weapon... there's... th... there's nothing i can do to stop it..." She exhales before pausing and slowing her breathing. "...I need your help Audrey."

"I won't BE ABLE to help you if we don't fucking make. it. out of here!! Hold this.." She demands causing Zayta to hold onto a length of synth gauze wrapped around her arm.


A brief pause allows the sounds of burning flames and gunfire to take over, Zayta continues to stare deep into Audrey's eyes... trying to catch her breath through heavy combat wounds... she speaks in a softened tone.

"We kill for these corpos... the people we're killing... I don't know who they are... or what they've even done... but... you can see... you can see to them... it's worth fighting and dying for."

Audrey continues to franticly work on Zayta. Saying nothing... Zayta continues.

"...What do we fight and die for Audrey."

Audrey half shakes her head with pursed lips... continuing to franticly work on Zayta... still saying nothing.



Zayta continues in a tired monotone while being lightly jostled around... still staring deep into Audrey's eyes.

"Regard your soldiers... as you would your children... And they will follow you into the deepest valleys... Look upon them as your own beloved-"

"-And they will stand by you even unto death." Audrey whispers finishing the quote.

"-Even unto death." Zayta repeats staring at her.



The two lock eyes... sharing an impossible moment.



Silence rests between them as the stray sounds of gunfire and combat fill the space. A single tear drops out of Audrey's eye as she breaks eye contact... getting choked up in the moment. "Turn over." Audrey whimpers cracking her voice... Zayta turns over... giving Audrey a better position to work on her back.

"Zaunya knows who she is Audrey... I... I made sure of it." Zayta says grabbing and clutching onto her iron... gathering herself to move.

"Promise me Audrey... please... make sure she doesn't lose herself." Ending the flashback.

"Don't let them take her." Audrey hears Zayta's voice in her head causing her to whisper it out loud at the same time in a soft tone laying in the dark holding room tied up.

"Don't let them take her..." Audrey whispers again to herself without Zayta's voice in her head... still staring at the concrete wall in a trance.

The heavy, rusted iron door to her room creeks and scrapes open, allowing a dim light to bleed in followed by the sounds of heavy weighted boots approaching her from behind. She's yanked up from behind by her restraints as she grits her teeth... letting out a feral scream.

       Brian and the merc continue down the dark hallway by scattered debris and the remnants of countless stories. Passing by a room full of mercs smoking, playing cards, and listening to music. They then pass by another room where Brian sees the Ex-Tyger claw they had the deal with laying lifeless on a table being casually gutted. His various implants and body parts lay scattered amongst excessive blood and decay, loosely organized for packing. A man who was once a trigger pull away from flatlining Brian, now being harvested like an old dairy cow. They make their way down a flight of stairs and down another hallway heading for an exit... as Brian slowly follows behind this huge merc he notices the lack of people the closer they get. A small room sits beside the exit door that leads outside.. ironically enough, this small room seems to be the only area not completely cluttered in shit for some reason like the rest of the building. The merc steps to the side, now standing in front of the entrance to the small room and gesturing Brian to the exit door.

"Right. Fuck off choom." The merc says dismissively.

Just like that, he makes his intention to simply kick Brian out clear.

"Where are the-" Brian asks before hes cut off by the sound of the merc's safety clicking off his Liberty. The merc points it directly at Brian's face.

As the merc opens his mouth to say something, Brian quickly reaches for the gun... forcing it upwards toward the ceiling while simultaneously slamming the merc up against the wall near the doorway with his forearm. The merc attempts to wrestle Brian off of him... greatly underestimating his strength as the two go tumbling into the small room by the exit. Brian, on top of the merc throws an elbow hitting him square in the face, stunning him but throwing himself off balance at the same time. The thick-chromed merc rocked by the heavy blow uses the opportunity to punch Brian and roll over on top of him. The merc's chrome now engaged slowly begins to overpower Brian's grip... squeezing his throat like a vice... pushing the limits of Brian's own cyberware durability as he feels it start to give under the pressure. The merc reaches for his iron only to have the bend of his elbow stepped on with full force torquing it in the opposite direction and snapping it. The merc lets out a loud shriek of pain that blends in well with the rest of the chaos and violence occurring across various rooms in the hotel.

As the merc falls off of Brian, Brian sees the prisoner he helped free jump on top of the merc and begin to unleash a feral beating on him. He grunts and screams along with the full force of his punches while pinning the merc's broken arm to the floor with his knee.. unleashing a flurry of built up anger and personal resentment. Brian quickly staggers to his feet, catching his breath and points the Merc's Liberty at both of them still on the ground. He watches as the prisoner pounds the merc into submission leaving him limp and barely conscious before he takes a quick peek into the dark hallway and sees no one. He looks back to see the prisoner grab the merc by the collar of his jacket with both hands.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE!?" The prisoner yells gritting his teeth before striking the merc again with full force.. causing even more blood to spray out of his badly bruised and bleeding face.

"WHERE!?" The prisoner screams in a grunt punching him again before he can even respond. He lifts him again by his collar giving him a chance to speak but only garbles some inaudible words. The prisoner punches him hard again as a result... causing Brian to roll his eyes continuing to watch.

After he finally lets up... the merc collects himself enough to speak.

"Y-You-... you think we... you think we were just gonna let her go?... You stupid... STUPID FUCKIN' GONK. hahahaaa!!!" The merc shouts coughing up blood... struggling to breathe before smiling through gaps in his bloody teeth.



The prisoner looks into his eyes with fear and disbelief... the merc continues after noticing his reaction.

"Yeah... th-that's right motherfucker. We took her... stripped ALL of her implants... had some pretty decent chrome on her too... But not before we each had a taste of her sweet, delicious-"

       The prisoner silences him by punching his fist into his mouth... gradually shoving it further and further down the merc's throat, causing him to open his eyes wide while gagging and shaking uncontrollably. The prisoner progressively shoves his first further down his mouth, past his wrist and halfway up his forearm... cracking teeth and causing the merc to spray blood and vomit up all over his arm... making gruesome gurgling noises. Brian lowers his eyebrows... silently watching the brutal execution. As the merc's body convulses and seizes up, the prisoner grunts with heavy strain, shoving his arm deeper while the light slowly drains from the mercs eyes.

As the merc lay there lifeless... the prisoner yanks his bloody, vomit covered arm out of his throat... tossing a bloody chunk of viscera off to the side and staring deep into the dead mercs eyes... slowing his breathing.

       Before allowing himself to become overwhelmed with emotion... he glances back over his shoulder slightly and notices Brian watching on. This causes him to immediately bury them while feeling vulnerable... he shakes some of the blood off of his arm and wipes the rest clean with the dead merc's shirt. He yanks the merc upward, ripping his jacket off and promptly putting it on himself while crouched down. He jostles the corpse around, checking it's pockets as Brian walks over to him. He interrupts the prisoner's looting and uses his foot to kick the dead merc, roll him over onto his stomach revealing his Blood Red, Crimson Nue tucked in the back of his waistband. Brian grabs his iron and racks the slide while the prisoner gets up... choom was built like a basketball player... unreasonably tall and lanky... even slightly taller than Brian. He looks over and tosses some words his way... his speech fast but subtle... with a quick witted monotone.

"We gotta delta. Not keen on bein' here when they find this scop."

"I'm not goin' anywhere. They've still got some of my people."

"Yeah well, all mine are dead by now... the ones that matter at least." The prisoner says raising his eyes brows and tilting his head slightly.


He pauses briefly then glances over at Brian with a nod. "Blix. Carter Blix."

"Brian Varga."

Carter gives Brian a quick once over and sees his very distinguishable face scar on his jawline trailing down his neck to his chest. 

"Preem scar. Mantis Blade? Or ya get that from eatin' pussy?" He asks with a bloody toothed grin. The joke catches Brian off guard as he grins, scoffs and chuckles all at the same time.



Carter continues after looking down and thinking a bit... he raises his eyebrows again.

"Well, i'd be a liar if I said I didn't plan on seein' these gonks again real soon." He looks Brian in the eyes. "Lets motor."

Brian steps toward Carter handing him the dead merc's liberty. Cutting to black.

Chapter Text

The sound of heavy weighted boots walking side by side echoes throughout the long dark halls of the Hotel Pistis Sophia.

In Night City, trust can be hard to come by... however... strangers uniting behind a common enemy or cause can sometimes be an everyday occurrence. The violence and tyranny at play all but calls for it by the people its inflicted on... but when the threat has been eliminated or sent packing... What's left..? What CAN be left..?

A big, heavyset booster ganger casually walks out into the hall from a room to see Brian and Carter walking towards him.

"HEY!!!!!!!!" The goon roars in rage at the top of his lungs.

*BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!* Brian and Carter unload a series of shots simultaneously into the ganger as they continue to walk forward at the same pace... dropping him to his knees lifeless. Brian front kicks the dead goon in his chest slamming him to his back causing dust to kick up in the dirty hallway as the pair step over him. The crack of the gunfire puts them on a timer... Carter breaks left while Brian breaks right... each engaging various enemies.

       Brian enters a room and sees a scav in the middle of raising his copperhead assault rifle toward the door. He grabs the barrel of the rifle and pushes it upward toward the ceiling while shoving the scav up against a wall. The copperhead lets out a loud burst, blasting holes into the ceiling as Brian unloads 2 shots into the goons's gut and a final to the head. He then quickly spins around with both hands clasping his iron toward a second scav firing at him... dropping him with a single headshot. Carter enters a separate room and is immediately hit in the head with a metal bat by a scav hiding up against the wall, stunning him slightly. The second swing of the bat comes down as Carter instinctually raises his arm to block it... meeting it in the middle and denting the bat in half on impact against his forearm. He quickly raises his Liberty up to the scavs chin and pulls the trigger, sending blood and brains shooting up to the ceiling. He turns around to see another unarmed goon trying to flee and take cover diving behind a couch. Carter raises the iron with one hand while exiting the room... taking a no-look shot, hitting the scav in the back of the head, sending him tumbling over the couch.

       Brian and Carter meet back in the hallway, continuing up the stairs and reloading. A ganger at the top of the staircase aims down and sends a series of shots at the pair causing them to quickly duck and return fire with a flood of rounds. The merc hits a wall, smearing it with blood as he comes tumbling down the stairs past them full of bullet holes and blood blotching underneath him. They quickly step past the tumbling body, race up the stairs and are met by a huge chromed out merc.. looking near full borg. He uses the iron grip of his freshly chipped Vicentennial cyber fingers to tightly clutch his Militech Mk. 31 HMG at the far end of the hallway. A quick glimpse at the branding reads 'Vicentennial - CENTURIES of quality guaranteed!'

"HOLLLLD STILLLL MOTHERFUCKERSSS!!!! HAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!" The borg roars down the hallway.. his cybernetically augmented voice shakes the walls as he unloads the Mk 31. The concussive shockwaves of the rounds vibrate the thin narrow halls as giant flaming rounds come flying down it. Brian and Carter again split in opposite directions into separate rooms as several gangers come racing down the hall past the borg.

Carter busts into a room with his shoulder denting the door and flying in hitting the floor. He looks up to see 8 women tightly huddled up in a corner shriek as he quickly returns to his feet. They appear to be dolls and joytoys... very recently brought here for a client and never allowed to leave. He looks at the women and raises his eyebrows with a smirk on his face.

"Ladies." He says in a greeting tone like a gentleman before we cut over to Brian in a dead lock with a scav nearly equal his size. Brian uses his footwork to shift the scav's weight and momentum off balance, tripping him. The scav reaches for Brian's gun hand and yanks his Nue away, sending it flying across the room, hitting a wall with heavy impact and letting off a stray shot. As the 2 fall to the floor Brian reaches for an empty glass bottle, pins the scav down with his forearm and smashes the bottle over his face sending glass shards and blood flying. He then uses a sharpened edge to stab the scav multiple times in the face and neck. Another scav blasts in through a door to the room with a shotgun and points it toward Brian. Brian grabs the dead scav hes on top of and rolls the corpse over, nearly on top of himself as the scav sends a shotgun blast his way. The dead scav's corpse catches the shell chunking a huge hole in its back sending a glob of yellow synthblood spraying into the air. Brian grabs the dead scav's gun out of his belt waist and raises up past the corpse, narrowly missing a second round... shooting the scav twice in the face dropping him.

The ladies are next seen screaming in fear, scattering wildly down the hall in different directions.. some toward several mercs headed for Carter's room. As the mercs hesitant to shoot the ladies try to aim past them, several are knocked off balance while some get pushed to the ground in the chaos.

One of the mercs shoves one of the ladies out of the way; "MOVE!!!" he screams.

As he shoves her to the ground he looks up and sees Carter with his Liberty pointed directly at him; he's shot in the face... dropping him instantly. Carter then shoots past several of the other women with ruthless and efficient accuracy dropping several more mercs in threat level order as gunsmoke and bullets continue to fly. He grabs one of the fleeing ladies by the back of her hair causing her to scream and lose her balance as he yanks her back towards him. He pulls her into his chest and turns his back toward a merc firing at the two of them as a couple slugs hit him in the back. Carter then turns to face the merc, still holding the woman down and fires several rounds hitting him multiple times in the neck dropping him. The woman hes held onto slaps him in the face and wrestles free from his grip.. she stumbles continuing to run away.

At this point, the entire crew as well as backup has been called to the location as over a dozen more mercs are seen entering the hotel and making their way through the halls with iron drawn.


Brian and Carter are next seen in the same room back to back.

"Good?!" Brian shouts over the chaos, glancing back at Carter.

"Good!" Carter confirms.. his tone exhausted as the pair scramble to reload and check their weapons. They hear the strays sounds of mercs scrambling throughout the various floors and halls of the building while yelling and trying to coordinate. The darkened, hard to see in atmosphere of the place that once served as a tool of psychological intimidation has now become one of their biggest combat disadvantages. As smoke and debris continues to scatter and settle within the area, the pair gather themselves.

"Eyes 360! There's more comin!" Brian says as a flashbang comes flying in through one of the doors causing the pair to scramble for cover at the smoky pop. An unarmed animal ganger comes charging into the room, attempting to tackle Brian. Brian tries to catch the Animals momentum but instead gets lifted into the air and rammed through several walls one after the other.. crushing through dusty layer after layer of drywall. As the animal ganger charges through the drywall and rooms holding Brian, he eventually loses his balance, tripping and falling on top of him as the two begin to wrestle on the ground. Carter is next seen pinned by his throat up against one of the walls by another animal ganger nearly the same size as him. The ganger's scav partner tries to get a clean angle on Carter to shoot but can't due to the animal's massive frame wrestling with Carter. Carter uses all of his strength struggling to raise up the liberty to the side of the mercs head and pulls the trigger at the same time hes punched in the face with full force.. dropping him and releasing his grip. Carter stunned by the blow is then shot twice in the chest by the backup before returning fire dropping him with a single headshot... he falls to one knee. Before he can even register the pain, he scrambles up to the door they came in from and slams his body up against it in attempt to barricade it. As soon as he does, a flurry of more bullets mixed with the giant rounds of the MK. 31 come effortlessly piercing through the door and walls causing him to lay down, covering his head with his arms, overwhelmed by the suppressive fire. The heavy stomping boots of the borged out merc and his backup are heard closing in on Carter's suppressed position.

       As Brian wrestles with The Animal.. he's near exhaustion from the entire engagement... the non-stop edgerun through the hotel has pushed him and Carter's bodies past their limits.. now carried by pure adrenaline and survival instinct. The animal pulls a knife and attempts to drive it into Brian's face... he catches the Animals wrist and re-directs the energy of the thrust to his side but is then quickly punched by the animals other fist stunning him and breaking his grip. The Animal raises the knife and drives it down a second time... Brian catches the tip of the blade with the palm of his hand as it pierces right through and Brian roars in pain. The Animal uses both hands to push down with the knife.. shoving it deeper through the palm of his hand as Brian struggles to resist the force, gradually losing the deadlock as two of them grunt... straining with gritted teeth and all of their strength.

       Suddenly, the high pitched hissing of something blazing hot gradually cutting through metal is heard. The animal on top of Brian shrieks... squealing in pain as he's yanked back by the neck with force. The hot, piercing length of pink monowire slowly but surely begins cutting through the neck of the animal like a hot knife through butter as blood comes spraying out of it while he hopelessly reaches back for it. The monowire finishes cutting through him... severing his head as it lands directly on Brian's chest completely covering him in blood. As excessive amounts of blood continues spraying out of his neck, his body falls to the side off of Brian revealing BugBear standing there with her monowire clasped.

       The suppressive fire raining down on Carter's decaying position abruptly stops as various screams of pain and electric static shock are heard on the other side of the wall. The various mercs are seen dropping like flies as smoke and static sparks shoot out of their bodies and heads to the sounds of screaming in pain. As the full borg holding the MK.13 turns to face down the dark hallway, he sees nothing but a small pair of red eyes towards the far end of it. This is the last thing he sees before his vision blurs and his implants begin to short circ. The borg does his best to resist the quickhack only for the pain to sink in even deeper... he lets out an even louder scream of pain while dropping to his knees with a heavy thud, shaking the floor beneath him. The sheer amount of chrome present provides a landscape of weakpoints... to be picked apart with ruthless precision. As the intensity of the hack peaks, the inside of the borg's head explodes... the chrome casing housing his brain cushions the muffled explosion and he drops to the floor lifeless with an extremely heavy, weighted thud on wooden floor

As Netty slowly approaches out of the darkness... eyes still red... he stands over the huge borg... speaking in a dead monotone.

"All that chrome and no ice... hm... typical." He mutters as blood and brains slowly leak out of the holes of his chrome dome onto the dirty carpet... gentle black smoke wafting into the air. The subtle pops and cracklings of cooking wires and melting chrome.

"Bad move... choom."

Chapter Text

BugBear reaches down and helps Brian slowly stagger to his feet. Without a thought, she gives him a big hug... burying her face in his chest with her eyes closed, holding him tightly. This causes Brian to hug and hold her even tighter... resting his cheek on top of her head, getting blood all over her while breathing in pain and heavy exhaustion.


Its clear the pair are more than just relieved to see each other alive... they genuinely embrace the feeling of safety brought about by trust and familiarity. Giving each other sudden comfort... relief in a place surrounded by violence and death. A testament to their strong, growing bond and trust with one another... they share a very genuine, human moment together.

They hear the sound of the door to the room slide open... they both look over.

Netty slowly walks in... stepping over a dead merc with concern plastered on his face... filled with adrenaline, clutching tightly onto that DR5 Nova. When he sees Brian, it causes him to breakdown... completely racked with guilt not knowing what happened to the crew in his absence. He can't help but feel the heavy weight of responsibility having not been there... he frantically stumbles over his words as Brian slowly approaches him.

"B-Brian.. I didn't... I... I was- I don't-"

"Come here kid." Brian whispers in a deep tone as he yanks Netty in to his chest for a hug.

"I'm sorry..." Netty's voice cracks... flustered while being held tight. "We-"

"-Tell me about it later. Zaunya and Audrey... we have to find them." Brian says cutting him off, still gathering himself.

BugBear searches the body of the headless merc, using her boot to kick him over and check his pockets not finding anything useful. She stands up and responds. "Their trackers have been deaded. Last ping was this same location like yours... bad sign."

"Then they're not here. We have to get to them... Now." Brian says as they hear the door to the room slide open again causing Netty to quickly turn around, yank back the hammer and aim his DR5 Nova. His wrist is quickly swatted down and grabbed by Brian, causing a loud skin slapping noise as the 2 look at Carter enter through the door. With fresh wounds and blood still running down the side of his head, hes gathered all of his gear they had stashed in the hotel including his signature black leather trench coat with a high collar. He steadily limps in... speaking in his normal, fast talking monotone.

"Easy kid. One's ya gotta worry about've already been fried." He says with his palm out in front of them before he turns his attention to Brian. He steps past Netty up to Brian and hands him his Blood Red, Crimson Nue with direct eye contact. "Yours if i recall." Brian grabs his Iron and checks the magazine before he tucks it. Carter glances back at Netty, then over to BugBear. "Found em?" He asks looking at Brian.

"Not yet... Not all of em."

Carter raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Big crew huh. Takin' applications?" He says stepping past Brian, checking out the spattering of blood and debris in the room.

Suddenly, they all hear the sound of someone moaning in pain out in the halls of the hotel causing them to look at the hallway outside the room. Brian quickly steps past Netty and Carter out into the hallway as they follow. He sees a badly wounded merc crawling up the hallway away from them streak-dragging blood.

The merc reaches for a rifle just out in front of him before having his wrist stepped on by Brian's heavy boot, causing him to squeal loudly in pain. Brian then rolls the merc over onto his back and yanks him up with force by his chest.

A short time has passed, and the group is next seen together in the same room Brian was once being held in. They've sat the barely conscious merc onto the same metal chair Brian once sat in not too long ago. As he sits there covered in wounds, bloody and stunned the group posts up in various spots in the room. After briefly checking the halls a final time, Carter rests a boot up on a stool with his arms crossed, leaned up against a wall. Netty squats down near another wall with BugBear standing next to him with her arms crossed. Brian slowly paces back and forth as you hear the heavy thumps of his boots one after the other. He takes a deep breath while rubbing his eyes with fresh blood running from the knife wound in his hand... he sits down in a chair directly across from the merc.

"I saw you... you watched them bring us here." Brian mutters in a monotone causing the merc to look up at him.

The merc gathers himself and spits on the ground near Brian's feet. Brian immediately slaps him in the face hard with his wounded hand, smearing his blood across the goon's face... he continues in the same calmed and flat tone.

"There were 2 other women brought here with me-"

"-FFUCK YOU!!!" The merc screams through his bloody teeth causing Brian to slap him again even harder... the violent thud causes the merc to let out a painful grunt... sending blood flying and nearly knocking him out of the metal chair. The brutality makes BugBear instinctually turn away... Carter raises his eyebrows with a chuckle.

"Where are they." Brian says in the same calm tone with an emotionless gaze glaring at him.



The merc says nothing... staring at Brian with murder in his eyes. Brian stands up over the merc with a brief silence... the look they exchange clearly says everything that the both of them need to know.

Brian turns back and looks at Carter. "Shake the place." He says causing Carter to promptly head for the doorway.


He then steps over to BugBear and places the palm of his hand on her back, leans in and whispers something into her ear.


She looks at him with hesitation and discomfort... seeing a different man she knows and understands, but doesn't fully recognize as she nods in agreement at the unheard directions. Brian takes a last look at the now confused merc before exiting the room with Carter... BugBear slowly approaches him with her arms crossed.

As Brian and carter clear rooms, they find no one... anyone with their legs still underneath them no doubt used them. Each room housed remnants of different stories. Dried blood, scattered equipment and shredded clothing littered most of them. As Brian enters one of the many dark rooms throughout the halls he hears the sounds of someone struggling to breathe and spitting up pooled blood causing him to look over with iron drawn.

He sees a young woman he doesn't recognize... she's been badly beaten and tortured... laying in her shredded clothing near a corner of the room nearby chain restraints. He lowers his iron as he slowly steps toward the woman... she coughs up blood and struggles to breathe as he gets down on his knees and gently cradles her in his arms.

"Hey... h-hey... shh... it's ok.. shh.. shh... its ok" He whispers in a soft tone. She coughs up more blood as her eyes open wide to Brian cradling her... she reaches for him as she struggles to speak through pooled blood running out of her mouth. The various cuts and bruises have done their job of ruining a beautiful face, owned by the petite and frail young woman. His adrenaline fueled, racing mind can't help but recognize the feint resemblance she has to Marilyn in the darkness... this triggers him to see her face on the young lady in an intense, onset moment of post traumatic stress. The sudden feeling of Marilyn... once again in his arms... breaks him... he starts to mutter in a deep, soft tone... holding the unknown young lady extremely tight. "No... no no no don't do this to me baby... don't do this to me please no... don't do this to me... please..." The unfamiliarity in her voice abruptly snaps him out of his episode as he struggles to refocus and catch his breath.

"They... th-they took them... all.. th-they... they k-... killed.. all... all of us." She forces out of her mouth filled with blood... gasping for air with distress on her face. Brian stares deep into her eyes as pain and emotion overwhelm her. She grips Brian by the collar of his jacket... holding him tight and spitting up more blood. The memory of Graves' death causes him to grab and hold onto her even tighter.

"K-... Kill them... K-Kill... k-..kill them all huh... D-.. Don't...Don't let them... Don't let them do this... again" She struggles to say filled with emotion as she begins to convulse. Her gasps for air become sporadic before her grip on Brian's jacket slowly loosens and she quietly fades away in his arms.



Brian lays the young lady down gently. As her head turns to the side... a single tear trails out of her lifeless eyes down her bloody cheek...



Brian gently closes them... placing her hands across her chest... sitting in the long, dead silence of the moment with her.

The ever present white noise of the environment rests somberly alongside the pair shrouded in darkness... just.... another soul... quietly claimed within the darkness of Night City.

"Yo, found nothin downstai-" Carter says as he quickly thumps in and sees Brian cradling the now lifeless young lady. "Shit." He mutters... a look of disbelief on his face.

Brian glances back over his shoulder at him before looking back down at the woman. "Didn't know her."

"Oh fuck.." Carter says in exhale with a sigh of relief

"We have to find them." Brian says in a serious tone Carter's never heard while he stares down at the young woman.

"Holy shit..." Netty whispers to himself under his breath with shock on his face... looking on at BugBear connected directly into the restrained merc's neuro socket. The merc screams in immense pain as his body twitches uncontrollably and his intense flailing breaks his restraints. His eyes roll into the back of his head as he nearly falls out of the chair... the bones in his fingers break from the cyberware in the palms of his hands gripping the chair with augmented force, completely locked from the pain. BugBear quickly grabs him by the throat and pins him to the chair... gritting her teeth with her eyes glowing red. As she increases the intensity of the hack, Netty looks on both intimidated and aroused as he begins to see the variety of her true nature; What shes capable of, and what shes willing to do. In the netrunning world... getting this hands on can be quite the rare sight. He says nothing and continues to look on in slight discomfort... and a desire to see what happens next.

Brian and Carter re-enter the room and are taken aback by the screaming merc and relentless brutality of BugBear's methods. Brian looks over at Netty with a 'what the fuck?' expression on his face. Netty returns the look with a 'I have no fuckin' idea' expression on his face.

"Haha, holy shit..." Carter says under his breath with a smirk... raising his eyebrows impressed. He casually walks back over to his spot in the room.

"Bear..?" Brian says walking up to her. She ignores him as the sound of the merc's screams of agonizing pain fill the room.

"BEAR!" Brian shouts over the merc's screaming as he places a hand on BugBear's shoulder causing her to glance back at him with her red eyes. She takes a final look at the merc and reluctantly unplugs from his neurosocket, relieving the pressure as he lets out a scared, painful whimper.



She stands over him with her fists clenched.

"Piece of shit.." She mutters under her breath as she steps away and Brian gets in between them. As the merc tries to re-gather himself, Brian grabs him by the throat further straining his ability to breathe.

"WHERE! ARE THEY..." Brian says forcefully with gritted teeth, pulling the merc in close.

"C-c..crss street" The merc gurgles

"What? What did ya SAY!?" Brian says with angst, grabbing the mercs shirt and releasing some of the pressure on his neck.

"C-cr...Cross... the street" The merc says in exhale.

Brian instantly lets go of him and takes a step back, causing the merc to nearly fall out of his chair and vomit all over himself. Smoke rising from the various ports in his cooking skin.

Brian looks over at BugBear... she immediately storms out of the room completely pissed off with fire in her eyes.

As Brian starts to quickly follow behind her, he stops and takes a glance at Netty directly in the eyes with a stern expression.

"Kid."




Netty looks over at him.

"Zero em." Brian says in a dead tone, looking the merc up and down before leaving the room behind BugBear. Carter with uncertainty on his face glances at Brian, then at Netty before he quickly follows Brian out of the room... leaving Netty alone with the dying merc.

Netty's heart drops at the given order. Although hes flatlined his fair share of gonks, pulling the trigger with iron in hand is a completely different story. Something hes never done before, and something his father made sure he knew all too well what the differences are. Netty gulps and takes a deep breath while clutching on tightly, and looking down at that DR5 Nova... then at the subdued merc. The bloodied merc, still completely stunned, raises his head and gets a look at Netty's uncertain face.


Netty steps in front of the merc and slowly raises the DR5 Nova up to his face with his hand shaking.

"N-NO NO! PLEASE! P-PLEASE!!" The merc screams causing Netty to flinch... he lowers the iron slightly.

A look of fear and uncertainty washes over him as he listens to the dying Merc unexpectedly begging... pleading for his life with heavy emotion... his voice desperate.

"P-PLEASE choom! I- I've got kids! I got a family out there y'know! Waiting for me to come home! They... they told me to... th-they've... they've been trying to call me! PLEASE! J-Just let me go! I'll leave NC for good yeah!? Y-You'll never see me again! I swear choom! PLEASE! T-THIS AIN'T HUMAN MAN! PLEASE!"

With the DR5 Nova halfway raised... Netty's hand shakes uncontrollably. With his eyes wide open he breaks out into a sweat and begins to panic... nearly hyperventilating.

Before he can gather himself fully, he hears the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from behind and the safety of a gun clicking off. Before he can even turn around, multiple booming gunshots are unloaded into the merc causing Netty to flinch and fall down out of the way, covering his head.


Netty looks up to see Carter standing over the now dead merc full of bullet holes and slowly rising smoke. After a brief pause, he speaks.

"First ones always the hardest." Carter says... his back turned to Netty.

"It ain't the first one ya gotta worry about-" He continues with a offered hand... helping Netty up to his feet, still flustered and gathering himself.

"-Its how easy the rest happen after that." He says looking Netty in the eyes. Netty returns the look trying to calm himself.

"Worry about that... before it starts." He concludes... giving the dead merc a final look before exiting the room.

Netty stares at the dead merc leaking blood out of his head and chest with disbelief... fading to black.

Chapter Text

       The calm ocean waves of Pacifica gently grace the sands of the beach one pull after another. The neighboring, quiet chaos of Night City matches the tone... the energy of the starless night sky and the baron tattered streets. The silhouettes of Brian and the crew march side by side up to the building they hope Zaunya and Audrey are being held in. As Brian leads the march, he hears the sounds of the crew racking their iron and preparing their kit alongside their confident footsteps on wet pavement through the quiet streets.

His mind begins to race with possibilities on what may have happened or what could be happening to the women. A quick flash of the dead young lady's face back at the Hotel Pistis Sophia enters his head. The moment that's engraved itself in his mind revisits... laying her limp body gently to the floor... watching a single tear run from her lifeless eyes as her head turned.

He hears the sudden scream of Marilyn's voice come back into focus... continuing to haunt him during his times of stress and uncertainty. "NO NO! PLEASE! VARGA!! VARGAAAAA!!!!!"

He shuts the intrusive thoughts down and locks in.. drawing his Nue and clutching it tight. He speaks to the crew as they walk.

"There's gonna be more in there. Gotta know whats goin' on by now. Eyes open. Keep up... match my pace." He says sternly. They stack up on both sides of the building entrance as a homeless man trying to mind his own business passes by on the sidewalk. He gets a glance at the crew and decides to quickly cross the street toward the beach instead.


BugBear quick hacks into a tattered surveillance camera of the building watching the street, granting her access to several of the cameras inside. She quickly scans through the ones available, giving a limited view into various rooms.

"Nothing so far... place looks emptied out-.. Wait, shit. I see a few of them. They're hunkered down toward the back. They've got iron drawn... they're waiting... ready."

"How many." Brian whispers

"uhh.. I see 6 in the front and like 8 more upstairs. They're still scrambling around."

"Netty, get the door." Brian orders causing Netty to quick hack the security access panel next to it. The light on the door turns green. Brian gives Carter and BugBear a nod as they all ready their iron to enter.

       

       BugBear with the gang goons in line of sight through the camera remains in deep focus. With her eyes still glowing red, she navigates her custom pink runner interface with various personalized logos and branding on it; one being an angry, robotic cat baring its teeth and roaring. She targets the various goons while cycling through her programs... an intense look on her face as her eyes glow red, flowing with code.

"Just a... sec more... and... done.. Short circ with an optics reboot incoming.. And not much in the way of resistance either! They're mine."

"NOW!" Brian yells as they yank the door open and storm in. Brian takes lead with Carter as BugBear and Netty hang back. Carter raises his jet-black Guillotine with a high polish finish, catching the dim light perfectly, making it gleam as he pushes forward alongside Brian. They see a once prepared group of mercs with their guns trained in their direction now completely compromised... some stumbling around blinded and reaching for their dropped iron. They drop several of the sight and cyberware compromised with ruthless efficiency as they panic fire. A sudden onset of loud booming gunshots and screams of pain ring through the building... sending shockwaves in volumes throughout the place.

       The sounds of their brutal work is heard upstairs by the other goons as some of them stay put and several sprint for the staircase. The sprinters are met at the top by a couple of thrown flashbangs that go off right in their faces. The closest scavs to the explosion have their heads nearly blown off by the concussive force, dropping them instantly and blinding the waiting mercs on the top floor. Brian keeps the merc's body propped up with his own strength, using it to push forward as multiple heavy rounds are immediately fired into the back of the corpse by waiting shooters. As Brian draws the fire of the mercs on him, Carter pushes up behind him... spraying the mercs with precise Guillotine bursts. Carter takes a heavy round to the shoulder, knocking him off balance as he slams up against a wall in the hallway, leaving blood behind on impact. Brian gets to the end of the hall with the chunked scav and shoves it on top of another posted in front of a door at the back. The dead weight of the body catches the scav off guard and knocks his giant 6 foot 5 frame off balance. Brian leaps up into the air over the falling dead body and knees the huge scav right in the face with full force nearly knocking him out. The force of the impact knocks the two of them off balance sending a bunch of blood from the merc's face spraying onto a nearby wall as they go tumbling to the floor with force. Carter quickly walks up behind them and rips chunks out of the back of the scav's skull with his Guillotine. As Brian shoves the corpse off of him, Carter helps him up to his feet.

Without missing a beat Brian turns his full attention over to the door the scav was guarding... he franticly struggles to force it open, unable to get any firm grip. He desperately bangs on the heavy iron door several times... hopelessly trying to yank it open. Carter looks on, watching his back.

As Brian struggles helplessly with the door... his anxiety runs rampant... his worst fears begin to rush through his mind. "Am i too late!?" He thinks to himself... his eyes open wide and he grits his teeth in a panic...

The feelings of uncertainty and desperation grab hold of him and bare down...

He hears the feint shriek of a scared woman in his head alongside Marilyn's playful giggle.

Various thoughts race through his mind untamed as the intensity of the moment builds with every failed yank.

"Has this all been for nothing...? Did i fail...... again...?"

The door abruptly turns green and slides open as Netty and BugBear slowly make their way up the stairs through the brutal carnage of the building. Seeing various clouds of smoke and debris... stepping over street toughs pooling excess blood underneath their lifeless corpses. All of them sporting headshots.

Brian rushes into the room and stops in his tracks... his eyes and mouth wide open...

       He sees Audrey alone in the center of the room, in her white bra and panties... her hands tied behind her back, and a stray rope around her neck like a dog leash. She lays with her back towards them in the darkened room now lit by the dim hallway light behind them. She's... lethargic and frail... barely conscious as Brian gets down on his knees and works quickly to untie the restraints around her wrists and ankles.

She whimpers in a daze as she comes too. "N- No.." she helplessly groans with no strength left before she hears the sound of Brian's deep, gentle voice.

"Audrey! Audrey.. its me.. shh.. shh.. its me." He whispers causing her to gather her attention towards him.

The sound of his voice causes her to break down... as the restraints around her raw, red wrists and ankles come off, she turns to face him while still laid on the ground. She sits up and hugs him around the neck tightly... pulling him down as tears begin to run down her face... the intensity of her emotions in the moment overwhelm her.

"They tried to-" She cries uncontrollably into Brian's shoulder... he pulls her into his chest even tighter.

"My god.." He sighs in relief... completely overwhelmed by the moment... looking up at the ceiling as emotion begins to consume him. "I'm... i'm here Audrey.. shh.. its ok.. i'm here.. shh.. its ok...its ok..."

The two share a very personal... vulnerable embrace with each other.

       BugBear races into the room pushing past Carter and Netty. "AUDREY!" She shouts as tears build in her eyes. She drops to her knees and wraps her arms around Audrey, nearly falling on top of her as the pair embrace each other tightly. Brian gets up and sees Netty gathering Audrey's clothes torn and scattered about the room. He steps to Carter completely flustered, with his adrenaline surging.

"There's... there's one more. Zaunya... she... they... they can't-" Brian stumbles over his words before Carter cuts him off heavy hand placed on Brian's shoulder... forcing eye contact.

"Hey... hey.. we'll find her, Yeah? We're gonna find her." Carter nods in a deep tone. Brian looks at him before looking down... silently nodding in agreement.

Audrey yanks the rope off of her neck and over her head. With blood running out of her mouth, she shouts through her teeth to the group while slowly being helped up by BugBear.

"Basement!... BASEMENT!! I s-saw them take her there!!" She shouts in pain, filled with frantic emotion causing Brian to look over at her before immediately storming out of the room at full speed.

A chem fiend looking scav with wirey hair and goggles on is seen with his back pressed up against a door while clutching his iron. He sits in the intense, uncertain silence of the place while in a panic... unaware of the results present outside the room. The door gets pounded with a loud bang and great force, pushing him off of it briefly and nearly knocking him off balance. It scares the shit out of him, causing him to press up against the door even harder.

The door suddenly blasts open with serious force, causing the scav to go flying into the corner behind it.

Brian steps into the room with anticipation...

       He sees Zaunya in the center... both of her wrists chained and held up by the ceiling... various vials, bottles and needles littered about the floor and a side table. Brian quickly approaches her... full focus and fear in his eyes... Carter enters right behind him and sees the scav attempting to get up to his feet and shoot Brian in the back. He kicks the scav's gun away as it fires... sending it flying before proceeding to beat him down relentlessly. Netty enters soon after and joins Carter in beating down the scav as BugBear rushes to free Zaunya from her restraints.

The commotion going on in the room is silent to Brian as he drops his knees and gently grabs Zaunya's face... she slowly looks up at him as he gently places his thumb on her bottom lip, revealing her bloody mouth and teeth. In a stunned daze, she gently turns her head away as tears build in her eyes.

As her restraints come off... she falls into Brian's chest limp as he wraps his arms around her, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her in tight.

With his mouth open in disbelief... he clutches onto Zaunya with her face buried in his shoulder... he closes his eyes tight.

Chapter Text

The moon struggles to find it's way in the late evening... the tapping of high-heel shoes on linoleum returns with a rapid pace. Most staff has long turned in for the night... giving the PetroChem corporate megabuilding a proper echo with each commanding step she takes. When everyone goes home... they take their energy with them. Leaving the office with a very calming, serene air that she just can't get enough of... alone in an iron castle, well shielded from the streets.

       She glances around at various corridors as she makes her way to the elevator. She once again takes advantage of the time alone to hyperventilate... quickly trying to gather herself on the ride up. This has become one of the few places of privacy in her life.. therefore peace… even if only for a brief moment in a lifestyle filled with the exact opposite… constantly tagged, constantly inventoried… constantly owned. The repetitive nature of this routine can't possibly be healthy for the mind let alone the soul... however... the environment of corpo culture all but demands it. Stripping individuals of identity and sanity…. their very own humanity. She exits the elevator with confidence as she approaches the window... standing by the executive waiting for her smoking a cig.

"We've finally got some traction." He says.

The woman glances over at him.

He continues after pulling up a detailed, corporate blue hologram on a window pane... the neon glowing cityscape as a backdrop, displaying the various pieces of data/information they're reviewing.

"Now that the cleanup protocol is nearly done, the board has given us the leeway to pursuit some various avenues. We got in contact with a local fixer in the area on our leash. He's been instructed to put his ear to the ground to any and all activity going on in the streets in and around Arroyo and Rancho. Who's saying what, who's selling what and who saw what. The pay we offered should get him producing results very soon. EPV database access got red taped until further notice due to an unrelated hack supposedly... though, rumor mill says it may be board interjection... not easy to compartmentalize and dig at the same time."

"Data collection on the warehouse explosion is pretty much completely tapped on our end sir. Research team has moved on to the re-manufacturing of product B. Beginning the exhaustive ordeal of re-obtaining resources and thoroughly re-creating the volatile process of production. By all accounts, the chemical composition of this new CHOO 2 formula is seriously unstable. Took them god knows how long to accumulate what they had previously. Hell.. rumor has it a few of the researchers died in the aftermath of its creation with their families subsequently meeting a fate not too dissimilar... that's off the books intel by the way." She says before pausing for a bit to light a smoke… feeling a comforting air of optimism and momentum in the office, she switches subject after a few drags.

"Is there any new insight on this black project going on?" She asks causing him to take a glance at her with admiration before promptly pulling up Molly's company history.

While the executive narrates her profile, we see Molly somewhere deep in the dark, bustling Night City streets… she turns a corner onto a much quieter street with less foot traffic and begins to make her way down a long, dark alleyway alone.

"The head of this supposed 'black project' is one Molly Seeker."

Dressed in civilian street clothes and a plain, black baseball cap, Molly occasionally glances over her shoulder being sure not to be followed. She wears a serious look of timid fear mixed slight excitement on her face being in such unfamiliar territory… gazing up and around at her gritty, alluring yet foreign surroundings no different than your typical tourist would.

"PetroChem auditor in the investigations department. I mean, for an A-Thirty, her profile is all over the place but... unmistakably decorated."

Molly reaches her destination and is stopped by the hand of a huge security guard working the door of a completely unmarked establishment... she hears only the very feint sounds of muffled music vibrating through the walls. He leans over to his right allowing his partner to whisper something unheard into his ear while they both side eye Molly checking out her tight, thick figure squeezed tightly by her street clothes. They both smirk while stepping out of her way and welcoming her in with a gesture.

"Long standing seniority within the company. She's done direct work for the board in most major countries and various key places of interest on file. Russia, Cuba, Ireland, Brazil, China, you name it. Oddly enough at this level, most of her projects are marked as classified... behind a bunch of internal red tape not really worth trying to cut. The only constant really being her success rate... apparently it's the highest in the division... 2nd and 3rd don't even really come close. Explains alot." The exec says impressed.

       Molly is next seen being slowly lead by the soft hand of a gorgeous, petite Russian woman down a vibrant, warm neon hallway. Molly gazes at her from behind… mesmerized by her tight, petite figure… lustfully eyeing her back all the way down to her barefeet in high heels. various dressed and half naked patrons socialize while huffing, sharing drugs, smoking and caressing each other. The environment's mellow... yet carrying an intense, seductive energy being shared... embraced by everyone there... causing her to blend in effortlessly... regardless of her nervous inexperience.

"An excessive amount of classified information on her prior ops… not really worth digging into but point is she's consistent… and thorough in her work. Apparently shes even responsible for uprooting a couple of the longest sitting board members back in the day... guess they got a little too complacent... over-ambitious. Looks as though it got pretty messy over the course of a long, complex ordeal of an investigation… sent ripples throughout the entire company... certainly re-arranged a lot of pieces on the map. I sent the details of the op over to you earlier today… its one of the few complete public internal files she has. Other than that, on our associates got access to a majority of her redacted, out of house field work which is… gruesomely impressive to say the least... shes more than effective. Tch… any A-Thirty that high up on the ladder hand picked for intelligence and counter offensives like this... in some of these places? Got to have a wire or two loose. Its no wonder they decided to relegate her in house to something a little less… bloody. Needless to say… her body of work speaks for itself in a lot of ways."

       Molly, deep within the underground location has her jacket being slowly removed from her back by the gorgeous Russian woman. She slowly removes Molly's baseball cap... gently letting her long, flowing white hair down... she instinctually shakes it out lightly before taking a moment to look around the room in awe. She sees different pairs and groups of varying wealth and social status throughout it holding, caressing, kissing and fucking each other. Everyone naked... some even have neon body paint that glowed bright amongst the dim, warm lighting... accentuating the mesmerizing bodies and bare curves present throughout the colorful space. The mellow song of 'Simple Pleasures' comes into focus... the seductive tone... the energy of the room was unbelievably alluring and sexy… overwhelming Molly's senses... pushing her comfort level to their limits. The amount of surrendered control going on stands out for her in a major way.

       
The gorgeous Russian doll whispers into Molly's ear from behind with a soft, sexy Russian accent. "This is not just some place…... this is THE place..."

Molly continues to look around the room... hearing the moans... seeing everyone either deeply engaged with each other or swaying... flowing graciously to the energy of the music and environment. Some surrender while being completely taken... while others have their thresholds give way to the overwhelming sensations of their desires... their simple pleasures. The doll continues in a whisper.

"Lust... pleasure…. exist at the core of our being….. no matter how rich... no matter how smart... no matter how... powerful-…." She trails off mid sentence... completely mesmerized by Molly's incredible figure while slowly removing her clothes from behind. Molly continues to push herself to the edge of her comfort in unfamiliarity... while being fully taken by the environment.

"Welcome... to the home... of your deepest desires…" She whispers through her teeth in Molly's ear… revealing her pearly white, sharpened, vampire like canines. She wraps her arms around Molly from behind and begins to suck on her neck… causing Molly to close her eyes and tilt her head back… exhaling in overwhelming pleasure. The doll slowly caresses Molly's thick curves... feeling the soft warmness of her skin as her body tenses up. The palms of her hands feel Molly's hesitation jolt then subside with each stroke... physically acclimating her to the environment effortlessly. As she uses her hands to admire the perfections of Molly's body... she feels a deep, intense sensation of desire hit her hard... a different… uncontrollable feeling of desire that shes never felt before… it lustfully fuels her hunger for more as she increases the intensity of her touch all over Molly's body. As the doll begins to overwhelm her, the pair blend into the busy room... everyone indistinguishable... connected through pure sensation.

"Them bringing her in only spells trouble for us... if she decides to dig deep enough- we're finished. This shit has quickly become a house of cards with too many hands. This needs to remain a simple mishap brought about by some low level corporate ineptitude and some random gung ho street rats… nothing more." He says

"Highly decorated... hmm... what's the catch with this one sir..?" She asks the exec while the tapping of her high heels on the marble floor takes over briefly as she paces about.

"She's... reckless and chaotic. Been formally reprimanded over 6 times and has countless insubordination write ups... any idea what would happen to either of us with just two of those? Several of the current active board members have apparently gone as far as to see to her disciplinary actions personally. As far as I know, over the course of the company's history that's never even happened before… Tch… good luck getting a hold of some of those data entries." He scoffs, taking a drag of his smoke. He continues.

"I mean…. someone this willing to fuck with the edge... its a surprise she's still breathing let alone active." He says before another brief pause. "It may take some time… but this is no doubt our point of attack."


       Molly is shoved hard onto a couch slightly knocking the wind out of her as the Russian doll hops on top of her thighs straddling her. Molly makes out with her briefly before blasting a rail of synth coke and feeding the doll one. The doll then pulls out a pink, Black Lace inhaler and takes a deep whiff... exhaling a huge, thick cloud of vibrant pink smoke, intimidating Molly. She places the pink inhaler up to Mollys lips, causing Molly to aggressively jerk her head away and resist. The doll forcefully snatches her throat and pins her to the couch... gritting her teeth with an intense whisper.

"FUCK what you want…. I KNOW. What. You NEED... I can FEEL IT…" The doll says moaning in a lustful tone. She forces the inhaler up and presses it to Molly's lips…. forcing her to take a huge whiff of the Lace…. her eyes open wide, then roll to the back of her head briefly as she lets out a surrendering whimper. The doll… overcome by her level of control over Molly is filled with the lustful need to fuck her brains out. She bares her fangs and continues in a tranced, seductive tone.

"All of your status... all of your power... completely at my MERCY." She growls in a forceful whisper... gritting her teeth as she shoves the palm of her hand between Molly's legs. Molly lets out a loud, primal moan of pleasure... her eyes and mouth wide open... blending in perfectly with the various sounds of all the other action happening in the room. The extreme high of a cut drug shes never done before intensifies the sensitivity in her nerve endings... her entire body tenses up as she squeezes her thighs together tight and curls her toes. The doll moans in an intense explosion of built up lust with her eyes wide open and focused on a surrendered and vulnerable Molly. "Delicious..." She whispers to herself before shoving her tongue in Molly's opened mouth overwhelming her.

"She will be dealt with." The executive concludes in a monotone. Cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       Molly suddenly jolts awake with a deep inhaling gasp... shes been tucked into bed nice and snug with a soft, silk blanket... and a fresh bottle of real water waiting for her on the bedside table. Her head feels heavy... carrying along a headache that makes her feel as if shes been hit by a MaxTac AV.

She rolls over onto her side to see that she's in a clean, well furnished, beautiful apartment high-rise. The familiar sounds of shouting ads and car horns lay muffled countless floors below her as she looks around at the quiet, opulent and rather stylish, high-ceiling apartment. Completely lost, and unaware of her location, she shakes the blanket off and sits up in the bed revealing her black bra and panties. She lets out a deep, exhausted shriek of pain as she feels the soreness in her body wash over her. She looks down to see a deep bite on her chest... dried blood around the deep top and bottom row of teeth marks. She slowly reaches to lightly touch it... feeling a sharp pain, making her twitch. Her pale neck and wrists were red and raw as she raises her hands to her forehead and lays back onto the bed.

       She slowly gets out of the bed and stretches before the warm, rising morning sun... piercing in through the wall sized windows and wrapping itself around her curves. The sound of her bare feet slap on the polished wooden floor as she walks up to the huge window pane overlooking the beautiful morning Night Cityscape. She sees a feint reflection of herself overlapping the city in front of her... their reflective images seem to seamlessly blur together before she focuses in on the city itself.


She firmly places the palm of her hand on the glass... staring deeply out into the city.




The moment is quiet... personal. She just can't take her eyes off of her... and has no idea why... and doesn't care to. She can feel the city doing the same thing... it sees Molly... and wouldn't dare to look away. An impossible moment.




Although unable to understand these feelings when doing this... for the first time... she fully embraces them.

"Good morning Night City." She softly whispers to herself... a tone of awe on her tongue with a slight smirk.


She re-focuses her attention back to her reflection in the window... seeing her own toned, curvy body stood in her bra and panties. A wave of various thoughts and emotions hit her all at the same time.

       She feels the sensation of belonging... understanding... acceptance... as if she's offered forth the enigmatic, feral nature of her true self only to have it embraced with open arms... A feeling she's truly never felt before. In all of her years of travel and work all over the world... nothing has ever given her sensations quite like this.



They seemingly all hit her at once... causing her to snatch the palm of her hand away from the window and take a step back in discomfort and disbelief... ending her mesmerized gaze out into the cityscape. '



"What the hell was that..?" She thinks to herself... intimidated and confused. The idea that something... anything can reach out and grab her like that-

-She glances to her right and sees her street clothes neatly folded and stacked beside the bed. On top of them rested a small white note, written in pink cursive left behind by the Russian doll. She walks up to the clothes and grabs the note... hearing the Russian doll's soft, beautiful voice in her head as she reads:

"You have taken me. And I have taken you. Nothing will ever change that."

"Please. Make yourself at home. I will see you soon. My precious killer. My Milaya."

       Molly looks up with disbelief on her face as she slowly crumples the note, closes her eyes, and puts her hands on her forehead. "Shit..." she whispers under hear breath.



She begins to slowly put her t-shirt on and feels another sharp pain on her back causing her to wince and shriek hard. The shirt slowly slides over the deep, red scratches all over her back from nails frantically digging in.


She finishes getting dressed and makes for the exit... seeing various personal belongings... pictures and items throughout the apartment that she forces herself to ignore. She exits down the elevator, walks through the lobby and makes her way outside.

       A sudden rush of the city sounds and commotion wash over her as various people go about their day. Vendors shouting things for sale, car horns and alarms going off alongside the sounds of sirens and people laughing in conversation, automated advertisements constantly ringing out over tattered speakers. These sounds are a new, welcomed comfort to her that shes quickly growing a fondness for. As she makes her way up the street through the dense foot traffic, she blends in effortlessly. She walks several blocks up the street, well away from the doll's apartment and takes a seat on the stoop of another apartment complex down an alley. She takes a heavy drag of her smoke while slowly gathering herself and casually watching commuter traffic. Countless thoughts drift through her hungover and exhausted head as she bares witness to the engine... the lifeblood of what makes Night City what it is. Looking on at it like an outsider still unable to understand. She ponders not only the prior night... but the entirety of her time spent in Night City. For such a unique and unfamiliar place.. she can't help but feel the belonging.. the sense of kinship lingering just within reach and waiting for an outstretched hand.

She takes all the time she needs before taking a deep breath... letting it out slowly while feeling the remnants of an unforgettable night both mentally and physically.

"Fuck... here we go." She mutters in a tired tone.

       She rests her cheek on her closed fist as she turns off her geo-block... causing a huge wave of notifications to flood her vision. Countless texts and missed calls from Manny and various associates of the corpo chain frantically trying to contact her scroll in one after the other with the notification sound pinging over and over again. Before they can even finish flooding in, a call on the holo comes in from Manny causing her eyes to glow orange.

=Molly!!= He shouts in a genuinely concerned tone before he quickly catches himself and clears his throat. =ehem; Ma'am. A-Are you-? Is everything alright? W-where are you? Team was trying to report you MIA but I didn't let em... as you wished. I think the-="

=-Just... come get me Manny...= She responds dismissively before disconnecting the holo and taking another drag of her cig and flicking it.

She rises from the stoop and starts to walk up the block... Molly suddenly hears a gentle voice shes passing by on the sidewalk that grabs her attention... causing her to stop and look over.

"Spare a veteran some change ma'am?"

Without hesitation, she transfers 200 eurodollars over to the homeless man. 




"Of course... here you go." She responds softly... her tone genuine.

"Knew I saw good in you... God bless."

Hearing the statement causes Molly to pause... continuing to look the homeless man in the eyes... instinctually unable to believe what she just heard... almost insulted by the read.




She responds in a stern tone.

"...There's no good in me."




Before the homeless man can disagree... she walks off into the distance as he watches.

Chapter Text

The fast rolling tires of a Chevillon Emperor come to a screeching halt in front of a high end skyscraper mid sunny day. Molly arrives, dressed in her corpo best... her long white hair was slicked back and tied up in a professional corpo style, the reflection of the light glimmered off her polished, corpo black high heels as they stomp down a marble floored hallway one after the other.

       Shes Escorted by Manny and her unnecessarily large entourage of corpo handlers through their base of operations... an entire floor of a high-end city center skyscraper draped in blood red carpets and white marble decor with gold trim. The entire floor of the building has been cleared for her team's use... restricted access being held by a very select few gathered for a sync meeting.

Molly and Manny exit an elevator and make their way down a long, pristine hallway toward the main room at a brisk pace... carrying an energy of no nonsense. Molly feels the fabric of her white corpo dress shirt rubbing up hard against her deep back scratches and bite mark. It feels amazing... as if her feral nature has been both satiated and tamed with a stark reminder she can feel with every motion of her body... a delicious secret known to no one. She ignores the pain, keeping an all business look on her face as her high heels tap heavy making her way to the sync.

       While entering the mainroom with the rest of her personal team waiting patiently for her, they stop their scrambling around and idle conversations to make their way to their seats. Several stacks of documents, datashards and different pictures with paperwork pertaining to the Petrochem warehouse explosion are scattered all over the large conference room table. Countless cups of coffee, laptops, cognitive booster inhalers... Some of the various intel even includes old records of past operations, former associates turned enemies, rival corporate executives of interest and their loyal huscle, you name it. An entire private team's worth of investigative work gathered across different corporations including current active leads. Molly sits down at the head of the table and kicks her high-heeled feet up onto it.

As everyone sits silently with kiroshis trained on her waiting to speak... she glances around at them for a brief moment expectantly.

"...Well..?" She asks lowering her eyebrows causing the various suits in the room to perk up.

"Hello ma'am." One says, clearing their throat "Good to see you're ok. Here we've compiled the assortment of research data we've accumulated since you touched down... including the information you acquired out in the badlands... there's-"

"-The long and short of it is this. We were provided a description of 2 people of interest from the receptionist. She informed me that the 2 we're interested in were indeed the occupants of that Colby Butte we found burned and stashed out there... from my perspective this is a confirmed match. Said they left the motel several days later via unknown means after burning the Butte... of course.. not sure of what means. She also said that wasn't something all that uncommon out there. Apparently people just show up and disappear." Molly says chuckling in amusement.

"So we're unfortunately unable to know who the owner of the Butte may have been. Nor do we know the vehicle they left with." One of the suits in the room says at the table chiming in.

"Fuck the small breadcrumbs. Whoever they are, they've already proven they can play that game well. Following a small lead at a time will get us nowhere at best and running in circles at worst. The nature of this operation's parameters are absolute... compartmenatlize and control. This project is code black... meaning no affiliation or involvement within or out of the company will aid or be informed... the precarious nature of this leaves no room for error. " Molly says before pulling out a smoke and crossing her bare legs in her corpo black, thigh high skirt. Manny quickly produces a lighter and lights her smoke before standing back at attention behind her. She continues after a drag... her tone relaxed as she settles in.

"Lets think back to the original action... the potential motives are few and far between. Nothing as far as we know was taken... it was clearly a forced breach in security and NOT an accident. This was a completely unmarked location of interest and access was obtained through a very specific pathway... through very specific means. Without the wiggle room to go digging through some of the 'stickier' company databases our weapon, for the most part, becomes deductive reasoning." She takes another drag of her smoke and continues.

"This tells me it was someone with inside knowledge and understanding."

"An insider ma'am?" One of the corpo women in the room asks curious

"With a project this underwraps? Mm." She nods. "One who knows how to hit where it hurts... I've seen my fair share of blackmail attempts, inner company sabotage, and coordinated regime takeovers but this... this is different... this feels... personal... emotional." Molly replies as the conversation in the conference room continues to flow.

"There's any number of enemies we've made in the industry over the years that can have an interest in hurting us in any way possible. Sovoil doesn't skip my mind for a second when it pertains to flagship interests and competition." Another suit in the room says.

"The known enemy strikes where you're prepared to be hit... the unknown enemy strikes where you dread to even be grazed..." She says looking over at the suit before she takes another drag of her smoke while they all ponder. She continues.

"Needless to say, i'd go as far as to wager this isn't competition... oh no... this... this is a punch in the face... an assault from someone who not only wants to make the company hurt... but is more than likely hurt themselves. Otherwise, what's the gain..? This ends up just looking like some terrorist shit. Hmm..."

"We have several other pieces of intel in the way of events of the week ma'am. This city is entrenched in serious fuckin' chaos. I almost didn't believe the amount of corpo involved violence activity reports we pulled but one in particular stood out. A car chase that occurred days prior to the warehouse sabotage involved several PetroChem contractors who weren't actually tasked with security of our particular warehouse, but were confirmed affiliated huscle of the organization. They pursued a T66 Avenger driven by an unknown occupant through a slum neighborhood... however they never reported back. Both vehicles had been mostly stripped by locals before the area could be thoroughly secured and investigated."

"Mmm.. Now THERE'S something." Molly replies while reaching onto the white marble conference table. She slots the waiting black and gold datashard with the team's gathered intel on the topic... her eyes begin to glow blue. With her feet still kicked up, she takes a few more puffs of the smoke while various other suits light their own cigs amidst the waiting silence. After a few drags, one of them breaks it.

"We're ready for your next steps ma'am."

Molly continues to silently sift through various pieces of thoroughly gathered data with her eyes glowing blue. The team glances around at each other in their red leather chairs in the silent high-end conference room awaiting her call. She takes several more minutes of assessment before her eyes stop glowing blue causing the rest of the corpo team to perk up and listen.

"This is clearly a delicate investigation. The people involved in this are intelligent, highly capable and motivated for currently unknown reasons. Due to the unique... extreme nature of the environment this case resides in, as well as the various in-house factors we've discussed, i'll be unable to approach this conventionally. In order to ensure the highest probability of success, it'll work to my advantage to continue light in this investigation... and proceed without further encumbrance by an unnecessarily large operation team and security detail."

You can cut the silent tension in the air with a knife... Molly pauses while taking a heavy drag of her smoke before putting it out in a pristine, unused, glass PetroChem ashtray... stamping the burning cherry out right in the center of the logo. Thick smoke clouds plume from her mouth and nostrils as she gazes into the eyes of the various corpos sat around her conference table.

"As a clearance category A20, I, Molly Seeker am hereby officially deeming this black project's classification to: Redacted. Under article nine, subsection P dash seven twenty-six: Company Policy."

The statement causes several of the suits in the room to subtly gasp and look at each other with disbelief and angst... like a hammer was just dropped on the head of grandmother. She continues.

"I will be submitting a formal request to extend my investigation into this matter until further notice. I, along with Manny will thoroughly parse through the provided data, and pursue the various leads in a manner appropriate to the required process necessary to succeed in this investigation." Molly concludes... her tone professional... serious in a way we've never heard before causing the various suits in the room to quickly glance at each other in silent confusion.

She removes her feet from the table. "Yeah, that's correct. You're all fired."

She rises from her chair causing the various suits sat around the conference table to quickly stand up and bow their heads in silence. She makes for the exit with Manny promptly following behind her, leaving them speechless in the conference room.

"Please feel free to disregard the associated mandatory debriefing. Oh, and don't worry about me, resources and Huscle are but a holobuzz away... i'm sure you're all no doubt DEATHLY concerned for my well being." She says sarcastically. "Note that your re-assignments will be sure to come in due time. And of course... thank you for all of your efforts and continued faithful service to blah blah blah blah." Molly concludes dismissively as the sound of her high heels tapping on the marble floor exit the conference room.

She presses a button on the elevator to the ground floor as it hums slowly heading down.

"I am fucking starving.." Molly says in a tired exhale before glancing over at Manny. She notices him smiling with his big arms crossed.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Company Policy classification huh?... Heard thats only been done like 3 times in PetroChem's history... under redacted even?... heh... I've always known you to be a bit of a wildcard but even for you this is pretty fuckin' close to the edge."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Sure it is. Remember Colombia? Germany?... San Francisco?"

"Eh.. maybe... This feels different though... This city is unpredictable... chaotic. Too many layers... too many factors at play to keep up with. We're gonna need to consolidate and be thorough. Intel usually doesn't tend to splinter and scatter about like it has here... constantly changing even. Trust here seems more like an imaginative concept than a real one... more of a tool or a weapon as apposed to a pillar of morality. Gonna need you focused and ready for x-factors... need you to trust me."

"Heh, When have I ever not?... Consider it a uhh... personal 'Company Policy' classification of mine." He replies in a deep tone... the pair giggle amongst themselves... sharing a brief, wholesome moment together... a subtle light shined on their connection before the gentle hum of the elevator takes back over.

"What are you STILL smiling about?" She asks laughing with a smile.

"Just love when you take charge of an op ma'am. Results speak for themselves... You know i've got your back." He says looking forward.

The elevator dings open, cutting to black.

Chapter Text

       We open up with a flashback to the lead merc who kidnapped Brian, Zaunya and Audrey and brought them back to the Hotel Pistis Sophia. The mellow, late night white noise permeates through the halls as he slowly walks down its dark stretch... occasionally glancing into various rooms as he makes his rounds... overlooking activity like a logistics manager. He enters a supply room filled with various tools and equipment they use throughout the hotel. He makes a call on the holo causing his eyes to glow orange.


The call is answered.



=Monica. Its Rob.=

=Rob...? What the hell do you want? Got any idea what time it is?=

=Think I got somethin' preem for ya. Fresh crop just came in a little earlier. Chicks sportin' some serious chrome... had Kenny run some spec scans on her. Said shes been chipped with a bunch of custom pieces hes never even seen before. Military grade combatware and a bunch of Shit not even registered or on market. Had a few data shards on her with a bunch of Corporate intel and shit on different corpo projects... locations involving PetroChem.=

=Mm.. interesting. Sounds like a hell of a catch.=

=You know what that usually means right?=

=Sure.. Corpo.=

=Bingo.=

=Dangerous endeavor choom. High-end mystery chrome is some real, up there, corporate illuminati level shit. Try to think of it like havin' a tickin' time bomb on your hands... someone's bound to come sniffin' around sooner or later. You know how corps get when it comes to their... property... hm... might be best to just yank her off the reel and toss her back. Think you might've grabbed somebodies' runaway?=

=Shit, well, with the chemical concoction Tweaks givin' her, probably doesn't even know what planet she's on at this point... made sure Rhonda's got a jammer up just in case... And, Dunno... Streets been silent these days when it comes to the corps... hmm. I'll hit up a few fixers... See what I can find out on the- =

= -Wait! Do you remember that warehouse that blew up over in Arroyo a while back?=

=Uhh.. Yeah, what about it?=

=Streets ended up finding out it was a PetroChem warehouse! They put out a juicy reward for info on who did it. That chicks gotta be involved!=

=Hm... Dunno. Sure they haven't found em already..? Corpos aren't really the type to let some shit like this just slip through the cracks... NCs always got the next crazy event goin' on after all... meanin' they're not the type to be draggin' their feet. =

=Fuck that! I'm gonna make some calls. Watch her like a fuckin hawk Rob! Understand me? Do NOT process her. I'm on my way down there RIGHT now. We're gonna be RICH!= The merc ends the holo call... Ending the flashback.

       Brian drives the Galena G240 through the dark, quieted Night City streets... the mellow rumbling of the engine warms the space. Its close to 2am as the neon glow of the streets flickers into the interior of the car. Zaunya, laid in the backseat is cradled in Audrey's arms asleep... Carter rides shotgun staring longingly out of the window. Its clear that hes in a trance... thinking deeply about something significant. Brian picks up on his energy... choosing not to think about it... instead frequently looking into the rearview mirror... silently checking on Zaunya and Audrey. BugBear on her yellow ARCH Nazaré Racer with Netty on the back, holding on tight, drives closely behind Brian's car as they leave Pacifica.





The tone... the energy of the crew is somber... exhausted. Having just been through a traumatic event, the experience has affected them all... leaving lasting marks in various ways. Night City has a way of driving your perspective... its forced upon you in ways often out of your control... regardless of how strong... how smart or... how capable you may be. Its not necessarily the event that defines you... those happen in the extremes regularly... its the person... the actions taken as a result of those events is where the perspective is born... later shaped with time and experience. Most haven't had the time to process the traumatic series of events that have just transpired... some have already moved on... however one thing is certain... undeniable: They're together.

Events like this... drive people closer together in an absolute fashion... sealing often unbreakable bonds through emotion and the unspoken word.

Connection through pain- You see Carter with his bloody face barely wiped staring down out the window somberly

Connection through violence- You see BugBear through her helmet visor with a serious look of anger on her face.

Connection through love... You see Brian in the driver's seat looking into the rearview mirror at a passed out Zaunya in Audrey's arms.

The wires that bind us are often not tightened by the forces that drive us closer together. They're tightened by the forces that try to rip us apart.

"Right here's fine." Carter softly says as Brian slowly pulls the car over with BugBear stopping the bike behind them. Carter glances into the back seat and nods at Audrey... she returns it. He hops out and closes the door before reaching through the opened window and shaking Brian's hand.

"Be in touch" Carter says in a low tone. He pats the roof of the Galena a couple times before turning and walking away up the street while Brian and BugBear pull off.

The crew is next seen slowly pulling up to Netaniel's house. Brian pulls the car forward as the bike slows up behind them. He hops off the back and walks up to the driver's side of the Galena... resting his forearm on the hood.

"Tracker on kid. See you soon." Brian says in a monotone.

"You got it." Netty replies while glancing over at a helmeted BugBear in her cyberpunk yellow biker gear.




He walks back toward her bike as she gets ready to pull off. The crickets and sirens waling off in the distance accompany that late night freeway white noise.

"H- Hey uh, hold up." He says in a serious tone... placing his hand on the front of her bike.




This causes her to raise the visor on her helmet and sit up. He continues.

"L-Listen uh... about that dance...-"

"-We.. uhm... we... don't need to talk about that." She says cutting him off... her tone gentle.




He struggles to find a response... she continues in a soft tone.

"Don't think after all this i've forgotten about that little dive into the net you did."

Netty looks down and away... she gently raises his chin with her hand... causing him to look at her.

"Don't forget... you owe me one huh." She whispers.



They smile lightly at each other... sharing a moment.

She flips her visor back down and speeds off on her bike... the engine's roar fades into the distance.


Netty watches her and the crew depart before looking up at his house. He takes a deep breath and walks in.

The low rumbling of the car's engine creates a soft white noise amongst the silence of the Galena G240. Brian glances into the rearview mirror and sees BugBear break off and take a turn down a different street headed home.

He glances at Audrey through the mirror... looking out the window and cradling a passed out Zaunya.

"We should head to your clinic." Brian mutters in a monotone... Audrey looks back at him through the rearview mirror... she nods.

Chapter Text

       Carter sits on the roof of his apartment complex... alone in a lawn chair, overlooking a bustling district late night after being dropped off. A light drizzle of rain has checked in for the night shift as he swigs his Broseph. He glances over to an empty lawn chair beside him... he hears the feint giggle of a woman in his head causing him to restlessly stand up. He walks to the edge of the roof and rests his foot on the overhang... calmly watching the path the raindrops fall as he stares down at the 5 story dead drop below him. The vibrant colors of cars casually crawling by and the tops of neon umbrellas glow as he takes another swig of his beer.


The woman's voice echoes in his head at the end of a long conversation... one he'll never forget:

"Babe… Listen to me... Whether you decide to stay with them or walk away doesn't matter… I'm... I'm going to be… wherever you are… I'm yours Carter... You know that."

He hears his own voice respond: "Like i said before doll... This' it. Last ride... then we're outta here. After everything's that's gone down till now, we're right where we need to be. Dominos just about lined up. We've talked about this….. You know that."

"Memory fades as time changes my love... I just want…. I just want you to be careful. Be careful of what you choose to hold onto…... I choose to hold onto you." She replies in a whisper.



He slams the beer bottle on the roof shattering it as the stray sounds of the city and downpour take back over... pressing his hands to his head... racked with guilt. The drizzle quickly turns to rain... masking his tears as the rolling thunder creeps into the atmosphere.

The gentle pattering of rain takes us to another area of the city... tapping on the windows of Audrey's clinic. Brian leaned up against a wall with his arms crossed stares out the window in deep thought as he hears Zaunya's voice in his head:



"You wanna talk about trust..? I don't even know who the fuck you are." 



He turns to look back at her... passed out on Audrey's ripper chair.. with Audrey jacked in and working on her. He looks back out the window... watching the streets and heavy rainfall. Growing too anxious... he breaks the silence.

"How is she." He asks in a deep tone as he walks over.

"Not sure... I'm doing a full scan.. not really finding anything fucked with... but they hit her with some serious narcotics…. anesthetics mostly… don't really know why… Fucking monsters. I almost thought that they-"

"-And how are you." He asks cutting her off.

They both pause for a clear moment... the light sounds of beeping machines and Audrey rummaging through tools in a drawer are heard... She doesn't respond, so he continues.

"What happened in there." He asks somberly while looked away... she again ignores him for another clear pause and rumbling thunder.

"Audrey..."

She doesn't respond.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

The silence in the air rests even longer as the room sits quiet to the sound of pattering rain on the windows.

"No..." She whispers in reply... her tone soft while working on Zaunya.

This hits Brian hard... feeling the personal responsibility behind her hurt. The lack of information tortures his imagination. After another extended period of tense silence, she changes subject.

"Who the fuck were those guys.." She asks, disconnecting from Zaunya's neuro port and gently laying her head down. Zaunya rolls over onto her side facing her back towards them in her sleep.

"Probably doin' merc work for the scavs based on the shit i saw in there. They had me in some sort of… holding or interrogation room. Could be like some pre-screening shit they do before they rip. Shit looked like it ran like a system... weirdly organized. Saw a bunch of equipment... active rips goin' on... and uhhmm.." He stops himself and looks away... causing Audrey to glance back at him

"What is it?"

"...Found a girl in there... couldn't've been a day older than twenty... She um..."



He lightly shakes his head and looks away... failing to express the words. Audrey picks up on it and says nothing.

The pair share a long silence together while some time passes... allowing the heavy rain on the windows to again take back over. Audrey eventually breaks the silence.

"Well..."


"Well what?"






She looks back at him in the eyes without saying anything. The expression on her face more than enough for him to pick up on what shes implying. Brian continues.

"Choom who helped me clean the place... Carter. Told me hes got history with these gonks. Apparently shit runs deep, whatever the hell that means. Said they're seriously stacked though… but he also said he knows where they stash their shit... guess they never planned on him livin' to tell about it. Should be able to find all of our dues there... everything that we're owed... there's probably-"

Audrey slowly stands up... causing Brian to halt his analysis.





She slowly steps towards him maintaining deep eye contact... the heavy taps of her boots on the linoleum close the distance between them.





She stands before him… face to face... looking deep into Brian's eyes... her tone a calm whisper with buried intensity.








"We have to finish it."

Brian gives Audrey a silent nod before they break eye contact... she steps past him to walk outside.

Some more time has passed as the bright lights of Audrey's clinic have gone dim, while the various machines purr idle.



After everything that went down in Pacifica… Zaunya's eyes open slowly as she wakes up. She quickly notices shes in Audrey's shop... mellowing her in the moment.

She rolls over onto her side and sees Brian right next to her... in Audrey's chair soundly asleep.

The sentiment hits Zaunya hard as she lays there looking at him…..

Having someone who cares about her in this way is a foreign concept to her… one she doesn't fully understand yet resembles something she was often spoken to about. Almost like shes only been taught what it is… as apposed to experiencing it. The life of a sworn shield to a megacorp like PetroChem is home to no sentimental bonds or camaraderie.

She breaks the silence in her alluring, gruff, feminine voice.

"I've had PetroChem special security agents chrome-wiped for falling asleep on post." She murmurs with a soft smile... gently waking Brian up.

He sees Zaunya laying on her side watching him stir awake.


He quickly sits up at the edge of his seat as he slowly comes too.


Brian instinctually leans closer to her... gently grabbing both of her hands... holding them tight. He looks at her with a soft grin as she smiles.

"Hey..." She whispers, looking deep into his eyes.

"Hey..." He whispers back, his tone deep with relief.

They share a silence as they stare at each other... the sound of them both softly giggling breaks the moment.

"Are you ok?" Brian asks giggling.

"Hard to say... feels like… a hell of a hangover honestly. Like… i've been wandering the streets skezzed out of my mind for days….. who-… who were they?"

"Had to be scavs... or at least active mercs workin' with em. They had scattered chrome and tech hardware from rips and convoy raids... place was a mess. Had me chained up in some sort of processing area. Interrogations and beatdowns for information going on. Felt like it was a structure. A system they'd been runnin' for a while based on how they ran it. Saw some serious shit in there. A young lady had um... had been... tortured to death. I.. there was nothing i could do for her."



Zaunya pauses briefly... processing all of the information before responding. Causing the pattering rain on the windows to take back over for a bit.



"...Are they all dead?"




He says nothing.

"Brian?"




He pauses briefly. "We don't think so-"

"-Then they'll be looking for us." She says getting up slowly... feeling the lingering effects of a nuclear dose of anesthetic.


She rests at the edge of the ripperdoc chair while Brian gently helps her sit up.

The two share a silence together as Zaunya stretches and takes a few deep breaths... checking herself over. The sound of rolling thunder enters the room as the intensity of rain on the windows picks up.

Brian sits back in his chair… looking directly at her as she gathers herself. The discomfort in his body builds along with the hesitation… struggling to get the words out... he leans forward toward her in the chair.

"Listen, I... I haven't... I haven't taken the time to explain.... ev-... Everything i..."


Zaunya's attention is immediately raised... a serious look washes over her as she listens to a genuine tone in Brian's voice that she's never heard before. After everything…. after all this time.... she had resided herself to believing a side like this to him didn't even exist. He continues.

".....The last thing I ever wanted was for you to not-"

      Brian is cutoff to the sound of clinic's front door sliding open causing them both to look over at it. Audrey rushes in with a look of panic on her face. She quickly puts her index finger over her lips with her eyes wide open, gesturing the both of them to stay quiet. As she rushes over to them, they both quickly get up and she pushes... motioning them to a trap door in the floor in the back storage room of the clinic. She raises the trap door as Zaunya quickly follows Brian down. Audrey and Zaunya share a look of panic with each other without saying anything. As the pair descend down the ladder, Audrey closes the trap door and covers it thoroughly.

She soon hears a ring of the doorbell causing her to look over at the entrance. Zaunya and Brian turn their attention to a small drain hole on the ceiling leading into the clinic allowing them to hear Audrey's boots tap on the linoleum walking toward the entrance. Although no visibility, they're able to hear fairly well.

Audrey slides the door open and is met face to face with Molly Seeker with her signature grin plastered on her face. The sight of her startles Audrey and gives her pause, but she does a great job of masking it.

"Hey doc!!" Molly shouts in a bright tone.

"Mind if I come in? Any longer out here and I just might start dancing in it!" She says with a chuckle as the crackling thunder erupts alongside the downpour of rain.

"Please! By all means!" Audrey says matching her tone.

       Molly enters and takes a deep breath of relief while slowly removing her black overcoat. Audrey's gaze is again forcibly drawn to Molly against her will... watching her move from behind... checking out her toned body through her tight, black corpo skirt hugging her curves.

She can't help herself... it bothers her just how alluring her figure is as she slowly gazes at the back of her neck... all the way down to her black high heels while shes shifts her weight. She notices the beginning of a large back tattoo starting at the bottom of her neck... as Molly unties her long white hair and lightly shakes it out, it covers it. To Audrey, It was almost as if she was moving in slow motion... Molly then rests the overcoat on Audrey's desk before removing her black leather gloves and tossing them on top.

"How's business doc? Good?" She asks glancing around the room and pacing about... clearly restless.

"Oh, fine… Just fine. Even on late nights like this there's never really a shortage of traffic through this place. Is.. uhm… is everything alright?"

Molly doesn't respond.

After glancing about the clinic and satisfying her nosy instincts assuring no one else is there, she takes a seat in Audrey's chair.

"Please. Sit with me" Molly says causing Audrey to grab one of the stools in the clinic and pull it up next to her. As she drags the stool across the floor, Brian and Zaunya quickly glance at each other remaining silent.

"What's goin' on?" Audrey asks... doing her best to mask her nervous adrenaline. The anticipation of yet another unexpected visit has her mind racing over this vague, eerie acquaintance of hers. Their first interaction with each other truly fucked with Audrey's head... returning to her a lot of long buried paranoia. Her history with PetroChem is extremely convoluted to say the least. An entity that has both given and taken everything away from her overtime. She wonders what could've happened if they hadn't even come to the shop themselves that night. Could she possibly already know about the scavs? Or worse... Zaunya? The rampant speculation in her mind builds to peak as Molly finally breaks the silence.

"You're... you're from Night City... right?"



The question completely catches Audrey off guard... it instinctually eases a significant amount of built up tension while raising confusion.

"Uhm... Yeah. Born n' Raised. I mean, i've done my fair share of traveling over the years of course but this is certainly home without question. Why?"







Molly pauses for a while as the heavy rain and rolling thunder fills the dead silence… the expression on her face becoming one less of control and more of concern.







"I've been having….. these….. feelings.. these... sensations."

Brian and Zaunya glance at each other again as they continue to listen closely. Audrey looks on at Molly attentively with now genuine concern as a doctor... She continues.

"I can't… really explain them? Like, lately when i've found myself alone out here I... I don't... really feel alone…? If that makes sense…? Whenever I take the time look at or... admire the place it just... i don't know. Its like... staring back at me. Calling to me... gripping." Molly concludes in a soft tone... looking at Audrey while masking fear. A true look at the woman behind the corporate facade.

Audrey takes a deep breath while shifting her weight on the stool. She responds.

"Something people tend to say to those not from here is that... Night City often has a promise of something for you. Just a promise. Doesn't really matter what that 'something' is to you specifically. To some, it might be a lie. An illusion. But its there. Right around the corner at any given time, in any given place. Whether its someONE, somePLACE, or someTHING. It can find out who you truly are and reveal it to yourself. If it has you it…. it doesn't let go... not without a cost."



Molly listens closely to Audrey's words with an attentive look of fear on her face… A look we've never seen on her before. Something about Audrey's statement resonates... like impossible to understand pieces of a puzzle finding a match. She breaks eye contact… thinking deeply. She hesitates, but speaks in a fearful tone.

"But... but what if- " Molly is interrupted by the sound of a holocall coming in, causing her eyes to glow orange. She quickly turns her head to the side and answers with a shifted tone far more in line with what Audrey's familiar with.

= Seeker. What is it. =

= uh huh. =

= Copy that. I'll be right out. Give me a minute. = Molly ends the holocall and turns back toward Audrey.

Before she continues, she notices Audrey staring directly at the subtle red blood stain on her white dress shirt. Audrey then catches a glimpse at the deep bite marks on Molly's chest through her loosely buttoned dress shirt along with the fading redness on her throat…. it startles her. Molly instinctually tries to cover herself up quickly.

"Do you um... Want me to take a look at tha-"

"-I've uhm, I gotta go doc. Thanks for the um… I'll um…. I'll see you later." Molly says as she quickly stands up... she grabs her overcoat and gloves before heading out the entrance back into the pouring rain with the door sliding closed behind her.


Audrey takes a deep sigh of relief as she sits back in her chair... overwhelmed trying to process the interaction as she hears the trap door slowly opening with Brian and Zaunya returning.

Molly quickly gets back into her Chevillon Emporer with Manny waiting at the steering wheel for her. The rain pounds the windows of the Emporer while she stares at the entrance to Audrey's clinic as Manny speaks.

"Got the heat on for ya ma'am. Everything go smooth?"

"Yeah uh… Yeah, everything's fine." She says in a distracted tone.

"Good. Boards waiting ma'am." Manny says as he and the city slowly pull her away from the clinic... the various glowing, neon lights of Night City enter Molly's eyes as they make their way through the streets... away from help.

Chapter Text

The heavy pattering of rain beats the windows of a pitch black house... the only light being that of the dim street lights outside bleeding in through the closed curtains. The rolling thunder and lightning continues into the night as the empty house lay untouched. A bright light bleeds through the bottom crack of a door leading down into the basement.

       Hours have gone by... deep into the night... the warmth of the basement bakes with the comforting heat of all the hardware running on all cylinders contrasting the cold just upstairs and outside. Netty's re-watching his interaction with the white icon via his scraper program over and over again from various angles. As his red eyes flow with code he uses another interface to conduct code stylometry in an attempt to identify the icon. However, his father was unable to thoroughly teach him the practice making his understanding of the process fairly weak. Results are uncovered but without the ability to understand and fully trace the origins. Frustrated, he hits a wall in his research.

He's next seen in his father's runner chair... jacked into the net. As he lay motionless, he returns to the communication domain he originally met the icon in.

       As he slowly walks around the red hued domain, overlooking the pacific ocean during sunset, countless thoughts begin to race through his mind. Since originally meeting Brian and Zaunya his life has changed significantly. Whether it be the violence, the recognition of his rep, who he is and some of his exploits, nearly having to execute that merc begging for his life... the killing... the romance. Its a lot to carry for such a young man. Not much younger than the young lady who faded away in Brian's arms. Not to mention... this cryptic ghost of a runner who seems to know everything about him. His blackwall disruption... the death of his friends... who is father is.

As these various thoughts race through his mind raising his anxiety, he pictures himself silently dancing with BugBear in his living room... this memory calms his mind in the moment and puts him at ease.. just long enough for him to realize a presence in the domain has re-entered. This causes him to reluctantly let go of one of the only thoughts he's found that comfort him. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and shakes his head.

"Knew you'd show." He says with his back turned toward the white icon who's revealed themself. He continues.

"Just so you know... Runner to Runner... There's better ways of communicating with someone you've just met than this."

"I'm surprised you'd return here." The icon says in a distorted cyber voice

"Wouldn't expect you to know or understand the significance of this place. Its been long buried in mind... place like this... carries memories i'd rather forget."

The icon pauses briefly. "Makes you wonder why we take the time to create places like this. A place to go when the worst has happened... when all hope is lost."

"How do you know my father." Netty abruptly changes subject... finally turning to face the icon.