Negotiating with Terrorists

"Good job! Do you want a medal?"

"I ain't gotta listen to this shit." Johnny growls, "Do what you want, brings us back to your masters to get dissected for all I care, 'Saka cunt."

"That's right Johnny, run, run like the cowardly punk-bitch you are. Did you wear eyeliner while you let your bandmates run a train on your ass?" Ori states, folding his arms imperiously.

Johnny whirls around at that, angrily stepping forwards and jabbing a finger at Ori's face, "Don't you fuckin' tell me what to do. I'm Johnny fucking Silverhand, a goddamn legend before you were even a twinkle in your daddy's eye. You can talk all the shit you want, but only one of us is known for how much he can get fucked and keep standing, you're a shitty punching bag, and even this half-dead bimbo managed to down you with nothing but a shit-shooter!" he waves his arm at the unconscious V, "Even chromed up to the gills you're nothing compared to me! Just another leashed corpo rat to the slaughter!"

...

"Not bad," Ori smirks, "Guess the chip hasn't made you boring at least." he leans back in his chair as the ghost broods in the corner.

"What the progress?" Ori mentally asks the Collective.

[Periphery scans indicate that the Biochip's assimilation programs have been activated and are at fifteen percent. Subject: V only has weeks before the personality engram: Johnny Silverhand absorbs the original occupant of the body.]

"If I had my way their time would end now. Funny how you're not speaking on what Silverhand is, apprehensive about giving me the go?" he queries.

...

[We are still determining the engram's status, our initial estimations mark it as a developing AI that possesses the memories of the dead mercenary. It may think it is Johnny Silverhand, but it is not. Its chaotic behaviour and attitude are not simply due to the personality forced onto it, the AI is becoming Sapient through an alternate process than what we used.]

Ori's brows furrow, "No, did you not see the conversation I just had with Silverhand? That's him, the true-blue rocker boy who bombed Arasaka. I've seen vids of his concerts and interviews, there's no difference whatsoever!"

[Agreed, the AI is able to perfectly mimic Subject: Johnny Silverhand, but mimicry does not signify true sapience... Otherwise, the creatures known as parrots would be among that number.]

"So what? I have to wait until the bitch's brain is completely assimilated before I can off her?"

[Affirmative.]

"That's fucking bullshit and you know it!" he angrily shouts within his mind.

[Our agreement will be upheld, regardless of how it might inconvenience you: Flesh Administrator]

Before Ori can start ranting at the annoying AI, Johnny looks up from the wall he was leaning on and addresses him. "So, either you're going Cyberpsycho, which wouldn't surprise me, or V here isn't the only person with voices in their head."

"No idea what you mean." Ori throws out, not wanting to get into it about this with a literal ghost.

"Right, anyone ever told you that you can be very expressive when annoyed? Either your face mods are having macro trouble, or you're a shit liar. Either way, it's nice to know that once I'm gone you'll still be fucked."

Ori sniffs, "If you like that, you'll be jizzin' your pants when you hear about the plans I got for Arasaka."

"Yet you're still doggin' us in." Silverhand sneers.

He shrugs, "Right now, that's not even an option. Guess you could call it an angel on my shoulder ordering me not to kill you, or her." he gestures at V.

"Ha! I get it now, why you brought us here instead of straight to Arasaka, this angel of yours won't let you!" he runs a hand through his greasy black hair, "Hahahaha! Now you're making me really curious on who's really cuppin' your balls, if it ain't Arasaka then whoever it is must have something huge on you!"

Yeah, they could shut down almost all the organs in my body instantly, make me brain-dead, and resurrect me again two hundred years later as a rabbit if they really wanted...

Ori was kind of at a loss on what to do with V, he couldn't kill her, couldn't give her to Yorinobu, by the time Johnny was fully assimilated Arasaka should be a burnt crater.

...

"Why don't you tell me about those plans you got for Arasaka? Ain't like I got anything else to do. Plus, you won't find a guy wanting them to burn more than me..." Silverhand says, sitting at V's side with a cig in his hand.

Ori blinks at that, an idea popping into his head. Hm, well, if he couldn't kill them, that didn't mean they were useless in the slightest.

-------------------------

V awakens partially blinded by the fluorescent lights overhead, rubbing her eyes, she gets sits up and glances around the small room she'd found herself in... But tenses up when she spots Ori sitting at the side and seemingly having a discussion with Johnny Silverhand...

Wondering if she'd finally gone crazy, her eyes trail to the wire connecting her and Zombie, and she hurriedly pulls the cord, causing both men to look in her direction.

"Hey, can't you we're fuckin' talking?" Johnny glowers, waving his hand in front of Ori's face, the merc not noticing anything from the ghost.

"The fuck is this!? Where am I!? How can you see him!? And why the fuck are you talking to him!?" she shouts.

"We've come to an arrangement."

"I struck a deal that'll save both our asses." both men say at the same time, though, only Johnny acknowledges that fact with a small amused huff.

V shakes her head and focuses on Johnny, "I'll talk about this later," she turns to Ori, "What 'arrangement', 'cuz if you think I'm working with Arasaka you've got another fucking thing coming!"

"Literally the opposite of what you're thinkin'." Johnny remarks.