Chapter 14

TN: I know, I said no chapter Tuesday but I had some free time and cooked up a chapter. So enjoy.

Faraday's on the hook. Looking back at my memories of the future, this is pretty much how Arasaka forced him to cooperate in that reality. An attack, a threat, and then a tempting prospect dangled in front of him.

Of course, I believe in the boundless stupidity of humanity. There's a slim chance Faraday might try something foolish. Like handing Lucy over to someone else. In that case, I've got a backup team ready to tail him. I hired Miriam again, along with her chatty black friend, another bruiser, and an ex-paparazzo as a surveillance expert. All this set me back twenty-two thousand. If Faraday starts pulling stunts, they'll intercept and eliminate him. Though, it'll cost another ten grand.

I'd seen Miriam and that cowboy in action against the Claws. They'd handle Faraday's macho bodyguards easily.

I did my best to minimize even the slimmest risks. I really didn't want to screw up when the goal was so close.

After the conversation with Faraday, I called Tanaka, letting him know that there's a good chance Militech hadn't received all the data yet. I explained the disinformation opportunity. The man promised to send me a distorted version of the file within an hour. If Militech took the bait, what would have been a successful industrial espionage operation would turn into a complete failure. The enemy would just waste time sifting through the fake data.

But these games between the big bosses didn't concern me that much. It was time to call Jotaro.

"Good afternoon, Jotaro-san. This is V. I'm confirming my reservation. You do remember the special service I require, right?"

"Of course, Mr. V. I'm eagerly looking forward to your arrival and that of your guests," the psychopath replied in a silky voice.

The backup team was also there in case the Claws decided to act up, but I strongly doubted that. Jotaro Shobo valued Arasaka's patronage, and of course, he loved money.

Last time, I paid him twenty-five, but now I handed over forty. Quite a hefty sum, but the Tanaka case from the No-Tell allowed me to splurge a little. Those seventy covered all my expenses for organizing the event.

You shouldn't skimp on security. I've learned that well enough.

As the remaining daylight faded, agent reports confirmed a near-exact repeat of events from my memory of the future. Faraday reached out to Kiwi, and she lured her former apprentice into a trap without a second thought, teaching her one last lesson about trust in Night City. I was a bit surprised. I wondered—did Kiwi have that good of a relationship with Faraday, or did he have some serious dirt on her? Or maybe, it was just plain greed.

"Money, money—it's always the root of all evil," I chuckled to myself.

From my perspective, Kiwi was making a mistake, for sure. Betraying a trusted ally for a guy who'd chew you up and spit you out? Short-sighted.

It seems like there's a sacrifice trope lurking in the minds—or even the subconscious—of many people. Like you can buy yourself happiness by sacrificing someone else. Betray, and you'll get ahead. It doesn't always work like that. Finding reliable allies and maintaining long-term relationships can be far more effective than backstabbing everyone in sight.

After a quick trip home, I took a shower and dressed exactly like the day we clashed with Maine. A bit of symbolism. Plus, she'd recognize me right away in this getup.

As I stood in front of the mirror, Faraday called.

"We've got the girl. Should I bring her to the corporation office?"

"Of course not. We try to handle such operations delicately," I replied. "You know the Ho-Oh club?"

"The Tyger Claws joint? Yeah."

"Meet me there in an hour. There won't be any other guests tonight, so bring the car straight to the main entrance. The place is all ours. Once you hand over the girl, we can discuss future prospects."

I exchanged a few more words with Faraday about the virus and disinformation package. It seemed like he had taken the bait hard—really latched onto it. Maybe he was already dreaming about dipping into the Arasaka budget while still getting money from Militech. But there would be no "later" for him.

I headed to the club early, to scout the scene for the upcoming spectacle and tweak the final details. The main events would unfold in the VIP lounge on the second floor. Amidst the red-yellow lighting, stripper poles, and sofas wrapped in faux leather, I'd weave the threads of fate as I pleased.

The club was crawling with Claws. I didn't spot Saito, but a few of the regular goons remembered me. They grinned and waved, while I gave a condescending nod, like a proper arrogant corpo surrounded by underlings.

Jotaro and I reviewed the final details, signals, and—click... The trap mechanism was set. The jaws of the snare stood open, waiting for its prey.

The victim of treachery arrived right on time.

Faraday showed up without Kiwi. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Probably good. We'd deal with her later. Two of Faraday's BDSM-looking goons were dragging a heavy plastic crate behind him.

The Claws let them all pass up to the second floor, where I waited with Jotaro and six more enforcers.

"Mr. Faraday," I nodded with a smile, like greeting an old friend. "Glad you could make it to our party."

The fixer gave me a restrained smile and, patting the crate's side, said:

"I brought another guest for you."

"Let's see," I nodded.

Faraday gestured to one of his lackeys. The guy unlocked the magnetic seal and opened the crate. Lucy barely fit inside. Her arms, legs, and mouth were sealed with some kind of adhesive tape. Her eyes were open but vacant, glowing red. A viral chip. Lucy was out cold.

"Time to wake our sleeping beauty," I hinted.

The same lackey in a black leather cap leaned down, removing the chip from the socket on her neck. A couple of seconds later, her eyes started to clear. The red glow faded. She glanced at us but didn't move.

"She can't move or use implants for now," Faraday explained. "Neurotoxin."

"Zf12?" Jotaro asked, impressed.

Faraday nodded.

"Take her out and put her over there on the couch," I ordered. "And be gentle—face her towards us."

Faraday's henchmen exchanged glances and got to work. They tilted the crate and placed the captive on a long couch. Lucy, of course, didn't react. Her head hung limply, like a puppet with its strings cut. Her role in her own life was reduced to helplessly observing. Alone, surrounded by enemies in a den of monsters wearing human faces. She probably already imagined how grim and cruel her fate would be. But it was time to give her the first surprise of the evening.

I stepped toward Faraday, flashing a wide grin of thirty-two perfectly white teeth. The sleazy corpo in red glasses. Faraday smiled back at me.

"I hope my gift pleases your superiors?" he asked.

"It's a very generous gift," I nodded. "Mr. Faraday, your initial dealings with Arasaka were... less than ideal," I said, my tone slightly accusatory but conciliatory.

Faraday nodded submissively, expecting me to grant him a final pardon, but instead, I raised my voice almost to a furious shout:

"And they are about to get even worse, you motherfucker. We'll bury you!"

That was the signal. In an instant, several Claws leaped on Faraday and his lackeys from behind and the sides. Stun batons crackled, and punches and kicks rained down, while I continued to shout:

"You thought you could play us, cocksucker? Future prospects, you say? Here's your prospect—an iron barrel! You fucker!"

I even gave him a kick myself, and when it was clear he could no longer resist, I gestured for the beating to stop. Faraday was almost unconscious. His head hung limp, foam bubbling at his mouth.

"Well, his career with Arasaka didn't quite work out," I said more calmly. "But I have an alternative in mind! A braindance actor. Not many roles, but all very memorable."

A few Claws chuckled at that.

"Take them away, and leave me alone with the girl."

"Any special requests, Mr. V?" Jotaro asked.

"Hmm... Make sure these two die tonight—and painfully," I replied. "But keep Faraday alive. I'll handle him personally."

I'll gut him for any valuable intel.

The Claws dragged the captives out of the room, leaving them semi-conscious. Only a few drops of blood on the floor remained as reminders of Faraday and his ambitions.

I wondered what Lucy was feeling right now. Was she gloating over Faraday's fate, or was she only thinking about being next in line for a reckoning? Was she wondering if it would happen right here or if they'd take her to some secret corporate data centers and torture chambers?

I turned toward her, pulling out a few vials, a syringe, and a small plastic case from the inner pocket of my jacket. It was my setup for mixing my favorite cocktail of drugs.

"Lucina Kusinada," I said slowly. "The lost child of a great corporation, one that invested so much time and resources in you. A runaway, a thief, a mercenary."

She watched me, her eyes moving with each of my movements. Why did I enjoy playing with nerves so much? Did power really corrupt?

I carefully slotted three different vials into the device. There was a click as the drugs blended into a single, perfectly balanced dose.

"Pilar, Maine, Dorio..." I listed off, drawing the mixture into the syringe. "People who liked living on the edge. But they're gone now. And then there's Kiwi's betrayal. You're running out of friends in this city, darling. But don't worry..."

I flicked the syringe a couple of times, releasing air bubbles.

"It's no big deal. One little shot and everything will be fine. I promise."

I was sure she took that as cruel mockery. Her eyes said it all. Like the three drugs in my mixer, her gaze mixed anger, bitterness, and that particular look of complete loss of hope. It went beyond mere despair—it was the darkness of someone completely consumed by it.

I leaned closer, gently moving her hair away from her neck. The thin needle pierced her pale skin. Lucy still couldn't move, only trembling slightly as I injected the drug. Two-thirds of the syringe, a few seconds, and done.

"I love this mix," I said with a different kind of smile, then, under her surprised gaze, injected the remaining third under my own tongue. "Gives such a rush. Makes you feel all warm and calm. The paralysis will wear off soon."

Through the darkness, a small ray of light suddenly broke through. I nodded to her, then walked over to the bar. I grabbed a couple of bottles of fruity ale from the fridge—sweet stuff, perfect for winding down after a stressful time. I took a bottle of tequila just in case and set everything up on a table in a colorful alcove. I placed the anti-surveillance equipment nearby and switched it on.

I heard her start to move behind me, trying to work out the numbness from her limbs.

"Just lie there a bit longer," I said without turning around. "Give the drug another minute or two."

She wouldn't be able to use her implants properly for a while, and hopefully, by the time she could, she wouldn't have any more reason to kill me.

Next, it was time to get rid of the restraints. I thought it would be tough—duct tape isn't like rope. It sticks to the skin and clothes, so it's a pain to peel off. But it turned out to be surprisingly easy. Guess it was some kind of sex-shop tape that comes off easily. Considering the outfits of Faraday's cronies, I wasn't surprised in the least. Finally, her hands were free, and she started to work off the rest of the restraints on her own. Lucy still moved hesitantly—the neurotoxin was slowing her nervous system.

Once she was free, I offered her my hand and helped her up. No signs of resistance. Good. I really didn't want everything to fall apart over some dumb move.

"Please," I invited her to the table where the fruity-chemical ale, already poured over ice, waited in two glasses.

She stepped uncertainly and sat across from me. Silence settled between us. It felt like a scene out of the second season of True Detective. Like any moment now, Lera Lynn would start playing in the background. But instead of somber tunes, there was some light music playing with occasional Japanese phrases.

"My name's V, in case you didn't remember from our last meeting," I said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

I took one for myself and flicked the pack to the other end of the table.

"I remember," she replied, slowly taking a cigarette.

I lit mine, then hers. We both took a drag, studying each other as if it was the first time we'd met. A cocky corp and a street thief. A resurrected dead man from Cyberspace and a netrunner, raised for a secret project.

Another moment of silence, like a brief mourning for someone, before Lucy stubbed out her cigarette and asked:

"They'll be coming for us soon?"

"Coming for us?" I raised an eyebrow before understanding.

She thought everything was being orchestrated by someone from Arasaka's office. That any moment now, an AV or an armored convoy would arrive, ready to take us to the tower. Well… It's a pretty logical assumption. It's more believable than what's actually going on here.

"No one's coming for us, Lucy," I shook my head.

"Yeah, right..." she said skeptically, glancing around the room as if she had already lost interest in me.

"Have a drink," I suggested, raising my glass. "There's no poison, and the ice is melting. If we don't drink now, my prediction won't come true. Or did Rebecca forget to pass it on to you?"

Her attention snapped back to me. The mention of her partner's name worked like a spell.

"How did I put it... Oh, right! 'I'm acquainted with your runner. Tell her that we'll definitely have that drink when our other mutual acquaintance changes professions.' Well, there you go," I shrugged. "Faraday went from fixer to brain-dance actor."

"Wait… that was you?"

"The man in black? Yep, that's me," I replied casually, raising my glass. "Let's toast to keeping our anonymity."

Just like David back then, Lucy found it hard to believe what was happening. Just moments ago, her life was over, and now a glimmer of hope was turning into a full-on spotlight, blinding her with its suddenness.

"And what were you doing there?" Lucy asked, taking a small sip from her glass.

"Robbing Jimmy Kurosaki," I replied without missing a beat.

"Robbing⁈" Lucy said through laughter.

"Yep. Cleaned out his hideout. It was supposed to be quiet, but just as I was freeing Rebecca and getting ready to bail, the Tiger Claws' sex squad barged in. Jimmy wanted to shoot some kind of insane group scene with them. Let me tell you, it was a total shitshow. Gunfire, explosions, bodies everywhere. Good thing I had on some heavy armor."

I told her the story like we were old buddies swapping tales over a drink. Hard to believe that not too long ago, Lucy had been delivered to me in a box.

"Is that your hobby?" she asked with a sly grin. "Playing a merc at night?"

"Maybe it's during the day that I play the corp? Honestly, I don't have time for hobbies right now."

Not counting the remote control over bums and raising the dead.

"I tried the shooting range for a while, but that didn't last long either."

"Unfortunate," Lucy shook her head, stretching her wrist as she did. She seemed to be getting better in every sense—both the paralysis was fading, and her composure was returning.

"Got work tomorrow, so time to hit the sack?" she joked. 

"Nah, I've got all night." 

"Oh, really?"

"They think I'm investigating some nonsense for Tanaka, but he's actually paying me for a quiet elimination of Faraday. Over a hundred grand and a few days off—what more could a simple, hard-working guy like me dream of? Well, bigger paydays and total freedom, obviously."

"Either you're a great liar, or you're one strange corpo."

"Strange corpo, huh? My boss says I'm playing cowboy. But I do have to lie a lot, and I've gotten pretty good at it. I know who you are, Lucina. I know everything. But I'm not planning to turn you in."

"That was the sweet part, right?" she smirked humorlessly. "So, what are the conditions?"

"There's another sweet part coming up. At least, I hope you'll like it."

"Mmm? You're going to give me a pill, we'll drink vodka, kiss, and then go our separate ways?" she asked, hinting at my familiarity with Rebecca.

"That's an option too, but first…" I dropped the joking tone and spoke seriously. "Work for me, Lucy. Not Arasaka. Work for me, specifically. No corporate investigations—I'm not dragging you into that mess."

"And what will we do? Team up on fixer gigs? A corpo and a runner. That's some team!"

"Sorry, but from where I stand, fixers are for people without imagination," I replied seriously, then smiled. "And without access to Arasaka's counterintelligence data. Here's my proposal…" I leaned in closer. "No middlemen, no contracts. Just direct, independent crime. Heists, robberies, cons, maybe a little blackmail."

Lucy was silent for a few seconds, then quickly and deftly lit another cigarette. She looked out at the empty bar, speaking quietly:

"You're trying so hard to convince me, like I even have a choice."

"You do have a choice," I countered. "But there's only one right option. That happens a lot in life. It's much better than having no right choices at all."

She didn't reply. She kept staring into the empty bar, as if the holograms and flashing screens could somehow steer her derailed life back onto the highway to her dreams. They couldn't. But I could.

"Look at me," I reached across the table, placing my hand over hers. "Let's say I disappear. Leave you alone right now. Then what? Head back to that apartment? Keep stealing shards from subway cars and waiting for some shady fixer's job, risking your neck for almost nothing? How many years have you been floundering in this swamp? You don't know me, but I know you. I know you're capable of so much more. If you're going to dance on the edge, it might as well be the edge of a skyscraper's roof, not some rundown shack in the slums. You can fall from either, but the prizes are different."

Her hand was slightly cool, feeling delicate, almost fragile, but beneath the skin, there were the dense threads of synthetic fibers.

Lucy turned to face me, the weight of her past still pressing on her.

"Tell me, is this all just a dream?" she asked unexpectedly. "Will the light suddenly flash in my eyes, and I'll wake up in a locked cell under Arasaka Tower?"

Something about that line struck a chord in me. For a moment, I almost slipped out of reality. The weight of the past? Maybe. But I had to snap back and keep talking.

"If this is a dream, then we're dreaming it together."

A cliché line, but sometimes that's what it takes to fill the silence that's as deadly as a void.

Suddenly, I felt Lucy grip my hand, squeezing it. Not painfully, but firmly.

"Rebecca said the guy in the mask didn't have any chrome," she said, as if surprised while feeling my wrist. "And she was right. Almost none."

"I don't have much chrome, but with this," I pointed a finger to my head, "I can work wonders. And right now, I need to go perform a very nasty miracle on Faraday. Will you wait?"

"Kick him for me," she winked, leaning back on the couch. "Just don't take too long, okay?"

"It'll be quick," I nodded.

I needed to give her some time to recover, and meanwhile, I'd handle the fixer situation.

I already felt like things between Lucy and me were headed in a good direction, but a vague anxiety gnawed at my chest. It's like that when everything seems to be going a bit too smoothly. Still, I'd done everything I could. Now I just had to hope she wouldn't do something reckless, like trying to run away right now. If she did, I'd have to get tougher.

"A dream... A dream in a locked cell," I thought to myself as I made my way up to the third floor of the club.