Chapter 134 - What Happens Next

MAX-TAC—NCPD's elite cyberpsycho suppression unit. Their official duty was simple: neutralize cyberpsychos.

But in reality? They did whatever the hell they wanted.

Equipped with cutting-edge cyberware, prototype gear, and near-total legal immunity, MAX-TAC had the power to enforce, judge, and punish as they saw fit.

Sometimes, they'd even recruit the cyberpsychos they were sent to kill. Other times, they'd do random acts of heroism—just for fun.

Like now.

This just-finished-a-mission MAX-TAC squad had apparently taken an interest in the four thugs trying to jack that luxury car.

The thugs hadn't noticed the AV closing in from above. They were too busy celebrating their new ride, waving their guns and parading around the Guadria 66 Model 640 TS.

Then, one of them stepped in front of the car, admiring their freshly stolen trophy.

And the car turned on.

The engine roared to life.

The driver? Still kneeling on the ground, hands over his head. The keys? Stolen.

No one should have been able to start the engine.

And yet.

The car launched forward at full speed.

The Guadria 66—one of Oliver's most admired sports cars—lived up to its reputation. Its acceleration was instant.

Before the others could react—

CRUNCH.

The thug in front of the car never saw it coming.

Even as it ran him down, even as his bones shattered beneath the tires, he never understood what was happening.

'They hacked the vehicle's system and forced a full-speed launch.'

Carl's gaze shifted to the AV above. The side hatch was open, and a MAX-TAC netrunner was perched inside, monitoring a laptop while observing the chaos below.

'So he's their netrunner.'

Meanwhile, the three surviving thugs snapped out of their shock.

Their first instinct?

Blame the corpo.

Their target's car had just run over their friend.

Logically? That meant the corpo did something.

The biggest of the three, holding an Arasaka Yutaka handgun, barked in rage.

"You just couldn't stay down, huh, corpo scum?!"

Fury twisted his face as he squeezed the trigger.

He'd planned to leave this corpo alive, take his car and cash, and bounce.

But the bastard had to resist.

So now? He'd start by putting a bullet in his head.

The instant he pulled the trigger—

A MAX-TAC trooper dropped from the AV.

SPLAT.

CRACK.

The gunshot went wild, ricocheting off a streetlamp.

The thug?

Turned into a bloodstain.

The MAX-TAC operative, clad in full-body armor, had landed directly on top of him.

A fully kitted-out trooper, dropping from six meters up, crushing him under their weight?

The thug's skeleton had burst from his skin.

At this moment, the two remaining thugs finally realized what was happening.

Shock froze their brains.

For a split second, their minds went blank.

Then—

They had to decide.

What was more important?

That their leader just got turned into roadkill?

Or that they were staring at MAX-TAC?

No doubt about it—the second option mattered more.

"MAX-TAC?!"

The two remaining thugs, their voices trembling with disbelief and fear, barely had time to process what was happening before their bodies reacted first.

When faced with overwhelming terror, the human body tends to lose control of certain physiological functions.

Like pissing yourself.

And these two? They pissed themselves.

The same insult they had thrown at others on the streets was now their reality, running down their legs.

What do gangsters in Night City fear?

A stronger gang.

And what do those gangs fear?

Cyberpsychos. Those lunatics don't care who you are—when they snap, everyone dies.

And who hunts cyberpsychos?

MAX-TAC.

A squad made up of cyberpsychos.

Never in their lives had these two thugs imagined they'd be facing MAX-TAC.

Their minds overloaded from pure shock.

Then—

They passed out.

"Huh? They fainted."

The MAX-TAC operative, shotgun in hand, had been ready to pull the trigger, but when he saw the two drop before he even fired, his cybernetic optics scanned their vitals.

"Sympathetic nervous system overload—heart rate spiked, blood pressure through the roof... They actually passed out."

Finding this mildly disappointing, the MAX-TAC officer lowered his weapon.

"Lame. Typical gangoons."

Shaking his head, he stepped back, and the AV lowered slightly. With a single powerful jump, he leaped four meters back into the vehicle.

"We're done here. Let's move."

The side hatch of the AV sealed shut, and just like that—

They were gone.

It was clear now—this was nothing more than a casual distraction to them.

A minor inconvenience.

And once they got bored? They left.

"Damn. Their gear looks insane."

Jackie watched them go, but then, in the corner of his eye, he noticed something else.

The corporate suit—the man who had been carjacked—stood up.

Calmly, he walked over to one of the corpses, picked up the Arasaka Yutaka the dead thug had dropped, and then—

Executed the unconscious ones.

A bullet to the head for each.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he tossed the gun aside, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hands, and dropped it onto the corpse.

"Yeah… That's Night City."

Oliver sighed, watching the corporate man casually walk back to his dented luxury sedan.

"No doubt."

Carl muttered, his eyes fixed on the disappearing AV.

MAX-TAC.

Hearing about them wasn't the same as seeing them in action.

No doubt about it—

They were strong.

But Carl couldn't help but wonder—

If he ever had to face them…

What would happen?

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