"Morning, Rogue."
"Long time no see, Karl. And Johnny."
Inside the VIP lounge at Afterlife, Rogue glanced up slightly, her eyes as sharp as a hawk's, scanning Karl and the black-and-white dog beside him.
A knowing smirk tugged at her lips—she immediately understood why Karl had suddenly messaged her asking for a job. This legendary fixer of Night City never missed a detail.
"So the 'rookie' you mentioned is someone I know well," Rogue said with a low, magnetic voice tinged with amusement. "No wonder you're suddenly pulling a V and asking for a gig."
The fixers of Night City were long familiar with Karl's—aka KK's—attitude toward jobs.
To put it bluntly, Karl was picky as hell. Pay, briefing detail, risk assessment—he wanted everything laid out. This made him the polar opposite of V.
V was the kind to take any job, no questions asked—a cold professional. Karl, on the other hand, was like a precision blade, unsheathed only when the time was right. His reputation, along with his 100% success rate and flawless reviews, gave him the luxury to be selective.
For fixers, assigning a job to KK wasn't just business—it was a matter of credibility. After all, if you couldn't handle giving KK proper work, how could you expect other mercs to trust you?
That's why V often worked solo and under the radar, while KK represented not just himself but often an entire elite crew. Dealing with him required deeper consideration.
So when Rogue got a message from KK saying he didn't care about the details this time—he just wanted something challenging—the queen fixer of Night City smelled opportunity.
Unlike the other hesitant fixers, she acted fast, reaching out immediately—and her instincts, as always, proved right. KK showed up. And he brought a surprise: Johnny.
Rogue gave a sly smile, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Looks like things are about to get interesting in Night City again."
"Cut the cryptic crap, Rogue."
Johnny Silverhand's hologram flickered into view. He looked at her while his canine body casually sprawled onto the lounge sofa, striking a relaxed pose, even crossing his legs in a way no normal dog ever could.
"You know I trust you," he said with casual authority. "I'm not gonna nickel-and-dime you on the reward—but don't overpay me either. I'm not some duck at a nightclub wagging his tail for a wad of cash."
He smirked, eyes gleaming with provocation. "I'll earn my cut fair and square—just gotta shut this punk up."
Despite technically being the one taking the job, Johnny acted like he was issuing it.
Normally, this kind of arrogance would kill the vibe between any fixer and merc. But Rogue and Johnny clearly had history.
Instead of being offended, Rogue chuckled.
Her laughter carried a trace of complexity—maybe amused at Johnny's swagger, maybe nostalgic for the man he used to be. Either way, it felt like a brief return to the past.
"I'll make sure it's worth your while," Rogue said, her voice low but firm. Her eyes gleamed, already sketching out a job in her mind.
She smiled again, deeper this time. "I'll line up something special for Johnny Silverhand—something that fits him perfectly."
Then she turned to Karl, her gaze growing serious. "I'll be counting on you to tolerate his personality a bit, Karl."
Karl simply shrugged, smiling faintly. "It's not a problem. If someone's on my squad, I've got their back."
He glanced at Johnny's hologram, then strolled over to an empty couch and sat down casually—relaxed, but still alert.
"So, what's the job?" Karl asked, arms resting on his knees. "Some cyberpsycho needs putting down? Or a gang scumbag crossed the line and needs slicing?"
Rogue gave a soft laugh and shook her head. "That sort of thing's more up Regina's alley."
She referred, of course, to Regina Jones—the fixer queen of Watson District.
Though Afterlife was technically in Watson, Rogue's reach extended far beyond. She and Regina crossed paths occasionally, but Rogue never had much interest in Regina's messy street-level assignments.
"The job I have for you and Johnny isn't one of those street-side errands," Rogue said, voice steady and assured.
Compared to V's endless grind of cleaning up cyberpsycho cases, Karl and Johnny's task was operating on a whole different level.
Then Rogue spoke, and her next words instantly wiped the smirk off Johnny's face and made even the relaxed Karl sit up a little straighter.
"I think you've heard of Hanako Arasaka."
That name—Arasaka—hung in the air like a loaded weapon. Johnny's eyes sharpened instantly, as if someone had lit a fuse inside him.
Karl remained more composed, though his eyes narrowed slightly as a wave of intel and associations rushed through his mind.
Hanako Arasaka—daughter of Saburo Arasaka, the head of the conservative faction in the Arasaka family. The only Arasaka member Karl had never personally encountered.
So… this job… was it connected to her?
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🔥 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS
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🔥 THE STORY DOESN'T STOP HERE. NEITHER DOES HE.
Night City breaks people every day.
Some crawl away.
Some disappear.
And some simply refuse to stop.
Cyberpunk: The Relentless has 500+ chapters ahead available for readers who want to keep going.
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⚡ NO BRAKES. NO MERCY. NO TURNING BACK.
🔫 High-intensity combat
🌃 Night City
🤖 Cyberware & chrome
💀 Deadly enemies
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🔥 Escalating conflicts
⚔️ One relentless road forward
Every victory creates another enemy.
Every enemy leads to something bigger.
And Night City always wants another body.
🔥 500+ CHAPTERS AHEAD.
👉 Why stop now?
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