Night City has shut the fuck up for the night. The polluted black sky bags and gags the moon… then rests as a void into the unknown with nothing to see here. Watson… not just north of the Totentanz… but the North North side… a place home to no neon lights. Somewhere even shy faces wouldn't venture or take a second look at. Where darkness goes to hide from itself… and the light revealing truths too ugly for the Kiroshis.
Two mohawked Maelstrom grunts on edge crunch gravel beneath their spiked boots. A mellow glow of neon red LEDs emanate from their faceless faces... red light splotches chainlink fences and street debris hidden in the darkness as they walk past it. They're sporting chrome with quotes carved directly into the steel… tats covering what little ganic they've got left, and a brisk walking pace filled with panic and restless nerves… one step after another. They're engaged in an angsty back and forth… their voices more machine than man.
"Forget about it choomba… DumDum never cut Royce in on the get down so he's sayin' North North's on their own."
"But... we're North North."
"….Exactly what I fuckin' MEAN choom... With the Pistis Sophia up in smoke and Aces turned tail, that pipeline's cooked. Figured that was the end of it till they went back and hit that scav den down in Pacifica. Carved up the place like a cracked Militech surgeon gone psycho… even saw some snapshots of what was left of their runner in her chair... pretty sick fuckin' work if I'm bein' honest."
"They ever find out who the hell even started all this? I mean… who the fuck do they think they are?"
"Scavs were on em but they called dibbs so they told us fuck all. Ended up hearin' what went down from some dropout that stopped by. Remember Monica and Rob? Ran that place… handled intakes... Last I heard? Flatlined."
"jesus these headcases've gotta have a circ loose goin' this far with it... Not much the type to just live and let live huh."
"Beyond that its just weird… chooms didn't even gaffle shit.. just left a bloodbath behind. Don't matter at this point though.. they made their choice. Time to find out who they are… settle this shit the right way. Everybody else should be here soon. Lets hurry up n' get inside… cold as fuck out here-"
"-Shit. Hold up choom. See that?" One whispers to the other.
They glance off into the darkness of a flickering street light in the alley and see someone's feint, lanky figure planted alongside stray trash piles. With their back against the chainlink, they sat curled in a bundle... their knees tucked up against their chest… their head tucked like the bullied kid on the playground.
Upon second glance… they notice a yellow hoodie.
"Who the FUCK'S that…" The other whispers gritting his teeth. He pulls his iron and aggressively cocks it while B-Lining it up the alley with his side choom right beside him.
"YO!! CRUSTY!! THE FUCK YOU DOIN' OVER HERE!? YOU KNOW THIS TURF'S OURS BITCH! LOCKDOWN'S IN EFFECT! BEST DELTA THE FUCK OFF UNLESS YOU'RE LOOKIN' TO GET POPPED!!" He barks, stressing his augmented vocal cords as they march up to him. The sound of the safety clicking off of his iron makes its way down the alley's stretch as he plants the heavy barrel atop the yellow hood.
"YOU BEST START FUCKIN' TALKIN' OR START MOVIN' ASSHOLE BEFORE I MAKE THIS PLACE YOUR PERMANENT HOME!!"
The yellow hood suddenly looks up at the barrel.. revealing a black digital mask with a twisted smiling face made of yellow pixels.. along with a loud, maniacal laugh.
"AAHAHAHAHA!!!!! AAHAHAHA!!!!!" Netty screams in a digitally altered voice, causing the pair of gangers to quickly flinch.
The quick flinch was all he needed. He reaches and yanks the gangers's gun wrist down and elbows him hard in the jaw while rising to his feet. The loud pop of chrome cracking the goon's wired jaw echoes down the alley while sending his iron smacking into the chainlink. Netty uses the momentum of the knocked out goon falling to wheel kick the second reaching for his iron square in the face. The kick staggers the ganger as Netty let's go of the first, dropping him to the dirt with a thud. The standing goon throws a punch at Netty with full force while engaging his wrist rocket. Netty slips the punch and the loud booming gunshot with a sharp side step while grabbing the goon's cyber arm. He judo tosses the Maelstromer over his shoulder through the gunsmoke with an incredible amount of torque and momentum generated.
The ganger hits the rock and glass ridden dirt hard from the slam kicking up dust. Netty maintains a firm grip on the cyber arm he tossed him with while pinning the ganger down with boot on chest. The Maelstromer on his back, with his arm locked in Netty's vice grip looks up at the creepy, yellow pixelated face smiling down at him. His eyes red, fill with code... instinctually attempting a quick hack. Looking up at the black pixelated mask causes his entire runner interface to flicker and distort with yellow static.. completely unable to use or navigate it. He then begins to feel the effects of Netty's quickhack invade and reek havoc on his internal systems. The intense heat entering his body causes him to tense up and resist even harder in immense pain. He looks deep into the yellow pixelated face with fear and desperation as he helplessly struggles to resist.
"AAAHHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!! AAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" He hears again as Netty continues to hold the Maelstromer's arm tucked and taught under his own.. feeling him writhe and resist. As the laugh increases in intensity, so does the intensity of Netty's quickhack as it reaches completion.
"WHAT THE FFFUUC---!?!! AAAAGGGHHH!!!!!" The ganger helplessly screams in fear while left staring directly at the twisted pixel smile. His Kiroshis gradually roll to the back of his head as the tension in his resisting muscles finally release. Boiling blood mixed with synth oil slowly leaks out in volumes... pushing the ganger's Kiroshis out of their sockets and rolling to the dirt. His unconscious choom's do the same as steam gently wafts into the cold air from the heat of their leaking skull sponges.
The speed and strength of the kid's power combined with technique effortlessly overwhelms them. He takes a final look at the pair before shoving the dead ganger's arm to the ground out of his grasp.. causing it to slam down to the dirt with a heavy thud. Netty's mask takes a quick look up at the Maelstrom compound before sprinting off.
Beatrice vigorously navigates her neon pink runner interface with red eyes flowing with code. They hear various beeps and squeaks from scrolling through walls of data alongside her personalized, cartoony netrunner icons. "This doesn't make any sense."
"What's goin' on?" Brian whispers while making his way back to her with Carter to scope the place.
"Their subnet is… completely black" She whispers to herself in confusion.
"Black? What do you mean?" Carter whispers
"Meaning dead. Zeroed. No subnet for me to grab ahold of… no connection quality because… there's no connection."
"Meaning what? They got hit?" Carter asks
"Three Chevil Thraxs in the lot with no patrols around both weak sides. Haven't seen shit move in or out since we got here. No smokes, piss breaks, vomiting chooms past their limit. Nothin'." Brian says.
"Maelstrom's never this quiet. Ever. Where the fuck's all the yellin'? Cyber metal blarin' outta half chunked speakers." Carter whispers in a monotone.
"Only one way to find out." Brian says as they all hear Netty's footsteps crunch rocks as he makes it back to their position. They exit cover with iron drawn making their way to the front lot and through its short, trash ridden expanse. The feint glow of different colored lights from their various implants provide a subtle neon aura around the crew armed to the teeth.
They're ready.
They make their way around the front entrance to a back window.. boosting each other up to the second story. Beatrice quickly slings her tech rifle over her back and squats down. She presses the palm of her hand against the glass feeling its level of give while the boys watch her back. She takes her freshly chipped, diamond tipped synth nails courtesy of Audrey and uses one to carve in a big circle with a single stroke. She lengthens them slightly with a crisp sleekness and jabs all of her nails into the glass, puncturing and digging in... she pushes the glass chunk forward inside and lets it down slowly.
The crew quickly… smoothly hops in right behind her with iron drawn in different directions. The place is dead quiet... not a cough, footstep or even a radio. Brian issues some silent commands via hand signals.. sending each crew member in different directions.
As soon as they begin to splinter down various halls they hear a loud, sudden crash and scream come from the floor below.. sounding like metal impacting metal and meat… the scream of pain being one of desperation and humanity. As quickly as they hear it, it goes away.
At the crack of the sound, the entire crew immediately freezes and squats down in place with pointed iron.. executing the rehearsed technique perfectly. They all turn to face Brian with each at a distance and awaiting his silent command. He immediately calls for everyone to regroup back to him.. and they continue forward stacked together. They advance with each step slow, heavy and deliberate.. with lead pointed in all directions that matter.
As they slowly move through the compound, the air becomes more still. Various rooms rest lit up bright with signs of very recent activity. Scattered iron taken apart for modification, endless empty beer and liquor bottles broken and laying about… even a lit cigarette half smoked. The ashing cig amongst personal creature comforts and clothing stand out to Carter as they all continue to move through the second floor tightly coiled. They pass by workshop rooms… dorm style bunk beds… scattered and rummaged through cyberware caches… lined up powders and spilled vials with thick liquid... tools used to remove and apply small or intricate fashionware to the face and neck. The spidered skulls rest spray painted on various walls and ceilings looming over them atop other worn graffiti. The place smelled of used narcotics and spilled synth oil... everything fit the bill for a Maelstrom outfit's permanent residence except… not a soul to be found. Every hall and room they clear builds silent confusion and tension between the four of them making their way ever closer to the noise and the staircase leading down to it.
BugBear glances to her right as her Kiroshis catch what looks to be a server room right near the staircase. As Brian takes the first soft step down the stairs he feels Beatrice's hand firmly grab his shoulder causing him to freeze. He turns around to see her signaling him and the boys to enter.. they move in and quietly seal the door behind them. The room was small and cold.. random scraps of paper and debris litter it's floor and shifts subtly beneath each of their deliberate steps. They each take a place in the room, gazing around at the various dead servers and lone terminal while lowering their weapons slightly. Carter takes a squat in the farside corner with his jet black guillotine rested on his lap.. Brian presses his ear against the door they entered and rests there looking down. He closes his eyes to take a listen to whatever may be moving around right outside; Nothing… nothing but the gentle whistles of the wind tunnel breeze present throughout the hollow building.
Beatrice slings her rifle and gently lays it down before taking a seat at the desk. With Netty over her shoulder, she quickly pops a plate off the terminal in search of the port she needs. She pulls her personal link with a soft sleekness and jacks into it.. using the energy from both her deck and personal OS to get the thing on and running. Although right next to each other, the crew communicates through comms as she combs through their data. All their Kiroshis flickering subtly.
=Even with this place's sub and servers dead I can at least get a look at whatever they've got on here.= She says in a monotone with focus as a single bead of sweat trails down her forehead.
=Easy Bear… you're overclocking a bit.= Netty says while scanning her and watching her work.
=What'dya got.= Brian says
=Other than an endless scroll of a.i and borg smut, looks like they have their own intakes here... guess its not just room and board Maelstrom style. Data catalogs are similar to what we saw back in Pacifica but much smaller.=
=Always guessed this's where they keep their high value catches. Matches up with Riles' deets too... lookin' to keep em closer to home. Sometimes I'd see em usher people in with respect... unrestrained. hm... chrome they didn't quite know how to rip probly came with some negotiations. Cleaner the rip, the more quality the implant. Real DogTown type shit.= Carter puts forth.
=It's weird... Other than the surprisingly organized ledgers of countless cyberware they have cataloged.. says that all of the intakes that were here had to be urgently moved weeks ago… to the Pistis Sophia.= She says.
=One dump for rippin' is just as good as the next.= Netty says removing his black mask =Why take the time?=
=There's a.. series of journal entries in here they titled... 'The Inseparables' Beatrice says while lowering her eyebrows and leaning forward closer to the screen. She calmly reads each entry with a monotone on her tongue.
=Inseparables… Entry Zero. Pair bondings: Kathy and Darius Pwiggles - Brought in for evaluation and potential quote on chrome acquisition. Liability on implants in question no longer provided from their corps Techtronika and Zetatech. Neurodegeneration and metaphysical complications imminent if left unchecked. Addendum – Conjugal requirements agreed to in deal are 'NON-NEGOTIABLE' in all caps.."= She says before continuing.
=Inseparables… Entry One. Deal with the Pwiggles now confirmed. Agreed upon accommodations are being brought in while implant and anatomy evaluations go down. Addendum – Reiteration that couple will do literally nothing without each other… Bedroom, shower room and ripperdoc office modifications now priority. Addendum Addendum – Breaker and rest of crew's bitchin' duly noted... Clearly don't get that VIPs like this at times require some finesse.=
The crew re-settles in the room with heightened attention as she continues. Carter gazes up into the corner and notices a small grated vent. He lowers his eyebrows as well as his guillotine.
=Inseparables… Entry Two. 1:17am. Woken up to a crash and loud commotion. Had to chase some of the boys off client Kathy Pwiggles again... Some of these gonks are too hard in the pants for an op like this... Makin' shit way harder than it needs to be. Clarification and discipline dealt by Breaker. Overwatch shifts adjusted.= BugBear says shaking her head in disgust.
Carter places a small stool underneath the vent and steps up onto it. Netty glances over at him curious.
=Inseparables… Entry Three. Despite the Pwiggles' hesitation, rip strategy has been finalized and set for tomorrow. Addendum – Ripper finally confirmed neurological anomaly found in couple during evaluation will not be a problem. Addendum Addendum – Physical dispute broken up between client Darius Pwiggles and mohawk twins over client Kathy Pwiggles... Twins removed from op.=
Carter plants his ear on the vent trying to get a better listen to something he swears with his eyes he can hear.
=Inseparables… Entry Four. Intense first faze of rip concluded with clients put under. As expected, shit tons of chrome found beyond what was disclosed in the deal.. each being more intricate than the last. Corpo exec grade pieces from Zetatech… Techtronika implants with no-cat. Never even seen housing like this for combatware grafted on before. The level of integration these two have gone through? No wonder they couldn't afford the maintenance n' upkeep. Guess corpo policies can be more cut throat than a fuckin' violation pack out… hm... Don't touch recommended before further deets. Addendum 3:26am – Client Kathy Pwiggles found in third floor hallway contorted… stood like a statue with eyes trained on the ceiling. Gently ushered back into her room. Ripper called immediately for evaluation. Addendum Addendum – Client was… weeping?= Beatrice says uneasy as the tension begins to build with the confusion.
Through the whistling white noise of the wind in the vent Carter finally hears the faintest sound buried by distance. The weeping cries of a woman fade in... causing him to glance at Brian who's already looking at him with ear still pressed to the door… he hears it too. Netty walks over to Carter before glancing over at Brian in confusion and sudden building tension. She continues.
=Inseparables… Entry Five. Clients Darius and Kathy Pwiggles broken... no longer fit for communication or coordination. Necessary restraints and isolation currently in effect. Client Darius Pwiggles currently under heavy anesthetic for crew's sake. Final rip to salvage what we can from both clients before de-comish set for tonight. Addendum – Ripperdoc and Crew's no longer willing to enter into client's quarters. Addendum Addendum – Pussies.= Beatrice concludes before unplugging from the terminal and looking to Brian over her shoulder.
The entire crew hears it together for the first time. The unmistakable moans and weeps of a woman now grown audible for them all to clearly hear outside the room.
The dead silent halls of the compound now have a noise.
Netty slips his mask back on as they each quickly grab their iron and hop up out of their positions with sudden panic and adrenaline. Brian with his ear still pressed to the door raises a palm out to the crew causing them to immediately stop... he then slowly closes the palm into a fist.
The silent order is clear.
Calm down… and move together.
The crew with restless faces field the silent order and lock in with iron gripped. Brian slowly slides the door open with iron drawn as the crew slowly follows out behind him.
With each soft, calculated step the crew takes down the concrete staircase the weeping woman's moans and cries gain in strength. Making it down to the first floor brings with it the beginning patters of steady rain entering the affair. A quick glance in the direction of the entrance shows it sealed shut... even Night City herself can bare no witness. Clearing the first floor to the sounds of weeps, rain and rolling thunder does nothing but build the suspense. The woman's weeps and wallows seem to coarse through the very walls around them as they gather in front of a towering, heavy metal door planted at the back of the compound. Netty places his palms on the door feeling for pressure before being gently ushered aside by Carter. Brian and Carter take leverage positions alongside each other and dig their augmented fingers inbetween the doors seems.
The servos and working mechanics of their gorilla arms engage as their combined strength struggles to pry the door open creaking heavily with staunch resistance. Buggie and Netty watch with nervous anticipation as Brian and Carter grunt.. straining to get it open. It eventually gives slightly.. then completely as they slide the thing open with a heavy metal creak that echos throughout the spacious compound. They're immediately hit with an invisible wave of putrid smells. They each react strongly to the scents.. Beatrice going as far as to lower her tech rifle and gag heavily while turning away and covering her mouth.
It smelled of raw, festering death… the crawling stillness of human decay permeates through the air.
The blackened abyss waiting below guided by concrete stairs glares up at the crew. Beatrice slings her rifle over her back and pulls her monowire... clasping a length of it's neon pink glow tightly with closed fists. The hallow echoes of the woman's steady weeping, now clearer than ever, pulse as the crew gathers themselves and begins the slow descent... accompanied by the dim, pink glow of Beatrice's monowire. With Brian leading the pack, the dry, firm steps the crew takes down into the darkness suddenly become wet… a light splash begins to accompany the taps of each step down.
Brian's boot leaves a wet concrete step and lands on soft, decaying ganic flesh… gradually giving in under his weight before being supported by the chrome within it. The sudden sensation of a motionless body beneath his boot startles the shit out of him, causing him to jolt. His sudden jolt and freeze courses through the entire crew like dominoes as they do the same. He pulls his flashlight providing very limited illumination down the steep staircase… he points it down to see a dismembered corpse laying in pooled blood.
The beam of the flashlight flows down the corpse littered staircase… stained and dismembered limbs rest in puddles… blood smeared walls… crushed skulls… bodies viscerally contorted. They look upon the still scene of a Maelstrom massacre…
They were trying to flee.
Netty is struck by the gory scene… feeling light headed, he begins to hyperventilate. He stumbles on the stairs losing his balance before Carter and Beatrice help stabilize him. They silently get him together in the moment before continuing down the steps gingerly stepping between corpse after corpse piled up. The pattering rain and rolling thunder slowly fades the deeper they descend.
Brian cuts his flashlight as a dim light source at the base of the stairs takes over. As they near the bottom… the weeps of the woman sound as though they're right in front of them. However… the sound of a man's voice is heard causing the woman's weeps to gradually fade. His deep voice is calm and comforting… sounding very human as it fades in at a distance.
"Shh... no... no… come now honey, calm down… shh.. it's okay… it's okay. They're… they're all gone now. See? No more." He softly says as the crew finally reaches the bottom of the staircase. He continues.
"Here my dear… Dance… dance with me how we remember huh. It's been so long."
The crew steps into the big open space with high ceilings and pointed iron… illuminated by a single neon blue light all the way at the back some forty yards away. The light was weak… able to illuminate but a small space housing the Pwiggles… the various small lights of their Kiroshis and implants gently flickering in the darkness.
Only able to see their silhouettes... Darius offers a hand to Kathy... she takes it while slowly rising to her feet. The pair begin to dance the waltz with a slow, gentle grace… as their movement flows with beautiful chemistry, Kathy's weep becomes a giggle. A giggle filled with a calm and safe happiness only her husband could possibly bring about. They waltz among carnage... blood dripping, dismembered corpses hang from the walls and ceiling… planted there by sheer impact with chunks slowly giving way to gravity. Kathy gracefully spins with scattered corpses by her feet... with her hand held by Darius admiring her every movement.
Beatrice and Netty immediately scan the pair at the same time while Brian and Carter stay trained on the Pwiggles. The discovery causes the two to tense up.
=Their… their biomons… There's only… there's only one reading.=
=Yeah, hers…. then how the fucks he up??=
=Look at the oxytocin levels.= Beatrice responds with angst as Kathy lets out another soft giggle dancing with her husband.
=What the fuck…? They…. They cranked em? But there's no hard-wire.= He responds confused
=Did more than that… fuckin' transfused it back and forth between them… over and over again!! L-Look at the outputs.= She says intimidated.
After a heavy pause… the revelation is spoken.
=They're connected.= Beatrice whispers in fear and disbelief on her face.
=What?!?= Netty says in complete shock.
As Brian starts to speak, they see the Pwiggles conclude their dance with a beautiful, romantic dip… holding the position in each other's embrace during an impossible moment.
They suddenly glance over at the crew as they return back to earth and correct their posture.
"Shh! Shh! Wait! Wait honey. Do you see that? Do you see them?" Darius whispers.
"Guests of yours? Of ours?" Kathy whispers back with eager excitement. She begins to walk toward them as a happy host of a house party would. Her tone is genuine… disconnected from reality.
"More of them?" Darius asks sternly with a low growl.
"Shh, no honey. Different" She whispers back while taking a few steps forward leaving him behind her.
"Oh.. I'm terribly terribly sorry! I'm… I'm dreadfully unprepared, Um.." She says with a shaky nurturing voice... she clasps her hands together and takes a quick look around in the darkness. "Is… is there anything I can possibly help you to? A drink perhaps? Please, please come in! I've-" She says as she takes a few quick steps forward.. her barefeet slapping the bloody concrete.
The crew suddenly tenses up together while quickly raising their iron… hearing the mechanics of Beatrice's tech rifle charging up.
Kathy stops her advancement in her tracks… a subtle feeling of dejection mixed with embarrassment washes over her at their reaction to her kind gesture.
A tense silence sits between her and the crew. She breaks it.
"Oh… Th- there's no need to worry. P-please… come… come on-haha…
come on in-ahahahahaha!!!" She starts to laugh out loud with Darius now doing the same. She looks down and shakes her head lightly… giving up and letting her arms hang down at her sides. She shrugs and glances back at Darius over her shoulder.
"haha… oh my god honey, how did I do? Hahahaha!!!" She asks as Darius' laugh grows louder without responding. She continues.
"Hahahaha!! You know I was never good at that shit babe! Hahahaha!!!" She concludes in a candid voice, dropping the facade and facing the crew as Darius continues to laugh.
Brian suddenly steps forward and raises his Nue. Firing a single booming shot that rings throughout the entire basement.
The path of the bullet is followed as it hits its intended target… square between Kathy's eyes.
A loud tink rings out as lead impacts chrome.
The bullet falls to the ground in defeat between Kathy's bloodied barefeet… mushroomed… unable to achieve even the slightest dent.
Kathy looks down at the bullet before back up at Brian with a smirk… shes immediately met with several more shots to the face that deflect and jostle her lightly.
Darius' limbs suddenly lengthen to twice their size… looking like a chromatic spider, he plants himself on all fours before quickly leaping into the air. Kathy stood still turns her Kiroshis red.. beginning a quickhack.
"MOVE!!" Brian screams as he continues to fire.
The various rounds tag her as Brian rushes forward and the crew breaks in various directions at full speed to the sounds of erupting chaos. Brian's hits appear to have no affect on her ability to quickhack. Darius punches his elongated chrome fingers right into the concrete with each swinging motion he makes swinging across the ceiling.. barely dodging each of Carter and Beatrice's shots trying to track him. Darius suddenly posts momentarily allowing a volley of rounds to light him up from their iron shredding chunks off of his elongated frame. Bloodied chunks of scrapped flesh and bone melt to the ground with a wet plop amongst gunfire and impact. Darius' enlarged shoulder cavities suddenly flower open… releasing 2 automated Techtronika combat drones that quickly fly out of them. The drones whizz and buzz with their various lights turning red as they engage their high caliber weapons and begin to fire. A heavy volley of rounds from the drones reach Beatrice diving for cover. As the drone flys forward suppressing her position, Carter pulls his collapsible steel baton and flings it with augmented force from his gorilla arms. The spinning baton cuts through the air at breakneck speed, smacking the drone hard and spinning it… causing it to spray rounds in every direction. The baton leaves a small punctured hole in its thick plated armor as the drone continues to wildly spin with stray bullets tagging everyone in the room to sudden shrieks of pain. Netty's mask deflects a bullet before he takes a slug to the shoulder knocking him on his ass. Carter draws his Liberty sidearm and fires a single shot without hesitation… drilling the spinning drone in the weakpoint he opened up. The drone suddenly bursts into flames before exploding and landing in a pool of Maelstrom blood.
"WATCH OUT!!!" Beatrice screams causing Carter to turn around and see Darius' towering limbs, looking like traffic light poles, swinging right at him in a sweeping motion. With barely anytime to react he raises his augmented gorilla arms in a cross-guard out in front of him.
The impact of chrome on chrome clanks with a loud sharp twang.. echoing through the compound basement, sending Carter and his iron flying. He slams into the wall with a heavy impact some 20 yards away.. it caves in behind Carter's weight as he drops to the ground motionless. A blow that would've turned a ganic man into a puddle of dismembered scop.
Beatrice gasps as she turns away from Carter's impact to see Darius already on her. With quick and stable precision he presses off the ground and begins racing toward her on all fours. The ground beneath his limbs crumbling under the weight of his chromactic hands and feet with every gallop. Beatrice stands her ground, aiming her tech rifle as her eyes, filled with adrenaline turn red for a quickhack.
Brian slams into Kathy hard.. tackling her to the ground at full speed. As he makes contact with her, it causes Darius to immediately stop mid-stride toward Beatrice and turn tail toward Brian. Beatrice opens fire to the piercing pewms of her tech rifle tagging Darius from behind and singeing his flesh down to the metal underneath it. Blood and chunks begin to streak behind Darius' lanky, elongated frame as the damage continues to add up.
Netty under suppressive fire from the remaining drone completes his quickhack on it while peeking through a pile of dead Maelstrom gangers covering his position. The red lights on the frame of the drone turn green as it turns and begins to fire slugs at Darius. Combining the firepower with Beatrice's tech shots staggers Darius' quick, powerful stride but only slightly. He leaps high into the air before driving his entire body downward with full force… a single chrome limb whipping down toward the top of Brian's skull with unstoppable leverage.
Brian on top of Kathy effortlessly pins her down. He flicks his right wrist outward, engaging the pipe cannon in it and causing a loud chambering noise. As he points the red chrome at her face he hears Beatrice's sudden scream amidst the gunfire and drone exploding.
"BRIAN!!!!!"
Brian immediately turns and looks up at the traffic light sized limb slamming down toward him… the sheer weight and speed of the arm whistles as it slices through the air.
Without a second thought… Brian fires the Lace Attenua.
They hear the cracking wizz of the chrome engaging as the LEDs on his spinal column and back of his limbs light up lava orange.
Netty and Beatrice look on in complete shock and disbelief at what they're witnessing... as a heavy, muffled thump rings throughout the entire basement on impact. The sonic boom caused by the velocity creates an unfamiliar sound never quite heard before when chrome meets chrome. The impact reverberates through the small space… sending debris flying and shaking its very foundation underneath everyone.
Brian, with his forearm raised above his head stops the momentum of the swinging arm in it's tracks… parrying the heavy downward strike effortlessly. Darius continues to try and press down atop Brian's forearm with all his strength and leverage.
Brian looks up at the monster... his Kiroshis now glowing a lava orange… the bulging spider veins in his face do the same around Brian's eyes and the back of his hands. He wears a look of grit and death… looking into Darius' tranced gaze with chunks now missing.
Kathy takes the opportunity to scramble from underneath Brian and back to her feet, doing a series of quick back handsprings.. effortlessly creating distance. Netty hops out of cover and immediately begins to attempt a quickhack on her. Navigating his yellow runner interface targeting her causes her to immediately look over at him. The lines of code begin to glitch as a sudden heat fills his mask and a spark of electricity shoots out of the side of it. Netty screams from the burns as he struggles to quickly yank his mask off and shoves it to the ground continuing to spark and smoke from the overheat. Without hesitation, he steps forward as his Kiroshis glowing red again attempt a second quickhack.
A loud booming gunshot rings throughout the basement as Brian fires a fifty caliber round from the pipe cannon in his wrist… the kickback in his arm is immense... blowing Darius' leg completely off and spraying blood. Kathy lets out a deafening shriek of pain as she drops to one knee. Darius collapses under the lack of stability from the limb as Brian gains a full grip on his arm.
"What the fuc-" Netty whispers to himself in awe and confusion.
"SHE'S CONTROLLING HIM!!!" Beatrice screams with eyes red while scanning the couple and blasting shots at them. Realizing the puppet act Kathy is putting on.
Carter suddenly leaps out of the darkness and grabs ahold of Darius' other arm and yanks it in the opposite direction away from Brian as the two struggle to maintain a firm grip on each of his limbs.
With stray bullets flying, Netty marches toward Kathy while gritting his teeth and focusing on his quickhack... Beatrice sprints past all of the boys at full speed headed for her target. As Netty's quickhack finishes several sparks shoot out of Kathy's head staggering her right before Beatrice tackles her with full force... they slam to the ground hard with a weighted thud kicking up dust.
Brian and Carter continue to pull in opposite directions with all of their strength, straining hard with gritted teeth. The jostling of scraping, shifting steel in their chromatic struggle sounds like an overworked steel mill past it's limit.
"AAAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Kathy screams in laughter causing Darius to do the same while resisting Carter and Brian's hold... the gunfire and chaotic scuffle deafening and feral in the confined space.
Kathy begins to flail wildly trying to resist while Netty pins down her legs and Beatrice sits on her chest while drawing her neon pink monowire. She struggles to stay on top of her with tightly clenched fists before slamming the wire down onto Kathy's face and pressing with all of her strength. The blazing heat of the monowire gradually begins to melt through Kathy's face diagonally.. causing Darius to resist the boys grip even harder in a primal attempt to save her. Kathy grips two handfuls of Beatrice's hair and yanks hard trying to pull her off.
"AAAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!" Kathy and Darius scream together again in laughter alongside the entire crews combined physical straining on each of their faces building to an intense crescendo.
Beatrice with her hair being yanked back strains harder than ever while gritting her teeth and pressing down. She feels a sudden give as the monowire finally melts through… severing Kathy's head in half diagonally… releasing her grip on Beatrice's hair.
As a result of this, Darius' resistance and movement instantly stops… causing Brian and Carter's combined gorilla arm strength pulling in opposite directions to suddenly tear Darius' body in half vertically.
A small fire is seen at the center of Darius' torso before a boom... A blinding, smoky explosion sends everyone flying in various directions among Maelstrom corpses and scattered debris.
Soon after… among thick, blinding smoke… Netty staggers over and helps a barely conscious Beatrice to her feet. She staggers up into his arms as she collapses into his embrace with ringing ears and blood seeping out of them. She coughs gritting her teeth... blood seeps out of her mouth as Netty helps stagger her over to sit up against a wall… he falls beside her attempting to check her condition... ignoring his own deep slashes and bullet wounds. Both their equilibriums in complete disarray.
Carter coughs up blood on his back and barely conscious… he hears heavy footsteps approaching him among the thick, subsiding smoke.
He looks up to see a pair of lava orange eyes looking down at him through smoke… a blood red, gorilla armed hand reaches through it toward him for assistance.
Carter takes a moment to look up and into Brian's Kiroshis… the thick smoke makes Brian's shrouded figure look more borg than human to Carter for a brief moment. This level of calm during this level of chaos…? The silent thought hits him like a speeding Villefort…
"Glad he's on my side."
He reaches for Brian's hand and is yanked up to his feet before nearly collapsing in Brian's grasp. Brian stabilizes Carter's balance while taking a closer look at his wounds… while doing this, Carter gets an up close look at Brian as he disengages the Lace Attenua.. ending the lava orange glow in his Kiroshis, and causing the protruding veins in his face and body to subside.
"Good?" Brian asks in a deep tone looking Carter in the eyes. Carter glances at Brian… he looks completely unscathed. However he finally notices blood running from various stray bullet holes from the drone on Brian's limbs and neck. Carter perplexed by the lack of damage on Brian doesn't respond… instead giving a flustered, painful nod of confirmation.
Brian then turns and glances at the Pwiggles now mangled in a gruesome, chaotic mess of viscera and smeared blood. He walks past them and squats down alongside Beatrice and Netty as he checks their condition. The concussive force of the explosion has left the two of them completely stunned… slowly trying to get their bearings. They sport heavy damage… their wounds and clothes covered in blood and black soot.. with the synth oil from Kathy's body coating the two of them atop their stray bullet wounds. Brian hands Carter a maxdoc inhaler over his shoulder before cheefing one of his own. Netty produces one from his pocket and gingerly presses it to Beatrice's lips… she takes a heavy inhale before coughing up blood harshly into the inhaler, the floor, and Netty's hand. Netty then pulls another inhaler out and takes a heavy whiff himself… stabilizing the various throbbing pain from the fight before continuing to check BugBear's vitals.
The crew gather themselves through subsiding pain. Brian with subtle smoke and electricity purging from his body from his implant use, turns and gazes around at the settled carnage. It all happened so quickly… not much room for thought... only instinct. Subtle crackling from overheated, melting chrome fills the air alongside the smell of blood and burning chemical smoke. The amount of viscera and corpses display a now silenced massacre.
He takes a long hard look at Kathy laid lifeless on the concrete floor… her dead hand only a mere few inches away from Darius' severed one.
The image burns into his psyche in a twisted way.
The crew does their best to stabilize themselves.. taking inventory of their damage and situation while collecting their gear tossed about by the chaos. Seems as though expectations not aligning with reality's a concept not going away anytime soon. No matter how much planning for eventualities and unforeseeable factors they did… cyberpsycho couple certainly wasn't on the bingo card.
Brian thinks back to how he and the crew reacted to the scene down here. Made him think of his mother… how seeing shit like this must've been just another Monday for Anabelle Varga... guess these are the types of stories she'd come home with and just... keep to herself. True strength in Night City... often comes in many different forms.
The crew hadn't the need, nor the time for an R.E.O Meatwagon sort through with a mess like this though. Wasn't even an afterthought. Not much in the business of wading through viscera and scop for crumbs of intel. Besides… by all accounts… the story practically told itself.
Brian and the crew stumble back up the stairs past corpses... the compounding conflict brought about by a steady series of their choices and instincts now feeling finally at an end.
Such is the nature of Night City… from the pursuit of a simple set of Kiroshi Oracles… to a fight for survival against a neurologically connected cyberpsycho couple in a Maelstrom basement.
In Night City… Actions..? Events..? Costs..?... Nothing… Is Ever… As It Seems.
They reach the top of the steep basement staircase and push past the wrecked door. Exhausted and sporting wounds, they file out with the same discipline they filed in with... iron pointed steady and ready to go.
At the top, they're met with the sudden creaking of the Maelstrom compounds front door... quickly sliding open.
The sounds of a rainstorm along with cybernetically augmented chatter woosh into the building as an entire new outfit of Maelstrom gangers start to shuffle in.
Out of position and off balance, Brian and his crew quickly point their iron as various Maelstromers finally see them some 20 yards away.
Quick twitch reactions jolt through everyone there having now suddenly seen each other.
"HEY YO!! WHAT THE FUCK!? WHO THE Ff-" One of the Maelstromers shouts as they all reach for their holstered iron.
Before a shot can be fired… the leader of this outfit of Maelstrom recognizes a familiar face… in disbelief he raises his hands out in front of his crew. Gesturing them to lower their guns as he steps forward in front of them. He was short.. rockin' a radical red mullet and a stocky frame.. uncommon for this outfit that tends to lean more toward emaciated. His faceless face was home to three eyes in the form of a triangle glaring at Brian's crew in disbelief. Off rip... he can clearly see this isn't a group of strays that've just wandered in here… the entire building looks clean, no blood... his experience keeps him poised. The Maelstrom gangers reluctantly rest their weapons at their sides as the leader's gritty, augmented voice finally speaks.
"Well I'll be a joytoy's bitch…" He mutters in disbelief, stepping forward in front of his people. He raises his voice...
"Carter Blix… heh…. what in the four fisting fucks are you doing here."
A look of resentment and familiarity wash over Carter's face as he recognizes the gang leader and Brian's crew lowers their iron slightly. Brian and Netty glance at Carter in disbelief… seeing someone they know but now don't recognize.
Again… incredible how quickly your perception of someone can change the more you know about them. Not in a superficial or judgmental way… but one where the mask finally factors in to the perception. The leader continues in a deep tone during the tense standoff.
"So you're the bourgies been makin' waves terrorizin' this outfit huh. Shit. When we scraped the Pistis Sophia, I was sure I was gonna find your flighty ass laid wasted with your crew in that trash heap after what went down way back. Weren't you practically runnin' that joint?"
Carter quickly raises his liberty to fire.
His hand is quickly swatted down and gripped by Brian with a serious squeeze. A quick series of memories blink by in a flash in Brian's mind… holding the tortured and dying young woman in his arms back in the darkness of the Pisitis Sophia. Carter looks over at him.
"The fucks he talkin' about." Brian mutters… his tone more direct and serious than ever. Before Carter's motor mouth can get going the Maelstromer cuts in.
"oh, you didn't know about North North's former number one supplier?" He chuckles glancing at Carter. "New choombas in the dark huh? Well, lemme say this from the jump. We've got no beef with ya'll… heh, even your choom Carter here's got more stake in this than us. Chrome swap n' harvestin'... with the fuckin scavs of all people was North North organ trade bullshit. Hell, I flatlined a scav just yesterday tryna rip some chrome… almost like those sick fucks no nothing else to even do with it. Pricks've been on the outs for a spell now. Sure you can see why there was no rush to answer their s.o.s. Guess we were too late anyway huh… right on time to just... scrape n' chunk the place. heheh."
Still clutching his wrist, Brian stares daggers at Carter... Carter returns the look unwavering… however he gives soon after… his expression shifting to one of regret, yet very quickly shifts again… to one of conviction.
The pair's silent communication with each other as clear as day…... two Night City street punks who've been here in this very moment countless times in the past.
Betrayal.
Broken trust that took time and effort to forge. Brian sees the nightmare that went down on Klep Street in it's entirety. Saving Zaunya's life… sparing Audrey's decency… the young woman dying in his arms. It was all there… grit and brutality layed to rest in the minds of very few.
"Get you and yours...… right." Carter mutters... a deep monotone... looking into Brian's eyes with a half shake of the head. A gesture of admittance… but no empathy. A look all to familiar worn on the faces of any and all Night Citizens… for any given reason... in any given situation.
Looking at Carter, Brian's expression is….. unreadable... stoic… carrying his instinctual reactions of pity and indifference. One where his ever-reliable intuition has now failed him in a way hard to recall. Considering their situation… there was just nothing to say.
…..Brian lets go of Carter's wrist.
Carter immediately raises his Liberty firing a single shot.. nailing the Maelstrom leader dead center of his 3 eyes. BugBear begins to unload charged rounds in the direction of the gangers as Brian raises his Nue and opens fire while Netty dives to the side. Each group exchanges a quick volley of rounds tagging each other. Netty's quickhack on the arm of a grenade launcher wielding maelstromer finishes just in time… redirecting his arm pointing it toward the ceiling as the launcher fires. The concussive boom was ear shattering as it blows a giant hole in the ceiling above them all... sending heavy chunks of concrete falling and bodies diving out of the way in all directions. Brian, on his back, sees a heavy chunk of concrete nearly the same size as himself falling directly on top of him point first. He fires the Lace Attenua again to the unmistakable sound of it's cracking wizz, turning his Kiroshis a lava orange. With his arms in an instinctual crossguard, the chunk of concrete impacts him… firmly pinning him down before falling off to his side. He disengages the Attenua and quickly scrambles up surrounded by gunfire. "OFF YOUR ASS AND ON YOUR FEET!!! GO!!!" He screams as he yanks Carter up by the back of his jacket toward the staircase going up as Beatrice covers their retreat.
Netty on the second floor leaps over the huge hole below from the explosion. His mask looks in every direction for a way out before remembering the hole in the window BugBear cut open. He glances at the window some 40 yards away to see several Maelstrom gangers making their way up and through it… he breaks in a different direction at full speed.
As Brian and the crew frantically ascend to the second floor fleeing suppressive fire and grenade explosions they hear the augmented roar of a Maelstromer's vocal cords scream out: "WATCH OUT!! BEHIND US!!" before another missle explosion sends even more smoke and chunks of the building flying. Carter leaps over the hole in the second floor dropping several grenades down into it on top of the pursuing Maelstromer's heads. With smoky fires ablaze and torching furniture, the very foundation of the compound shakes from the explosive impacts one after the other.
Small chunks of concrete and gravel begin to calmly fall between the dead hands of Kathy and Darius Pwiggles in the basement as the compound continues to shake and collapse.
With both crews dug in deep somewhere on the second floor firefight, Brian launches an explosive grenade into the air toward the Maelstromers some 30 yards away. He flicks his wrist outward engaging his pipe cannon and firing a single shot at the nade blasting it and sending gangers screaming and flying in various directions. Another ganger dives over Beatrice's cover falling atop and attempting to tackle her. She pushes off of his momentum flinging her rifle as they both quickly scramble back up to their feet. He raises his iron at her before having his arms quickly sliced off from the sharp, whipping speed of her scorching hot monowire. His severed arms go flying into the air with blood and stray bullets immediately swiss cheesing them. Carter punches him in the head with full force from the side, flattening him before he can even scream in pain. Beatrice is hit in the back with several rounds… the force of the impacts knock her to the ground hard as she retracts her monowire and reaches for her tech rifle through dust gritting her teeth.
"WE GOTTA DELTA!! WHERE THE FUCK'S THE KID!?!" Brian yells out taking cover from a heavy volley of steady gunfire and explosions with Carter and Bear returning fire. Carter blasts another grenade mid air flying toward them, causing it to let out an electric spark before a smoky boom.
Back at Audrey's clinic, she paces back and forth in the silence after finishing another smoke… glancing at the front door every few seconds with her nerves completely shot. Fueled by adrenaline alone the anticipation is killing her with every idle buzz of her equipment and the steady tick of the clock. She glances around ensuring the place was spotless and in order... no traces.
Back on the second floor of the compound, Carter fires several rounds at a thick glass window in a back room while running toward it. The thick glass spider cracks in several places before he drops his iron and starts unloading heavy punches on it with his gorilla arms. He punches and kicks it with all of his strength as it gradually starts to give with various puncture points letting in the freezing, wet air outside.
The very compound itself is collapsing into dust from the fight… chunks of heavy concrete fall as it caves in.. crushing and splattering various booster gangers in unlucky positions. The building continues to shake vigorously with every boom. With gunfire and chaos erupting on the first and second floors... and a squad of amped up Maelstrom gangers closing in on their tight position.
Brian feels the intensity of mortality… grasping it firmly in the moment.
Low on supplies... they're out of options.
Brian fires the Lace Attenua again. With lava orange Kiroshis, he raises up out of cover with a copperhead assault rifle pointed at the pack of firing Maelstromers sprinting at their position.
As he begins to commit to a suicide charge, he notices the squad of Maelstromers down the long stretch of the hall now fighting each other.
The several sprinters that were closing in drop to the floor mid stride.
He disengages the Attenua with a confused look on his face as he watches a ganger check another beside him with the buttstock of his rifle before executing him. He turns to shoot another one of his fellow gangers before being shot in the face himself… with the final one standing turning his iron on himself before blowing his own brains out.
As the final Maelstromer on the second floor drops with a heavy thud, Netaniel appears beside the fresh pile of corpses and removes his mask, while Carter rushes back to Brian and Beatrice's position.
Netty and Brian exchange a shared look… a look of admiration combined with disbelief... silencing the moment among the chaos.
The kid Brian once knew is no longer there... instead he sees a fellow soldier… one proven willing to do what's necessary in this city. A choom that can be trusted... A soldier he's willing to put his life in the hands of…
A soldier truly worthy… of the title Cyberpunk.
Netty waves the crew over and they climb out of their shredded position.
He turns around to head down the stairs.
As he turns.... his gut is pierced through cleanly with a mantis blade… sending his blood spraying.
All sound instantly seizes to silence….. the entire crew's eyes open wide.
Volumes of blood spray out of Netty's mouth as hes slowly raised into the air... looking down at the blade and screeching in immense pain.
He looks up into the eyes of Molly Seeker.... she stares daggers at him with an intense look of grit on her face.
She chucks Netaniel to the ground while retracting her blade… he hits the compound floor hard with a heavy thud... she stares down at him motionless.
Beatrice lets out a feral scream toward Molly... filled with fire at the top of her lungs with bloody spit flying and eyes wide open. She raises her sidearm... pointing it at Molly and letting off several shots before being grabbed from behind by Carter.
He struggles with all of his strength to pull her back toward their escape through the window in the nearby room.
She fights with all of her might… desperate to break free of his grasp… screaming uncontrollably toward the ceiling with eyes closed tight while being pulled away.
The dead silence amongst violence and chaos gives birth to an impossible moment.
A sudden, heavy knock is heard at the entrance to Audrey's clinic she jolts with a gasp.
She answers… the door slides open and shes met by the PetroChem executive Anna and her corpo huscle.
Anna confirms her name before respectfully ushering Audrey out to the rainy street and into her corpo Emperor… they drive off.
With Manny in a life or death tussle with a borged out Maelstromer behind her, Molly looks up from Netty's body.
For the first time…. she sees Brian Varga… just down the hall... the man responsible for all of her plight. She sees the man that has dragged her through the depths of Night City… the man that has pushed her abilities beyond her limits...….. the man who has driven her to the edge.
The Queen of the hunt at last locks eyes with the Apex predator.
The Alpha and the Omega stare each other down surrounded by fire and blood with the building collapsing.
Brian emotionlessly stares at Molly unflinching as she grits her teeth.
He's unimpressed.
Brian breaks eye contact and turns his back to her... walking away toward their escape.
Through fire… Molly immediately sprints down the hall toward him… her eyes never leaving her prey. The very floor beneath her feet gradually caving in.
As she attempts to leap over the gap, Manny yanks her back just in time… narrowly avoiding a huge chunk of the entire building folding in.
The folding architecture was the first to give in a final structural breakdown of the entire compound… causing those still alive to flee the collapse.