"Oh, Maine, where's Jackie? Why didn't he come?" Jax asked Maine.
Given the occasion… with Jackie's personality, there was no reason for him not to be there.
"Damn, I almost forgot about Jackie."
Maine slapped his head and said, "When I sent out the message to everyone, Jackie was in Heywood. A few of us live close by, so we came together from Santo Domingo. Jackie, he was coming by himself, so now… he's probably still on his way?"
Maine quickly added, "Oh, Jax, Jackie said to tell you he thinks you're a complete jerk."
Jax chuckled awkwardly and said, "I know I was wrong, I was being dramatic, alright? Let's not dwell on it."
Maine smiled, looking straight ahead. He said, "Our welcoming party is already in position, Jax. What do you plan to do?"
"What else can we do?" Jax rested his hand on the back of Maine's seat, squinting as he looked ahead.
Just ahead of the vehicle was Japantown, and just as Maine had said, a group of Tyger Claws members had already appeared around the street corner.
From their exaggerated clothing, exposed tattoos, implants, and the weapons in their hands, it was clear these guys were not to be trifled with.
The average combat power of the Tyger Claws wasn't low. Although this group fit Jax's perception of 'thugs' perfectly, with an alarmingly strong 'punk' vibe about them.
However, the Tyger Claws' combat power was indeed not weak. Their internal military training was inferior to the Valentinos, let alone the 6th Street Gang.
But the problem was that the Tyger Claws had the highest average level of implants among Night City gangs, even more advanced than those lunatics from Maelstrom.
After all, having many cybernetic implants doesn't necessarily mean high-grade. You can install a dozen pieces of junk, transforming yourself into something like a Cybertronian, but junk is still junk. Can it compare to a single high-grade item the Tyger Claws got from Arasaka?
The answer was obvious.
Therefore, this would be a tough fight…
"Let's just charge straight in," Jax said.
"Alright, you're the client, you call the shots." Maine chuckled, Jax's idea was exactly what he wanted.
So, Maine reached out and patted Dorio's shoulder. Dorio really wanted to complain, but then she remembered the special circumstances. This was different from before; it wasn't a mission, there was no stealth involved.
They were here today purely for revenge, to crash the party.
What kind of party crashing is it if you're hiding and sneaking around?
So, taking a deep breath, Dorio immediately floored the accelerator, while simultaneously stomping on the brake with her other foot.
The tires shrieked, and amidst the pungent smell of burning rubber, the closest Tyger Claws members at the street corner noticed something was wrong. Wearing their iconic Tyger Claws masks, they approached with weapons drawn.
Just as they were about to question Maine's vehicle, Maine directly climbed out of the passenger seat, raising his right hand.
A brand new Omaha was aimed at the closest guy who had just walked up and extended his hand. Maine opened his mouth, silently forming the word — bang.
"Bang!"
A bullet shot out, instantly blowing off the head of the Tyger Claws member who was coming to question them.
And Dorio also released the brake, the car surging into the street.
"Baka (Idiot)!"
The guy who was hit and flew off had just shouted a Japanese word. Before the small plugin in Jax's Kiroshi Optics could even translate it, the man was pinned to the front of the car. But at a speed of 130, this bastard still wasn't killed!
Dorio watched the man screaming and flailing on the car hood, her mouth twitching. She rarely complained, but this time she said, "What kind of human cockroach is this?"
"Stop messing around! Find cover, we're all getting out of the car! The Tyger Claws are already surrounding us!" Maine roared, opening the car compartment and pulling out the grenade launcher he had prepared inside.
The moment Dorio stopped the car, Pilar's car, which was following closely behind, also stopped. Rebecca had already opened the sunroof. With her brother's help, half of her body was steadily out of the window, and she began to spray bullets with a pistol in each hand.
In Rebecca's hands were one pistol newly acquired through Wakako's channels, and one Omaha.
The loud gunshots startled everyone nearby.
The two cars stopped simultaneously, but a motorcycle had already sped off. Kiwi's motorcycle skills were astonishing; she leaned into a curve, drifting, using Maine's car as cover. Behind her, Lucy had already pulled out her Monowire from her wrist.
The golden filament instantly sliced through the Tyger Claws member sprawled on Maine's car hood. Kiwi didn't stop but sped off in another direction.
"Damn it, did those two take the wrong turn?" Maine muttered, having just gotten out of the car with his grenade launcher, only to be smacked on the back of the head by Dorio.
"What are you thinking? They're Netrunners! Do you expect them to join the direct combat? That wouldn't utilize their abilities at all!"
Maine gritted his teeth, his grenade launcher already aimed at a building in the distance—a pachinko parlor, essentially a pinball gambling den.
Hitting that place, he was damn sure it was the right move.
As for collateral damage… the Moxes had already launched a counterattack against the Tyger Claws. Although the Moxes didn't have many people, they had managed to injure the Tyger Claws with their surprise attack. Therefore, anyone still enjoying themselves in Tyger Claws territory at a time like this wasn't worth regretting if they died; they were likely mercenaries and gang members.
Load, aim, fire!
With one shot, the pachinko parlor was instantly blown to bits. Wails and curses erupted, and the Tyger Claws launched their counterattack.
In an instant, countless bullets flew in a fan-shaped pattern from directly ahead, accompanied by the strange shouts of the Tyger Claws. Maine clearly saw several grenades flying towards them.
"Whoosh!"
The Sandevistan activated. Maine clearly felt the flow of time slow down. This Sandevistan he bought from Gloria, its performance far exceeded the one Jackie used. The time-stop speed reached fifty percent, and his senses became clear. Maine even saw the grains of sand in the smoke and the air currents created by the incoming bullets.
He raised his hand, preparing to detonate those grenades with his pistol. Although these things weren't lethal weapons for Maine's crew now, as everyone in the team, including Dorio, had already upgraded their gear.
But… the car!
But just as Maine was about to act, he saw a dark shadow flash past him.
He turned his head. In the time-stopped world, Maine saw Jax looking at him from the side. Jax was leaning forward and charging, his azure gunblade raised. The next moment, he had already appeared in front of the grenades.
"You, this, you monster—"
"Boom! Boom!"
Several grenades exploded a dozen meters from the group. Amidst the resulting airflow, a dark shadow with an azure glow had already charged into the rear of the Tyger Claws, leaving a trail of screams and terrified roars.
"—ster!" Maine cursed.
Fifty percent time-stop speed, could he only manage to see Jax's movements clearly?
That meant Jackie's Sandevistan couldn't even clearly capture Jax's movements?
Damn it, this damn monster, no wonder Arasaka would be interested in you!
Seriously, why is the company still researching animals? Why are they still developing gene serums? Wouldn't it be better to just capture Jax and study him?
Thinking this, Maine also started firing his gun.
These low-level Tyger Claws members… they couldn't stop them at all!
At the same time, in the Clouds club, also known as Clouds, a sex doll club in the depths of Japantown, Faraday, who was embracing two beautiful women, suddenly sat up straight.
"What? He went to Japantown?"
"Damn it!" Faraday's first reaction upon receiving the news was to curse.
Are you kidding me… he had thought his plan would force Jax to show up, but Faraday really hadn't expected that guy to go directly to the Tyger Claws, to cause trouble for the Tyger Claws!
Are you kidding me, what kind of lunatic is this?
But Faraday quickly made a decision. He dialed a number, and once the call connected, he spoke in a respectful tone:
"Mr. Tanaka, Jax has appeared. He is currently in Japantown."
"Yes, I will bring people over immediately. And you…"
"Good, I await your arrival. I will bring him before you."
As Faraday spoke, he smiled, bowing and scraping, saying, "Of course, with the Tyger Claws' help, even if Maine's crew is strong, no accidents are possible. I don't doubt their combat power is strong, but I trust the combat power of the Tyger Claws members even more."
"Yes, rest assured, I will contact the agents you sent and the Tyger Claws' high-ranking members immediately."
Hanging up the phone, Faraday pushed away the women beside him and looked at his bodyguard. "It's time to work." His tone changed, and Faraday adjusted his suit, saying sternly.
"Yes, Lord Faraday." The oddly dressed bodyguard quickly nodded.
Faraday then stood up and dialed the phone again.
"Yes, I'll have to trouble you two. That kid is currently at the main entrance of Japantown. Yes, he's already here."
Yes, Faraday naturally knew about what Maine's crew did in the Badlands, but… how many people could a Nightwalkers family have? And how much combat power could a family in the Badlands possess?
And the Tyger Claws?
Thousands of members, plus two high-level combat agents from Arasaka. No matter how strong Maine's crew was, could they be stronger than corporate agents?
Are you kidding me!
However, to avoid any accidents, Faraday then walked out of the private room and, after entering the elevator, arrived at an office on the top floor of Clouds.
After knocking on the door, someone opened it for Faraday.
Inside were several Asian men with tattooed faces, dressed in black suits.
"What's wrong? Did Mr. Tanaka call?" one person looked at Faraday and asked.
"Hai!" Faraday nodded, then said, "An unexpected situation occurred. Jax's choice was beyond my expectation. I originally thought he would return directly to the Moxes and stand with them, but I didn't expect that kid to come directly to Japantown."
"You mean, the people we sent to surround the Moxes acted in vain?"
"I apologize, but what's more important now is to quickly recall them, capture him, and bring him before Mr. Tanaka. Mr. Tanaka will be very pleased," Faraday said seriously.
"Baka (Unreliable)
"Alright, have them come back. We can deal with the Moxes whenever; the priority is to catch this kid."
"Baka, that scoundrel actually dared to come to our territory?"
"Where's Komura? Have him come out and deal with that guy."
"Idiot! Mr. Tanaka said he wants him alive."
Faraday looked at the confident Tyger Claws executives and smiled.
This job… it's really damn easy.
"Catch her!"
"Damn it, you dare to bite me! I'm telling you, your Moxes gang is finished now! People like you should have been dragged to Jig-Jig Street and sold on the street long ago! Do you really think you have the right to open shops and steal business from us in Watson District?"
"Stop talking nonsense! The higher-ups said we can do whatever we want with the Moxes. This time, we don't have to worry about public opinion; the company will handle it for us."
In a complex street in Watson District, five Tyger Claws members roared loudly and scurried into the deserted alley.
Above were tangled pipes and dense electrical wires. With unsteady steps, Lena trembled, clutching her bleeding arm as she fled towards the deepest part of the alley.
The sounds behind her grew louder, and fear swept over her like a tide. Tears welled in Lena's eyes, and she gritted her teeth, pushing forward.
She couldn't go back... Going back now would only bring trouble to her two other sisters.
Living in the industrial area of Watson District, Lena was a Moxes doll, sharing a small apartment in Watson District with two sisters.
Lena, of course, knew that the relationship between the Moxes and the Tyger Claws had been tense recently, and going out was very dangerous. But... today, she had risked coming out to buy medicine for a sick sister.
If she didn't brave the danger to buy the medicine, Hells's illness would only get worse.
She had been careful enough, not even daring to leave the Moxes' territory, but... a large group of Tyger Claws members had surrounded the Moxes' territory today.
Susie Q had immediately ordered all members to gather at Lizzies, but on her way back, she was spotted by the Tyger Claws. Cheap fur, beautiful makeup, an impressive figure, and a flashy outfit, plus the Moxes' iconic glowing skin and synthetic leather, naturally... they were very easy to recognize.
Every Moxes member was considered a beauty in Night City.
Regardless of head or face changes or anything else, the Moxes were widely recognized as the gang with the most beautiful women in Night City.
"Found her, over here!"
A shout rang out, and Lena turned her head in terror, seeing a guy with glowing tattoos running towards her.
His legs clearly had cyberware, and he moved extremely fast, rushing towards Lena nimbly in the narrow, confined alley.
"No!"
A terrified scream erupted, and Lena felt her scalp tighten. The Tyger Claws member's hand had firmly grabbed her hair, and he kneed her in the back, forcing her face into intimate contact with the ground.
The rough pavement made Lena's cheek sting.
And then, more Tyger Claws members surrounded her. "How should we play with this woman? The one we caught last night was broken by Ueda and his crew. That guy, I was disgusted just watching, so I didn't join in. This one, hey, let's have some fun with her ourselves."
"How about we all go at it together? It doesn't matter if she dies anyway."
"Choking! I love this the most. Every time I see these Moxes women gasping for air, looking at me with pitiful eyes, I can't help but..."
Listening to their conversation, Lena's eyes gradually lost their vitality, and a sense of despair was born in her heart.
She was ready to activate her doll chip. No... to melt her doll chip, which would directly burn out her brain, making her die an idiot, which was better than dying consciously.
Thinking of this, Lena bit her lip and activated the device.
But the next moment, the hand pulling her hair lifted, and then, a face grinned at Lena: "You stinking bitch, do you think I don't know what you're trying to do?"
"We've got experience with you women. Want to activate your doll chip? Want to erase your memories? You wish!" Saying this, the man raised his other hand, a small knife appeared, and then quickly stabbed into the back of Lena's head, only the tip piercing in, then, with a forceful dig.
Amidst Lena's screams, a small chip was extracted from the back edge of her temple.
"Hehe, now we can play."
"Damn, I've got a good suggestion!"
"Tell me?"
"How about we take her out and play with her on the street?" Licking his lips, this gaunt Tyger Claws member's eyes were full of cruelty, then he continued:
"Before, the gang's high-ups worried about public opinion affecting the company's reputation, but this time it's a direct order from a company executive to clean out the Moxes. So... that means we can play however we want, right?"
"And this is about getting even for us! Seeing the Moxes act so arrogant before, it made my liver ache! And many of our brothers died at the hands of that Moxes woman named Anna."
"You want to make an example? Let the Moxes know the consequences of resisting? Alright, you actually understand military strategy?" Another Tyger Claws member burst out laughing.
"Won't this cause bad public opinion?" But a Tyger Claws member said, though he said this, looking at his expression, it was clear he was swayed.
"What bad public opinion? The company has intervened, what can the news report?"
"Good, then we'll listen to you. We'll take her to the street and all of us will have her right there! And then... and then I'm going to play with her head!"
"Damn, Yamashita, you bastard, seriously, I think you're a real pervert. I wanted to tell you before, your kind of play really needs to wait until everyone else is done before you can join in. Otherwise, everyone's having a good time, and you chop off someone's head and play with it alone, do you think we'd still be in the mood to continue?"
Lena listened to these conversations and was utterly desperate.
This group of Tyger Claws were a bunch of... lunatics!
The Tyger Claws, especially the lower ranks, were all a bunch of aggressive, bloodthirsty lunatics. They didn't care about public opinion, or face; they only cared about... momentary pleasure.
Lena resisted, shouting, "No, kill me, kill—"
"Shut up! Do you have a say here?" A heavy slap landed on Lena's face.
Then, the five Tyger Claws members grabbed Lena, broke her wrists, forced something into her mouth, and then carried her out of the alley.
Once on the street, the five Tyger Claws members, plus a woman being carried, immediately attracted the attention of many passersby.
"Look at your mothers! Do you not value your lives?" Yamashita, holding a Katana, gestured wildly at the crowd, loudly cursing.
Meanwhile, the gaunt Tyger Claws member had already started stripping Lena's clothes, shouting in Japanese and letting out sharp, loud laughter.
The crowd noticed this scene. Although they feared the Tyger Claws members, their interest was piqued. They watched curiously, immediately realizing that the beautiful woman being held by the Tyger Claws members was from the Moxes gang.
Again... Tyger Claws and Moxes?!
And, were they going to have a real fight on the street?!
Damn, this spectacle couldn't be missed!
In the crowd, some people even activated their Kiroshi optics, ready to film this bloody and brutal scene.
Lena noticed the situation and let out a silent, bitter laugh. She no longer even had the ability to commit suicide.
A sister had told her before, if caught by the Tyger Claws, don't think about escaping. Either fight them to the death, or commit suicide or activate your doll chip immediately.
But... Lena had held onto the pathetic hope of escaping, wanting to get the medicine back to her sister...
But now, she truly regretted it.
Their hands were already all over her, and two of them had even taken off their pants.
When the last piece of clothing on her body was ripped off by the Tyger Claws guy and thrown into the middle of the road, Lena quietly closed her eyes.
But the next moment, a sharp honk sounded, followed by a terrifying scream.
"Baka yarou!" It was the Tyger Claws' cursing.
Under the huge impact, Lena felt one of the hands on her body disappear, and then, all the hands holding her were gone.
She quickly opened her eyes and saw the crowd, who had previously been curiously watching the spectacle, now fleeing in panic. A golden, beautiful luxury car was parked four or five meters in front of her.
Under the car, a Tyger Claws member was crushed, letting out painful moans.
From the stopped car, the automatic door opened, and a Mexican man with a fierce appearance, wearing a black jacket and a samurai topknot, stepped out.
Looking down at the screaming Tyger Claws member under the car, he showed an annoyed expression and loudly grumbled, "What the hell, I thought it was a speed bump."
Saying this, he raised his foot and forcefully stomped on the guy's face.
Lena whimpered, the sudden turn of events rekindling her will to live.
"Baka, how dare you!" In front of Lena, the Tyger Claws member Yamashita, holding a Katana, roared and charged forward.
Then, the other three Tyger Claws members also surrounded him.
The closest was the gaunt Tyger Claws man who had previously grabbed Lena. He held a submachine gun with a glowing surface, raised his hand, and aimed at the man.
But the next moment, before he could fire, the man simply vanished from his spot, and when he reappeared, he was already close to him, raising his hand and throwing a punch.
"Snap!"
With the sound, red and white liquids splattered.
His entire face was caved in, his back of the head protruding even more. His brain-computer passed through flesh and blood, flashing sparks under the rock machine.
"Baka!" Seeing this, Yamashita's eyes turned red. With his tendon implants, he leaped high, raising his Katana, and brought it down, directly striking at the man.
In response, the man merely sidestepped, raised his hand, and a golden pistol aimed at the falling Yamashita.
A voice full of disdain also came from his mouth: "What era is this, and you're still playing with a damn knife? Do you think you're Jax?"
"Bang!"
The bullet accurately hit the head, and the impact from the large-caliber pistol was even more terrifying than the punch he had thrown earlier!
With that shot, Yamashita's entire head was gone!
"You Tyger Claws brats, your Grandpa Jackie is here!"
Grinning ferociously, this man, who had suddenly burst onto the scene like a black bear, laughed and charged towards the other two stunned Tyger Claws members.
In just a blink of an eye, he cleanly dealt with the other two bastards.
Immediately after, he quickly approached Lena.
"Are you with the Moxes?"
Lena whimpered and nodded.
"Hey, sister, don't be nervous, I'm here to help you guys." Saying this, he quickly reached out and removed the object from Lena's mouth.
"Pfft, cough, cough!" Coughing, Lena recovered and quickly said cautiously, "You, who are you?"
The man paused, then reached up and rubbed his head, showing a simple, honest smile:
"Me?"
"I'm Jax's brother. Just call me Jackie."
"Sister, we're family!"
The other party's enthusiasm and warmth made Lena's eyes widen involuntarily.
Jax's... brother?