Judy looked up at Vash and caught sight of that face — too handsome to be fair. This was the man Night City couldn't shut up about: the living legend who'd driven Adam Smasher off.
So when he said, I'll handle it, the tight knot of unease and irritation in her chest loosened at once.
Yeah.
This was V. If he moved, Evelyn could be found.
Noticing the way she'd gone a little blank, Vash raised an eyebrow, "Judy… why are you staring? Got something on my face?"
"Ahem… no!" Judy snapped back to herself and took a quick step away.
Under the low light, Vash couldn't read her expression. He knew better than to push — some things couldn't be rushed.
"Besides checking on you." Vash said, "I've got other business."
"Need my help?" Judy asked.
Vash didn't dance around it, "Ever thought about switching workshops?"
"Switching workshops?" Judy repeated, twice, as if the words didn't fit in her mouth.
Vash nodded, "The ventilation down here's garbage. Sun barely reaches. Feels like solitary."
If anyone else dared trash her space like that, Judy would've kicked them out. Instantly.
But this was V.
"There's AC." She said, voice flat, "I don't need sun, and I don't need to go out and deal with people. I'm fine."
With her braindance editing chops, half the corporate entertainment divisions in the city would pay top eurodollars to hire her.
But Judy hated being micromanaged. Hated having her work dissected and repackaged into someone else's taste. So she stayed down here.
Vash leaned forward slightly, "What if I told you: no one bosses you around, you cut the BDs you actually want to cut, you eat decent every day — and most importantly, you can help your sisters when they're in trouble?"
Judy frowned, "V — just spit it out. You're not the type to run circles."
"Alright." Vash said, "I mean: come work with me."
The invitation was blunt. Sincere.
"You're stuck inside the Mox because the place is too small, and your hands are tied. So instead of squeezing into someone else's little temple… come help me build one."
Judy's eyes brightened, "V… you're saying you're starting your own crew in Night City?"
"I am." Vash said, "And I'm short on people. That's why I came to you."
Judy went quiet for a beat, weighing it.
Then she answered seriously, "Sorry, V. Because you asked seriously… I need to think seriously too. Give me a little time, okay?"
"No rush." Vash said, "Right now it's just me and Jack. We'll build it step by step."
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After leaving Lizzie's, Vash headed back to his unit at Sunshine Estates. More than a week away — and with no smart home to keep things tidy — meant dust had settled everywhere.
He did a full clean from top to bottom, then finally sat down to breathe.
During the break, Vash grabbed a pen and started sketching and writing on a sheet of paper. When he planned solo, he still preferred ink on paper — something real.
A few minutes later, a framework took shape: the blueprint for building a faction, the current pulse of Night City, and his own position in the board.
First: the faction itself. Gang or company — didn't matter yet.
The base would be Watson, right under his feet. For now, Watson was Militech turf. With the relationship he'd built with Militech, getting started wouldn't be too hard.
Second: funding.
This wasn't a video game. You couldn't just loot random junk and magically turn it into a bankroll. Sure, you could scrape enough to stay fed. Enough to build a faction? Only in dreams.
Vash looked at the big words he'd written in the center of the page:
KANG TAO
Kang Tao was one of Night City's major corps. Founded by Taiwanese after their country split from China — with Japan and Arasaka backing the move — then later "backstabbed" both sides when it ended up Chinese-owned after the Fourth Corporate War, rebuilding with heavy incentives and tax breaks.
In other words: it got so much "free" money it rose from the ashes.
In Night City — and even in Cyberpunk 2077 — they were practically invisible. Outside of smart weapons and a few consumer products, Kang Tao kept a low profile. Almost nothing leaked.
Even when Arasaka shook the city at Konpeki Plaza, Kang Tao didn't show its face.
But underestimating them would be a mistake. They were one of the few corps that could stand on the same stage as Arasaka without getting swallowed.
If Vash wanted backing, it had to come from someone willing to go against Arasaka openly. Tsunami Arms was tied to Japan — close enough to Arasaka to be suspect. Militech had already given him the Watson land angle, but that alone wasn't the kind of cover he wanted long-term.
He needed another megacorp behind the curtain.
Vash made a note: Pay Kang Tao a visit. Feel out cooperation.
He glanced at the cyberware shards sitting in the tray. The kit Friday had guided him into building was better than Militech's unreleased prototypes.
That was leverage.
With the long-term picture mapped out, the immediate problem was still Evelyn.
Because of Judy — because she'd asked — Vash needed to go to Clouds.
With that thought, he called Jackie.
"Jack. Come with me to Clouds tonight."
"Clouds?" Jackie perked up instantly, "Say less. I'm there, choom."
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Night fell.
Vash decided to keep things low-profile and drove a used ride to Japantown, Westbrook.
Clouds was a dollhouse on the 12th floor of Megabuilding H8.
Inside the elevator, Jackie fussed with his studded leather jacket, straightening it like he was prepping for a date. The thing was loud as hell. With Maelstrom wiped out, wearing it now was basically a neon sign that said look at me.
Vash sighed, "Jack… you sure being this high-profile is smart?"
Jackie shrugged, "Why the hell not? Once you're famous, you're supposed to be remembered. What's the point if you hide like a rat, huh?"
Honestly, Vash had only said it in passing.
Arasaka's reach in Night City was huge, but it wasn't omnipotent — especially in megabuildings, where gangs, city management, and corporate interests all tangled together. That mess was exactly why places like this stayed alive.
"Jack — how much do you know about Clouds?" Vash asked.
It was his first time here. And embarrassingly, back when he'd played the game, he'd speedrun missions — so the details were fuzzy.
"That's the right question, hermano." Jackie said, "Clouds? Tyger Claws run it. Always have. High-end dollhouse — big shots come for the full BD fantasy package."
He tilted his head toward the door.
"Mox don't own that place. They're their own crew at Lizzie's. But yeah, you'll still see girls moving between joints — some used to roll with the Mox. Just don't walk in thinking it's friendly turf, alright?"
As they talked, the elevator reached the 12th floor.
The doors slid open.
They'd arrived at Clouds.
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
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