Chapter Text
Easy job my ass! Was just suppose to klep a car and now I’m surrounded by N.C.P.D and the gonk that got me here. If my sister were here she would be laughing her ass off… “This is some fucking bullshit.”
“You say something bitch?”
The officer inched closer to V, the barrel of his gun was pressed against her head.
“I didn’t say anything officer, your ears just need to be cleaned. You know with all that shit you’ve got caked up there.” If this was how she was going out, V was going to do so with a bang.
“Woah now officer, can’t you look the other way for old time’s sake? We didn’t make off with any stolen goods, no one got hurt.” The gonk that had cost V this job wouldn’t stop running his mouth to the cop. Apparently, they had grown up together but had taken different paths to leave to make their mark on Night City.
“No can do Welles, the suit that owns the car said otherwise. Tie em up and drop them in the dam.”
“Fuck me”
The famous last words of V, before a cop, knocked her lights out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Chica..hey, chica you alive?”
“My head...shit what happened?” V was surprised that she had woken up on dry land and not in the dam. Music could be heard from the surrounding buildings, she was still alive.
“Seems like that old piece of shit wasn’t a complete sellout.” The man offered V a hand and a warm smile. That fact that he had stayed to make sure that V was okay was not common for a resident of Night City. “You know all this near-death experience really builds up an appetite. Wanna grab something to eat?”
“You cost me some eddies, almost got us killed, and now want to take me to lunch?” She took back all that she thought before. This man was a cyber-psycho in the making, that was the only logical explanation for everything that has happened. V’s disbelief was written clearly in her face because the man started to laugh.
“Hermana, what happened to us was fate. No doubt about it, would’ve died otherwise. Now let’s hustle, my Ma makes the best chili.”
Without missing a beat the big guy starts making his way to the main streets, not once looking back. “Oh, names Jackie and you?”
“V”
~~~~~~6 Month's Later~~~~~~
“Alright hermana this new gig is a bit on the light side”
It was Sunday night, which meant family dinner at the Welles house. A day that V never missed or she’d face the wrath of Mama Welles.
“In Night City no such thing as a light gig. The day we met that was supposed to be a light gig….look where that got us.”
It had been 6 months since that day in the garage. Jackie Welles has become a brother to V, who along with her sister had left her clan in an attempt to help them. It was rough adjusting to life in Night City, no trust, no one who had your back. No family. The merc would have been lying if she hadn’t thought about going back, back to people who truly cared about one another. If she hadn’t met Jackie maybe V would have left.
“Yea but if it weren’t for that gig we never would have met and this discussion would not be happening. Can you imagine a life without Mama Welles?”
Jackie knew that V loved his mom like if she were the merc’s own, V also loved her cooking….a lot.
“Well this one is gonna be for the Mox...a gang...of ladies” The gonk flashed his signature smile before shoving more food in his mouth. Jackie was determined to find V a little love of her own. His exact words were “Chica you can’t live like this, so much anger, tension. It’s not good for your soul”
“No! No way! Absolutely not!” V was having none of Jackie’s match-making nonsense. None of the others had worked out, hell the last girl stole her eddies. “Mama Welles tell him to stop! I can manage on my own”
“Hijo, if V doesn’t want your help finding love then don’t force it” Mama Welles with her sage-like wisdom. V always knew that she can count on her. “That being said, V, there is nothing wrong with looking for someone, for wanting to be loved.”
Betrayed by that same sage-like wisdom V mumbled under her breath like a child. There was just no winning with this family. “What are we doing?”
“So glad you asked. They need us to take a couple of dolls back from the TygerClaws.”
“I...that's it?” When Jackie mentioned it would be light work, V didn’t think it would be this light. It was a bit shady to the merc. Something wasn’t adding up.
“Tomorrow we go down to Lizzie’s and get the deets. It might be good to mingle with some of the girls, chica.”
“We did one job with a corpo and now your using words like mingle.” The two shared a look before bursting out into laughter. That poor man almost pissed himself when he saw Jackie, almost ran out before the job was even done.
“Alright choom, see you tomorrow. G’night Mama Welles”
“Goodnight mi hija.”
Leaving the Welles home always gave V a bittersweet feeling. She missed her family, her clan, but leaving was something that needed to be done. Hopefully when V and her sister decide to go back things will be different. Yet, those emotions, attachments were viewed as a weakness to be exploited. She was lucky enough to have met the Welles family, Misty, and Vik, but everyone else was out only for themselves. To everyone else, V was just another gun for hire and she’d keep it that way. No emotion, that was the way to go, to keep both her and her sister alive.
“No point in getting anyone to want me. I won’t be here long enough”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day V found herself at the parking lot of Lizzie’s, sitting on her bike waiting for Jackie. Today was his output’s birthday, Misty was a sweet girl another rarity in Night City. He had sent her a message saying he was running late, looking for a gift. They were cute together, Jackie told V the story of how they first met. It sounded like something straight out of a romance film. Jackie was passing by the area when he saw her trying to read the palms of the neighborhood kids. He said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
“V! Sorry, chica, I had to make sure everything was ready for tonight. Do you think I can borrow your car?”
“Sure, as long as you promise to clean her up after. You know you can borrow my wheels anytime. I prefer a bike to car any day.” It was true back on the open road V preferred to feel the wind rather than be covered up. Her bike was her passion.
“Done! Thanks, hermana, now let's get to work”
Lizzie’s was a BD bar, meaning most of the fun happened in the back behind closed doors. The bartender was nice enough, Mateo, gave V and Jackie a little rundown on who was who. Jackie was told that their contact would meet them at the bar. It wasn’t hard to find the women who hired them. She had a different feel about her, elegant, too elegant for a place like this. Blue hair and a coat that cost more than anything V owned, that was the kind of person who hired them.
“V, I presume?”Her voice was smooth, sultry, it came naturally like she wasn’t even trying.
“The one and only. And you are?”
“Evelyn Parker. Follow me, we can talk more privately”
Evelyn led the pair down into the basement past patrons that were clearly enjoying themselves. Down in the basement was an office filled with heavy-duty BD equipment. Sitting at a desk behind several monitors was a woman, looking mighty unhappy about the whole situation.
“Let me introduce you to the brains behind all the BD’s at Lizzie’s, Judy Alvarez.”
“Hey” Judy didn’t look all that impressed by what she saw, then again there was no one worth their salt in Night City anyway.
“I’m Jackie and this-”
“V” the merc cut her friend off, a gentleman till the end was signature Jackie Welles. But V was a big girl, she can introduce herself.
“Wakako spoke highly of you two, on how you handled the similar gig but dealt with the Scavs.” Evelyn pulled out a cigarette and was about to lit it before getting a glare from Judy, “Judy what did Wakako say about them again?”
“Said they were a pair that got things done….and something about a Nomad and Valentino working together as a form of poetry.”
Judy went from sitting behind her rig to standing beside Evelyn, it was a protective gesture almost.
Are they a thing? The merc could not help wonder about the relationship between the two women. Not that she cared for either, Judy, in V’s eyes was beautiful but nothing will come from that thought. No love for me…..don’t think those eyes are checking me out more than they are trying to see into my soul.
“Now that the introduction are out of the way let's get down to biz.” As Evelyn went over the plan Judy had not left her side. It reminded V of when she was a kid, how protective she was of her younger sister. V wouldn’t let anyone near them, a tiny scruffy kid standing up to adults. Whatever history was between Judy and Evelyn, it ran deep.
“Claws took dolls that don’t belong to them. Get em’back, plain and simple. These dolls were meant to leave Night City not acquire a permanent position”
“So you want us to grab em, avoiding a war between the Mox and TygerClaws. That much I get but then what happens after?” Something about this plan still didn’t sit right with V, it was too damn simple.
“The Mox will get them out of the city, you just have to get them to the safe house.”
“Sound preem but what's the catch. There is always a catch”
Jackie was feeling it too, the unease of it all. There was something else.
“There is nothing else. The Mox help dolls and joy toys, that's the whole reason they exist.” Evelyn was done with the game of twenty questions, “I have a BD for you. A doll from clouds gave it as a gift. It has info on where the others are being held”
“This is where I take my leave, V” Jackie stood and excused himself from the room, “Looking through another lady’s virtu just don’t sit right with me.”
“Well isn’t he a gentleman. So V, ever use a BD before?”
Judy went back behind her monitors, fingers dancing across the keyboard. This was her domain, no one can make a BD like Judy. They really were works of art.
“This wouldn’t be my first time but something tells me you have something different in mind.”
“Damn right! You’ll be able to do what I do to some extent, highlight certain bits of audio, scan the area.” Judy seemed to come alive when talking shop, she was like a whole different person. No more murderous glares, now she was a techie passionate about her craft.
She is cute when passionate
“Alright Judy, I’m all yours. Let’s do this.”
Before diving into the doll’s virtu Judy used another BD to get V’s feet wet. It was not something V was expecting at all. It was a virtu of a stick up gone wrong, poor gonk was killed by his own partner. V felt the bullet pierce her skin, she felt his pain, confusion, and betrayal. When she pulled out of the virtue the merc needed to take a few minutes to collect herself. She was alive; it wasn’t real, she was safe. That BD was a test, Evelyn wanted to see if she could handle it if she were right for the job. Well, she was.
“V, you alright? Need to take a minute?”
Judy was concerned, it was genuine, maybe the Scav BD was too much.
“I’m alright...just never wanna die again. Let's roll into the doll BD.”
The next BD was more tame than the first, a doll and a TygerClaw enjoying quality time together. In that rather short exchange V got everything she needed to plan the rescue.
“Alright Judy, Evelyn, I’ve got everything needed to get your dolls out.”
“Good, the dolls are set to move out in a day from now. Get them to the safe house and the rest is history.” Evelyn was impressed by how V handled her BD experience, maybe Wakako was right by recommending the pair to her.
“Copy. Oh, and Judy your setup is preem. Your gear is top shelf”
V was not one to flatter anyone’s ego for no reason. Judy really did have an impressive setup, showed she cared about her work; that she took pride in it.
“Thanks, V, keep the wreath. Never no one you might need to scroll through some virtues of your own.”
Taking her new BD wreath V left the couple to their own devices. But not before hearing a juicy bit of intel.
“Evie, are you sure you want to go through with this?”
“Judy, please, if the nomad and gangoon can do this then the next job will be a breeze-”
So this gig is a test, I knew it. This job is too easy and Evelyn...she sounds nervous
Once out of Lizzie’s V noticed that Jackie was nowhere in sight, looking at the time he was probably with Misty. Figures, being a gentleman revealed an ulterior motive. Pulling out her phone V shot him a message.
V: I know you’re with your girl. Come by tomorrow and I’ll run through the plan...Gonk
Jackie: Copy…..I thought you would have been in there longer
V: And why would you think that?
Jackie: You and that Judy couldn’t take your eyes off one another. A dumbass could see that.
V: -_-....tell Misty HBD for me. Jackass
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So the Claws are moving the dolls out of this warehouse off Jig-Jig street. They aren’t expecting anything to go down so security will be light. We go in take out the Claws that are there and take the van with the dolls to the safe house in Rancho Colorado.”
V had thought of the best way to grab the dolls by making the least amount of noise and this was the best option. If this was a test then V was going to pass with flying colors.
“Preem, no fuss a quick in and out”
Jackie had taken Misty out to dinner around Jig-Jig street he knew the best roads to lose any who dared to follow. “So…..there you were with that beautiful woman and you felt nothing?”
Leave it to Jackie to bring up the main issue, V’s love life, or the lack thereof.
“Don’t matter how I feel choom. Something is definitely up between her and Evelyn.”
“So you admit you felt something”
“Fuck you.” Using a quick hack V took away Jackies ability to see. Leaving him in darkness for his misbehavior. An unknown number dialed V’s phone, in her line of work it could either be a client or someone she pissed off.
“Hello?”
“ V? It’s Judy, I took your info from Evie, hope you don’t mind”
Judy calling V? Not something the merc was expecting. They may have had a bonding moment over BD’s and tech but that wasn’t enough to warrant a call, was it?
“Hey, Judy what’s up?"
“Listen about tomorrow, those dolls...they’ve been through some shit. Be gentle with em please”
Again real genuine emotion. Judy called just to make sure that V and Jackie took care of those dolls.
Maybe I had Judy pegged all wrong, “Don’t worry Judy, we’ll bring 'em back safe.”
The call ended leaving V with Jackie who regained his sight looking at her like a kid would to candy. “Still don’t think it was fate chica?”
“I am so close to offing you dude, so close.”
“But V! You felt something, she obviously felt something otherwise why bother with a call?”
“I don’t know bout fate but she really cares about those dolls. That is not something you see every day.”
“Say what you will Sis, I am definitely telling Misty.”
Jackie left, he had a solo job that needed to get done before tomorrow. Bored with staying in V decided to take to the streets.
There was always something interesting to do in the city, even if it was too loud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
V grew up on a road, no city walls, just the open road as far as the eyes can see. When she first came to Night City, V was mesmerized by all the sights and sounds, even the food was better. Now she thought of the City as being that feeds on those that lived in it. Taking all those hopes and dreams and giving back nothing but grief. And for those that do make it, well they had to give something up along the way. Jackie, Jackie was different, he was going to make it big and refused to change himself for anyone. V thought he would make a great nomad if city life ever got to him. V found his zeal for a better life infectious, that was the sole reason why V and her sister left the clan. For a better life not just for themselves but for the whole family.
V’s musing led her down one of Night City’s many alleys. In this particular alley, some drunken men were harassing a girl no older than 16 years old.
“Please leave me alone! My friend is sick and needs help.”
“That’s alright honey...hic...we’ll take care of you and then your friend”
V may act like she had no heart but that didn’t mean she lost it, she refused to let the city take anything from her. “I’d think it would be best if you boys fucked off.”
“Oh look boys a grown more mature woman, maybe she can show the girlie here how it's done.”
Drunk Number 1 took a single step towards V while his buddies cheered him on.
“Hey, take a few steps back okay. This will be over soon.”
V watched the girl hide behind a nearby dumpster, her head peeking out to see what plays out. V had learned that using a gun to solve every problem was something a gonk would do. She had more class than that.
Monowires. They were flexible yet durable and had the ability to cut through steel. But with V there was always room for improvement. The wires were controlled via neural input giving it extra flexibility. With nothing more than 3 flicks of her wrist, all three drunks were on the floor. All the girl saw from behind the dumpster where the flickering of red lights.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Your friend, they need a ripper doc?”
“Yes...no...maybe...he’s stuck in a BD a client gave him. I called someone-There she is!”
A van pulled into the alley the rear covered in decals that on any other day V would call cute.
“Judy!” The girl ran to the Van just as Judy was stepping out of it.
“Sel, easy chica, take it easy.” Judy hugged the girl, Sel until she calmed down. It was then that she noticed V. “V? What are you doing here?”
Sel explained that it was V who had saved her from the drunk man. That was something Judy wasn’t expecting, she still didn’t believe it. She had asked V if she was expecting to be paid for this and merc just shook her head. A merc refusing payment, it made Judy weary, no one kind for kindness sake. Sel grabbed Judy by the end leading her inside an apartment complex known for housing joy toys. Inside her unit lied a boy on a couch with a BD wreath on his face. He had been there for days, piss-stained his pants, and drool dripped from his cheek.
“V, when I say the word I want you to take the wreath off him okay?”
“Course, tell me when.” V stood by fingers resting gently on the piece of BD tech waiting for the techie’s word.
“Alright V now!”
Gently V took off the wreath and within moments the boy was awake. Sel ran to him crying, telling him off for doing something so stupid as trusting a client. The boy introduced himself as Marcus, apologized to Sel and Judy for making them worry and causing trouble. The kids tried to pay V for helping but the merc refused, instead, she gave them the location of Vik's clinic. They promised to go only if V promised to stop by again.
V found herself escorting Judy to her van. She knew the techie could handle herself, Judy was a member of the Mox after all.
“Thanks again for helping with the kids.”
“Don’t mention it. Do you know what was happening in that BD?”
“Not yet but I intend to find out. Downloaded a copy of it, gonna give it a scroll after tomorrow.”
Judy looked tired, physically, and emotionally tired. Yet another soul being drained by the city.
“Tomorrow” Looking up to the lights that have long outshined the stars V thought of the dolls she was meant to save, “We’ll get 'em back. Might not mean much, the word of a no-name merc. But I will get them back”
Judy watch v walk off into the nightlife. She didn’t trust Evelyn’s new hire, she didn’t trust anyone. But Judy really wanted to believe the merc.