Chapter 6: Storm
"If you're looking for specific info, you can always commission us!" Claire said brightly, showcasing Afterlife's capability. Bringing in customers earned her a cut, and customizing rides wasn't cheap.
"Oh? What's the price?" Ash turned toward her, half-curious.
Claire extended five fingers. "Just five thousand euros. That's a special rate just for you—anyone else, I wouldn't even start for less than five digits."
Her expression resembled that of a sly fixer dangling a deal in front of a naive client.
But Ash, knowing the ins and outs of Night City and its politics, wasn't buying it. Games were one thing. Reality—this chaotic, violent reality—was another. He had no desire to be dragged into drama.
Yorinobu killing his father Saburo during a boardroom dispute? To the average person, it was shocking—a breach of family and corporate ethics, perfect for street gossip. But to Ash, who'd devoured countless web novels, such betrayals were just standard fare. Patricide, fratricide, infanticide—he'd seen it all.
The real issue was what came next.
Saburo's death would trigger a power shift within Arasaka. People would scramble for position. And caught in the storm? The cannon fodder. The nobodies.
Ash didn't want to be cannon fodder.
And more importantly, he didn't want to end up like the protagonists from the game—trapped in a spiral of hopeless, short-lived victories. Becoming a legend in Night City always came with a brutal price.
"I don't want in on this," Ash muttered.
Nova Li, sipping her drink, rolled her eyes. "Are you that desperate for cash?"
"Living in Night City isn't cheap," Claire shrugged. "And I need to mod my ride for the Death Race."
Ash slipped a hundred-euro bill on the table. "Find someone else. I'm not interested in insider gossip."
Claire sighed and got up, but before she could leave, a group of large, intimidating men approached, flanking a woman.
She stopped in her tracks, quietly waiting, clearly aware of who had just walked in. Even someone as bold as Claire didn't dare step out of line—not when she was in the room.
Takumi Kai put down his chopsticks and half-joked, half-reverently said, "What a rare sight—the legendary woman of Night City, the Queen of Fixers, Ms. Rogue."
Dressed in a yellow top and black leather pants, the white-haired woman exuded strength and elegance. No one would guess she was nearly eighty.
Ash gave a nod of respect. Everyone knew Rogue had helped bomb Arasaka Tower decades ago, and yet Arasaka had done nothing to her.
Too powerful. Too legendary. Too dangerous to mess with.
Only now, seeing her in person, did Ash realize how underwhelming the in-game version was. No cutscene or lore dump could capture her presence.
As Rogue walked past, she turned slightly—her eyes razor-sharp, scanning.
Takumi Kai felt a crushing pressure, like her gaze peeled away his defenses, staring directly into his mind.
"Shit…" he muttered internally. A high-tier optical scanner. Maybe even control-grade.
Just as Kai's knees began to buckle, a shadow stepped in front of him.
"Captain!" he called out.
Ash, calm and collected, stood between Rogue and Kai with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a drink. He offered a polite nod to Rogue.
Rogue didn't acknowledge him. She simply turned and walked away.
To her, Ash was just another foot soldier. Another Arasaka asset. One of many she had outlived.
"So strong," Kai whispered once Rogue disappeared into the private room. His limbs were still tingling from the pressure.
Ash gave a small smile. "Of course. She's a living legend."
And she hadn't even activated her cyberware. That terrifying pressure came from a passive plugin. Iconic gear.
Ash's eyes narrowed. He'd been hunting Iconic-grade equipment for weeks, following the game's memory-based locations—only to find nothing. And now, out of nowhere, Rogue had one.
And something didn't add up.
In his memory, Rogue didn't have that specific cyberware when they first met. So why did she have it now?
"Yui, contact the ripperdocs and check for anything new. Kui, reach out to the arms dealers," Ash ordered, his tone turning serious.
Sandayu Oda and Nova Li exchanged glances before nodding. They pulled out their phones immediately.
Claire, sensing the shift in tone, quietly exited the scene.
Minutes later, both women had finished making their calls. Their expressions turned grim.
"Long, a lot of high-end cyberware just hit the market. Some of it's Epic-grade," Sandayu reported.
"Same for weapons," Nova added.
That confirmed it. The tremors of Saburo Arasaka's death hadn't yet reached the public—but the vultures already sensed blood. Smugglers, scavengers, and opportunists were preparing for chaos.
And Ash needed to prepare too.
"Yui, transfer funds to Kui. Buy up everything worth having—gear, cyberware, weapons. No hesitation. Pay on delivery and check the goods carefully."
"Got it," they both said and left without another word.
Ash leaned back. Women were always better at negotiating discounts, and both of them were seasoned buyers.
"Something wrong, boss?" Takumi Kai asked.
"Just some logistics. Speaking of which, are you still in touch with your friends back in Tokyo HQ?" Ash asked.
"Yeah. A few. They're super jealous of my current setup."
Kai couldn't share operational details, but he often showed off—photos of exotic cars, luxury condos, and cutting-edge weapons. It wasn't the smartest flex, but he lived for the moment.
"Stay in touch with them. Might come in handy soon," Ash said.
Kai nodded, not understanding but trusting his captain's instincts.
Ding-a-ling~
Ash's wrist communicator buzzed.
"Yo~ Arasaka boy~ Your ride's here. Wanna come check it out?" Dino Dinovic's grinning face popped onto the screen.
Wearing his usual black leather vest and shades, Dino looked every bit the shady fixer he was.
"That was quick," Ash replied.
"Of course. Who do you think I am?" Dino laughed.
The least trustworthy fixer in the Corporate Plaza, Ash thought.
Dino made his money doing soft jobs—loan sharking, selling brain-dance highs, and now car smuggling. Surprisingly, smuggling cars paid really well. If you could slip one through customs, the markup was insane.
"Where's my car?"
"Right here. Took some work to get it, but you've got good taste," Dino said, turning his camera to a dark corner of his warehouse.
There it sat—a silver-gray Quadra Type-66 "Avenger."
6.0-liter twin-turbo V12. 777 horsepower. All-wheel drive. Scissor doors.
Old-school aesthetic, raw power, sexy as hell.
Ash's eyes lit up.
He'd always loved this car. Back in the day, he used to borrow others' rides just to feel that rush. But now? Now he could afford to treat himself.
"Send me the address," Ash said.
"I'll deliver it. You know I can't give out the warehouse location. Let's keep things professional," Dino said.
"Fair enough. Drop it at Afterlife," Ash replied.
"That'll be 750,000 euros," Dino said with a grin, rubbing his fingers together.