"Captain! It was him!" Sasaki Rou jogged toward Wilson, as if running to his savior, fully intending to complain about Leon's team.
But Wilson raised a hand, silencing him. "Enough. I already know. Let's focus on the mission. That takes priority."
Sasaki's protests died in his throat. The rest of the squad, still caught in the tension of the moment, exchanged uncertain glances. Meanwhile, Lily Cross had already cleared the roadblock and leaned on the steering wheel of her vehicle, a lollipop between her lips and a faint smirk on her face. If viewed from above, the cleared path was not really cleared—it had been reshaped into a fortress-like barricade, perfect for a firefight.
Leon Black and Mike Taylor quietly moved aside to let the convoy through. Their role had been to intercept and delay, and since that had failed, there was no need to stay. As rear-guard operatives, they understood their place.
Leon didn't shy away from conflict, but he had no love for unnecessary drama. If someone wanted to claw their way up the hierarchy by posturing or competing, Leon wouldn't stand in their way. After all, what was the point of having a "Lazy King" without a "Tryhard King" to compare against?
The halted convoy started up again, engines roaring as one vehicle after another surged forward to continue the pursuit. But even a minute's delay was enough for the fleeing Delamain taxi to have put serious distance between them.
If they still managed to catch up, then maybe V wasn't as much of a protagonist as people claimed. Leon had been genuinely surprised when he saw her earlier. Her look… it resembled the custom character he had once controlled in the game.
For a moment, reality and virtuality had overlapped, and Leon had hesitated.
In the back of a moving pursuit vehicle, Captain Wilson sat in silence, ignoring the chatter of his team. He was speaking quietly with the squad's netrunner.
"Are you sure the signal wasn't disrupted on our end?"
"I'm sure," the hacker responded grimly. "Once we got within 500 meters of them, all signal access was hijacked. I could sense the interference, but I couldn't override it."
Wilson's brow furrowed. "You're saying their hacker was better than you?"
The hacker paused, then admitted, "Yes… way better. At least platinum-level."
Wilson's heart sank. Squad Six heavily relied on smart weapons and synchronized tech. If a hacker of that caliber could hijack their systems mid-combat, they'd be sitting ducks.
In Night City, personal rankings followed the tiers used by most corporations: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Legendary. Each rank reflected a person's combat strength, mission success rate, and access to resources. Even a Gold-level rank, like Wilson's, was enough to command an entire squad.
But Leon Black?
Wilson barely knew him. They were both squad leaders in Arasaka Security, yet they'd crossed paths only a few times. Leon's team, Squad Seventeen, was infamous for staying under the radar. But after what Wilson had witnessed—Mike Taylor's oppressive presence, their clean exit, and Lena Fox's hijacking of his entire network—he was starting to realize just how deep Leon's strength ran.
Why hide that power? Why not rise through the ranks?
"They've moved," Ethan Cross reported, leaping down from the sixth-floor rooftop and landing with practiced ease.
His legs made no sound upon impact, thanks to his Featherlight leg cyberware—an Epic-grade implant produced by Kang Tao. It allowed for silent movement, reduced landing shock by 80%, and left no trace. A must-have for any sniper who needed to relocate quickly after a shot. Of course, its 40,000 eurodollar price tag made most mercs think twice.
In the world of mercenaries, fast money came with faster expenses. Repairs, maintenance, ammo, mods—all burned through cash. Even the bullet Ethan had fired earlier, the one that caught V off-guard, cost 500 eddies. That was more than most mid-level corporate workers made in a week.
Not that it stopped him from celebrating. "They're gone, which means we're done! Time to hit Afterlife!"
Leon raised a hand and called out, "You heard him—Afterlife it is."
"Oh, hell yeah! I've been starving for hours!" Ethan threw both hands up.
"Eat, eat, eat—that's all you do," Lily Cross rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back of the head. "You didn't even fire a second shot."
Ethan blinked in confusion. "What did I do?"
Leon chuckled and turned to Mike Taylor, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder. "You alright?"
Mike gave a slow nod, still a little tense. "Wilson… he had a presence."
Leon exchanged a glance with Lena Fox, who had just exited the team's transport, shaking off the last of her VR fatigue. She gave Leon a subtle nod.
"What's everyone in the mood for?" Leon smiled. "Dinner's on me tonight."
Cheers erupted around the group, drowning out Lena's soft laugh. She understood. That earlier cyberattack Leon had asked her to carry out wasn't about pride—it was a statement. A silent show of force. He didn't need her to question it. If Leon said it, she would do it.
In a world filled with betrayal and survival, this was what loyalty looked like.
---
Afterlife Bar.
A golden-crusted roast lamb took center stage on the booth table, surrounded by garlic butter shrimp, Neapolitan pasta, pizza, chicken salad, and two neat rows of whiskey.
Afterlife was more than just a bar. It was a place of relaxation, a fine-dining restaurant, a mercenary exchange, and, if you had the money, a second home.
"Looks like you all made a good haul today," Claire Russell, the pink-haired bartender, said with a smile as she handed a blue cocktail to Lena.
Claire was no ordinary bartender. Once a Militech automotive engineer, she had left the corporate world on her own terms. Since then, she'd run both the bar and a black-market auto shop on the side. Legal, illegal, experimental—if you had eddies, Claire had parts.
And she remembered everything. Once you ordered from her a few times, she'd memorize your drinks, your moods, and even offer specialty cocktails in memory of fallen legends.
Leon raised his wine glass. "Care to join us?"
"Oh? May I?" Claire smirked but sat down without waiting for a reply.
She liked Leon's team. Unlike most Arasaka personnel, they didn't act superior or cold. They were mercs first, company dogs second—people who treated jobs like paychecks, not ideology.
That difference made them easier to talk to. More honest. They didn't fake pride in corporate hierarchy. And they occasionally fed Claire juicy tidbits about Arasaka or rival gangs—nuggets she used to her advantage.
So today, she didn't mind putting her bartending on hold to share a drink.
After two rounds, Claire leaned in. "You all heard about Konpeki Plaza?"
Ethan Cross spoke through a mouthful of lamb, "Yeah, just came back from a 'catch-the-thief' run."
Claire raised an eyebrow. "Thief?"
"Two people snuck in and got chased out," Ethan shrugged. "Had to be either some high-value loot or a serious offense. Doesn't really matter—Arasaka won't care about the details. Someone threatens their reputation? They wipe the slate clean."
Leon sipped his wine. "A corporate response is always swift and merciless."
Claire gave a mysterious smile. "It wasn't just theft…"
"Oh?" Lily leaned forward, curious.
Claire stayed silent, so Lily slapped down 200 eddies on the table.
Smirking, Claire pocketed the cash, then leaned in. "The word is—a senior Arasaka executive got assassinated."
Everyone at the table paused mid-bite or mid-drink.
Leon's eyes sharpened. So, the rumors were true.
Saburo Arasaka's name wasn't explicitly mentioned, but Claire's intel was disturbingly accurate. How did Afterlife get the news so fast?
"They've locked down the city center," Claire continued. "Armed AVs are flying low, searching everything. That's not standard procedure—whoever died, it had to be high up."
Ethan nodded. "Only department-level or higher deaths trigger city-wide sweeps."
"Let's hope it was someone from Security," Lily muttered, reaching for her drink.
"That would be chef's kiss justice," Ethan agreed, grinning.
Claire's eyes danced with mischief. "What about you lot? No insider gossip?"
"If we had it, why would we be asking you?" Lily huffed. "Even outsiders know more than our own info division."
"That's how you stay alive," Ethan shrugged. "The more you know, the faster you die."
Leon turned to Lena Fox. "Keep listening. See if the corps or gangs make any major moves. Anything strange—let me know."
Lena gave a calm nod. She wasn't just the team's hacker. She was also their eyes in the digital shadows.
pàtréóñ(Gk31)