The tunnel wings were still chaotic. Rocky would not let Maelstrom call for help. Lissandra had already seized the network; everyone in the factory was a turtle in a jar. The gang's hacker stared up at Lissandra's godlike avatar and felt his life pinched between her fingers. "Boss, we… cannot reach outside. The net is blocked," he reported to Brick, voice trembling. A heartbeat later, fire blew out the back of his skull. Lissandra burned his brain where he sat. Brick swore, furious and helpless. Without Militech support, retreat already felt like the only smart move.
What he had not expected was that even if Militech knew Rocky had stepped into Maelstrom turf, they would not lift a finger. They would cut him loose as fast as possible. If Arasaka got hard proof that Militech had commissioned a hit against Ascension Technology, Arasaka would gain both leverage and a pretext. Militech did not want that outcome. This is why they hired a street gang instead of sending their own units. From the start, Maelstrom was disposable.
While Brick hesitated, Rebecca finished clearing the workshop. A low hum rolled through the air. Space split. A neat seam opened in front of Brick, and Rocky's group stepped out of the phase rift.
Brick's face tightened. Attack now and die, run now and get cut off. Either way, he was stuck. Rocky studied him in silence. Two seconds later, the elevator behind them slid open just wide enough for a person, a blur crossed the gap, and David appeared at Rocky's back. Rocky had refused to let him use the rift. Seeing David arrive, Rocky turned his attention to Brick again.
"You know who we are. I do not need to introduce us. As for why we came, I think you understand," Rocky said. The even voice, the unhurried tone, hit Brick like a superior interrogating a subordinate. It made him angry.
He swallowed it. Rebecca's slaughter on the shop floor was still fresh. The hacker's death said a top-tier netrunner sat in the dark. If he fought this team head-on, he did not like his odds. He had more bodies elsewhere in the plant, but not enough to change the math, and he would not drag them here to die.
Brick forced his voice steady. "Ascension Technology. L. Night City's new celebrity. Of course I know you. I admit I took a commission involving you. You also know how the underworld works. We take money and do the work. It is business, not personal."
"I know you are not targeting Ascension," Rocky said. "I am a mercenary too. Otherwise we would not be talking. But I will not tolerate anyone plotting against my factory and my formula. I need an explanation."
"What do you want to do?" Brick snapped. "My people only scouted your plant. No action yet. You have no real loss. You broke into our turf and killed a lot of my brothers."
The anger he had been holding leaked out. If they had already stolen the stimulant formula and Rocky came to retaliate, Brick could have understood it. But they had not gotten anything. The stimulant plant was airtight and ringed with Arasaka turrets. Cyberspace defenses were a steel wall. They had gained nothing and bled men today. How could he not be furious?
He reined it in. In Night City, the bigger fist owns the reason. Today, he could only call it bad luck.
"I will reject this commission. I will not move against your company again. We call it even. If you disagree, prepare for a full war with Maelstrom," Brick said at last. It was the farthest he could bend. He stared into Rocky's eyes and waited. If the answer was no, he would show that he was not without blood. He would make Ascension Technology learn what it costs to anger Maelstrom. No one wants those lunatics on their back.