[Check Out My P4treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][https://p4treon.com/talkfictome]
===
Maine was the undisputed sun around which the rest of the crew orbited.
He was a veteran of the Night City streets, and his reputation in the Afterlife was carved in chrome and blood. One look at his Gorilla Arms—each thicker than Kael's thigh—told the story. They weren't standard consumer models; they were heavily customized, industrial-grade beaters designed to turn reinforced concrete into dust.
Like most veteran Edgerunners, Maine's body was a patchwork of older tech and illegal modifications. The burden of such heavy chrome would have driven a lesser man to cyberpsychosis years ago, but Maine sat there looking relaxed, his massive frame draped over the booth as he exchanged a deep, lingering kiss with his girlfriend, Dorio.
Dorio was a mountain of muscle in her own right, though she preferred the "ganic" approach. Her physique was the result of brutal training and a steady diet of high-end hormonal supplements, giving her a presence so imposing it was hard to tell her gender at a glance. She was the crew's anchor, a close-quarters brawler who kept Maine grounded.
And then there was Pilar.
The tech-expert was currently leaning over the booth, harassing a holographic dancer with a lewd energy that made Kael's skin crawl. With his elongated, spindly technical arms and ill-fitting sunglasses, he looked like a praying mantis in a Hawaiian shirt.
"Had enough?!"
CRACK. Rebecca delivered a sharp blow to the back of Pilar's head, sending him face-first into the table. He groaned, adjusting his glasses with a long, multi-jointed finger before his eyes settled on Kael. A wide, jagged grin split his face.
"Oh ho! Rebecca! You finally grew up! Bringing a man home to meet the family? We're celebrating tonight, chooms!"
"You shut your mouth!" Rebecca shrieked, reaching for another bottle. "This is BT!"
Pilar sat bolt-upright, his eyes turning fervent. He grabbed Kael's arm with a grip that was surprisingly strong for such thin limbs. "You're BT?! The guy with the Jump Kit specs?! I knew those blueprints were pure genius! We have so much to talk about, brother!"
"I've heard the name," Maine interrupted, his deep voice cutting through Pilar's chatter. He leaned forward, extending a massive hand. "Sit down, kid. Any friend of Becca's is a friend of ours. I'm Maine. This is Dorio. I assume you already know the kids."
Kael took the seat, accepting a drink from Rebecca. "BT is my handle. You can just call me Kael."
Maine nodded, his eyes scanning Kael with professional interest. He'd seen the footage of Kael zeroing Mark in the plaza. He knew better than to trust Kael's "unaugmented" appearance; in Night City, the most dangerous people were the ones you couldn't read.
"Afterlife solo-wolves usually get Rogue's attention early," Maine said, sharing some veteran wisdom. "If you do well, she'll keep you fed. We're in a different boat; we're looking for corporate-tier work. That's why we're meeting a new Fixer today."
Maine had been a staple for Wakako for years—Sasha and the others had all been recommended by her—but the "Old Hag" didn't have the reach to get them into the high-stakes world of Militech or Arasaka. Maine wanted to be a legend, and legends aren't made by protecting local meat-trucks.
"Who's the new Fixer?" Kael asked.
"Faraday," Maine said, leaning in. "He's got four eyes and no soul, but he's got the keys to Militech's back door. I need his resources to push this crew to the next level."
Kael didn't say anything, but the "Calculating Survivor" in him winced. He knew Faraday's type—a man who viewed Edgerunners as disposable hardware. But Maine was a grown man; he had to walk his own path.
"I have to go," Sasha said suddenly, her feline eyes glowing as she checked a notification.
"Work?" Rebecca asked.
"Private gig. Just a quick data-lift."
Sasha was the crew's top-tier Netrunner, but like all of them, she took solo jobs to cover her own costs.
"I'll go with you," Kael said, standing up.
"Aren't you staying for the Fixer?" Sasha tilted her head, looking remarkably cute in her confusion.
"Not interested in Faraday," Kael said honestly. "And besides, I brought you here, so I should see you home."
Maine winked at Kael, giving him a thumbs-up. If he could pair his best Hacker with his most promising new combatant, the crew would be unstoppable.
"I strongly object!!" Pilar shouted, raising all four of his arms in protest. "Sasha's our only pretty girl! You can't just walk off with her!"
Rebecca kicked him off the sofa without looking. "Shut up, Pilar. Go with her, Kael. I trust you."
The rain had stopped, leaving Night City's streets reflecting the neon glare of Corpo Plaza.
"What's the job, Sasha?" Kael asked as they walked.
"Stealing experimental data from a Biotech firm. Standard Hacker stuff."
Kael stopped dead. Sasha turned, puzzled. "Is that a 'small job' to you?" Kael asked. "Touching a corp-net is how you get your brains fried."
"I've done it before," Sasha said confidently, handing him a stick of orange-flavored gum. "I'll be quick. Stay here."
She slipped into the Biotech Company headquarters like a shadow. For a Master Hacker, bypassing the exterior security was child's play. She reached the target office, jacked into the database, and began the download.
But then, she found it.
Hidden deep in the encrypted archives was a file on a neural-suppressant drug—the same drug her mother had taken for years before she died. The data showed that the company knew the drug was lethal but continued to sell it to pad their margins.
Sasha's calm shattered. She didn't just want the data for the Fixer anymore. She wanted the world to see the blood on Biotech's hands.
She initiated a global broadcast.
The interference she'd set up began to fail. Alarms shrieked through the building. Security robots converged on her position.
Outside, the rain began to fall again. Kael looked up just as a massive explosion blew out the windows of the middle floor.
A figure plummeted through the smoke. Sasha.
Kael didn't hesitate. He shed his jacket, the blue thrusters of his Jump Kit igniting with a high-pitched whine. He launched himself into the air, two grappling hooks screaming out and embedding themselves in the building's facade.
He swung through the rain, his arms outstretched.
Sasha felt the air rushing past her. She saw the neon lights of the plaza swirling in a kaleidoscope of grief and triumph. She had exposed them. She was ready for the dark.
Then, she felt it. A pair of strong, solid arms wrapped around her waist, yanking her out of the freefall.
"Miss Cat, you really need to work on your exits," Kael's voice cut through the wind.
He used the Jump Kit's vectoring nozzles to cushion their descent, landing them roughly but safely on the wet pavement.
"I'm... not dead?" Sasha murmured, looking up at Kael's profile.
"Not today." Kael immediately pulled out a MaxDoc and slammed it into her thigh. She'd taken several rounds during the escape, and her breathing was shallow.
As the medicine took hold, her color returned. She looked at Kael, her heart hammering against her ribs—not from the fall, but from the warmth of the man holding her.
"Thank you..."
"You're welcome. Can you stand?"
"It's a bit cold," Sasha whispered, shivering as the acid rain soaked her clothes. "Can you hold me a little tighter?"
Kael pulled her close, shielding her from the rain. He didn't see the tiny, triumphant smile on her face—the look of a cat who had just landed on its feet and found something far more interesting than a data-shard.
===
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 30 on my patreon, go check it out
exclusive 18+ character images, and early chapters, please visit my Patreon. Thanks for your support!
p4treon.com/talkfictome
if you want more updates == supports with power stones
Every 10 Power Stones == Bonus Chapter
every three 5-star reviews == Bonus Chapter