The Hand That Feeds

[One week later - Mother Base]

Enough time had passed that the sheepish smiles and significant glances shared among the crew were all but subsided. This was the new routine... Addie and Jackson openly showing their affection for one another, and Jayce and Nel playfully picking on each other before disappearing altogether. Not that it was hard to figure out; everywhere the two kids went, there was a trail of breadcrumbs in the form of hastily stripped clothing to lead the way... and thankfully everyone else had the common courtesy to not pull that thread.

They were teenagers... teenagers in love, having never known the feeling otherwise. Jackson saw the writing on the wall from miles away, but he was just as committed to helping them through it as anyone else. It was no mystery that relationships born from shared trauma had a tendency to crash and burn... and quite spectacularly at that. He knew that pain all too well, having once beaten a man to within an inch of his life for the woman he loved.

Jackson knew going in that Aiyana's father had a checkered past, not to mention the at the time unexplained circumstances around her mother's death. And yet all it took was seeing the old man try to put his hands on the girl once for Jackson to step in. In that moment, he knew all he needed to know. He was so overcome with pure and unadulterated rage as he landed strike after punishing strike on the man. Despite her own misgivings with her father, Aiyana put those aside, resorting to crying and pleading in order to get Jackson to stop. Death was better than he deserved... even one delivered so brutishly. The old man knew his sins, and Aiyana resolved that living with them in his own tortured mind was a just punishment.

Suffice to say, Jayce couldn't do much worse than that. Despite the trauma, Nel was as close as it came to a fresh slate. And as happy as the two girls made each other, nobody was rooting for them to fail.

For the moment... life was good...

And then there was the nagging question in Jackson's mind... where the fuck was Charles Bishop?!

Not that he was a threat by any means... yet. Still, he had conveniently dropped off the face of the earth after their first run-in only a few weeks prior. He surely wasn't missed, until Dakota discovered that his name was tied to shipments of baloperidol that ended up in the hands of the Outlanders on the far side of the border. Near as anyone could tell, they were cooking up something nasty; a combination of psychoactive drugs to amp someone up and keep them highly susceptible to influence, and a steady of shot of an anti-psychotic to bring them back from the edge.

Jackson could only speculate, but his money was on Nel and her sisters serving as the test subjects... and it explained a lot. The girl was in their care barely two days before the shakes and vomiting set in. The track marks and signs of abuse were all too obvious, coupled with the girl's aversion to needles of any kind. Once she was awake and aware of her new surroundings, Doc Strong had to resort to only external care and oral supplements, lest he send the girl into another screaming fit to try and get away. Of course, this also meant she had to bear the brunt of withdrawal head-on. She was braver than most, breaking free on the other side with little ill effect.

For all her troubles early on, Nel had melded into the crew's ranks fairly quickly, and Jackson was happy for it. She was a good fighter, and she had a good heart. She deserved better than what she had for most of her life up to that point, and God help the old cowboy if he wouldn't try and give it to her... especially now that Jayce was wrapped up in it.

He smiled as he snapped himself back to the present, looking down at Strong clacking away on a keyboard. Not that the good doctor didn't trust Dakota... or their new friend at the Afterlife... but he wanted to turn over a few stones of his own. And of course, Jackson couldn't help but watch, and 'help' in his own way as he asked, "Still nothin' from our ladies...?"

Strong grunted, shaking his head, "Nothing but apologies from Dakota... actually nothing at all from the Afterlife... starting to wonder."

"Hey, don't follow 'at thread...", Jackson gently chided his friend as he blew on his coffee, "I saw the way she reacted to Falco's message... it hit 'er hard, hearing from them."

"Any ideas who they are...?", Strong turned and looked up, at the same time choosing to focus on something else entirely. Jackson shook his head before Bison interrupted, his voice trailing in, "Falco's a given... nomad wheelman, Night City legend thanks to David Martinez... but Jax probably knew him better than any one of us."

Jackson smiled, fond memories rushing in while Strong interjected, "How's the shoulder?"

Bison continued entirely unfazed, "Just peachy... Billy and Miz... well, Mizuki... she was a spunky little brat, not unlike V. Young, but extremely capable. Had some dark history with the Tyger Claws... only a few people really knew the full story, one of which was her input, William Barrett. Strong kid, smart too. They worked under a nomad gunslinger by the name of Phoenix Gray."

Doc Strong smiled to himself and looked down, the puzzle pieces falling into place. Jackson noticed the look and asked, "What'm I missin'...?"

"You remember that late-night call I got around five years ago from Vik Vektor?", Strong asked, to which Jackson nodded, "Yeah, some poor sum'bitch had 'is leg broken or some such? Needed a 'doc with 'ganic skills to set the break."

"And then some...", the doctor scoffed and shook his head, "The leg was a smokescreen, bad as it was... real damage was his lungs. All ate up with cancer from a lifelong bad habit."

His eyes cut to Jackson, whose head dropped for a moment. He cut back to looking at his own hands, "Poor bastard had a hard life, from what Vik told me... lost his first wife and daughter back in Arizona before Falco brought him to NC and helped put him back together. He fell in love with a TCs joytoy in Watson... eventually came to love her teenage daughter as his own, before..."

It wasn't his story to tell, and he tried to keep his composure as he moved on, "...anyway, I gave the man six months... maybe... and he just took it. Swallowed the knot in his throat and made his peace right then and there."

"Vik didn't try an' sell him on implants...?", Jackson asked, to which Strong laughed, "Old man was stubborn... said he'd spent his whole life 'ganic... wanted to let his body take the course that nature intended. I think he was tired..."

Jackson leaned in, curious for more, "So what 'appened to 'im?"

"Couldn't say...", Strong answered, eyes cutting to Bison for any blanks needing filled. The younger nomad was happy to oblige, "Around the time Billy and Miz paired off, Phoenix started shacking up with Billy's mom. They had a place together in Rancho. From what V used to tell, they were her best mercenary crew. No job too big or small, and they always delivered."

Jackson and Strong were both captivated, letting Bison have the floor as he cleared his throat, "There was a job once... south of the Border... some skeevy Militech brass with a score to settle took Phoenix's output hostage and strong-armed the crew into some shady shit-show down in Los Alamos. It was a setup, the brass wanted to take all the crew at once. I-I don't know specifics, but I do know the Aldecaldos led a full assault against the facility and broke the crew... and Panam... out. Phoenix gave himself up so everyone else could get away."

"Militech... so it was them...", Strong muttered as he smiled from ear to ear. Bison smirked and nodded, "Yeah, that was them... Miz went off the deep-end and called in one last favor from V. Officially, there were no survivors... but you know how rumors are."

They all shared a chuckle as Jackson stepped forward with a smile, "We surely do... and this'un sounds like one stone best left unturned..."

There was a silent agreement between all three men as they looked back at the screen... until a snarl drew their attention to the open doors. Nel was standing at the entrance of the infirmary, wide-eyed and in shock, her entire body shaking. She was glued to the largest of Strong's screens, staring with hate in her eyes as she slowly pointed, "W-Why... is... h-he—"

Bison looked at the screen showing Charles' headshot, then back to Nel as he asked, "W-Wait... you know this guy?!"

Jackson's jaw clenched as he stepped in front of them, his hand slipping down into his pants pocket as he asked, "Nel... do you trust me...?"

There was a confused look on her face and she gave no response... until Jackson held out his hand, the glowing red vial resting in his open palm. Nel's face twisted to unbridled anger bordering on betrayal as she stepped back into a stance, her claws extending as she shouted, "NO!!! NEVER AGAIN!"

Jackson quickly closed his hand and pulled back, reaching out with his other to try and stop whatever was about to happen. He placed the vial down on a small table as he locked eyes with the girl, "We're not going to hurt you... I promised you were safe with us..."

Tears streamed down Nel's face as she made her point as plainly as possible, "...b-but are you s-safe with me...?"

She took a step back, and then another, her claws retracting before she turned and ran to a distantly familiar far corner of the hangar. Nearly half a minute passed in silence until the hollow and echoing rattle of the cage door slamming shut shook everyone to their very core. Jackson's heart broke for her all over again as he eased his stance. After a few seconds, both Addie and Jayce appeared in the doorway, the latter wearing a perturbed look as she stared daggers at her old man. None of them had any words to offer... until Bison spoke softly, "...what the fuck did we just do to her...?"

--

[Some time later...]

It hurt like Hell to be making this walk again, especially after how far Nel had come... but Jackson needed to level with her before things got any worse. He gave her a few hours to cool off, and now it was time to face the music. The girl knew Charles Bishop, and her visceral reaction to the vial confirmed Jackson's suspicions. He needed to know what she knew... but first, he needed to know that she was okay. He needed her to know that she was okay.

Beads of sweat collected on his forehead, both from his own trepidation, and from the afternoon heat baking this far corner of their humble abode... but mostly because of the heat. As he might have expected, Jayce sat dutifully across from the cages on the bench, saying nothing. Her legs were pulled into her chest as she stared intently through the bars to the body curled up on the small cot and facing away from them.

Jackson could have said any number of things to try and calm Jayce down earlier, but he knew his own daughter well enough to know it wouldn't have amounted to much of anything. She need time to cool off just like Nel. Still, he stepped carefully as he approached, his voice low as he asked, "She said anythin'...?"

Jayce barely moved, her head shifting just enough so her eyes could cut to him. Her stare made Jackson's blood run cold as they locked eyes before she shook her head in silent defiance. She watched closely as he took the last few steps. He turned and took his seat next to her as he looked into the cage. Predictable as ever, Jayce placed at least some of the blame at his feet as she shifted further down the bench.

Not that he could blame her... he was just as imprudent at her age. He barely held his laughter, readying his response before Nel broke her silence for the first time since her earlier episode, "It's not his fault... and you know it."

Jackson wore a shit-eating smirk as he turned to Jayce, eyebrows raised as he leaned in. She tried to hide the same smirk creeping in on her face before she shifted back to her original spot. He gave a gentle nudge with his elbow before standing and approaching the cell door. He looked at the floor as he leaned against the bars and tried to find the right words, not even trying to pretend that he knew what was going on in Nel's mind. Though he was determined to find out, he tried testing the waters first, "Seems t'me them claws o' yours could cut clean through these bars... so why bother?"

Nel shifted on the cot, trying to hide her face between her arms as she answered, "It's good for an animal to have boundaries... even superficial ones."

Trying to hide a smile, Jackson nodded, "Good rule o' thumb... you find one, you'll let me know, yeah?"

"I know what you're doing...", Nel blurted with aggravation in her voice. The old cowboy chuckled under his breath as he fired back, "Yeah... 's it workin'...?"

The girl shifted again, this time rolling over to face them as she looked at Jackson. After several seconds, she sniffed up and subtly nodded. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face puffy from the tears... but the corners of her mouth were curled. Jayce was on her feet in less than a second, surging forward as she grabbed hold of the bars. All she wanted to do was hold Nel, give her a reason to forget all of it... but even she knew that was easier said than done.

After a brief silence, Nel's mouth turned to a frown again as she closed her eyes and asked, "W-What... if... what I am... isn't just what they made me...?"

Jackson knew what she was asking, but he kept quiet and let her spell it out anyway, "What if this is just what I am...?"

He hoped that hearing herself saying the words out loud would knock some sense into her, but she just kept going, "By the time I was... done... with Powder... I was begging for the fight. I wanted it... wanted the blood so bad, I could taste it."

She started to shake, burying her head between her arms and clawing at her scalp again, "W-What kind of... 'person'... wants that?!"

As much as Jackson wanted to help her, he was suddenly reminded of something said to him during the battle in the Badlands... and the possible answer to his next question scared the hell out of him. Nonetheless, he broached the topic gently, "Nel... I'm goin' to ask you a straight question... I need a straight answer."

"So ask...", Nel commanded him blankly as the shaking subsided and her whole mood changed, "...it's why you're here anyway..."

Jackson had to admit he was ever-so-slightly taken aback by the girl's sudden shift, but he cleared his throat, "Before the shit hit the fan... you said your tribe were cannibals... d-did you ev—"

"No...", Nel's eyes opened and she cut to the older man. He followed up, "Did ya ever want to?"

She gave no verbal response, but her eyes and face told the truth with an utterly disgusted expression. Jackson smiled, opening the cage door as he took his chance and stepped inside. There was hope in Nel's eyes, but she still tried to back away, scurrying into a corner. She wasn't afraid of him... she was afraid of herself, and he knew that. When she could recoil no further, he kept his distance, leaning against the wall and sliding comfortably onto the floor with a low groan befitting a man of his age.

He collected his thoughts before he asked, "That man... who's he to ya?"

Nel's eyes narrowed as her body stiffened up, "The others called him... Father... when he was around."

"When he was around... meanin' he wasn't a fixture?", Jackson asked. Nel shook her head, "He'd come around every week... or two. Kept a close eye on my sisters and me, but I never knew why."

"D-Did he... ever...?", Jackson was careful to ask, but Nel nonchalantly shook her head, "He wasn't like us... wasn't like them..."

Jackson chanced scooting a little closer, "And what 'bout 'at nasty red shit we found...?"

Nel started rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she expected to see scabs and track marks. As always, her face held no secrets, and she looked at Jackson as she rebuffed the question, "Sounds to me like you already know..."

He gave no response outside of a raised eyebrow, letting the silence eat at the girl until she caved, "The older brothers called it 'Beast's Blood'... it's how they controlled us. A fresh shot every day would amp us up for whatever fight was to come, and by night, we were so spent that it was hard not to crash... or fight back. In the mornings, we were aching for the next fix."

Jackson swallowed another knot in his throat, "I'm sorry for startlin' you wit' all o' that... but you know you're safe here..."

Nel nodded, scooting closer to her older choom as she mused, "I-If they're moving the drugs in the open like that, we don't have a lot of time..."

Both Jackson and Jayce reacted to that statement with genuine surprise as Nel scoffed, "That meet where they dumped me... it wasn't just about the flesh trade."

Nel went on to explain what she knew as best as she could. The same drugs given to her and her sisters everyday were being sold to Scavs to push on the streets of Night City. In exchange for favorable pricing, the Scavs handed over any live bodies they didn't gut for chrome. Raffen Shiv were the middlemen, serving as the go-between and securing safe passage across the Border.

Apparently the Shiv... or Scavs... or both... weren't living up to their end of the deal, and thus the Outlanders made moves to establish a presence in Night City and oversee the entire operation. This also meant that, as far as anyone could tell, Charles Bishop and Biotechnica as a whole were far more integral to the plot than previously assumed.

It wasn't any big secret that the megacorporations were involved in shady dealings on the side, but it never failed to surprise anyone just how deep and vile the corruption was, especially at the upper echelons. Biotechnica had its own checkered past, so this really came as no surprise to anyone... except for the fact that Jackson and his crew were right on the fringe of it once already. And he punished himself accordingly as he spat, "I knew 'at job was too easy..."

Nel looked up at Jackson, curiosity in her eyes. He shook his head, "The old lady... Dakota Smith... same one 'at found you on the side of the road. She had job for us a few weeks back... client wanted information from 'at man's head about drug shipments gone missin'. Always thought he gave it up a little too easy... guessin' now we know 's 'cause we wasn't gettin' the full picture."

Jayce picked the worst possible moment to chime in as she giggled, "Bettin' Bison got a pretty nice full picture of 'is wife thou—"

"You stop that...", Jackson chided her, trying not to smile along. After a few moments, he looked back at Nel, "They found a survivor from that meet, 'Kota called me in to question 'im. He says you got spooked...? Startin' to sound like you had a plan all along."

Nel looked down at the floor between her own two feet as she confessed, "I... didn't want to hurt anymore. I saw a chance to break free... hoped I could get my sisters to follow along, but they..."

She started to shake again, her breathing uneven as the emotions swelled in her chest. Jackson scooted up next to her, wrapping her up in his arms as she spilled out her soul, "B-by the time I r-realized I w-was all alone... I j-just wanted it all t-to end."

"You was hell-bound to get out one way or another...", Jackson tried to comfort her as she punished herself, "I abandoned them!"

"Sounds t'me like they abandoned you...", Jayce called out, "No doubt they's got a powerful hold on y'all, but they made their choice... same as you made yours. They was too afraid to bite the hand 'at fed... but you tried to show 'em how."

Jackson smiled proudly as he looked at Jayce giving their little albatross what-for, and he added his two cents, "I've seen what you can do wit' my own eyes, kid... you've had more 'an a few chances to put me down, but you always held back. Is 'at somethin' an animal does?"

He felt her tears soaking his shirt as she grabbed for him and held on tight while he gently cradled her, rocking back and forth. Beneath it all, she was still just a scared kid... terrified of a world she had never known... a world where she didn't have to hurt anymore.

They sat in silence for several minutes until Jackson noticed Addie off in the shadows, watching with a smile on her face. He smiled back before turning to Jayce as he asked quietly, "Think I've kept y'all apart long 'nough...?"

Jayce answered with a laugh by sidestepping over to the open door. She entered the cell and sat down next to her old man, calling out softly, "Come to me, Peaches... le'me take care o' ya..."

Lucky for Nel, she had stopped shaking, finally able to pull herself together and away from Jackson's embrace. She shifted between them, nestling into Jayce's warmth as they looked in each other's eyes.

There wasn't much else Jackson could add to the situation, and so he took his leave, exiting the cell and walking down the long stretch of hall as Addie turned to walk alongside him. Their boot steps echoed off, the sounds slowly receding away as Jayce and Nel were left to each other.

Jayce wrapped her arm tight around Nel's shoulder, holding her close and quietly whispering for anything she could do to help. She wanted Nel to know she was there, and she wasn't ever leaving. She would turn the world to ash before she ever let the girl feel another ounce of pain or sadness...

Back in the open space of the hangar, Jackson stood idly under the open overhead door, enjoying an unusually pleasant breeze as the sun set in the distance. Addie was wrapped around him from behind, her warmth passing to him as she said, "I love watching you be a father to her..."

Jackson smiled and placed his hand over hers, "Well, I reckoned I learned from the best, didn't I?"

He looked back, noticing the inquisitive look in Addie's eyes as he explained, "Ten years now, you've been the mother Jayce needed. Never even had'a ask... you just picked up 'at ball an' ran wit' it from day one."

Addie tightened her hold around Jackson's broad shoulders as she rubbed his chest, "Only 'cause you did such a good job already, cowboy..."

"How the hell did it take us this long...?", he asked with a deep sigh, venting his frustration at the time already lost. He felt Addie shaking her head against his back as she melted against him, "Doesn't matter anymore, Jax... what matters is we're here now, and I couldn't be happier..."

Across the hangar, Bison was organizing some inventory as Strong gave him a helping hand. He looked up, noticing the boss and his lady holding each other as he leaned in, "I tell ya Doc... you're one handsome son of a bitch, but I swear to Christ if you try and kiss me—"

"Shut. The fuck. Up, Bison...", Strong cut him off, trying to hold his composure until they both cracked a laugh... all in good fun between chooms.

At the end of the day, and for the moment, life was good...

--