The Afterlife

[18:55]

Ky dropped the three sidearms he'd collected the night before on the pool table. Pops walked over, picking up his Malorian as he smiled and said, "Howdy, ol' friend."

With a scary precision, he had the aged leather shoulder holster in place in a matter of seconds. Ky had to laugh, checking his own Kenshin before placing it in a holster at the small of his back. Max didn't carry firearms. With her cyberdeck and arsenal of quickhacks, she never saw much point. But she always enjoyed watching the boys check and load their weapons as she drank a cold beer from the corner. She'd been in surprisingly good spirits since finding out where their next job was likely coming from.

Pops took a swig of a beer before picking up his cigarette from an ashtray and placing it in his mouth. A short drag and exhale, he looked over to Max with a raised eyebrow before speaking, "Max? We good on tonight?"

Max's face went blank for a moment as she considered the options. Her mouth cracked into a rare smile and she nodded firmly, "Wi, bosmang. Es good fo' da crew."

Pops nodded with a smile, catching Ky smiling as well as he glanced over at her.

They all looked up to the garage at the sound of footsteps. To nobody's surprise, Miz and Billy walked in side by side. Ky said nothing, but kept giving significant glances. Miz narrowed her eyes and gave him a middle finger. At this point, that was just their way of saying hello; he reciprocated.

Miz saw her Unity on the pool table and walked over as she lit a cigarette. Pops handed her a beer with a smirk. She took a heavy chug, followed by a long drag of the cigarette. Billy excused himself upstairs, but not before stealing a peck on the cheek from Miz, causing her nose to wrinkle. Ky tossed him a beer with a wink and said, "Hell of a job last night, new guy. Keep that up and I might just start calling you by your name."

Billy laughed, giving Ky his own middle finger, to which Ky also reciprocated. Miz nodded to Max and smiled; Max smiled back. Miz quickly realized with Billy gone, the other three were staring directly at her, bursting at the seams to ask the burning questions. She just rolled her eyes and scoffed, strapping the holster to her thigh around her signature loose-fits. All was right in the world again as she quick-drew from the holster and looked down the sights at the floor before press-checking. Satisfied, she returned the gun to its holster, looking up to meet Pops staring with a smirk.

They just weren't going to let up. Simple as that. Miz tried to take the spotlight off her as she spoke, "So? I'm here now. Where are we headed?"

Pops' smirk cracked into a wide smile, baring teeth as his mustache flared and he chuckled.

Upstairs, Billy flushed the decrepit toilet before washing his hands. He looked up in the mirror, smiling at himself as he flashed back over the last 24 hours. His heart fluttered a bit, wondering how things could get any better from here. His thoughts were interrupted by a scream from downstairs shaking the bathroom fixtures; it was Miz's voice, "WE'RE GOING TO THE FUCKING AFTERLIFE?!"

Back downstairs, Miz was dancing like a kid at Christmas as everyone had a good laugh, even Max. For good reason; being invited to the Afterlife was an honor, and all but confirmation that you had made it into the big leagues as a merc in Night City. For better or worse, this crew was now a part of something greater.

Billy came back down the stairs, trying not to laugh as he watched Miz practically bouncing off the walls. He spotted his Liberty sitting on the pool table and walked over to it. Before grabbing it, he placed down a neatly folded pair of leather pants and Ky's old jacket from the night before. Ky couldn't help himself as he said, "You looked good in that get-up. Keep it."

Billy laughed as he fired back, "Not my style. You make a way better joytoy than me, pretty boy."

Ky didn't let go, "Aww shucks, you're going to make me blush."

Billy grabbed his shoulder holster, complimented with two full magazines, and slung it over his arms. It felt good having his iron back in its rightful place.

Pops called everyone over to the table, he had some words. With a smile, he held up his beer bottle and said, "It's been an interesting couple of days. A lot has happened. Any other crew than us five here, now, I'm not sure we'd have pulled through. Billy, you've stepped up in ways nobody could have seen comin'. We're enterin' a new chapter with a lot of new opportunities. I'm just glad to have y'all along for the ride."

Everyone cheered, clinking bottles together over the table. Billy smiled and his cheeks burned with embarrassment. Ky, Pops, and even Max all gave him nods of approval and pats on the shoulder. He caught sight of Miz across the table, giving him a smile and a wink. Today, life was good.

With the Afterlife being only a few blocks away, Pops cracked a second round of beers for everyone, and they enjoyed the time they had.

--

Tooley was standing at the desk in his office, hands clenched on the solid tabletop. The bruise on his face had subsided, but was still noticeable. His jaw clenched, he had a fire in his eyes. Standing across from him was a party of young goons, still loyal to the king, patiently awaiting orders.

He collected his thoughts for a moment as he looked into the eyes of every body standing in his office. Finally, he broke his silence, "We have entertained insubordination in this block for far too long. We have allowed the cults of personality to distract and deter us from our mission. Phoenix Gray has been imbued with the status of a man of the people, and he has abused this power to weaken our organization. It ends tonight."

All at once, the young men shifted uncomfortably. Tooley continued, "Never before has our authority been challenged in such a way, and it cannot go unanswered. These miscreants will be made to account for their actions. I will have justice. For the sake of all of us, we must act swiftly, without mercy, without hesitation. You all have your orders. You know what must be done. Bring all of them to me. Alive or dead, it matters not."

A voice called out from the back of the group, "What about Billy?"

Tooley's eyes narrowed as he answered, "Young Mr. Barrett made his choice, foolish as it was. There is no room for sentiment here. He is now one of them, and he will be treated as such. If anyone here has an issue with that, you may take this one opportunity to walk away. Once you leave this office, if you fail me, you will be dealt with the same as them. Is. That. Clear?!"

No one moved. Tooley's face crept into a smile, a shooting pain from his jaw as he said, "We have all achieved great things together in this City of Dreams. And we will continue to do so once this cancer has been excised. Now go!"

The group all shuffled together to make their way out the large double doors, checking weapons and talking amongst themselves, deciding who went where. Tooley confidently took his seat, leaning back into the chair, his face wearing the same smile as he gently stroked his cheek.

As the goons boarded the elevators and made their way down, a pair of watchful eyes flashed blue from around the corner, observing everything. I have to warn her. But how?

--

The crew made their way down Kennedy Avenue from the lockup before rounding the bend onto Palm View Street. The night traffic was still bustling as headlights and taillights whipped by against the sun setting in front of them. The twilight had a particularly special effect, breaking against the launch towers at Morro Rock in the distance. A rocket was ascending, its plume dazzling against the backdrop of the creeping night sky as the dull roar could be heard for miles around.

Billy had his arm around Miz as they walked, but he could feel her shaking with excitement, going on and on about all the legends and rumors about the Afterlife to the point he was worried she might run out of air and collapse. Max kept quiet, walking hand in hand with Ky, while Pops trailed behind, just happy to have his crew together and in good spirits. He took a drag of a cigarette, exhaling smoke rings and watching them float into the sky. The air reeked of burnt CHOOH2 and oil, but it was a familiar smell, and far more welcome than the stench rising from the waters of the harbor.

They stopped at the tunnel leading to a parking lot, letting a large truck pull out in front of them, smog from the exhaust filling the air. When the path was clear, they made their last right turn and were met with the parking lot in front of a neon-covered nondescript building. A few high-end cars were parked in front, with several small crowds of people loitering about. Some were just smoking and talking shop, others were flashing iron and having their pictures taken, but everyone had a cool air and presence about them.

The building had two sets of double doorframes with a large pillar between, leading to a staircase going up and down. The doors had long since been removed. The halls were crowded, making it hard to navigate; the crew was forced to enter single file, making their way down the stairs to another pair of open double doors and a long hallway. The gravity of the moment set in as they were all met with a large stylish neon sign that read "AFTERLIFE". Miz nearly squealed with excitement, eliciting a laugh from everyone else. Her eyes were wide and she had to fight to keep her jaw off the floor.

Pops stepped in front, leading the crew down the stairs of the hallway to a closed door guarded by a beast of a man. Before them stood Emmerick Bronson, famed bouncer of the Afterlife. His face was adorned in cyberware lining both sides of his square jaw and nose. He was a few inches shorter than Pops, but had all the muscle mass. He was dressed in a pair of cargo pants tucked into strapped motorcycle boots, a taught tanktop baring his muscular torso, and finishing it off with a faux-fur lined syn-leather jacket. He stood steadfast, hands folded in front of him, scanning Pops and the crew as they approached. As was his charge, he stretched one of his massive hands out to stop them as he said in a booming voice, "What business ya got here?"

Pops smirked, "Phoenix Gray; we're expected."

Emmerick smirked back. His eyes flashed blue for a moment as he spoke, but not to them, "Hey boss. Got a live one here, four others in tow. Says his name's Phoenix Gray... got it."

He stepped to the side, waving his hand in front of the door as he motioned them through and said, "Enjoy."

The sounds of Samurai's "Chippin' In" were blasting over the speakers, trailing out to assault their ears as they passed through the doors. A similar neon sign, but easily twice as big, was hanging over the wrap-around bar, mortuary coolers visible in the background. The entire inside was awash in blue and green lights. There was already a good crowd, several other small crews gathered around tables or sitting in open booths. Nobody looked up, nobody cared. If you were here, you obviously belonged here. Otherwise you wouldn't get past Emmerick.

Pops took a deep breath in. He'd been here with Falco, once, a long time ago, as a hired right-hand for a young Aldecaldos clan leader with a bright personality. He smiled as it all came back to him.

Max looked all around, taking it in. Her face showed no emotion, but it was clear now, standing in this place, that she was more conflicted than she let on to the crew. Ky picked up on it, placing his arm around her and rubbing her shoulder gently.

As they approached the bar, they were all met with a husky female voice, "Welcome to the Afterlife! What can I getcha?"

Holding court from behind the bar was a woman with a medium complexion, thick and luxurious black hair tinged with red dye, and a smile that could melt steel. She leaned against the bar with both arms, locking eyes with each member of the crew before she saw a familiar sight, one she'd not seen in years, "...Billy?!"

Billy nonchalantly held his hand up in a wave, "Hey, Claire!"

This was Claire Russell, bartender and keeper of all secrets for the Afterlife's many mercs over the years. There was no telling how many people had come and gone, pouring their hearts out to her over a glass. She rushed out from behind the bar, running over with a smile to give Billy a hug as she said, "How have you been? It's been so long! How's Liv doing?"

Billy smiled, returning the hug. Miz stood a few feet away, smirking as she remembered Liv's comments about "Claire" from the night before. After a few seconds, Claire let Billy go, running back behind the bar as she asked everyone, "So, what can I getcha?"

To their left, an older female voice called out, "Claire, whatever they want, it's on us tonight."

Claire nodded as the entire crew stood in awe of the voice. Sitting before them on a barstool, legs crossed gracefully, was none other than Rogue Amendiares, famed fixer, legendary merc, and former Queen of the Afterlife. She gave them a casual nod and a smile with a raised glass as she turned back to a conversation with another striking woman, who turned to face the crew. Miz stared in absolute disbelief as she grabbed Billy's hand, placing his two fingers on her neck as she said, "Am I dead?"

Her pulse was rapid, and Billy laughed, "Not yet, you're not."

The woman stood casually, leaning back against the bar with a leg perched on the railing and her back arched. She had a slightly darker complexion than Claire. Her hair was a long sideswept undercut, dyed crimson with hints of pink, the left side a natural dark brown and shaved, with patterns cut into it to match the cyberware threading running down her face and up to her green eyes. She had a pair of aviator sunglasses hanging low on her nose. She wore a Samurai tank top, a pair of dogtags dangling from her neck and accenting her toned chest, along with skin-tight syn-leather armored "Solo" pants and pointed motorcycle boots with a two-inch heel. Her arms were covered in threading for RealSkin platelets hiding various cyberware implants, but her right forearm bore a funny tattoo; a simple heart with an arrow through it, two names scrawled inside.

The woman leaned forward, looking over the rims of her sunglasses with a raised eyebrow and she spoke in a catching, strong and yet warm voice, "So this is the crew that shook down Lex Tooley."

Pops stepped forward, a smile on his face as reached out and said, "Phoenix Gray."

The woman stepped up to meet him with a firm handshake and a smirk as she said, "V. Welcome to the Afterlife."

It took every ounce of restraint for Miz not to break into a spontaneous happy dance. Billy wrapped his arm around her, trying to keep her from jumping out of her skin.

Max's jaw was clenched, and she didn't hide it well as her eyes narrowed at the sight of the "Living Legend of the Afterlife".

V looked past Pops at the rest of the crew as she said, "Well, grab a drink. It's on us, this time."

Billy nodded to Miz, confirming before he called out to Claire, "Uh, two Johnny Silverhand's."

Ky was up next, "I'll take a Jackie Welles", as he turned to Max. She muttered, "Mm."

Ky followed up, "Make that two Jackie Welles'."

Pops stroked his mustache for a second before he said, "Ah, what the hell. Rare occasion, this. I'll take a Johnny Silverhand as well."

Claire nodded with her patented smile, "Two Jackie Welles' and three Johnny Silverhand's, coming right up!"

She went to work as V called out to the crew, signaling them to follow her, "Let's talk."

V turned and walked toward a private booth, taking a seat to the right on the wrap-around couch and sliding in comfortably, directing her guests to do the same. To the left, Max sat down first, followed by Ky, Miz, Billy, and finally Pops.

V looked at the crew sitting across the table from her and smiled as she removed her sunglasses and said, "Well? Who am I talking to?"

Pops took the lead, "Billy Barrett, Miz Hasegawa, Ky Lavey, and Max LaGuerre."

V's eyes narrowed at the last name as she looked at Max. After a second, she said, "Guess you and I need to talk when this is over."

Max's jaw clenched, but she nodded in agreement, "Wi, bonjan to clear de air."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Claire brought in a tray full of drinks and handed them out. She chuckled as she handed Billy his drink, "I'm still surprised you're even old enough for me to serve you this."

Billy blushed. Claire and Liv went way back, having grown up together in Santo. They hadn't spoken in years, but they both liked to think they were still close, just a holocall away.

She placed a fresh drink in front of V as she said, "Looked like you could use a topper, honey."

V answered, "Thanks, Claire."

And like that, they were alone. Instinctively, V checked outside the booth before her eyes flashed blue and an opaque glass panel slid shut. She pulled a softpack from... somewhere... and lit a fresh cigarette as she said, "Make yourselves at home."

Pops and Miz both obliged, following suit. Miz even offered one to Billy, who happily accepted. May as well look the part, right?

They all took note of three coat hooks on the wall above V, all filled. First was a dark brown syn-leather bomber with a high collar bearing the word "SAMURAI" and the old band's logo across the back. Second was a fluorescent yellow EMT jacket spray-painted with a bright green Jimmy Kurosaki "EdgeRunners" logo. Third was a custom black syn-leather Valentinos jacket, at least 2XL in size. Above all three was an engraved metal plaque that read:

Legends Live On Forever:
Johnny Silverhand, David Martinez, Jackie Welles"

V took a long drag, exhaling smoke as she said, "So, I hear you all have had an interesting week."

Pops smirked, "You could say that."

V met his stare as she leaned forward, "Tell me about it."

Pops fired back, "Oh, I don't think we'd be tellin' ya anything you don't already know."

V took a sip of her drink, "Humor me."

Between the back and forth and Pops divulging the short version of their experiences over the last week, Miz took a sip of her drink, her eyes rolling with satisfaction. Liv was right. She made a good drink, but this was preem. Of course, Miz would never want to hurt the woman's feelings. Billy took a sip of his own, raising his eyebrows. Miz leaned into him, and he placed his arm around her, surprised she still wasn't staring holes through their esteemed host as he gave her a light kiss on the side of her head.

V continued, "So, your own fixer tried to zero you to cover up his gonk move, but somehow you and your crew managed to churn through a warehouse full of scavs and a Maelstrom war party?"

Pops laughed, "Well, in all fairness, the scavs and Maelstrom made short work of each other; we just cleaned up the leftovers."

V raised her eyebrows as she exhaled another drag, "Still. And you shook Tooley down for your pay."

Miz cut in, "And then some."

V locked eyes with Miz for a second. There was something familiar about her. She reminded V of someone; a wild-eyed young merc on the rise only two years ago, all full of piss and vinegar. She smiled as she picked up her glass for a cheer, "I guess I picked the right crew for this job."

They all raised their glasses. Billy took his chance, "Speaking of, what is this job?"

Ky looked over at Billy, his eyebrows raised. Billy paid him no heed, "Shut up, Ky."

V chuckled. She could see the chemistry between all of them. She couldn't get a read on Max, but that was another matter to be sorted soon. Her eyes flashed blue and a holographic display shot up from the table as she said, "The job is this."

Everyone's jaw hit the floor as they stared at a headshot of Alexander Tooley, and nothing else. V knew she'd catch them off guard. It wasn't every day a fixer ordered the death of another fixer. She continued, "Lex Tooley was, at best, a tolerable nuisance. His recent behavior has become more and more erratic, to the point that he is now a liability."

Billy's eyes lit up like Christmas as he leaned forward. V noticed as she joked, "I think Boy Wonder here just got a hard-on."

Pops smirked as he looked over at Billy, then back to the display as he said, "You know this will bring trouble. Tooley's all kinds of connected."

V finished his sentence for him, "In ways you don't even know, cowboy. For one, his name isn't Alexander Tooley."

That got a rise from everyone. V continued, "His real name is Alexei Tikhonovich. Alexander Tooley was an alias created for him to give bona fide for his rise to power."

Ky's eyes widened, "He's a scav?"

V clicked her tongue as she pointed a finger at Ky, "Gold star, fly-boy. He used to be one of their top enforcers before somebody handpicked him to be their sock puppet over Southside. Thought a Sov' name probably wouldn't carry much weight in the upper rungs."

Pops mused as he stroked his mustache, "Tha-a-at explains a whole hell of a lot."

V continued, "You think he was trying to muscle in on a dirty Biotechnica gig; the truth is he was cut out of a massive Slo-Mo deal the Scavs were heading up. Procurement, manufacture, distribution, the whole smash. This was him biting the hand that fed. Scavs groomed this guy to punch way above his weight class; probably never thought he'd turn it around on them."

Pops cut in, "So he hires Maelstrom muscle to get all of us at once and cover up any involvement on his part. From the outside, it just looks like them policing their own backyard."

Miz spoke up, "Except Maelstrom take orders from no one; they're unreliable. They smell pussy, they want a piece; come hell or high water."

V added, "It was a rash move on his part. It was unlike him; up until recently, he's been unusually precise in how he conducts his affairs."

Pops parroted Miz's earlier words, "High on his own supply..."

V nodded, "He's gone off the rails. Scavs and Maelstrom both want his head on a stick. We can't afford any more damage to our network because of him. Mercs are the lifeblood of free enterprise in this city, away from the control of corpos. The contract is €$250,000."

Max broke her silence, "So he na' serve a purpose, ya cast 'im ta de wolves, hm?"

"I guess we need to have that talk now", V said to Max, her eyes narrowed and jaw clenched, before speaking to the others, "I need the room. Treat yourselves to another round, this won't take long."

She didn't need to tell them twice. All but Max shifted and moved from the couch as the glass panel slid open for a moment before shutting behind them again. Miz and Billy parked at the bar, ordering another round and talking to Claire. Ky went to find a bathroom, and Pops took his chance to catch up with Rogue.

Inside the booth, V lit another cigarette, offering one to Max. She didn't move, didn't break her gaze. After a long drag and exhale, V spoke, "I know you don't give two shits about Lex, so I'll come right to the point. You want your pound of flesh."

Max answered, "I wan' answers. Fo' Brigitte, fo' Slider, fo' my brothers and sisters."

V stretched her arms out on the couch as she spoke again, "You haven't asked a question."

Max fired back, "Wha' happen ta de Voodoo Boys?"

V looked down before speaking, "VDBs contracted a doll named Evelyn Parker to scroll the inside of Konpeki Plaza; she then contracted Dex DeShawn to source a crew for a heist. The target was the Relic, an experimental engram technology containing the construct of Johnny Silverhand. The VDBs wanted the Relic to break beyond the Blackwall and harness Alt Cunningham. It was damaged during the escape, and I was forced to slot it in my head. Dex betrayed me, shot me in the head, but the Relic revived me and began overwriting my consciousness with Johnny's, which spelled a certain doom for me unless I found a cure. In following the breadcrumbs, I came into contact with Maman Brigitte, who used me to settle a score with Netwatch and pierce the Blackwall. Alt Cunningham flatlined all of them to save herself, but spared me at Johnny's insistence."

Max's eyes softened as she asked, "You na' killed 'em?"

V scoffed, "I wanted to when I found out they'd spiked me with malware and planned to zero me anyway, but I didn't have a lot of choices. Only VDB I killed outright was Placide when he attacked me in the church."

Max looked away for a moment, before her eyes cut back and she asked, "Wha' 'bout Slider?"

V took a large sip of her drink, exhaling before taking a long drag followed by another exhale. Dredging up these memories wasn't doing her any favors. She continued, "I had been contacted through the Relic by an NUSA netrunner, claiming to have crash-landed in Dogtown. She said she needed my help to get out; her offer was a cure for the Relic. I had to take that chance. During all of this, she hooked me up with an old FIA agent before going dark. The agent suggested we check with an old associate of his, your father, to have him inspect the Relic and see if there was a way to re-establish communication with the netrunner. The agent coerced him into doing so; that's when we found out the netrunner had been using the Blackwall to communicate with me. In the process, Slider came into contact with the Blackwall, causing a surge. I actually tried to save him, but the damage was done."

Max's eyes went wide as she asked, "Wha' happen ta de FIA agent?"

V answered bluntly as she took another drag, "Shot him dead on Morro Rock."

Max looked away again, her eyes clouding over as she took a large gulp of her drink.

V shifted and leaned forward, resigned with her hands on her knees as she said, "Two years, you've carried this hate with no answers for what happened. How you must feel, I... look, I can't apologize in a way that will even come close to making up for all that you've lost. But what I can say is that I had no hand in killing them, I never intended for that to happen. I was desperate for a way out, a way to survive. It clouded my judgment, and I have to own that, and the consequences... if you were forced to stare imminent death in the face, everyday, a ticking bomb with no timer that could go off whenever, what would you do?"

Max tried to look anywhere but directly at V, and she continued, "You can hate me if you want, but don't hang your crew out to dry because of it. I've seen and heard first-hand what you all are capable of, and I want to help you carve out a piece of this city for yourselves. But if you can't separate the job from your resentment towards me, you owe it to your crew to step away before you cause more damage."

She was right. Max hated that she was right. A minute of silence passed before V stood up and turned to leave as she said, "Look, you obviously need time to sort through this, so maybe it's best you sit this job out."

Finally, Max spoke, "Mm. You right. I owe it ta de crew ta hear you out. You were upfron' wi' me, and das all I can ask. Is a start."

V turned back and held out her hand, "Maybe not now, but I hope we can overcome this altogether."

Max smiled, returning the handshake, "We see."

The glass panel slid open, V exiting the booth as she approached Pops, followed shortly by Max. By this point, Ky was parked at the bar a few seats down from Miz and Billy. He looked at Max with concern, but was met with a brief smile as she said, "Is okay, o' at least it will be."

Ky smiled as he took another sip of his drink, Max joining him on a stool.

Pops turned to face V as he said calmly, "Everything copacetic?"

V took a deep sigh as she glanced at Max, "For the moment. She's carried a lot of hate for this over the past couple of years, but she has my side of the story now. She understands what's at stake."

Pops' brow furrowed as he took another sip of his drink. Rogue chimed in, "It's quite the crew you've collected, Phoenix. I knew people were drawn to your charisma, but this is something else entirely."

V cut in, "Nobody knows H10 like you guys, and Lex seems resistant to leaving the last stronghold he has. The top floors are his Alamo, but he can also mount a serious offensive from there if he chooses. When it happens, it'll need to happen quick. His foundations are crumbling, but he still holds sway over that building. Eyes and ears everywhere."

Pops nodded, "I can't say it's been fun lookin' over my shoulder every day for the past year and change, but he always paid well when he wasn't trying to worm his way out of it."

V reassured him, "We have a mutual interest in seeing Lex gone, so whatever you need from us."

Pops smiled, "I'm very much obliged."

They clinked their glasses together as V noticed a pair of eyes locked on her, looking over to Miz as she joked, "I guess I have a fan?"

Pops laughed, "More than you know. You're a hero to her, and most of H10. Hell, the whole city for that matter."

Rogue joked, "And to think at one time, you were just a wide-eyed, wet-nosed little pup."

V laughed, "Something you like to remind me of more and more, lately."

A few stools away, Billy nudged Miz, "You know, if you're going to ask her, now's as good a chance as any."

Miz's cheeks burned red, "I just don't want to come right out and ask her!"

Like a ghost, V appeared next to Miz as she said with a smirk, "Ask me what?"

Miz's eyes widened with terror as she turned to face her hero and began to stutter. Talking shop in the group was one thing, but a one-on-one conversation with someone she practically worshipped was a whole different beast. V gave her a break as she extended a hand and said, "Pops tells me you're quite the Shinobi."

Miz tried to calm herself as she took V's hand in a firm handshake. V nudged her again with a smile, "So, what did you want to ask me?"

Miz took a deep breath and tried to get the words out without sounding like a total gonk, "I, uh... okay... the Arasaka raid, you broke into Mikoshi with Johnny Silverhand's construct and Alt Cunningham, right?"

V chuckled, "That's right."

Miz continued, "So rumor was, when Alt split your construct from Johnny's, and reuploaded you into your body, you only had six months to live because of the damage from the Relic trying to overwrite your consciousness with Johnny's?"

V nodded, admiring Miz's attention to detail. It was nice to meet a fan. She answered, "Someone did their homework."

Miz finally blurted out, "Okay, so, what the fuck gives?! We're two years out, and you're still here? I mean, not that anyone's complaining course, you're a fucking living legend, but how did you... I mean... ho—"

V cut her off before she broke a blood vessel, placing a firm and experienced hand on her shoulder as they locked eyes, "You finish this job in one piece, we'll sit down together and I'll tell you all about it."

She followed up with a wink and a light pinch of Miz's cheek before turning away. Billy reached over and checked Miz's pulse again as he said, "Yeah, now you might actually be dead."

Miz leaned back, nearly falling into Billy's lap as he caught her, laughing.

Further down, Ky and Max were enjoying a second round. Ky placed his hand on Max's and spoke gently, "Hey, you sure you're good with this? I mean—"

Max cut him off as she grabbed his hand and squeezed, "Mebbe no' now, but I will be. At leas' I have answers. Dis is fo' de good o' de crew. Wit'out you, am nothin'."

Ky leaned in and gave Max a kiss on the forehead, and she smiled.

Out of nowhere, a holocall pinged in Miz's head from a blocked ID, followed by an effeminate male voice, "I don't have a lot of time, so listen closely."

Miz interjected, "Who is this?"

The voice continued, "Don't come back to H10. Tooley has the entire block on lockdown, and his goons are sweeping floor by floor looking for your crew. It's not safe."

Miz's eyes lit up with fire as her jaw clenched and her hands started to shake. She asked again, firmly, "Who. Is. This?"

The voice answered, "Someone close to Lex."

Miz took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Finally, she asked, "Then why are you helping us?"

A few seconds of silence passed before the voice spoke again, "Nine years ago, you saved my life. Now we're even."

The call dropped as Miz's eyes widened at the sudden realization from where she recognized Tooley's joytoy. Billy saw the look on her face and leaned in, "Hey, you alright?"

Miz didn't hear him at first, her mind racing. Finally, she called all the crew together. They gathered around as Miz turned on the stool to face them. After a few seconds, she said, "We got a major problem. Tooley just declared martial law in the H10 block."

Standing a few feet away, V's jaw was clenched and her eyes filled with the same fire.

Alexander Tooley hadn't just declared martial law. He had declared war.

--