The Calm Before the 'strom

[06:00 - Japantown]

A gentle alarm rang in Billy's head. It was time to get up and head to the gym. He stirred himself awake as he rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the low light in their apartment. He turned to look down, smiling as Miz was curled up next to him, snoring soundly into his chest. He tried to move carefully, but felt a pull on him as Miz muttered, "Uh-uh. Stay."

He chuckled, "I have to meet Vik, you know he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Miz tightened her grip, not giving up as she said, "Stay... warm... sleep."

Billy brought his hand up and rubbed her back as he kissed her head. She stirred to look up at him with a smile, "Mmrf, morning Tiger."

She pulled herself up to kiss him before her ears twitched and focused on something outside their apartment. Billy felt her tense up as her eyes cut to the door. He asked, "What is it?"

Miz's eyes flashed red as she whispered, "Boots, heavy boots, coming up the stai—"

She was cut off by their door blowing open, clearing the entryway and punching through the opposite wall to the outside. A cloud of dust obscured everything in sight, the deafening ring persisting as they both fought to recover their faculties. There was a dull glow from the neon signs outside pouring through the new hole in the side of their apartment as the sounds and smells of the city filtered in. Miz reached for her Unity on the nightstand as she jumped over Billy and out of the bed. She readied her weapon before a burning sensation snapped at the base of her skull. Her eyes shuttered blue and red and she cried out in pain, "Agh, fuck!", as she grabbed her neck and gritted her teeth before collapsing to the ground in a pool of her own spit. She was coherent but completely immobilized. Her eyes were still fluttering as Billy reached down for the gun before the same snap lit him up like a pachinko machine and he went weak at the knees. He managed to stay upright, but his entire body was stiff as he teetered.

As the smoke cleared, several bodies revealed themselves, the sounds of modulated breathing, servos, and mechanical chittering becoming clear. Billy watched in horror as the leader approached them, a sinister smile on his corpse-like chromed face. His multiple optics were bright red, piercing through Billy like a knife through warm butter. His body, like all Maelstrom, was a twisted mess of flesh and machinery; every bit as grotesque as it was fascinating. He spoke, his voice grainy and artificial, "I think we got 'em, boys."

The ganger planted his foot against Billy's shoulder; it only took a light push to put him on his back as the ganger called out, "Two of you get the fuck over here and carry this sack of shit down to the truck!"

Two other gangers obliged silently, moving into position on either side of Billy as they dragged him out of the apartment. Miz tried to call out to him, tried to reach for him, but she was still stiff as a board. The leader knelt down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up to face him. His optics changed into red hearts as he spoke familiar and haunting words, "Hello... fuckmeat."

Shit.

--

[08:00 - Rancho Coronado]

Pops was sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying his morning smoke and a cup of coffee as he looked out the window at the sun cresting over the city. His peace was cut short by a holocall pinging in his head from Vik, and he answered, "For the last time, doc, I'm not givin' up smokes."

Vik was in no mood as he fired back, "Then light one up and sid'down. We got a problem."

Pops' face contorted as Vik continued, "Billy didn't show up to the gym this morning, and I can't raise him or Miz on holocall."

That's odd, Pops thought to himself as he took a drag before speaking, "Hmm... want me to try an' raise 'em?"

Vik gave a deep sigh as he answered, "I uh... I'm not sure it'll do much good, Phoenix... I'm standing outside their apartment building. NCPD has the whole place cordoned off, and there's a fresh hole blown in the side five floors up."

Pops' face turned to stone and his hands curled into fists, nearly crushing the lit cigarette between his fingers. After a few seconds of silence, Vik spoke again, "Hey, you there?"

Pops answered flatly, "Good lookin' out, Vik. I'll call the Afterlife."

Another sigh, and Vik said, "They're both strong, Phoenix. Strong and smart. Whatever's going on, I'm sure they'll be okay."

Pops dropped the call abruptly before pinging a new call to V. After a single ring, she answered, "I was just about to call... you need to haul ass over here."

Pops' hands trembled as he asked, "Who is it?"

A few seconds passed before V answered him, "...Maelstrom... they're holding Miz and Billy at the All Foods Factory in Watson. They want to make an example of them both, broadcasting all over the Net."

Pops remain silent for a moment, his brow furrowed. He could see Liv standing in the archway entrance between the kitchen and living room, a concerned look on her face. V continued, "I already called Ky and Max, they'll meet you at the lockup."

Pops replied, "Thank you, V."

Before the call dropped, V tried to comfort him, "Phoenix, they'll be okay."

Pops dropped his butt in the ashtray on the table as he stared out the window. There was a fire raging inside of him, and Liv could see it burning in his eyes as his entire body began to shake. He gripped the edge of the table before shooting to his feet, kicking the chair back as it fell over with a loud crash. He couldn't look Liv in the eyes until this was over, until her baby boy was safe.

--

[Thirty minutes later - Kennedy & Duzois, Watson]

By the time Pops arrived to the lockup, Ky had already prepped the truck and was putting together a veritable arsenal of weaponry. Several assault rifles and shotguns were spread out on the pool table. Pops hadn't spoken a word, just smoking cigarette after cigarette with a clenched jaw and a look of steely determination in his eyes. He took it as a kindness that Ky had kept his mouth shut for once, only giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder as if to say that everything would be alright. Max had given him a firm hug; a rare display of affection for her.

Pops was loading shells into a heavily modified M2038 "Tactician" pump-action shotgun, his sixth cigarette since arriving hanging from his lips and smoldering. Across the table, Ky prepped his modified Kyubi assault rifle. He could kiss V for letting them keep the hardware from the H10 job.

There was a heavy clang from the garage as a door opened and shut. Pops had his revolver at the ready as he swung around, eyes narrowed. V sauntered in with a smirk, Guts resting on her shoulder as she carried a long, large and heavy case with her other hand. She had expected them to be on edge at the very least, all things considered. Pops released the hammer on his revolver as he gave a sigh of relief. Still no words. Finally, V filled the silence as she answered Ky's bewildered look, "What? You didn't think I'd let you waltz into All Foods by yourself, did you Fly-boy?"

Ky blinked his eyes and shook his head as V continued, "Someone's got to drive the truck. Now pick your jaw up off the floor and help me load these crates."

Max smirked as V met her eyes, and they nodded to one another. Finally, V looked to Pops as she said with a smile, "Let's go rescue the kids."

A smile crept on Pops' face as he slam-racked the shotgun before holstering his revolver. V had a way with words, and in this moment, he actually believed everything would be okay.

--

[All Foods Factory, Watson]

The interior of the factory space was dimly lit, flickering lights overhead that could give out at any moment. Nobody could tell from where, but there was an eery red glow permeating the space along with the sounds of clattering machinery and a medley of modulated voices. The whole placed reeked of stale blood, putrified meat, leaking refrigerant, and rusted heavy metals.

Miz was shaken awake as a metal hand gripped her by the jaw, craning her head up to look at her captor. There were several cameras and microphones suspended around them, all flashing red lights to indicate recording. A heavily modulated voice assaulted her ears as her face was pulled up to look directly at one of the cameras, "Look at the birdie, bitch!"

Miz spat back at the ganger, "Fuck you!"

CRACK

She felt the full force of another chromed hand across her jaw as her whole body recoiled. Her instincts kicked in, and she tried to deploy her mantis blade before a familiar burning sensation snapped in her head and she cried out. She was restrained, her arms above her head held by crude chains; woven in the chains was a neuralink cable plugged into the interface port behind her ear. She was suspended, her feet hanging only a few inches above the floor. There was a cold air irradiating up from the concrete, and she could feel it through her bare soles.

Her attention was drawn to her left as Billy spoke weakly, "I-it's no use, Em... I already tried."

He was bound similarly to Miz, hanging by his arms from chains with a cable running to his interface port. His face showed signs that they had already gone to work on him. There was a dribble of blood from his mouth running down his chin and neck, and his bare chest and abdomen were bruised. The ganger flashed a devilish smile and said, "That's right, kids. You're both jacked into a cyberware inhibitor. Try to get cute and get zapped, so best behave, ya dig?"

The ganger pushed Miz's face away as he let go of her chin and stepped away laughing. He was putting on a show as he stepped into view of one of the cameras before turning back to Miz as he pointed to her and said to no one in particular, "You all remember our favorite fuckmeat! Almost a year ago she ripped one of our choom to pieces. Now she gets to answer for her sins against our brothers and sisters."

Miz could almost hear an invisible cheering and jeering at the theatrics of it all as the ganger stepped back in front of her and said, "Told you, we're going to get ours. We're going to take turns on you while your input watches until there's nothing left."

He stuck out a forked tongue as he licked his chops and chittered in her ear. His hands groped through her tanktop as he chuckled. Billy thrashed and yelled out, "Keep your fuckin' hands off he—"

CRACK

Another ganger stepped in, delivering a solid punch to Billy's gut, sending him into a heaving fit as he coughed up more blood.

The ganger in front of Miz laughed as he tormented them both and said, "Man, I do love a live audience!"

He gripped Miz's tanktop with both hands at the collar, ripping it open with a swift jerk as her flesh bared itself to everyone in the room and anyone watching the stream. He leaned in, his dry tongue scraping against her cheek as she tried to pull away. She took her chance and jerked forward as her forehead caught the side of the ganger's jaw. He stumbled back a few steps as he yelled out, "You fuckin' BITCH!"

Once he recovered, he planted a solid punch to Miz's gut as he said, "You're going to pay for that, you cunt!"

Miz doubled over, her shoulders feeling like they could give out at any moment. She closed her eyes and tried to take a deep breath as she focused on anything else. Finally, she let loose a low laugh as she looked up and said, "Hey, what's your name?"

The ganger cocked his head in confusion as Miz continued laughing, "You're... you're so sweet... I think I'm going to call you 'Peaches'."

The ganger began to laugh as Miz spit blood on the floor before speaking again, "So, Peaches... how does it feel to know I'm the last gonk you'll see?"

The laughing ceased as Peaches stepped in front of Miz. Her face bore an unsettling grin as she said, "Why don't you come a little closer, handsome?"

Peaches reached around her back, pulling her close as he said, "You know, I prefer a little fight, but I'll take what I can get."

Miz continued smiling as she said, "Too close, choom."

Before Peaches could react, Miz launched her knee into his groin, causing him to double over with a cry of pain. She swung back with her core before swinging her legs up and over as she wrapped one of them around his head. She caught him in the small of her knee as she jerked her leg up with a rattling crunch. Peaches' entire body went limp and he collapsed to the floor as she let go.

It took the other gangers a few seconds to register what had just happened as Miz yelled with a snap of her teeth, "Any other shitbags want to try that again?"

Another ganger approached, racking the slide of his weapon before pressing it against Miz's head. She looked at him with the same smile, unfazed, before a booming but scratchy voice called out from the shadows of the catwalks above, "We need her alive, you gonks! Fuck her until she's bleeding from every hole, I don't care. But KEEP HER ALIVE!"

The armed ganger lowered his weapon with a sneer as Miz smirked at him and said, "How's about it, you feelin' lucky?"

CRACK

Another punch across Miz's face, and she spat blood. She craned her neck up to find the source of the voice. She only caught a glimpse of the ringleader with his back to her, but he appeared to be as chromed up and fucked up as the rest of them, but one arm hung significantly lower than the other. It was only a second until he was out of sight. Miz dropped her head down, her jaw clenched. Finally, she looked over to Billy, and her heart sank at seeing him hurt. He met her stare as he shrugged his eyebrows. She smiled lightly, because no matter what was happening around them, they were together, and as long as they were together, they could do anything. She tried to raise his spirits as she said jokingly, "You know when all this is done, we're going to have find another apartment."

Billy laughed as he fired back, "Yeah, I'm trying not to think about it. Just having so much fun here..."

One of the gangers interjected, "...the fuck makes you think you're gettin' out of here?!"

With almost surreal timing, there was a rattling boom in the distance that shook the entire building, settled dust falling from the rafters. Miz started laughing, along with Billy, before she locked eyes with the ganger and said, "Checkmate, chooms..."

--

[Five minutes earlier]

Max had never seen Ky drive like he was now, and it honestly scared her having a front and center ticket to the show. She could only imagine what kind of damage Ky was capable of, had she let him take part in the Night City Death Races. Of course, he would naturally try and drag Billy into it. Ky had always wanted a little brother growing up, and now he felt like he had found one since they took Billy in. Ky would tell you, "Yeah Miz is alright, I guess", but Max could see there was genuine concern for both of them, and it made her smile. In another place, another life away from Night City, she knew Ky would make a wonderful father; such things were but a distant dream here and now.

With a deadly precision, Ky banked the turn coming off of Ring Road North onto Industrial Street. He slowed to a roll, giving Max a chance to scan the front of the All Foods Factory to their left. There were only a few Maelstrom gangers with small arms standing guard, but no heavy weapons or mounted turrets. Max was suspicious, but V quelled any skepticism as she peeked through the windshield from the back of the truck and said, "They've done a hell of a job redecorating since the last time I was here... I guess Brick's not running things anymore..."

To V's point, the factory's exterior had been adorned in a multitude of crude rusted metal plates, broken spans of chainlink fence, and concertina wire all over. Were they not in the middle of North Watson's industrial sector, one might think they had stumbled into the Dogtown warzone.

V sat back down on the bench as Ky made a right turn away from the factory before pulling into an alley tucked under an overpass. As the car rolled to a stop, he looked back and asked V, "So uh, what's in the crates?"

V was leaning forward, her elbows on her knees as she pointed to each crate and said nonchalantly, "Can opener, pepper shaker. Just some housewarming gifts."

Ky chuckled and rolled his eyes as he killed the truck's ignition and hopped out of the driver seat. Pops opened the tailgate, allowing V to exit before he stepped out. He lit yet another cigarette, as did V, and she dragged the crates from the floor of the truck onto the ground, each one landing with a heavy thud. Each crate was a dark drab green, imprinted with a Militech logo. V kicked the buckle locks open as she took a drag off her smoke, shrugging her eyebrows to Ky as she said, "Go ahead."

Like a kid on Christmas morning, Ky excitedly knelt down, lifting the lids on each crate as a look of wonder washed over him. V snorted at his reaction as she looked to Pops and signaled him over with a jerk of her head as if to say, "Get over here."

Ky finally found some words as he said, "Where'd you get all this?"

V joked, "Not from Bob Wilson's shop, tell ya that much."

Pops joined Ky, a wry smile on his face as he said, "V... 's that what I think it is?"

She flashed her teeth with a smile and answered, "If you think it's a prototype man-portable recoilless rifle system, then yes, that's exactly what is. Militech calls it the MPRRS, or Empress."

Ky laughed as he quipped, "Considering it's in your hands, I'd say that's a pretty good name for it. What about you, Pops?"

Pops' attention had already shifted to the other two crates, bulkier but shorter in length, as he admired a portable rotary cannon in one, and it's ammo canister in the other. He gave a low chuckle as he gripped the handle of the cannon and pulled it from the crate, leaving Ky astonished as he said, "Hey... you know how to use that thing, right?"

Cigarette hanging from his mouth, Pops took a drag and exhaled through his nostrils as he cut to Ky and answered, "Son, you know I was runnin' guns 'fore you were born, right?"

Ky nodded with a laugh and backed away as Pops effortlessly assembled the system in a matter of seconds before slinging it over his shoulder and across his body. Approaching from the passenger side, Max leaned against the truck and gave a light moan of approval, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Ky as he said, "You good, babe?"

She nodded and answered, "Jus' imaginin' wha' you'd look like wit' dat thing on..."

V laughed as she slung the Empress across her body and said, "You uh... you two need a minute?"

"Nah 'til we's all safe", replied Max with a smile.

Pops readied the cannon as he said, "Let's get to it then. Ky and Max bring up the rear. After you, Miss V."

Ky muttered to himself as he walked back to the truck, "Fuckin' can opener, Jesus..."

V nodded as she asked, "Probably better if we ride with... running boards?"

Pops answered with a smirk, "Mount up."

--

Outside the factory, the gangers perked up to the sound of a revving motor rapidly approaching. Before they could ready their weapons, the truck appeared into view, fishtailing to a stop in front of the curb as Pops stepped down with his cannon at the ready, lit cigarette still hanging from his lips. He squeezed the trigger, the barrels spinning to life with a mechanic whirring sound before unleashing a deafening battery of fire. Ky was grinning from ear to ear as he watched his favorite middle-aged nomad cowboy stand strong and strafe the entire lot from side to side. What really impressed him as the lack of visible response to the recoil. Ky had seen fully-chromed soldiers struggle to manage the recoil of a rotary cannon, but Pops handled it with no ill effect, like he was handling his revolver. Hell of a guy.

As Pops directed his fire, each ganger was caught by the rapid onslaught, exploding into separated piles of blood and bones or just vaporizing entirely into pink mist. Not one to waste ammunition, Pops ceased firing when his HUD showed no more visible targets. As the barrels spun down, he had a smile to rival Ky's as he called back, "You're welcome to open this can any old time, sweetheart!"

V scoffed and rolled her eyes as she stepped around from the other side of the truck. She took a prepared stance to brace against the impact as she readied the Empress against her hip and took aim. Her HUD lit up, interfacing with the launcher to give a direct line of where her shot would land. She wore a devious smirk as she disengaged the safety mechanisms and pulled the trigger. It was barely a second before the ordnance impacted against the front wall of the factory, blowing a hole wide open as dust and debris flew up and out. The impact shook the truck and lurched both Max and Ky in their seats.

V stood with pride and cackled at the mess she had made while Pops kept watch, directing his cannon towards the newly christened main entrance of the All Foods Factory. Once she'd had her fill of fun, she stepped over to the tailgate and dropped the launcher in the back of the truck, trading out for an Afterlife standard-issue (heavily-modified) Kyubi as she called out to Max, "Balls to bones they never hardened the subnet here. Should be able to break in from a safe distance."

Max's eyes flashed blue for a moment before a smile crept on her face; she was in. V wished them luck and slammed the tailgate shut as she stepped back. Ky wasted no time in moving as the truck peeled out and sped down the road.

V stepped up next to Pops as she slung her rifle across her body and said, "Well... age before beauty?"

Pops smirked as he opened fire again on the hole, the rounds bouncing and ricocheting off every surface inside and creating more havoc, dust and debris. After another 20 seconds of constant fire, the barrels ran empty, leaving only the noise of mechanic whirring as the barrels continued to spin before Pops released the trigger. He gave a satisfied sigh as he unslung the cannon before dropping it with a heavy thud on the ground. The tips of the barrels were still glowing from the dissipating heat. Pops looked to V and said, "I think it's clear."

She laughed to herself as he unholstered his revolver, which after almost a year of working for the Afterlife, still took her by surprise as she joked, "You really love that thing, don't you?"

Pops smirked, "It's never failed me. Come on, let's get in there."

--

Amid the distant gunfire and screams, Miz continued laughing as the gangers assigned to watch her and Billy were scrambling. They didn't know whether to stay or run and help their brothers. She teased and tormented them as she said, "What's the matter, chooms? Dicks shrivel up? Come on, go get some! I'm not going anywhere!"

One of the gangers approached Miz to take a swing at her before she said, "Fuckin' try it and end up like Peaches."

The ganger hesitated, considering his options before his largely chromed face shifted into a look resembling a disgruntled submission. Peaches' corpse was still sitting on the ground where Miz had left him, serving as an example to the rest.

Billy just stared at her blankly. This was way different than anything he'd seen from her before. In the past, she was just cold and detached in situations like these. Angry, maybe, but that only improved her focus, gave her clarity. Here and now, she was actually having fun toying with them. It was almost scary... and a little arousing... Billy felt himself blushing as he watched his output (he hated that term) getting a kick out of fucking with the Maelstrom-ers' heads.

Miz kept poking and prodding until Billy cut in, "Ya know, fellas, it sounds like your brothers need you. And here you all are, pissin' your pants and bickering over who does what."

The gangers turned their focus to Billy as he sucked his teeth and said, "Man, I'd be ashamed of myself. Thought you bunch were ride-or-die."

One of the gangers fired back, "Hey, fuck you man! Baron gave us strict orders to keep you here!"

Miz looked to Billy with raised eyebrows. Baron; they'd heard the name. He was a lieutenant during Royce's short-lived tenure, but had managed to sneak away when Royce's crew was wiped out and ingratiate himself with Brick. Looks like he'd used that trust to climb the ranks. He was smart, crafty, and fucking dangerous.

One of the other gangers spoke, "Hey, what if they're right? What if Baron comes back and we're just hiding here while everyone else is getting slaughtered?"

The gangers bickered among themselves, arguing who should go and who should stay, arguing why all of them should or shouldn't go. What if Baron found out one coward stayed behind and blamed him? What if they all died and left their hostages unattended? What if, what if, what if...

Miz looked to Billy again, this time giving him a wink as she braced herself. With a deep breath, she tensed every muscle in her upper torso as she slowly pulled herself up, trying to reach her own hands. She began to perspire, trying to make sure she didn't draw any attention to herself. She could feel her shoulders burning, and she thought for a moment they might actually dislocate if she kept going... Got it!

Miz felt the plug behind her ear. She carefully gripped it between two fingers like a cigarette and managed to wiggle it loose. She waited for any kind of countermeasure to trigger as she slowly lowered herself back down, but was pleasantly surprised to suffer no ill effect. Billy's eyes narrowed, and Miz shrugged back. She decided to test the waters, articulating only one panel on her right arm, then another, and then another. There was no snapping burn, no sudden loss of motor control, no retaliation of any kind. She was free, except for the fact that she was still bound in chains.

Billy could tell by the sigh of relief that Miz's theory had worked. Before he could pull himself up, the gangers had apparently reached some kind of compromise, as they all turned back towards their hostages and dispersed several feet from each other. Now the question was how long until they noticed Miz had unplugged herself.

Billy had to do something to distract them. He jokingly called out, "Hey, what's the bathroom policy here? I've got a growler churning in my gut, man."

Miz shook her head with a smile, trying not to laugh or make any noise that would draw their attention. The gangers were largely dismissive of him, which led him to call out again, "Alright fine, but one of you is gonna have to clean this shit up... literally."

He began to feign grunting and straining, causing one ganger to yell at him, "Hey, you better hold that in, fuckin' gonk-brain!"

Billy ignored him as he continued to groan, his face turning flushed red. The ganger approached, fist ready to strike, before one of the others called out, "He's just fuckin' with you, man!"

They were all interrupted by another ganger bursting through a heavy door as he yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GONKS DOING?! WE'RE GETTING RAIDED!"

Before any of them could answer with their orders from Baron, the ganger kept going, "FUCK THEM, GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE AND HELP US!!!"

The gangers all shrugged to each other, and two followed, ordering the third to stay behind. This lone ganger appeared to have found his own balls as he unholstered his iron and pointed it back and forth between Miz and Billy as he said shakily, "T-try anything cute and I don't care what Baron says, I'll fuckin' zero you myself!"

Miz spat back at him, "No the fuck you won't, and we all know it."

The ganger approached Miz with his gun pointed at her, "What the fuck did you just say?!"

Miz smirked and continued, "You all are shit-scared of him, man. He's just a pile of flesh and chrome, no different than any other gonk in this fucking hell-hole."

The ganger lowered his weapon as his optics shifted and articulated a look of confusion on his face. Miz kept pressing, "All it takes is one good shot, and he's out of the picture. Anyone with enough balls can do it. Don't you want to be king of the chrome-junkies one day?"

The ganger's face turned to anger as he stepped forward, pressing the barrel against Miz's forehead as he yelled, "You shut the fuck up right now!"

Miz smiled as she said, "Slow on the uptake, huh?", followed by a solid knee into the ganger's right ribcage. As he stumbled back, Miz kicked his iron out of his hand before planting another kick into his gut. The ganger fell to his knees as Miz swung her legs back. Using the momentum, she brought her legs forward as her bare foot impacted the ganger's jaw with a crunch, sending him and a few teeth flying into a nearby wall. Miz gave it a few seconds to make sure she had actually knocked him out before she began swinging again. Billy caught on pretty quick that she was trying to build up momentum, but for what exactly?

Miz answered his question soon enough as she swung forward, bending at the core with all the grace of a gymnast as she flipped her entire body, the chain swinging between her legs as she rolled up and held herself in a kind of support position, her arms now straight down in front of her torso. What now?

Billy couldn't help himself, "So uh... what now, Em?"

Get the fuck out of my head, Miz thought as she said with a strained voice, "I-I'm still figuring that one out, Tiger."

Billy chuckled and said, "Well, I'm here all day."

The sweat was starting to pour off of Miz's body, the chains wrapping around her backside causing more discomfort than she would have liked. She braced herself as she tried to adjust her hand. She leaned back as far as she could with the chains digging into her back before she threw herself down and forward. With a timed precision, she deployed her mantis blade as she flipped back over, catching a lucky break as the blade sheared the chains in half. It wasn't all grace, as Miz dropped like a ton of bricks against her back on the concrete floor. She had the wind knocked out of her as she grunted loudly, Billy laughing as he said, "Smooth, toots. But nicely done."

Miz was trying to catch her breath as she said, "Yeah, not my best work... also shut the fuck up!"

Billy smiled, "Why don't you come over here and make me?"

She chuckled to herself as she rolled over and pushed off the floor. She locked eyes with Billy as she sauntered over, taking her sweet time, careful to avoid any debris for fear of catching a piece of rusted metal or broken glass in her bare feet. She stopped right in front of him before biting her bottom lip as she traced the lines of his abdominal muscles as she said, "Y'know, this is actually pretty sexy having you all helpless like this."

"Yeah I know", Billy rolled his eyes, "Our first time, you had my arms folded behind my head, remember?"

Miz leaned up and into him as she checked the bruises and cuts on his torso, "I don't remember hearing any complaining."

She could see him jump a little at that, and she snorted, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Billy scoffed and said, "Would ya just cut me down already?"

Miz stepped back and jokingly rolled her eyes as she said, "Fine."

She braced her arm to one side, the mantis blade shooting forward, before slashing in a horizontal motion above Billy's head as the chains severed. He didn't brace himself in time, losing his footing and falling backwards before Miz caught him with her left hand as she said, "Gotcha!"

She pulled him up to his feet as her mantis blade retracted and her arm restored itself. He wrapped her up in a hug, taking his time to soak it in. He was happy to have her back in his arms, and he didn't want to let go ever again. Miz melted into him, wrapping her arms around and closing her eyes. All was right in the world again. After too long, Billy asked gently, "Are you okay?"

Miz nodded, her words muffled into his bare chest, "As long as you're with me, I'm untouchable."

They needed to move, They both knew it, but neither of them wanted to let go. After a few more seconds, Billy asked, "So... what are we going to do about clothes?"

Miz realized in that moment the predicament they were in. Billy was wearing a pair of syn-cotton gym shorts and nothing else; she was wearing a now torn in half tank-top (that she was falling out of) and a pair of boyshorts. Neither of them had socks or shoes or anything else to offer any protection. They needed to be careful as they moved. Miz finally answered as she pulled away, "We'll figure that out as we go, I guess?"

Billy held Miz close for a second as he checked her cheeks. Bruises were starting to form. She grabbed his hands as she smiled and said, "Hey, I'm fine. Come on, let's delta."

Billy stepped forward, checking Peaches and the other ganger for weapons. His eyes narrowed with a smirk as he removed a holstered handgun from Peaches' leg and said fondly, "I recognize you..."

Miz walked to his side, curious, before her eyes went wide as Billy handed her back her own Unity, complete with the barrel engravings. Billy scoffed, "I guess that was his trophy?"

Miz strapped the holster to her bare leg before checking the weapon as she said, "I think he was the one in charge when they raided us."

Billy wasted no time in stripping off the gangers' boots and any other clothing he thought they could use. Not like the gangers needed it anymore. He handed a shredded leather vest and pair of combat boots to Miz, adorning himself in similar attire. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He reached over for the second ganger's DR-5 revolver, checking it before grabbing a few spare pre-loaded cylinders. Similarly, Miz grabbed any spare magazines she could find for her Unity before they met each other in the middle. Billy looked at Miz with a smile as he said, "You ready?"

Miz pulled him down by his neck as she kissed him quickly before she said with a sigh of relief, "Always."

Billy continued, "Back to back, I'll lead."

Miz nodded and pressed her back against Billy's, scanning the entirety of the open space as they made their way to the nearest exit.

--

Pops and V had made short work of the front areas of the factory. Most of the gangers they would have otherwise encountered scrambled and scurried away like roaches once the wall was blown open. At this point, they were just taking out the leftover trash of anyone stupid enough to stick around. V wouldn't be happy until Baron was a pile of scrap metal; he'd been a thorn in her side for too long. She would likely have to fight Pops or Miz for it at this point, though. She was okay with that; hell, they'd earned it.

Her train of thought was cut short by another shot fired from Pops' revolver. As loud as the Malorian 3516 was that V habitually carried, there was something about Pops' favored Overture that could rattle your teeth if you were close enough. God help anyone on the business end of that thing, especially with Pops pulling the trigger.

V caught movement above them, firing a burst of several rounds. She tagged her targets as blood sprayed, followed by a scream of pain as the body dropped. They had cleared the entire width of the factory's front half by this point, and only encountered a handful of the most brazen and loyal 'stromers. Likely the ones closest to or already over the edge of cyberpsychosis; the ones all bricked up for a good fight.

Being here again brought back memories of walking in the front doors for the first time with Jack. V could laugh now at how nervous she was back then; she had nearly shaken herself out of her skin. From the parking lot to sitting in front of Dum-Dum and taking the hit of Black Lace, she had never been more scared in her life. Call it the drugs kicking in, or call it her brain finally coming into focus, she felt calm and centered as soon as she had her iron against Royce's neck, and even calmer once she had painted the ceiling with what was left of his face and brains.

If you had told V she'd be running the entire city only three years later, she would have told you to get the cum out of your brain and get the fuck out. It was fucking surreal, but these moments also kept her grounded. It reminded her of how temporary and fleeting things could be if she didn't keep her wits about her. Speaking of, she nearly got hers as Pops stepped in front of her and let off two rounds in rapid succession, spraying half of a charging 'stromer back against the wall.

He turned to V with a smirk as he said, "Keep your head in the game, sweetheart!"

V's eyes burned... she hated nicknames like that. But, she couldn't argue with him. She readied her Kyubi and moved forward as she said with apparent annoyance in her voice, "Thanks, Pops."

He smirked and moved alongside as he covered the rear, slamming fresh rounds into his revolver. The sounds of gunfire and screaming were subsiding as the numbers dwindled, but they weren't out of the woods yet. They still needed to find Miz and Billy. Pops prayed they were okay. He prayed he wasn't too late... he prayed that he wouldn't fail again... Focus!

Pops snapped himself back to the present; there was no time to worry. If there was such a thing as answered prayer, whoever was answering had a sick sense of humor as a Maelstrom body fell from the catwalks, followed by Miz landing on top of him with her mantis blade punching through his mostly-chromed skull, knee crushing his ribcage. After a final chitter and death rattle from the ganger, Miz stood up amid the dust and smoke, her eyes and face threading solid red as she looked at Pops and V and said, "...the fuck you took you so long?"

V smiled as Pops turned with tears in his eyes and he yelled out for Miz. Her mantis blade retracted and she met him halfway, barreling into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Pops took a deep breath and sighed with heavy relief. He couldn't find any words, but Miz could read the signs. He was happy, he was at peace, and she threw him a bone as she hugged him tighter, "It's good to see you too, Pops."

V called over to them as she asked, "Billy with you?"

Her question was answered as Billy's voice called out from the catwalks, "Can we just blow this fucking building up and be done with it?"

V's eyes cut to Billy, as did Pops, and he casually waved, "Nice of ya to show up!"

V and Pops were further tormented by Ky's voice in a holocall as he said, "Hey! Tell him witty and charming under duress is MY thing!"

Pops brought both of them into the call as Billy spoke up, "Ky, whatever you said, shut the fuck up and pull the truck around."

Ky laughed, "Missed you too, brother. Miz okay?"

Miz answered, "Right here, ya gonk."

Pops finally found his voice again as he said, "Ringleader's still on the loose, which means nobody's safe at the moment."

Their conversation was cut short by a stream of heavy-caliber shots from the other end of the building. The bullets cut through stone and steel like a warm knife through melted butter, bringing down an entire section of catwalk on the crew's heads as they dove for cover.

The same scratchy and booming modulated voice from before called out with a maniacal laugh, "Anyone still alive out there?!"

Miz's eyes flashed red as she scanned their surroundings. She caught a faint outline through the dust and smoke, and she switched to thermal optics. She had their target, over half of his body registering cold, meaning implants. She could see his arm hanging down was one giant implant starting from slightly above his elbow and extending to his knee. The tip was glowing hot, and Miz had to assume it was a arm-grafted gun of some type. She spoke up in the holocall, "Twenty-five meters, dead ahead. He's got a chain-gun grafted to his arm, so step carefully."

Another burst of fire flew over their heads, followed by more laughter. Miz made her move, climbing up to a small stack of crates for cover as she readied her Unity. The smoke was clearing, meaning they could see him, and he could see them. Miz looked back to the crew as she took a deep breath. Pops gave her a long look as he shook his head; Miz shrugged her shoulders. They were out of options, and they would probably be surrounded at any moment, either by more Maelstrom or NCPD. The only option was to take Baron head on. At least Miz was quick enough to draw his fire and give them the shot they needed.

Pops' jaw clenched as he readied his revolver and braced himself to jump to his feet at a moment's notice. Miz took another deep breath before pointing her Unity in the air and firing three shots. She broke to the right, running as fast as she could before diving for cover behind another larger stack of crates. Baron took the bait, opening fire on her, the high-caliber rounds punching through the crates with little resistance. Miz slid around to the side of a modular office, out of sight and safe for now.

Pops took his opportunity, standing tall as he aimed and fired three shots back to back. The first shot tagged Baron's right leg, tearing through his thigh muscles and bringing him to his knees; the second and third rounds both landed center mass, denting his subdermal armor and sending him flying backwards against the wall with a grunt. He quickly recovered as he knelt down, bringing his gun-arm to the ready as he opened fire on Pops' position.

Pops dove away to find cover as Billy opened fire from the catwalks. His rounds had little effect, bouncing off the subdermal armor as Baron laughed and directed his fire up. Billy saw the writing on the wall and dove over the railing, crashing into a stack of crates on the ground floor as he scrambled behind a wall.

Miz saw her chance and mapped her route as she broke away from cover. She sprinted at top speed to close the distance between her and her target as her mantis blade shot forward. Baron caught sight of her, but it was too late. He swung his gun-arm around to try and crash into her, but she dodged it with ease and she moved to his unprotected right side. She slammed into him with full force as her blade punched through his gut and out of his back before crashing against the wall. Summoning all of his remaining strength, Baron reached up with his right hand and caught Miz around the throat, tightening his grip as he lifted her off the ground. He had a devilish smile on his face as his optics focused into red hearts and he laughed. Miz fought his arm, but her strength was waning as she struggled to catch her breath. She gritted her teeth and her eyes rolled back to her head as her arms started to fall to her side; her vision blurred and everything faded to black.

Pops appeared in front of Baron, planting the full force of his right fist into the subdermal armor, forcing him to release Miz as she collapsed to the ground. Pops kept his focus, landing blow after blow against Baron's torso. He tried to retaliate, throwing a wild hook with his gun-arm. Pops caught it, blocking downward as he slammed his head against Baron's chromed skull. Bad idea, but Pops' rage was the only thing driving him at this moment.

It was enough to distract Baron as Pops grabbed the chrome of the gun-arm with his left hand, forcing him face first against the ground with his right hand against the 'stromer's neck. Pops planted his knee in Baron's back and gave a rebel yell as he ripped the gun-arm free with with his bare hands, the bones snapping and blood spewing from the wound. Pops gripped the severed arm as he stood up. Baron turned to look up as Pops swung it down against his dome, and then again.

Miz's eyes shot open and she gasped for air with a coughing fit as she grabbed her throat and struggled to sit up. V appeared next to them, placing her knee against Baron's back as she nodded to Pops to check on Miz. He wasted no time, turning and kneeling next to her as he cradled her in his arms. Billy appeared shortly after, kneeling down with a hand on Pops' shoulder.

As carefully as he could, Pops closed the folds of Miz's jacket to give her some dignity as he watched over her. Once she was able to take a full breath, she spoke weakly, "W-we get him...?"

Pops chuckled as tears of joy formed in his eyes and he dismissed her question entirely, "You okay, kiddo?"

She answered between coughs, "N-never b-better..."

Pops looked over to Billy and said, "You okay, pup?"

Billy smirked as he squeezed Pops' shoulder gently and answered, "I am now."

Pops smiled as he reached around with one arm and pulled Billy close.

Baron tried to recover as he pushed up with his right arm before V pressed the barrel of her Kyubi against the back of his head and said, "Uh uh uh. Stay."

Miz forced herself to sit up, Pops helping her to lean against a wall. She looked around at the general mayhem, pointing to the massive hole blown in the wall as she said, "Hey... I like what you've done with the place."

Billy knelt down to keep an eye on Miz as Pops turned and walked over to Baron. V could tell from the look on his face it was time to step back. He reached down, grabbing Baron by the back of his neck as he lifted him up with one hand. He situated his other hand against Baron's chromed chin as he stared in the red optics. Baron spat a wad of blood on Pops' face as he said, "Fuckin' get it over with, meatbag!"

Pops scoffed before he jerked clockwise, the crunch of bones and mechanical joints rattling as Baron's optics went dark, and his body fell limp to the ground. Pops stepped back with a deep breath and a sigh of relief.

Miz looked up at Billy with a smile, still fighting a cough as she turned to Pops and V and said, "Any chance for a smoke?"

Billy laughed and shrugged his eyebrows in agreement before Ky pinged them all in the holocall, "Beaucoup five-o headed your way guys. You need to delta NOW!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, multiple sirens and screeching tires sounded outside factory. They were already surrounded from the front, and if they didn't hurry, they'd be blocked in from the side and rear as well.

Pops wasted no time as he grabbed Baron's corpse by the belt and dragged him through the debris towards the front of the warehouse. V called out to him, "Phoenix, what the fuck are you doing?!"

Pops turned to her, a dry smile on his face as he said, "They're in your hands now. Get them out safe, I know you know the way."

V watched as he turned and continued walking. He pinged the holocall, "Ky, need a favor."

There was no hesitation on Ky's end, "Yeah hoss?"

"Ping Liv and tell 'er Billy's safe", Pops said with a calm relief in his voice, "And tell 'er I'll be late for dinner..."

Ky asked the burning question on everyone's mind, "Pops... the fuck are you doing, man?!"

Pops chuckled as he answered, "Buyin' y'all time. Now git!"

--

The front of the factory was surrounded by at least six NCPD cruisers and a couple of armored trucks all slammed against each other, providing ample cover for at least twenty cops. Their eyes were fixed on the giant hole in the wall of the building, watching carefully for any movement. They probably never expected a mangled Maelstromer corpse to come flying out, but nothing was out of the realm of possibility in Night City. Baron's body flew through the hole, catching everyone's attention as it crashed into the asphalt with a loud thud of his chrome mixed with the splat of what little organic flesh remained.

One of the cops called out, "What the fuck?!", while another yelled, "We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

A few seconds passed before Pops stepped into view, his hands raised by his shoulders. The cops also probably didn't expect a fully 'ganic six-and-a-half-foot beast of a man to exit the factory unscathed, considering the damage done to the building. They all took half a step back as they marveled at the situation. Pops took his time, counting each step as he approached Baron's corpse before pushing it aside with his boot as he planted his feet shoulder-width apart. His mustache twitched as his eyes narrowed. He was careful to keep completely calm; a single wrong or sudden move, and they would scream cyberpsycho and cut him down in a hail of hate.

Nobody moved. Nobody wanted to move. They would never admit it, but even the riot units with full body armor and heavy machine guns were afraid of him. He smirked as he stared them down. The ranking officer on the scene called out, "Somebody get over there and cuff him, god damnit!"

Another officer called back, "Fuck you, YOU cuff 'im!"

Finally, two riot officers left their cover and moved carefully, weapons at the ready, as they closed the distance to Pops. One of them waved with his hand and reached for his cuffs as he said, "No sudden moves. Easy, now."

Pops kept his hands up as he said, "I'm not lookin' for trouble..."

All the cops went back on edge as Miz called out, "Yeah, well I am!"

She stepped in front of Pops, her mantis blade out and scratchers extended as she took a fighting stance and stared down the two approaching officers; they responded by training their rifles on her. She didn't flinch. The rest of the cops followed suit, yelling a jumbled mix of commands to get down, drop her weapons, submit, put her hands up, so on and so forth.

Pops called to Miz quietly, "Em... bad move..."

Miz spat back, not taking her eyes off the two riot officers, "They want you, they go through me."

Pops carefully and slowly rested his hand on Miz's shoulder, causing her to rethink her decision. She wanted to fight it, but she knew it was a bad move. She just didn't want anything to happen to Pops. She scoffed as she carefully retracted her scratchers and mantis blade before shifting out of her fighting stance to raise her hands. The riot officers took no chances, barking at both them to get on their knees with their hands behind their heads.

Miz took her chance and said to Pops, "I hope you know what you're doing."

Pops chuckled as he said, "Couple hours in a holdin' cell, V'll come callin'. Small price to pay so y'all could get away clean."

Miz was so blinded by wanting to protect Pops that she hadn't even stopped to consider the influence the Living Legend of Night City might have, even over the NCPD, corrupt as they were. She hung her head as she muttered, "...shit..."

Pops' mustache flared as he smiled wide and said, "You're a good kid, Em... been a rough mornin', so don't beat yourself up too bad."

Miz gave him a middle finger, eliciting a laugh as the officers took their chances. In swift and concise movements, they had Pops' and Miz's hands behind their backs as they pushed them forward face-first into the asphalt. Miz's blood boiled as the cuffs tightened around her wrists. The officers left them on the ground as several other patrol officers approached, weapons still at the ready.

As the officers pulled them up to their feet and guided them towards separate cars, Miz didn't waste her last chance to talk to Pops for a while as she said, "Hey Pops, thanks... again."

Pops called back, "Love ya, kiddo... see ya on the other side."

--

[One hour later - NCPD Watson Precinct Holding Cells]

Miz couldn't remember the last time she'd passed under H10 since they were all evicted. She had a lot of fond memories seeing the ghastly underbelly of the Block once again as the patrol car pulled into the garage underneath the Precinct; the Precinct itself was conveniently situated across from the ground-level main entrance to the Block as a sign of protection to the residents, but also a warning to behave accordingly. Not like it mattered, as the Block's atrium floors had always maintained a police presence of some sort, be it regular patrols or general harassment of the residents. Rumor had it a few NCPD officers themselves actually lived in the Block.

She considered it a kindness that the intake officer had set out an orange jumpsuit to at least give her some dignity, even if it came at the cost of him feeling her up in front of everyone else as he undid her handcuffs; what she would have given to break his jaw for that. The only thing keeping her on her best behavior, all things considered,were Pops' words in the front of her mind, "Just a couple of hours."

Surely she could hold out that long... right? Miz knew her own faults, and she was never one for self control. Her impulses had always gotten the best of her at the worst of times. It wasn't all bad though. Her impulse to jump Billy turned out okay.

This intake officer wasn't Billy by a long shot. Greasy and unkempt hair matched with a patchy beard doing a terrible job of hiding a double chin, his skin pasty, pale, and pockmarked with acne. Any muscle he might have had was obscured by a pot belly and an ill-fitting uniform. Just a real creepy motherfucker; the kind that would use his Kiroshis to zoom in on other apartments and watch women undress while he jerked off. Miz nearly vomited at the thought and tried to wash the image from her mind.

She was used to slotting shards in her head when the occasion called for it; hell, she'd had an interface port for as long as she could remember. But something about the NCPD-issued ICICs (Inmate Cyberware Inhibitor Chips) left her itchy all over like a 'dorph junkie aching for a fix.

GOD, I could use a smoke right now, she thought to herself, speaking of fixes, as the Creep guided her down a dingy hallway to the holding cells. The entire facility reeked of stale cigarettes and ammonia; dried piss, more than likely. Miz surprised herself as she couldn't remember ever seeing the inside of a cell. Most of her troubles that landed her on NCPD's radar occurred when she was just a young teenager, way too young to hold her own in a precinct lockup; Pops had done a pretty good job at keeping her out of trouble since they had been together. First time for everything, right?

As they descended a small flight of steps, the Creep beat his nightstick against the old metal railings jutting out from the walls as he called out, "Look lively, boys! We got FRESH MEAT!!!"

Miz wanted so bad in that moment to clean his clock, but she gritted her teeth, clenched her jaw, and kept walking. There wasn't much she could do anyway. Her hands were cuffed behind her, a chain running down to shackles around her ankles. If she didn't step carefully, she'd eat cement all on her own. The cheers grew louder, turning into feral barking, whistles, and whooping as the residents salivated and reached through the cages to try and grab a piece. Miz might have taken it as a compliment if not for the fact that these animals were probably so bricked up, they'd fuck a hole in the wall if it was deep enough. The Creep answered their calls by beating his stick against the cells and yelling at them to move back.

A gangly arm longer than the rest reached out, managing to brush up against Miz's shoulder. Before she could stop herself, she lunged forward, snapping her teeth and growling as the arm retracted immediately back into the cell. Her face threading flashed solid red before the familiar burning sensation snapped in the base of her skull and she recoiled.

CRACK

To add insult to injury, the Creep took advantage of the opportunity and struck Miz across the back with his nightstick, sending her flying forward onto the cold concrete. Nope, I'm going to fuckin' kill somebody!

Miz's blood boiled again, the heat rising to the surface as she considered her options. The Creep grabbed the chain between the cuffs and shackles, lifting Miz's body off the ground as her feet dragged along and they kept moving. At first, she had hoped they would put her in a separate cell, but now she prayed they would put her in with the rest of the animals; she wanted to kick someone's ass. If not the guard, any old dirtbag would do.

Finally, they reached a cell at the end of the block. With a complete disregard, the Creep dropped her on her face as he stepped forward to unlock the cell door. He reached back, dragging Miz by the chain before throwing her inside. He paused for a moment, admiring her in this helpless state, face buried in the floor, before his eyes flashed blue. The chains released electronically, and he pulled them away quickly as he slammed the door shut and said with a chuckle, "I'll be back for you later, sweet-tits."

Miz launched herself up and over as she yelled and reached through the bars for him. All she needed was one good grab, and he was dead fucking meat. He retaliated by swinging his club against the cell's bars, catching a few hits against Miz's arms before she recoiled back.

The Creep laughed as he turned and walked away, leaving Miz standing alone. Her breathing was ragged, her teeth gritted, and her eyes were full of fire and hate. She wanted blood so bad she could taste it. She watched him walk away until he was out of sight. She brought her arms up over her face before she screamed with clenched fists, "GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKER AND I'LL FEED YOU YOUR OWN BALLS FOR LUNCH!!!"

The Creep's laughs echoed as his voice trailed off, "Don't tease me, bitch! You'll get your chance later when I rail your tight little ass! So save your tears... you're goin' to fuckin' need 'em when I'm done with you..."

Miz gripped the bars for a moment as she leaned her head against them. In one last outburst, she slammed her hands against them, the crash reverberating up and down the hallway as she closed her eyes and tried to breathe deep. She could almost hear Pops' voice in her head, Just a couple of hours, Em...

--

The "interview room" was little more than a concrete floor with ceramic tile walls, a drain in the middle, and a two-way mirror. There was barely even a working light. Pops had to admire its simplicity. It was a modest and unassuming interrogation chamber, nothing less than. He scoffed as he sat cuffed to a small metal chair, wondering how many souls before him had cried out in pain or begged for mercy in this very room. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought of Miz. He knew she could handle herself, but he also knew the kind of scum that would stoop to manning the holding cells in a precinct for one of the most corrupt police organizations on the West Coast.

His thoughts were cut short as the door opened. He was greeted by a plainclothes detective, maybe ten years younger than him, holding a physical deck of some sort with a holographic display. He was clean-cut, save for a few days' scruff. He had a hardened face, steely eyes, and he was well-built. He was no rookie; he'd seen his fair share. Pops had to wonder.

The detective paid him no heed for several seconds, closing the door and leaning against it as he casually flipped through page after page. It was a jacket; it was Pops' jacket. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as he watched the detective carefully, tracking his every twitch and tell.

After an ungodly long amount of time, the detective gave a simple, "Hmm."

His eyes cut to Pops briefly, then back to deck. He was gauging for a response; Pops gave none. This wasn't his first poker game. Finally, the detective caved with a sharp sigh as he said, "Phoenix Gray..."

Pops answered with a snarky tone and raised eyebrows, "...in the flesh."

"Born 2031, San Xavier Indian Reservation, Tucson, Free State of Arizona", the detective continued, no inflection his voice, "Arrived in Night City in 2069, according to your registration."

Pops said nothing; there was nothing to say. The detective asked a soft opener question, "You captain a crew of edgerunners based out of Megabuilding H10, is that correct?"

Pops answered the question by not answering the question as he said, "Haven't lived in the Block for almost a year now."

The detective met Pops' eyes and he asked another leading question, "But you do captain a crew of edgerunners?"

Pops kept his stony face as he said, "If you say so, jefe."

The detective's eyes narrowed and he reached for the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He produced a softpack and a lighter, shaking loose a single cigarette and placing it between his lips. He held the pack out as he said, "Smoke?"

Pops smirked, "What's it goin' to cost me?"

"Just a casual and friendly conversation", the detective lied through his teeth, "Mostly to do with exactly what purpose you had in blowing a hole in the side of the All Foods Factory."

Pops answered nonchalantly, "Interior renovations. Wall had to go. Was crowding the vibe..."

The detective smiled, his patience wearing thin. He lit the cigarette and walked forward, stopping a pace short as he leaned down and exhaled smoke in Pops' face, "We found an emptied man-portable rotary cannon at the scene."

Pops smiled, "Judge me not by my methods, nor the tools of my trade."

A scoff from the detective before he asked a direct question, "What's a cowboy drifter like you doing in possession of prototype Militech hardware?"

Pops answered dismissively, "They must have an eye for my talents. It's amazin' what an arched entrance can do for a post-industrial home."

The detective snapped, "Why don't you cut the bullshit and answer me straight?!" Gotcha, son.

The detective continued, "This doesn't end well for you. We have a mangled corpse, restricted high-tech ordnance, massive property damage, and general civil unrest. All of it lands on you and that feral stray unless you start telling me what I want to know. Starting with, who supplied you that cannon?"

In a moment of sheer genius, Pops tilted his lean to look the detective square in the eyes as he said, "Lieutenant Colonel Michael Farris."

The detective's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing with a twitch. Pops was egging him on, and he knew it. Before he could speak again, there was a heavy rap on the hollow metal door. He gritted his teeth as he muttered to himself in contempt before turning to walk to the door. He nearly ripped the door off the hinges as he opened it and said, "Yeah, what?!"

A quiet voice on the other side said something barely distinguishable, Pops perking his ears to try and catch it. The detective said, "You got to be shittin' me, I just started on him!"

More mumbled words, but from it all, Pops did manage to make out, "Not our call. Cut him loose, give him all his shit and send him on his way."

The second man left, the detective standing in the open doorway. He looked back with disbelief written on his face. Pops drove it home as he said with a wide smile and a chuckle, "Any old time, sweetheart..."

--

[Several hours later]

Miz was curled up in the corner of her cell, head leaning against her arms bridged across her legs. Her throat still ached from Baron's iron grip, and the bruises on her face had tenderized to a dull throb; she was sore all over from the day's events. Her eyes were closed, but she was alert to everything going on around her. It was an hour before the screams, barking, and whistles subsided; two hours before the begging for sex and angry but empty threats of gangrape from the other inmates finally stopped altogether. Miz paid it no heed. If anything, she only needed to worry about the guards, the Creep in particular. It was three hours before her hands stopped shaking. By her HUD's reckoning, she'd been in the cell for six hours.

Her head shot up and her eyes focused as she heard a familiar voice in the distance, arguing with the guards. She couldn't make out the words, but she could hear the raising of voices between the Creep and V. She jumped to her feet and leapt to the cell door, gripping the bars and trying to force her head through to make out what was being said. The Creep was rattling off statutory codes and policies about keeping prisoners overnight for processing, acting like it was out of his hands. V was having none of it. At last, Miz heard the thump and thud of a body tumbling down the stairs, followed by a cry of pain and pleading from the Creep. The other inmates cheered again, growing louder as the pained groans of the Creep grew closer. Finally, both of them came into view, and Miz nearly burst out laughing. V had the Creep on all fours, guiding him with her two fingers in his nostrils like a farm animal as she ushered him along with clicks of her teeth and repeating, "Here, piggy piggy piggy!"

As they approached the cell door, V gave a heavy slap to the Creep's oversized ass, sending him forward to the ground as her fingers popped out with a pluck sound. As she wiped the grime on his shirt, she grabbed him by the collar and said, "Any old time, sweetheart."

The creep wasted no time in scrambling to his feet to unlock the cell door, his hands shaking more and more. Miz was waiting for him, almost salivating at the thought of splitting his face open. She had a devious smirk on her face that V couldn't ignore. As the lock clicked open, V shoved the Creep against the wall as said, "Down, boy."

She stepped in front of the cell door, sliding it open but blocking Miz's path as she said firmly, "Don't push it. We got a clean ticket out of here. He's a fucking slimeball, but he's off limits."

Miz pouted a little, but nodded in affirmation as she stepped out. V looked to the Creep again and said, "Shard."

The Creep was sitting against the wall, looking up at them as his eyes flashed blue. V took the liberty of removing the shard from Miz's head before she flicked it in his face and said, "Don't get up on our account. We'll see ourselves out."

They turned to walk down the hall as the cheers and whoops grew in volume. It was bad enough when Miz entered, but now that two hot pieces were leaving, all hell was sure to break loose. As arms reached and grabbed, Miz and V were careful to avoid them. The same gangly tattooed arm from earlier reached out again; Miz had enough. With a yell, she grabbed the wrist and forced the arm back against the cage bars, bones snapping loudly as the arm hung at an unnatural angle, eliciting screams and cries of pain from the inmate.

V stepped up with eyebrows raised as she said, "Feel better?"

Miz said nothing, not a lick of emotion on her face as she kept walking. V knew that look, because she'd seen it before. That can't be good.

Her fears were founded a minute later when Miz nonchalantly asked, "Hey, you got that smoke I asked for earlier? I'd kill for one right now."

V obliged, passing her softpack and lighter to Miz as they approached the exit. Shit.

Once they were in the garage, Miz lit up and took a deep drag as she said, "Fu-u-uck, this is better than sex. And Billy's a really good lay, too."

V winced at hearing Miz. She was regressing, dissociating again, but she had as good a reason as any. Nobody would come out of what Miz had experienced unscathed, and that she was able to stand on her own two feet right now was a miracle in its own right. V admired her, but also cared about and worried for her. She had told Rogue several times already behind closed doors what a lucky son of a bitch Billy was, to have a fun little piece of crazy like Miz to call his own. Maybe in another life...? No, stop that!

V admonished herself as they approached a van, Pops standing next to it, smoking his cigarette. He broke into a smile at seeing Miz, and she gave him a heavy hand on his shoulder as they piled into the van. It was time to go see Vik.

--

[Fifteen minutes later - Vik's Clinic, Watson]

Miz could hear the voices of all the crew, plus Vik and Misty, trailing out from the shop. It was still early enough that Misty hadn't yet closed for the day. As Miz walked in, followed by Pops and V, everyone lit up to see them free and clear. Billy had a few adhesive strips over a cut on his cheek, but otherwise had fared well. He smiled as he approached Miz with open arms.

Almost reflexively, Miz's eyes shot open and she pulled away, a dead silence falling over everyone in the shop. It didn't take long, barely three seconds before Miz realized what she'd done. She could see Billy's heart twisting as he recoiled his hands slowly, confusion written all over his face. Miz clenched her jaw and looked away in equal parts shame and frustration, all directed inward. She fought tears forming in her eyes before she threw herself into Billy's arms and wrapped around him tight.

He carefully closed his arms around her as he whispered, "It's okay, Em. You're safe now."

It was what she needed to hear, and she sniffled as she said, "I'm sorry."

Billy closed his eyes as he pecked her forehead and said, "It's alright. Everything's alright now."

After a long time, Billy let Miz go, but just as she had earlier that morning, her grip around him only tightened, and her hands curled into fists as she held onto his shirt, pulling at the fabric. He could feel her trembling, and he closed his arms around her again and began to rock back and forth slowly.

Everyone saw the writing on the wall to clear the shop without so much as a word, except for Vik who said softly, "I uh... take all the time you need. I'll be downstairs when you're ready..."

Once Vik had gone, they were all alone in the shop. Miz could sense the emptiness around them, and she cried quietly into Billy's chest. He fought his own tears as he stood strong and held her close, whispering words of comfort to her.

He had expected there would be a few episodes, and he prepared himself for it. He knew Miz needed him, and it did neither of them any favors for him to get upset. She was opening up to him, and he was there for her; just as they had promised each other. It was progress, and they knew it would be okay. Not in this moment, but soon. As long as they had each other, they were untouchable.

--