Modus Operandi

[One hour later - Afterlife, South Watson]

By now, Chelle had found her rhythm among the crew, having seen them work firsthand. She walked alongside them, looking cool and casual, as she crossed the threshold of the Afterlife for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. She honestly had to wonder if the gravity of the situation bearing down on her is what Pops and his crew felt like all the time; and if so, how the hell were they so calm about it when she was about ready to jump out of her skin? At the very least she'd been afforded a chance to change into something less revealing and more comfortable than her little black dress.

Even in the wee hours of the morning, Rogue and V were already parked at the bar, although Claire was nowhere to be found, and for good reason. Chipper as she always was, even she needed a few hours' sleep from time to time. The two legends themselves were already deep in conversation, their eyes a flurry of blue as they discussed the odds and ends of what was to come. Rogue knew well enough that Pops would be out for blood, and to stay the fuck out of his way; V knew well enough the rest of the crew would be right behind, faithful as ever to their fearless leader. They were nothing, if not predictable, and yet somehow they always found a way to surprise and impress, and more importantly, to beat the insurmountable odds of Night City.

Always one with a flair for the dramatic, Rogue whipped around on her stool to face the crew approaching as she called out, "You're all punching way above your weight class, you know that?"

Billy took the comment to heart as he stepped up with a smirk, "Wouldn't be the first time..."

Everyone's eyes widened at watching the Pup stand his ground with the Queen of Fixers, but she returned the smirk as she nodded in affirmation, "I admire the brass. V, it's your show..."

The Living Legend turned, propping both of her elbows against the bar as she leaned back and planted a foot against the railing, cool as ever. She flashed her teeth and locked eyes with Miz, "A merry little goose-chase you sent me on, choomba... the MODUS Group are not to be trifled with."

Miz flipped her hair out of her face with a casual disregard for any lecturing and returned the smile, "Let's start with who the fuck are they?"

"MAXTAC Operational Detachment 'Uniform Sierra'", V rattled off like she'd rehearsed the line a thousand times already, prompting a shocked response from all the crew, "Oh, I guess I have your attention now? Goodie..."

The crew all chuckled at her response as she continued, "It's no surprise Kurt Hansen was connected at the top level. BARGHEST rules over a sizable portion of Night City, but it is still Night City at the end of the day, far removed from civil society as it may be..."

"You call this city civil?", Ky chimed in with a scoff, "Whatever you're smokin', I want some."

V rolled her eyes and continued, "Among his expansive rolodex of friends in high places, Hansen had the Chief of Police in his pocket, and with that came his very own MAXTAC fireteam for-hire. Off-books, on-call at a moment's notice, and can deploy to anywhere in Night City in under fifteen minutes. These guys ain't answerin' the 911 calls, either. They're reserved for the highest bidder only."

Everyone present, V included, could feel their sphincters tightening. It wasn't every day an edgerunner crew got the chance to face off with badged cyberpsychos in plain sight, but sure as shit that was the idea on Pops' mind as the flared mustache framing his wide smile held no secrets. He let the words settle in for several seconds before he said, "Now, not that I don't trust a corpo under duress, but Dillon seemed damn sure that MODUS was the ones hit Joe's office..."

"You're worried this actually is some wild goose chase", Rogue cut in, smiling as she locked eyes with the old cowboy, "Already pulled that thread for you... it would seem that night before last, several residents of the South Kabuki slums witnessed an unmarked Zetatech AV touching down near Allen Street, south of the Cartwright Bridge..."

V picked up for Rogue, "...followed by what could only be described as a heavy operator force pounding the pavement between tenement buildings... of course, nobody stuck around for what happened next, but it's looking like a lot of gunfire, explosions, and yelling took place."

Chelle wasn't thrilled with their candid attitude about it all, but she figured by now there was a method to the madness. No sense in dancing around the point; she could tell by the look on Pops' face as he filled in a few blanks, "They breached the door with a charge... cleared the front offices quickly and precisely, then tortured Joe before executin' 'im while they trashed the office."

"Fuckin' assholes probably laughed like hyenas the whole time, too...", Chelle spat as she placed her hands on her hips, "MAXTAC, they're not like the rest of us... there's two ways it ends... they kill you or they recruit you."

V nodded and flashed back to a first-hand encounter some years back. She'd walked into a Jinguji shop on Senate Avenue in the City Center moments before a cyberpsycho went on a rampage inside. It was only a few minutes before MAXTAC showed up, but they laid waste to the entire store and the 'psycho without a second thought. She and the store's owner were interviewed by one of the operators after the fact... Lieutenant Melissa Rory... hell of a woman. V had noticed immediately the lieutenant's demeanor was almost forced, but still detached, and there was a scrape on her cheek exposing the chromed cheekbone underneath, but it was older than one would expect for her line of work. Had she removed her helmet, V would have expected to find dead eyes opening to an equally dead soul...

She was snapped back to the present by a gentle nudge from Rogue, "Hey... you awake?"

"Yeah...", V chuckled, shrugging off the whole experience, "Just... reminiscing..."

Rogue was skeptical, but she continued the briefing anyway, "Nobody's certain, but the general consensus is they operate like all other MAXTAC squads. Four heavy hitters, each of them well suited to CQB and firearms, but they also each have their specialties."

Ever one to get straight to the point, Miz interjected, "So no fuckin' around... we need to be prepared."

"Right, these aren't your average gangoons", Rogue continued, perturbed at being cut off again, "I don't doubt it's anything you can't handle, just be ready for the shit to hit the fan at a moment's notice."

Pops smiled with a chuckle, "Well... 's what we do best. So 'off-books', means 's not likely they bunk with the rest of the wild pack?"

V took over again, "This is where it helps to have friends in high places. We had to track traffic cams all across Watson to follow the AV, but all signs point to Northside Docks, the old Ebunike container ship."

Rogue's face washed over with a fond nostalgia, V dismissing her completely with rolling eyes as she continued, "The ship sat unloved for 30 years while the Maelstrom took over the docks... it's not on anyone's radar, and nobody seems to have a valid claim on it. And again... Maelstrom."

Billy chimed in, "Doubt anyone's spending a lot of time there anyway, what with all the aerozep traffic and the spaceport nearby..."

And Maelstrom...

Ky next, "Not to mention Militech owns the Waterfront now, so that's most of the water traffic entering or leaving the Bay."

"Suffice to say, nobody's looking too closely at you slipping in and wreaking havoc as you all do best...", Rogue joked with a smirk before her tone shifted to genuine concern, "There's no urgency to this, of course, but seeing as it's a personal matter, I don't think we have much of a say other than offering any help we can... but please don't think about moving on it until you've all gotten some sleep."

"Yeah, which reminds me", V interjected as she lit a cigarette, "After dark is probably better... and don't you dare make a move without me."

While they all saw it coming from a mile away, the crew were always surprised at just how willing their fixer was to throw herself in the middle of the shit with them. It was a good feeling to be looked after, although that didn't stop Pops from trying to dissuade her, "Hey hey hey, now..."

"No", V cut him off full-stop, "You've been through some shit and still came out the other end, but MAXTAC is a whole 'nother animal. I know you're going to do right by Joe any way you can, so six against four is the only way we have a chance at coming out alive."

She made a very good point, but still kept going, "Not to mention, again, Maelstrom... this is the heart of their territory, and last I recall, they were none too happy about us evicting them from All Foods."

Pops smirked as he finished her thought, "Y'need to grease a few palms o' your own to make sure we're not fightin' 'psychos on both sides of the aisle?"

"Exactly", V pointed with a shrug and an exhale of smoke, "There's not much to do for now but keep Chelle safe and get some rest. I'll call you with deets when I have them."

That was that, and the crew knew it. To V's point, there were too many moving parts for them to just rush in on a whim; not that they ever did, but they were in a whole other league now. Chelle took a chance as she approached V and wrapped her up tight. After several seconds of warm embrace, she whispered, "Joe would've liked you... you're a real one."

V tried not to blush as she reciprocated the hug, "Thanks... choomba..."

One by one, the crew bowed out gracefully and left. There were still preparations they could make in the meantime, and nobody was letting Chelle out of their sight.

--

[Several hours later - Kennedy & Duzois]

None of the crew could get much rest outside of a "cat-nap" here and there; except for Chelle, who'd been fast asleep on the old couch since they got back to the lockup. She'd been through hell over the last forty-eight hours, and it showed. As much as they all tried to be quiet, prepping gear and checking weapons didn't make for a quiet environment, and yet their charge slept right through it all; Pops chalked it up to a clean conscience, and he was probably right. There was no rhyme or reason for what happened to Joe; he was a guy with a job to do, and he was cut down in cold blood because of it.

Still, the entire situation weighed heavy on the crew's minds; and not just because a friend was killed. They were all in their own thoughts about things left unsaid. Joe's last messages to Chelle brought light to the importance of saying what you needed to say before it was too late. This resonated with Billy most of all, as Miz could see something weighing heavy on his mind since they'd left the Afterlife. She'd caught him staring a little too longingly at her more than once while they worked, and she was more and more curious each time it happened.

As all their weapons were checked and ready to go, there wasn't much else to do until V called in; everyone took the chance to catch some rest, even if only to sit down and take a load off for a little while. Billy had stepped outside for a smoke, Miz giving him a minute before she followed him out. By now the sun had set behind the city, the twilight mixing with the polluted air to paint everything in a strangely beautiful pall of orange and pink. Billy's face was weary, but he always had a warm smile anytime their eyes met, and she slowly approached him as she asked, "Alright... what's eating at ya, Tiger?"

Billy chuckled as he stretched his arm out, Miz falling against his side as he pulled her close, "Can't hide anything from you, can I...? ...just... seems like there's never enough time to say the things we want to say, y'know?"

"Well, I'm here now", Miz reassured him, "So say what you have to say."

He looked down at the ground, choosing his words carefully. He knew what he wanted to say, but how to say it was the million-eddie question. Miz chided him gently, "Billy, you can tell me anything. It's been two years, we've been through it all together... you know I'm with you no matter what."

You asked for it, Em...

"I want to start a family...", Billy blurted out as he threw caution to the wind, "I want to have a family of my own... with you."

His bluntness caught Miz off-guard, and she choked on her own surprise as her eyes widened. She pulled away just far enough to look in his eyes, finding a warmth in them that she'd always felt. The cat was out of the bag now, and he wasn't backing down, "I know... it's a lot to think about... but I love you Miz. More than anything in this fucked up place, I love you with all of my heart."

Those damned puppy dog eyes and that big beating heart; Miz smiled as her eyes clouded over, and she crashed into Billy's chest and wrapped herself around him, "I love you, Billy. I'll go wherever you go... you know that."

She could feel his heartbeat slowing as he sighed deep with relief. He held her close as he shed a few tears of joy.

Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived, and ultimately lost, as V called out to them, "Hey! Mind helpin' a choom with some crates?"

Miz could have knocked her favorite living legend upside the head in this moment, but she pulled away with a chuckle as they both turned. To V's point, she had one large crate hoisted over her shoulder, and another hanging by her side, the muscles in her arm flexing to keep it steady. Bill tossed his butt and stepped forward before Miz caught him by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down for a kiss before she said, "Later..."

He smiled and turned to meet V halfway, taking one of the crates before turning back to head inside through the open garage door. Miz took her place on the other side, helping V carry the second crate as they followed.

V couldn't help herself, "What was that all about?"

Miz said nothing and tried her level best to keep her eyes front, but the bright red burn in her cheeks said it all. She was beaming inside, and V was happy for it, whatever it was.

As they entered the garage, they placed both crates on a large table with a thud, prompting Chelle to finally stir from the couch. As she rubbed her eyes and stretched with a groan, V leaned in to Miz, "Fuck, if only I looked that good when I first woke up."

"I'll bet Rita thinks you do...", Miz fired back with a smirk, prompting narrowed eyes from V as she continued, "I'm happy for you both."

V softened as she put her arm around Miz and pulled her close, "Thanks, kid. T-That means a lot."

"Uh huh... one question though... between the two of us, who eats pussy better?", Miz asked with a shit-eating grin. V choked on her cigarette and the audacity before shoving Miz away with a scoff. She stepped back into the open air of the sidewalk to gather herself as Chelle walked in from the center room with a yawn, "What'd I miss?"

Miz smirked and kept up her spunk, "A whole lot of suit-up montage... how'd ya sleep?"

The older woman chuckled, "Probably better than I will for long while after this is all over..."

"Hey...", Miz called out as she placed a gentle hand on Chelle's shoulder, "If you don't feel safe even after we finish this, You're more than welcome to stay with any one of us."

"Miz... I couldn't...", Chelle chided her younger choomba, "You've all done so much for me already, and it's only been a day. I'm in way over my head, and I couldn't ever pay you back, even if I tried."

"Ain't a-one of us askin' ya to...", Pops chimed in as he stepped into the garage and lit a cigarette, "Mmm... so she finally showed up."

V heard him, even with the hustle and bustle of traffic, giving a middle finger from behind as she continued coughing. They all chuckled as Chelle looked down for a moment. She didn't want to be in anyone's debt, even though she knew the crew didn't see it that way. Joe had helped each of the crew in some way, and this was all of them together making good on it. Paint the picture any way you want, Chelle was happy to be in their company, which begged the question, "I guess you're all planning to dump me somewhere to keep me out of harm's way, right...?"

"You'll park up with Rogue at the Afterlife", V turned, having pulled herself back together with subsiding coughs, "Safest place for you inside city limits, all things considered."

Chelle didn't like being stuck on the sidelines, but she understood where they were coming from. It was all for naught if she got hurt, or worse. At the end of it all, she just hoped they could pull it off, for their own sake.

Pops spoke up again, "Maelstrom all settled?"

"There'll be an exchange of eddies when we get there", V answered, "Ky, you'll follow my directions once we cross to Northside, 'kay?"

Ky chimed in with a smile, "Copy that, boss-lady."

She continued, "They're not happy about this, but money talks at the end of the day. We should have them off our backs long enough to do what we're there to do..."

Max broke her silence for the first time in at least three hours, "It de Waterfwont all over again... wha' if dey get hungwy?"

By now, their fixer was checking her Malorian as she flashed her teeth, "Well... best to bring a few extra mags, isn't it?"

Yeah, no shit...

--

[One hour later - Docks District, Northside, Watson]

V had to give Ky credit; for as mouthy as he had the tendency to be, he was a damned good navigator when push came to shove. Her original plan had them swinging around Longshore North coming from Japantown to intersect with Industrial and Offshore streets. Not only was Ky able to find a better route with less road time coming up Kennedy Avenue, it also gave them a more advantageous position in case the Maelstrom decided to have themselves a late-night snack anyway. With Ky's route, they'd slip in right behind the gangers with no chance for a counterattack if it came to it.

As promised, they arrived under the cover of dark, pulling off a block short into an alleyway between abandoned buildings; not a soul in sight, and they preferred it that way. As everyone hopped out of the truck, V was still on an active holocall with Rogue, "Just parked, starting our approach..."

"Copy that... hey, be careful out there, kid", Rogue answered with a genuine affection in her voice, "And let me know if you come across another old Porsche, yeah...?"

V scoffed, "Yeah... promises..."

The call dropped, and she joined the rest of the crew in staring at Pops once again assembling and shouldering a man-portable rotary cannon with steadfast and scary precision. He looked back, lit cigarette hanging from his mouth, "...what...?"

V shrugged her eyebrows and shook her head with a chuckle as she walked past, patting Pops on the shoulder as everyone else turned to follow. There wasn't much idle traffic rolling through Northside these days, especially since Maelstrom had concentrated what was left of their members in the area. It made for a brisk walk down the block to the rendezvous point.

As they approached the corner of the block, V flattened herself against a wall before peeking around, the rest following her lead. As expected, the road was blocked end to end by vehicles painted in Maelstrom colors, several gangers standing watch and looking in all directions; what stood out though is this wasn't a usual roadblock encountered in Northside's industrial district. None of the cars were on fire, nor were there wanton discharges of iron and the general hellish screaming of 'stromers on the ragged edge of cyberpsychosis. These goons were disciplined and alert. In V's mind, it had to be their welcoming party.

Miz quickly surveyed the situation, looking all around as she pinged a crew-wide holocall, "Looks like we got pipes, beams, and girders spanning overhead... maybe I need to go vertical?"

V smiled, "I'll draw their attention, and you drop in behind?"

"You read my mind", Miz answered as she press-checked her Unity, "See you bunch on the other side..."

Ky took his chance and chimed in, "Don't look down, kid..."

"Bite me", Miz fired back with a smirk as Billy punched Ky's arm. She stole a quick kiss against Billy's cheek before starting her climb. All of the crew watched as she expertly navigated the pipes leading up the side of the building before disappearing entirely over the roof. Ky again couldn't contain himself, "Heya Miz...? You sure your dad wasn't a monkey?"

They could hear her scoff as she caught her breath, "Pops, you keepin' a secret from us?"

A laugh was shared by all as Pops smirked and shook his head. As far as anyone was concerned, biological or not, he was Miz's father; the closest thing she'd ever had. And anyone who knew him longer than five minutes knew he was proud of that fact. Hell, he was proud of Miz.

After half a minute of silence, she pinged the call again, "I'm in position... do your thing, babe."

V motioned to the rest to stay put, checking the corner one last time before she stepped into view. It was a solid thirty paces to the roadblock, and every step pounded louder in her head as she approached cautiously. No one was looking her way at the moment, and she prayed it stayed that way as she passed from dark to light and back to dark from the overhead lamps. Finally, she took her stance, feet squarely shoulder-width apart, as she observed and tagged seven gangers standing watch. She let loose a wild whistle, jerking all of them to attention as they spun around, weapons at the ready. She carefully raised her hands, holding a stack of physical eddies in one as she said calmly, "Heya fellas..."

A rattling and scratchy artificial voice called out, "You were supposed to— ah fuck it... where's the rest of 'em?! You said six bodies!"

She said nothing out loud as she pinged the holocall, "Any old time, sweethearts..."

The rest of the crew sans Miz stepped into sight, taking the long walk to stand by V's side as they faced off. The ganger stepped forward, his multiple red optics scanning side to side, "Where's the fuckmeat?!"

Miz's jaw clenched as she watched and waited from overhead. She wanted nothing more than to waste all seven of them right then and there, but it did nothing help their already-shitty situation. For as far she had come, she still had to fight her temper from time to time; so for now, she sat patiently.

V scoffed and flipped her hair out of her face, "Been two years now... you fellas really need to drop that one..."

The lead ganger took aim with a submachine in one hand, prompting all the rest to follow, and barked, "Maybe we just drop all of you... right here, right now!"

-SHINK!-

A short blade appeared across the ganger's exposed chrome windpipe, clinking against it softly as Miz appeared behind him, her Unity trained on another ganger, "How's it hangin', chooms?"

The lead ganger gritted his chromed teeth as a low rattle sounded; the rest of the gangers hesitated, not sure how to move forward. Miz did the heavy mental lifting for them, "Here's how it works. You're going to take the scratch, and then you're going to fuck right off back to whatever hole you crawled out of. Dig?"

V smirked as she held out her hand, waving the stack back and forth. The lead ganger carefully held his arm out, signaling his crew to lower their weapons before V handed him the scratch. As his hand fell to his side, Miz slowly pulled the blade clear, keeping her iron trained on the other goon as she stepped back. The leader barked at all of them, "If you're still here in two hours, we're going to finish this little chat, y'hear?"

The Living Legend narrowed her eyes with a smirk and a sarcastic nod as she holstered her iron and stepped across the barricade. The crew stayed close on her heels, walking backwards to make sure the 'stromers didn't try anything cute. It wasn't long before they were all gone, tires peeling out and leaving the crew standing alone in the middle of the poorly lit street. Billy was the first to comment on the whole affair, "Well... that was fun."

Ky side-eyed him as he chuckled and turned to Miz, "So much fun... hey, where the fuck did you come from anyway?"

Miz gave a cheeky smile as she pointed up, "From there..."

"Yeah but... how... we didn't even see yo—", Ky stumbled over his own words as Billy chuckled and patted him on the chest, "Just be glad she's on our side, choom."

Ky was left beside himself as V brought them back on track, "It's two blocks to the Ebunike... ship's been in dry-dock longer than any of us have been alive, so no worries about having to swim."

Miz wore a jokingly pouty look on her face, "But... what if... we could use that to our advantage?"

She had everyone's attention at that point as she kept going, "Boat like that's hardly sea-worthy, the keel's probably rusted out all to hell..."

"Think you can find a way in from the underside?", Pops asked, having already read his kid's mind as he smirked, "Hell of a risk to be takin' that close, Em..."

"Hey, you find someone else that can move like I can, let me know...", Miz flashed her teeth, prompting a chuckle from everyone as Pops shrugged his shoulders and took a step back while she continued, "Once we're close enough, everyone hunker down... I'll drop in, find a way inside and get eyes on."

V picked up the thread, "Maybe find something that gives us an edge?"

"Hell, we need all we can get by the sounds of it", Ky jumped in as he nodded, "Good lookin' out, kid. We'll cover you from up top."

Ever the voice of reason, V added, "We're on a crunch here. Maelstrom gave us two hours, but there's no guarantee they won't get hungry before then..."

Pops patted his shoulder-slung cannon with a fond smile, "You let me handle that if push comes to shove, darlin'..."

They all nodded to one another in agreement and turned to make their way. The first corner posed little issue, a few Maelstrom gangers standing next to a barricade of trashed cars lit on fire, but they held no interest in the crew just moseying on by. Maybe they really were making good on the agreement, as long as the crew didn't overstay their welcome.

As they kept walking, the streets got darker and darker, the still-working street lamps disappearing into the distance behind them. Before long, they were shrouded in complete darkness, taking each step carefully, quietly, and deliberately. All eyes were trained on every visible nook and cranny, scanning for anything out of place; anything that didn't belong, which in their present location was a tall order. Every step fell heavier than the last, carrying with it a pounding heartbeat and a knot that couldn't be swallowed. The tension mounted, until at last, the last corner was rounded.

The crew found themselves awash in the lights overlooking the dockyards, either suspended from poles or dotting the overhead cranes sitting lifeless. Their attention was drawn to a light hissing sound, finding a single Maelstrom calling to them as he signaled their way in. V nodded, and the ganger disappeared around a corner as she thought, What the fuck is that all about...?

It was probably no mystery that the gang didn't like cops, corrupt as they may be, parking in their territory; but who was crazy enough, present company excluded, to take them head on? This was truly the stuff of legends, if they could pull it off. For all the crew had seen and done over the last two years, V was hard-pressed to find a better group to throw her weight behind. Her legend was already set in stone, and if worst came to worst, all five of the crew would have their names etched in chrome over the bar at the Afterlife.

She shook the thoughts from her head as Miz turned to all of them, "Right, wait for my word... V, think you can get up on the crane for an overhead vantage?"

She smiled at her li'l choomba taking charge as she nodded. Miz removed her jacket and handed it to Billy as she turned next to Max, "There should be a control room on the far side... see if you can find anything to tip the scales."

Max gave a soft smile, "Wi bosmang... be safe, mm?"

"Yeah, you too... all of you", Miz answered with a hint of blush as she flipped her hair, "See ya on the other side, chooms..."

And like that, she disappeared among the towering containers and crates lining the yard. Max went her own way, skirting the edges of the stacks as she kept her eyes open for anything useful. V stood with a smirk as she turned to Pops, "Hell of a kid you got there..."

"Yeah, I s'pose she turned out a'right...", Pops chuckled as he lit a cigarette, handing one to Billy. V returned the laugh as she took off into the stacks and was gone in a few seconds.

And then there were three... just the boys. Pops turned to Ky, offering him a smoke, which he gladly accepted, "Might as well, right? How's 'bout a beer while you're at it?"

Billy laughed while Pops fired back with a smile, "Left 'em in my other jacket... well, shall we, gentlemen?"

All three chooms checked their weapons, moving further in to find space to sit tight and out of sight until they heard otherwise.

Miz kept careful watch of every corner and pathway she came across, holding her Unity front and center. For all she knew, these 'psychos could just be drinking beer and playing cards in the ship's hold, or they could be prowling the yards for meat. She sure as shit wasn't getting caught blind either way. One last turn, and she was met with the decrepit hull of the Ebunike stretching as far as she could see in both directions. It was entirely unsettling, the creak of metal straining against metal; the rusted hull against the rusted arms holding the ship in place. It was a marvel of modern engineering in its own right the ship hadn't crashed into the bottom of the dock by now.

The floodgate doors had certainly seen better days; as Miz zoomed in for a closer look, there were small trickles of water pouring in, pooling at the bottom. The steel beams were mostly corroded, and the concrete had cracks and faults running the length from top to bottom. She could almost see the gates failing, a flood of water from the harbor filling in and sinking the ship. It was... hypnotizing...

Miz shook her head and snapped herself back into focus, holstering her iron as she looked down over the ledge. She had ample room between the edge and the hull of the ship to slip down, but a persisting fear in the back of her mind wouldn't go away; what if the ship slipped and pinned her as she was climbing down? She could almost hear the crunch of her bones mixed with the sinewy splatter, and she took a step back from it all.

She could feel her heart racing as she tried to calm herself with deep, even breaths. In, out, rinse and repeat. She closed her eyes for a moment as the calm crept in, little by little...

What the fuck is wrong with you?!

Her eyes shot wide open in surprise. When had she ever been this nervous? Why now, of all times and places...? Her mind flashed to her earlier conversation with Billy, and it hit her like a fully-loaded Centurion... never once in her life had she considered a future beyond Night City; never once had her mind even drifted to the thought of having children. And now, she had a loving partner who would die for her without hesitation, someone who was fully committed to spending the rest of his life with her... and it scared the hell out of her.

She stopped and pinged a quick holocall; just in case, if it came to it, she had to hear his voice one last time, "Hey... Tiger..."

Billy could sense the shakiness in her voice, "Em... you okay?"

"Heart's pounding... can't get my head straight", Miz confessed, embarrassed she was even having this conversation, "What you said earlier... about a family..."

"I shouldn't have said anything", he admonished himself, "Especially not before a job like this... I'm sorry."

Miz took one final deep breath, the calm washing over her as the warmth of her input's voice brought everything back to center. Here and now, all was right in the world, and she smiled, "I want to have a family with you, Billy. I do, but not here..."

"So... what are you trying to say?", he asked, swallowing the knot in his throat.

She blushed, "Ask Pops... I love you, Tiger. To the moon and back... I just needed you to hear that."

"I love you, Em...", his voice broke from the swirl of emotions, and the call dropped.

Billy fought a well of tears building... tears of joy. He tried to hide it, but Pops and Ky saw the change in his face clear as day. There was no hiding it, but that didn't stop Pops from asking anyway, "Y'alright there, pup?"

He looked down with a smile, "I... yeah, I'm okay."

Ky leaned forward, his intuition getting the better of him, "Once the shit goes down, kid, you need to focus on nothing else. Ya got something to get off your chest, downtime's the time."

Pops could see Billy's heart beating a mile a minute, and he gave a helping hand, "You talked to Miz... 'bout somethin' serious, didn't ya?"

Billy scoffed at the both of them before he relented, "Back at the lockup, I told her I wanted to have kids... a family... with her."

He expected shock and awe, but was only met two warm and friendly faces as he continued, "She told me just now, I guess before the shit goes down, she wants it too, but not in Night City..."

Pops chuckled under his breath as he looked down at the ground, "Kid's smarter 'an I give her credit for, sometimes..."

"I asked her what she meant", Billy kept going, "She said to ask you."

Now Ky was curious, his eyes widening as they both looked at Pops smiling fondly. After several seconds, he stamped his butt and said, "Ah hell... you've seen how she takes charge, makes the best of a bad situation. She's a born leader."

Ky slapped a hand against Pops' shoulder, "Yeah, well she learned from the best, didn't she?"

Pops shrugged his eyebrows, "Yeah, I've taught her about all I can, and I'm not gettin' any younger... figures she'd see it comin', I couldn't ever hide shit from her."

There were two pairs of eyes locked on him as he paused before confessing, "After this, I'm hangin' up the holster..."

"Get the fuck out of here!", Ky spat in disbelief. Billy was surprised, but his face hid it better, having seen firsthand how well Pops and Liv had settled into each other.

"I got more to live for now than I ever had since comin' here", Pops continued, "And I won't let it get away from me again."

Nobody could blame him, not one bit. He had a beautiful woman at home, and he had the best chooms you could ever ask for. After a life of hard work, he'd earned the chance to put his feet up and rest easy for once. Ky and Billy both nodded in agreement before the crew-wide call pulled their focus back to the task at hand as Max chimed in, "In position, dey no' much to work wit' here... some ol' panels fo' de crane and a dusty terminal dat maybe contwol de overhead lights?"

"That's better than nothin'... good find Max", Pops answered, to which V chimed in, "Just don't fuck with those panels while I'm up here, m'kay?"

They could all see Max smiling as she fired back, "No pwomises, choomba."

"Miz, how ya doing down there?", V asked, scoffing as Miz barked, "Waiting for the big-ass ship to come crashin' down on my head, but hey, take a load off..."

Fuckin' smartass..., V thought to herself as she answered, "Be careful down there. We're sitting tight up here 'til you tell us otherwise."

"No promises, babe...", Miz parroted Max's comment, prompting a chuckle from everyone in the call.

Miz kept her movements precise and light as a feather on touch. If the ship decided to crash and burn, it wouldn't be because she was too loud or ham-handed. Every creak and strain of the metal overhead sent a shiver down her spine, and her ass couldn't pucker any more than it already was. The water sitting stagnant in the bottom of the dock basin could have been 2 weeks old or 2 decades, and the stench was unlike anything Miz had ever experienced. She tried her best to navigate around the sludgy brown puddles, not even for fear of getting her sneakers dirty, but more that it might eat through the shoes altogether and rot her feet to the bone.

The ship itself wasn't as big as Miz had expected. She'd heard about old-world container ships that were as big as megabuildings sailing the open seas; but since the advent of aerozep traffic, it was rare to see ocean-faring vessels like that anymore. Still, it left a lot to the imagination, sailing to some place far away. Outside of their few forays into the Badlands, Miz had never really been much of anywhere outside Night City. But for what it's worth, Night City was a big place. There were even parts of the city itself that she hadn't yet seen properly.

As if to hear angels harmonizing in her own head, she found the perfect spot; there was a gaping hole near the back of the ship, leading right into the mechanical access between the exterior hull and the interior compartments. Now she just had to climb up there. The cross beams and girders created a three-dimensional maze, as dizzying as it was dangerous to navigate. The entire latticework frame was painted deep red, but even this didn't do a great job of hiding the rust. Each surface was rough to the touch, and yet somehow Miz still struggled to keep her grip as she climbed.

After several minutes of deliberate and quiet movement, Miz had finally reached the hole, her entire body burning as she tried to keep her breathing even. The grated floor jutting out was just as rusted as the rest of the hull, begging the question of how sturdy and stable it would be. Miz put these thoughts out of her mind as she grabbed hold and pushed herself up, steadying herself at waist level before she propped a foot up and inched her way inside. So far, no noises outside of the usual; she was clear for now, as she pinged the holocall, "I'm inside..."

"Oye, Miz! Pwepare ta receive...", Max called out as Miz's HUD flashed an incoming file transfer, "Foun' somet'in' useful, issa blueprint o' de ship."

Miz smiled as she pulled the blueprint up, marveling at the detail, "What would I do with you, babe... thanks. Sit tight, I'll get the lay of the land and call back when I have something."

The call dropped off, and Miz planned her route carefully as she stepped further inside. It was definitely cramped, but her small frame made it a small matter. If the blueprint was accurate, she had a maintenance shaft running the length of the ship between compartments coming up in no time at all. She kept her eyes alert, scanning for anything out of place. For as junked as the old ship was, there wasn't a lot of junk hanging around. Some open streets in Night City were hard enough to navigate on account of all the trash gathered in large piles, crude walkways having been carved by those braver than she.

And sure enough, as the map told, the fabled maintenance shaft came into view above her head, a cleanly-machined hatch open and ready for her to climb in. Still, her spine shivered at the thought of being enclosed in that tiny space with no way out. And yet, if she didn't shove herself inside, they'd likely be blind and walking into a complete shit-show. They were already in hostile territory just being this far north in Watson, and they were on someone else's home turf entirely.

Another few deep breaths, and Miz found her calm as she reached for the open hatch and pulled herself up as carefully and quietly as she could manage. She had to congratulate herself on the making the call to drop her jacket. No way her swords would have fit inside without making one hell of a racket...

By her own estimation, she had maybe thirty yards to crawl before she reached the below-decks container holds. With any luck, a crew of four cyberpsychos weren't much for being above decks unless they were on a job. Miz could likely have pontificated a thousand different possibilities, but none of them did her any good, so she chose to shut them all out as she pressed forward, bit by bit, inch by inch.

It wasn't long before the sweat started, Miz finding herself a drenched and dirty mess as the grime and soot of half a century of stagnation stuck to her skin like flypaper. She could feel herself, and pretty soon she'd be able to smell herself, which meant there was every chance her targets could also smell her.

She winced as a light flashed through a vent in the shaft. She was met with flickering overhead lamps flooding the holds in dim artificial light as stand-mounted work lamps provided the ambiance and mood lighting; this place was cold and lifeless. The metal walls were in just as much disrepair as the hull, with large patches of rust and water damage reaching from top to bottom. The overhead loading doors were cracked open just enough to allow the outside air in to ventilate the otherwise stuffy interior. As she pressed forward, the sounds of masculine voices became clearer. Soft blows landing, each accompanied by grunts and groans, and then a retaliating shout bordering on a bestial snarl; sparring. Miz kept her eyes peeled as she continued. Another pair of voices were barely audible, off in the distance; one male and one female.

From this vantage high overhead, Miz could see every corner of the container holds. There were makeshift partitions dividing the open space into different rooms; the two sparring partners were in a gym of sorts, with benches and loose weights and bars strewn about. The next room over had a long bench and something passing for a kitchen, the walls lined with flashing screens and terminals. Beyond that, the next space was divided into several smaller areas; four separate bunks and a shared bathroom. Miz could hear the co-ed grunts growing louder, and she pushed forward a little further, indulging her curiosity just long enough to almost laugh as a wide smile broke on her face...

The male and female voices belonged to the last two operators, fucking like wild animals in plain view, sweat pouring off their scarred and sculpted bodies. It hardly looked consensual from the outside, the man pulling the woman up into a choke-hold from behind as she fought against him with every fiber of her being, and yet Miz could sense some sort of feral passion between them. As much as she wanted to stick around for the show, she knew she had better things to do, and she pressed on.

The last space contained the proof Miz needed; an unmarked Zetatech AV parked on one side, with shelves and racks of NCPD-branded tac gear and weapons on the other side. The spaces in between had a crude assortment of desks with terminal screens, maps, and other intel documents laid out. The vests all bore straps and tabs with NCPD livery, but the standout markings gave Miz exactly what she was looking for. Each vest bore a velcro strap with US- and a four-digit number. This was the MODUS Group. This was their boogeyman target; four heavily-chromed not-quite-humans living outside the constraints of society like a wild pack. They didn't belong with the rest of the cops, and likely nobody wanted them around the rest of the cops anyway.

Miz checked the blueprint one last time, questioning if she had to backtrack the entire length of the ship, or if she had some other way out; to her pleasant surprise, if she kept on for another ten yards, she'd come up to an above-decks hatch. She'd be free and clear. Likely that'd be the best thing to happen to her all night. She chuckled to herself as she kept moving forward. The grunts, groans, and moans of all four operators faded further into the background, and in no time at all, she was enveloped in darkness as the interior lighting faded.

Finally, she could feel and smell 'fresh' air filtering in from topside. She was so close to a clean getaway, and she gently pushed the hatch up, holding it in place to keep it from crashing. She'd come too far to get caught in the open like a total gonk...

Famous last words; as soon as she was clear of the hatch and standing on the deck, her attention was drawn to the raspy bleeps and burps of a Wyvern drone hovering overhead, optics red and flashing as it scanned her. As quickly as she could, she drew her Unity and fired three suppressed shots, each finding its mark before the drone fizzed and sparked. It lost altitude quickly, crashing into a smoldering pile against the deck.

...shit...

So much for a clean getaway, as she could hear enraged shouts rising from beneath the container doors. Hers eyes widened as she charged a jump overboard. It was only 20 feet to the cold concrete of the yards, but Miz barely caught herself from stumbling forward in her haste to meet a container face-first. She dove out of the way, her arm scraping against the ground, and quickly recovered as she pinged the crew, "We're fucked, they know we're here!"

Pops answered, "Lock 'n load, we're goin' to have serious hate rainin' on our heads before long..."

V chimed in, trying to keep Miz from beating herself up, "That's on me. I can see the whole yard, but I spaced on the drone..."

"Blame game later!", Ky barked as he racked his Kyubi, "Miz, get as far away from there as you can... we'll cover you!"

There was no blame to pin on anyone. This was an open assault; it was bound to get loud eventually, and they all knew it. At least drawing the targets out in the open gave the crew a better shot at evening the odds, maybe catching them one at a time, alone and off-guard. Even a single MAXTAC operator by themselves was a force to be reckoned with, but the odds were better than trying to face off all at once with a combat-hardened four-man fireteam.

Before their eyes, the loading doors of the ship opened upward with a mechanical grating sound of degreased metal against metal, revealing the interior of the holds to open air. Each of the operators charged a jump upward, clearing the doors with ease as they landed on the deck of the ship. Watching all of it from overhead, V's eyes were wide open as she tucked herself behind cover on the overhead crane arm, Malorian at the ready. All four operators were armed to the teeth, but from what she could tell as she tagged the targets and flashed the data to the crew, they had no armor or even uniforms on. Two of them didn't even bother with shirts, their chromed torsos exposed and reflecting the glare of the overhead flood lights. As quick as they appeared on the deck of the ship, they were gone just as quickly as they each took off in different directions; the hunt was on.

Miz navigated the stacks of containers on the ground as quickly as she could, weaving right and left. In the scramble, she'd lost her bearings, trying to find her way back towards the main gates. She could hear the heavy footsteps falling louder as one of the operators traversed over the tops of the stacks. She took a chance on breaking left before a container crashed to the ground in front of her, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. She turned back, meeting the sound of a thud as the operator landed on the ground in front of her. He stood up, towering at least an entire foot over her, eyes flashing bright red. He was striking, with a chiseled face and muscular build, his chest bearing a large tattoo of the number 4, but he had this oddly vacant look that Miz couldn't shake; the lights were on but nobody was home. As he stared down his prey, the corners of his mouth curled into a twisted smile, and a low chuckle rose from deep within.

Miz was cornered with no option but to fight, and she took a stance. The chuckle ceased as Four placed both hands up by his ribcage, revealing 3 implanted slots between the fingers on each hand...

-SHINK!-

A metallic scraping sounded and echoed as three blades on each hand, at least sixteen inches long apiece, appeared and locked in place. Miz's eyes widened as a light panic set in before she found her center. Her stance eased up, and she collected herself as her eyes narrowed with a slight nod to her opponent. His chuckle returned as he took a step towards her before a single shot ricocheted off the exposed armor plating of his back, leaving a dent. It was enough to distract him as he turned and locked eyes with V in the overhead crane assembly. She was holding out her Malorian, smoke rising from the barrel, as she yelled to Miz in the holocall, "Get the fuck out of there, kid!"

Miz charged a jump up and back, flipping over as she disappeared behind the crashed container. The operator turned at the sound of the impact, finding empty space as a growl set in. She was out of his sight, but he could still sense her nearby. She wasn't in the clear yet...

Elsewhere, a burst of gunfire rang out, echoing through the entire yard. Ky was blind-firing around a corner, the small-caliber projectiles bouncing harmlessly off another operator's exposed dermal armor as he approached. He held a Techtronika Pozhar auto-shotgun up by his head as he scanned intently, lifeless eyes bearing the same red glow, and his face with the same blank expression. His chest tattoo was the number 3.

He scanned again, locking on a corner ahead and to the right as he took aim. A single blast rang out as the slug crashed from the barrel, impacting the container's edge and blowing away a chunk of metal eight inches wide. He gave no visible reaction to the recoil, his grip steadfast as he took aim again, this time at Ky's exposed head. Ky realized all too late, his eyes wide as he dove for cover. Before Three could fire again, his eyes cut left to a mechanical whirring noise, but he was too late to correct his aim. Pops stepped out from behind the container, a hail of fire peppering the stacks as he trained the cannon on his target with an iron grip.

The operator braced one foot back as he tried to withstand the barrage, the sheer force causing him to stagger backwards as his armor caved and what little 'ganic flesh remained tore away from his body in a dazzling display of blood and bone. After several seconds, the firing ceased, and all that remained of him was a damaged and scarred cybernetic skeleton soaked in synth-blood with half a face emitting a raspy chuckle; he charged forward, his arms exploding into mantis blades before Pops swung with the heavy barrel end of the cannon, catching him from the side and launching him into one of the containers. The dead weight of all his chrome and the force with which he slammed into the rusted corten steel left a sizable dent as the container warped to absorb the hit. The rest of the stack whined in protest at having lost its foundation as Pops muttered to himself, "Shit..."

Three was still alive, albeit heavily damaged, his eyes shuttering between red and blue and nothing all. Pops didn't have much time before the walls of this labyrinth would collapse, so he took the opportunity to drop the cannon as he approached. His opponent tried to recover, but Pops was on him too quickly, reaching down with both hands to grab around his head. With a pained rattle and a crunch of chromed joints and separating metal and wires, Pops gripped, twisted, and ripped Three's head free of his body. There was a spew of synth-blood followed by a grunt from Pops as he turned, holding the operator's head by a remaining tuft of hair as he locked eyes with Ky through the gaping hole in the damaged container's corner and chuckled, "You can come out now, son..."

Ky's eyes were even wider than when Three had him dead to rights not even a minute prior, and he approached Pops cautiously, "W-What... what the fuck, man?! Where did that come from?!"

The stack creaked and strained again, the column shifting as Pops threw Ky back and out of the way, following closely behind as he grabbed the rotary cannon off the ground. He kept moving at least another column over as a large fog of dust and debris enveloped them from the toppling tower. After some of the cloud had cleared, Ky called out with a cough, "Y-Ya know, one of these days, it'd be nice to be one the saving you, old man..."

Pops smirked as he helped Ky off the ground, "You may yet get your chance, cowboy... c'mon, let's move."

One down, three to go; Billy could hear the enraged yells from different parts of the yard as the remaining three operators mourned their fallen comrade. They were just hungry before, but now they were out for vengeance. He kept his revolver at the ready as he checked and cleared corners on his path. He took a chance and pinged a direct holocall, "Em, talk to me... where are you?"

A light impact sounded behind him, almost inaudible, before a hand pushed him flat against the nearest container. He looked over, seeing Miz with a finger to her mouth. They could both hear the heavy footsteps as Four patrolled on the other side. Billy nodded in the direction from which he came before handing Miz her jacket. She smiled as she donned it, making sure everything was in its right place before she stole a quick kiss from him and they made their move.

Up on the crane assembly, V was keeping watch and taking potshots where she could, but these operators weren't the usual thick-necked cavemen she was used to dealing with. They were unusually adept at staying out of sight, moving quickly and quietly through their own backyard. She finally caught a break as she saw the one female operator heading straight for the control room; her eyes opened wide as she could also see Max in plain sight inside. She took aim with her Malorian as she called out, "Max, you've got hate heading your way! They can see you!"

Max scrambled as she peeked out the window, tagging her target a mere split-second before ducking as the window blew out from a burst of automatic gunfire. She covered her head from the falling glass and debris as she cycled her quick-hacks; a strong feminine voice called out to her, "You know the world of pain you're in, bitch?! I'm going to tear your fucking guts out!!!"

There was no time to think, and Max settled on a simple optics hack. She raised her arm just enough to blind-fire several shots as she dove out of the control room, clearing the stairway railing altogether as she crashed onto the ground. She rolled over and recovered quickly, moving back as the operator approached her. The woman was lean and cut, mostly muscle where there wasn't armor peeking out from under her tanktop. Her hair was cut into a short mohawk, the small tuft on top falling to the side. There was a barely visible tattoo of the number 2 on the side of her neck in between multiple threaded seams running from her face down to her torso. She raised a submachine gun one-handed as she laughed at her prey, "I'm going to fuck you up six ways to Sunday, sweetheart..."

Max's eyes flashed red with a single pulse as she launched the optics hack. Two stopped her approach for a second, her head twitching to the side before she locked eyes again. Her own eyes flashed red in response before a rush of white noise flooded Max's brain and her vision went dark. The white noise subsided to a devilish laugh crowding her brain; she couldn't see or hear anything, but she felt a strike against her chest, followed by her flying back before crashing against something hard and metal.

Her vision started to glitch, coming back online, and as things slowly came into focus, she was met with Two's hand wrapping around her throat, raising her off the ground. She could feel the grip tightening, her jaw straining against the pressure as she grabbed for the muscular arm and tried to fight. Her strength waned as the dark closed in, and she started to succumb as a smile crept on Two's face. Before she could give in completely, her ass met concrete as the hand released her following the sound of heavy gunfire. She looked up, finding a chunk of Two's dermal armor missing as V stood several feet away, smoke rising from the barrel of her Malorian as she smirked, "Is it Sunday yet, sweetheart?"

Two growled with a smile as she turned and marched toward V, both arms exploding into mantis blades. V quickly holstered her iron as she charged her arms and brought them in front of her face. The operator swung wildly once she was close enough, V dodging and deflecting the slashes and swipes, trying to find an opening to get a hit in. With every swing of the blades, Two pressed further, gaining ground as V was driven back. She found herself against the wall of a container in no time at all, counting her rapidly diminishing options against the onslaught as the blades cut the air in front of her with a hiss.

Driven by unchecked rage, Two charged forward, giving V the opportunity she needed to dodge around and out of the way. Her opponent slammed full force against the container, her mantis blades punching through the corten wall with ease; she soon found herself stuck, her blades lodged awkwardly in the metal. It wasn't likely to last for long, but it was enough of a chance for V to go to work. She quickly charged punch after brutal punch against Two's ribcage and kidneys before delivering a decisive blow precisely between the shoulder blades, following up with a combo finisher to the small of Two's back. There was a crunch of artificial bone beneath the RealSkinn as Two fell to her knees, her arms pulling against the weight.

Max appeared, having recovered her faculties as she shoved V out of the way, prompting a scoff from the living legend. She slung a length of heavy chains around Two's neck, allowing for one pass before she caught the other end and pulled tight as she turned back to V, "Wha' ya waitin' fo'?!"

V flashed her teeth as Two choked from the chains wrapping tighter, fighting with all of her might to break free. In an instant, she was no longer stuck in the container walls, but only because V had just forcibly removed her implanted arms below the elbows with her bare hands. As the plates articulated on V's Gorilla Arms, resuming a resting state, she sighed deep as she drove a knee into Two's gut, forcing the operator to double over as she staggered back. Max drove the chains down as she kicked out the operator's legs, leaving her helpless as she stared up to meet her fate. V unholstered her Malorian as she forced the barrel into Two's mouth, staring intently as her eyes flashed red and she muttered, "You fucked with the wrong crew, bitch."

-BANG!-

A single shot sounded, blowing out the back of Two's chromed skull as Max bore the brunt of the explosion of claret. It only took a second for V to realize her mistake, and she winced as she locked eyes with Max and said sheepishly, "...sorry..."

Max let the chains go as the body fell to the ground with a mix of a splat and a dull thud, and she took a step forward. V almost flinched as the netrunner grabbed at the hem of her cropped tanktop before lowering her head and wiping her face on it. All V could do was laugh at the audacity until Max caught her completely off-guard with a hug and whispered, "...mèsi..."

V closed her arms around Max, feeling her body trembling. She allowed herself a moment comfort her choom before a blood-curdling scream shook them both back to the job at hand. V caught sight of another operator standing on top of a stack of containers, staring down at them with eyes glowing bright red. V let go of Max and spoke two words, "Shit... run!"

The scream echoed throughout the entire space, nearly shaking the stacks and the very ground. Everyone froze in place from the shock. There was no backing out now. They had already dispatched two operators, the remaining two fueled by raw revenge. Miz and Billy backtracked to the open space approaching the main gates, finding Pops and Ky watching every lane and pathway. Pops smiled at seeing the both of them relatively unharmed as he joked, "We havin' fun yet?"

Miz clenched her jaw with a smirk, "No place I'd rather be..."

"Attagirl", Pops chuckled as he directed Billy to watch their left, Ky on the right, and Miz covering the rear as they moved into a better position. From what they'd already witnessed, these operators could come from any direction, including above. What remained of the stacks were now a disheveled mess of toppled towers and scrap metal, reducing the crew's vantage to danger-close.

As if to drive the point home, a trashed and warped container flew overhead from the middle of the yard, heading straight for where they were standing. They all dove out of the way as the massive improvised projectile crashed into the ground, sliding to a skidded stop as loose bits of concrete flew up with a cloud of dust and debris. Before any of them could recover, Four appeared on top of the crushed container, landing with a heavy thud. As he stood up, he took a stance with his arms at the ready in front, the wolver claws reflecting the glare of the overhead lights. His breathing was uneven, choking down the rage-fueled feral grunts. His eyes were bright red and locked on Pops specifically.

Pops was on his back almost twenty feet away, the weight of the cannon holding him down before he tossed it aside. It was a nice way to start, but now little more than a liability; they were into close-quarters at this point. It was time to get down in the dirt. He pushed himself up to his feet, staring down the operator with a steely resolve as his fists clenched and he took a stance. Billy, Miz, and Ky all formed up behind before he barked at them, "Go find Max an' V! I'll handle this..."

Miz stepped up and looked in his eyes, a sincere concern in hers as she shook her head. Pops gently smiled, "...go... they need you."

Her face hardened and she nodded, planting a gentle hand on his shoulder as she signaled to the other two. As much as they didn't want to leave the old man, they knew he knew how to handle himself, and to his point, nobody had seen V and Max in quite some time.

Four dropped down to the ground, slowly stepping forward as he laughed and knocked his wolver blades against each other; each clang and shink echoed through the yard, sending a shiver down everyone's spines. Pops' eyes only narrowed as he grunted, biding his time patiently. Brash and brutish had no place here and now. The operator clearly disagreed as he closed the gap before swinging wildly. Pops ducked and deflected with ease, catching an open shot across Four's stomach with his elbow. The strike had little effect, but it was enough to tell Four he wasn't dealing with any regular gonk. Pops smirked as they stared each other down, dancing around one another, each step careful and cautious. His opponent tried to fake a few steps forward to draw him in, but Pops was smarter than that. He just laughed at the notion as he said calmly, "Ain't my first rodeo, amigo... now, we goin' to dance or what?"

Four said nothing, only grunting as he stepped forward with another slash, Pops blocking his arm down as he charged with the full force of his shoulder. Before Four could counter, he found himself flat on his back looking up at Pops, his blood boiling at the notion of what appeared to be a fully-'ganic opponent getting the better of him. He took a chance at an angry upward slash, aiming for Pops' head, but met only air.

It was a bold and brash move, proving in this moment that Pops was dealing with more balls than brains. He effortlessly dodged the swipe, grabbing hold of the operator's wrist as he planted his boot on his other arm and looked down with a smirk, "Bad move, friend..."

He briefly admired the protruding claws before he wrapped his other hand around the arm just above the elbow and wrenched them in opposite directions. There was an unnatural crunch mixed with the sound of whining metal and wires, and before the operator's eyes, his arm was severed at the elbow as a spew of synth-blood painted his face and chest. He was in a state of shock, staring at Pops standing over him, now seeing a completely different beast staring back. He could hear the low rumble of a growl as the last thing he ever saw was Pops driving the severed arm claws-first into his face.

Not one to half-ass anything, Pops drove the point home by twisting the severed arm out, taking most of the operator's face with it. There was no question, Four was down for the count. Still, even in victory, Pops couldn't help but think this had all been too easy; they'd already dispatched three heavily-trained, heavily-chromed cyberpsychotic killers in as little as thirty minutes. What was so special about them? If this was all there was to the MODUS Group, how the hell had they survived this long? Unless...

Pops' eyes widened as the epiphany set in. As long as there was cannon fodder to distract and deter, one operator with enough chrome and gear could handle any situation alone. His mind flashed back to 2076, when one cyberpsycho managed to brutally massacre an entire precinct's worth of NCPD officers in the middle of Corpo Plaza until he was gunned down by MAXTAC; and it took all four operators to finally subdue him. Pops snapped back to the present as a single word crossed his mind, Trap...

He brought up the crew-wide holocall, "These three were all jus' window-dressin'... the last operator's the one we need to worry 'bout."

V nearly yelled back, "Yeah, no shit! Where the fuck is everyone?!"

"By the main gates", Pops answered calmly, "Can you make your way here?"

"He's gaining ground fast", V answered, out of breath, "He's already nearly cornered us three times..."

Miz chimed in, "We're trying to find you, but best bet is to regroup with Pops in open space..."

"Why the fuck didn't you say so?!", V jokingly chided as she pointed her Malorian to the sky, "Follow the gunshots, ya gonks!"

To V's point, three shots sounded, a full second between each. Miz's ears perked as her head jerked in a precise direction and her eyes narrowed. Gotcha!

She yelled to Ky and Billy, "I'll find them! Get back to Pops!"

Billy wanted to protest as he took a step toward her, but she was already gone, having charged a jump over a stack of three containers before she disappeared further into the maze. He sighed deep with his jaw clenched before Ky reassured him, "She knows what she's doing, brother... and you know better than to argue with her by now. The way she moves, way better chance of getting to them..."

"Alright, let's double back", Billy's face contorted into a half smile as he side-eyed Ky briefly and whispered, "Be careful, Em..."

Stealth was off the table at this point as Miz clambered over the stacks, each step resounding loudly against the metal roofs. She could hear One stomping and yelling out, leaving a trail of container-sized breadcrumbs in his wake as he trashed the yard to try and corner his prey. She cleared a ten-foot jump to the top of another stack before she got her first good look at him. He was definitely the same gonk she'd seen earlier brutally hate-fucking the female operator. He had to be the pack's alpha. Like all the rest, he was heavily chromed, the majority of his torso nothing but dermal armor plates with threaded seams hiding any multitude of implants; the most obvious of these was a Militech-branded reinforced spine running from the base of his neck and across his shoulders, down to the small of his back and emitting a dull red glow...

Of course this fucker has a sandy...

She watched as he activated the implant at will, clearing the distance to his prey in mere seconds, forcing them to divert and scramble as he toyed with them. She could spot a few small dents where V had likely gotten a lucky shot or two during the course of the pursuit, but they were quickly running out of options. From this altitude, Miz could make out the path; One was driving them to a dead end. She had no time to warn them, breaking into a sprint as she continued traversing the stacks to try and reach them.

She couldn't remember a time she had moved this fast or frantic, but she knew she had to get to them no matter what. She had to push herself further, harder, and faster. Even if it killed her, she wasn't going to lose anyone to this fucking monstrosity, much less her two best chooms.

She finally caught a break, having gotten ahead of them, as she turned and jumped left to another stack. She dropped down to a smaller stack before reaching over the side as she yelled, "Move your asses!"

V caught sight of Miz hanging over the side of a container as she pushed with all the speed she could muster, Max close on her heels; One was still closing the gap on both of them, the red glow on his back shining brighter. He was about to activate the sandevistan again before Miz drew her Unity and took aim. She fired three shots to the operator's left, igniting a canister in front of him as an explosion consumed him and the containers on both sides. The blast was enough to knock her on her back, the force driving V and Max to the ground as the fire consumed the air directly above them. They could feel the heat singeing the very hairs off the backs of their necks as the fireball rose into the polluted night sky.

Once the coast was clear, V jumped to her feet as she screamed, "MIZ!!! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

For all she could see from having her face flat against the concrete, the explosion had ravaged the very spot where Miz was trying to grab them both. After several seconds, a strained voice called out, "If you think I'm dying that easy... f-fuck you, man..."

She coughed lightly as V jumped and climbed on top of the container, Max close behind. The their collective relief, Miz appeared to be okay, but she was groaning as she arched her back with a loud pop and crack as she raised an arm in the air and chuckled, "H-Help a choom out, will ya...?"

V and Max shared a smirk as they helped Miz to her feet. She stretched every which way she could, working out the kinks from being slammed on her back against a container as she watched the infernos burning between the stacks. There was a sound of strained metal mixed with something she couldn't quite make out, but she knew it wasn't good as she looked to her chooms, "He ain't dead yet. Move!"

As they worked their way back across the rickety stacks, the fires died down, a single figure clawing his way out as he climbed to his feet. The entire left side of his face and head had completely burnt away, baring the cybernetic skull underneath; what little RealSkinn remained glowing with embers as it disintegrated into the air, bit by microscopic bit carried by the slight breeze. His eyes were solid red, his breathing ragged as a rage welled up inside of him. As he looked down to his right arm, the platelets articulated and shifted before he bellowed a spine-shattering scream into the air and punched a single container to his left, driving the full strength of his body behind it. The container crumpled on impact, the force driving it back as it crashed against the hull of the ship. The pylons and trusses supporting the ship strained as it shifted ever so slightly, producing a low rumble.

One followed the skid-marked trail of damaged concrete left by the container as he approached the docked ship. His entire body heaved, shoulders raising and lowering with his uneven breathing. The red glow of his eyes splashed against the rusted exterior, illuminating his immediate surroundings as he brought his hands up to his chest as the panels charged and shifted again. As if to unleash all the rage inside of him, he planted fist after fist against the damaged hull, the support structures underneath straining further as the ship teetered. Finally with one last scream, he slammed both fists against the metal walls; the entire ship capsized in mid-air as one side of the supports failed completely, causing it to tilt over at an unnatural angle as it collapsed into the dry-dock.

By now, the crew had all regrouped, checking weapons and ammo before the cacophony of destroyed metal and concrete shook the very ground beneath their feet. They all looked up, watching the ship disappear into its open grave; long overdue for a vessel that sat unloved for the last fifty years, one might say. The crew wanted to find some comfort in this spectacle, but it likely only meant One was on the warpath with nothing left to lose. It would take all of them together to bring him down.

Ky tried to lighten the mood as he looked over at his three choombas, "So how ya feelin' after all that? A little medium-well?"

Miz had a lit cigarette hanging from her mouth as she leaned her head back, eyes closed, and took a deep drag; she pulled the cigarette from her mouth as she exhaled smoke into the night sky before she handed it to Billy. He accepted with a smirk, to which she reciprocated, before her mood shifted and she marched a straight line in Ky's direction with her face threading flashing red. Pops caught her by the collar of her jacket, holding her back as she tried to scrap her way to him. By anyone's estimation, nothing had really changed since the first time they met; Ky still knew the best ways to get under Miz's skin, and she always wanted to knock him upside the head. He just laughed as he carefully approached. She calmed down after a few seconds, convincing Pops to let her go before she crashed into Ky's chest with a hug, "I really hate you sometimes..."

"Yeah, it's my curse...", Ky closed his arms around briefly, "Love ya too, kid. Now take all that rage and put it into what's heading our way."

She laughed as he let go, and turned to leave, but not before giving him a quick check in the gut. Everyone had a good laugh at his expense before a heavy and rhythmic stomping caught their attention. From around the corner of one of the stacks, there was a dull red glow permeating, growing brighter as One rounded the bend and stepped into view. His entire body was moving up and down with heavy and uneven breaths, a fire burning in his cybernetic eyes. He stared down the crew as he marched straight for them.

To make matters worse, there was a slew of yelling voices and encroaching gunfire to their rear, only getting louder. V rolled her eyes as she swore under her breath and thought to herself, So much for two hours...

They were boxed in, nowhere to go that One couldn't find them, and the rapidly approaching Maelstrom crew wouldn't eventually have them surrounded. Their only option was to take the fight to the gonk-gangers and face them head-on; it still left the question of what to do about the last lone operator, but Pops had an idea for that as he called to everyone else calmly, "He's mine... y'all keep those shock-jocks out of my way, y'hear?"

One could surmise Billy had already read the old cowboy's mind, as they found him straining to shoulder the rotary cannon as he fired back, "Anyone hungry?"

Miz was dumbfounded, her jaw hitting the floor as Ky asked the question on everyone's mind, "Ya sure you can handle that thing?!"

"Only one way to find out", Billy answered with a flash of his teeth, "Pops, you good?"

Miz stepped in next to Pops with a concerned look on her face. He lit a cigarette, taking a drag as he kept his eyes locked on One, "Go on, kiddo. Do what you do best..."

"I-I'm not leaving you alone with him...", Miz argued, to which Pops took another drag with a smirk, "You 'member what happened the last time you did this? This is my fight... now git!"

V pulled Miz by the arm, but her eyes wouldn't break from her old man standing alone against this massive motherfucker bearing down. She finally forced herself to look away as she unholstered her Unity and ran through the main gates with the rest of the crew.

One stopped in his tracks several paces short as he called out, "W-Who the fuck are you?!"

Pops took yet another drag, "A friend of Joe Miller..."

He noted the twitch in One's eye as a twisted smile crept in, "Then you saw what happened to him... ain't shit on what I'm about to do to you."

One squared off, readying himself as his arms charged; Pops quick-drew his revolver, already knowing it would have little effect as he took aim and fired three shots back to back. Each found their mark, doing very little but lightly denting One's already damaged and scorched dermal armor and pissing him off even more as he stepped forward. Pops aimed again, putting a round into each knee; it was a futile effort, as the bullets ricocheted off into the sides of the containers closing them in. He dropped both his revolver and his cigarette as he stepped forward to close the gap. One struck first, swinging a heavy fist at Pops' head as the latter moved to the side. He countered, pushing the arm down as he delivered a quick jab to One's torso. There was a dull clang as knuckle met chrome with a crack, and Pops' face contorted from the pain of impact.

One laughed as he crossed his body with the other arm, landing a square hit in the middle of Pops' chest and watching his older opponent fly back against the corten wall. Pops was slow to recover, just barely dodging a follow-up as One's fist punched clean through the metal where his head was only a second prior. Any opportunities he had to land a hit were all but useless against a body with this much chrome, so the only play was to stay alive long enough to find a weak spot. It was a battle of attrition, and Pops had his work cut out for him.

Outside the main gates, a wall of whackjobs had formed, blocking the street from sidewalk to sidewalk. They were all cheering, whooping, and firing weapons indiscriminately in the air as cars burned in the background. To the untrained eye, it looked like all hell had broken loose; to the crew, it was just another day in North Watson...

Billy took his stance, bracing the cannon as he took aim and trained his eyes on the unwelcome visitors laughing at the lone gonk facing them off. Before long, The rest of the crew took their places on either side of him, each with weapons in hand. The lead goon from before shouted with a laugh, "You fuckin' gonks didn't really think we'd just let you stomp on our territory, did ya?!"

V stepped forward, eyes narrowed, "You really think going to war with the Afterlife is the winning move, here?"

"That all depends", the goon answered with a wide rictus of a smile baring his chromed teeth, "When we show up on your doorstep with your head on a pike and your gang-raped corpse dragging behind us, maybe your chooms'll sing a different tune..."

Billy's face hardened as he tightened his grip on the cannon and spat out, "We're wastin' time here!"

As he gently pressed the trigger on the handle, the barrels spun to life before his eyes. He could already feel the rotational force of the weapon, further bracing himself for the impending recoil. Before him and everyone else, the muzzles flashed white hot as a hail of fire spewed forth, catching the lead goon as his head and upper body vaporized into a cloud of red mist. The body crumpled like paper to the ground as the other gangers hesitated just long enough for Billy to get the hang of the cannon, training his fire left and right. The remaining Maelstromers scattered and scrambled, stepping over each other in a panic to find cover or get the fuck out of the way altogether. The few dumber goons that stood their ground were quickly cut down by the onslaught as stray bullets pummeled the burning vehicles and lodged themselves in metal and concrete walls, leaving nothing else for any of the crew.

After thirty seconds of sustained fire, the barrels ran empty, the mechanical whirring ringing in everyone's ears until Billy regained his composure and released the trigger. As the barrels slowed to a stop, he released a deep exhale, a trickle of sweat rolling down the side of his head. His face was flushed red, every vein in his neck and arms bulging from the strength it took to stay upright. He dropped the cannon to the ground with a thud as he tried to catch his breath, a half smile creeping in as he turned to face the rest of the crew, "I-I get why... P-Pops likes that thing..."

All of them were wide-eyed and jaw-dropped, staring in awe at the pup having made short work of an entire Maelstrom execution squad. He looked to each of them as he chuckled, "...what?!"

Ky laughed as he stepped up and gave a heavy pat to Billy's shoulder, "You're fuckin' dangerous, kid... that's what. How the fu—"

Miz cut them both off as she was already headed back towards the main gates, "Tiger's a badass, we get it! Come on! Pops needs us!"

She had a point. It was only minutes since they'd left Pops to face off the last operator, but that was enough time for anything and everything to go wrong. The crew turned to follow Miz as she charged in headstrong.

To everyone's surprise and relief, Pops had held his own well enough. His face showed signs of bruising, a trickle of blood running from his mouth, but it wasn't entirely one-sided; One's armor plates were severely dented and damaged, and he was getting sloppy with his wild swings. He was enraged, his vision clouded from anything other than bloodshed. He was entirely over the edge, and Pops was taking full advantage of that. But the old dog also looked like he could use a break.

Miz took another step forward, aiming down the iron sights of her Unity as she fired off several shots. They had little effect, bouncing harmlessly off of One's torso, but it was enough to draw his attention as he cut to her with a snarl. He broke away from his bout with Pops as he marched in her direction. Before he could activate his sandevistan, Pops took the chance to grab for both of his feet, sweeping his legs out as the rest of him crashed into the ground with a metallic thud.

Pops tried to step into position over him, but One was too quick to recover as he rolled over onto his back and leaned up at the waist. With a twisted smile, he charged his left arm forward, the curled fist meeting Pop's right leg with a bone-shattering crunch. Pops cried out in pain as he collapsed to his knees before One charged another punch into his chest, sending him flying back several feet.

Miz cried out for Pops as she sprinted towards One, unsheathing both of her blades and crashing them against each other to grab his attention. In only a second, he was on his feet, laughing as he closed the gap. The dull red glow from his implanted spine intensified as he turned into a flashing blur before Miz's eyes. She stopped, charging a jump as she left the ground to try and clear his stampede. Suddenly, there was a jerking motion as something gripped around her leg. One appeared below her, his hands firmly holding on as he swung around before letting go.

The next thing Miz knew, she was folded over on her head, having been thrown against a container. She could feel the numbness running down her spine mixed with shocks of pain in the muscle and soft tissue. She was in over her head, but even if it killed her, she wouldn't let this bastard do any more damage to her old man.

One caught her around the throat as she tried to recover, lifting her up and pressing her against the container wall as he looked up and down her body and said, "Heh... damn shame it'll go to waste..."

Miz's eyes shot wide open, irises bright red along with her face threading; she yelled as loud as she could as she plunged the extended scratchers on her left hand into One's torso. To her pleasant surprise, the implanted nails slipped right in like a knife through butter. She summoned all her strength to flash a smile as she muttered, "Snikt, bub...", and ripped the panel clean off, exposing the implanted and otherwise 'ganic innards underneath. One was at a loss for words as Miz broke his grip around her throat, dropping to her feet as she drove her hand in again, chrome meeting chrome as she pulled at whatever she could find.

One took a wild swing at her head, but she dodged at the last second, taking the opportunity to kneel and recover one of her blades. She drove it upwards into his exposed cavity, a spew of both 'ganic and synth-blood pouring out as he shouted with all of his might. To add insult to injury, a single shot tagged his back armor, blowing away a small chunk as V called out to him, "Hey, tin can!!!"

They were wearing him down, as he turned aimlessly to face V with a weary and exasperated swing of his arms. He was still dangerous, but all of it was catching up to him. Miz took her shot as she clawed at, and eventually tore loose, his left back armor plate, exposing of all things a 'ganic heart enclosed in a titanium reinforced ribcage. This brought One back to life as he shook Miz off of him with a backwards elbow, catching her in the side of her head as she stumbled back and fell flat on her ass.

V continued her assault, taking shots at the exposed innards and blowing away chunks of the remaining armor as she carefully retreated backwards to match every step towards her. Miz slowly recovered, trying to shake loose the daze rattling her cage. Everything was blurry and dizzy, a vague darkness clouding her vision as she stumbled to her feet. Her hand was shaky as she took aim with her own iron and fired several shots into One's back. He was torn between the two of them at this point as yelled out before raising both fists in the air and slamming them back down. On the downswing, V called to Miz to get the fuck out of the way a mere second before a giant sphere of electric energy consumed the area around One in a ten-foot radius.

The concussive blast alone sent V flying, even though she was several feet outside of the sphere's reach. Small arcs of electric energy traveled along the ground, dissipating into the night air before One felt something pressing inside the gaping hole in his back as a smooth voice caught his attention, "Checkmate, motherfucker..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Billy pulled the trigger on his Crusher four times in rapid succession, each crashing shot taking more meat and metal with it until there was a hollow void. Miz appeared in front of him, shaky and stumbling, but a steely look in her eyes. She reached inside the newly created hole in the front of One's chest, her hand wrapped around his heart. It's pulse was strong and heavy, just like him. With one last protest, he wrapped his hand around Miz's throat and tried to squeeze, but it was too late. She stared into his eyes as her hand ripped back, bringing with it a still beating heart and a splash of blood painting both of them. His eyes went dead, his face still wearing a look of shock and disbelief as his body tilted and fell over.

Miz could still feel the pulsing in her hand, her eyes closing as she focused on it and nothing else. She could almost feel her own heartbeat matching its pace, slowing further and further, until it finally stopped... and she was pulled back by a gentle hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, finding none other than Billy standing by her side as she smiled before she remembered... Pops!

She broke past the massive corpse on the ground to run to Pops' side. He was out cold, but the damage was done. Even through loose-fitting tactical trousers, Miz could see his right thigh bent unnaturally; warped and twisted, the bone was likely broken in several places. His face was bruised with blood running from his nose and mouth, and there were blood spatters all over his shirt. She fell to her knees as her eyes clouded over and she gently stroked his hair. She silently pleaded to whoever might be listening before placing a hand on his chest. She could feel it raising and lowering with his breath, and she smiled through it all. Before long, the rest of the crew were standing around him in a circle, with Ky kneeling down next to Miz as he asked, "M-May I...?"

She sniffed up and nodded as she raised Pops' head just enough to reveal the interface port behind his ear. Ky carefully pulled his personal link from his left hand and plugged it in, cradling his older choom's head as his eyes flashed blue. His face contorted as he exhaled a deep sigh before looking up to everyone else, "It's not great, but it could be a lot worse..."

V patched him into a holocall she already had going with Vik as the 'doc barked, "Spit it out, kid."

He scoffed, "Femur's shattered... bruised ribs, but no fractures... some internal bleeding... face is all bruised too... he'll heal up in time, bu—"

Ky cut himself off, trying his best to hide what had to be a very visible reaction painted on his face. Vik gave him a second before he asked, "But what?"

"Nothing...", Ky shook his head, "Just... the bone damage might need a 'ganic doc to properly set the break, or operate if needed."

"I know just the fella...", Vik reassured him, "We'll be ready when you get here. Try to keep off that leg as best you can, but get him here quick."

Ky looked down and smiled, "Thanks, Vik...", before his eyes turned up to Billy, "Hey Wild-man... think you can carry him without making his leg worse?"

Billy smiled and nodded, "Got it. Good thing that's the worst of it... bone can heal easy enough."

Yeah... right..., Ky thought to himself as he looked at the ground. He retracted his personal link, but not before one last flash of blue in his eyes. How the fuck was he going to tell them what he'd found?

--

[Thirty minutes later - Vik's Clinic]

A dull rumble of mixed voices echoed in the deep black; there was a low pounding rhythm, growing louder and louder. It was a heartbeat, drawing in blood and pumping it back out. And then above it all, there was an entirely unnatural crunch, and Pops' eyes shot wide open as he swung for the first thing he saw and screamed, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME?!"

An unfamiliar face just barely dodged Pops' heavy fists grabbing for him before the older man cried out again; no words, just pain. Ky and Billy both pressed against opposite sides of Pops' chest as they tried in vain to hold him down. He fought with all of his strength before Vik appeared, holding his head down as he placed an injector against his neck. With a light hiss and a small cloud of mist, the old cowboy calmed immediately, his entire body going limp as his eyes closed and his arms fell to his sides. As his mind drifted away again, the last thing he heard was Ky's voice, "Why the fuck didn't we do that before setting the bone?!"

Fuckin' smart-ass...

--

[Several hours later]

Pops' eyes shot open as he gasped for air, but he was infinitely calmer than the last time. The overhead lamps forced him to shut his eyes again as he groaned, his head falling back against the seat cushion as Vik leaned over and smiled, "Welcome back, ya old dog..."

He reached up and lowered the lamps brightness, making it easier for Pops to open his eyes again as he looked fondly at his old ripperdoc friend, "W-We got to stop meetin' like this..."

"Yeah, don't I know it...", Vik laughed as the aforementioned unfamiliar face with a dark complexion came into view, "This is a choom of mine, Doc Strong... think you already tried to tear his head off..."

Pops chuckled as he arched his neck down to look. Doc Strong certainly lived up to his name. From the neck down, he was a mean and muscular son-of-a-bitch, but his face bore nothing but kindness from his soft eyes to his warm smile as he spoke in a gently booming voice, "I'll try to not hold it against you..."

The old nomad weakly raised his hand, Strong catching it as they shook hands firmly before Vik cut in with his usual bullshit, first looking around to make sure they were alone; and they were, all except for Ky, who snuck in from the shadows as he stood next to them and looked longingly at Pops with a pained sadness in his face. Finally, Vik looked back and started, "You're pretty tuned up, Phoenix... worst of it is your leg. Your femur's broken in two places, that's why we had to set it like we did so Strong here could implant a rod running the length of the bone's shaft."

Before they could continue, Pops asked a burning question on his mind, "What about the crew?"

Ever the leader, Ky thought as he smiled to himself.

"The usual bumps and bruises, nothing to write home about...", Vik answered as he swung around one of the terminal displays with an x-ray image of the leg, showing the rod and nails holding the three pieces of bone together as Pops grimaced. The ripperdoc continued, "It's going to take a while, but if you take it easy for once, you should heal just fine."

Pops chuckled again as Strong leaned in, "Vik says you make your home in Rancho... I got some chooms out there can help you wit' physical therapy and recovery. In a year, you'll be running marath—"

Vik looked down and shook his head as he cut off his fellow doc, "I-I'm sorry... I can't bullshit a friend, Strong..."

This caught Pops' attention as he groaned and lifted himself up on his elbows. Ky's eyes were clouded over, causing Pops to ask the pertinent question, "Vik... what aren't ya tellin' me...?"

Even Vik, normally a steely-eyed and smooth operator, removed his sunglasses, revealing tears in his eyes as he swiped over to the next image on the display. It was a picture of a pair of lungs, and Pops could immediately see what had everyone around him in such a foul mood. Both lungs showed solid white masses with offshoots spreading throughout like branches off a tree.

Pops' jaw clenched as his head fell back and he looked all around with a deep sigh. There was suddenly a knot in his throat as he tried his best to fight it down, "How long do I have...?"

Strong stepped in, "Six months... maybe. The fact that you're not already showing symptoms is remarkable..."

"Hell... I s'pose I've been called worse things...", Pops quipped with a chuckle, even prompting a scoff from Ky as he sniffed up. Vik leaned forward and spoke candidly, "It... doesn't have to be like this, Phoenix..."

Pops could already read his mind, but he continued nonetheless, "It hasn't spread to any other organs... if you let me implan—"

"No...", Pops shut him down as his eyes cut to Ky and back, "I've gone almost fif— ...my entire life wit'out chippin' in, except for this damn mess in my head when I came to this god-forsaken hellhole."

"Yeah and that was a war in and of itself, wasn't it?", Vik laughed, trying to lighten the mood somewhat as Pops answered him, "I ain't started yet, and sure as shit won't start now... I made my choices and I'll live with 'em. My 'ganic body takes the course nature intended, and that's that... y'hear?"

Vik smiled and nodded, admiring his old friend's iron will and stubborn streak. Strong smiled as well, for the same reason. Ky tried to force it, but he wasn't fooling anyone; this one hurt like hell.

After several seconds of silence, Pops cleared his throat and asked, "Who else knows...?"

"Right now, just the people in this room", Vik answered sincerely, to which Pops fired back sternly as he locked eyes with each of them, "Keep it that way..."

There was a tone Vik hadn't heard since the first time Pops brought Miz to see him after rescuing her from the Tyger Claws; a cold shiver ran up his spine, but he nonetheless reached over and placed his hand on Pops' as they all sat together in solemn silence.

--