You walk onto the street and see a limo parked behind your car. You see a muscular man wearing shades standing at the door. His head tilts in your direction, noticing your presence.

???: You V?

You nod.

(Y/n): I am.

You respond in which the man opens the door to the back of the limo showing an obese man wearing shades also with a gold plated right arm, a black top with a red sleeveless jacket over it and black pants. He looks at you as he taps the butt of his cigar.

Dexter: Yo, Mr. V. A pleasure.

He gestures for you to take the seat next to him. With a heavy heart and a deep breath, you enter. The man who you assumed was Dex's bodyguard closes the door behind you and heads to the drivers seat.

(Y/n): Dexter DeShawn in the flesh. Ample, indeed.

Dex lets out a gruff laugh as he gestures to his bodyguard.

Dexter: Heheh. Let's roll.

The bodyguard nods in the rear view mirror and starts the car and pulls out of the parallel park.

Dexter: Mind if I ask you somethin' right off the bangle? Would you rather live in peace as Mr. Nobody, die dipe, old and smellin' slightly of urine? Or go down for all times in a blaze of glory, smellin' near like posies, 'thout seein' your thirtieth?

You think about it and remember what Maine told you when you first started working as a Mercenary.

(Y/n): In the line of work, you don't get to choose. You're either somebody or you fizzle out into nothin'.

Dexter points his cigar at you.

Dexter: Oh, but it does. See, in my line of work I choose to be Mr. Chill. But folk who try to take advantage, well, they see the beast inside...

You see him smirk a little as he takes a puff from his cigar and blows it inside the car.

Dexter: A'ight, listen close. Scannin' a serious job, now. Plain gargantuan compared to smashin' up a scav haunt.

Hearing this all of a sudden caught you off guard. You thought this would be said with the other two key ingredients needed for this recipe, so to speak.

(Y/n): Hang on. I got a question of my own, now. Why all this, Dex? Why me? Coulda had Jackie or T-Bug sittin' here. Coulda just done this on comms...

Dexter stares at you. You think you've overstepped your bounds. That is until he speaks again.

Dexter: Call me ol' fashioned, but I like to look anyone I do biz within the eye. Had the pleasure of meetin' the Jackster in the past. And sweet T-Bug helped this brother out two years ago. So here we are. 'Sides all that, got a special little pre-mission Just for you. But we'll get to that.

He explained. Individual interviews is what it sounded like. Not that it bothered you.

(Y/n): Okay, in that case lemme hear it - what's the job?

Dexter: There's this... prototype tech - a biochip, to be precise. Job's to grab it. Simple.

He explains. Hearing all this already had you figure out just where you were going to get this all from.

(Y/n): Yeah...? Huh, guessin' it belongs to a corp.

Dexter: Mhm - Arasaka. Surely that's no problem?

This raised your eyebrows.

(Y/n): No, no problem. Just a death sentence.

You say with a mixture of disbelief and sarcasm. You lean forward.

(Y/n): Ever since Arasaka put its foot in the door to enter Vale, it's been their turf, nobody fucks with them here. Not even Atlas.

You explain. This info doesn't seem new to Dexter as he just nods.

Dexter: What can I say, Mr. V - high risk, high reward. First rule of the Afterlife. 'Sides that, I'm no leadhead. Ain't gonna leave no trace for them to follow 'cause we gonna do this clean an' on the hush-hush. We understand each other?

He says. You still couldn't get the feeling of uncertainty out of your head.

(Y/n): You work this out? Got a plan?

You ask. Dexter extends his index and middle finger with his free hand.

Dexter: Two things. First's a conundrum with the Maelstrom boys. Needs active resolvin', that. Second's a rendezvous. Simple. Client who brought us the job's anxious. She wants to parley with one o' the team.

He explains. You take this info with a pinch of salt. One cause Maelstrom are junkies, at least that's what Jackie told you. Second, why does everyone want a one on one interview in person? It's like the technology to do this kind of shit just doesn't exist.

(Y/n): What's the issue needs resolvin' with Maelstrom? Got a beef?

Dexter turns to his left and takes out a shard hidden in the door and holds it towards you.

Dexter: Slot in the shard.

He passes you the flash drive looking device in which you insert it in yourself and see the map in front of your eyes.

Dexter: Got a classic tale for ya. Psychogang, doin' its thing two weeks back jumped a Militech convoy, got away with the gear. Corp don't even know Maelstrom's involved.

The image changes showing four maelstrom gang members. A bald man with red eyes and no mouth was standing on a black case. Then the case glows blue showing details of what was inside, a flathead.

Dexter: Now see, convoy was carryin' the Flathead - a little combat bot, a prototype. And I need me that bit o' high-grade military tech. 'Cause if we don't get that bot, we don't get no 'Saka chip. An' we sure as hell don't get no happily ever after. But don't get excited, it's a single-use toy. Now, I flat out purchased the damn thing from Maelstrom. Problem is, I did so from a gent went by the name of Brick.

The image changes showing another maelstrom member and his profile calling him Brick.

Dexter: I say "went" 'cause Brick was the leader. Three days after we'd sealed our deal, his friend and gangmate, one Simon Randall, AKA Royce, plain dropped his ass.

The image changes showing a bold man with the top half of his face caved in with his profile calling him Royce.

Dexter: Royce is in charge now. And I got no way of knowin' if he aims to honor his predecessor's word. To add to this "shitstorm," one Meredith Stout of Millitech has developed an interest in said convoy.

You see the mentioned Millitech woman appear in the next image with her profile.

(Y/n): Seems like a sunshine and rainbows kinda gal.

You think as your vision returns to normal and you look at Dex.

(Y/n): Royce guy - what's he like?

Dexter: Astright psychopath, chrome-lovin' kind.

(Y/n): Lovely...

You say with fake enthusiasm.

Dexter: I'll give you the unit few of its other members, no matter the stakes, would put a friend and associate through an industrial microwave dryer. Apparently, first thing to burst are the eyeballs. Get a nice, clear "pop!" Then the rest goes goulash.

You try your best not to imagine the grim scenario and decide to shy away from it by asking about the corpo woman.

(Y/n): And the Millitech prima donna?

Dexter: Corpo agent, internal affairs, Been skittin' 'round town askin' after the convoy as if her life depended on findin' it. The one lead she got's zip-tied in her trunk. Stick up her ass ain't growin' any shorter, so she must be gettin' desperate. Be wise to think how you could use that. 'Course, to do so you'll need that frazzled cat's info. Sendin' it now.

You receive the details and decide to ask one last thing before concluding this 'interview'.

(Y/n): The Client. What's her thing? Why's she need to meet?

Dexter: Woman's name's Evelyn Parker. Vettin' her wasn't easy. Put the word out was lookin' for any kinda intel...

(Y/n): Right, and...?

Dexter: Some brothers from Pacifica got back to me. Tol' me to stop lookin', end of convo, heheh. Anyway, our lil client insisted on meetin' someone with skin in the game - you know, who'll be there for it all. Yours truly'll be remote, T-Bug ain't no people person, and Jackie's only good at some things - I know you know what I mean. Pretty much leaves you.

Somewhat satisfied with the answer given, you look out the window the back to Dex.

(Y/n): Think I got everything. Time I got to work.

Dexter nods with a small smile.

Dexter: Why that's just music to my ears. I'll set up the meet with Miss Parker at Lizzie's Bar. Flathead, though, is gonna be all you. One more thing, Mr. V. Quiet life or blaze o' glory? Hmm? Later, now.

You leave the limo and watch Dexter's limo drive down the road. You call Jackie to tell him what went down.

(Y/n): Jackster. Talked to Dex.

You say. Jackie lets out a soft chuckle.

Jackie: Gordito's a big deal - literally and not, yeah?

You start walking till you come to a vending machine and decide to grab a coke.

(Y/n): Guy certainly knows how to protect his biz. Wants to put us on a few small kinks, prep work, I guess, before linin' us up a big job.

You explain as your hand fumbles around in your pocket as you find spare change and start inserting it into the machine.

(Y/n): There's this combat bot, military prototype. Maelstrom klepped it. Then Dex paid to take it off their hands just before the gangoons had a switch up in management.

You continued on.

Jackie: Right, right, heard about that. Royce versus Brick - hostile takeover.

V: 'Bout sums it up.

The machine spits out a can of coke which you grab and twist the cap off.

(Y/n): Dex wants us talkin' to Royce. Gave the deets of some Militech agent, too, but... I dunno how much help she stands to be.

Jackie: Huh, chingón...

You drink the coke and shiver slightly and the fizzy drink.

(Y/n): You don't sound thrilled. Royce - whaddaya know about him?

Jackie: He's fuckin' whacked somethin' special. Junkies snort junk, Royce snorts chrome.

You take another gulp and let out a satisfied sigh.

(Y/n): Fuck. Well if it's cyberphychosis he's after then who are we to deny him a bonus if he doesn't honour Brick's word.

You joke which causes Jackie to laugh.

As you walk you see a bunch of guys harassing a brown haired rabbit faunas girl who looks strangely familiar...wait is that Velvet?

Johnny then suddenly appear in your field of view and looks at the girls with his hand son his hips.

Johnny: Well well. How about that? Looks like she's strong minded and willed.

You take notice of the girl next to her wearing a beret. The same one who was worried about Velvet. You notice one of the guys try to slyly tap the beret wearing girl on the butt while the other guy was bold and tried to grab the faunas' waist. This didn't sit well with Velvet as she shook slightly.

Johnny: Huh, never mind.

(Y/n): (Huntsman) Judging by the way the beret girl was standing and the fact she looks calm, I can tell that these two huntresses in training are second years. The beret girls bag looks as if it had some kind of metal look to it. Has to be her weapon. Wait what is she-

A group of people surrounding the two men and the harassed girls let out ooo's as the Beret wearing girl had swung her bag into the balls of the man who grabbed the rabbit faunas. Wincing you continue to drink your coke and continue your talk with Jackie.

(Y/n): Then there's the other thing, Gotta meet the client who put the job on the table - Evelyn Parker.

Jarkie: You? Well, what's Dex gonna do? Ride around in his limo, chat chicks up on the holo?

You finish you come and go to a fountain to fill it up with water while watching the beret girl backhand swing her bag at the other man which knocks him down head first into the pavement.

(Y/n): Parker wants to meet someone on the crew. Dex gave me the nod.

Jackie: Must know what he's doin'... So, how you wanna play this? Maelstrom or Parker, what's first?

You finish filling the bottle up with water and look to see the man who had his nuts assaulted, get up and brandish a knife.

(Y/n): I need to think, will let you know.

Jackie: Okay mano. I'll be ready if we wanna go to maelstrom first.

(Y/n): Preem. Later Jacks.

You hang up and see Johnny glitch back into view as he was now leaning against the wall. He looks between you and the guy with the knife before letting out grunt.

Johnny: Ten lien you don't hit him.

You take a drink of the water and take aim.

(Y/n): (Cool 13) (throw bottle) Win or lose, I still keep ten lien!

You shout as you then throw the bottle in which it strikes the man with the knife with enough force to knock him out which startles the girls. The girl with the baret looks in your direction in which you wink at her and turn your back on her.

Baret girl: Hey wait!

She shouts as she goes to pursue you but immediately loses sight of you as you enter a crowd.

Not that it was her poor eyesight. It's just a perk of having a built in cloak. You turn the corner and uncloak as you contemplate your options.

Go meet the client (Evelyn Parker)

Or

Deal with Maelstrom and retrieve the flathead.
(Optional: use Millitech agent)

Vote now!
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Until next time :)