Chapter Text
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The evening glow of a retreating sun casts exaggerated shadows onto the plains, accentuating every plant and rock with a bit of a halo. From where V is currently perched, she can see everything—even the faint shapes of Night City in the distance, peeking out of the mountains to pierce the sky. She’s made good time, even with a sputtering engine that cried louder and louder the further she drove. Gotta get that fixed.
The small town’s not far. From what she can see from her current outpost on the hood of her ride, it’d take an hour or so to get there. She doubts the place has a motel or anything, but even if they did it might not be smart to stay the night. Town sheriffs get real touchy about Nomads; newcomers in general. She’d rather make a quick stop then be on her way, completely unnoticed. No need to leave her mark there. No need to leave a trail in her wake.
There’s just enough room in the backseat to lay down somewhat-comfortably. Just enough to stretch out with only one leg at an awkward angle. It’ll do. Got an early morning, and V needs the shut eye.
Just before she dozes off, she pulls up the detes of her gig.
Jackie Welles. Night City. Cargo.
Something to make eddies off of that will also land V right in the best place to blend into. Flee to. Unassuming. The best place for her to sink into and stay un-found; no one would follow her into city limits.
It’s a long, uneventful, dry night and she sleeps through most of it, interrupted by the nightmares only a couple of times. It makes her anxious and she wishes time would move faster, eager to get her car fixed and be on her way.
When the sun rises, an exhilarating yet cautious bundle of nerves sparkle in her stomach like the ends of a cut wire as she begins her drive.
Just stay focused. One day at a time. Nothings ever gonna be the same again, but at least today will be a new start for me.
She didn’t expect to be so right. She hates that she was so right.
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Judy spotted the merc the moment she stepped foot into Lizzie’s, glancing over at Ev with the most incredulous look she knows the Doll read on her face. A silent and quick conversation floated between the two, a message exchanged which Judy received loud and clear: don’t be so quick to assume; I know what I’m doing.
It was hard not to judge. Woman stuck out of the neon BD club looking very out of place, and Judy sent another incredulous eyebrow raise Ev’s way as they watched her head towards the bar.
Really? This one’s the merc?
Said merc had all the subtlety of a cyberpsycho let loose in a crowded atrium with the way she ungracefully questioned Mateo about Evelyn’s whereabouts. Judy thought subtlety was supposed to be a valued skill in merc work.
Ev introduces herself to this woman with the smoothest words and most graceful movements, as usual, and Judy takes that as her cue to leave and retreat to her work space to prep. There are always things to do and BD’s to edit; it wasn’t hard to find work to busy herself with while sitting in wait.
A while later, they walk into her den.
“This is V. She’s here for that BD roll. And V, this is Judy—best braindance editor I know.”
When Judy looks up, V’s eyes are sweeping her hardware. She doesn’t miss the appreciative look on this merc’s face who takes time to lean forward and expertly point out every custom bit of metal and screen with an impressed tone. Turns out, V knows quite a bit when it comes to tech and hardware. Huh.
Judy briefly wonders what this stranger specializes in, as a merc. Wonders if there are jobs and gigs out there that require knowing your tech. She taps her desk in thought as V gets situated in the chair, ready to be consumed into the braindance.
She speaks to Ev and Judy with a surprisingly soft tone of voice with just a slight bit of edge to it, eyes almost too open as they gaze back at her before sweeping those deep-blues over the rest of the equipment.
This woman, with her soft and quiet tone of voice atypical of someone in her supposed line of work, sits back and jumps in to the BD. It has Judy curiously eyeing the merc up and down as she mulls over who-the-hell she is and where-the-hell their fixer found her.
‘Cause, mercs are usually supposed to look rough and ragged, able to kill with just a look—or at least, the good ones do. Chrome plating on every surface, eyes shining artificially, and with a mean mug to go with it. Attitude that’s either cocky, professional, stupid, or all of the above with Cyberware marring the face. But the most chrome she could make out of this woman was the triangle shape on the throat of her neck and a small slit on one side of her head hidden by shaggy jet-black hair.
She didn’t look like a typical Night City merc, and she definitely didn’t look like the kinda merc you’d call for a job like the one Ev was setting up.
And Judy probably should’ve warned her about the type of BD she was plunging this merc-not-merc into, feeling a slight pang of sympathy at the startled gasp that came tumbling out once V returned to reality, pupils dilated and eyes turning into an even more striking shade of blue that ran deeper than the toxic waters at the edge of Night City.
“Slow, deep breaths…” Judy reassured, looking down from her position as she explained the adrenaline rush the other woman had just experienced. V took all this information in without breaking eye contact, gaze shining far in open emotion atypical of someone in her supposed line of work. It kinda made Judy squirm a bit, not that she’d let herself outwardly show it. But V did. She was very obviously upset about the contents of the BD and needed a few seconds to breathe before jumping back in. Well. At least Judy knew now that she wasn’t some inhumane freak.
V leans back into the chair with limbs looser than they were seconds ago, and Judy takes this time to study the merc as she and her netrunner — goddammit Ev…god-fucking-dammit — get to work.
The lack of chrome is surprising, but she’s not completely naked. Colorful ink peeks out from the sleeves of her threads and covers her neck. She’s no newby, that’s for sure, but there’s still an innocent quality to her that Judy can’t help but pick up on.
Whether that’s conjured or completely founded, she’s not sure. All she knows is that there’s a softness about V, especially in the way she’s laid out on the chair, face pinched in concentration and body lax in a sleepy way. As if her edges were rounded. V doesn’t look intimidating one bit, not even when she first walked into Lizzie’s, and the merc nearly camouflages into the dark upholstery of Judy’s chair. It’s weird and surprising, and Judy takes this time to study her.
Mercs are usually dressed to kill, decked out in threads meant to show off the amount of eddies they’ve made from gigs and look as intimidating as possible all at the same time. But V — she’s dressed as dark and as plain as one could get. Black boots, black pants, black shirt, black jacket — heavily contrasting sun-kissed skin completely dotted in freckles. Judy wonders, briefly, if her hair is dyed black to match the obvious aesthetic or if its natural. Admires the way it hangs forward and tickles a straight nose smattered with an even heavier cluster of freckles than the ones—
“You’re staring.”
Judy’s gaze snaps up at Ev, eyes narrowing at the smirk and feeling very grateful that V wouldn’t have heard a thing nor have seen the way Judy’s cheeks have darkened at being caught.
A deep huff snaps both women’s faces towards V just as the merc pinches her face in wakefulness, hand reaching up to remove the BD wraith. She blinks a few times, those intense eyes glancing at Judy before landing on Ev with a satisfied glint in her features. They’ve got the intel.
That was…quick. Quicker than Judy thought’d it take. V’s a fast learner, that much is obvious.
V thanks her, says, “Don’t worry. Won’t do anything to get you in trouble” with a smile that has Judy’s insides feeling funny as she looks warily up at her. She can’t help but respond in kind with a bit of snark on the side, liking the way the other girl’s lips twitch in amusement. V leaves with a raspy, “See ya” that has Judy eyeing her curiously as she walks away with Ev.
She doesn’t miss the look the Doll shoots over her shoulder.
“So. That’s the gonk you’ve roped into this. You sure she’s the right one for the job?” Judy asks in a deadpan to Ev when she’s returned from her after-meeting with V.
Ev tuts at her, leaning on the table as Judy’s gaze stays focused on her screens.
“Looks can be deceiving. I had my doubts as well ‘till I looked into the merc myself, and Dexter DeShawn is confident in his pick. ‘Sides, you don’t know her resume. It’s quite impressive.”
“Girl looks like she works at a junk shop, not like she takes on jobs and slaughters scavs in her free time.”
Ev hums, circling around to step closer to Judy, intentionally getting into her space.
“It’s exactly because she looks like the least intimidating nobody to ever do mercenary work that makes her so unconventionally dangerous." A pause. "You wouldn't be the first to think there was nothing to her, and there were many who tried to take advantage of the bright-eyed newcomer when she first walked into Night City a year ago. You know where they are now?"
Judy doesn't bother answering, only shifts her gaze from the screens up to Ev with her best and most unimpressed stare.
“Deep underground or getting well acquainted with the trash of a landfill. In other words: dead. Every single one, and none of them got very far in their attempts at sabotage. It sent a bit of a shockwave in the merc world, I’m surprised you hadn’t heard about it.”
Judy thinks back but draws a blank. Still, there is a kind of familiarity to the story. Probably overheard a conversation or two from the dolls. Or maybe from random customers on the floor.
“Everyone’s always trying to backstab each other in this damn city. No surprise there.”
“Point is that I've looked into the people I'm working with and come to agree with Dex on his…pick.” Ev pauses and uncrosses her arms. “V is also extremely versatile in her work.” Ev places a hand on Judy’s desk, absentmindedly drawing circles on it. Judy narrows her eyes. “And she’s quite the looker, isn’t she? Sticks out exactly because she doesn’t. Jawline sharp enough to cut the tip of a finger; cute, with dreamy eyes you could spend hours getting lost in..."
Judy rubs her temple. “Where are you going with this?”
Ev fluidly continues as if she hadn't been interrupted. "Thought you were more into the kind of woman who looks like they’ve just stepped off a fashion runway; flashy outfits, flashy hair — like Maiko.“
“Aren’t there more important things ya needa be doing instead of dissecting my love life?”
Judy’s bite is bitter but Ev takes it all in stride, corner of her mouth lifting up in clear amusement as if she didn’t just intentionally push Judy’s buttons.
“Just trying to be helpful. You’re a lot more obvious than you think.” Ev places a gentle hand on her shoulder and the BD editor finally glances up at the Doll. ”I know it’s been an awfully long time since—“
“Really. Can we not do this right now?”
Evelyn sighs, removing her hand from Judy’s shoulder.
“Careful about who sees that heart on your sleeve, Jude. And try not to think too much about the heist. You’ll drown yourself in worries.”
“If this heist goes ass-up…”
“It won’t.”
“Ev…”
“You don’t need to be so concerned about me. I’ll be fine.”
Judy’s not totally convinced, and she watches Ev walk away with an anxious feeling in her chest.
Even if she's doubtful of her rep as a merc, Judy'd seen that sparkle in V's eyes. Every merc has 'em. That sparkle of anticipation for the eddies to start pouring in, uncaring of who stands in the way so long as they get their deposit. She may not look the part, but she sure has their eyes. Only in the biz for the eddies and glory. Just like the rest of 'em. Nothing more, nothing less.
And yeah, maybe Judy was being a bit snarky when she called V and Ev walking, talking corpses.
She didn’t expect to be so right. She hates that she was so right.
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The heist goes ass-up because of-fucking-course it did.
It's all over the news and it's all anyone can talk about for weeks on end. The death of Saburo, two mercs, a hail of gunfire at that fancy hotel that turned the place into a battleground — it has Judy on edge and completely worried about Ev who she hasn't seen long enough to have Judy pulling her hair in maddening frustration and concern, the pit in her stomach growing larger each day that passes without getting a word back.
Her drowning thoughts get interrupted by a ringing on her holo from someone beyond the grave. The contact blinks at her and after a moment, she answers. The voice on the other end, the face the greets her, has the techie completely surprised and especially suspicious.
Judy’s not sure what to make of V.
She gets into it with this merc-not-merc — who rose from the goddamn dead — over the holo as she tries to shake Judy down on Ev’s whereabouts. Not like Judy knows where she is, anyway. Ever since Ev went dark on her, paranoid and anxious thoughts have gnawed at her brain and making her feel all kinds of jumpy while trying to focus on work to no avail.
V’s voice echoes in her head with a quiet, demanding tone that bordered on pleading before Judy hung up on her. She had hoped V would take the hint and leave her be, but Judy knew things wouldn’t be so simple. And V had horrible timing. Getting chewed out by the big boss, again, had already set her in a bad mood which meant she was also already on a very short fuse.
Judy also wasn’t sure what she expected V to look like, not that she had thought about it. She just wasn’t ready to gaze up into a fucked-up face where once shining eyes, now sunken deep into their sockets, were rimmed in dark circles and lips turned sharply downwards. Even if she physically looked like she really did come back from the dead, didn't mean she’d go easy on her. ‘Sides, she wasn’t about to let V use Ev as some kinda excuse or scapegoat for their shitshow of a heist.
Judy doesn't relent easily, but she's worried sick and so eventually does so while making sure V knows Judy doesn't trust her. V’s shoulders slump just slightly at the distrust and insinuating question, looking at Judy with an almost insulted look. As if she took it personally.
“I won’t lay a hand on her. Wouldn’t make sense; no point. This situation I’m in now is…so complicated I could care less about revenge, not that I want that. Just need to know who can—“ She cuts herself off, eyes suddenly taking on a vulnerable shine. “—just need to know who she knew. Not tryin' to get back at her or anything.”
Judy's years of living in Night City had ingrained doubtfulness and distrust into her, personally knowing only a handful of people she could actually rely on. But looking up at V, seeing the straight set in her stiff shoulders complete with kicked-puppy eyes that Judy just knew V wasn’t faking, Judy realized that if she were to make anything of their interactions from now and before the train-wreck heist it’s that this woman is a bit of an open book. A quality that this city would’ve gladly taken advantage of; chewed her up just to spit her back out.
And it’s because of this open-window into V’s intentions that Judy finds herself breathing out a somewhat reluctant, “Fine…”
The relieved smile and renewed shine to come out from Judy’s answer to those open-windows of hers has Judy thinking, once again and not for the first time, just where the hell Ev and that fixer found this woman.
You sure you’re a merc?
The hopeful-eager look V has on her bruised face while waiting for Judy to elaborate has Ev’s words thrown back into her mind.
It’s exactly because she looks like the least intimidating nobody to ever do mercenary work that makes her so unconventionally dangerous.
Seeing V standing in front of her holding Ev’s case, looking smaller than the last time she was at Lizzie's, Judy gets why so many tried to backstab her. Has her wondering if the stories are true.
Have to see it to believe it.
V ends up making a promise to call Judy the moment she finds out about Ev, and she believes V with only a small hint of doubt.
A small hint of doubt that was swiftly stomped out the moment a ring came through from none other than the merc herself later that day. She’s surprised, relieved, and can’t help the smile in her voice when she answers.
“Promised I’d call soon as I found out, didn’t I?”
This string of words both surprises and intrigues Judy. It's not often you'll find someone in Night City willing to make a simple promise to you, even rarer for them to keep it. To think that this person she'd only physically seen twice was able to so casually keep something that held so much weight to a stranger—it boggles her mind. Has her feeling a slight of gratitude for this simple act; but even if she’s grateful, Judy doesn’t like the news V tells her. She’s definitely heard of this ‘Fingers’ guy before, and the update sends her heart plummeting straight into her stomach. In the background, V pushes off what looks like the railing of a staircase to head out of a familiar looking building.
Wasn’t kidding when she said she’d call me ‘the moment’ she found out, huh.
“I don’t like the sound of this Fingers guy. Headin’ to his clinic now. To find her. Best do it quick befo—” V cuts herself off and Judy can see her eyes going wide just as she quickly rounds a corner followed by some very pissed off yelling. Gunfire hails, clipping into the wall way too close to V. The merc lets out a string of curses, pulling out a heavy looking revolver and Judy suddenly finds herself as an audience to a shoot out.
“Whoa, V, what’s goin' on?”
More shots ring out, an explosion sounds off, there's a blur, then V takes off running.
“Uh…” She huffs, diving for cover behind a dumpster as the screaming of unlucky pedestrians caught in the crossfire ring in the background. “I may now be enemy number one with the, uh, Tyger Claws for, uh—“ There’s some static, more shots ringing out. V’s running again and the next string of words come out rushed. “—Killing a bunch of their members back at Clouds. Whoops.”
“What? You mean, like, all of them?”
V doesn’t answer, head poking around a street corner. “Gotta go. Later, Judy.”
A lot of thoughts swirl in her head. The anxiety she’d been feeling at Ev’s disappearance was quelled before being replaced by an even bigger ball of nerves now that she knows where she’d been sent off to and who was the one to be looking after her. And now V seems to be on the Tyger Claws bad side cause of whatever the hell she did at Clouds.
Judy reaches for her keys, double checking that she has all her usual gear before locking down her den. Drifting words from a newsreel playing on tele screen stops her in her tracks.
“—street temporarily closed as NCPD responds to a shootout that happened earlier at a popular nightclub in Japantown. The only victims seem to be members of the well known gang that takes to the area, the Tyger Claws, and authorities are suspecting another gang shootout. However, no bodies of rival gang members have been found as of yet leaving officials scratching their heads as to the motivation—“
Judy shakes her head at the amount of NCPD vehicles lined up just outside the building that holds Clouds, as well as the amount of body bags being carried out and placed on the sidewalk.
Damn, V. Maybe Ev had a point about ya.
But Judy’s still not sure what to make of V. All she can think of as she drives to Fingers’ is her and Ev, sharing headspace and making her thoughts bounce off the walls of her skull.
She’s pacing outside Fingers’ door when V shows up, feeling her nerves soothe at seeing this maybe-merc walk into the room. V's shoulders are tense but her eyes widen in surprise, obviously not anticipating Judy's presence.
She’s wearing something different today. Over her shirt is something strappy that holsters a gun, replacing the jacket Judy’d last seen her in. It hugs her tightly and Judy recognizes the revolver nestled at the hip from their call earlier. V’s hair is mussed up and wild, almost as if she’d sprinted all the way here from Clouds. Based off the light sheen of sweat layered over her, it seems that was likely what she’d done.
V approaches and Judy voices her worries over the fact that Ev could or could not be on the other side of the locked door. A small group of people in line to see Fingers quickly make their ire known as V’s sudden presence means she may try to cut them.
There’s a determined gleam in V's eyes, and Judy watches as she makes her way over to the couch to improvise.
She easily talks the people ahead of them into giving up their spot with a nice smile and a twinkle in her eyes. V, surprisingly, has...charm. Tact she turned on almost instantly the moment she turned away from Judy to make her move. She leaves the two women sitting on the couch laughing, widely smiling as they insist she and her 'sick friend' go ahead of them. It's almost a complete one-eighty to the not-so-tactful merc that had walked into Lizzie's what feels like a lifetime ago.
Guess it's a skill she turns on when its needed.
Or maybe Judy just wasn't correct in her assumption back then. V had charm in the few words they exchanged at the time, and that smile of hers could probably steer anyone wherever V wanted them to go.
Judy doesn't have much time to think about it as V opens the door and the two share a horrified look as they stand awkwardly behind this skeletal man they call Fingers, listening to him pump soap into his hands again and again and again. She wrinkles her nose. To think that this is the man Ev was sent to. The man who was supposed to take care of her. This fact makes her stomach churn as she gazes down at Fingers.
He's even worse the moment he opens his mouth, and she can physically see how repulsed V is by him.
"Those implants you install...even from where I'm standing I can see they're faulty. That's intentional, isn't it?"
Fingers waves her off.
"They are what I think is the best."
"Bullshit." She scoffs. "I know what it means to salvage the most out of whatever scrap you've got, but I don't know anyone who'd even bother keeping what you're using on these people."
"You think it's junk, I think it's—"
"Enough."
V doesn't raise her voice, doesn't need to. Her tone is sharp, low, and biting, and it has Fingers stumbling through his next sentence as he directs them to his office. It doesn't get any better there, and Judy paces back and forth as V questions him. With every answer he gives her, the more disgusted she is with him and its very obvious that V's patience is wearing thinner and thinner the longer he beats around the bush. Judy's about ready to strangle him when he insults her, but V beats her to it when she reaches out to grab a fistful of his tank top. He quivers like a damn baby, shaky apologies falling out of his mouth as V shoves him back into his chair.
It doesn't take long for Judy to finally snap. She only wishes she'd slapped him harder. Barely seconds later, V has him on the floor. The crunch that follows is satisfying to see and hear, but there seems to be a sudden lack of air in this room. She leaves with heavy footsteps and hands balled into fists.
There really is no such thing as 'fresh air' in Night City, but the outside is much better than back in that office. She takes in steadying deep breaths, and after a couple moments she hears V approaching, sees out of the corner of her eyes as the maybe-merc joins Judy on the railing.
"I let her go back to Clouds. Coulda stopped her but I didn't..."
"Don't worry, we'll find her. I know it—"
"We'll fuckin' find what's left of her butchered corpse."
"Hey." The sudden rise in tone surprises Judy, and she glances over to look at V through the fringe of her hair. "Don't say that. Don't give up now. Or is that what you really wanna do? Just be done and go home?"
Judy plants her forehead onto the cool steel of the railing, letting out a huff of air. "No..."
"Then? We keep trying."
"Only lead we got's an XBD. Where's that get us?"
“More than you’d think. We also know we’re lookin’ for something related to the Death’s Head. Better than nothin'.”
Judy looks over at her, seeing that same look of determination on her face. She huffs.
“I don’t get your optimism. Still sounds like a big fat nothing to me.”
“Yeah, it’s a small lead but you’d be surprised what ‘nothing’ can give you.” V leans onto the railing, smile turning into a playful little smirk. “And…lucky for me, I happen to know the best BD specialist in town. A true professional who knows everything about everything, real smart too. Maybe you’ve heard of her?” V waggles her eyebrows and Judy can’t help the embarrassing snort that escapes her, rolling her eyes. The smile on V's face when Judy glances back over is a bit goofy, and for just a single moment the knot of nerves in her stomach detangle.
What a gonk...
They part ways and Judy sends one last look over her shoulder at V. She’s looking in the other direction, determined steps taking her around a corner and out of Judy’s line of sight.
She gets to her van, sitting with a tapping foot and leaning back in her seat.
Judy waits.
-
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It is extremely obvious how much V hates this braindance session.
Judy hates it just as much, and she pities the man that had to die to make this particular BD. Her stomach twists as they go through it, hoping beyond hope that Ev doesn’t already have her own made and ready to ship out as the newest, hottest thing to hit the back alleys. She really fucking hopes.
V breathes heavily throughout the session but her voice is cool, calm, and collected as they pick up the most minuscule details that point them in the right direction. Judy’s surprised, and impressed, that they were able to get anything out of it at all. She’s come to realize that V has a good eye for detail and Judy sets out, driving with anticipation and a side of fear as V gets situated in the passenger seat.
“I knew BD’s like that existed, but actually seeing it…” V scoffs. “Some people really will do anything for eddies.”
“There’re some real freaks in the world who want the freshest, craziest, most fucked up BD on the market, and someone’s gotta provide it for ‘em.”
“Fucking scum.” V mutters, gazing out the passenger window as Judy drives.
A little time passes and the ride is quiet for the most part, until V speaks up again with that soft tone of hers.
“What song is this?”
“Huh?”
That’s the last thing Judy expected this maybe-merc to interrupt the silence with, and she glances at V out of the corner of her eye before shifting her gaze towards the lights of her system.
“…Oh. Uh, dunno. ’S just the radio.”
“Oh.” V seems a little disappointed. “Thought it was a playlist of yours or somethin’. Was gonna ask for detes so I could look it up later.”
“…Radio stations’ usually list whatever songs they play on their site, could prolly find it there.” Judy chances another curious look at V to find the woman gazing back at her. “It’s 89.3, by the way.”
“Huh. Thanks.”
“Yeah.”
This small bit of normal conversation was such a contrast to the tone of the earlier BD session it has Judy reeling, glancing over at V periodically who’s still looking out the window. It’s quiet again after that, and Judy’s still not entirely sure what to make of V. Based off Clouds and the way she handled the fiasco at Fingers’ clinic, she obviously knows her way around people and a gun. But there are moments where the Night-City-merc-eyes slip away into something a lot softer, a lot friendlier, and they happen way too often for someone who’s supposed to be a hard-shelled, edgerunning merc in it only for the eddies.
And Judy hardly notices that this small, normal conversation about the radio had calmed her nerves somewhat, if only slightly. But it was enough to have her feeling a little less anxious as Judy parks her van outside a fence, nervously eyeing the sketchy warehouse straight ahead.
“Aaaand, here we are.”
V nods, leaning forward in her seat to get a good look at the building, eyes moving up and down as they blink in blue light.
“Should be well guarded outside. If they’re still playing loud music to drown out all the screaming like in the BD, then anyone inside shouldn’t hear us ‘till its too late.” V shifts her head, eyes sweeping the landscape.
“Getting the lay of the land before goin’ in guns blazin’?”
V looks over at Judy before quirking an eyebrow.
“Duh.” V lifts up one corner of her mouth. “They shouldn’t know we’re comin’, could use that to our advantage. Take care of the outside quietly, then…”
“Guns blazin’?”
“We’ll see.” V’s eyes suddenly turn to steel, jaw going rigid. “All I know is that you, me, and Evelyn will be the only ones walking out of that building alive.” Her tone had shifted from playful to something low-burning and fierce in seconds, pulling out a pistol and clicking the chamber of her gun to check for ammo before clicking it back into place. The lights from Judy’s radio and tech illuminate the interior of the van, bouncing off the angles of V’s face and casting shadows that accentuate the sudden laser-focus intensity in her eyes.
V readies herself, holds her gun with a laidback confidence, freehand messing with the straps of her holster where that familiar, bulky revolver rests. Here, sitting in the passenger seat of Judy’s van, does she really start to look the part of a merc. It’s captivating.
Judy looks away. “You think she’s in there?”
“She will be, and if not then we’ll just head to wherever the next lead takes us.” V’s voice cuts the silence in half, looking over even as Judy keeps her gaze on the steering wheel. “Alright. You ready to go?”
“You first. I’ll hang back, scan the subnet—see if there’re any blueprints of the complex lyin’ around. Join you soon as I find somethin’. Lets link on holo ‘till then.”
“…it won’t be pretty in there—“
“If you mean to tell me to hang back altogether, don’t bother.”
V pauses and Judy looks over at her, hoping the merc can tell this is a decision of hers that she won’t negotiate on.
Then, “Alright. Goin’ in.”
Judy watches V climb a wall with practiced ease, disappearing silently overhead. She gets to work.
And it seems like hardly any time passes at all before V reaches out to her seconds after hearing a single gunshot ring out from the distance. It has her doing a double-take, looking out the window of her van. Judy may have been busy looking at blueprints, but there’s no way she was so distracted that she didn’t hear any gunshots or noise save for the one.
“Uh, should I watch out for any guards posted?”
“Taken care of, just walk through the front.”
“…seriously.” She says, flatly. V hesitates, seemingly confused at Judy’s remark.
“Uh…yeah? I’m waiting for you.”
So Judy walks through the gate and scattered in the most obscure corners she walks past are bodies with snapped necks, decorating the lot. She curiously peaks into the window of a nearby parked car and—dead body thrown into the back. She shakes her head, scanning around at the quiet carnage V had unfolded.
Once inside she spots a leg peaking out from behind some barrels, and another body draped over a railing with a single gunshot wound straight between the eyes.
Huh. Damn, V.
She meets the merc, sees her standing there in a way that makes it look like she’s got one eye on Judy and another on all corners of the room and can’t help but feel a bit of admiration for her.
“We need to get to level minus 2. Bet that’s where they’re keeping her."
“Hold up, before we go any further,” V starts with a low voice, gentle hand with a gentle grip on Judy’s shoulder, “…just stay behind me, ‘kay? Couldn’t take it if something happened to you on my watch.”
There are those sincere eyes, again.
Judy nods, V switches out her pistol for that revolver, and they continue through a gate.
“That shirt—I know it.”
“Evelyn’s?”
“Without a doubt.” Judy hates that she doesn’t doubt. V glances back at her.
“We’ll get her outta here.”
Judy nods, standing back as V crouches down, silently moving into the next room where she disappears. The creak of a wheel, a resounding crunch, followed by a “wha—“ interrupted by a gurgle, and V emerges with a bloody knife she soon puts away. Judy takes this as her cue to come out, eyeing the chemical set and rolling her eyes in disgust.
“Ugh…looks like snuffs’re only the tip of the iceberg.”
“No surprise there.” V’s messing with a computer. She shuts it a moment later. “Let’s keep going.”
Voices echo from the other side of the wall and a figure walks past a window. Just from her vantage point alone Judy can tell the room is full, and she spares a nervous glance V’s way.
“We need to get past them.”
“Right.”
“How’re we doin’ this?”
V’s eyes sparkle artificial-blue as she scans the room from the corner, holding her revolver up. The merc uses her freehand to rub her chin, tilting her head up, humming in mock thought.
“We’ll do this…my way.”
She stands, and the next moments are so fluid all Judy can do is just watch as the merc drops them one-by-one, easily switching weapons when her revolver runs dry and popping one in the chest-one in the head of the last person in the room. In the distance, from the other side of the adjacent door that leads out into the hallway, she can hear the echoes of shouting and hurried footsteps.
No one in this warehouse stands a chance against V, and any doubts and reservations Judy had on her skills as a merc completely fly out the window. At this point Judy just trails behind as V charges ahead, only providing support when she can or when there’s a shot open. V sends an appreciative glance Judy’s way when she shoots down a man coming from the merc’s blind spot, so she’s not useless at least.
And the further they descend, the more visibly outraged V becomes at the scenes they stumble upon. The mattresses with cuffs, the computers highlighting grotesque BD scenes and outlines for more, the butchered woman laying on the table—its all so much, and at one point Judy can see V physically shaking out of pure anger. An anger she lets out on the next man to emerge from a corner.
Then finally—finally—they get to Ev. The way she’s slumped over, bloodied, shatters Judy’s heart to pieces, tempered only by the fact that she's still breathing. V has a hand on her pulse, and Judy realizes Ev is still recording. As she counts down, readying herself to pull the cord, a final thought pierces her — a bitter thought of if this will be the moment V lets her true colors shine, intentionally yanking the cord out prematurely and enacting the vengeance Judy was too preoccupied to notice before.
She doesn't. They disconnect together and V lifts Ev up into her arms.
Night City had cemented doubtfulness, distrust, and pessimism into the very foundations of Judy's beliefs. It's best to go in with low-expectations than to be constantly disappointed, and countless encounters in all her years of living had made her unenthusiastically adopt this way of thinking. She used to believe that not everyone was a selfish gonk, but as time went on she found that most people really were like that and her circle of people she could call 'friends' shrunk by the years.
Judy thinks back to that sparkle she saw in V's eyes way back when they'd first met at Lizzie's, assuming it was money-eyes she were seeing. Anticipation for riches. But seeing the way V had gently cradled Ev to her chest as they bolted out of the warehouse, the way she carefully checked her vitals in the limited space of the van, the way she helped carry Ev easily up the stairs to her pad, how she gave them privacy, the delicate shape of her voice, the look on her face the entire time—
She thinks, now, that — maybe V's eyes just sparkle.
She thinks—
Maybe I was wrong about you.
-
-
— Earlier:
V stares out the window of her apartment, past the now-dried blood—her blood—staining the glass and towards the early morning skyline of the city that has taken absolutely everything from her.
She doesn’t need to see it to know there’s an ugly bruise on her forehead, fingers reaching up to gingerly caress the slight bump and wincing when she’s pushed down too roughly. A physical reminder of the countdown to the end of her days. Her unwelcome rapture.
She moves pathetically and sluggishly throughout her apartment, eating liquor for breakfast and spending too much time slumped on the tiled floor of her shower.
All her hard work, all her goals, all her wants, all the things she’d sacrificed and all the decisions she’d made—everything she’d ever done—have turned meaningless in the span of a single day. The agency she had regained in her life was hers for only a moment before being ripped from her very hands, leaving her in a mindless daze, limbs on an autopilot she hasn’t been in since—
I was close. I was so close. Things were going so right and then…Jackie….god, Jackie…
An obnoxious ringing echoes in her room and it takes longer than it should to realize its coming from her holo. Her gruff greeting was meant to sound aggressive and rude; instead, a broken and weak voice she doesn’t recognize escapes past her lips in a sound that has her…not caring as much as she normally would. It’s pathetic, but she’s way past the point of giving a damn.
A familiar voice greets her on the other side. A voice that has her walking towards Tom’s Diner.
It’s a joint she frequents, quite fond of the greasy burgers and snappy owner. It also helps that the place is a hop and skip away from her building. V mumbles a greeting to Takemura and he nods back, taking a sip of his coffee. The waitress brings her the usual, slopping V’s meal onto the table. The merc doesn’t even spare the Arasaka goon a glance before digging in.
Takemura allows her to eat in silence. It’s a strange quiet but not completely uncomfortable, and V finds herself grateful for the man’s — patience? She’s not entirely sure what to call it, but the fog in her head begins to clear as her stomach fills with something other than alcohol for the first time that day.
And it's a very long day. A very long day that has her sent on a wild goose chase with the only lead she's got, dropping her right in the back rooms of a quite famous Dollhouse. It wasn't easy sneaking past all the guards, nor was it pleasing to realize why Evelyn Parker was missing from this particular joint. It had V frowning, reaching for the slimmest of hopes in the deepest recesses of her mind that the woman was actually still kept in-house somewhere and hadn't actually been sent off yet.
Instead, she finds herself looking down at a very disgusting man chowing down on messy food and hardly sparing her a glance.
“Be a dear and close the door on the way out, would ya? As you can see, I’m very busy.”
V’s fingers twitch.
“Listen. I’m lookin' for a girl named Evelyn Parker—“
“Got nobody here working by that name.”
“But she used to, and now she doesn’t. Why? What happened to her?”
V has seen plenty of guys like him, before. They seem to thrive in this city. Best at lying and being overall scumbags all while giving you the sleaziest smile complete with a pat on the back. And with the way he lounges back in his chair, loudly chewing on his burger and hardly sparing her a glance, V knows he thinks he’s hot shit. Her gaze narrows.
And he’s not as slick as he seems to think he is. She notices the nervous twitch in his right hand when she steps into his space and mentions just how much she knows about Evelyn’s disappearance. Sees the way his eye flutters, left foot tapping twice as he avoids her gaze. It’s always satisfying to watch a worm squirm.
“Listen up, I’m going to give you a chance to tell me the truth. One chance. I advise you take it. So, again: Where. Is. Evelyn Parker?”
He swivels in his chair. “Humor me, will ya? This particular piece of ass, out of all of them—why?” He gets up to pour a drink, taking his sweet time. “She was hot, I’ll give you that. But for all her delusions of grandeur, she was nothing more than a basic whore.”
A familiar bubble of rage boils and the corners of her eyes begin to turn red. He leans against his little side table to stare at her, hand with the drink curiously close to the waistband of his pants where the shape of a — Ah. So there’s his answer.
“Like all basic whores, she got what was co—“
Just as he dropped his glass of liquor and well before he could so much as even touch his gun, V reaches out and twists his hand while her other slams into his elbow with a sickening pop and crunch that echoes loudly in the room followed by pathetic wails, his arm bending in an extremely unnatural way. Her free hand reaches for his pistol and pulls it out, using the butt-end to slam into his temple.
He keels over, and with the grip she still has on his now mangled arm V tosses him onto the floor where he lies a crumpled mess, tears running down a very red face. And for good measure, she whacks him in the head a few more times before flipping the pistol barrel-side-up to just beneath his chin.
“Your types always like to talk a big game, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about this fucking city it’s that it doesn’t take much to have guys like you sniveling like a little bitch in just seconds. Now, be a dear and tell me where Evelyn Parker is?”
He lets out a pained sob, one eye having shut from the shiner she gave him. At his silence, she digs her free hand into the broken bone of his right arm.
“Don’t like repeating myself—“
“Fingers! Fingers! His name is Fingers, he…he—he works in some alleyway off Jig-Jig street. Got a clinic there. Sent her so he could fix her up, ‘swear! Please…—oh god—“ He sobs and she takes her hand off his mangled arm, pulling his own pistol away from his chin. She stands, leering over him as he looks back at her with pleading eyes. “I—I told you what y-you wanted to know. Please, lemme live and you can—“
“I can what? What kinda proposition could you possibly have for me?” He breathes heavily and V tuts at him, stepping over his body until she’s staring directly down at his face. “I gave you a chance, but you didn’t take it. Decided to fuck with me instead, and if there’s one thing you should know about me,” She places the heel of her boot on his chest, “It’s that you don’t fuck with me. Shame you’ll be unable to pass the message on to others.”
The resounding shot bounces off the walls and it doesn’t take long for her to realize that everyone in the goddamn building has now been alerted to her presence. Can’t blame herself, though. She could‘ve let the sleazy fucker live, but she has a reputation to live up to.
V eyes the pistol that belonged to the man she just killed, searching the room for more ammo. It’ll have to do. If she’s smart and pinpoint with her shots, she should make it out of here in one piece.
She does.
-