The comms link was finally stable, and Jackie and Rebecca quickly found Arthur and V as they burst out of the lobby...
With a shriek of tires grinding against wet pavent, their bullet-riddled car skidded to a stop right in front of them.
“Get in!” Jackie yelled from the window. Arasaka’s hounds wouldn’t stop—those mad dogs would be on them any second.
There was no ti to think. Arthur and V rushed into the car.
“V!” Jackie shouted, concern in his voice. As he floored the gas, he caught sight of her slumped form. Her left arm was clearly injured, wrapped in a strip of torn cloth.
“I’m fine...” V leaned back in the passenger seat, exhaling heavily. “I’m fine... My cyberware kept alive.”
Relief washed over her, but the searing pain in her shoulder surged like a wave. She clenched her teeth, grimacing involuntarily.
Outside, rain began to pour, hamring the car roof and slipping through the shattered fra, spattering the inside.
The vehicle roared down the street, picking up speed. Konpeki Plaza was already vanishing behind them.
“Huff— Maybe... I should see a Ripperdoc first...” V’s voice was weak, her eyelids grew heavy. Though the cybernetics had stopped the bleeding, the attack had nearly severed her arm.
She raised her other hand, pressing it gently against the wound, as if that alone could ease the pain...
“BOOM!”
It could have been thunder—or an explosion. For all four inside, the world rang with a deafening hum.
The speeding car was smashed by a colossal force, sent tumbling forward. Glass shattered with the roar of a tidal wave. Arthur’s head snapped against the seat, his vision swimming, the world muffled and distant.
He forced himself upright, shaking his head until sight returned.
The car... overturned... Flas licked upward, fighting the rain.
Arthur stared at the wreckage, gasping for breath, blinking hard through the pain.
“Damn it!” he growled, forcing himself to move. He reached forward, spotting Rebecca pinned against the twisted fra. With a heave, he dragged her free.
Weapon in hand, his mind sharpened. He turned toward the source of the attack.
From Konpeki Plaza, another wall of glass shattered outward. Through the shards strode a massive, jet-black figure...
The second ti. This was the second ti. Last ti, the bastard had survived... and now Arthur had no Giant beside him.
The fire masked their movents for now, but the Smasher’s heavy steps carried him steadily closer.
Hate didn’t matter. Arthur knew it well—the only thing that mattered was getting out alive.
He glanced around. Jackie was stirring nearby, blood covering his face, the usual grin gone. And farther away... V lay sprawled on the ground, motionless, thrown clear of the car in the crash.
Arthur dragged Jackie out, but the big man only stared blankly, dazed.
“V!” Jackie croaked hollowly, the word empty, lifeless—lost in the crackle of fire and the hiss of rain.
Arthur didn’t answer. He had no ti.
Unprepared, they had no way of handling Adam Smasher in a fight. Escape seed impossible... and their car was already finished.
Arthur’s grip tightened on his gun. He looked back at Jackie, still reeling, his brow drawn tight.
Maybe... soone could still make it. He slamd a hand on Jackie’s shoulder, shoving him down hard, as if trying to press the man into the ground.
After a final check of his weapon, Arthur crouched low, ready to sprint. Only by drawing the monster away would the others have a chance to live... even if he didn’t know whether V still breathed.
But just as Arthur tensed his legs to dash, just as Jackie reached for him, just as Adam Smasher raised his weapon to finish off the unconscious V... the roar of an engine split the night.
An ordinary-looking taxi barreled out of nowhere, slamming into Smasher’s tank-like fra.
The result was shocking. The cab should have crumpled instantly—yet it didn’t even dent. Instead, Night City’s legend was hurled through the air, crashing into the greenery behind.
The tires screeched, sharp and piercing. Arthur’s eyes narrowed, but there was no ti to hesitate. He charged straight for V.
Jackie finally snapped out of it, scooping Rebecca up and dragging her toward Delamain, who had already reversed to their side.
Everyone knew—an impact like that wouldn’t stop Adam Smasher. Seconds, maybe a dozen at most, and the monster would rise again.
This was their only chance.
Arthur’s world narrowed to a tunnel. He fixed his gaze on V’s still form, lifting her into his arms, then turned toward the checkered cab.
He slamd the door shut as he climbed in. Tires scread, the cab shot into the night rain, and only then did Arthur dimly feel his body again.
He gasped for air, lowering his head to look at V in his arms.
The noise outside grew louder, voices breaking through the haze.
“Sir... sir...”
“Check on V, she’s—”
Arthur ignored them. Slowly, he reached out, pressing his fingers to the woman’s neck.
For the second ti today... he searched for a pulse.
In the backseat, Jackie leaned forward anxiously, staring at the silent figure in the front. If not for his size, he would have forced his way up imdiately.
“How’s V... She’s okay, right? Tell she’s okay!”
His mind was a tangled ss, thoughts spinning out of control. The only way to keep the panic at bay was to keep asking the question aloud.
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