As she spoke, the woman picked up a shard of broken glass from the windowsill and pressed its sharp edge to the back of her neck.
“You do it. Better you than ... don’t want to risk cutting an artery.”
V hesitated, taking the shard and eyeing the President cautiously.
“They really implanted a tracking chip in the President? What the hell was the White House thinking?”
“Who knows? Said it was for my safety... maybe they just wanted to keep on a leash.” Miles gave a self-deprecating laugh, tilting her head to expose her neck. “Go on. I’ll hold still.”
V frowned. Watching heads explode never bothered her, but making a cut this delicate? She had to admit, it made her uneasy.
Fortunately, it went smoothly. Before much blood spilled, V managed to slice a small opening and pull out a chip no bigger than a fingertip.
Seeing Miles grit her teeth, even Arthur nodded. Her toughness wasn’t an act—it was real.
“Ti to go!” Miles tossed the chip out the window and strode toward the end of the corridor, as if the pain hadn’t even touched her.
...
Hansen’s drones buzzed around them in swarms, dogging every step. Luckily, they had a netrunner covering them in the shadows, masking their identities just enough to slip by.
Only when they reached the ground floor lobby did enemy troops finally block their way. A car sat idling outside the hotel entrance—seemingly their best shot at escape.
“Phew—just one last step... and we’re clear.” V muttered sourly as she scanned the situation.
Arthur studied it too. The window was narrow, and if they got caught halfway out, they’d be pinned. Fighting through might be safer.
“In jobs like this, the client makes the call.” He shifted his gaze to Miles.
On paper, the troops outside didn’t look like much... but Hansen’s reaction could be fast. If they got trapped in this building, it’d be over.
In an instant, the President made her decision.
“Quick and decisive.”
She cocked her rifle and charged out first.
Arthur narrowed his eyes, locking onto sentries on the second floor. Brave as Miles was, rushing like that wasn’t the smartest move. Still, his shots landed before the guards could duck.
Gunfire erupted. But with the advantage of the first strike, they held the upper hand. By the ti V’s Sandevistan run ended, the hall had fallen silent.
“Hell yeah!” Miles roared as she dove into the car. V was already behind the wheel, slamming the accelerator.
“Phew—” Catching her breath, Miles turned to the two of them. “Your cyberware’s... different. Doesn’t look like anything on the market.”
V waved it off. “Being a rc, dealing with fixers... those guys always know soone. As long as you’ve got the eddies.”
Miles nodded, not pushing it. Over comms, Songbird’s voice cut in.
“Girls, less chatter. You’ll have ti to talk once you reach the destination.”
After looping around and finally shaking their pursuers, V swerved into a barren stretch of land, then rged back onto the highway from an unknown route.
This ti... quiet at last.
They drove down a desolate road until finally pulling into a secluded corner.
The silence was so heavy, Arthur almost thought the job was done. He was ready to leave—until V stopped him.
“Don’t kid yourself... we’re not at the safe house yet.” She sighed.
“Quiet as it is, unless those BARGHEST really are bloodhounds.” Arthur frowned, scanning the area. Seeing the grim focus on the others’ faces, he shrugged helplessly. “Fine. Road’s rough, huh? Maybe I’ll get a laugh watching you trip.”
Arthur still didn’t care for dealing with the highborn, even if Miles had earned his respect so far. He knew what kind they were—masters of lies.
...
Another elevator. As they stepped out, floodlights snapped on one by one, illuminating a vast hall.
“This... looks like a museum,” V murmured. Massive statues, four or five ters tall, lood in perfect light.
“Yeah. Who’d have thought? A Dogtown thug with a taste for pretentious crap.” Miles sneered, then added with biting sarcasm: “I can picture it—him playing cultured to impress those useless leeches in Night City. Can you see it? Those idiots nodding like bobbleheads.”
Clearly, the President had no love for Night City’s upper crust. Still, she’d shown restraint—not naming Arasaka outright.
Silence fell. Finally, So Mi’s shadow appeared again. Only V—and Arthur for reasons unknown—could see her. Unlike her boss, Arthur seed genuinely curious, studying the displays.
At the far end stood another exhibition hall. A massive shape lay shrouded in black tarp at its center. Weapons filled the corners. Arthur casually picked up a stripped-down Nekomata... and a precision rifle from the Russian Federation’s military-industrial complex. Crates of ammo were stacked nearby, making the place look more like a weapons expo than a museum.
And for the way forward? Another elevator. Arthur groaned—sick of these damn things. Why not build so stairs?
“Can you handle it?” V tapped the screen, asking the netrunner.
“I’m on it... but it’s new ICE. Might take longer.” So Mi’s voice ca through.
The wait wasn’t long—but only if things stayed quiet.
Faint noises stirred behind them.
“Seriously... can’t we shake these flies?” Even V sounded exhausted by the endless pursuit.
Arthur scowled. “How many n does Hansen have?”
“A whole damn army!” V snapped, already pulling her gun.
“Spread out! Hold them off!” Miles barked, drawing hers. Whatever else could be said, this President wasn’t dead weight.
Gunfire erupted again—heavier than before, the enemy charging with no regard for losses.
The fire was so thick V couldn’t even trigger the Sandevistan. Nobody wanted to step into that wall of bullets.
Arthur emptied his mag in short bursts. The weapons around them gave him more firepower, but even so, they were pushed back into the exhibition hall. The BARGHEST’s ruthless advance was working.
“How much is Hansen paying them?” Arthur growled from behind a pillar.
“Enough to die for... all thanks to our President being worth too much!” V shouted back.
In the hall, she finally had a chance to use the Sandevistan. Her figure blurred, striking through a weak point in the barrage. She dropped several enemies before darting back to cover.
“Phew... phew...” The run eased the pressure, but she couldn’t spam it without frying her nerves.
“Hold them a little longer! I’m bringing in sothing big!” So Mi’s voice ca over comms like salvation.
They needed backup badly. Reinforcents kept pouring in, no end in sight.
Nearly cornered by the elevator, the tarped giant in the center of the hall suddenly stirred.
A blast of fire erupted, shredding the tarp like paper.
A deafening roar shook the building, rattling the ceiling.
Even Arthur froze, staring wide-eyed.
The hulking shape revealed itself—over five ters long and wide.
A massive spider. Its boxy fra made it look like a tank, carried on four chanical legs, each the size of half a car, slamming the ground like steel hamrs.
Mounted on its back was a turret packed with weapons. Its machine guns roared, streams of bullets fusing into sheets of tal rain.
Walls, pillars, exhibits—even people—were pulverized into dust where the storm passed.
With a single sweep, the spider annihilated every enemy around them. Only scraps of clothes and severed limbs remained, scattered lifelessly across the floor.
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