“That went smoother than expected,” V remarked.
“The stragglers already checked the area. Hansen’s still obsessed with hunting down the President, like nabbing Miles will automatically make him President himself,” Arthur grumbled.
“Forget that fool...” V nodded in agreent, then laid out the next steps. “So Mi, who’s been with us all this ti... her whereabouts are unknown now. The President wants to work with her people to track down their ace netrunner.
Things will definitely get ssy... Bottom line, keep things quiet on your end. I doubt the other team’s going to have it easy—think of it as them drawing fire for us.”
Arthur’s face tightened with concern. Dealing with Hansen was no small risk.
After working together this long, V could read him easily. She shot back with a sigh: “Relax. Don’t forget what I used to do. Sure, we might have to team up with those old rivals from the Bureau of Interconnected Affairs this ti...
Just rember—stay quiet. And if everything’s in place, get word to .”
...
After a quick rundown of the operation, V slipped out of the hideout. Supplies from Mr. Hands trickled in throughout the day, and with them ca Jackie and his crew.
Vik showed up too—Arthur’s first ti seeing him outside Watson. The old man had been buried in that hole for years.
As soon as they t, Vik stepped forward and slugged Arthur in the shoulder. “You bastards! Trying to work into the grave... Where’s that kid V?”
His grin always eased the tension, and Arthur found himself smiling as well. “She’s off saving soone who might’ve once saved her. Right now? She’s like a headless fly.”
After a bit of banter, Arthur tugged lanie over from where she’d been quietly standing, introducing her: “Old Vik, this is one of your assistants—lanie. So of the soldiers have a bit of dical training too; they’ll back you up.”
Vik shook his head with a weary laugh. “Even with help... damn it, you’re still piling days of work on . You lot never stop finding trouble.”
...
The operation unfolded quietly. Street beggars slipped in and out of sight, ignored as always.
The rebirth of these veterans seed almost simple: standard cyberware swaps, nothing flashy. But even just a lean, functional body gave these n—once resigned to dying—new life.
They gripped their rifles tight—iron once wielded by their enemies.
Ti dulled Dogtown’s chaos. Even the mory of the airship crash a few days back was fading into the background.
Arthur and his crew weren’t idle either. They struck deals with local gangs, throwing money around to get guns firing. Pointless, maybe, but worth the attempt.
Crates of ammunition surfaced from hidden corners, even a few heavy weapons in the mix.
anwhile, beneath the surface, Hansen’s grand banquet rolled on.
Arthur’s crew had no ti for that circus. It was V who slipped inside, mingling with agents of the Bureau of Interconnected Affairs.
...
“So... soon, you’ll et Hansen to talk partnership. That’s when we strike?” Arthur asked, frowning at the weary figure slouched in the corner.
The group huddled in a bare room, hashing out the plan.
“Exactly. We need to make sure Hansen goes down. When the mont cos, I’ll have eyes locked on him,” V answered lazily, sounding half-asleep.
Stretching wide, bones cracking, he smirked faintly. “You know I’ve been helping the President track people down, right?
Funny thing is, she treats her people like tools. That So Mi—the Nightingale—was forced to dig through lost data beyond the Blackwall. To survive the workload, she’s been modified beyond recognition.
Now the caged bird wants to fly. The President noticed—and she’s ready to clip her wings all over again. As long as the head’s intact, she’ll keep working.”
The details were ugly, but right now, their priority was survival.
“This is dangerous. Things will turn chaotic fast,” Jackie said. On that day, they’d lead a strike on Hansen’s stronghold—the EBM Stadium at the heart of Night City.
According to V, she’d go in disguised as a collaborator, posing with a Bureau agent while pretending to negotiate with Hansen.
“Trust ,” V said firmly. “I’ll stay in contact with Arthur. He’ll cover with a sniper rifle. Everything will—”
Arthur cut her off. “Nobody negotiates in the open air, not for sothing this big.”
He wasn’t just nitpicking—he explained right away. “Rember those guys we recruited? The ones Militech tossed aside? They’ve got contacts. They’ll sneak us into the EBM Stadium.”
“Then stay offline, and keep clear of the automated defenses. So Mi might be able to hack Hansen’s entire defense grid. If she pulls it off, chaos is guaranteed,” V added.
“Hey...” Jackie chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his hands. “Doesn’t this feel a little underhanded? And tricking the Bureau... they’re not gonna co after us, right?”
“This is Night City. Those Bureau rats? Even Militech barely gives them the ti of day. Don’t tell you think Arasaka’s letting them run the show?” V scoffed. Militech’s internal ss was already giving Miles headaches—never mind with Arasaka looming nearby.
As they spoke, the plan’s shape solidified. Unless fate intervened, they were in position to strike, just one step away.
V was in the most dangerous role, and... Arthur suspected she was still keeping sothing back.
“Stay sharp. We’ll reach you as fast as we can...” In the end, Arthur could only offer a serious warning.
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