Leo didn't say a word—just mouthed it.
"No matter what you see in a mont, don't be surprised."
Leo didn't distrust T-BUG.
But unlike Jackie, V, or Lucy, T-BUG wasn't exactly family. Which ant so things were better left unknown.
He reached beneath the case that housed the Flathead, fingers brushing until they found a switch. A soft click followed.
A hidden compartnt opened, revealing a sleek, silver briefcase tucked underneath.
This was the real reason Leo had insisted on switching the Flathead's container earlier.
He'd needed to smuggle in the Falchion.
Leo pulled the silver case out and placed it on the floor. Then, stepping onto it, he activated the chanism. With a soft hum, the case unfolded, rapidly wrapping around him and locking into place like armor.
V and Jackie couldn't help sucking in a breath at the transformation.
They clamped their hands over their mouths, barely keeping quiet—rembering Leo's warning just in ti.
"Focus on the job. Questions can wait until we're out."
They both nodded.
Then almost simultaneously, they realized sothing.
"What about you?" V asked, frowning. "Wearing that... how are you going to get out?"
Leo smiled.
The Flathead had thermo-optic camo, didn't it?
Did they think the Falchion wouldn't?
Thermo-optic camouflage: engaged.
And just like that, Leo vanished from view.
...
The door to the Azure Suite opened.
V and Jackie stepped out, doing their best to act natural.
From the comms ca T-BUG's puzzled voice. "Where's Leo? Why is it just the two of you?"
He was walking right behind them, completely invisible. His voice drifted calmly over the channel.
"I'm staying in the room. Just in case sothing happens—I can cover them."
T-BUG was caught between surprise and anger. "That wasn't the plan!"
"Are we going to argue, or are you going to keep an eye on the feeds? If this job fails, you don't get paid—and forget about leaving Night City."
The money Dexter had promised her was enough for a fresh start. A beach house sowhere in the diterranean or Caribbean. A quiet life. No more netrunning. No more diving into the abyss.
Just peace.
It was a dream she'd clung to. That was why she was here in the first place.
In the end, she chose to let it go.
...
Inside the elevator.
The silence was thick.
As the numbers ticked upward, Jackie scratched his head.
"Man, this is awkward. Let tell a joke."
V looked at him, incredulous. "Now? Seriously?"
Jackie didn't wait.
"Listen up. A guy's girlfriend uses four pregnancy tests. All positive. The dude's broke, no way he can afford four kids. So he goes online for advice. Guess what the genius netizens told him?"
"'Just throw the tests away—no tests, no kids!'"
He burst into laughter.
V sighed, face in her hand. "Oh my god..."
...
They arrived at the top—the Tavernier Suite.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing Yorinobu Arasaka's private penthouse. To be honest, it didn't look all that different from the Azure Suite.
Just... bigger. Much bigger.
And the view was breathtaking.
From here, they could see almost the entire sprawl of Night City below.
Jackie whistled.
"If the Azure Suite costs ten grand a night, this place's gotta be two, three tis that. No wonder he's Arasaka's heir. Way out of Raúl Wells's league."
"No ti to waste," Leo's voice ca over the comms. "Jackie, hit the trigger for the vault in the bedroom. V, go to the vault itself. As soon as it opens, jack in."
"Got it!" Jackie dashed into the room.
Leo and V headed for the corner of the suite where the vault was—just like they'd seen in Evelyn's braindance.
"BUG, where's Yorinobu now?" Leo asked.
"He's stuck on the first floor. So guy nad Kojima is trying to rope him into a braindance pitch."
"Let's hope they talk for a while. Is he alone?"
"No. Smasher's with him."
"Keep your eyes on him. Keep us updated."
T-BUG grumbled. "Why do you sound like you're giving orders? We're on the sa level, rember?"
In the bedroom, Jackie had already found the button on the nightstand.
He pressed it.
In the corner of the living room, the floor panels shifted. A large tal vault—big enough to hold a body—rose from the ground with a chanical hiss.
"What now?" V asked.
"Connect your neural link. We're about to hit payday."
V extended the cable from her wrist and plugged it into the vault's interface.
"You're up, BUG."
"Give two seconds."
Jackie returned, holding a pistol.
"Guess what I found? Looks like the prince left us a gift."
A few weeks ago, Jackie might've been thrilled at the thought of lifting one of Yorinobu's personal firearms.
But with Leo's help and their access to custom tech and smart gear, it was just another piece of loot.
He tucked it away and looked at V. "How's it going?"
"BUG's working on it."
The penthouse security was down, but they were still deep inside Arasaka territory. Every extra second increased the risk.
And Yorinobu's AV had just landed. He could be on his way up any mont.
Jackie was getting antsy.
"How long's this gonna take, BUG?"
"Do you mind not rushing ? What do you think I'm doing?"
That's when Leo noticed sothing outside.
Rain.
It had started without warning—first a light drizzle, then a full-on downpour.
The view of Arasaka Waterfront disappeared behind a sheet of water.
Then—beams of intense light pierced the haze.
A cluster of AVs flew out of the storm, heading straight for the rooftop.
"...We've got company in the air, BUG?"
Jackie moved to the window, staring at the sudden intrusion.
T-BUG sounded rattled. "No clue. Everyone on staff is scrambling—over two hundred people running around like startled rats."
Jackie shook his head.
"This ain't right."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
Of course it wasn't that simple. He switched on the tactical scanner in his visor—but the red pulse scattered off the AVs above.
Each one was coated in anti-surveillance plating. No telling who was inside.
Still, even a failed scan told its own kind of truth.
"How much longer, BUG?!"
"...Almost... done—got it!"
V unplugged her interface cable.
The vault opened. Inside sat a smaller, chilled case.
Cool mist rolled out the mont it cracked open.
This wasn't a regular box. It was a relic containnt unit—built to safely hold sensitive data shards.
Relics couldn't be exposed to open air for long. Without this container, data degradation would set in imdiately. Once integrity hit zero, everything inside would be lost forever.
"I'll carry it," Jackie said, grabbing the freezer unit.
"We've got what we ca for. Let's move."
They retraced their steps, entered the elevator, and started the descent.
As the floors ticked down, Jackie finally let his shoulders drop. In his hands was the score of a lifeti.
He could feel the weight. Not just physical but financial.
A payday like no other.
The fa that would follow, the jobs it would open up...
The thought of it all made him smile.
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