"I'm keeping the engine running, just in case we gotta bail fast," Jackie said nervously.
"Good call," V replied in a low voice, slipping toward the customs building before the guards could notice. He shot a quick glance back at Roqi before disappearing inside.
…
A short while later, V came back out.
Jackie was fidgeting in the driver's seat, clearly anxious. As soon as he saw V, he leaned over and yanked the door open.
"So? What's going on in there?"
Roqi could see it right away—V didn't look good."I'll explain in a sec. We need to leave. Now."
His heart started pounding hard—like his brain was slamming against the inside of his skull.
"Shit, we're screwed. Start the car! Don't ask, just go!" Roqi urged."Don't take the main road! Can we cut through somewhere?"
"Don't scare me like that," Jackie winced. "There are barricades on both sides. Only way is straight ahead."
"Hey, mind telling me what the hell's going on?" Jackie asked again.
"I've got a really bad feeling," V said, and the fact Roqi was getting the same vibe didn't help.
Jackie gripped the wheel tighter. "Oh... You get these kinds of feelings often?"
"Just drive, Jackie. Just go," V said, trying to stay calm.
They had just cleared the checkpoint when Jackie spotted movement up ahead.
"Someone's coming… and they don't look friendly."
In that instant, something inside Roqi snapped."Turn! Quick—use the side—"
Too late.
"STOP YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY!!!"
Two armored SUVs blocked the road up ahead.
V's pupils shrank."Move! Get us the hell out of here!"
Before they could even reach the next side exit, the company's hit squad had already arrived.
Jackie yanked the wheel, sending the car barreling down a slope off the main road.
Ahead lay a maze of glowing greenhouses, lit with cold white lights.
"The cargo you are transporting is corporate property. You are suspected of smuggling!I repeat—STOP YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY!"
"Shit!" V shouted. He leaned out the window with his revolver and started firing back.
"Jackie, keep it steady!" Roqi yelled.
"Watch out!"
Jackie swerved into the greenhouse zone, speeding through tight, twisting paths.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
Bullets zipped past from behind—some wild shots nearly clipped the car.
"FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!"Roqi ducked down under the seat. He'd never seen real gunfire before—let alone been in a chase like this.
His survival instincts kicked in: stay low, stay alive.
If a stray round took him out, his Cyberpunk story would end before it even began.Wouldn't even have time to yell "checkpoint"—if one existed.
But this wasn't a game. This was real.
BANG-BANG!! BANG-BANG-BANG!!!
V's revolver roared in return, muzzle flashes lighting up the inside of the car with each shot.
Screech—!!
Jackie cut a sharp turn, narrowly missing a parked armored vehicle. Roqi's head slammed into the door. V nearly flew out the window.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the rear. One of the pursuers went up in flames, vehicle and all, crashing in a burst of sparks and debris.
V had nailed their engine.
"Fucking relentless!" Jackie snarled.
But before he could celebrate, more vehicles showed up in the rearview mirror.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!
V slammed in a fresh clip and kept firing at full speed.
One vehicle down. Another moved in to replace it.
The chase twisted through tight alleys, left turns, right turns—V tried to get a clean shot, but Jackie suddenly yanked him back by the waistband.
"Watch yourself!!"
Roqi didn't even have time to register what was happening before the car hit a bump, slammed down with a crash, and caught air.
By the time he crawled up from the floor, they had landed on a wider road.Overhead, rows of pipes stretched along the ceiling—still part of the industrial complex, but far enough to have lost their tail.
"Finally ditched 'em. Shit, I thought I was gonna stroke out back there," Jackie said, breathing heavy.
"Keep driving. Don't stop," V growled. "Roqi—you okay?"
Roqi clutched his aching head. "I'm okay. Just… intense as hell."
So this was Night City's idea of a welcome?Hell yeah, he loved it.
His brain was still scrambled, vision full of floating stars.
After a few minutes, Jackie turned into a cluster of abandoned buildings straight out of the Wasteland.
"Looks like this place's been empty for years. Let's lay low, catch our breath, then figure out next steps."
"Agreed…" Roqi muttered, still dizzy.
So much for isekai cheat powers.He wasn't some overpowered main character—he was a literal sidecar.
They pulled into an open garage. Brakes failed, sending them crashing straight into a shelving unit.CLANG. BANG. CRASH.
"¡Estos hijos de puta!" Jackie shouted in Spanish, slamming the door and cursing everything in sight.
He yanked the shutter down and raged,"Fuck! We almost died out there! This is how you guys do smuggling!? It was supposed to be smooth—no problems!"
V finally snapped too."If you think it's my fault, then fucking say it!"
"You don't get it, do you?" Jackie shot back.
"Customs called the corp. Tipped them off we had their goods," V growled.
"…Those motherfuckers really did that to us?" Jackie's voice rose in fury."They think we're nobodies? Just toys to fuck with? What, no one's gonna call them out!?"
V grit his teeth."They gambled. Figured we had no family backing us.And they were right."
"This is so fucking rigged…" Jackie muttered, seething.
But it wasn't like he could go after the NCPD or the corps.They were trillion-eddi megacorps, state-sponsored. He was a speck to them.
"I should be asking you—are you done complaining, or do we finish the damn job?"V calmed himself down fast.
Jackie's anger faded too. He wasn't the hothead type."Alright, real talk—I'm strapped. Can't pay you right now.Once we cash in this corp garbage, I'll settle up. Promise."
"Oh yeah? You think I'm just gonna wait here like an idiot?"V was fuming.
"Chill, V," Roqi stepped in, putting a hand on his shoulder."After what we've just been through, you two are my lifesavers. I didn't do shit.If you two start fighting now… then what am I?"
Jackie looked at Roqi, opened his mouth to say something… and stayed quiet.
V shook his head."I told you—I owe you a life. For life."
"Then I owe you one too," Roqi said, patting him on the shoulder. "No more fighting. We're in this together."
"…Actually," Jackie looked at the both of them, arms crossed, voice softening,"I wasn't planning to pay either of you.Was gonna ghost you the second we crossed the border."
"…But you two—you're solid guys."
He looked between V and Roqi, something flickering in his eyes.
"Thanks for being straight with me," V said, nodding.
"Yeah… thanks," Jackie added.
They fell into a short, heavy silence.
"So what now?" Roqi asked.
Right now, they were three fugitives—cornered prey with a corporate bloodhound chasing them across the map.
"What else? Let's see what's in the box."Jackie popped the trunk open and nodded toward V. "Open it up."
"Not sure your client's gonna like us cracking their package open," V said.
Jackie propped open the trunk lid and scoffed,"Fuck the client. One day, you're gonna have to start working for yourself. Screw commissions. Screw middlemen.And besides, if we're finding a new buyer, we gotta know what we're selling, right?"
Roqi nodded in agreement.
V rubbed his hands together, gave Jackie a glance, then looked at Roqi before tapping the touchscreen.
"Holy shit!"
Roqi looked over and saw a round clover-shaped logo appear on the display—accompanied by one word in bold text:
[Arasaka]
Arasaka Corporation.
A monstrous superpower worth 890 billion eddies, with over 595,000 employees.
Security firm? Weapons contractor? Tech giant?
No. Those were just the masks it wore.
Arasaka was the most powerful weapons empire in the world.
Small and mid-sized countries didn't even have the right to speak in its presence.
"It says Arasaka on the box. Looks like we just stole a hornet's nest," V muttered, backing away so Jackie could see.
"Or maybe we just hit the jackpot."Jackie didn't flinch—instead, he stepped up and popped the lid.
The metal case opened with a hiss, releasing a puff of cold vapor.
"¿No mames?! That's a real iguana! Looks like the kind from the Lesser Antilles!" Jackie exclaimed, eyes wide.
V blinked."The… Lesser what?"
"Lesser Antilles. Went extinct like thirty years ago. That's where they were from."Jackie was giddy as he stared at the rare creature."Long way from home, little buddy."
Roqi leaned in. Inside was a green-scaled iguana with crimson spines down its back.
He wasn't a biologist, so he had no clue what species it was. Just knew it looked expensive.
V leaned closer and tapped the frozen creature gently with a finger."Think we can get a good price for it?"
"Definitely. Rich people love stuff you can't just buy with money," Roqi said.
"Damn right. This trip was so worth it." Jackie grinned.
Forget Arasaka—what they had here wasn't just an iguana.It was a box full of eddies.
The three of them agreed: find a fixer, flip the lizard, split the profit.Not a huge payday, but clean and simple.
"So," Jackie said, hands on his hips like he already had the money in hand,"Any plans now that you're in Night City?"
"First priority: find a ripperdoc for Lucky. After that… we'll see. Why?"
"'Cause you two ain't got cash or gigs, but you do have time.And in Night City, you're gonna need friends.Don't worry—I'll hook you up with some work. Doesn't matter what it is—there's always a way to earn your keep.And having someone to back you up when shit goes down? That's everything.Like family.Maybe you'll find some here."
"Thanks, man. Really." V glanced at Roqi.
"Same here," Roqi said, flashing a bright grin.
Jackie waved them off, laughing. He clearly enjoyed the vibe."Aw, come on. That ain't nothin'. The three of us click so well—it'd be a waste not to team up…Partners."
Just as they were about to fist bump—The frozen iguana sprang out of the box.
V finally cracked the most genuine smile Roqi had seen from him in days."Y'know something, Jackie? You're not such an asshole after all."
"Pfft—coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment, hermano." Jackie laughed."Alright, partners. Let's grab the lizard and get the fuck outta here."
The three bumped fists, then shook hands.
"What's that face supposed to be?" Jackie asked Roqi, exaggerating.
"A happy one."
No one could've imagined that three of Night City's future stormbringers would become partners in a rundown warehouse on the city's southside.
Like Jackie said… maybe it really was the butterfly effect.
In the dark corners, beneath the crushing weight of corporate power—hope still finds a way to bloom.