Craaaack...
With a violent screech, the diamond-patterned steel door of the No-Tell Motel was ripped open single-handedly by Roqi's exosuit.
The clerk at the door—Zero, wearing denim shorts and killing time waiting for customers—paled instantly at the sight and bolted.
Whoever that was, they weren't here for fun.
You didn't need to be a mind reader to know this: when someone rolled up to a sleazy motel in a walking meat grinder, someone was probably going to die tonight—and not in a pretty way.
Roqi stomped up to the second floor, slowly and heavily, passing through a neon-lit arch dripping with sleaze, and stopped beside Room 204.
He gave V a look, then backed up down the hall in the opposite direction. V nodded and knocked.
Knock knock knock...
No response. The place felt empty, abandoned.
Knock knock... "Let me in."
Suddenly, the door opened. A burly man in sunglasses stepped out, clamped a hand on V's shoulder, and peeked down the stairs.
No one.
"He's waiting," he muttered, stepping aside to let V in.
It was Dexter's goon, Oleg Dacovich—they'd seen him once before at Lizzie's Bar.
Pushing past the cheap plastic curtain, V saw Dexter sitting with one hand propped against a flickering TV. On-screen, a News54 anchor was delivering breathless coverage.
"Let's return to the week's most shocking headline—the murder of Arasaka Corporation's CEO, Saburo Arasaka.
"Sources say the head of the Japanese megacorp was assassinated during a private family event inside Kompeki Plaza, a hotel owned by the corporation. His son, Yorinobu Arasaka, claims rival factions were behind the killing, though no evidence has yet been provided.
"Analysts suggest the assassination may be a smokescreen to distract from Arasaka's internal turmoil. Up next: an expert panel on how the corporation might weather this storm."
Bullshit.
Aside from "Saburo Arasaka is dead," the rest was media spin—lies, conspiracy, clickbait. Just another day in Night City's so-called free press.
Hard facts? Worth listening to. But every "analysis" reeked of agenda.
"WNS, News54, even the goddamn darknet—they're all talkin' about you," Dexter growled, waving his cigar. "Where are the others? Still in the car?"
"You don't actually care if we lived or died, do you?" V said, coldly.
"Watch your tone." Dexter's eyes narrowed. "The shard. Where is it?"
"Didn't get it." V stuck to the plan.
"Hmph... guess that's... not the worst outcome," Dex said, turning away.
"Not the worst?" V raised a brow.
Dex started pacing, puffing furiously. "Saburo Arasaka is dead! You get what kinda shitstorm you dropped in my lap?!"
"You offed the fucking Emperor! A goddamn living god! Everyone even remotely linked to this clusterfuck is gonna get flatlined!"
"You're the one who gave us this shitshow in the first place!" V finally snapped. "What kinda prep work did you even do? Don't tell me you didn't know Saburo would be at Kompeki!"
How many times had they nearly died? If not for Roqi's backup plans, they'd already be ash in some alley.
And now this selfish, lying fixer wanted to scream at them?
"I didn't have his fuckin' calendar, okay?! And you idiots are the ones who killed him!"
"That wasn't us!" V spat.
"Bullshit! Go tell that to the Arasaka goons on your ass!" Dex snarled, tossing his cigar to the ground and stomping it out.
He went quiet for a beat, staring at V. Then his voice dropped low.
"Alright... let's calm down. We need strategy." He dropped onto the couch. "New identity. New hideout. But first…"
"You look like shit. Blood all over your face. Bathroom's that way—clean up first."
V froze. Goosebumps shot across his skin.
Word for word—exactly what Lucky had said would happen.
…Alright."
He kept his expression neutral and entered the bathroom.
In the mirror, he saw a blood-smeared wreck of a man. He shut his eyes and exhaled, bracing himself against the sink.
Turned on the faucet. The water smelled funny but looked clean enough.
He splashed it over his face.
"V, you good?"
Lucky's voice buzzed in his ear.
"Just like you said…"
He glanced up one last time at the mirror, flashed a half-crooked grin.
"Don't worry—even if the whole world sells you out, you've still got us, choom."
Lucky's chuckle came through the line.
"Got it."
V's eyes shut tight, the curve of his lips forming a thin crescent—like a moon.
Meanwhile, in the main room—
"It's me..." Dexter was on a call. "Yeah, that shuttle I booked."
"Tonight. No, I'm not waiting till dawn. One seat. I'll pay extra."
A pause. "Spaceport. Bay Four. Yeah..."
BOOM!!!
The door to Room 204 exploded off its hinges.
Dex didn't even get a chance to turn—he got flattened by the door.
CRASH!
"Well, well. Where's the boss headed in such a rush?"
Roqi stomped into the room in his towering power armor, tearing through what remained of the doorway and nearly scraping the ceiling.
"V. Now."
The goon waiting by the bathroom raised his pistol—only for the door to open and—
BANG!
V blew a hole through his spine. The guy dropped instantly.
"W-wait! It wasn't me! Saburo—it was him! He did it, all of it—!"
Dex flopped across the floor like a bloated maggot.
"No no no, Mr. Dexter…"
Roqi grinned like a shark, crushed the dead goon's skull beneath his foot, and hoisted Dex into the air with one clawed hand, pinning him to the wall.
"I came here just for you."
...
"Target location confirmed."
Rain lashed the AV's hull as MaxTac descended at Ellen South Street.
Their lead officer—a woman fitted with twin triple-lens optical rigs—approached the No-Tell Motel.
"Commence search—"
BOOM!!
CRASHHH!!
The explosion cut her comms off mid-sentence.
She looked up.
The second floor had blown apart—concrete, glass, air conditioners, bent blinds, all raining down.
And tumbling through it like a bowling ball: a fat black lump of meat. Dexter. He rolled down the street, bouncing over the pavement.
She looked back at the gaping hole in the motel wall.
Standing in it: a Militech exosuit. Inside: a blood-smeared young man.
"Target acquired. Engage."
Her six cyber-eyes flared an eerie green.
WHOOSH!!
CLANG!!
She launched up in a blur. Steel slammed into steel.
Flames flared—Roqi's translucent red shield blocked the slash.
"Get down!"
He raised his thermal cannon and fired—blasting her away.
"V! Take them and run! MaxTac's here!"
V stood behind him, panting, fists slick with blood. "And you?!"
"Don't fucking argue—you can't fight this!"
WHAM!!
CLANG!!
The mech barely raised its shield in time—her kick crushed the exo's leg, driving it to one knee.
A mantis blade glinted against Roqi's throat.
WHIRRRR...
The cannon lit up, glowing red.
FWOOSH—!
But she vanished in a blink, dodging the point-blank blast.
She flipped, gripped the wall, hung outside.
Roqi snarled and charged, trying to kick her off.
"HEY—HAA!!"
BAM!
But the exo was too slow. She vaulted in midair, flipped over him, and slammed a kick into his chest.
FUCK!
Air blasted out of him. His vision dimmed. He staggered back—
THUD! —slamming into the wall.
What kind of monster strength is this?!
Roqi fired into the floor.
BOOM!!
The entire surface cracked open—he and the mech crashed down five meters to the street below.
Concrete followed like rain.
RAAAAAH—! FWOOSH!
Roqi fired again. Missed.
The red beam shredded a sidewalk pillar.
The MaxTac ghost spun back into view—her mantis blade flashing arcs in the air.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Her strikes slammed into the shield—faster than bullets.
CRACK!
Not good.
Roqi slammed her back with his shield—bought one second—and fired again.
She backed off, but—
The mech shuddered. Its power core was leaking, glowing like molten lava.
Shit!
He raised the cannon, locked on—but didn't fire.
Instead, he bailed.
CLANG!
The mantis blade slashed in—
Roqi drew Kaku, reverse-gripped, parried just in time.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
She stayed close, relentless. Blade and sword danced like lightning.
Even the air felt sharp.
"HRAAH!!"
He kicked her in the stomach—hard.
Payback.
She stumbled back, shaken.
The chaos inside her surged—the beast buried for years clawed its way out.
But Roqi—he was smiling?
Backing away?
Then came the heat... the crackling static...
She turned.
The mech behind her glowed like a dying star.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
.
.
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