A close up of Rick's lifeless body slowly zooms out as he lay in pieces on the floor of the hangout... the blood leaking from his cracked open skull and shredded torso leave Brian and Zaunya completely unfazed. They're scrambling through the hangout... rifling through containers, desk drawers and Rick's office. The heat inside the building from the recent rumble has fogged up the windows with condensation alongside blood splattered walls. The amount of hardware throughout the place nearly overwhelms them taking a second look at it all. New and used cyberware implants, taken apart iron and tech shotguns, drugs waiting to be packaged for distribution, and stacks of sixth street armor plating and combat vests. Brian glances at one of the windows to see a bunch neighborhood kids peeking in before quickly scattering into the night.
He walks around to the opposite side of Rick's desk to find a heavy wooden chest with a giant six and "Blessed Be The Patriots" carved into it. He yanks the heavy chest out from underneath the desk and sees a thick iron lock on it. He glances over at Rick's shredded corpse briefly before pointing his Nue at the lock, shooting it, and kicking the rest off the hinge opening it. Zaunya, with Rick's blood on her sleeves and hands, makes her way around the desk, sliding the access card into her back pocket.
They both stare together at the now opened chest as Zaunya's eyes open wide. The chest was stacked with bundled eurodollars and stray data shards... information can often garner a steeper value than currency itself. She instinctually bends down and reach for it but her forearm is quickly grabbed, the speed of the grab makes a skin slapping noise that startles her.
"No." Brian mutters as she quickly looks up at him with confusion. Before she can ask anything, he yanks her behind him heading for the door. While being pulled away.. she looks back at what's left of Rick's body as they pass by it.
She hears his voice echo in her head... that gravely deep tone. "Come on... why hide your beauty...? Is it really worth that much..? Hm?"
She then hears Nicholas' snide voice after: "What did they do to you huh?... what did they take-"
A flashback to Zaunya's past begins:
"Zaunya?... Zaunya honey." Zaunya's mother's soft, caring tone gets her attention. A young, adolescent Zaunya snapping out of her daydream looks up at her mother with those big emerald green eyes. "ohh honey... your hair... this just won't do." Mom quickly works to fix Zaunya's hair into a presentable fashion... she's tired and slightly irritated.
"You know how they demand standards with presentation Zaunya.. Petrochem says first impressions are everything! Come here." She turns Zaunya back around, further touching her face up, adjusting her collar.
"Do you know how hard I had to work to get them to accept you so young?" She takes a deep breath... placing both hands on Zaunya's shoulders... a warm grin from ear to ear. "You're going to do great honey! They're going to love you!"
Her mom stares at her little face during a pause... her eyes well up with tears as she caresses her little cheek "My beautiful baby girl..." She whispers to herself... a smile on her face holding back tears. The two turn and begin to walk toward the door leading out of an office in PetroChem HQ.
Zaunya's mom, holding her little hand tightly leans down and whispers in her little ear.
"Remember... whatever they want... whatever they ask... the answer is yes. Ok?
..the answer is yes. Ok?
..the answer is yes. Ok? "
The sound of her voice echos... slowly fading as she stares out the window of the Colby Butte... a look of restrained intensity.
Brian reaches over and gently places his hand on her shoulder making her jolt... snapping her out of her thoughts, she quickly looks at him.
"Hey.." He mutters.. having kept an eye on her... silently paying close attention to her state of mind. "You ok?"
She doesn't respond... instead looking back out the window.
Brian lights a cigarette and takes a deep puff. The pair of them have taken a position in the Butte that offers them a perfect view... looking down into Brian's neighborhood allowing them to see both sides of the street clearly. The pitch black, residential darkness of Arroyo contrasts the well lit up other districts the closer you get to the city center. The sounds of chirpping insects and the cold open air take over the quitted city sounds the pair are used to... offering a general calmness for the both of them to share. Zaunya finally breaks the silence.
"Why didn't we take the eddies." She asks in monotone
Brian realizing shes shifting away from her state pauses... re-focusing himself.
"You saw that holo call he was making right."
Zaunya finally looks over at him. He continues.
"I'm sure they're already on their way."
"Soo.. no traces left behind is the reason huh? They won't know..?"
"Oh... they'll know." He responds holding up his blood red, crimson Nue. "Just a matter of how far they wanna go with it."
"And the lack of klepping is.. what? an attempt at a seize fire before it even begins..?"
"look." Brian takes another drag of his smoke as Zaunya reaches for her own.
They see several sixth street gang cars caravanning up the block towards the hangout. As they all exit their vehicles, neighborhood kids rush up to them. Several run up to a woman heading the caravan... Angela. Having exited the lead car... she bends down listening to the kids as they point toward the building frantic. She quickly looks over at it, running in with the rest of the crew following behind her.
Brian and Zaunya quite far away quietly watch the gang scramble back into their hangout creating silent tension. A fair amount of time passes by with the two quietly smoking in the butte... Zaunya doing her best to sit in uncertainty without answers. Night City in many ways is the city of action... initiative... making it the home of repercussion... vengeance. Costs associated with actions often compound... leading to often unpredictable bouts of chaos... or retribution. This vicious cycle rests like a powder keg permeating throughout the culture and events that go down here. Whether or not you're capable of surviving that reality... is a different story entirely.
They look to see that same woman leading the caravan come back outside... dawning Rick's white cowboy hat she steps out onto the street with her crew in tow. Brian and Zaunya watch the group beeline it down the block to Brian's house... pushing past pedestrians and street thugs while armed to the teeth.
Zaunya in shock gasps.. quickly looking over at Brian emotionlessly watching them. Three of the gangers pile up outside the door before storming in with Angela walking in unarmed behind them.
Brian closes his eyes briefly as the two of them hear the low, feint sounds of glass breaking and the interior of his home being completely destroyed... stray yells of them communicating with each other.
"Brian..!?" Zaunya voice cracks, getting him to open his eyes.
They see a small bright orange glow begin to emanate from his home as the gangers all file out.
The small bright orange glow rapidly grows into an inferno within the home as the sixth street stands outside watching it. Angela pulls her iron and unloads shots directly at the house before looking around at the rest of the now woken up neighborhood watching them work... Brian who's seen enough starts the car... turns it around... and drives away.