“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 agreement, then laid out the next steps. “So Mi, who’s been with us all this time... her whereabouts are unknown now. The President wants me to work with her people to track down their ace netrunner.
Things will definitely get messy... 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 time...
Just remember—stay quiet. And if everything’s in place, get word to me.”
...
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 came Jackie and his crew.
Vik showed up too—Arthur’s first time seeing him outside Watson. The old man had been buried in that hole for years.
As soon as they met, Vik stepped forward and slugged Arthur in the shoulder. “You bastards! Trying to work me 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 someone who might’ve once saved her. Right now? She’s like a headless fly.”
After a bit of banter, Arthur tugged Melanie over from where she’d been quietly standing, introducing her: “Old Vik, this is one of your assistants—Melanie. Some of the soldiers have a bit of medical 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 me. You lot never stop finding me trouble.”
...
The operation unfolded quietly. Street beggars slipped in and out of sight, ignored as always.
The rebirth of these veterans seemed almost simple: standard cyberware swaps, nothing flashy. But even just a lean, functional body gave these men—once resigned to dying—new life.
They gripped their rifles tight—iron once wielded by their enemies.
Time dulled Dogtown’s chaos. Even the memory 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.
Meanwhile, beneath the surface, Hansen’s grand banquet rolled on.
Arthur’s crew had no time for that circus. It was V who slipped inside, mingling with agents of the Bureau of Interconnected Affairs.
...
“So... soon, you’ll meet 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 moment comes, 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 me,” V said firmly. “I’ll stay in contact with Arthur. He’ll cover me with a sniper rifle. Everything will—”
Arthur cut her off. “Nobody negotiates in the open air, not for something this big.”
He wasn’t just nitpicking—he explained right away. “Remember 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 come after us, right?”
“This is Night City. Those Bureau rats? Even Militech barely gives them the time of day. Don’t tell me you think Arasaka’s letting them run the show?” V scoffed. Militech’s internal mess 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 something back.
“Stay sharp. We’ll reach you as fast as we can...” In the end, Arthur could only offer a serious warning.