While David focused on upgrading his crew's weapons and armor, the shadows of Night City shifted once more.
And this time, it had the attention of Militech.
Afterlife Bar – The Leak
Inside Afterlife, the city's most infamous mercenary bar, an underground deal had already been made.
Rogue, the Queen of Fixers, was the first to sell information to Faraday.
She knew everything—the Black Flame, the Militech heist, and most importantly, the man behind it all.
She didn't care who won or lost.
Her job was simple: play the middle, make a profit.
And Militech had come knocking.
The bar's atmosphere shifted as a group of heavily armed Militech operatives stepped inside.
Leading them was Chris, a senior officer from Militech's black ops division.
Dressed in a sharp corporate suit, his cybernetic eye implants scanned the room.
Rogue barely looked up from her drink.
"If you're here for a drink, Chris, you could've just sent a message."
Chris's expression was cold as steel.
"Miss Rogue, let's not waste time. Did you sell information about the Black Flame to Faraday?"
Some mercs in the corner shifted uncomfortably.
Rogue set her drink down, unbothered.
"Faraday paid for intel, and I delivered. That's business. I don't see a problem."
Chris's jaw tightened.
"That 'business' resulted in a stolen Militech AV and Faraday's death. You expect me to believe you had nothing to do with that?"
Rogue's lips curled into a smirk.
"Are you trying to pin this on me, Chris? That sounds like a personal problem."
A few mercs chuckled from the booths.
Chris's face darkened.
For all his corporate power, he was standing in Rogue's domain.
And in Night City, Rogue was untouchable.
A Warning from Militech
Chris exhaled sharply, suppressing his frustration.
"Fine. Let's cut the bullshit. I'm here to make sure you understand your position."
"If you're connected to the Black Flame, or if you had a hand in Faraday's death—"
He let the words hang in the air.
"Even Arasaka won't be able to protect you."
Rogue's expression didn't change.
But her fingers lightly tapped against the counter.
A subtle signal—one her bodyguards immediately picked up.
Chris stood up, adjusting his tie.
"Think carefully, Rogue. Militech doesn't play games. If you know something, now's your chance to speak up."
Rogue's eyes glinted.
"When you're a fixer in this city, the first rule is simple: stay in the middle."
Chris's face twitched.
But he knew he wasn't getting anything else today.
He turned, gestured to his team, and left the Afterlife without another word.
Rogue watched them go, her smirk finally fading.
She tapped her fingers again—this time signaling her netrunner contact.
A few seconds later, a holo-call opened.
A shadowed figure appeared.
"Pull up all security feeds from Afterlife, check if they left any bugs."
A voice replied. "On it."
Rogue leaned back, deep in thought.
David, you're making a lot of noise.
She had originally leaked Faraday's location as a simple test—proof that she could be a reliable partner.
She never expected David to eliminate him outright—and then steal from Militech on top of it.
That was something only Johnny Silverhand would have pulled off.
And everyone knew how that ended.
"David, you better know what you're doing... because Militech isn't gonna stop now."
Meanwhile – Arasaka Tower
Across the city, the top floors of Arasaka Tower glowed brightly against the neon skyline.
Inside, in a high-security conference room, a meeting was already underway.
At the head of the massive conference table sat an older man in a flawless black suit.
His silver hair was neatly combed back, and his cybernetic implants pulsed faintly beneath his skin.
He was one of Arasaka's senior executives.
And right now, his attention was on David's recent actions.
A holographic display flickered on, showing security footage of the Militech AV heist.
The Black Flame burned bright on the screen.
A younger executive leaned forward.
"This is the one they call 'David.'"
The older man studied the footage carefully.
"Interesting. He reminds me of... another problem we once had."
The younger executive nodded.
"Shall I authorize a response?"
"Not yet. Let Militech handle it first. We will observe... and strike when the time is right."
And in the shadows of Night City, the walls closed in around David.
Back at the Clinic – The Calm Before the Storm
At that moment, David had no idea just how many eyes were on him.
Inside Victor's clinic, he finished the final touches on a new weapon upgrade.
Lucy leaned against the counter, watching.
"You're working non-stop, David. You even sleep?"
"Who needs sleep when you got cyberware?"
Lucy rolled her eyes but smirked.
David's holo-comm buzzed.
A message from Rogue.
[Surveillance leak confirmed. Militech's watching. Arasaka too. Move carefully.]
He exchanged a glance with Lucy.
The heist had put them on the map.
Both Militech and Arasaka were closing in.
Lucy crossed her arms.
David exhaled slowly.
Then his grin returned.
"Now? We make the next move before they do."
How will David counter Militech's surveillance?
Will Arasaka make a move, or wait in the shadows?
Who else is watching from the sidelines?
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