"Are you all insane?"
Despite being part of MaxTac—a squad infamous for housing cyberpsychos—the captain couldn't help but ask.
If these NCPD gonks weren't out of their damn minds, why the fuck were they shaking while pointing guns at him?
The captain weighed his options.
If he slaughtered this entire squad of NCPD officers, Would the psych eval team deem him unstable? Would he be forced into another round of 'treatment'?
Maybe.
But since they were already in his way...
The captain's finger drifted toward the trigger.
He was ready to fire— All that remained was the signal to his team.
—BEEP—
Just then, a transmission came through his comms.
'Mission terminated. The threat has been neutralized. From this point forward, the suspect's custody is officially transferred to NCPD Senior Officer Johnson.'
A sharp pulse ran through his neural implant.
It was a warning from higher-ups.
Now that was rare.
MaxTac had full operational autonomy.
A squad captain could decide to engage or withdraw at will— Higher-ups rarely stepped in.
But when they did, it meant one thing:
This is not up for negotiation.
If any MaxTac officer ignored a direct override, The corpos backing them would lock them down in an instant.
After all—
The corpos funding MaxTac weren't doing it out of charity.
They weren't interested in keeping Night City safe.
They just wanted a tool— A final failsafe to keep the city from descending into total chaos.
A tool for exterminating cyberpsychos.
And if the tool ever became just as dangerous, They'd toss it without hesitation.
The captain turned his gaze to Karl, his eyes narrowing.
A notification had just updated in Karl's file.
'Officially contracted by the Danger Girls.'
The Danger Girls—
One of the few organizations that financially and logistically supported MaxTac.
Risking casualties to fight a merc tied to them?
Not worth it.
MaxTac might be full of psychos— But none of them were stupid.
"Looks like someone sent us a false distress call."
The captain slowly lowered his weapon.
With those words, the suffocating tension shattered.
Many NCPD officers, whose hands had been locked on their triggers, finally exhaled in relief.
"Shit. Thought we were really about to throw down."
Even Johnson cracked a grin.
To show goodwill, he lowered his own gun and smiled apologetically.
"My bad. Someone on our end clearly screwed up clearance. I'll make sure we investigate this properly."
The captain ignored him.
A street merc was one thing— But a low-ranking NCPD officer?
Not worth his time.
He signaled his squad to withdraw, then turned to Karl.
"Merc KK… Perhaps someday, we'll cross blades."
"You made two mistakes."
Karl rose from the corpses, left hand loose, right hand flashing two fingers.
He curled one finger down.
"First— even if that time ever comes, That's a line that should be mine to say, not yours. I'm not a cyberpsycho. If we ever have a problem, it's because I'm the one coming after you."
Then—
Karl bent his second finger, closing his hand into a fist.
"Second— this isn't just between you and me…"
"You're not up against just me… You're up against us."
Just as that familiar voice chimed in through Karl's comms, a Thorton Hera tore through the air, screeching to a halt nearby.
As the car door swung open, two figures stepped out, weapons in hand.
"KK, you didn't tell us about this rescue gig— but you told T-Bug? Seriously?"
Oliver grumbled, his gaze locking onto the MaxTac captain.
"A stunt this badass, and you didn't think to invite us?"
Jack, on the other hand, paid no mind to MaxTac.
After hopping out of the car, he headed straight for the trunk, unlocking it to drag out a bound and beaten Tyger Claw.
"T-Bug tracked this bastard— turns out he's knee-deep in the kidnappings. So, we snatched him up."
"Knew I could count on you guys."
Karl smirked and threw Johnson a nod.
"I'll leave this one in your hands, Officer Johnson. Sorry to trouble you."
Johnson stepped forward, glancing first at the girl's lifeless, sheet-covered body, then at the unconscious Andy beside her.
He let out a deep, tired sigh.
"What a goddamn mess."
"Welcome to Night City."
As Karl and Johnson exchanged words, the MaxTac captain cast one last, long look at Karl— As if committing his face to memory—before turning away.
The NCPD officers instinctively parted to make way as the heavily armored MaxTac squad walked through their ranks.
Even as the officers watched them pass, many still felt a lingering dread in their wake.
But the moment MaxTac was gone, their attitudes flipped immediately.
"Alright, bag these bodies— wait, hold up, is that a Kenshin? Check their gear. We might have some good loot."
"Do we take the implants too?"
"Bag the corpses. Their implants are worth a fortune—strip 'em and flip 'em. Sell 'em cheap to all those poor bastards running second-hand chrome."
"Where to?"
"Fingers' clinic in Jig-Jig Street. That freak might be a pervert, but at least he's the only ripperdoc in that part of town."
"Yeah, fair point."
Karl listened to the casual, shameless chatter of the NCPD officers.
Turning toward Johnson, who now wore an awkward expression, Karl couldn't help himself.
"Business seems to be booming lately, Officer Johnson."
"Spare me the sarcasm, Karl."
Johnson exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face— But after a moment of thought, he sighed again.
"This whole looting gig… feels dirty as hell, but at the same time, it's kinda reassuring."
"It's whatever."
Karl shrugged, glancing down at the Tyger Claw corpses.
"Better than letting their cyberware go to waste, Or, worse, end up in the hands of some psycho gonks."
"Yeah, you got a point."
After all—
This was Night City.
.
.
.
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