[Evan Flakes: It's over, it's over, it's over! I trusted that cop, Anna Hamill!]
[Evan Flakes: She said as long as I explained everything about the Kabuki market, she'd guarantee my safety!]
[Evan Flakes: Damn it!]
[Martha Flakes: Evan, why?!]
[Evan Flakes: I told her everything, and now the NCPD won't protect me anymore!]
[Evan Flakes: Said there's no budget and she's "sorry."]
[Evan Flakes: Because of those damn cops, the Tyger Claws are definitely going to kill me!]
[Martha Flakes: You're such a naive idiot.]
[Martha Flakes: Get to the docks in Wellsprings. Now.]
[Evan Flakes: Will you help me?]
[Martha Flakes: Stop wasting time and go, dumbass!!!]
[Evan Flakes: Thank you, thank you!!!]
Evan anxiously glanced around and placed a small box of XBDs in the pickup point—a storage device used for transactions where both parties set a password and delivery time for a contactless exchange.
"Dammit, cops are idiots. And I'm an even bigger idiot," Evan cursed under his breath after setting it down.
[Evan Flakes: Martha, I left the last batch of goods at the drop-off point. I'll have Lenny transfer the money to you later.]
[Martha Flakes: I told you to get out of here! Keep your dirty money!]
Evan muttered to himself, "You don't understand. In Night City, you're nothing without money."
As soon as he finished, his face went pale, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead—he saw someone from the Tyger Claws on the overpass.
The gang member, leaning on the railing with a handgun spinning in his fingers, gave Evan a mocking smile.
Evan's legs wobbled, and he almost collapsed against a wall.
He frantically scanned the other exits, only to find more Tyger Claws waiting—some wielding katanas, others pistols, and a few popping pills as they walked.
The crowded street was suddenly stifling, the sunlight stabbing at his face like needles. The humid air pressed down on him, and sweat dripped from his chin. Evan's mind went blank.
"Evan-san."
When Evan snapped out of it, a Tyger Claw had already grabbed him.
The man had long blue-purple asymmetric hair and a menacing oni mask on his face.
"You made a mistake, and now you pay for it."
"Mr. Hiroto, I... I know I was wrong. I truly know I was wrong..."
"No, no, no," Hiroto said, shaking his head. "This isn't about you anymore. Get in the car."
"I—I really understand, Mr. Hiroto!"
A blood-curdling scream echoed as Hiroto's arm-mounted mantis blade shot out, severing Evan's leg in one swift motion. Blood sprayed several meters, sending the nearby pedestrians into a panic as they fled.
"Stop the bleeding. The boss wants to make a big scene, so we'll bring his family along too."
Several henchmen quickly injected Evan with a series of syringes and used some kind of cheap cyberware to seal the wound. Then they tossed him into the trunk.
It was clear Hiroto already had an "impressive exit" planned for Evan and his family.
"Alright, let's go. I know his sister works at the docks."
Bang.
The car suddenly jolted, making Hiroto glare at the driver. "What the hell are you doing? Can't even drive?"
The driver looked puzzled, slamming the gas pedal—but the car wouldn't budge.
"What the hell is this—" Hiroto grumbled, only to be cut off mid-sentence.
The car suddenly tipped over.
The residents of Kabuki Market witnessed a shocking sight—a massive figure bent down, planted its feet firmly, and flipped the Tyger Claws' car with raw strength.
Bang!
The vehicle crashed upside down, hitting the ground hard.
Jackie flexed his hands, marveling at the Lizard Berserk Type-2 implant coursing through him. It felt leagues better than the last time.
Every muscle in his body surged with power, and the bio-control systems ensured a precise distribution of the stimulant throughout his body, stopping just short of affecting his brain.
Jackie tore off the trunk's flexible casing with a single pull, ripping it like paper.
Evan fell out of the trunk, but Jackie ignored him. His eyes locked onto the driver, who was struggling to crawl out of the car.
Grabbing a piece of the car's metal frame, Jackie molded it into a rod-like shape with his bare hands and hurled it like a javelin.
Bang!
"AHHHHHH!!!"
The makeshift spear pierced the driver's shoulder, pinning him against the vehicle.
Hiroto, in the passenger seat, paled and activated his Sandevistan, fleeing in a blur.
Bang!
Jackie ripped off another chunk of the car, hurling it at Hiroto. It landed with a crash, creating a crater in the pavement and making Hiroto stumble.
"Shit, it's a monster! Everyone, fire on him now!"
The black market streets of Kabuki, shaped like a ring, were quickly filled with the roar of engines as more Tyger Claw vehicles converged.
Surrounded by motorcycles and cars, Jackie flipped a car on its side for cover.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets ricocheted off the makeshift shield as Jackie pulled out his Widow Maker.
"Well, this just pissed off the Tyger Claws."
The high-powered rifle's shot punched through a car's chassis, terrifying its occupants.
Jackie, however, cursed his aim. "Missed?! Seriously?!"
At that moment, another figure leaped into the fray—V, using her reinforced tendons to catapult herself into the air, her mantis blades slicing through two Tyger Claws as she landed.
"Nice one, V!"
But even V knew style points wouldn't save her from a hail of bullets. She ducked for cover as a wave of advanced red-clad figures approached, their movements lightning fast.
Rumors of Arasaka supplying Tyger Claws with advanced gear were clearly true.
".I miss having my own Sandevistan," V muttered. "Leo, you ready?"
Leo, stepping out of a nearby hacker shop, activated his Raven MicroCyberl Mk-3. Its superior architecture allowed rapid daemon uploads with minimal resource consumption.
"Daemon uploaded: Movement Impairment."
The fast-moving Tyger Claw ninjas stumbled, one collapsing right in front of V.
"Hope you weren't exaggerating about these mantis blades!"
V's blades sliced through the ninja's defense and armor, cutting them into four pieces with disturbing ease.
"Smooth, huh? Told you I wasn't lying," Leo quipped, turning back to the shopkeeper. "And tweak the cameras as a free service, will you?"
The shopkeeper, stunned by the chaos outside, nodded. "Fine."