Andy was no longer the same man he had been during his mercenary days.
Back then, limited by money, he had chosen cyberware that prioritized practicality and affordability. But now…
Now that cost was no longer an issue, Andy could choose from the most advanced cyberware on the market. The only question was whether it would make him stronger.
Maybe it was because he had once fallen into despair only to find purpose again, but cyberware felt like no burden at all these days—at least not compared to the pain he had endured before. Augments that didn't touch the nervous system felt almost light.
Andy stepped in front of Lucius Raines, blocking Peter Horsva's line of sight. As expected, Peter—completely overtaken by cyberpsychosis—immediately marked him as the first obstacle to eliminate.
Anyone standing between him and Lucius Raines had to die.
With that simple directive dominating his mind, Peter lunged forward, swinging his mantis blades at Andy. But having received no real combat training, not even his frenzied instincts could sharpen his attacks. His movements were wild, awkward—like a child waving a toy weapon, full of noise but no threat.
A crazed civilian was still just a civilian.
Andy had originally considered shooting him, but changed his mind. Instead, he drew the collapsible baton from his belt.
Was Peter technically a cyberpsycho? Sure. But to the NCPD, only those with actual combat power earned that label. Peter wasn't even worth flagging as a backup case by the MaxTac shortlists. He was just a civilian driven mad by cyberware overload.
Andy sidestepped the swing of both mantis blades and slipped into the blind spot between them. He raised his baton-wielding arm and, without breaking stride, drove his elbow into Peter's chest.
Peter's charge, which should have hit like a freight truck, had already lost its momentum from the distance. Now, it met the enhanced force of Andy's reinforced bone implants—and lost.
Peter's body was thrown backward by the counter-impact. A deep dent formed in his chest, so pronounced it nearly exposed bone.
"So it's just the arms and legs. No subdermal plating. Guess that was the limit his body could take. This must be the farthest they could push his mods before he snapped."
Andy adjusted his stance to face Peter again. His smart-alloy hand raised the baton and brought it down—hard.
The electrical discharge surged into Peter's skull. But under Andy's controlled modulation, it didn't fry his brain. Just enough current to knock him unconscious without killing him.
Peter's body convulsed violently. His eyes rolled back, his lips twitched, and he wet himself. Then the baton was lifted, and he collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Protect the mayor!"
Only now did the rest of the NCPD finally react, rushing in with shouted commands, surrounding Raines in a protective ring.
"What the hell just happened?!"
The civilians outside the barricades still had no idea. But the news reporters? They had already started livestreaming.
"This is Channel 54 coming to you live from Corpo Plaza, directly in front of the temporary press platform set up by the City Council. Ladies and gentlemen, Night City has just experienced a crisis. Moments ago, Mayor Lucius Raines was attacked by a cyberpsycho during his speech.
The situation was chaotic, but the police responded swiftly. The cyberpsycho has been subdued. Security teams are now sweeping the area for additional threats. As to how a cyberpsycho managed to bypass the crowd and target the mayor directly, investigations are underway.
Let us reiterate: Mayor Lucius Raines is safe and unharmed. We will continue to follow this developing story and bring you updates as they come in. Stay tuned to Channel 54 for continuing coverage."
The crowd, stirred by the reporters' broadcast, finally understood what had just happened.
"Raines was attacked?!"
"What?! A cyberpsycho?!"
But more than the attack on Raines, what people feared most was the mention of cyberpsychosis. After all, anyone in Night City could become the next victim. The scene quickly turned tense.
Fortunately, thanks to NCPD announcements and rapid deployment, order was restored before full panic could set in.
Soon, a key detail began circulating:
"The cyberpsycho who attacked the mayor has already been subdued!"
Subdued.
Could the NCPD really have pulled that off?
Less than thirty seconds from start to finish? And not killed—subdued?
For a city full of skeptics with low expectations of their police force, that claim was hard to swallow. So as Raines was whisked away under heavy guard, the crowd and press surged forward, desperate to see it with their own eyes.
And then they saw him.
The attacker—collapsed, unconscious at the feet of a lone NCPD officer.
Mantis blades. Augmented arms and legs. Even if they couldn't confirm internal mods, everything exposed outside his torn clothes screamed "cyberpsycho" to the average citizen.
The NCPD really took down a cyberpsycho.
And they hadn't gunned him down. They took him alive.
All eyes turned to the lone officer, still standing over the subdued threat.
It was clear now: he had done it. Alone. In under thirty seconds.
Maybe the NCPD still had people worth trusting.
As reporters, lacking better footage, began recounting the takedown, the public committed his face to memory—and, for once, gave the NCPD a rare moment of respect.
The NCPD… isn't entirely made of useless drunks.
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🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
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