"Why are you here?"
"Does it concern you?" Takemura Goro shot back as he tied a bandage around his bleeding arm. His face, listed on global bounty boards, drew far too much attention compared to someone like V, who was tracked through more subtle means. Even with makeshift disguises, Takemura was often discovered and relentlessly pursued by various factions.
He had only just escaped the Tiger Claw Gang and ducked into an abandoned building to recover. But to his surprise, inside he found someone else imprisoned in a rusted cage—Lily Cross.
Before he could react, the guards, mistaking him for a prison-breaker, slashed him twice. Naturally, Takemura retaliated—none of them survived.
"I'm a medic. Let me out and I'll treat your wound," Lily offered slyly, her eyes scanning for opportunity.
"You're a mechanic," Takemura corrected, settling into a stool as he finished dressing his arm. "And one of Leon Black's people from Arasaka's Seventeenth Security Squad."
"Oh? Looks like you've got some internal connections at Arasaka," Lily chuckled. "Not many can access our personnel data."
"Likewise," Takemura replied cryptically. He wouldn't betray his allies.
Lily leaned forward, trying a different tactic. "How about this? I know you're constantly being hunted. If you release me, I'll make you an optical mask. It won't beat corporate-grade surveillance, but it's more than enough for civilian systems. Sound fair?"
The offer tempted Takemura. He didn't have the funds to purchase high-end gear, and most of his income came from scavenging or robbing minor gangs. Optical masks were way out of his budget.
Seeing his hesitation, Lily pressed further. "I can also give you some cash. You've been on the run for months—don't tell me it's been easy to get by."
She wasn't wrong. He couldn't exactly rob a corporate bank, and hitting soft targets brought little reward and high exposure risk. His original plan of gathering allies to support Hanako Arasaka had hit a wall. At this rate, even survival was becoming a challenge.
From a practical standpoint, working with her made sense. And more importantly—she worked under Leon Black. If Leon ever found out Takemura had left his subordinate to die, the man would turn on him without hesitation. Worse, the truth about what really happened to Saburo Arasaka might be buried forever.
Takemura considered all of this.
With a flick of his wrist, he drew Jinzong Maru, his legendary katana. The blade flashed silver in the dim light, and the iron chain securing the cage snapped like paper, scattering onto the floor.
"Legendary weapons really are something else," Lily muttered, awestruck. She stepped out of the cage, eyes glued to the katana's sleek, lethal curve. Owning gear like that was every elite mercenary's dream.
Lily herself wasn't poor. After her last mission with Leon, she had earned a solid sum—hundreds of thousands. She'd been planning to either unlock a sixth cybernetic slot or buy a legendary-grade weapon. But before she could decide, she was abducted and thrown into this cell.
It was a tough call. Legendary weapons offered instant combat upgrades, but unlocking new body part slots was a long-term investment. The sixth slot was a threshold—once reached, a merc could qualify as a Security Squad Captain in any megacorp.
Three slots marked someone above the average. Six meant you were elite. Nine? Nine made you a legend—what Leon often referred to as a "god-tier operative."
"If you've got enough money and merit, you could apply to Arasaka for the sixth slot," Takemura offered as they walked.
"Think I don't know that?" Lily rolled her eyes. She picked up a Lexington pistol from one of the fallen guards and sighed. "Seriously, Military Tech has an obsession with these things."
"We need to go," she added. "I know a safe house where you can rest—and where I'll transfer your reward."
Takemura glanced outside. The morning light was beginning to peek through the cracks in the ruined structure. "We can't stay here."
"Got a comms unit?" Lily asked as they moved. "I need to contact Leon."
Takemura was about to answer when his expression changed. Without hesitation, he lunged, grabbing Lily and rolling them both to the ground.
BANG!
She was ready to retaliate until she realized what had happened.
Hovering in mid-air was a yellow-green, medium-sized hovercraft, silently suspended like a giant hornet. From its hull, figures in brown-yellow camouflage leaped down—menacing and efficient.
More screeches and braking sounds echoed nearby.
Then came the barking.
Roar! Woof! Woof! Woof!
A bio-dog appeared—skin peeling, infected with lab-grown pathogens, and saliva dripping with death. It strained on its leash, held only by a handler known as a "Bio-Instructor." Its red, ravenous eyes locked onto Lily and Takemura, hunger seething in its growls.
And then, a tall figure landed between the chaos. He had green hair and a towering frame. The oppressive aura around him made the very air feel heavy.
When Lily and Takemura saw his face, both their expressions changed.
"Well, well," the man sneered, brushing his bangs aside to reveal gleaming snake-like eyes. "Ms. Lily Cross. We finally meet."
---
Meanwhile, far from the chaos...
"This place has a nice vibe," said Johnny Silverhand, glancing around the modest farmhouse courtyard.
"Shut up," V muttered under her breath.
River, leading the way, turned to V. "Please go easy on Joss later. She's still mourning Randy."
They'd been following leads for two days, chasing down a criminal website referenced in old police files. It was their only clue to Randy's disappearance. Now, they needed Randy's computer to access the site again.
"Got it," V nodded.
Inside the house, a woman sat quietly in a chair—Joss, Randy's mother.
"Hey, Joss," River said softly. "This is V. We're just here to check Randy's room again."
"You're a cop," Joss said coldly. "Why aren't you out there looking for Randy? What the hell are you doing here again?"
V tried to step in. "He hasn't slept in days, ma'am. He's doing his best."
"And who the hell are you?" Joss snapped, turning her sharp glare on V. "Why are you in my house?!"
"Joss, please," River pleaded. "V's here to help."
"Yelling won't help, ma'am," V said calmly. "We've found new clues—ones that might lead us to Randy."
She took a step forward and gently laid a hand on Joss's shoulder. "We need your permission to search his room. We're doing this for him. Let us help bring him back."
Joss's fury seemed to cool slightly. She sighed deeply.
"Just... don't mess with his stuff," she muttered. "He hates that."
"Thank you, Joss," V said, giving her a reassuring pat before following River down the hall.
As they reached Randy's room, River whispered, "Thanks, V. I... I really didn't know what to say to her."
V smirked and gave him a light punch to the chest. "Save the thanks for when we find Randy."
River nodded, face more determined.
Inside the room, they powered up Randy's computer and quickly found chat logs between him and someone named Natalie. The two had shared deep, emotional conversations, building what seemed like a close friendship.
But V and River could both tell—this wasn't a friendship.
"This Natalie... she's brainwashing him," V muttered grimly. "This whole site—it's a trap."
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