MHGA Chapter 206 – Negotiating with Rogue
"Rogue, you seem eager to talk with us."
Kairo Retsu crossed one leg over the other, lounging casually on the sofa as he looked across at Rogue.
"You said people here are uneasy because of the Hunters' arrival. I get it."
"After all, we've shown off a little of what we're capable of. Night City's atmosphere is starting to shift from what it used to be…"
"But we haven't done anything wrong, have we?"
Kairo Retsu continued, "Think about what we've done: we took out Scavs, stopped punks from shooting up the streets, saved lives, dismantled some scumbag gangs, and even neutralized a cyberpsycho."
"But that alone wouldn't be enough to rattle the mighty Queen of the Afterlife, would it?"
He glanced at Rogue and tossed the intel folder back onto the table.
"Looks like you've figured something out—or you're hiding some intel not in this pile."
"Name your price, or tell me if there's a job. Or… how about a trade?"
Kairo Retsu grinned.
"Cut the crap." Rogue slapped the table and stood up. "What the hell is that monster?"
She pulled a photo from her coat and slammed it down in front of him.
"The power plant was completely obliterated. From the security cams nearby, this blurry image was all we got—every other electronic device got fried."
"What is that silver creature?" Rogue barked. "Is it some biotech monster your people engineered? Or something else?!"
The photo showed a vague white silhouette.
It looked vaguely like a horse, but the image was distorted. The recording equipment had been scrambled—probably by electromagnetic interference—leaving only a fuzzy shadow behind.
"That's our target."
Kairo Retsu answered calmly, "We're still tracking its location. All we know is—it's somewhere here, in Night City."
"It's highly intelligent, and relatively docile… so it shouldn't attack anything without reason."
He rubbed his chin. "But Night City is a violent place. I doubt it'll stay docile in a hellhole like this."
"That thing's got abilities no living being should have!" Rogue shouted. "Arasaka's already noticed. So has Militech! If this keeps up, Night City will descend into chaos!"
"…And?"
Kairo Retsu looked at her and asked, "What's that got to do with us Hunters? You're talking like it's our responsibility."
"You…"
Rogue narrowed her eyes at him.
That creature had abilities beyond the natural. In fact, it was questionable if it was even a "natural" being at all.
Even the medicines these Hunters traded—Rogue had never seen anything like them.
Compared to corporate-grade trauma meds, this green liquid crap could bring a man back from the brink of death.
Rogue had tested it on a guy with life-threatening injuries. After feeding him just half a vial, his wounds started closing—and his flesh began to push out the implanted cyberware.
If she hadn't stopped the process, the man might've needed a full refitting.
To Rogue, that silver-white horse-like thing had to be something these Hunters cooked up in a lab that got loose.
"If you've got new intel," Kairo Retsu said as he stood up, shaking his head, "you can decide whether or not to share it next time I'm here."
"As for this batch—we're taking it with us."
"Scavs and gangoons might be nobodies," Rogue muttered, "but they're not so easily squashed. People like you who go in head-on… you're gonna get hit back, hard."
"Being a legend isn't as easy as you think."
"Maybe it's not as important as you think either."
Kairo Retsu shook his head.
"If being a legend really mattered that much, then the Afterlife's drink list wouldn't be filled with so many damn names."
"Take Johnny Silverhand for example—gunned down by Smasher decades ago. He didn't really change a damn thing. This world's still a mess…"
"But none of that concerns us Hunters. We only hunt."
"As for changing the world—leave that to the people who live here."
From who-knows-where, Kairo Retsu pulled out a massive Long Sword, slung it across his back, and pushed open the booth door.
Then he turned back to Rogue and said,
"I'd actually like to keep in touch by phone. You've got reach—maybe you could help us hit our targets faster."
"Too bad you're old school."
He mimicked a phone gesture with his thumb to his ear.
"And I'm not installing a line in Night City—not with how many netrunners are crawling around here."
Kairo Retsu shook his head. "If we start playing those backroom games, we'll end up like the rest of the fossils here—plotting for decades and going nowhere. That's not a Hunter's specialty."
"So let's keep a bit of distance."
He shut the door behind him and called out, "See you next time, Queen of the Afterlife."
Rogue sat back down on the couch, her face dark.
Just then, Claire knocked on the booth door.
"Rogue… that Hunter told me to bring you a Johnny Silverhand."
Claire set the drink on the table. "He also said…"
"Damn it. What did he say?" Rogue cursed.
"He said you always drink a shot of tequila to remember Johnny before getting down to business… sorry." Claire quickly exited.
Rogue scowled.
How did that Hunter know that?
And more importantly—
He didn't seem like someone from this era.
Suddenly, she remembered the hand gesture Kairo Retsu made—mimicking a landline phone call.
"A fossil who's been scheming for decades… Who the hell was he talking about?"
She clenched her teeth. "Just who is that guy? What era is he even from…?"
—
Meanwhile, at the Afterlife's front counter…
Before leaving, Kairo Retsu casually placed a massive bucket down on the bar.
"Here. A bucket of milk."
"Fresh milk—for the folks here to enjoy. Courtesy of Laios."
His words immediately drew a round of curses from the nearby patrons.
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