A serious problem loomed before the group.
The motorcycle didn't seem capable of carrying two big men.
But Arthur couldn't ride a motorcycle, and he had to reach the destination first—only he could be certain of hitting the target with precision.
For a moment, it felt like the situation had reached an impasse...
"You need to be careful... I mean, about your own safety."
Jackie spoke dryly from the side.
Of course, he wasn't worried about Arthur wrecking the bike.
It was his beloved machine, yes, but compared to a friend's life, it wasn't nearly as important.
The real problem was this: if Arthur didn't reach the target safely, V's chances of survival would be close to zero.
This wasn't the time for hesitation. Arthur strapped the gun and ammunition toward the back of the seat and swung onto the bike.
He hadn't ridden one before, but he'd seen enough riders in action." And besides, he was a Cowboy—he knew how to ride a horse.
A machine like this, where his feet could reach the ground, didn't seem all that difficult.
"Remember, shift your weight when turning.
And don't slam the brakes—ease into them slowly..."
Jackie kept rattling off tips while tightening Arthur's gear.
"Take that Armored Vehicle... follow behind me."
Arthur called back over the rumble of the engine.
"Send me the map—especially the area around the target."
This time the target was in the sky. It wasn't just about standing beneath it, aiming upward, and pulling the trigger.
He needed to fire three shots. To do that, he had to create enough horizontal distance from the AV, giving him room to adjust and fire again.
Wind tore past Arthur's ears.
He lowered his body, eyes locked ahead. The world stretched in the gale, the road's traffic crawling by in slow motion as the bike left them behind with sharp whistling roars.
Even at that speed, his mind was already working through the problem.
Not even his skill could put out three bullets at once.
His first target was one of the front engines—crippling it would stop the AV from climbing higher.
Next, he'd follow up with a shot at a rear engine.
But if the crew inside reacted quickly and pushed the last remaining rear engine to max output, hitting it would be nearly impossible.
Arthur was a deadeye, but he wasn't a god. No one could hit a high-speed, irregular target from a kilometer away with perfect accuracy.
Every long-range shot relied on predicting the trajectory. His rifle was advanced, but it wasn't a laser.
That meant one thing...
The AV's crash site wouldn't match his firing position.
He had to be there the moment it came down. Otherwise, with Arasaka's reach in Night City, their reinforcements and extraction of V would be near-instant.
Which meant everything depended on the machine beneath him.
The engine thundered against his chest like a horse's panting—but with rawer, greater power.
Wind slapped at his face, tugging his short hair backward. His hat hung from his belt; otherwise, the gale would've ripped it away.
He'd already reached the city's elevated expressway, racing across a massive bridge.
Ahead, Night City's corporate towers pierced the skyline, like colossal monuments tearing out of the earth—warped by the furious winds in his vision.
The bridge's steel cables thrummed beside him, vibrating in the storm he created.
Over the Neural Link, Jackie's voice broke through.
"Arthur, sending you data now.
Night City's aerial checkpoint's at Santo Domingo, right on the border between Rancho Coronado and Arroyo.
Coordinates are in the file."
Jackie had already rolled out. The jet-black Militech Armored Vehicle was powerful, but its transmission kept it from pushing real speed.
Of course, that was only compared to sports cars.
At the wheel, Jackie's expression was grim, eyes fixed on the road ahead. His thoughts wandered.
For the first time, he understood Misty a little better...
There are always people, always moments, that weigh on you deeply. But no matter how much you care, sometimes you're powerless.
All that's left is prayer...
The uneven terrain of Arroyo worked in Arthur's favor.
Studying the map in his head, he quickly found a steep slope.
Not far ahead, a faint glow shimmered in the sky.
The so-called aerial checkpoint, of course, wasn't some building floating in the heavens.
Building one in the sky would be as absurd as laying foundations for a Crystal Palace in space.
Only monitoring and guidance equipment floated overhead. The actual offices and staff stayed grounded, in buildings below.
Time passed. Arthur set the massive rifle on the ground and lowered himself behind the scope.
"I wish someone was watching my back."
Dragging the ammo box closer, he smirked bitterly at the thought.
At least he'd made it in time.
The Blackwall chip in his head had stabilized.
And since V hadn't called in, there was still hope.
He flipped open the ammo box. A cool white mist spilled out.
These weren't just magnetic bullets.
They weren't even truly magnetic—or rather, their magnetism didn't show until fired.
Once activated, their complex internal design changed mid-flight.
Magnetic field shifts would give them another push, maintaining velocity and precision.
Arthur reached through the mist and pulled out a silvery-white device.
Shaped like a squared cross, with two bullets on each side slotted into the grooves.
The bullets themselves gleamed silver-white, marked with the Tsunami Defense System insignia.
Special rounds, made exclusively for the Tsunami Defense System's technical Sniper Rifle.
Load them into any other weapon, and they wouldn't even fire.