The fighting was over. Under Rocky's ruthless assault, the Militech squad lay wiped out. He stood amid torn asphalt and scattered limbs, drawing heavy breaths as the adrenaline leaked away. The full-output Tyrant system, plus the strain from Ultimate Domination, left every muscle feeling split. Even the Gorilla Arms in his left forearm ran hot from overload.
The Tyrant state had ended; the exospine along his back settled. Regeneration from Ultimate Domination could not erase the rebound load once the effect dropped. He could trigger it again to bounce back fast, but stacking the crash twice was an unknown, and he did not want to test. He drew a vial of Power Stimulant Type I, injected, and felt the slow, steady relief as strength returned. Blood slicked his clothes. He did not care. First time killing this many at once or not, a few or a crowd made little difference tonight.
He had never planned to spare Militech. They threw the first punch. Showing up at his door meant bad intentions—same story as Arasaka. He had already chosen his side; offending Militech was baked in. Playing both ends between Arasaka and Militech would get a man killed without knowing how. The last fence-sitter, Faraday, hadn't died by their hands, but his outcome was ugly enough. Faraday was still living comfortably somewhere in Night City. He had not poked Rocky, and Rocky had no time to care. As for retaliation for annihilating this squad, Rocky did not worry; partnering with Arasaka meant he would face Militech sooner or later, and Arasaka would handle the cleanup.
The "cleanup" arrived on cue. An AV slid out of the clouds, Arasaka markings bright against the night. Armored trucks rolled in at ground level—an operations team. The AV settled; the same agent who had handled Rocky stepped out, shock still obvious as he took in the scene. An entire Militech unit, erased. Not elite, maybe, but almost no one in Night City could post numbers like that this fast. The agent finally understood what kind of person he had "arrested" before. If Rocky had resisted, he would be lying here with the others.
"Hey, you again. Fast response," Rocky said, half amused.
"Mr. L, necessary procedure. For smooth cooperation—and your safety," the agent replied, tone much more respectful now.
"Great. The mess is yours. I'm tired. See you." Rocky waved him off and walked to Rebecca and Lucy. Arasaka had come to block Militech; with Militech gone, they had no reason to stop him.
"L, are you okay?" Rebecca asked, taking in all the blood.
"I'm fine. And you were brave back there."
"Of course," she said, grinning. Most of the bodies were Rocky's work, but the few riddled into honeycomb at range had been hers.
Rocky caught himself reaching to ruffle her hair, then noticed his hand was still red and let it fall. "Lucy, I want to borrow your apartment."
He did not want to sink into the Deluxo like this. He set the car to auto-park, and the three headed to Lucy's place. Rocky showered; pink water spun down the drain. When he came out, Lucy leaned against the window and smoked; Rebecca sat cross-legged on the sofa. They were chatting.
"What's with that poster on the wall? Didn't peg you for old-fashioned, Lucy," Rebecca said, eyeing the 'New Life on the Moon' promo.
"Maybe," Lucy answered lightly. Since that night, her nerves did not fray like before. Let people think what they want about her dream. If Rocky recognized it, that was enough. Rebecca clicked her tongue and let the topic drop.
Lucy turned, smiling. "L, since you're clean, stay here tonight. Let Rebecca head home."
Rebecca jumped up instantly, spreading her arms to block the space between them. "No. I disagree. L, ignore her—let's go home."
Rocky grimaced at the scene. He almost said Lucy's bed was big enough to squeeze, then wisely swallowed it. With no better path, he walked Rebecca out; Lucy had been teasing anyway and did not stop them. Only on the street did Rocky realize Rebecca's "home" did not mean her place. It meant his.