V originally wanted to chat with Lucy a bit longer, but shouts from ahead cut through the air—
mixed with cries of "Biotech, get the hell out!"
She had no choice but to say goodbye to Gloria and Lucy for now, then followed Xu Zhong out of the Caliburn and moved forward on foot.
The closer they got to the megabuilding, the more people crowded the street.
They hunched their shoulders, exposing worn-out cyberware from sleeves and pant legs. Some huddled together, others clustered around vending machines—shivering in the 9°C December wind while using the cheapest possible calories to keep their lives going.
"Why don't they go home?" Xu Zhong asked, frowning.
"Their home is here," V said.
"They're residents of the megabuilding?"
"They weren't inside when the outbreak hit. Once the building was sealed, all they could do was camp here and hope one day the doors open again."
"Then what about the people who were inside?"
"People inside stayed inside."
Xu stared in disbelief.
"It's been almost a month since the outbreak!"
"That," V muttered, "is why your Sis Koch ditched all her assigned duties. She even dumped Saburo Arasaka's maintenance work onto Anders Hellman—you believe that? It's a f***ing mess."
A mess caused by Koch?
By the outbreak?
Or by this whole rotting world?
Xu didn't know.
V didn't know either.
"Koch."
V reached the main gate of H4 and called out to the figures in hazmat suits. One turned around, lifting the visor.
Joanne Koch smiled at them.
"V, Xu Zhong—you're here."
"What's the situation?"
"They're blocking the entrance. Won't let us inside."
V glanced at the gate.
The ones blocking it weren't the Epidemic Prevention Bureau.
They were H4's original residents—
thin bodies, cheap steel pipes, screwdrivers, wrenches in hand—
standing stubbornly in front of Biotechnica's hulking, gene-tweaked soldiers.
People of the same species.
Fates worlds apart.
"Good work," V said, patting Koch on the shoulder.
Koch smiled back.
"This isn't a disease, it's a toxin. If it can be artificially created, it can be artificially eliminated. Not that hard."
The water in Santo Domingo had been polluted by Biotechnica.
This outbreak? Also engineered by Biotechnica—to collect pathology samples for their "revive the dead" virus research.
In the past, Koch never had a choice.
But now, she had V.
Meredith Stout arrived last—storming in and tearing into Koch immediately, unleashing a barrage of profanity with the firepower of a fully-charged DB-2 Satara.
Koch was exhausted, but she listened to every word without interruption.
Finally she said, "I want a drink."
"F***!" Stout cursed. "Fine! I'll book the damn place!"
Love and hate—
that was friendship, Night City–style.
As she left, the Old Captain suddenly stopped Koch.
"Don't think our beef is settled!"
"Yeah, yeah," Koch waved impatiently.
"Hey!"
"What now?!"
"…Thanks."
Koch froze.
By the time she processed the words, the Old Captain had already melted into the crowd.
"What did he say?" she asked faintly.
"He said—'Badass. Hero of Megabuilding H4.'"
V, Koch, Stout, and Xu Zhong booked an entire rooftop bar.
They drank with no purpose, no celebration, no memorial—
just pure alcohol, pure joy, pure self-destruction.
"Hurgh—"
Xu Zhong's vomit sprayed past the railing in an impressive arc.
"…Why is he throwing up outside the railing?" Stout asked.
Koch wiped her mouth.
"Why does it matter?"
"If he pukes on a corpo's head down there, I have to clean up the political fallout!"
"I told him to aim outside because the feng shui's better," Koch said solemnly.
Stout froze.
"…Makes sense."
The two women looked at each other—
and burst out laughing.
As for V…
She didn't puke.
She couldn't.
Stupid malfunctioning nerves…
When everyone was finally drunk to the bone, they stumbled out.
Xu Zhong was carried.
Stout cursed all the way.
Koch fell asleep on V's shoulder.
Only V remained sober—forced by biology, not will.
The next morning, V convened the Corporate Alliance to propose building a new hospital in Santo Domingo.
Xu immediately prepared to vote yes.
But someone was faster.
Zetatech's representative—the husband of Abernathy—raised his hand first.
"As a corpo, I shouldn't support such a biased proposal," he said. "But I trust Deputy Director V. Even if we lose money on this one, she'll make up for it on the next. More importantly—"
He smiled.
"Doing business with someone loyal and righteous is… comforting."
His words hit like a cue.
Everyone nodded and voted yes.
V bowed her head slightly.
"Thanks. I owe you all one."
"Hah! What'd I say? A favor from V is worth more than profits. We're making money already!"
Everyone laughed—then turned to stare at Xu Zhong.
He was the only one who hadn't voted.
V.
Koch.
Stout.
All glaring.
Basically communicating:
"Vote against, and we'll break your fingers."
Xu shivered and slammed the approve button.
He very much wanted to keep his hands.
Everything went smoothly.
Construction began.
Security forces were deployed.
Joanne Koch was named the hospital director.
Biotechnica had completely lost trust in her.
Though she remained their representative in the Alliance, they kicked her out of decision-making, cut her pay, slashed her security clearance, and effectively exiled her to Santo Domingo.
V could do nothing.
She couldn't interfere with Biotechnica's internal politics.
"Sorry," she told Koch.
"It's fine. My childhood dream was to be a doctor. Now it's come true."
"…If you quit Biotechnica, come to Arasaka—"
"No. Your body still needs Biotechnica's tech," Koch said firmly.
"You helped me. Now it's my turn."
When V left Koch's new home—a tiny two-story house in Santo Domingo, far from the luxurious high-rise she once lived in—
she couldn't help thinking:
Doing good in Night City… costs too damn much.
On the way back to the company, V suddenly received an all-hands broadcast on Arasaka's internal channel:
"After investigation by the family council, Goro Takemura has been confirmed as an inside man in the murder case and bears primary responsibility. This person has fled from Tokyo HQ and is now wanted worldwide."
Not a son, not a granddaughter—just a bodyguard.
V almost laughed; the sound turned into a sigh.
Goro Takemura had still walked into the same fate as in the other world—only this time without her. How could he ever clear his name?
While she was thinking that, Michiko Arasaka's call came through.
"Miss Michiko—so glad you're safe," V answered as she picked up.
"Thank you for your concern, V. It's urgent; I'll be brief. Kenichi tracked Goro Takemura to Night City. We've deployed Troy—make sure he disappears completely."