Beep.
A holographic call connected.
"Is the package inserted into Dogtown's network? How's it going?" A man's low voice came through.
In the darkness, a woman leaned against a car. Sharp suit, immaculate patent-leather corporate heels, the golden components of her hand cyberware catching faint glimmers of light.
"Done. Looks like Barghest is having quite the party over there. As for Hansen... still giving his little speech. Trash-talking piece of shit."
She waved her hand, scattering some of the flies drawn to a nearby corpse—hollowed out by scavengers, organs long gone.
Shortly after, her superior transmitted data from Dogtown's network.
"Found them. This whole insider-trading mess has someone from Night City HQ involved."
The woman's eyes glowed blue as files transferred to her optics.
"Abernathy's been on a roll lately. That bitch is doing everything she can to wag her tail at the higher-ups, trying to steal my spotlight. Several regional client deals are still pending—the Dogtown op needs to go perfectly. You're on the shortlist for promotion in Counter-Intel's next personnel review."
"Is that so? How lovely." The corporate woman's voice was pleasant, carrying a slight nasal quality, unhurried.
Her superior continued:
"Hansen wants us to lose business. This shipment was routed through Europe—officially our export merchandise."
"But you know we don't fund warlords. Dogtown won't let us in, so Hansen doesn't get to use our product either."
"The European exec who was fencing the weapons has already been flatlined by our people. As for who in Night City arranged this—that's your job. I'm in Frankfurt watching this deal closely. It's a critical phase for Project Cloudrest."
"Dogtown is entirely in your hands now. I expect a full report when I return."
The woman acknowledged. "What about Militech?"
"Ignore them. They're afraid we're in bed with Hansen. Let those dogs keep themselves busy."
The call ended. The woman folded her arms and gazed down at the firefight below.
Night City HQ had a mole. Counter-Intelligence hated this more than anyone. Every time there was a mess to clean up, it landed in their laps. Getting fired was the best-case scenario—more likely, your badge would be deactivated one day and corporate spec-ops would show up to escort you away.
Then they'd dispose of you. Thoroughly. Not a trace left behind.
Right now, down in that warzone, there was someone on the list her superior had sent.
After a moment's thought, the woman turned and opened her car door, ready to leave. In the darkness behind her, several scavengers began creeping closer.
"Organ harvesters. Interesting."
She watched them approach with a bemused smile on her sharp, elegant features. Her optics began shifting red.
The scavengers' heads suddenly erupted with electrical arcs. Their blood-stained butcher knives and clubs clattered to the ground as their implants violently overloaded, optics flickering erratically.
The car door slammed shut. Tires screeched, burning rubber. One scavenger, still twitching, tried to break free from the paralysis.
WHAM!
He went flying as the car tore down the Dogtown highway, red taillights vanishing into the distance.
The entire construction site was swarming with Barghest. Their opposition: one edgerunner crew and a sniper operating from a distance.
The siege had forced two enemy factions to fight side by side.
Everyone was exhausted.
Ethan put his last round through the skull of some unlucky bastard hiding behind a concrete barrier. Then the Nekomata fell silent.
No time to think. He switched to the Nowaki assault rifle on his back and kept fighting.
Barghest was a militarized gang force backed by Militech. Their tactical execution was terrifying—they knew every trick in the book for urban combat.
The only saving grace was the complex terrain. If Barghest's armed vehicles made it in here, everything would flip in an instant.
And Ethan's group had no heavy weapons.
"Watch out!"
Pilar's arm was covered in blood. He'd just emptied a mag and ducked to reload when a gun barrel appeared from the side, nearly pressing against his forehead.
Rebecca kicked her brother aside and blew the Barghest soldier's head apart.
"Maine!"
Dorio crouched behind cover, badly wounded, expression grim.
More and more Barghest poured in. The situation was spiraling. Ethan and Maine's eyes met.
In some sense, they were temporarily on the same side now.
"Fuck!"
Ethan was furious. "I told you to pull back! Let's split up—if we stay here, we're all dead!"
Maine couldn't argue. At this point, it was clear Ethan had no intention of killing them.
The big man scanned the terrain ahead and immediately directed his crew toward a flanking retreat. "Dumbass, you still planning to run solo? This way!"
Ethan had no intention of following the edgerunner crew. But just as the gunfire grew too dense for anyone to raise their heads, a mechanical grinding noise reached everyone's ears.
A Barghest mech had entered the field.
These walking tanks—former Militech hardware covered in gang graffiti—sported white skull spray-paint on their fronts. Each arm mounted a high-caliber machine gun and missile launcher. They could stomp through any terrain.
Ethan's eyes darted everywhere, searching for options. He wasn't dying here today.
The mech lumbered into the construction zone. Barghest soldiers hung back behind cover, waiting for the machine to demolish Ethan's position.
[PETROCHEM]
Through a gap in the rusted steel debris beside the mech, Ethan spotted massive tanks with that logo.
CHOOH2?
Same as gasoline. An idea clicked instantly.
That's where Barghest's heavy firepower was concentrated.
"Toss me something that hits hard!"
In the distance, Rebecca—dual-wielding pistols—immediately threw her shotgun his way.
Ethan caught the heavy weapon. Not a Carnage, but it'd do.
He moved fast and low toward the tanks. The mech noticed.
WHIRR—
Machine guns locked on. A stream of bullets sparked off the ground behind him.
Ethan felt his soul leave his body. But there was no other option. He gritted his teeth and pushed toward those fuel tanks.
"Eyes on me, asshole!"
Rebecca's forehead veins bulged as she emptied rounds into the mech's hull, instinctively drawing its fire away from Ethan.
The armored beast registered the provocation and swiveled to engage Rebecca and the others, who were moving opposite Ethan's direction.
A blind spot formed between the mech and Ethan. The Barghest squad leader cursed the AI's stupidity and redirected fire toward Rebecca's group.
"Here!"
Ethan emerged from behind the Petrochem tanks. The shotgun's recoil was no joke—one blast punched into the mech's shell, sparking its mechanical arm, denting the armor.
The instant the mech turned, Ethan was already diving for cover.
The machine's massive-caliber rounds tore into the fuel tanks behind him.
Ethan sprinted with everything he had, leaping high—
An enormous force erupted at his back!
He flew like he'd been kicked by a giant, spine going numb. The mech was engulfed in flames!
The blast's concussive wave scrambled everyone's senses—Barghest included.
Wreckage. Screaming. The hiss of burning fuel.
Maine shook debris from his hair, grinning wildly. "Holy shit!"
Rebecca dropped her guns and rushed toward Ethan, who was struggling to rise.
Ethan's head was mush. His ears heard nothing. In his blurred vision, Rebecca's mouth moved, saying something he couldn't make out.
Clang. Clang.
A jagged slab of burning steel rolled toward him.
Sound flooded back. By the time Ethan realized what was happening, it was too late—
The razor-sharp metal edge rolled across his cybernetic arm. A severed limb, trailing electrical arcs, flew into the air.
When the pain finally hit his brain, Ethan wanted to vomit. Blood spilled from his mouth onto Rebecca's shotgun.
He pushed the weapon into her arms and shoved her away.
"Get your crew... and go."
The construction site burned. Wounded Barghest soldiers struggled to their feet. Dorio grabbed the stunned Rebecca and the group disappeared into the endless ruins.
Ethan forced himself upright, dragging one leg toward Dogtown's wasteland.
A flood of panel notifications and reward updates flashed before his eyes.
He couldn't care less.
All Ethan wanted now was to kill the man who'd sold him out.
Nothing more.
PLZ THROW POWERSTONES.
300 , 500 , 1000 for each milestone 1 Bonus Chapter.