"Angel," as it turned out, had nothing remotely angelic about him. Not in name, not in soul, and definitely not in the shape of his body.
Don't ask Neo how he knew. Let's just say he'd played the game before—and had the same traumatizing experience.
After paying, the trio split up.
Neo and Judy headed into a themed suite next door, while David stepped into his assigned room to "meet" Angel.
The suite was exactly what you'd expect from Clouds—dim violet light, a haze of perfume that lingered like static in the air, and furniture designed with a single purpose: pleasure.
Judy's voice cut through the tension. "Neo, is Angel… special?"
Neo tilted his head. "Why do you ask?"
"During the scan," Judy said, crossing her arms, "every doll in the building volunteered to service David. You told him to pick whoever he wanted—and you didn't stop him when he chose Angel. That felt deliberate."
Neo chuckled, shaking his head. "Didn't think you'd catch that. You're right though. Angel's… a little different."
Her eyes narrowed. "Different how?"
Neo smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say—David's about to find out."
...
Meanwhile, in the next room—
David stepped inside, ready for… well, not this.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed was a figure draped in silk, eyes like liquid silver, smile like sin itself.
"Welcome," said Angel, his voice low, sultry, and unmistakably male.
David froze.
"Y-you're…" He blinked hard. "Wait. You're Angel?"
The doll tilted his head, smiling with languid confidence. "That's right. I'm your Angel. You look tense, sweetheart. Don't worry—I'll make you comfortable. You can tell me what you want."
David's soul left his body.
This cannot be happening.
Every instinct in him screamed abort mission.
"D-don't move!" David yelped, stepping back until his spine hit the wall. "Just—stay right there. Please."
Angel blinked, a hint of confusion crossing his perfectly sculpted face. "Oh? You'd prefer I dance for you, then?"
Before David could even respond, the doll began to move—hips swaying, body bending with an elegance that could've made saints faint.
David felt his sanity disintegrate.
"I can't—oh god, I can't—"
He slapped the wall beside him and yelled through it like a dying man. "Neo! This Angel ain't an angel! I'm tapping out! I'm tapping out!"
Angel paused mid-dance, blinking. "Neo? Is someone else joining us? I can—"
BANG.
The door exploded inward before the doll could finish. Neo and Judy stormed in.
Neo snapped his fingers. A ripple of black energy—Haki, raw and volatile—erupted from his hand, frying every surveillance lens in the room.
"David," Neo said calmly, "watch the hall. If anyone comes, deal with them."
David didn't need to be told twice. "Yes, sir!" He bolted out the door faster than a bullet.
Neo turned back to the trembling doll. His tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp enough to cut glass.
"Alright, Angel. I'm only going to say this once. You answer what I ask. Clearly. Honestly. In your real voice."
He leaned in slightly. "And if you say one word too many, I'll pop your head like I did those cameras."
The doll stiffened. "I—I'll cooperate. I swear. What do you want to know?"
Judy stepped forward, her tone soft but urgent. "Evelyn Parker. Has she been here?"
Angel hesitated for a fraction of a second before whispering, "I… I'm not sure. We weren't close. Just acquaintances. But she used to spend time with someone here—a doll named Tom. He might know more. You can find him in one of the VIP rooms on the second floor."
Neo studied his face for a long moment. Then nodded. "He's telling the truth."
He turned to Judy. "Let's go."
As they left, Judy glanced back. "Shouldn't we… warn him? Or at least make sure he keeps quiet?"
Neo smirked. "No need. The moment I fried those cams, every Tiger Claw in this building's already on edge. If they come running—" He shrugged. "David could use the exercise."
...
Outside, the hall was littered with unconscious bodies.
David was dusting his hands, standing over a pile of groaning Tiger Claws.
"Yo! Neo, Judy! You guys done?"
Judy blinked at the carnage. "David, what—what happened here?"
David grinned sheepishly. "Oh, these guys heard the explosion from earlier. Came rushing in, yelling stuff about 'corporate property' and 'intruders.' They didn't last long."
He kicked one limp arm aside. "Honestly? The Maelstrom put up more of a fight. These guys are trash."
Judy looked at Neo, uncertain. "Are we really not crossing any lines here?"
Neo's tone was matter-of-fact. "If there's one thing Night City understands, it's violence. Talking's cheap. A good punch saves time."
He cracked his knuckles. "If they want a fight, they'll get one. Otherwise? We walk."
Judy sighed. "You're unbelievable."
"Thanks," Neo said. "Let's move."
...
They headed for the VIP floor, the neon lights dimming to crimson hues as they ascended the stairs.
Every time another Tiger Claw appeared, David moved first—fluid, efficient, each motion backed by the strength of his Sandevistan. Bodies hit the floor before they could even raise their weapons.
Neo walked calmly behind him, hands in his pockets, unbothered. His presence alone made the air heavy.
Judy followed close, glancing between the two men—one an unstoppable storm of chrome and speed, the other radiating an aura of unshakable control.
By the time they reached the second floor, the silence was deafening.
Neo stopped before one of the VIP suites and kicked the door open.
Inside, a man looked up from the round bed, startled. "Uh—sorry, sir, this room's booked. You must have the wrong—"
Neo raised a hand. "No. You're exactly who I came for."
A snap of his fingers. Another wave of Haki pulsed through the room, destroying the cameras in an instant.
"I'm looking for Evelyn Parker," Neo said evenly. "Word is—you knew her best."
Beside him, David cracked his knuckles, stepping forward like a shadow waiting to be unleashed.
The man—Tom—swallowed hard. But instead of panicking, his shoulders sagged.
"She's…" he whispered, his voice breaking. "She's gone. Evelyn… she's gone, man."
The room fell silent.
Judy's hands trembled. "What do you mean gone?"
Tom looked up, eyes glistening under the neon light.
"She didn't survive, Judy. They… they broke her."
Neo said nothing—only lowered his gaze, the violet light flickering across his face like a dying pulse.
The silence that followed felt heavier than any gunfire.
Because in Night City, death wasn't always the worst thing that could happen to you.
-------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / ElvenKing20