"Haha, someone else was the one who blew up Arasaka Tower. We don't have that kind of firepower.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to get out and broaden our horizons. I'm in favor of it. Mann, what do you think?"
Speaking from an ice-filled storage cabinet, Kiwi, completely naked, stretched lazily before sitting upright.
Seeing this, Lucy stood, grabbed a towel, and walked over.
"Did the hack finish? How did it go? Any useful results?"
"Not much. The target was small, so there wasn't much to gain. Fortunately, their security is tight enough that they won't cause any trouble, and NetWatch won't notice anything on our end."
Kiwi draped the towel over herself but made no effort to cover her chest. It simply wasn't worth the bother.
She casually returned to her room. By the time she changed clothes and came back out, everyone was already waiting in the vehicle.
"Hmm, you're all quick."
With a smile, she climbed inside.
Meanwhile, Mann's crew followed the steadily growing stream of traffic heading toward Corpo Plaza.
As they approached, they found the streets completely gridlocked.
Rebecca's patience had long since run out. She rolled down the window, leaned halfway outside, and started yelling at everyone around them.
"Are all of you trying to race your way to the grave? Why don't you go home instead of blocking the damn road?
Damn it, you're all dead. Pila, hand me my gun, mmmph?!"
Before Rebecca could finish, countless hostile stares locked onto her from nearby vehicles.
The people willing to gather here at a time like this weren't ordinary citizens.
Night City attracted the reckless, the dangerous, and the outright insane.
Compared to many of them, Mann's crew still looked somewhat inexperienced.
Most of their jobs rarely paid more than a million dollars. In contrast, nearly every gang considered truly hardcore in Night City had pulled at least one multimillion-dollar operation.
Without jobs of that scale, few people would take your reputation seriously.
Mann was highly skilled, and his crew had impressive combat ability, but he preferred safe contracts whenever possible. As a result, their reputation remained relatively average.
Just like now.
Pila wrapped both arms around Rebecca and used his newly repaired cybernetic hand to clamp her mouth shut.
"Shut up, Rebecca. Those guys are Predators.
They hit a Militech facility last month. Their entire cyberware loadout has probably been upgraded by now."
Dorio laughed.
"And those Necrowalkers, damn. Six months ago there were over a dozen of them.
Now their whole gang fits inside a single sports car.
Their boss, though? He's practically famous. I hear him running his mouth at Afterlife all the time.
Necrowalkers. They really did all become corpses."
She chuckled and waved toward the Necrowalkers.
The man who had been glaring at Rebecca noticed Dorio and turned to the passenger beside him.
"Boss, it's that crew from the South Side. Not famous, but they're capable.
I know Dorio. She nearly became a boxing champion last year before some Animal beat her down."
"Hmm."
The gang leader barely listened.
His attention remained fixed on the AVs flying overhead.
Police AVs were expected.
The frustrating part was seeing criminal organizations wealthy enough to own them as well.
Nothing was more irritating than watching someone else succeed on a level you couldn't reach.
While he stewed in silence, Rebecca was dragged back into the vehicle.
Looking at the endless traffic jam, Mann shook his head and laughed.
"Forget driving. We're walking."
"What about the car, Mann? Don't tell me we're ditching it," Pila asked with a grin.
Mann nodded.
"Leave it. We can steal another one later.
Didn't you hear the news? Arasaka already answered Axel's challenge, and Adam Smasher is on the way.
If I miss this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.
Come on. Everyone out."
"Alright!"
At Mann's order, the entire crew piled out and abandoned the battered vehicle in the middle of the road.
Just then, a massive biker sped past them.
Watching him disappear into the crowd, Lucy sighed.
"If we'd known, we should've brought motorcycles."
"There is no such thing as 'if we'd known.' There are only surprises and accidents."
Kiwi's response earned a few amused looks before the group continued forward.
At the same time, the biker who had just passed them was cursing under his breath.
"Damn it. The whole city is packed with idiots abandoning their cars just to watch the show. No wonder traffic's a disaster."
Jack Welles continued weaving through the congestion until he reached the police barricades at the front.
A grin spread across his face.
Parking beside a ripperdoc clinic, he climbed the exterior of a nearby abandoned building and made his way to the rooftop.
The roof was already crowded.
Several familiar faces from the Valentinos were scattered among the spectators.
Jack wasted no time joining them, using his gift for conversation to secure a prime viewing spot.
His mother ran a respected bar connected to the Valentinos, and Mama Welles herself commanded considerable respect.
Thanks to her reputation, and his own history as a former Valentino enforcer, Jack received a warm welcome wherever the gang gathered.
After reaching the front row, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Father! You came to watch too?"
As he greeted the old priest, Jack smoothly squeezed into an even better position.
The priest laughed.
"Of course. Nobody wants to miss today's event."
"Yeah. It's a showdown between the new legend and the old legend, Adam Smasher!"
Jack's excitement was obvious.
The priest smiled and shook his head.
"It is more than that, Jack.
A fight between two people alone wouldn't be enough to draw this much attention.
What you're seeing is a struggle over Night City's future.
Arasaka has dominated this city for years. The question is whether that dominance continues, or whether a new force rises and breaks the balance."
He placed a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"As a friend, I'll give you some information for free.
The new legend everyone is talking about has become very close to Rogue, the Queen of Afterlife. Many people already see him as Afterlife's new king, recognized by Rogue herself.
If Axel survives today, Afterlife will no longer be just a gathering place for fixers and mercenaries.
It will rise on Arasaka's blood and become a major power in Night City.
Remember, Afterlife sits only a short distance from Heywood.
Tell me, Jack. If that happens, do you think Heywood could eventually fall under the influence of Rogue and Axel?"
Jack stared at him, stunned.
"Wow..."
After a moment, he leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"If they can make Heywood a better place, I wouldn't care who collects protection money.
And honestly, working for people like Rogue and Axel sounds a lot more exciting than what we've got now.
Just don't let the Valentinos hear me saying that."
The priest laughed.
"Fair enough. Let's focus on the battle.
How far can your optics see? If they're not good enough, I have a polarized spectro-splitter implant you can borrow."
"I don't think an upgrade can save these cheap eyes. I'll stick with binoculars."
After chatting a little longer, Jack pulled out a pair of binoculars and aimed them toward the area in front of Konpeki Plaza.
A few moments later, he let out a jealous groan.
"Goddamn it. Those Arasaka corporate suits are kneeling in front of Axel and practically kissing his boots.
Now that's the life of a real boss."
===
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