Meredith's voice stayed calm, "What you've told me so far isn't enough to convince me."
The cold war between gangs and corps in Night City was old news: constant friction under the surface, a public "stability" everyone pretended to believe in.
Even as a Militech exec, Meredith didn't have the authority to go to war with a gang on a stranger's say-so. And she had no reason to trust a random merc off a few lines in a holo call.
Vash answered slowly, no impatience in his tone, "Ms. Stout, you don't have to believe me. But losing the Flathead has to be a problem for you, doesn't it? It's a one-off prototype. If your bosses pin it on you, I doubt you'll be smiling about it."
He paused, then added.
"And I can prove I'm not some nobody. My last contract was pulling Sandra Dorsett out of a Scavenger den — your colleague from Militech."
{T/N: She's about to get cement shoes as a "gift".}
At that, Meredith's gaze shifted — just for a heartbeat.
She'd heard about Sandra's incident. Kidnapped by Scavs, one step away from getting chopped for parts — until two mercs kicked the door in and flipped the whole situation.
"What are your terms?" Meredith asked, cutting straight to it.
She understood one rule better than most: nobody in this city did favors for free.
"What I want is simple — and well within your reach." Vash said, "I'll send you a location. You show up."
When the call ended, Vash headed for the ring.
Jackie was in the middle of training — working the mat with his new chrome.
For a guy built like a freight truck, Jackie moved fast. He pivoted, stepped in, and threw a punch so sharp it cracked the air with a low boom.
An ordinary person taking that hit wouldn't get back up.
Jackie finally stopped, breathing hard, sweat shining on his brow. "V, I'm used to the Gorilla Arms now. I'm ready to get serious anytime, choom."
Something in his voice had changed — less joking, more locked in.
Vash smiled, "Then tonight we pay Maelstrom a visit. And don't forget to pick up some iron from Vik."
Jackie grabbed a towel and wiped his face. "V, been meaning to ask… why you not getting any chrome? And your gear — don't look like much either."
He'd held it in for days. Now Jackie was kitted out, while Vash still looked like a blank slate.
"Don't worry about me." Vash said, "I've got my own way."
Jackie shrugged. "Alright. With your aim, worst case at All Foods — you lay down cover fire, and I'll blow Royce's head clean off."
He didn't press further. Best way to help Vash was to erase threats before they got close.
"That's enough talk." Vash said, "I've got business to handle. And yeah — grab some meds from Vik too."
"Relax, hermano. I got it."
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That "business" was simple: upgrade his toolkit.
His own R&D wasn't going to spit out results overnight, so for now he needed the kind of ridiculous hardware Night City was already hiding in plain sight.
Vash had a clear target. He made for Vista del Rey in Heywood, rolling into a familiar stretch of street.
'Yeah… I know this place.'
In the game, the street itself was nothing special. The interesting part was tucked near a dumpster, down an alley — one small "gift" waiting for the right hands.
He moved fast. When he found the fenced-in passage, he vaulted the wall in a few steps and dropped into the other side.
The alley was damp, dark, and rank — trash rot and old piss baked into the concrete. A corpse lay half-buried in the garbage.
Next to it: a bright yellow pistol.
Vash's eyes flicked over it. Exactly what he came for.
The iconic variant of the Arasaka HJKE-11 Yukimura — an AI smart pistol infamous for its "logical" worldview and its talent for driving people up the wall.
Skippy!
The moment he picked it up, a chirpy electronic voice sounded, and a little holographic rocket popped into view.
「New fingerprint detected.」
Vash smirked. He already knew this gun loved to mess with people, "Alright then — introduce yourself."
「User inquiry. Technical specifications: HJKE-11 built-in AI smart pistol. Name: Skippy.」
"Skippy." Vash said, "I'm your new owner."
「No objection found. Erasing current biological data. Building new biological profile.」
Vash didn't keep joking. He knew how it worked.
Skippy could auto-aim and auto-fire when the user was threatened, with two main modes: Puppy-Loving Pacifist, which specialized in shots to the limbs, and Stone Cold Killer, which specialized in headshots.
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Evening came fast. Vash's meet with Meredith was set at in Kabuki's No-Tell Motel.
When Meredith stepped into the room, she found Vash already waiting, as if he'd been there for ages.
Vash spoke politely, "Ms. Stout — before we talk, mind turning off the listening device? That brooch is a cute little bug, but if we're going to cooperate… we should show some sincerity. Don't you think?"
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)