"Had a couple drinks with Jackie up there. Figured I'd drop by on my way down."
Vash came down the stairs and caught one of Judy's monitors tuned to N54. The anchor — Gillean Jordan — was running her mouth about Militech's next move: pushing into Northside Watson.
「Hello, dear Night City viewers, it's your presenter Gillean!」
「Today, let's chat about the latest happenings in Night City. Just this morning, Militech announced that they will soon officially move into the old industrial zone of Northside Watson, turning it into Research Institute No. 2.」
「As we all know, that area is currently Maelstrom turf — cyberpsycho central. So why would Militech plant a research facility right in the middle of that den? Let's hear what the people in charge have to say.」
The feed cut to an interview segment — softball questions, corporate smiles, carefully polished answers that said a whole lot of nothing.
"I just turned it on at random." Judy said quickly, like she could talk her way out of being interested.
Vash nodded, "Good. Helps to keep tabs on what's happening outside your little cave."
Judy leaned back in her chair, "So… how'd it go with Maelstrom?"
Vash sat down and spoke like he was recapping a grocery run, "Went fine. Maelstrom's old boss was Brick, but his underling, Royce, replaced him. Royce tried to zero us, so I put him down."
Judy couldn't help smiling — no way it had been as simple as he made it sound. With Maelstrom, it never was.
"So next, you're gonna klep something from Yorinobu Arasaka." She said.
"That's the gig." Vash replied.
A brief silence settled between them, the hum of Judy's equipment filling the gap. Then she asked, almost too casually, "I'll still get to eat your cooking, right?"
"Of course."
Even though Judy had already made her deal with Vash — Lizzie's gun in exchange for help — the closer the Relic heist got, the more that uneasy feeling crawled up her spine.
"I hate this, V." She admitted, "Can't talk Ev out of it. She's too far gone — too damn radical."
"It's not on you." Vash said, voice steady, "Everybody walks their own road and makes their own calls. You chose to build braindances your way — try to fight the rot BD tech keeps feeding this city. Other people will trade everything they've got for eddies and status." He paused, "And whatever the price is, they pay it themselves."
For a second, he sounded almost like Delamain — cold philosophy delivered in a calm, polite tone.
Judy snorted, then smiled, "V… do mercs gotta study philosophy now?"
"Helps the conversation sound classy." Vash said, deadpan.
The weight in the room eased. Truth was, he wasn't trying to impress her — he was warning her, gently, before the crash came.
Evelyn couldn't handle an op this big, but she also wouldn't back off until the walls caved in. Vash didn't pity her, and he didn't pretend she was some helpless victim.
Strip away the drama and it came down to one rule: in Night City, you own your choices.
Vash shifted topics, "Judy, you ever think about Night City's legends?"
Judy rolled her eyes, "Old story. Mercs, street punks, Jig-Jig Street, Totentanz… doesn't matter who you're talking about, it always circles back to 'legends'. Stan screams about it every morning on the radio. Only thing I remember is this — Night City's legends usually end up in a graveyard."
Vash smiled, slow and sharp, "After tomorrow, Night City gets two more legends. The breathing kind."
Judy lifted her chin, "Then this vibe needs a drink. Otherwise I'd have to give the proper toast."
They looked at each other — and cracked up.
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After leaving Lizzie's, Vash headed for Viktor's clinic.
The Relic heist meant tangling with Arasaka's full weight — security, counterintel, netrunners, the whole machine. Prep had to be airtight.
When Vash arrived, Jackie was still out cold from anesthesia, laid up on the chair like a downed boxer between rounds.
Viktor poured Vash a drink, "Jack told me your job tomorrow night's tied to Arasaka."
Vash took a sip, unfazed, "We're just taking a little tour of Konpeki Plaza."
Viktor's mouth tugged into something that wasn't quite a smile, "People say Night City's legends all end up in the graveyard. But there are exceptions." He paused, "Jack sounded damn confident when he talked to me."
"He's always confident." Vash said, "C'mon, Vik. Have a little faith in us too."
Viktor pushed up his glasses, gaze turning distant for a moment, "If you're gonna do it…" His voice slowed, like he was weighing every word, "Then make Night City boil. Plenty of eyes will be watching."
Back in his youth, he'd collected more than a few honors in the boxing ring. In a way, cyberware surgery and boxing were the same thing to him — precision, pain, and survival.
People raised on the street only ever learned one rule:
Either become a legend… Or spend your whole life looking up at one.
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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)
Take a look at the new book I'm translating on my profile, Umamusume Pretty Derb: I'm Just a Trainer! Its also on my website for $5 too!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)