nayfen

[nayfen]

Of Mech and Monsters

Read the full chapter on Ao3

Chapter Two - Here be Monsters

She was weightless and unsteady as she began to move forward with a sudden, extreme acceleration. What was weird was that this feeling was familiar to her; it wasn’t unlike the feeling of jacking into the Net—that feeling of weightlessness, the pull as your consciousness is drawn out of your body and digitised. 

The speed however, and the constant spinning as her body spiralled through the seemingly endless void around her was not familiar, and it was entirely unwelcomed. 

And then it was over, as her body was unceremoniously discarded onto the cold stone floor of the cave, her Tsunami clattering off into the gloom with an echoed cacophony. 

She pushed herself up onto her knees briefly before doubling over, as she vomited her displeasure. 

Once she was finished, she wiped her mouth on her jacket sleeve and was vaguely aware of movement behind her. 

“I see you’re not a fan of portals either...” The gruff, stern voice of the Witcher sounded out in the gloom. 

“Ha... Nope, not my thing...” V sighed as she stumbled to her feet. 

She sighted the discarded weapon and moved to retrieve it. As she did, she had a sense that something was... off. She paused for a moment, and raised her arms, staring at them blankly. 

“Everything alright?” Geralt asked flatly. 

“I...” V began but paused mid-thought. Was everything alright? 

She felt... quiet... still. It was a peculiar feeling, and she couldn’t quite put it into words.  

She held her hand out flat as if checking for any trembling. They were still, incredibly so, considering the high-adrenaline method of her arrival. 

That’s when she saw it, and the pieces began to fall into place; at both the bottom left and the top right of her heads-up display above her map (which was blank), a message read 'CONNECTION ERROR.’ 

Ordinarily, it would display the specific IP address of whatever subnet she was connected to at the time. It was always connected, even when she slept. Seeing it not connected was... unsettling to say the least. But it got her thinking, ‘Maybe that’s why I feel so... quiet?’ She was disconnected. 

Her body was organic for the most part, but a large part of it was mechanical, bio-chemical hardware. Bioconductors, Synapse Accelerators, Reflex tuners, all her augmentations designed to make her abilities enhanced. Most of these augments were part of her now, running off her biochemical rhythms and they didn’t need an active connection to the Net, but some did!  

Her navigational sub-systems for a start, which explained why her map was blank. Her holo, giving her access to her contacts. Hell, even some of her quick hacks were stored remotely and accessed on demand; that meant that she had limited access to her hacks. The Net was gone, or at least her connection to it, and she could feel its absence. The quiet, as if she stood in a void absent of technology; its incessant hum extinguished. 

If she wasn’t so goddammed frightened for its loss, it could be considered quite peaceful. 

She felt a sharp pain as both her knees slammed into the floor of the cave as she fell. Her eyes, which she hadn’t realised had closed, shot open as her face collided with the stone. Or at least, would’ve done if it weren’t for Geralt, who had caught her. He spun her around to face him. 

“Hey! Stay with me!” He cried out as her eyes flickered. Her heart rate had sped up dramatically...

Read the full chapter on Ao3

[nayfen]

Of Mech and Monsters

Super excited to share this one; had a blast writing it! 😊 Check back next week for the conclusion! Read the full chapter on Ao3 Chapter One - Playing with Portals

It took months of convincing, whittling her down- pleading that they’d take all necessary precautions. Finally, they were here, back where V swore she'd never tread. The Cynosure Lab. 

The reason, of course, was Judy. She was the reason V did most things now that she had her life back. A normal lifespan was all anyone could wish for, but for V, after slotting the Relic, she had to fight tooth and nail to get even that. And she’d managed it, with the help of her friends, allies and her wife Judy. 

Ever since V mentioned her... ordeal at the Cynosure Labs, Judy was obsessed, much to the displeasure of V; the Cynosure Labs was one of the most trying experiences of V’s entire life, and she’s had far too many trying experiences to count. This one though, was on a whole different level. All alone, trapped in the dark, a monster stalking her, searching for her, and a demon in her ear, taunting her every step of the way. She was powerless, which for V, was crippling. 

She was lucky to make it out alive, and honestly, to this day, two years since setting foot here, she couldn’t quite remember how she’d made it out alive. 

She remembered being there, in the control room, trying to help Songbird who was trapped in the central core, a rogue AI from beyond the Blackwall poisoning her thoughts and turning her against V. She was about to bust her out when that damned mech showed up, the Cerberus Mech that had stalked her, chased her across the whole damned facility and had finally cornered her; it smashed through the glass of the observation window and was on her, stretching its spinning drill towards her face. And then. 

She was in an apartment in Brooklyn, NYC. Song So Mi was stood over by the window. Only it was a memory. Or at least it was Songbird’s memory of a memory. A safe harbour. A walled off, parcel in her mind that she protected from the intrusion. They talked, for what seemed like hours as she recollected her early years, the months leading up to her recruitment into the Federal Intelligence Agency- the FIA. 

After V convinced her that she was there to help, Songbird saved her. V was released from her apartment and returned to reality to find the mech powering down. She was then able to secure Songbird and pull her out of that hell hole. 

And now she was back here. And she agreed to it! She could be a real sucker when it came to pleasing her wife. 

Judy of course was obsessed by the tantalising legacy tech that was left to rot in the Lab. Couldn’t get it out of her mind. Fast forward to today, and they were as prepped as they were ever going to be. 

They’d found a way down into the Lab that didn’t involve diving into a bottomless pit and landing in freezing, putrid water. Handy as the amount of tech they’d brought with them would not do well if wet. They had set up a generator on the surface, complete with surge protection, and backup power oscillators, just in case.  

Additionally, they’d set up a dedicated sub-net and brought signal boosters with them. This meant that they’d have Net connectivity down there, and secure connectivity at that. If there was any remnant of that rogue AI down there, and if it... attempted to invade her mind, then they’d be connected to a secure and isolated net. Which they had complete control over. Security. Peace of mind, or so Judy said. 

And lights. They had a LOT of lights. Floodlights at the surface, headlamps attached via rather fetching headbands, glow sticks to light their descent and portable construction lamps to illuminate the area once they were inside. And they planned on restoring power to the Lab, at least partially, enough to turn on the lights. She wasn’t about to be stuck down there in the darkness again. 

V turned to Judy, who was performing the final checks before making their descent. 

“Power’s on… Oscillators… oscillating… Subnet’s good to go…” She murmured under her breath. V moved in, sweeping her arms around her from behind and moved in to kiss her shoulder. “Hey, you!” She purred, twisting her head to kiss V’s lips. 

“Hey… are we all set?” V asked hesitantly, in absolutely no rush to get down there. 

“Looks like it… just need to gather my gear.” 

“Cool… cool…” V breathed, releasing her and shuffling her feet, staring at the ground. She felt a hand squeeze her arm. 

“Hey… if you’re not ready… we could try another day…” Judy expressed affectionately. V looked up into those sweet, considerate eyes of hers. She smiled warmly. 

“Nah… I’ll be OK, can’t let all this prep go to waste!” She jested, looking around at the assortment of equipment humming around her. 

“Are you sure?” Judy urged. V nodded. “Well, let’s get going!”

Read the rest on Ao3

[nayfen]

Falling Phoenix - These Fleeting Nights

Read the rest on A03

Ex wasted no time, blazing the engines as soon as she’d settled Taco down, increasing thrust and altitude, fleeing the patter of gunfire on the reinforced hull. 

As it spun around, some of its passengers opened fire, raining death onto the assaulting line as they flew over. V saw Tiny Mike laying down suppressing fire alongside Crispin Weyland. And she saw Rogue, huddled with a mix of other Afterlife Mercs, giving their attackers hell. She caught her eye and waved. The AV came about, and just as it seemed they were clear of the fighting, a sequence of beeping tones began to emanate from the front of the AV.  

“Oh my…” Ex murmured in a dulcet yet panicked tone. V looked down and knew exactly what those beeps meant- incoming projectile. She saw a smoke trail from the top of a building, and at its head, a missile headed straight for them. 

V froze, her mind flailing as time seemed to stand still.  

 It wasn’t fair… She was cured, could she not catch a fucking break? Seriously… was she cursed, did the universe hate her? It can’t end like this, blown up in an AV alongside my family on the cusp of freedom. 

“No…” V murmured to herself as she put her plan into action. As plans go, it was probably on par with her decision to drag Jefferson out the window of Night Corp HQ. She still had no RAM, meaning she had no capacity to initiate any of her quick hacks.  

Instead, she opened her command protocols, and manually triggered an Overheat hack. On her own systems. The effect was instantaneous, as her brain cried out in burning agony. Before she lost all control over her body, she leapt from the AV. 

She hoped she understood missile tracking correctly. There were different type of course; radar guided, remotely controlled, but the most common type was heat seeking. An AV runs hot, but she hoped against all odds, that a sudden heat signature dropping downwards suddenly, would be enough to affect the missiles tracking. 

She of course, didn’t think it all the way through to its conclusion however, as, if successful, the missile would them head straight towards her. Which it did. 

The missile suddenly dropped it trajectory as V fell from the fleeing AV. She crashed into the rusted roof of a water tank, plunging into the cold depths seconds before the missile impacted into the side of the tank. 

The explosion ripped across the city, its impacts blowing a hole in the tank, smashing its supports and causing it to tumble off the roof of its building, spilling its contents, V included into the small scrapyard below...

Read the rest on A03

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (9/9)

Chapter 9 - Over the Edge

Read the full chapter on AO3

The gunfire was relentless. Arasaka troopers had been pushed back to the final barricade around the front entrance. The constant pummelling of bullets ringing off the metal made it sound like a hailstorm.

Panam was considering falling back into the hospital until the bullets stopped. There were a series of explosions and a distant chorus of new weapons fire sounding out from behind their attackers.

Panam took a swift glance over the barricade and saw that their attackers had turned and were now firing behind them, using their own trucks as cover and as a result, opened their flank to them.

“Open fire!” Panam cried and engaged them with renewed vigour, she didn’t know who was helping them, but she was sure grateful for the assist.

The Arasaka and Millitech line began to falter as they were now pinned down from the front and the back. One soldier broke cover to hide from Panam’s shots, only to be gun down from his rear.

One soldier made a break for it, sprinting straight towards their barricade, peppering the cover with bullets. His sprint suddenly ended as a series of bullets shattered through his armour from over Panam’s head. He fell to the ground in a heap.

“About time they showed up!” A voice cried out from behind them. V stood in the doorway and everyone cheered as she joined them behind cover. Judy dropped her gun and wrapped her hand around her tightly, catching her shoulder and causing her to cry out.

“Woah! What the heck!” She said, staring at her bloodied, bandaged shoulder.

“I’m fine!” She snapped quickly, eager to seize this opportunity. She spun up her holo. “Okay, Ex... it’s now or never!” She cried over the hail of gunfire. Moments later an AV swooped in low under the bridge above them and landed between them and their attackers. A Rayfield Excalibur, its doors swinging open invitingly.

“Jump in! It may be a bit of a squeeze!” Excelsior cried out. V made to move towards the AV but was stopped in her tracks.

“I’m not leaving him here!” Emily cried out, “I won’t do it!” She peeked around her cover and across to the body of her son, lying on his back, his prominent belly up. His body was a hundred meters or so passed the relative safety of the AV at the first set of barricades they made. V felt a pit in her stomach. Panam stepped in next to Emily and crouched down.

“Emily… there won’t be room…” She began.

“We’ll make room!” She snapped, crying eyes of fury turning to stare into Panam’s, “He’s, my son!” She whimpered. Panam’s eyebrows dropped, along with her face, the sadness easy to read. Before she could answer, V interrupted.

“Let’s bring your son home…” She said somewhat heroically, “I’ll cover you!” V cried as she assumed a position at the edge of the barricade.

After a few seconds, she popped up, firing towards the troops, some of which had improvised a makeshift barricade, providing them rudimentary cover from both sides.

Mitch, Panam and Emily rushed across the gap, past the AV and arrived safely across to the barricade near Jake’s body. With Panam and Mitch lifting from his broad shoulders, and Emily lifting the legs, they were able to lift his large body and move him across to the AV.

8ug8ear, Judy, and Dakota moved across and piled in. V made her move but tripped on something. She looked down into the open, vacant eyes of Taco. Her heart leapt into her mouth. She’d met him back at camp ages ago and shared a beer with him and his twin brother Jeff, and then again in Night City where he had accompanied Carol, Cassidy and Teddy to a deal with a group of Scavs. She ended up drinking with the brother’s that evening too. She leaned down, pressed her fingers down gently onto his eyelids and closed them. Then she picked him up and ran for the AV.

Ex wasn’t lying; it was cramped – made more for luxury city travel rather than drop zone exfiltration. With the bodies of Jake lying on the sofa and now Taco’s which she lowered down on the small glass table, it was standing room only.

Ex wasted no time, blazing the engines as soon as she’d settled Taco down, increasing thrust and altitude, fleeing the patter of gunfire on the reinforced hull.

As it spun around, some of its passengers opened fire, raining death onto the assaulting line as they flew over. V saw Tiny Mike laying down suppressing fire alongside Crispin Weyland. And she saw Rogue, huddled with a mix of other Afterlife Mercs, giving their attackers hell. She caught her eye and waved. As the AV doors closed, she saw her issue an order to pull back and start the retreat.

V leaned against the side of the door of the AV, squeezing herself between Judy and Panam. She couldn’t help looking down at Jake’s face. It looked so… peaceful.

“He had a beautiful singing voice…” V said aloud, a tear dripping down her cheek as she thought back to that night. The night before the raid on Arasaka, she spent a while with the Aldecaldos, sat around the campfire. Jake was playing his guitar, serenading them. It warmed her heart knowing that she had a hand in allowing him to sit there and play by securing a kidney implant for his sickle cell anaemia. It was a sweet moment… the calm before the storm that followed.

She turned to Emily. “Emily… I’m sorry for your loss... this is…” She was interrupted.

“V… you saved my sons life, gave him more time to spend with his family… he’s returned that debt now, do not be sorry… he died bravely!” She said, rubbing her son’s arm. V was a little taken aback, but grateful for her kind words.

Seeking further solace, V turned to Panam and before she could say anything, she spoke.

“Don’t even start, V... we all knew the risks and they’ll be honoured when the times right. What’s important is that we got you out safe!” She smiled, patting her shoulder. “Thanks… for bringing them with us.” She added with a smile.

“I couldn’t leave Taco… his brother would want a proper send off…” V said, her bottom lip quivering. She looked away forcing herself not to dwell and addressed the AV, “Thanks for the pickup, Ex... since when did you have an AV?”

“It was a gift, a business arrangement after transporting a rather distressed Charles Sutton Junior to the airport!” Ex recounted.

“Charles Sutton Jr... CEO of Rayfield? He was in NC?” Dakota cried out.

“He was! He had an unfortunate run-in with a gang of Maelstrom. I rescued him, and in return he provided me an AV and the means to pilot it!” He said cheerfully.

“Wait... you rescued him?” V said, chuckling,

“Affirmative!”

“Remind me to ask you about that story another time, Ex!” She said chuckling to herself.

Read the rest on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (8/9)

Chapter 8 - All In!

Read the full chapter on AO3

“Hold on!” V cried and the van smashed through the BioDyne Security barrier at speed, causing the truck to shudder and the guards to scatter. V glanced over at the side mirror and saw that Natasha was right behind them. “Everyone alright?” She called out over her shoulder. There was a flurry of answers.

“Fine!”

“Just peachy...”

“Can we stop for doughnuts?”

“You alright driving, Pan?” V asked, looking into the rear-view mirror and catching her eye.

“Think so... but I’m worried that they’ll follow us...” She said, eyes on the road as they drove down the winding road into the city. V moved to the rear of the truck, held on tight to the handlebar by the door and opened one of them. They had just exited the mini roundabout in North Oak and were headed down the winding road of Wolf Grade hill.

She glanced up and saw Natasha, her alarmed face made her smile, and she gave a polite wave and then glanced up the hill. Nothing following yet. Could be they were too busy reacting to the hack.

Taking a quick glance at her heads-up display to confirm the link was still active, she spoke, “Natasha, take the first exit towards Westbrook, Japantown and blend into the city traffic. Head to the rendezvous when you’re sure it's safe!” Her voice raised over the wind and the rumble of the wheels and traffic. She saw her nod. “And thank you... you did great!” She said, giving her a thumbs up.

The truck had reached the bottom of Wolf Grade hill and merged into Westbrook central roundabout. She watched as Natasha peeled off as instructed and they continued around, towards the city centre. V leaned out to close the door, but just as she did, she saw two Millitech transports swerving their way around the roundabout, headed straight for them.

“Shit! They’re following us!” She called out. She wasn’t sure whether any had followed Natasha, but it was too late to do anything now. “Floor it, Panam!”

Exiting the roundabout, Panam did just that, and the truck groaned in response, building speed. Panam leaned out the back door and saw their pursuers leaning out the windows, guns raised.

“Shit!” She cried as she swung the door closed. “Get down!” She cried as a swathe of bullets peppered the rear of the truck, rattling in a bitter cacophony. Only a few bullets punched clean through the metal doors, and seemingly missed their mark.

V raised her gun, held on tight and kicked open the door. The lead transport was streaming along behind them and the other on its flank. Panam was speeding down the road and just as V raised her gun, she turned onto Silk Road West at speed.

The resulting momentum and shift in the inertia caused V to lose her footing and she fell out of the truck losing her grip on the handle.

Miraculously she managed to grip the inside handle of the door just as it flung open, dragging her clean out of the truck as she held on for dear life, feet dangling in the air, door swinging wildly.

As the truck levelled out, the door began to swing back, and she managed to use the momentum to pull her legs in and gripped onto the bottom of the door. Clinging on like a barnacle on the side of a ship, she twisted her body as she raised her gun and opened fired, cracking the windshield of the leading transport, aiming for the driver. She heard more gunfire coming from the open doorway but couldn’t look to see who was aiding her.

Another trooper leaned out of the rear left window, and she adjusted her aim, unloading her last couple of shots into his chest. The timing was perfect because the truck lurched again, turning right onto Republic Way, heading straight into the city centre.

The door swung closed rapidly, sending V hurtling back into the truck, knocking Judy and 8ug as they crumpled into a heap.

“Jesus, Panam!” V cried out, untangling herself from 8ug and Judy’s limbs to clamber back to her feet. She glanced back out of the right-side rear door and saw that one of the transports had stopped the pursuit.

She paused, moving a little closer to the rear and squinted. She thought she might have seen another two transports headed their way. This was hopeless, they needed to ditch the truck. She rushed to the front, peering in through the window to get an idea where they were going. “There!” She cried, pointing down the road. “Head straight down there, Memorial Park Station. We can lose them on the metro!”

Read the full chapter on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (7/9)

Chapter 7 - Siege of BioDyne

Read the full chapter on AO3

The next few days were some of the most relaxing she’d ever spent in Night City; the two of them needed some time to recover from their injuries but as it happened, it was nice to simply slow down and take stock.

Night City had a way of pulling you forward. Steering you through its twists and turns at terminal velocity until you either wipe out or lean into the rhythm.

Doing nothing was refreshing, and it was made all the nicer doing it with Judy.

Of course, there was still one last task to accomplish; one final hurdle to cross to V’s recovery.

She’d met with Matt, Biotechnica’s top (only) Geneticist and delivered her eye. He’d shown her the comparison of her DNA, a before and after, and even she could see the differences. He pointed out some scarring and some similarities between the DNA; turned out she and Johnny weren’t so different after all. More importantly, he was confident he could work with it and that, together with the Nanites, he could fix her.

She put him in touch with Placide and shared the data he’d provided her. She figured the more information he had, the better her chances. She also provided him with a copy of the Relic documentation she’d received from Anders Hellman, in case this provided some insight into the extent of the damage caused by the Relic and how it was designed to function.

On Matt’s recommendation, she was about to contact a doctor to assist with the operation. And she had someone in mind.

She engaged her holo and reached out to someone she thought she’d never contact again; Dennis Cranmer. She met him in the afterlife, and against her better judgement, accepted a gig from him. He was a client that was intent on avoiding the use of a fixer. Of course, the whole thing was a shit show, but despite that, she managed to secure the “package”; one Haruyoshi Nishikata.

“Hey, Dennis...” She said when the call eventually connected, “Hope you’re staying out of trouble?”

If she was to have any shot at this, she needed the best, and who better than Haruyoshi Nishikata, world's best brain surgeon, number one.

Dennis, with only a light amount of threatening, informed her that Haruyoshi had set up a clinic in Heywood under the name of Hidetoshi Hasagawa. He provided the contact detes and she spun up the holo once more and, after a few seconds, the call connected.

“Hasagawa Clinic, top service, world best...” Haruyoshi began.

“Heeeeey, it’s V... remember, I helped you out... Dennis gave me your...”

“Ah! V! Best Merc, top of all, good instincts! Good to hear you!”

“Glad you remember me... Listen, I could use your skills... Can we meet?”

She felt a bit like a fixer putting together a gig; reaching out to contacts, arranging meetings, providing intel. She was putting a team together; a team to save her life, and one to help her acquire the final piece of the puzzle.

Natasha knew the nanites- with enough time, she could program them to tattoo the Mona Lisa on the inside of a stomach- but she was no surgeon, and neither was Matt. Her hope was that Haruyoshi would be willing to help. She also hoped that he could give her a check-up; she wanted to be absolutely sure that there was no damage to her brain after the relic.

Read the full chapter on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (6/9)

Chapter 6 - Blink of an Eye

Read the full chapter on AO3

V stiffened as the man who once saved her life approached her out of the gloom. Her hand shot down to her grip on her Malorian and tightened. Her initial instinct was to draw on him, but his approach was slow, and he stopped once he was fully illuminated in the dimness of the lab, staring directly at her.

“Goro? I...“ V began as she studied his stoic features. Judy rushed to V’s side.

“V… are we good here?” she asked timidly, her hand itching towards her piece. V raised her hand and grazed Judy’s arm slightly; she couldn’t manage much else right now as she’d not expected to ever see Goro Takemura again. Her mind reeled as she quickly calculated her options, her mix of emotions clouding her conscious thoughts. Having Judy by her side was both a strength and a weakness. 

Against every fibre of her instincts and what she hoped was a show of good faith, she released her pistol, lifting her arms out slowly.

“Listen… I know you’re probably pissed at me…” V began, lowering her eyes down slightly to avoid staring directly into the piercing gaze on Goro’s face. “To be honest, I’m not best pleased with you either... saw your N54 confession...” She took a breath, as her hand began to quiver. “You sold me out, man! After everything we went through...“ She breathed heavily. He said nothing, just stood stoically watching, waiting.

“And your voicemail...” V continued, “...It painted quite the picture! But come on…! What did you expect from a low-life street kid like me, huh?”

“I expected much more, V!” Takemura growled loudly, his arms shaking with anger. “I thought…” He started, also lowering his head and sighed. “I thought we’d come to an understanding. You should have listened to me. To Hanako-San. You shamed me, V… Your foolish actions, Kuso!”-Shit!  He roared, pointing at her accusatorially. “What were you thinking, joining with those Nomads and attacking Arasaka Tower!?”

“I was thinking I wanted to live!” V screamed, advancing on Goro. “Come on man! Put yourself in my shoes for a millasec and you’d realise that I couldn’t trust Hanako!” V wanted, no, needed him to understand. “Goro… please listen. I didn’t mean to dishonour you or whatever, I’m forever grateful for what you did for me. But… when I was on that roof, on the brink of death and weighing up my options… I realised that submitting to Hanako and Arasaka would’ve been the end for me! I mean God, you even know what she asked of me?! Wanted me to nark on Yorinobu inside Arasaka to all the bigwig-board members, and tell them that he’s a filthy kin-killer… You tellin’ me that I would’ve gotten out of that sitch alive! Nah!” V shook her head.

Takemura looked up at V, his eyes deep and hard to read, but V saw the slightest hint of sadness in them. “Hanako had everything planned, V! Yorinobu would have gotten the justice he deserved, and you would be rid of that relic!”

“I am rid of it Goro, and yet I’m still dyin’!” V roared. “You tellin’ me that Arasaka would’ve accounted for the fact that ol’ Johnny had scrambled up my DNA so that my fucking body doesn’t recognise me anymore, huh! You have any idea what that fuckin’ feels like? To be a stranger in your own skin…” Her left arm trembled at the thought of Johnny as angry and hateful tears filled her eyes. 

Fucking Johnny man. She missed him like crazy, but damn was it a double-edged sword. It wasn’t his fault, was the damned relic. But Johnny… towards the end, they were thick as thieves and ultimately, he’d done what he promised her and saved her life. Again. She’d never forget that. But he’d left his scars, on her body and in her heart.

Takemura stood still, his eyes fixed on V. She could see him contemplating, mulling it over so that he understood, at least in one way or another.

“Look Goro… Arasaka ain’t doing well right now, and whether that’s partly my doing or not who knows… but the fact is that its “Secure your soul” program is a complete shit show! We’ve seen the stats, we’ve seen the death count… Arasaka bit off more than they could chew and I’ve no doubt that if I’d trusted Hanako, I’d be in the same fucking boat as I am now, but probably worse ‘cause I’d be in bed with those corpo-cunts.” V spat. She wanted him to see reason. 

An old proverb came to mind that might resonate with him; she’d signed up for a weekly words-of-wisdom holo digest a while back. She did it as a reminder of Takemura and his insistence on sharing them with her. “Listen, Goro... you and I... we are friends, or at least we were friends. ‘The tiger may enter the city and find himself surrounded by unknown dangers, but if he befriends a cat, he may walk tall, as he walks with a friend from a different world.’ I read that a few months ago and thought it was utter drivel. But then, it dwelled on me... that’s us, Goro! People so different from each other, but somehow, we worked together and found companionship!”

V was done. She'd said her piece and time was running short. She wanted him to understand and part as friends but didn’t want to waste time. She moved closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, which he allowed. “Listen, we gotta run… I think I’ve found a way to fix this and I’m running out of time. It… it was good to see you Goro!” She said, a wide smile filling her face. “Take care,” V said, patting his shoulder and turning to scan the shelves. 

Then she stopped, frozen in place. It suddenly dawned on her that she’d been a total gonk! Why the fuck was Takemura here? And where the fuck was Vik? V whirled back to Goro.

“Goro… where’s Vik?” V asked nervously, as a thought crossed her mind that she’d hoped was false. Takemura froze and suddenly there was a shift from behind. V turned to face her would-be foe, staring into the darkness as a rippling, distortion approached her at staggering speeds. Someone in Optic camo. “Judy! Run!” V cried as the blade swung from the darkness towards her.

She was millasecs’ away from engaging her implants to counteract the speed of the attack, when a second blade swung in from the left, blocking the first. She turned to see Goro, his eyes fixed on V.

“Go! Get out of here now!” He roared.

“Uragirimono!”-Traitor, a voice cried as the Optic camo cleared, revealing Oda. He pushed back Goro’s blade and continued his attack on V who drew her iron. Pop pop pop, each shot as fast as her fingers could move and each shot dodged by Oda and his combat implants. He was on her, blade aimed for her chest when suddenly she was blocked again. 

A sickening sound resonated in the vast basement, as Oda’s blade plunged deep through Judy’s Torso. Its apex appeared through Judy’s grey top, and V’s eyes followed it as it paused in place, slick red with her blood.

Read the full chapter on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (5/9)

Chapter 5 - Return to NC

Read the full chapter on AO3

The convoy, or at least a core component of it; those handpicked for the mission ahead, had set up camp a few miles off the 101 and several miles outside of Night City. They’d set up behind a large rocky outcrop; the only discernible feature for miles. Their camp was the only sign of the civilised world which meant, they were in a good location before they made their way into Night City. Quiet. Safe. V was sat in their tent, Judy curled up beside her with her BD Wreathe on, tinkering away on something. V spun up were holo and waited. "V? Wow… this is a surprise. You must be pretty confident that I don’t plan on ratting you out and claiming that big ol’ bounty of yours…” Rogue drawled in her usual resting-bitch-tone. “Nice to hear your voice too, Rogue…” V replied, rolling her eyes, “…though starting to question my decision on which fixer would be up to the task I have.” “Let me guess, you need a way back into Night City. A way which keeps you hidden from Arasaka, Kang Tao, Militech, the NUSA Government… should I keep listing?” She asked, and V could almost hear her sly smirk. “Yeah… lotta enemies… though I’d like to think that I’ve also got a lotta friends too…” She ventured, grasping at straws. Rogue was quiet for a while, possibly putting her on hold, but more likely weighing up her options. Eventually, she let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Fine… I can help you. But I need you to know that if I was one for chasin’ eddies, it’d be far better for me to blow the whistle on you to all my clientele. I’m sure that speaks volumes…” Rogue lowered her voice, and V could tell it was strained when she said, “…Call it… a favour for Johnny…” “Thanks, Rogue, love you too…” She smiled, “You uh… got any initial ideas?” “I do as a matter of fact… Just need Nix to dig up the blueprints and I’ll arrange the transfer momentarily. I’m sure Panam will be able to come up with the rest. Be in touch, V. Oh… and do be careful, won’t you?” ‘Well fuck me!’ V thought, a genuine heartfelt moment from Rogue. She really did care!

The next morning, they’d join Panam and Mitch and were discussing their next steps. “The Maglev tunnels, huh!” Panam wondered, scratching her head. “It’s not ideal… We’d be on foot for a start…” “Well, yeah Pan… s’not like we could just roll the entire convoy up to the front gates!” V exclaimed, “Gotta be a bit subtle about it…” They were staring at the plans Rogue sent over, which they’d displayed on a digi-table. “We’ll need to enter from the surface… that’s gonna take a LOT of power!” Mitch pointed out, peering over the plans, “Best we find a portion of the tunnel close to the surface.” The Maglev line was used to connect Night City to others across the continent; Washington, Atlanta, and Kansas City. The network stretched thousands of miles across the NUSA, via tunnels and on the surface. After the 4th Corporate War, the network was left in ruins and abandoned with much of the surface lines destroyed, and the entrances to the tunnels long sealed. But the tunnels still existed, in one form or another. Mitch had shared his own stories about an attack they were involved with, which ended in the sabotage of one such tunnel entrance. “I’ve actually been in one of the tunnels…” V chimed in, recollecting her brush with Madame Brigitte and Placide, “…nearly didn’t make it out thanks to my charming new friends in the Voodoo boys…” Panam shook her head, “V… how is your life not an action BD Series… honestly!” She laughed, along with the others. V ignored her. “If we could find our way there, might be a potential way into Night City… If the Voodoo Boys haven’t… moved back in…” V trailed off, as images of the singed bodies of the VB runners after Alt fried them while jacked in near the Blackwall, bubbled to the surface. “We’ll need to run some subterranean scans, and find the best place to breach through,” Mitch muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. V was sure he was thinking aloud rather than to any of them. “We got the tech to do that?” Panam asked thinking that the answer was ‘No’. “Well… No… not exactly. The Panzer has a scanner for searching for mines, but it's forward-facing. Might be able to tweak it, re-position and crank up the voltage.” Mitch got up to leave the room. “Uh… Mitch?” Panam put her hands up, cocking her head to him. “What? I need to run some tests… May I please be excused?” He asked with a sly smile. “Well of course… thanks for asking…” Panam trailed off as he left the room.

Read the full chapter on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (4/9)

Chapter 4 - Arizona Sunrise

Read the full chapter on AO3

They’d landed back in Las Vegas airstrip, twenty minutes or so ago and were sat in the local Buck-a-slice, drinking a coffee; V’s double shot with milk, cream and sugar was going down a treat, considering the source.

They had a plan; well part of a plan at least, a work in progress. Panam had been mobile when she’d called; a few miles out of Tucson and their new but familiar home. They were about to start the leg of the journey from Las Vegas to Tucson, by road, but V had a surprise and was currently stalling for time.

Judy sat on the edge of her seat, unconsciously stirring her drink, a caramel latte, her eyes, which were fixed on the rim of her cup, were glazed over.

She’d been fairly quiet on the flight over, and V was sure that she was still dwelling on her latest ‘episode’. “Hey! Talk to me...” V broke the silence, kicking her gently on the leg to get her attention.

“Oh... Sorry, was miles away...” Judy said, her eyes present and looking at V’s. They held a distant sadness as the fluorescent light reflected off them.

“I could tell...” She murmured, “Try to stop dwelling on it? It’s only been, what, a month?” V mused as her mind tried to recount the last few weeks; when you weren’t working, keeping appointments, you started losing track of the days. She reached over the table and grasped her hand, softly running her thumb over her knuckles. “We’ve got plenty of time...”

“You don’t know that though!” She snapped, staring hard into V’s eyes as they glowed, aflame with trepidation. “You don’t know...” She repeated, trailing off, her eyes darting across the room to stare out at the terminal, her bottom lip quivering slightly. V squeezed her hand tightly.

“You’re right... I don’t know exactly what will happen. But it feels similar to when I first slotted the relic.” V remarked and Judy turned her head, studying her.

She thought back to the degradation she felt; the progressive headaches and nausea, the lapses in cognitive and motor functions, where her body would just tense up and moving became agony. They became regular and got progressively worse as time went on.

She squeezed her hand again, a quick squeeze of warmth in the cold and gloomy café. “I feel like we still have time...” She smiled warmly and Judy smiled back.

“You really feel alright?” Judy asked warmly, reaching out with her other hand, and squeezing hers in return.

“I really do...” V answered soothingly.

“OK... I’ll try not to dwell on it so much... but you will tell me if it starts getting worse right? You promised honesty in our vows!” Judy snapped wagging a finger.

“Well... technically, you promised honesty in your vows...” V remarked as Judy’s brow furrowed. V quickly pivoted, “I’m jokin’ of course... of course I will tell you, I promise!”

Judy smiled widely, “Good, so... shall we get our stuff and load up?” She asked, finally taking a sip of her now lukewarm latte. V needed more time as her ‘surprise’ had yet to arrive.

“Not yet... need a few more minutes, besides you’ve not drank your latte!” V said, trying to sound like she wasn’t hiding anything. She seemed to have succeeded as Judy shrugged and took another sip.

Another ten minutes went by, and both cups were empty, and Judy was starting to get suspicious. “V! Come on! If you’re that tired, then I’ll drive the first leg!”

“No! I... don’t like you driving my car!” V lied, desperately playing for time. Judy’s mouthed dropped open.

“Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean... something wrong with my drivin’?” She bit accusatorily her eyes sharp as daggers.

“I... no, it’s not that... it’s...” V began to panic now, fearing that she’d upset her. But then the notification arrived, flashing up on her retinas; her ‘package’ had been delivered, thank God... she was started to worry she’d been scammed.

Judy was in the midst of a tirade, “...a great driver, I’ll have you know...”

“Judy, shush a minute... we can go now!” V announced, somewhat tactlessly.

“Oh... no we can’t, you’re going to explain what you meant, right now!” Judy snapped venomously. V breathed out heavily.

“I was stalling... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, honest! I was waiting for your wedding gift!” V announced happily. Judy’s anger melted away and her eyes went wide.

“My what now?” She blinked comically.

“Come on, I’ve just scheduled our baggage to meet us there!” V said, jumping up, planting a swift kiss on Judy’s stunned forehead, and headed for the exit. She reached it and turned to see Judy still planted in her seat. “Judy! Let’s go!”

She leapt up, following V in her wake through the open doors and down the corridor. “Wedding gift?”

Read the full chapter on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (3/9)

Chapter 3 - Sweetness in Seattle

Read the full chapter on AO3

V was sat on something solid, her legs dangling. The feeling was muted however; she felt nothing, no temperature or the texture of the surface, just the physical sensation of, presence. She looked up and suddenly remembered where she was. Across from her, far into the vast darkness surrounding her was a towering beam of brilliant yellow light, its digital illumination crackling in the infinite void beyond; the light through the Blackwall. Shewas inside Mikoshi.

Sure enough, she glanced up to see the towering ruby red form of Alt Cunningham. She floated above her, motionless and poised as if waiting for her moment to strike. Her formless face seemed to stare directly at her, though she said nothing.

Then there was a movement to her left and she saw... herself. She blinked her digital eyes as the form approached the well where she sat. That’s when she noticed. Looking down, she could see she wore rough and ripped jeans and, leaning on them, a silver-plated metal arm lay dangling from her shoulder. Not her shoulder, but Johnny’s.

Disorientated, she watched as she, V, sat down beside her and placed a hand on her, Johnny’s thigh.

“Johnny... I...” The construct coughed through digital tears. She reached over and her hand squeezed Johnny’s thigh. “I don’t know if I can do this... I don’t know if I can say goodbye!”

This whole situation was bizarre; she remembered this moment; she said the exact same words to Johnny while she deliberated her ultimate choice- digital freedom or organic futility. But she was inside Johnny’s mind; seeing it from his perspective. And sure enough, she felt herself reply to her using his voice and his words, as if she was on autopilot, or watching a braindance.

“V... this was always the way it should be... I have no regrets, neither should you...” Johnny croaked solemnly. He reached over to V and placed his metal arm on her shoulder. “Go and live your life already. Get back to your girl, look after her!”

V wept louder now, reaching her hand up and placed it on his outstretched hand. “But what about you?” She cried, “What will happen to you!”

She felt herself sit back and leaned on the edge of the well as Johnny’s voice sighed out of her mouth. “Well, I’ll let you know... if I can. But if not, just know that I’ll be out there somewhere, thinking of you!”

V stood up and swung one leg over and into the well. “I’m going to miss you, Johnny...” She choked, swinging over and lying down.

She, Johnny, scootched over and sat over V, placing his right hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle push. “Goodbye V. And never stop fightin’”. She watched her own digital form float downwards into the well as it melted into pixels. She paused, breathing deeply, staring until all the pixels disappeared. She felt a tear run down Johnny’s cheek.

Then she stood up, turning away from the well and towards Alt. “Thanks for helping V, Alt... she’s a good kid... I really am gonna miss her...” Johnny growled and wiped his eyes which were wet with welling tears. V was transfixed, she was lucid, aware that she was merely a passenger inside Johnny at this moment. But what was this? A dream? Surely not a memory as she just left Mikoshi through the well.

Alt said nothing, merely stared down at Johnny. Suddenly though, she did speak.

“Time to go, Johnny!” Her voice shot out, abruptly. Her voice was cold, menacing even. And she lunged towards him, wrapping her oversized hand around his arm and pulled him forwards, heading towards the tower of light.

“Wow... easy there, Alt... I figured we could hang out for a bit, shoot the shit... maybe get a little nasty...” He cried out as he struggled fruitlessly against her. He began to lose his footing and was now being dragged along.

He looked up at her as she floated slowly towards the light. She did not look down, didn’t even acknowledge him. V began to panic; or was that simply Johnny’s panic she was feeling?

“Come on, Alt... seriously, what’s the rush?” He shouted, twisting his arm and trying to prize it free with his other hand. She still didn’t reply. “Fuck... Alt, talk to me would yah? Don’t I get a moment here...” He cried, looking up as the light began to envelop him, envelop her.

“Alt! Alt!” His voice screeched into the light as loudly as he could manage until the light consumed it and it was too bright.

Her eyes shot open as she woke, still ensconced within Judy’s clutches, to the sound of a speaker announcing their approach into Seattle. Her heart was racing, the image of Alt’s red arm wrapped around Johnny’s metal one still prominent in her mind.

It was so real, so detailed. ‘Was that really how it went down?’ she thought ominously. Her chest tightened, the guilt crushing her lungs and she drew in a deep breath to try to combat the sudden panic. ‘Johnny?’ she called out in her mind. Silence.

He was gone, she knew that, but maybe he was out there, somewhere, reaching out to her. V sighed loudly, she put it out of her mind for now.

She shook Judy gently to rouse her as the skyline came into view, the lights of the city

waking up in the late afternoon light.

“Wow... it’s beautiful...” V gasped in awe. It looked so peaceful, quiet and clean. A stark contrast to the dark and infinite void of cyberspace. And a vast difference from Night City.

There was a lack of bright neon and strobe lights everywhere. You could pick out the details of the streets and sidewalks, the cars and people; there was no thick smog, the stain of pollution. A smaller city, with less commotion and hustle.

“Hey, V!” Judy announced. V turned and smiled as a flash of light erupted across her corneas.

“What the fuck!” V cried, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Judy with a small device in her hand. “Oh wow! Is that...”

“The DPI-350 Camera... Managed to get it working... mostly, I’m hoping Abuelo can take a look, it’s still a little water damaged, the mechanisms are still a bit stiff.” She said, twisting a nob on the side. “But... it takes pictures, just need to borrow some old cables to get them outta’ this thing and into my hard drive!” V smiled at her deeply, she was so cute when she talked about tech. Judy looked up and caught her looking. “Stop it, no I’m not!”

“You so are!” V said, leaning in close, placing a kiss on her lips. “So... What’s it like to be coming back here?” She asked brightly.

“It feels great, I feel so... giddy. It’s been, what... nearly 2 years since I’ve visited my grandparents...” Judy grimaced, “Oof... Abuela’s gonna be pissed.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you... just hope it’s the same for me...” V said, glancing back out the window.

“You kiddin’! You should’ve heard how excited she was on the holo!” Judy yelled, “She’s gonna love you, like I do...” She smiled, making herself a little flush.

“I hope she doesn’t love me like you do... could get a bit awkward don’t you think?” V chuckled.

“V! Yah gonk, you know what I mean!” Judy cried, punching her arm gently. “Come on, we better get ready to disembark.”

Read the full chapter on AO3

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (2/9)

Read the full chapter on AO3

Chapter 2 - V in Las Vegas

It had been quite a day, and everyone was eager to get some much-needed shut-eye. The “Cassidy Homecoming Party” went through the night and just as the party was about to wind down, they were forced to abandon camp and flee. It was lucky that it was such a tense situation as it appeared to have a sobering influence on everyone for the drive here.

They’d set up camp southeast of Las Vegas and spent most of the day checking for damage and performing repairs, including replacing many a broken window.

V was sprawled out on the mattress in the middle of their tent and Judy was brushing her teeth when suddenly, V sat bolt upright expelling a lung full of air. Toothpaste spattered across the side of the tent as Judy leapt out of her skin.

She rushed over to her, staring into her eyes as if trying to see something in them. “Lookin’ for something?” V asked eyebrow raised.

“Oh, thank fuck!” Judy yelled pulling her into her arms. “You’re here…” she muttered to herself.

“Uh… yeah, where else would I be?”

Judy leaned back, her face full of concern and worry. “You’ve been passed out all day babe… and, that wasn’t the first time you ‘woke up’…” She held her hand across her forehead, checking her temperature. “You did it twice before, each time as dramatic as the last and each time, you just stared forward, not seeing or hearing me… it was awful!” She said, eyes swelling slightly. “How do you feel?”

“Honestly, I feel fantastic… like, after a good night's sleep you know?” V smiled and rubbed her eyes. Judy scoffed.

“Well… you’ve had a good fifteen hours or so, so that makes sense…” she said laughing uneasily.

V sat and watched her as she found a cloth and began wiping the toothpaste off the side of the tent. Her eyes followed her down from her arms and shoulders, admiring how her back muscles below her staple black bra contorted as she moved. Her eyes continued down, following the contours of her body, around the cute blue shorts-covered butt and, down her long slender legs. Judy turned and followed her eyeline.

“And just what are you staring at?” She asked cheekily, eyebrow raised.

“My sexy ass output, that’s what!” V retorted.

“Phaha!” Judy snorted loudly. “You should get up if you can, have a wash and a stretch…”

“Yes ma’am…” V purred.

Several minutes later, V was cleaning her teeth whilst frantically searching her pack for another sachet of cat food for Nibbles who was sitting staring at her empty bowl imperiously.

“Horray!” V tried to say, mouth full of toothpaste, so it sounded more like ‘HobWurgh’. She presented the sachet of cat food and bit down on her toothbrush, pinning it between her teeth, so she could open it.

“Listen... V...?” Judy stuttered, looking up at her, cheeks hinting red. V held up two fingers and proceeded to empty the sachet into her bowl to Nibble’s elation and finished off her teeth.

She strode on over in her sleep shorts and vest top and lay down beside her. “What’s up?” V said, a nervous smile creeping across her face.

“I gotta get this off my chest...” Judy said timidly, rubbing her arm and avoiding eye contact.

“Sure, I can take that off for you,” V smirked, looking at her bra.

“V! Come on! You know this stuff really weirds me out!”

“I’m sorry... Please continue,” she said, shuffling deeper into the sheet and smiling sweetly.

“You know I... Uh... wait, did you watch my vid message?”

“You’re stalling.”

“No, I’m not! Did you watch it?”

“Yeah, watched it on the road down here.”

“Oh, you did...? Cool... Did you... did you like it?”

“The drive? Yeah, nice road...”

“V!”

“I’m kiddin’! Yes, I liked it... You were Mmm, so sexy, adorable, funny…”

Judy’s face was glowing red and not just through embarrassment. V cut to the chase before she hit her, “Your message, about being happy... I’m happy too, Judy,” V said, reaching over to stroke Judy’s thigh reassuringly. She was now glowing red, a sweet smile creeping across her cheeks. She swallowed, her eyes locking onto V’s.

“Well... I... wanted to say... in that vid, that...” she said, her voice audibly shaking, gaze breaking.

“Hey...” V urged, reaching out and grasping both her hands and squeezing. “You’ve got this, you’re doing great!” she said, planting a kiss on them.

Judy’s eyes met V’s once more and with a deep breath. “V, I love you!” she exclaimed, tears filling her eyes. “I love you... and I ain’t never said that to anyone before...” V’s heart was melting.

“I love you too, Judy!” V replied in earnest, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable at being the only one opening up. Her eyes grew wide, sending fresh tears cascading downward.

“Good!” She sobbed, rubbing her eyes, “I really hoped you did, V...” She jumped across, pulling V into her arms, and squeezing the air out of her lungs. “But you didn’t have to torture me so much you know...”

“But it was too adorable!” She said squeezing tight as Judy dried her cheeks. Judy giggled, kissing her neck before pulling away just enough to kiss her softly.

“You’re adorable too, you know that?”

“I guess so...” V replied in a mocking voice, scrunching her nose, emphasising the freckles on her cheeks. Judy purred.

“You’re also fucking sexy, you know that?” Judy winked.

“Mmm... right back atcha!” she replied, caressing her face, and floated her hand down her neck with only a sense of touch, triggering her hairs to waken.

“Hey, hey!” She hesitated, knowing full well where this was going. “You sure you’re up for this?” Judy asked softly. V ran her hand rapidly along Judy’s thigh and pressed her fingers deep into her shorts.

Read the full chapter on AO3

“Mmhm... V...” Judy moaned, biting her lip. Taking V’s eager fingers as a yes, she lay backwards, pulling V with her and slowly began removing V’s top.

[nayfen]

This is beautiful but also fills me with such dread... Possibly because Mr. Blue Eyes is an antagonist in my fic. 😍🫣

His and Hers ♡♡♡

[nayfen]

Fanfic: These Fleeting Nights (1/9)

Read the full chapter on AO3

V lay on her back, mind flowing like a waterfall, cascading thoughts of the last year through the synaptic pathways of her mind. Sleep was a rare commodity of late, and the primary factor this early morning was the lack of a certain terrorist sharing her mind. Johnny Silverhand. It’d been a few weeks since her jaunt inside Mikoshi and she’d not quite come to terms with what happened or with the fact that she was now alone in her head. She’d gotten used to it, and with him gone... it was too quiet. 

“Johnny?” 

There was nothing. No reply. Just silence, an emptiness. A tear slipped down V’s cheek. She missed him. Despite everything, she missed the arsehole. 

She lay on her sleeping bag, pitch dark and quiet like nothing she’d heard; she hated it. Panam promised she’d get used to it soon, but it was full-on! Gone were the sirens, the shouts, the songs. The constant dull drone of traffic and tech buzzin’ relentlessly. Now, she could hear… the wind. An untimely gust here, the flap of a loose tarp here. The odd cough from one of her new family members, the Aldecaldos.  

Her eyes were wide open, staring blankly upwards into the darkness, gradually adjusting to the low light. They felt heavy and yet stuck, forced open by some invisible force, paralysed in place. She felt that if she were to close them, it would cause physical pain. Despite herself, she blinked, and sighed in relief as the lids refreshed her eyes, pain-free tears moistening her corneas. She drew in a deep breath and listened to the sounds around her and heard the sweet and gentle purr of Judy sleeping beside her, and Nibbles curled up on Judy’s discarded dungarees; she couldn’t decide who was loudest between the two of them. 

It was nice having Nibbles with them; a small hairless stray Cat V had befriended in her Megatower apartment complex. Panam was not best pleased with V when she rocked up with her carry case under her arm, something she needed to buy new, along with a rucksack with an adorable little cat pouch allowing for travel with your kitty companion. She got a little carried away in the shop. Nibbles was enjoying being out of the city instead of being cooped up in that apartment on her own. She thought... she was difficult to read. She was definitely more vocal and was a lot clingier with her. Judy was still warming up to Nibbles, convinced that she had an ‘agenda.’ She tried to blink, to reset her brain, move onto something else and stop her brain from processing.  

She heard crickets. The high chirping relentless sound of crickets. It was soothing, sort of. Rhythmic, constant; reminiscent of the incessant hiss of technology, the sound of something, somewhere, drawing power from the grid. But it was such a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Night City, and she still wasn’t used to it; it was unsettling.  

That wasn’t to say that she missed Night City, fuck no! She loved the distance, glad to see the back of it. But like an earworm of some shit-yet-catchy gang-bangers remix, she couldn’t seem to be rid of it. It plagued her mind most days- racing through the events that led them here; Kompeki Plaza, the Relic, Evelyn Parker, the Voodoo boys, Arasaka, downing a Kang Tao AV for Hellman, Dogtown and Songbird, that damned Cynosure lab. 

She sat up, defeated at yet another failed night’s sleep. As quietly as she could, she slipped on her clothes and tip-toed to the tent flap. Nibble’s head shot up at the slight disturbance and frowned at her as if to say ’You dare wake me from my slumber, Human!’  

She raised an eyebrow at her, “Chill, Nibbles!” she whispered as quietly as she could, peeking back at Judy to see if she’d stirred. She lay on her back, arm draped over her forehead, her mouth slightly open, drooling on the pillow. ‘So pretty’ she thought, stifling a giggle. She turned back to Nibbles, who had settled back down. 

V slipped out of the tent into the gloom of camp. It’d been two days since they had fled Night City and set up a temporary camp fifty or so miles away before heading southeast to Arizona. They were waiting. Cassidy hadn’t reached the rendezvous point after the storm and the Nomads were on edge. It wasn’t like him to get lost in a storm, so the only alternative was that something went wrong. He was either stuck somewhere or… worse.  

V crept through the camp, passing tents and lean-to’s and, predictably her eyes spotted a familiar figure on the ridge with a small elec-light beside them. She climbed her way up and sat down beside her. 

“Evenin’ V!” Panam said in an overly chirpy tone. She was wrapped in a blanket, protected against the cold early morning air. Her eyes were red and puffy, even in the low glow of the pitiful lantern between them. V raised an eyebrow. 

“Come on Pan… relax, it’s me!” she replied, holding out her arms. Panam broke almost immediately, falling into V’s arms and sobbing into her shoulder. “I know… Let it out girl,” she whispered as she rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. 

After a good five minutes, she came up for air. “Thanks, V…” Panam said gratefully, wiping her nose and cheeks, “I needed that...” 

“You missed a bit,” replied V, brushing a tear smear from her cheek. She pulled her closer for warmth, pulling the edge of the blanket around her shoulder. They sat and looked out at the view of the camp and the surrounding desert.  

“I’m sorry, V... I’m all over the place right now...” She awkwardly moved her hand up to her face to wipe her eyes and remove a strand of hair out of her mouth whilst trying to stay wrapped up tightly. 

“Hey, I feel you… we should be on cloud nine right now, but…” she trailed off as her thoughts returned to the awful moment inside Mikoshi. She shook her head and stared off into the distance. 

They sat quietly for a spell before Panam turned away and began to fidget with the sleeve of her jacket. 

“Um… V?” she said timidly, pulling at a loose thread. 

“Yeh?” she replied, turning her head expectedly.  

“You… uh. You think I’m a good leader?” She asked, staring off into the distance. V touched Panam’s knee for comfort. 

“Yeah, ‘course. At least… I think you try to be,” she said cautiously, trying to be honest but kind. 

Panam turned her head suddenly, “What… what do you mean by that?” She asked, a slight hint of panic in her voice. 

V rubbed the nape of her neck, “You’re a new leader, Panam. A new leader that’s been through shit! You’re grievin’. Heck, we all are. Scorpion, Bob, Teddy. Saul... Plus with Cassidy being…” 

“Don’t say it, V!” Panam snapped suddenly, her eyes full of fear and on the verge of bursting again. 

“I wasn’t… was gonna say missin’,” She replied, moving her hand to her shoulder, and causing the blanket to fall off and a wave of chilly air made her shiver. She pulled it back over her and continued. “Truth is… even if you were the best leader around… right now…?” V paused, her words feeling false in her mouth. “What I mean is... you’re allowed a moment, you know?” V said softly and patted her knee again reassuringly. 

Panam relaxed a little with a sigh, “Yeah… I guess you’re right V. It’s been… Fuck… it’s been bad... let’s not sugar coat it!” She bit, kicking the edge of the ridge with her heel causing a scattering of rocks and grits cascading down the rocky outcrop. 

“A real shitshow yeah…” V replied, guilt flooding back through her mind. “Pan, it’s all my fucking fault! All of it!” 

“Fuck V, enough of that shit!” she retorted angrily. “You’re family now dammit!” Panam barked loudly, her voice echoing out into the darkness. She pulled V into a one-armed hug. “I’ve told you already, it’s not on you...” She murmured, sensing a need for her to provide the comfort now. 

“I just…” V began, sobbing softly as the last few weeks filled her mind again. “I’m all over the fucking place too, Pan! If it wasn’t for you and Judy, I’d just give the fuck up right now and end it!” The darkness seeped out of her, flooding the depths of her mind, unwanted and unbothered by its imposing presence. 

“V! Don’t talk like that! We will fix you, got it!” She urged, squeezing tightly. “We will fix you…” She squeaked, joining V as tears filled her eyes. 

They sat together in silent sobs, waiting for the sadness to subside and for the sun to rise over the cliffs. When the warmth started gently caressing their faces, they heard the distant roar of an engine, shouting its echoed chant on the wind, its tyres churning up the dust. Mitch was back. 

Panam leapt down from the ridge and stalked across the camp, and V followed in her wake. ‘Please let it be good news,’ V thought in desperation. Mitch’s Gecko pulled to a stop, caked in sand and dust. Panam and a handful of others gathered around and waited as the door swung open. A few beats of bated breath came before Mitch rose from the car. And clung to his shoulder, a dust-covered, tired and dishevelled Cassidy. 

A cheer erupted from the crowd as Panam launched herself towards them both in a choking bear hold.  

“Jesus Panam! Gimme a little air would yah!” replied Mitch struggling to breathe. Panam released them, tears swelling. 

“Sorry… I…” she struggled, lost for words. V moved in to help Mitch support Cassidy. 

“He’s severely dehydrated, found his car, ass sticking out the dirt, nose fully buried… hard to tell what the hell happened but, seemed the cabin was sealed and had just about enough air for him to hold out! Lucky bastard!” Mitch sneered with a smile. He looked down at Cassidy. 

“Lucky! Pfff… that damn storm…” growled Cassidy, hoarse and barely audible, “…was worse… than I thought… sent me… flyin’ down a… canyon… and…” He sputtered, coughing between every word before he coughed himself silent, wheezing. 

“Ok… Ok, we’ll hear all about it tonight, Cass, but right now, let’s get some fluids in yah, Kay?” Panam said, ushering them into camp past the cheering onlookers. 

“You damn fool, near gave me a heart attack!” yelled Carol, swooping in and driving her shoulder into V to peel Cassidy away. “I got him!” She barked, as they carried him off towards the medical tent. V shook her head and held back and saw Panam turn. A smile beamed across her face, and she mouthed, ‘Thank you’. V replied with a smile.  

‘Wow… how about that, Johnny? A bit of good luck for a change…’ V thought happily in her mind, reaching out into the depths. Silence. 

Back at their tent, she entered to find a waking Judy. “Hey, you…” V purred watching her stretching out of her sleeping bag.  

Her multi-toned, pink and green hair was dishevelled, swooping across her head, strands of which were all upended at awkward angles. She wore a small grey tank top, one shoulder of which had slipped down off her shoulder as she slipped out to lean on her elbows. A sleepy smile formed on her face. 

“Heeey!” she replied in a low growl. “You sleep all right?” She yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily. 

“Nope,” V spat plainly, and flumped down beside her, planting a quick kiss on her lips. 

“Oh no really…? Still struggling huh? Well… I for one am loving the quiet!” Judy replied, a big grin on her face. She looked adorable in the mornings. 

“Glad to hear it. Want some breakfast?” V asked, hopping back up. 

“Mmmhmm… Please, I’ll uh… I’ll wait here…” She said as she stretched out, causing her sleeping bag to slip down further. She wriggled free of it and kicked it aside revealing her favourite blue shorts and her long, beautiful, tattooed legs. She stretched them out, leaned back and added, “I’ll be waiting...” She flicked her hair back and shook, as it flopped about doing absolutely nothing to it. If anything, it now looked messier. V giggled before heading back outside.  

She headed across camp to find Miguel had beaten her to the grill and was cooking up a storm of sausages and synth meat. The smell was intoxicating. 

“Oh boy! Can I get in on that, Miguel?” She asked, her mouth literally watering. 

“Of course, Hermana!” He called out, as her translation subs appeared in her lower peripheral vision translating Hermana to Sister. He picked up a couple tortillas from a stack beside him. “Anything for you and your chica, eh?”-girl. Miguel said with a wink and fixed up a couple of breakfast quesadillas. “There you go, V, enjoy, eh?” 

“Gracias, Miguel, realmente!”-Thank you, really. V replied, giving him a quick hug in thanks. 

She walked back to the tent and the picnic table outside, “Rise and shine! Breakfast on the table!” She called across to the tent. She laid out the quesadillas and glided across to grab some cans from the cooler when her holo pinged with a message… from Judy. She raised her eyebrows and swung back around to the tent, the cold cans numbing her hands. She wiggled her head through the tent flap. “You just ping me or have I got a virus?” She asked, confused. 

“Hah… Yeah, I did, but…uh, don’t watch it yet! Be out in a sec, OK?” Judy said nervously. She was half dressed, wearing her go-to black bra and was pulling on her dungarees.  

“OK... I would press you on it, but these cans are so frickin’ cold!” She cried out, freeing her head and dropping them down onto the table. 

V sat down, and for the first time in three days, she felt a sense of calm. With Cassidy back, they’ll be on the move again any day now and they could finally leave Night City far in the dust. On a clear night, she swore she could almost see the towering lights from camp. It was probably her imagination, like a ghost image burned into her retinas. No doubt everyone would feel better when that was no longer the case.  

They had, after all, attacked not only Arasaka Tower but a Militech-controlled checkpoint and Night Corp construction site to get there, not to mention busting out with stolen Arasaka tech and the stolen Militech Basilisk. They were on a few shit lists, and the sooner they made themselves scarce the better. Being here in this camp felt like being in a kind of limbo, but once they moved on, V felt like her life might resume. What was left of it... 

Six months. Or maybe more, according to Alt Cunningham, rogue AI and ex-output to Johnny Silverhand. She’d “overlooked the human factor,” the toll the Relic put on the body. Her body! Though, according to Alt, it wasn’t hers anymore. It was Johnny’s. And she, V, was now nothing but a passenger, a fucking cancer, sitting in a borrowed shell. An engram. Fuck! Was she… was she even a person anymore, or just a collection of synaptic wavelengths of emulated consciousness? Did she have a soul? Hurt her fucking head just thinking about it. 

The one thing she knew for sure though was that she wasn’t about to give up; ‘Saul didn’t die for nothing...’ she thought to herself. She didn’t go to hell and back and risked everything for six fucking months… not if she could help it. Not now she had something to lose. Someone… 

“Hey!” Judy chirped, appearing from the tent, “Oh... Miguel’s quesadilla?” 

“MmmHmm… come on, they’ll get cold!” V said, passing Judy’s across the table. 

“Can’t have that!” She beamed broadly and sat down across from her. She took a big bite, closing her eyes and moaning as she savoured the taste. “Mmm... fuck that’s good! What seasoning does he use!” 

“No one knows, he mixes it himself or so I’ve heard... man’s got a gift, considering what he’s working with!” V giggled. 

Nomad life wasn’t the most glamorous; something the both of them were still adjusting to. Having hot food and running water was a surprise to them; they imagined washing in rivers, eating wild bugs and protein bars, huddled around campfires for warmth. There was a surprising amount of tech involved in the camp, most of which was admittedly sat idle in this temporary camp. But they still had the gas stoves, the heated water trucks for showers and well... campfires for the evening, because some things just work. 

It wasn’t exactly what V had in mind when she decided to leave Night City with Judy, but it was a pretty good start.

Read the rest on AO3

[nayfen]

Upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 Fanfic on Ao3

I'll soon be publishing my Cyberpunk 2077 fanfic onto Archive of Our Own (Ao3). My plan is to publish Chapter One this Friday with subsequent chapters releasing each week.

It's a real passion project of mine; I'm super proud that I (almost!) finished my fanfic novel during National Novel Writer's Month 2023, writing a total of 61,344 and bringing the total word count so far to 92,885!😊

I'm fairly confident that by the end of January, I should be finished with the final few chapters and able to share the rest through February.

As a teaser, I'd like to share the novel prologue. I hope you enjoy it and hope it's enough to bring you back on Friday😉:

The morning she met Judy was a day like any other and the very last thing on V’s mind was love, least of all with a chick she’d met in the basement of some Mox dive. But striding through the door into the dimly lit studio, buzzing with wall-to-wall tech to see this cute little, tattooed punk sitting in her chair cool as a cucumber, caused V to empty her lungs. She felt like she’d been slapped in the face. 

Every time they were together, she was trying so hard to keep her cool. Every fibre of her focused solely on not screwing up, on not acting like a damn gonk in front of her. Until that is, she started flirting back. The day she let down her defence just enough to feel comfortable to flirt back, that’s when V began to relax a little around Judy; start letting go herself. It wasn’t easy, God knows it wasn’t easy- life kept shitting all over the both of them- the relic, a constant drain on V’s mood, energy and body, Evelyn, her disappearance was hard enough on her but then her suicide...  

But they got through it, both of them and the night they spent together by the lake was the moment she truly knew she loved her; she burned for her. She gave herself to Judy that evening, surrendered happily and focussed so hard on that moment, and not on what came next. She wanted nothing more than for that moment to stay forever, a version of them, for all eternity, lying in that bed together. She was going to die. She’d almost convinced herself of it. But in that moment, that sweet moment when Judy told her she wanted that night to be ours, she decided to live. She decided she wanted to live. Moreover, she didn’t want to cause Judy any more pain. If she was going to surrender herself to her and give her everything she wanted and deserved, then she was going to make damn sure that she would live. 

That’s why she made the decision to call Panam on that rooftop. Why she took the beta blockers and took control of her body. Why she fought tooth and nail to get inside Arasaka Tower. Why she survived the fight with Adam Fucking Smasher and killed the son-of-a-bitch. And why she chose to enter the well inside Mikoshi, despite having to say goodbye to Johnny, one of the hardest fucking things she’d done in a long while; despite how annoying he was, she’d grown to like the son of a bitch. 

She did all of it for her. To come back to her alive. But of course, it didn’t turn out quite like she’d anticipated...

[nayfen]

I recently added this song to my Cyberpunk playlist ready for NaNo and wanted to share; think it captures Judy and V's relationship and their trepidation, and shyness so much! My poor damaged lesbians... I LOVE them! 😁😍❤️

[nayfen]

This game is so fricking beautiful I can't even... ❤️🤩🫣

[nayfen]

Started my 4th (5th?) playthrough of CP2077 ready for Phantom Liberty and just (re-)met my bae 😊😍❤️