Chapter Text
Rain splattered against the dull window, and with an absentminded click, V closed the shutters. No need to see the dreary tones of Night City moving by below in yet another tireless day; people who had places to be and eddies to make while she was scraping the bottom of the barrel. The monochrome apartment was cast in shadow immediately, aside from the waning glow emanating from various pieces of tech strewn about the room. Despite only being occupied a few months, the space was clearly lived in; bottles lined the kitchen countertops and the trash was crowded with old takeout boxes. An emblazoned ashtray lay on the coffee table beside the russet red radio, the crackly sounds of Samurai thudding from the worn speakers and into the dimly lit room.
Across the floor, a doorway was ajar. V shook her head, a smirk briefly tugging up the corners of her lips. She had warned Jackie multiple times about leaving the door to his room unlocked. Things were bound to go missing, especially his favourite jacket, which was flung carelessly across the corner of his bed. He had managed to cajole V into taking the smaller room which boasted a slightly nicer view; the downtown stretch of Kabuki, as opposed to the concrete jungle of back alleys and dumpsters his side of the apartment overlooked. The biggest room in the apartment even allowed for a standalone double bed rather than a cell-like cubicle built into the wall.
“What? I’m the bigger person so I should get the biggest room! It’s simple math, chica."
The third bedroom door was firmly sealed, as it always was. V wouldn’t dare to take a step inside without its owner present anyway.
Refocusing on the task at hand, V scrolled through the potential gigs she had managed to scrounge up from her trips around Kabuki the last few days. Wanting to avoid the typical merc work, all she was left with were mundane, tedious fetch tasks and some highly questionable BD work which seemed to lean more into the XBD market than she preferred. It had been a few years since the last time she had resorted to such work and it no longer had a place in the life she was beginning to create. Or at least, trying to. So far the move to a better life wasn’t easy, but as Jackie was constantly reminding her, she needed to give it time.
Another gig was discarded from her inbox with a disgusted huff. Seriously? A malfunctioning what implant? The last year had felt like it was escalating, building to a crescendo in her career after she had painstakingly built her reputation up as a BD performer for years. It had meant that she had finally saved up enough eddies to leave Japantown and, with Jackie in tow, ingrain her roots down somewhere new and filled with opportunity.
It had been a slow start, but she reminded herself that there was no need to worry yet. Good things were coming, they just had to be patient. And in the meantime, they had a fresh apartment, a new roommate and endless gig prospects just waiting. As Jackie would say, algo es algo. It’s better than nothing.
“Woman of the hour! You will not believe who I just got off the holo with – man I’ve worked up an appetite with all that sweet-talking.” The apartment exploded with sound as Jackie entered, his massive frame dwarfed only by the gregarious personality oozing from his crooked smile as his eyes landed on his best friend. Everything about him brimmed with energy and life, from his street swagger to the slight shake of his geometric hair as he flopped down on the corner of the sofa beside her.
“You gonna tell me or should I try and guess?” V asked dryly as she clicked off her holo and focused on her friend instead, the cybernetic glow fading from her slate-blue eyes.
“Dexter motherfuckin' Deshawn! He’s gotta have piles of gigs ready and just waitin' for a nova pair like us. A real fixer hermana!” Excitement glittered in Jackie’s eyes as he leant forward, cracking open a Broseph for himself before sourcing a second for her.
“I’m not sure Deshawn has the type of work we’re after, Jack. I’m not looking to get flatlined y’know.” The foaming liquid bubbled down her throat, cooling the slight frustration already rising in her. Jackie had always been so keen to succeed, to make it in the major leagues of Night City, that sometimes he didn’t think things through. They had moved to Kabuki to escape from that past, to lay a new foundation where they could build their own legacy, rather than becoming a footnote in someone else’s crazy scheme.
“We’re chilled chica, no needa be putting your foot on the gas yet. We’re good for now, but the eddies will drop out soon and then what? Gotta take the risks to reap the rewards.” They had had this debate enough times before, reflecting the occasional clash in their personalities; hot-headed versus cool and calculating, rush jobs versus carefully scoped out plans.
“Alright alright – What’s Deshawn got for us then?” She forced herself to calm and hear him out at least.
“Well… Nothin' yet. But at least he knows our names now, we’re on his radar and –“
“Seriously? So it’s nothing? If he has so many gigs available then why –“
They were interrupted by the sharp trill of V’s holo which cut her off before she got herself fully worked up into a scathing rant. With a last warning glare in Jackie’s direction, V answered the holo, watching as a picture flickered into shape on the left of her peripherals.
“Is this V?” A serious looking woman came into shape, her cybernetic face giving away no hints to the purpose of her call.
“Speaking. Who is this?”
“My name is Susanna Quinn, I run Lizzie’s bar in Kabuki. Hear you’re in search of a gig. Your name’s been all the buzz lately in the BD biz, figured we should chat and see if anything can be arranged; we’re always looking for new performers.” Her tone brokered no-nonsense, it was crisp and straight to the point. V could respect that; this was a woman who got things done.
“Yeah I have some experience in the industry. I worked hard to get to where I am now, but I’m always looking for the next step up. Recently moved to Kabuki and I’ve swung by Lizzie’s a few times, heard good things about it from past biz too. Really respect what you do with the Mox.” V offered diplomatically. She had perfected the balance of talking herself up and complimenting a potential employer within a few lines. Self-employed work was 90% people-pleasing and building your reputation after all, and God knows she had worked hard enough at the latter.
The woman’s expression was unchanged, though V caught a glimpse of amusement in her eyes before her attention returned to the business at hand. Susie Q could recognise a sweet talker when she heard one but appreciated it nonetheless. Not just anyone could make a name for themselves in this ruthless city. Night City was a parasite that could take control of your life before you even realise it's happening. It chewed people up and spat them out carelessly without a second glance; someone who had avoided that was worth enquiring into.
“We have a performer position available for you. Why don’t you come by the bar later tonight and check it out? We can meet, I’ll talk you through more details there and you can get a real lay of the place. It’s nothin' special, but we take care of our own. We are a business after all. Happy employees equal happy customers in our line of work.”
There it was. A real, tangible offer on the table. V made eye contact with Jackie across the coffee table; he was already nodding his head encouragingly. They could bicker like any siblings, but they always had each other’s backs. His warm eyes filled her with a surge of gratefulness, her earlier frustration with the man a thing of the past.
“I’ll stop by later then, I’d like to hear more deets about the gig. Say around 7 pm?” Getting a hum of acceptance from her potential future employer, V decided to push a little further. No risk, no reward. “Any chance you’ve got any security positions going? I know a guy. Real beefy and a deadshot when needed. No one would get past him if they weren’t welcome.”
Ignoring the sarcastic “thanks chica” Jackie mouthed to her, she kept her eyes on the woman as her words were met with silence while Susie mulled over her proposal. V tried to read her expression, briefly worried that she had been too forward. The facial implants made it impossible to tell what the formidable owner of Lizzie’s was thinking.
“Alright, bring him by with you later. Be warned though, our girls don’t take kindly to most men.” The receiver clicked off without a word of goodbye, the conversation cutting short. She’s nothing if not efficient.
“Two job offers in one day hermana, I guess Night City might learn our names after all! Susie Q holds weight in this city too y’know, she’s the head of the Mox; those putas are feisty.” Jackie grinned, brimming with enthusiasm.
V rolled her eyes and took another swig of her beer. “Those putas don’t take shit from anybody Jack, so you’d better start brushing up on your chivalry or you’ll end up staring down the barrel of some chick’s shotgun. I said we’d be there for 7 so make sure your ass is looking respectable, alright? Let’s make a toast to our newfound popularity, got any Centzon left?” She turned to eye the sparse drinks cabinet in the kitchen, squinting to find her tequila of choice.
Jackie grabbed the bottle and poured two shots with practised ease, handing one to V. “To getting filthy stinkin’ rich with the best buddy in all NC, cheers chica!”
Their glasses clinked and she knocked back the warm liquid, feeling the burn in her throat as it travelled downwards. A pleasant warmth accompanied it, piercing through the cloud of dreariness that had persistently hung over her day thus far. Perhaps this was the break they needed since the move. Their celebrations were short-lived as the tell-tale sound of their apartment door plucked them both back to reality.
V wasn’t sure if it was the tequila that caused a flood of warmth to ripple through her body as her eyes cast on the woman in the doorway. She was a fair bit taller than V and wore her blonde hair swept back in true corpo fashion, cutting an intimidating silhouette. Her eyes were cold and unforgiving, her jaw rigid and square, her corpo attire all harsh angles and deadly edges. Jackie’s demeanour changed as soon as she dropped her briefcase, alerting him to her presence.
“Well if it isn’t the ice bitch herself, thought I’d had it too good for too long without her mug ‘round the place.” Jackie grumbled.
Meredith Stout had been looking for somewhere to live closer to the city centre and business district. Maybe it wasn’t ideal for a corpo climber, it was a distance from the sleek skyscrapers and brutal, fortress-like skyline of unrivalled power. It was a starting point on her purposeful and relentless pursuit of success in the merciless world of the Night City elite. She had taken the third room in the Kabuki apartment without much discussion not long after it had been advertised, having sensed something in the two street kids before her which simply reeked of opportunity.
“Fuck off Jackie, why don’t you go and see your gonk hippie output for a little while like a good boy. I’m sure she’s reading your tarot as we speak. Probably somethin' like I see my pussy-ass boyfriend getting his ass kicked by a bunch of Tyger Claws, that must mean he likes taking it up the ass." Meredith smirked as Jackie blushed and tightened his fists, the carefree joy usually associated with him overcome by thinly veiled disgust.
“Don’t know what you see in that coño. I’ll see you at Lizzie’s V, 7 pm sharp.” He grabbed his motorcycle key and made his exit, glowering at Meredith the whole way out of the apartment.
Now alone, V reclined on the couch and tilted her head back, angling her face upwards. Her cheek lightly flushed as Meredith crossed the room to stand behind her, eyes wandering over the taut expression of her third roommate, never seeming quite so harsh when they were alone. Finally, her gaze lowered to her lips, curled up into a smirk like a scythe and V licked her own automatically in response. Her expectations were dashed a moment later when Meredith dragged her nails across V’s neck in a burning path, trailing up to stroke the side of her face.
“I missed you today,” V whispered, goosebumps rippling down her body from the contact on her neck and a warm flush came over her. Meredith smiled, removing her hands from V to grab herself a shot of tequila. Silently, she padded over to her closed door, opening it with a flick of her wrist and disappearing within. The expectation was clear, and V poured herself another shot before trailing after Meredith into her darkened room.
She closed the door behind her and watched Meredith as she removed her blazer settling down on the edge of the bed. Slowly making her way across the room to sit beside her, V scratched the back of her neck nervously.
“So… bad day?” She tried to keep things light and casual, but things were never mundane when it came to Meredith.
“That’s a bit of an understatement, I've been busting balls all day just trying to get the boss to notice me. And that bitch from Net Ops keeps trying to screw me over, stupid cunt. Might have to call a fixer to make sure she’s out of the picture for good next time she tries to fuck with me.” Meredith took a cigarette from the packet in her blazer and placed it between her lips, raising an eyebrow at V expectantly. V took the lighter off her bedside table and lit her cig, not breaking eye contact as she did. The move was muscle memory by now. “Thanks, choom.” Meredith said sardonically.
V laughed awkwardly at the comment, feeling an uncomfortable clench in the pit of her stomach; they certainly weren’t just chooms in her eyes.
“Well me and Jack had some good news today, got two job offers one from Dex Deshawn and one from Susie Q. Think we could be onto something real special here, maybe people in NC will finally realise how-“
“Dex Deshawn? Susie Q? Please V, don’t make me laugh. Small-time gang bangers aren’t going to get you anywhere in this city except blown apart by MaxTac.” Meredith laughed, taking a long drag on her cigarette as she watched V’s optimistic expression fall as her body folded in on itself.
V felt a flush of humiliation crawl up the back of her neck and claw into her throat as old insecurities flooded back. And yet, wasn’t it Meredith who had praised her last month for completing a BD that earned her a substantial bonus? Or the week before when she scored tickets to an exclusive bar opening and enabled Meredith to network all night? She shook the doubt away and winced as acrid smoke was blown directly into her face.
“It ain’t like that Meredith, not looking to get flatlined here.” She weakly echoed her words to Jackie earlier. “The job for Deshawn could be real eddies with some risk, but the work for Susie Q could be a real opportunity for me. You know my experience in BD work, it could really help boost my –“
The cigarette was stubbed out carelessly on an opaque black ashtray beside Meredith’s bed, and her hand had occupied itself with the new task of slowly tracing up the inside of V’s thigh, talons hooked in and awakening nerve endings throughout her lower body. Her breath hitched, the last of her flimsy defence dying on her lips in place of a breathy sigh at the sudden change in Meredith’s demeanour. The next moment, cold lips began to inch along her exposed shoulder, burning a path up towards the hollow of her throat. V’s chrome fingers laced in fine blonde hair, gripping lightly as her head fell to the side and her eyes fluttered closed, dark lashes trembling against flushed cheeks. Meredith licked a path up to V’s earlobe, finding it pierced by silver studs which were tugged between teasing teeth as V felt hot breath flush across her neck. Strong fingers gripped her chin in an iron hold, an unspoken command making her tilt her head closer until teeth sunk roughly into her lower lip, dragging a ragged moan from V’s lips as Meredith’s fingers inched higher and higher up her thigh.
Without warning, Meredith retracted her hands from her body with a slight smirk on her lips.
“It’s absolutely adorable how worked up you get at the slightest touch. Shame I have to leave soon, got myself a hot date lined up. Don’t wait for me, I won’t be home tonight.” She stood and made her way to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
V sat frozen on the bed for what felt like an eternity. She stood on shaky legs a few moments later and made her way to her own room, recognising a Meredith dismissal when she saw one. In fact, she had been on the receiving end multiple times in the last few months. The phrase hot date echoed around her skull as she fell onto her own bed, the door to her bedroom sealed shut behind her finally creating a sense of safety.
Who was she seeing? Why even mention it?
Logically, V knew that Meredith thrived on the power trip that came with exploiting the weaknesses of others; she was a corpo, even if she hadn’t quite made it yet. V had no doubt that she eventually would make it though, given her affinity with manipulation. Nevertheless, V thought that they were on the brink of starting something new. Whenever Meredith was near she felt constantly on edge, a current thrumming under her skin demanding she gets closer, gets more from her. She never got it though. The harder Meredith pushed, the harder she pulled at the same time, drawing V helplessly into her orbit again and again in a way that made it exceedingly hard for her to process let alone forget.
An unknown amount of time passed while V obsessed over Meredith’s words, wondering who she would be seeing that night, where she would end up. She was thrown from her spiralling thoughts by the sound of the front door thudding shut, leaving her alone yet again in the apartment. It was great when someone was there to fill it with life, but when alone V felt aimless in the empty space. She curled up on her bed, clutching a pillow close to her chest, her eyes growing weary from the lack of sleep catching up to her. She thought she should probably try to get some rest before her big meeting at Lizzie’s, so allowed herself to relax and eventually drift off.
The sound of her holo roused her from her slumber. What time is it? How long have I been out?
She answered the call and Jackie’s face appearing in her vision. “Hola chica, I was gonna grab a drink before our meeting, wonderin' if you wanted to join me?”.
V checked the clock, 6:30 pm. Shit, I’m gonna be late.
“Um, not right now Jack, I’m just uh-“
“Not ready are ya?” Jackie laughed. “And you told me to be punctual! Move your ass chica, we can’t mess up this gig, could be our ticket outta here. See ya soon.” His still-laughing face clicked off and V was left in darkness again as she blearily reached for the light switch.
A quick shower later, or more like a brief lean on the shower wall, she stood in front of her measly wardrobe trying to decide which outfit was the most suitable for a gig like this. On one hand, it was basically a job interview, so she had to dress to impress. Yet she was aiming for a BD position so the outfit needed to highlight what a lucrative performer she could be. Finally, she selected a pair of tight black slacks that hugged her legs and accentuated their curve, clinging to her taut stomach where a flash of tattoos were hinted at before being obscured by a brightly coloured bralette. Over the top of the bralette, tracing her collarbones and upper chest lay detailed imprints of an Aztec tattoo carved into her skin, proudly on display. Finally, a leather blazer jacket was added to the ensemble and, after she slipped on some black pumps, V deemed herself as ready as she was going to get. After a last glance in the mirror and a minute spent pulling faces to psych herself up, the apartment door clicked shut behind her as she made her way to the creaky lift and down onto the bustling streets of Kabuki.
She pulled up outside Lizzie’s Bar in no time on her Kusanagi motorcycle, the blur of the city lights finally stabilising in a well-lit parking lot. V spotted Jackie spending time with his child; his famous red Arch motorcycle. The doors were flanked by a pair of gorgeous but intimidating women, clearly armed to the teeth and swinging baseball bats around as if daring someone to even try and look their way. Approaching Jackie and subtly checking out the two women, V glanced at her watch before swearing under her breath: 7:05 pm. This was not a good look for her.
“Well, well look what the cat dragged in. It’s not like you to be late V, what gives? Meredith keep you busy all afternoon, hm?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively and she elbowed him in the chest.
“Shut up, we don’t have time to waste!” She gestured for him to follow her as she approached the two Mox bouncers with a pleasing smile on her face.
“Good evening ladies, I’m V and this is Jackie Welles, we have an appointment to see Miss Susanna Quinn?” V tried her best to sound professional but was deflated as the Moxes burst into laughter simultaneously.
“Susanna Quinn? Ain’t nobody callin' her that through these doors, so you better get it straight before she busts your ass. It’s Susie Q, you hear?” The Mox with purple hair in two buns leaned back on one leg, holding the baseball bat casually on her shoulders. She sized V and Jackie up slowly, her expression clearly reading unimpressed as she let out a scoff. “And you’re late. Suze doesn’t like time wasters. What makes you think I’m gonna let either of you in there?”
V grimaced but tried to put on her best charming smile.
“I think you know good talent when you see it, being a woman of many talents yourself. You can’t deny the money me and the big man could bring into this club. So please let us in, I swear I won’t be late again.”
The Mox turned to her companion and they both shared a look V couldn’t read. “Alright big shot, just this once. I’d be madder if Susie hadn’t already told us about you.”
“All good things I hope?” Jackie chimed in, giving a toothy smile sweet as anything, to which the purple-haired Mox narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t push it. We don’t like your kind 'round here. Always looking for trouble, always something to prove. Now go, before I change my mind.” She gestured for them to enter the bar with a scornful wave of her bat.
“Thank you.” V didn’t want to push her luck but the flirt in her couldn’t resist. “I didn’t quite catch your name.”
“Rita. Rita Wheeler. Don’t try anything funny, my standards are way too high for you, sweet cheeks.” She pointed her bat at V’s chest with a light tap before stepping back.
V laughed, “I thought as much. Thanks, Rita, see you soon.”
Jackie and V stepped inside the dark club in search of their new contact. Just before she headed inside, V noticed a brief glimmer of amusement in Rita’s eyes as her mouth curled up into a smile, waving them in with a mocking bow.
It was time to find the boss.