“We’ve got two, maybe three days tops to pull this off. Any longer, and he’ll have exactly what he wants.”
“What are you talking about?” Rina shot back, folding her arms tight. “If I don’t move, he won’t get anywhere. I’m his best asset. Without me, he’s stuck.”
Nova shook his head, staring out the window, eyes scanning the neon glow of Night City like it held all the answers.
“Don’t fool yourself. You’re his ace, sure—but Ivan’s the type who doesn’t bet unless he’s holding a full hand. He won’t make his play until he’s stacked his deck. And if we’re gonna win this, we need a hand better than his.”
Across town, high in a gleaming tower of chrome and glass, Ivan stood in front of a sleek holo-projection table. Regina sat at the head of the room, flanked by her usual pack of corpo enforcers.
Ivan was calm, collected as ever.
“The spike in cyberpsychosis cases isn’t random. I believe there’s an external factor—something destabilizing these people. Most of the victims didn’t have enough chrome in them to hit their limiters. That suggests a different problem entirely.”
He swiped through charts and reports with a flick of his cybernetic fingers.
“It’s rare to see corpos or high-earners hit with this issue. It’s mostly low-grade clients. My theory? Faulty cyberware. Bad manufacturing or deliberate sabotage.”
Regina tapped her manicured nails against the table.
“Hnhm. There’s merit to that. But we can’t move on a hunch. We need confirmation. Luckily, I’ve got just the techie for a deep-dive.”
Incoming Call: Regina Jones
Nova froze when the ping hit his interface.
Shit. Shit. SHIT.
He should’ve seen this coming. He worked with Regina—and Ivan worked with her too. If the story of his “death” ever reached Ivan’s ears, the whole house of cards would collapse.
He answered, trying to keep his tone even.
“Nova. You up for a job? Cyberpsycho incidents are climbing. We suspect poor installation or defective implants. I need you to check them over, tell me if the theory holds water.”
“Regina, I…”
Nova’s hesitation wasn’t lost on Rina, who was listening through the comms. She caught on instantly and saw an opening.
“Take the job,” she whispered. “While you’re with them, I can dig through Ivan’s files. If this works, we’ll get what we need—even if that means he starts suspecting.”
Nova’s mind raced. It was risky as hell, but it might be their only shot.
“Alright. When do you need me there?”
A few hours later, Nova stepped into Regina’s office tower. The lights were cold and clinical, reflecting off polished steel walls. Ivan was already there as well as other people, his usual smug mask in place as if he didn’t suspect a thing.
“Nova,” he said warmly, extending a hand. “Glad you could make it.”
Fake bastard. Nova gritted his teeth behind a polite smile.
Regina led him to a table piled with scrap cyberware—components stripped from the latest cyberpsycho victims. Nova crouched and began scanning.
At first glance, they were nothing special: cheap chrome, the kind you’d find in back-alley ripperdoc shops. But then he spotted something odd—a peculiar signature embedded in the firmware.
He frowned, digging deeper.
Each of the extracted implants carried the same cryptic code. Curious, he scanned an unused implant fresh from the box—not pulled from any victim. The same damn code appeared there too.
Nova leaned back, fingers drumming on the table.
That’s not just bad coding… it must be a new model
“These implants don’t pack enough punch to fry someone’s sanity on their own,” he said aloud. “But this model’s got a firmware anomaly I haven’t seen before. It’s possible their crap design could trigger instability. Still… feels off.”
Regina nodded slowly.
“You’ve been a big help, Nova. I’ll transfer your payment. In the meantime, I want every unit of this model purged from the market. Every last one.”
Ivan smiled faintly.
“Exceptional work as always, Nova. You’ve just validated Kirishima’s theory. He’ll be pleased.”
“Kirishima?” Nova echoed, in confusion.
“He’s the one who collected and analyzed these pieces. Looks like he’s in for a nice little promotion after this.”
Nova’s stomach knotted. Something about this stank, but he kept his face neutral.
“Sharp eye on that guy. Not everyone could’ve come up with this theory. Whoever tried to push these implants into the market’s a real fucking stupid bastard.”
He glanced at Ivan as he said it, trying to bait a reaction. But Ivan didn’t flinch. Not even a twitch.
Either he’s clean on this… or he’s a damn good actor.
Meanwhile, in Ivan’s private office, Rina worked fast. Her fingers danced over the console, pulling logs, encrypting copies, and scraping every byte she could before he returned.
The meeting was over, doubts cleared, and the orders given. Everyone went back to their respective work. Rina had extracted everything she could and was preparing to leave the building, leaping across rooftops with effortless grace.
Then—gunshots. Someone was after her.
She moved like liquid chrome, dodging bullets with unnatural precision, pulling her pursuers into close quarters. When one got too close, she locked her body around his, twisted him into a human shield, ripped his weapon free, and used it to take out the others in quick succession. As the last one fell, she snapped her captive’s neck between her thighs and let him crumple lifelessly to the ground.
But it wasn’t over.
A sniper shot cracked in the distance. The moment it rang out, Rina triggered her Sandevistan, a rush of time-slowing adrenaline flooding her veins. She tilted her head just enough for the bullet to miss, reading the trajectory like a hunter. With a flick of her wrist, she sent her wire spinning, the attached dagger gaining momentum as it sailed straight into the sniper’s skull.
Dropping from the rooftop, she melted into the alleyways below, vanishing into the shadows. She waited there for hours—five, maybe more—ensuring her tail had been thoroughly lost.
Finally, she rejoined Nova in a decrepit building far from home.
“It’s done. Ivan knew we’d try something. He sent crews after me like a madman.”
“Good. Let’s see what you pulled.”
Nova took the chip from her and got to work, first installing failsafes to avoid being tracked. Rina curled up by the window, hugging her knees, staring out at the neon-lit street below.
“Nova… I still don’t get why you’re helping me. Why you want to help them. You don’t get paid for this.”
“To be honest? I don’t need the money. Regina pays me plenty.”
“But you’re risking your skin. You know who you’re messing with? Ivan might not be the head, but he’s got connections. And you said it yourself—Faraday’s a big problem.”
A heavy silence filled the room.
“He is,” Nova finally admitted. “Guess you’re right. I’m just an idiot playing hero. But seeing them—laughing, living, together… It’s something I lost a long time ago. And maybe I miss it. I guess I just feel like they deserve a happy ending.”
“You really are an idiot…”
“Hey, don’t star—”
“Nova!?”
He didn’t have time to react. The only thing he saw was the floor rushing up and boots surrounding him before everything went black.
When Nova came to, it wasn’t pitch dark—but it felt like it. A rough sack covered his head.
“This gonna be routine? ‘Cause I’d prefer not to get used to it. Anyone in this city know how to have a damn conversation?”
The bag was yanked off. Familiar faces stared back at him: Maine, Dorio, and David sat on a sagging couch. Kiwi and Lucy stood further back, eyes sharp. And right above him, Rebecca crouched, inspecting him meticulously.
“No weapons on him,” Rebecca muttered.
“Makes sense you knocked me out with a single hit. But seriously… how the hell’d you get in without making a sound? Hard to believe with two gorillas in your crew.”
Maine stood from the couch, his massive frame blotting out the light.
“Kiwi. How’s the data?”
“Almost there…” Kiwi’s voice was ice cold. “This’ll interest you. He’s got our names, past gigs—even the rookie David.”
“So that’s why you saved Pilar,” Lucy said darkly.
“What?! No! I didn’t—”
“Shut up, asshole! You cracked my brother’s jaw on purpose, didn’t you?!” Rebecca snarled, shoving a pistol against Nova’s temple.
“This twig was gonna sell us out? How?” Dorio asked skeptically.
“Well… that ninja could pull it off solo,” Kiwi said, stepping closer to Rina. “I dug into her past. With prep time, she’d be a serious threat.”
Nova turned his head and spotted Rina hanging from chains, wrists bound, mouth gagged. His stomach sank. He had no clue how to fix this—but he was almost certain they wouldn’t kill them outright.
“What about him? Anything on him?” Maine asked, jabbing Nova’s chest with a finger the size of Nova’s face.
“...Nothing. I’ll need more time to crack it.”
“Ah, screw it. We’ve got enough evidence. Let’s zero them.”
“Wait, wait! How long do you think you can protect your crew without going full psycho, rhino?”
“Huh?”
Rebecca’s eyes darted between Nova and Maine, then she broke into a sharp laugh.
“Did he just call you Rhino? HAHAHA!”
Maine’s face twisted in rage. He slammed a fist into Nova’s gut, knocking the air out of him.
“I know my body better than anyone! You think I’m some fragging idiot about to snap?!”
Gasping for breath, Nova coughed out:
“I don’t think it—I know it. Just looking at you, I can tell you’re on the edge. And you’re not planning to scale back on the chrome. You think without implants, you’re nothing. That’s what the weak say. You think I took Faraday’s job without knowing I can handle you?”
“Yooou…” Maine growled, raising his fist again.
“Maine!” David shouted, stepping in.
“Outta my way, kid! Faraday’s our fixer. This punk’s full of shit.”
“No. He’s lying. He didn’t come after us on Faraday’s orders. Ever since Pilar, he’s been looking out for us… in his own way. He’s trying to talk sense into you.”
The room went quiet. Maine’s glare lingered on Nova for a long moment before he exhaled, lowering his fist and getting out of the room.
“Kiwi. Prep the gear. We’ll crack his head open and see what’s inside.”
“Hey, Nova—how much do you know about psychosis?” Dorio asked, her tone firm but worried.
“Enough to know there’s still time. But something has to be done now.”
Dorio went silent, lost in thought, then followed Maine out of the room. Lucy grabbed Rina’s chains and dragged her away.
“You and I need to talk.”
David stepped closer to Nova.
“I don’t know why you’re helping us… but thanks. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve clammed up with Lucy and… well, I wouldn’t still be with her. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”
“You think? I’m tied to a chair in a room I don’t know, and they just took my friend.”
“Yeah, well… even if you’re on our side, we gotta be careful. Maine looks out for his own. It’s my turn to help him—I’ll go talk to him.”
“Good luck convincing him. If he refuses, tell him to fight me. No weapons. Hand to hand. I’ll beat sense into him.”
As everyone left the room, only Nova and Rebecca remained. She sat cross-legged, arms folded, glaring.
Then, curiosity flickered in her eyes. She got up and stared directly at Nova.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Now what—”
“You confuse me. Are you good or bad? What the hell do you even want?”
“Listen… that chip has fake data. Rina and I are trying to expose Ivan. He’s working behind Regina’s back—a fixer with a clean rep. If we don’t stop him, he’ll keep using Rina until she’s no longer useful. Then he’ll dump her.”
Rebecca’s expression softened slightly. She sighed, sitting back down.
“This city’s a shitshow, huh?”
“Biggest one of them all,” Nova replied. “Must be nice having people to lean on.”
“I wouldn’t say we’re that close. We just run jobs together.”
“But you treasure those moments, don’t you?”
Rebecca was silent for a moment, then smirked faintly.
“You really are an idiot.”
The silence stretched on. Eventually, Nova asked:
“So… you gonna cut me loose?”
“No.” Rebecca answered flatly, chucking a can at his head.
“Why?!”
“Like I said—you’re an idiot.” Rebecca’s voice cut sharp. “You expect me to just believe all that crap? I’ve seen you—what? Twice in my whole fragging life? Your words don’t line up with your actions. You forget where we are? This is the shittiest city on Earth.”
“Uugh… fine…” Nova grunted, rolling his shoulders as the cold metal cuffs bit into his wrists.
“Rebecca! Bring the idiot. It’s time.” Maine’s voice bellowed from somewhere down the hall.
Rebecca grabbed Nova by the collar and yanked him to his feet, half-dragging, half-shoving him into the next room.
The air was thick with ozone and blood. A large tub sat in the center, filled with water and chunks of ice, steam curling faintly as exposed wires hummed like angry snakes. Cables were coiled on the floor like veins ripped straight out of Night City itself.
“Guess talking’s off the table,” Nova muttered, eyeing the setup. “So we’re doing it the way this city does everything—violent, messy, and probably lethal. If this doesn’t fry my brain and doesn’t get the ninja killed, I’ll help your precious Rhino with his psychosis,”
“I will not become a psycho!” Maine growled, taking a step forward.
“Maine! Shut up.” Dorio’s fist landed square in Maine's stomach, cutting off his rant. He doubled over, wheezing, glaring at her with betrayal.
“Kiwi, please,” Dorio said, her tone calm but laced with urgency.
“Fine, fine,” Kiwi sighed. “I won’t turn him into fried chicken. But this ICE he’s packing? It’s thick as hell. I’ll need a clean entry point.”
“You’ll get access.” Nova spoke up, his voice low but steady. “I’ll pause the firewall. You’ve got fifteen minutes. Dig around all you want. Then you’ll see exactly what the hell I’m talking about.”
The room went dead silent, Kiwi undressed and entered the tub filled with Eyes while Dorio jacked her in. Kiwi's eyes turned into informatic patterns and leaned on her back begining the search.