Levi donned the kinetic assist system, slipped into the grey trousers and shirt he’d scavenged from the Scavs, and hailed a taxi through his interface.
“Destination: Coyote Cojo Bar.” Ten minutes later, he stepped out into the Heywood district.
A quick glance at his HUD pulled up the regional data: [Area: Heywood / The Glen] [Faction: Valentinos] [Evaluation: The Glen is wealthy, clean, and has low crime—a showpiece for the city’s recovery.
It’s right near City Hall.
But mere blocks away, the architecture turns drab and ugly—the domain of the Valentinos.
It’s a bitter joke that City Hall sits so close to the rot.] Levi pushed through the doors of the Coyote Cojo.
A wall of distorted rock music slammed into him.
A few cowboys smoking by the entrance gave him a cursory, dismissive glance before turning away.
Inside, the bar was a slice of Night City’s true soul: neon lights, a massive steer skull hung above the bar, and a diverse crowd of locals, street-level fixers, and grey-market operators.
“Hey, Mano!
Up here!” Jackie was leaning over the second-floor railing, holding a bottle of Abyss Classic and waving him over.
Levi threaded his way through the bar, past a pool table and walls plastered with Valentinos-style skull graffiti, and climbed the stairs.
Jackie pulled him into a bear hug.
“Mano, I’m bringing you here to meet someone special.” “Who?” “A big-shot at Arasaka.
She’s not in the city right now, so we’re doing a video call.
You should get her take on your Militech job—after all, she’s a ‘Corp-rat’ herself!” Jackie laughed.
“Arasaka?” Levi’s brow furrowed as they sat in a private booth.
He hadn’t forgotten that he’d offed an Arasaka security secretary hours after arriving.
“Don’t worry, Mano.
She’s different.
Good person, just happens to work for the devils.” Levi glanced at Jackie, pulling up his data window to verify the system’s evaluation: [Evaluation: Jackie was an early member of the Valentinos but left when his mother discovered his involvement.
He strives to carve out his own path as a mercenary.
Friendship, loyalty, and family are everything to him.
A passionate dreamer in a city that breaks dreams.] The system’s confirmation was enough.
He trusted the guy.
“Alright, let’s see this ‘good’ Corp-rat.” Jackie plugged a data cable from his wrist into the port behind Levi’s ear and initiated the call.
After two rings, a holographic display flickered to life in the corner of Levi’s optical view.
A woman appeared: long black hair in a ponytail, sharp features, dressed in a crisp Arasaka red-and-black uniform.
“Hey, Jackie.
Long time.
What’s up?” Her tone was clipped, professional, and undeniably arrogant—the same corporate cadence that reminded Levi of his previous “business” at Arasaka.
“Hi, V!
I’ve got a job from Militech, wanted to see if you had any thoughts.” V’s brow arched.
She was about to ask for details when her gaze shifted to Levi.
“Jackie, who’s this?” “Oh, right!
V, meet Levi.
Just arrived in Night City.
Levi, this is V, a big-shot in Arasaka Counter-Intelligence.” “Nice to meet you, Levi,” V said.
The warmth she’d shown Jackie was completely absent.
“V,” Levi replied coolly.
An Arasaka big-shot?
He’d killed better.
“So, you’re the one who took the Militech contract,” V noted, sizing him up.
“Yeah.
Militech wants me to take out an agent named Anthony Gilchrist.
Any red flags?” “Pff.
Corp infighting, purging the ranks—standard Militech procedure.
Go ahead and do it.” Before they could continue, a middle-aged woman in a red sweater and leather vest—gray-haired, sharp-eyed—walked over with two bottles of Abyss.
Levi checked her status: [Name: Guadalupe ‘Mama’ Welles] [Threat Level: High] [Evaluation: The soul of the Coyote Cojo.
Everyone who enters her home is heard and fed.
She would sacrifice everything, even her life, to protect her kin.
She is a pillar of Heywood; even the toughest Valentinos give her space.
The local priest claims she’s tougher than all the gang-bangers in the district combined.] Is everyone in this city a legend?
Levi wondered, startled.
“Hi, Levi,” Mama Welles said, setting the bottles down.
“I’m Jackie’s mom.
You can call me Mama Welles.
Listen, some Arasaka suits just walked in, and they’re asking for you by name.
You want to go down and see what they want?” Levi’s smile vanished.
The suits weren’t here for a chat.
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