Twisty Street was one of those places in Night City that perfectly embodied the city’s contradictions.
Neon lights illuminated cracked pavement.
Street vendors sold cheap food beneath holographic advertisements worth more than most residents would earn in a lifetime.
Corporate employees occasionally passed through alongside gang members, mercenaries, and drifters, creating a strange balance that somehow managed to hold together despite the constant threat of violence.
That was why V couldn’t help feeling confused when he saw Victor’s destination.
From inside the surveillance vehicle, he stared at the location marker displayed through his optics and frowned.
During the past several days of observation, Victor had proven to be one of the most predictable corporate executives V had ever encountered.
The man didn’t visit expensive clubs, didn’t frequent casinos, and rarely spent time on entertainment.
Most of his life seemed divided between Arasaka Tower, training facilities, research laboratories, and his apartment.
Yet now, of all places, he had chosen Twisty Street.
One of V’s teammates immediately began speculating.
Maybe the department head had grown tired of executive dining and wanted to try authentic street food.
Another suggested he might have a secret meeting arranged here.
A third proposed an increasingly ridiculous theory involving hidden lovers and corporate espionage.
V finally cut them off before their imagination got completely out of control.
“Enough.
They’ve parked.
Focus on the mission.” The black Chevrolet Jefferson rolled to a stop near the center of the district.
A few moments later, Victor’s bodyguard and trusted subordinate, Canris, stepped out of the vehicle and began scanning the area.
Inside the car, Victor remained seated, appearing completely unconcerned about his surroundings.
He simply observed the crowd through the tinted windows while waiting for his contact to arrive.
The contact in question didn’t take long to find.
Canris’ cybernetic eye quickly locked onto a nervous-looking man standing near a food stall.
The researcher looked thoroughly out of place.
He continuously glanced over his shoulder, adjusted the package in his arms, and wiped sweat from his forehead despite the relatively cool evening temperature.
Without hesitation, Canris walked directly toward him.
The moment he spoke, the man nearly jumped out of his skin.
The frightened researcher was Koch, a low-level Militech employee who had somehow gained access to sensitive research regarding advanced neural cyberware.
Over the past several weeks, he had secretly negotiated with Arasaka while struggling to decide whether betraying Militech was worth the risk.
Apparently, he had finally made his decision.
After a brief exchange, Canris escorted him toward the waiting vehicle.
Koch’s anxiety only increased as he approached.
The last time he had met Victor, the Special Operations commander had just returned from a cleanup operation.
The memory remained vivid in his mind.
Blood-covered walls.
Dismembered bodies.
Destroyed cyberware.
It had looked less like a battlefield and more like a slaughterhouse.
The image had haunted him ever since.
As the car door opened, Koch reluctantly climbed inside and found himself face-to-face with the man responsible for that unforgettable scene.
Victor sat calmly in the back seat, his expression unreadable.
The contrast between his composed appearance and his reputation made him seem even more intimidating.
“You brought the documents?” Victor asked.
Koch nodded immediately.
“I brought part of them.
The rest is hidden somewhere safe.” Victor wasn’t surprised.
Anyone foolish enough to hand over everything at once probably wouldn’t survive long in Night City.
“Your relocation request has been approved,” Victor said.
“After today’s transaction, arrangements will be made to move you out of Night City.” The effect was immediate.
Relief flooded Koch’s face.
For the first time since entering the vehicle, some of the tension left his body.
“Then thank God,” he muttered.
Victor extended his hand.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.” Koch quickly passed over the package.
However, before Victor could even begin examining its contents, a deafening explosion echoed through Twisty Street.
BOOM!
The vehicle trembled violently.
Pedestrians screamed.
Several nearby windows shattered.
Canris reacted faster than thought itself.
One moment he was sitting in the front seat.
The next he had crossed the entire vehicle and grabbed Koch by the collar.
“You bastard!” The bodyguard’s voice was filled with killing intent.
“Did you set us up?” Koch’s face instantly turned pale.
“No!” He nearly shouted the word.
“It wasn’t me!” His hands waved frantically as panic consumed him.
“You have to believe me!
I’m not stupid enough to betray Militech and then betray Arasaka too!” Canris looked ready to break his neck.
Fortunately, Victor intervened.
“Let him go.” The command was calm, but absolute.
Canris immediately obeyed.
Victor’s cybernetic eye emitted a faint blue glow as he began scanning Koch’s biological responses.
Heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, neural activity—everything was analyzed in real time.
“Expose your neural interface.” Koch hesitated for only a second before complying.
Canris connected directly to the exposed port and initiated a rapid interrogation protocol.
The questions were simple.
Did he cause the explosion?
No.
Was he working with anyone outside Militech?
No.
Were there hidden tracking devices involved?
No.
Was the data fake?
Absolutely not.
After several minutes, Canris disconnected and looked toward Victor.
“He’s telling the truth.” Victor nodded slightly.
That matched his own analysis.
Koch wasn’t lying.
Which meant the explosion was unrelated.
At least directly.
“Canris,” Victor said, leaning back against his seat.
“Contact our shadows and find out what’s happening.” A grin immediately appeared on Canris’ face.
He knew exactly who Victor meant.
The Counterintelligence surveillance team.
The same team that had been secretly following Victor for days.
Outside, V was already investigating the situation when a communication request appeared in his optics.
After answering, he was greeted by Canris’ voice.
“Our boss wants you to investigate the explosion.” For several seconds, V simply stared.
Victor had noticed them.
Not only that, he was now assigning them work.
The realization was deeply embarrassing.
Days of surveillance, and the target had apparently been aware of them the entire time.
Still, orders were orders.
V quickly organized his team and headed toward the source of the explosion.
What they discovered was chaos.
A firefight was already underway.
Gunfire echoed through the streets while explosions illuminated the night sky.
Tyger Claws members occupied both sides of the street, using vehicles, storefronts, and barricades as cover.
And at the center of the battle stood Maine’s crew.
Dorio moved between cover positions while firing precise bursts from her rifle.
Nearby, Pilar launched flashbang grenades with complete disregard for property damage or common sense.
The resulting explosions blinded and disoriented large groups of Tyger Claws, creating opportunities for the rest of the crew.
Rebecca took full advantage.
The petite girl emerged from cover like a hurricane.
Dual pistols barked repeatedly.
Several gang members collapsed before they even realized they were under attack.
Blood splashed across the pavement as Rebecca laughed with manic enthusiasm.
For her, this wasn’t merely combat.
It was entertainment.
When a surviving Tyger Claw managed to sneak around her flank and raise a weapon toward her head, he never got the chance to fire.
A projectile struck him in the neck.
Flames erupted instantly.
The smell of burning plastic and cooked flesh filled the air.
Rebecca turned and immediately spotted Sasha positioned on a nearby rooftop.
The netrunner-turned-sharpshooter casually lowered her weapon.
Rebecca answered with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Sasha simply rolled her eyes.
The battle escalated from there.
Maine charged forward with the terrifying momentum of a freight train.
Enhanced cyberware absorbed incoming fire while his massive frame crashed through obstacles that would stop ordinary people cold.
Grenades exploded.
Bullets flew.
Tyger Claws screamed.
And within minutes, the outcome became obvious.
Maine’s crew had achieved their objective.
The moment Falco arrived with the getaway vehicle, everyone moved.
The professional driver executed a perfect drift through the combat zone before throwing open the doors.
“Get in!” Nobody needed to be told twice.
The crew piled inside.
Several explosive gifts were left behind for their pursuers.
A final series of detonations rocked the street as Falco accelerated away.
Moments later, Tyger Claws motorcycles launched into pursuit.
The chase disappeared into Night City’s endless maze of streets.
By the time V arrived, the battle was effectively over.
Dead gang members littered the area.
Damaged vehicles burned quietly.
Storefronts had been reduced to rubble.
It was a typical Night City evening.
One surviving Tyger Claw spotted V and immediately marched toward him, fueled by anger and adrenaline.
“What are you looking at?” The gang member looked ready to start another fight.
Without speaking, V produced his Arasaka identification.
Everything changed instantly.
The gang member’s expression froze.
A second Tyger Claw quickly stepped forward and grabbed his companion before he could make an even bigger mistake.
“Sorry for the disturbance,” the older gangster said carefully.
“We’re closing early.” V didn’t respond.
He simply turned and walked away.
Behind him, he heard someone mutter, “Corporate dog.” The older gangster immediately smacked the speaker in the back of the head.
“Shut up unless you want all of us dead.” As V returned toward Victor’s location, the distant sound of sirens echoed through the city.
Meanwhile, inside the black Jefferson, Victor calmly examined the stolen Militech documents.
The explosion.
The firefight.
The gang war.
None of it truly mattered.
The real battle had never been on Twisty Street.
It had begun the moment a Militech researcher decided to sell corporate secrets to Arasaka.
——————————– CREATORS’ THOUGHTS ShadowSamuraiTL Have some idea about my story?
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