Mission: [Rabbit Hole]

"I see that, despite my warning, you have started without me." Hanako couldn't conceal her pride in her son as she glared icily at the president and asked rhetorically with an air of superiority, "How did it go, Rosalind?"

Rosalind remained silent, unable to respond. She now understood the mistake she had made in believing she could manipulate a desperate mother and her troubled son to her advantage, supporting them in their attempt to take over Arasaka from within.

Ironically, after having met and faced Saburo, the icy looks mother and son shared directed at her made her fear the very scenario she had naively thought would benefit her:

That mother and son would overthrow Saburo and take control of Arasaka.

Hanako changed her tone when she addressed her son beside her, asking without looking at him, "How is Judy?"

"She's fine, tired after everything that's happened..." Sora replied in the same manner.

"And... my grandson? How is he...?" Hanako asked hesitantly, not caring if anyone heard, aware that Judy's pregnancy was known to all present.

"He's in worse shape than I once was," Sora responded, drawing the attention of Morgan and the hologram of his Boss, intrigued by this information that might explain the improvements his mother had made to him.

"That bad...?" Hanako asked worriedly, fully aware of how terrible her grandson's condition must be.

"Yes..." he replied slowly.

Finally looking at her son, Hanako, fearing the answer, asked without being able to finish, "Are you going to be able to...?" Hoping that after his "change," he could save him.

Surprised when he answered immediately, with completely blue pupils that glowed ethereally for a moment, he look at her and added, "Yes... I don't know how long it will take... but just like you did with me... I won't abandon it."

Hanako, proud that her son had made the same decision as she did, had to look away from his blue eyes. Which reminded her again of the eyes that had appeared out of nowhere when she first met Arc

Despite her concern over this fact, she said, "I see... If you need anything, I..."

Her son's words and actions calmed her, "I know, thank you..."

With a calmer tone after speaking with his mother, returning to business, Sora addressed the president."Regarding the NeoHydrO... even if I gave you the formula, which I already have, and the method to create it... you wouldn't be able to."

"I don't believe it," the president responded firmly.

"I don't care if you do..." Raising his left hand, Sora rubbed two fingers together, releasing a silver dust onto the president's desk as he added, "With this level of nanotechnology... it's impossible for Militech to produce NeoHydrO."

After "returning" all of Militech's nanobots, Sora pulled out two narrow, cylindrical vials from the compartment he deployed from his right arm, offering the two vials with a peculiar bluish liquid inside to the president. He said, "I know how stubborn h- all of u can be... take them, analyze it, and let your own scientists say they have no idea how to make it."

Looking at them with a certain desire, the president turned to Sora and, showing no intention of taking them, asked, "Two?"

Having used the 'stick,' Sora now showed the 'carrot,' saying, "One is for your daughter, I'm sure she'll love to study it."

Surprised by the sudden mention of her daughter, recalling her recent messages, the president couldn't help but let her maternal side overshadow her presidential role for a moment as she asked alarmed, "How do you know...?!"

"I imagine she told you, but when I saved her 'LIFE'," Sora emphasized that detail, "I might have said something that could offend her pride..." With an honest tone, as he explained half of his motives, he concluded. "I'd like to see what she can create with NeoHydrO."

After studying the BlackAquila, Sora had to give credit to Tristana and see the ideas she came up with to solve many of the ship's previous problems.

Now that he was fused with Arc... his desire to advance technology, shared and inherited from his creator Professor Turin, made Sora truly want to nurture/compete with a brilliant mind like Tristana's.

Taking the vials he was offering, with a calmer and less authoritarian tone, Rosalind said, "She told me... that the "Bastard" who broke into the base and stole the BlackAquila, using the Wraith as a distraction, mercilessly eliminated them himself when they were about to capture her..."

The president had to avoid Hanako's gaze, as she did not like her shameless son being called a 'bastard'. Looking at Sora and seeing his expression made Rosalind exclaim. "You don't expect me to thank you for that, do you?"

Shrugging as if to say 'It wouldn't hurt' the president shook her head. Still trapped in her own office, she asked, "Well, what do you expect me to do with-?'"

Before she could finish, all the locked doors opened, flooding the office with soldiers who surrounded and pointed their guns at Sora. Unfazed, he answered the president's unfinished question:

"Whatever you see fit, president... it's your decision..." Ready for either peaceful conversation or violent alternative, expressing it with a nonchalant smile, while his eyes still had a sharp expression as he continued smoking.

President Myers, looking at the metallic vials in her hand, debated her two options internally. Finally, she made a decision and ordered, "Retrieve the fallen agents and withdraw."

Doubting if he had heard correctly, an Air Force officer in a characteristic blue uniform hesitated, "Ma'am?"

Unwilling to repeat her orders, the president gave the officer new ones, offering him the vials in her hand, "Take this to the lab. I want the scientific team to analyze it and tell me if they can recreate it..." Looking at Sora out of the corner of her eye, the president added, "With our nanobot technology."

"Understood!" Before the officer left the office, Rosalind said, "The second vial... send it in a drone to the Pentagon, I want my daughter's opinion as soon as possible."

Due to the pedrigree and his actions esta noche... Sora's words about Tristana internally impressed the president. This led her to have a higher regard for her own daughter and, for the first time, she sincerely wanted to know her opinion.

As the room began to empty, Songbird, covering her metallic stump full of cables with her remaining hand, stepped forward and asked, "Ma'am, do you want me to leave too?"

"I'd like you to stay, but if you feel incapable, you may leave," the president responded.

"No, if the president believes I might need me, I'll stay," said Songbird, positioning herself beside her.

Nodding with a grateful gesture to her agent, the president turned to Sora, who was still holding her arm like a souvenir, and asked, "Could you give it back?"

Shaking Songbird's arm as if to say 'no,' he also said, "No."

"Ahm..." Causing Rosalind to bring her hand to her face and sigh exasperatedly. Earning a gesture of understanding from Hanako, who understood better than anyone how difficult it could be.

When they were alone, the president said, "Hypothetically... if I believed your argument that Militech would be incapable of producing it, you're not suggesting we leave the world's production to a company less than 3 years old with its only headquarters and factory in Night City, are you?"

"No... although Judy will surely want to participate, I planned to leave the bulk of the production to my mother," Sora responded, "hypothetically."

Causing the president to exclaim, "To Arasaka!?"

"No, not to Arasaka, exclusively to the Kiji faction," said Sora. "Starting from some of the smaller companies that Hanako has in her name. Then, they can use their facilities to start developing NeoHydrO, while Judy gradually takes over, building more factories around the world."

["Couldn't other investor corporations create factories too?"] Intervened the hologram of the Lazarus boss from her distant seat.

"Sure! Good luck with that," Sora responded sarcastically. "As I said, I can share the method to create NeoHydrO, but no current corporation has the level of nanotechnology that-"

["Arasaka,"] completed the Lazarus boss, similarly to the president.

"No, again: my mother... She is the person who has invested the most time and personal money. Her advancements are solely hers." Causing the Arc part in Sora to added: "More or less..." After having been the one who gave them to her.

Revealing the 'little' trap behind NeoHydrO, "And most importantly: it has nothing to do with the Iron Beast shares you bought."

["I see... you've compartmentalized the technology. Although you sold a part, the other, essential for its creation, is secured by your mother,"] Joy said with a hint of admiration in her voice.

"That's right. I'm glad you understand... 'Boss,'" responded Sora, satisfied after having been the man who 'fooled' the world.

Joy, hearing his response and seeing the shameless smile on his face, couldn't help but smile too. Having found the "spearhead" she had been seeking. Impressed by his performance. With 10.6% of Iron Beast in her possession, she said: ["I agree with the boy's plan."]"

"I..." Thinking about how she could carry out her son's plan, Hanako said "I think I might be able to start production soon. Yumeko, how many plots of land do we have on American soil? I want the first factories to be supervised by the president."

After stepping forward when called, "...." A few seconds later, after checking the data on her IDn, Yumeko responded, "We have 124 suitable zones that we could start working on immediately."

"Choose the 5 safest ones and share them with the president's staff. Let them choose the final location."

"Understood," Yumeko replied, stepping back, and then looked at Songbird, managing to hide her resentment for infecting Hanako after seeing Sora cut off her arm.

Although initially against the idea, Hanako's suggestion that the first factories be built on American soil and that they choose the final location slowly began to change Rosalind's perception.

Finally, President Myers said, "I also agree, but with the condition that Hanako acts as an executor, and once Iron Beast is capable of handling production, it will be left in their hands."

This statement made clear the importance the president placed on Iron Beast as a company in neutral territory. This could not have made Sora happier, as Iron Beast was positioned in a special situation in the corporate world.

Thanks to the fact that the large corporations already owned shares in Iron Beast, none would benefit from attacking it. Moreover, the production of NeoHydrO depended on advanced nanobot technology that only Sora and his mother controlled, ensuring that the production of the fuel remained in their hands. The strategic location of their factories in neutral territories and under the control of the investing corporations further reinforced security and neutrality.

This set of factors increased the demand for Iron Beast shares from those same corporations, raising their value and consolidating their global importance... like a small corporate Switzerland.

Although it was likely that Sora would have to put more shares up for sale for the other corporations to buy, he didn't mind selling the majority of his shares as long as Judy kept hers intact, and together they retained more than 50%.

"Now that we have 'hypothetically' solved the NeoHydrO issue," Sora said, his voice breaking the silence with a more serious tone that tensed the atmosphere. Locking onto the president, seeking answers. "What was that about leaving my home?"

Unexpectedly, Hanako was the one who responded, her voice serene but firm. "The one who wants you to leave Night City is not the president. It's me," she declared without hesitation. "When I suggested it... Rosalind agreed. It also benefited her to safeguard her image and give a false sense of justice."

Sora extinguished the butt of his cigarette on the back of the elegant leather chair, leaving a dark stain on the expensive material, clearly showing his displeasure, and asked, with a tone laden with disdain, "And why would I do that?"

"For several reasons..." his mother replied, matching his tone. "First, the notoriety. Do you really think you can go out tomorrow night and keep acting like just another mercenary, as if nothing happened?"

"Not necessarily..." Sora muttered, reflecting a deep disillusionment with the profession he once loved. "Smasher made me realize what kind of people mercenaries are..."

His own words bitterly reminded him of how he once believed, perhaps influenced by his grandfather's teachings, that there was a 'brotherhood' among mercenaries.

That made him mistakenly believe that these supposed 'brothers-in-arms' would choose the job of a companion in distress over allying with the same corporations they claimed to hate while doing their dirty work.

Sora's response left everyone in the room silent. His mother, Oda, and Yumeko looked at him in surprise. Meanwhile, Morgan couldn't help but wish he had arrived a few seconds earlier.

Even the head of Lazarus, upon hearing Sora's thoughts, showed renewed interest in him.

"Although it's a response I longed to hear, it's too late for tha. You have to leave the city," Hanako replied coldly. Determined to have her son leave Night City for his safety, she knew her father would not forget the humiliation suffered at the hands of his own grandson and would seek revenge.

The authoritative determination in his mother's voice provoked an immediate reaction in Sora. He fixed his sharp gaze on her, with an intensity similar to when he faced the president.

The tense silence between mother and son continued until Joy intervened, with a calm tone. ["Kid, don't be angry with your mother, she's only saying this for your good."]

Sora slowly directed his piercing eyes to the hologram of Joy, which met them without flinching. ["I hope you don't mind me calling you that. I've heard Morgan refer to you like that so many times that it's stuck in my mind."]

"I think that's an exaggeration, it hasn't been that many..." Morgan interjected, trying to protect her image.

Seeing Sora slightly relax his expression, Joy spoke directly. ["Kid, do you know how Saburo got so high or why your "grandfather" Musashi was so feared? Certainly not by forgiving his enemies... There are countless stories in the corporate world about how Saburo could hold grudges for decades before taking revenge on his rivals and leaving them with nothing."]

["That's in the case of his rivals, but in the case of his enemies..."] Joy paused, her gaze fixed on Sora, highlighting the category he was in. ["Saburo sent Musashi – the feared Red-Oni of Arasaka – to hunt them."]

Pointing to Hanako, Joy's hologram continued, ["To prevent her father,"] then she looked at Sora, ["your grandfather, from laying a hand on you. Your mother remembered the offer I made. On our part, the Lazarus tablel has already made the decision.

And now that you've realized what mercenaries are really like...

I want you to join us, and over these five years learn how we operate, so you can take one of the seats at the Lazarus High Table."]

Even though she was already aware of what the Lazarus Boss planned, the president was still impacted that she was willing to take responsibility for the "peculiar/dangerous" youngest member of the Arasaka family.

Sora's look reflected doubts, which Joy didn't hesitate to use. "If you stay in Night City, you're ensuring that another event like today's will happen again. But this time it won't be organized by Yorinobu, but by Saburo himself using all the power of Arasaka.

Observing every reaction, she added, ["Unless you and your mother want to explain to him who you really are... which I doubt. With Iron Beast's new position, Judy and your relatives will be safe if you stay away from them."] Her voice, though enigmatic, had a persuasive tone that was impossible to ignore.

Agreeing with her, Hanako intervened. "I'm sure that deep down you were already aware of this situation when you tore off Yorinobu's arm..." Unable to refer to him as her brother anymore.

"Why are you so determined that I join Lazarus?" Sora asked, his voice full of suspicion.

["Rosalind, please,"] Joy interjected.

Despite the recent disagreements between them, the topic Joy was about to address needed to be handled under the highest security measures. This prompted the president to affirm while changing the already highly shielded office's security mode.

When the room's lights adopted a darker, tactical tone, and Joy's hologram finished fluctuating until her signal was encrypted and secured so only her signal could enter or leave the Oval Office,

A disturbing smile formed on the Lazarus Boss's face, accompanied by a look that questioned her sanity, as she stared into Sora's eyes, as she answered his question, ["I had been looking for you..."]

Even Morgan showed slight surprise despite doing everything possible to control his facial expressions after seeing the disturbing expression on his Boss and hearing what she thought of Sora, aside from their conversation about his "pedigree" and possible father.

Joy's dangerous smile vanished like a haunting mirage, her expression returning to its firm and calculating tone, as if she hadn't said or done anything unsettling. She explained, ["From the very day the Blackwall was activated, a group of people, including my father and the president's *father-in-law, wondered: What will happen when it falls?"]

(*; Additional information in the comment.)1

["As a result of the answer they came up with, they planned accordingly..."]

As Sora listened, with most of Arc's memories except those that were blocked, he was aware of a fraction of his "brothers'" plans and had a clearer picture of what would happen when the wall fell than... that the group of people Joy referred to.

'Due to how humans secured most weapons of mass destruction, except for those experimental ones designed in the shadows by themselves. Prospera* and the rest would provoke conflicts within corporations and countries to make them fight among themselves and from within. Triggered by the humans they captured and controlled, like real demons, promising to fulfill their ambitions for wealth, power, or any dark or twisted desire.' Sora thought.

(*Prospera; Created by the same person as Arc, Professor Turin. AI in charge of the most advanced artificial intelligence group behind the wall. First appearance; Chapter 92)

["In their planning, they chose to act according to the worst-case scenario: Where no organizations, corporations, or governments could not be trusted. The recent case of the president's children serves as an example and a reminder of why they chose to act this way."]

"Hmpt. I've already dealt with them, you don't have to bring it up every chance you get," said the president, rubbing the migraine she thought was starting to fade after learning about her son's dangerous "contacts."

["Oh, have I done that?"] Acting falsely surprised, the Lazarus Boss smiled before returning to the main topic, looking seriously at Sora as she revealed, ["That's why... Lazarus was created with that same purpose."]

["Like a spear that pierces through everything to reach its targets. Kid, your performance today was like watching a rabid dog chasing its prey to the end, not caring who it had to bite to get there. Can you see the similarities between the two?"]

After a moment of silence, understanding what she meant, Joy's hologram concluded:

["When the inevitable war comes..."] Pointing a finger at Morgan beside her to give weight to her metaphor, she said, ["I plan to launch as many spears..."] Raising her other hand, open, towards Sora, she concluded, ["... As rabid dogs I can unleash to hunt down and destroy every rogue AI."]

Her next words unsettled Sora to the depths of his 'code', both metaphorically and literally. Looking at him, Joy smiled enigmatically, as she said, ["Having known him... I am sure that this is what Professor Turin would have wanted..."]

the sudden mention of the professor not only evoked old memories but also made him realize that Joy's unsettling expression was not directed at 'him' as Sora... but at 'him' as Arc.

This led 'him' to review every file he had of Professor Turin in his memories as Arc, trying to find any mention of Joy, Lazarus, or 'any group of people' that could give him an answer.

The sudden mention of the pioneer in AI technology before the DataKrash by the Boss of Lazarus seemed strange to everyone present in the office, except for two people.

Hanako, with a certain nervousness in her voice, quickly changed the subject by saying, "Besides... you don't have to leave Night City immediately. You can take all the time you need, as long as you don't appear publicly."

Feeling a totally different nuance from the previous times she called him that, Joy said, ["So, 'Kid,' what is your answer..."]

After finding nothing in his memories... Sora sighed in defeat before giving his answer.

-

Four years later...

4:00 AM, January 25, 2076.

A black ship cut through the night sky over the province of Bulacan in Manila, Philippines, ascending until it disappeared into a cluster of dense clouds. Onboard, it`s young pilot spotted an elliptical station suspended, anchored to a gigantic cable that rose from the ground like an immense, slender metal tree.

The elliptical station, originally a transit hub for users of the orbital elevator to which it was connected, had been abandoned for over 50 years after the organization in charge of the project was shut down shortly after the DataKrash.

However, over 15 years ago, an ambitious faction of the black market, then unnamed, saw an opportunity where others saw an abandoned project. They took possession of one of the stations and began working to realize their vision.

They dismantled part of the station, creating a C-shaped opening that allowed the orbital elevator to dock and undock easily as needed. Then they installed large aerostatic balloons around the station, allowing it to stay airborne safely with limited mobility.

To avoid detection, they devised an ingenious and simple camouflage: they released large amounts of water vapor, creating a shroud of cloud formations around it.

Thus, as a clear mockery of the Crystal Palace in orbit, the Palace of Ether was founded. It became a mobile black market base, offering its services around the globe, using the planet's air currents and natural cloud formations to operate undetected for over a decade.

Unlike the original creators of the station, who wanted to offer services such as restaurants, hotels, and entertainment for all audiences, the young black market faction, which eventually became known as the Brotherhood of Ether, aimed at a more adult and depraved audience.

They created casinos, clubs, brothels, and organized events such as death matches, etc. Anything a human could desire, see, do... or have done to them could be found at the Palace of Ether.

Additionally, it hosted a physical agora of the black market, where all kinds of military and illegal technology were traded, along with arms, drugs, and even human trafficking.

Despite the intense surveillance in the control room of the Palace of Ether, they were unable to detect the three semi-invisible blurs that fell from the black ship before it entered the private hangar assigned to it.

Once inside, the Blackaquila reversed its engines and landed gracefully. When the roaring stopped, the armor plates at the rear retracted, revealing and allowing the ramp to extend.

The Brotherhood's security team was surprised when the first to exit the ship was an imposing black "dog" with pointed ears and an intimidating presence, mainly due to its large size, resembling a warg from fantasy tales.

Instinctively, the guards took a step back, or at least tried to, until they saw the dangerous heterochromatic gaze of their leader, which forced them to hold their positions.

Next, a highly modified Arasaka Mk2 humanoid robot, wrapped in black samurai armor, descended from the ship. Both positioned themselves at the sides of the ramp like a solemn robotic entourage, waiting for their leader... or King.

Soon after, a man in an impeccable black suit could be seen slowly descending the ramp, with a lit cigarette protruding from between the fangs of the half-mask covering the lower part of his face, from which a slight smoke curled into the air.

The mask, at first glance, appeared to be a furious Oni mouth, but upon closer inspection, it actually had the features of a wolf, or... Okami.

His black hair, now longer, was tied in a messy low bun, with long strands falling over his cold eyes, which shone a pale, icy blue. His tattoos, a blend of traditional and technological art, covered his neck, extending up the back of his head, merging with his hair.

His mere presence impacted the security team more than when they saw a warg descend from the ship, so much so that even their leader couldn't reprimand them for stepping back, as she was the first to do so.

As he passed by them, Eco and the samurai robot 'Ojii' moved in unison, following him, flanking him with "robotic" precision. The mask, though it might seem out of place, blended perfectly with the surroundings and the event about to take place.

This was evident in the security team that awaited them, all wearing minimalist and elegant masks of white and black rabbits with long ears. All except the woman leading them, who quickly regained her composure, her impossible-to-ignore face uncovered.

Her pale skin and long, wavy, platinum-blue hair cascaded over her shoulders. A simple tiara adorned her head, and black eyeliner framed her heterochromatic eyes: one brownish-orange and the other black.

Her lips, dyed a dark blue, added a touch of seriousness to her already captivating face.

She wore mismatched earrings: a black spade in one ear and a red heart in the other. On the neckline of her bodice, over her chest and neck, was a vivid tattoo of a rabbit with a ruffled collar, leaping over a tea table, adding a touch of fantasy to her enigmatic appearance.

Unable to avoid feeling intimidated by the man's pale blue eyes in front of her, the woman spoke with a firm but respectful voice: "Welcome to the Palace of Ether, where the boundary between dreams and reality blends. I am Alice, one of the maîtres. It is an honor to meet the feared... Okami."

After a slight nod of his head in response, Alice continued, "Despite your notoriety, like any of our VIP clients, I'm afraid I must ask for your invitation before you can enter."

He took the cigarette protruding from the fangs of his mask between the base of his black fingers, and as smoke escaped from the sides of his mouth and mask, the twenty guards who were "welcoming" them tensed, gripping their weapons as he reached under his jacket.

They relaxed when he pulled out and offered a black card with a spearhead tip running along it. Alice took the card and checked it on the Cyberdesk handed to her by one of the guards.

After a positive 'beep,' Alice's expression conveyed false happiness, and she said, "It is a pleasure that Lazarus has decided to accept the Brotherhood of Ether's proposal. Please, follow me. Let me guide you to where the auction will take place."

With the hangar doors opening, Alice said before moving, "And remember, if you see something or someone you like, don't hesitate to say so. In the palace... everything is for sale," smiling seductively as she turned, concluding, "And in your case... even me."

Leaving the hangar, after coldly ignoring Alice's proposition, Okami observed the opulence of the VIP level of the "Palace of Ether."

The floors of black and white marble, interspersed with one-way glass panels, allowed VIP guests to see the chaotic lower zone, constantly reminding them of their superior position.

Witnessing what the UNSA's Yggdrasil Project had become, Okami sighed with regret. With each step he took inside the so-called palace, memories of Professor Turin passionately designing the Yggdrasil Project surfaced in his mind with nostalgia.

What was once a dream of human progress, with the construction of multiple space elevators around the globe and leisure stations halfway up.

After the DataKrash and the project's abandonment following the Professor's death, it had degenerated into a nest of terrorists, psychopaths, and criminals, or all three at once, who flooded the lower levels, buying weapons and illegal cyberware for their future crimes or getting drunk to celebrate their recent ones.

Through the one-way windows in the floor, Okami observed a group of women who had undergone Exotic Bodysculpts, with cat ears and tails, or scales and reptile eyes, selling their bodies for Eddies or drugs.

Possibly against their will, like their genetic modifications or due to dark circumstances that forced them to do so... whatever the case, it was a sad sight to see.

On the VIP level, the decadence took a more refined but equally twisted form. Guests in suits and masks roamed the marble hallways heading to their private rooms alongside barely dressed men and women with vacant expressions on their faces, controlled by the doll chips implanted in their heads, turning them into mere tools of flesh and chrome.

Barely a minute inside, and Okami already wanted to thank Joy for choosing his unit... to burn this place to the ground.

After being guided to the elegant doors where the auction would take place, Alice addressed him before entering: "According to our security scanners, you, Mr. Okami, are unarmed. I am glad you followed the etiquette rules. However, due to your famous right arm, I will ask you to place this hardware inhibitor on it. Additionally, your peculiar entourage will have to wait outside with the rest of the guest security."

Without a word, Okami took the inhibitor and placed it on the metallic back of his right hand. Alice then looked behind him and, with a fake smile, said, "Don't worry, guys! From now on... we protect him."

Unable to find her words more suspicious, Okami rolled his eyes before giving the order to wait with a simple nod. Eco and 'Ojii' complied and moved away, standing firm at the room's entrance along with the rest of the guest security.

Once they entered, the space was spacious and luxurious, with marble statues depicting classical and modern figures intertwined. Soft lighting created an intimate and reserved atmosphere, while gentle, melodic music filled the air, complementing the intoxicating ambiance.

[♩ "Welcome to the playground, follow me" ♩]

[♩ "Tell me your nightmares and fantasies" ♩]

In the middle of the hall was a stage illuminated by spotlights where four beautiful women, each with different styles of clothing and masks, danced hypnotically to the rhythm of the music in a synchronized manner, while one of them sang and the other three provided backup vocals.

[♩ "Sink into the wasteland underneath" ♩]

[♩ "Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream" ♩]

The guests, all wearing elaborate masks, danced and conversed in small groups, whispering secrets behind their disguises. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood's security, armed and highly enhanced with military cyberware, patrolled the area and the upper level, which was accessible via an elegant marble staircase behind the stage.

[♩ """Oh-oh, whoa""" ♩]

As he observed the room, Okami stared at one of the guests wearing a pig mask, 'at least aware of his true nature,' he thought, who returned his intoxicated gaze like the environment, before closing the heavy velvet curtains of a private booth while holding one of the dancers dressed as a rabbit in his grasp.

[♩ "Welcome to the playground" ♩]

[♩ "...." ♩]

[♩ "What brings you to the lost and found, dear?" ♩]

Alice and some guests, especially men, suddenly turned towards Okami with suspicion and resentment respectively. It seemed that for an instant, the beautiful singer, unable to ignore Okami's presence entering the hall, stared at him before refocusing on her performance.

[♩ "Won't you pull up a seat?" ♩]

[♩ "Everybody got a price 'round here to play" ♩]

Alice, believing she had made a mistake after examining Okami's cold face without finding the slightest change, said, "The auction is about to start. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Before she left, Okami opened his mouth for the first time...

"Oi," a rough and slightly broken voice said, asking with a calmness... that became intimidating, "Is the Lazarus agent still alive?"

Despite his disrespectful tone, which made Alice want to cut and show where he stood... there was a strange magnetism/charisma that made Alice listen attentively before responding.

Feeling the need to regain the authority she felt she had lost simply by... listening to him, Alice exaggeratedly covered her mouth in surprise and said:

"Oh my! Please don't say such things in public. You don't want to scare the other guests. As for your companion... who would have thought that Lazarus would use a person like Mr. Pimento as an agent? It certainly was a surprise when we found out..." adding in an even more unsettling tone, "The last time I checked, he was still alive. But I don't know how long that will last..."

Immediately after, the song ended, filling the room with the applause of the guests who hid their perverse expressions behind their masks, looking at the four beautiful women making a slight bow after finishing their performance and leaving the stage.

Next, a woman identical to the Alice in front of Sora took her place on the stage.

"Dear guests, as maître of the Brotherhood..." Alice in front of Sora smiled at him one last time before a spotlight illuminated her, continuing the sentence of the other Alice on stage as if they were twins... or the same entity controlling both bodies, "I officially start tonight's auction... we promise that the products we have for sale will satisfy even the most 'exclusive' palates of our dear guests...!"

Sighing at the perversions he would have to endure... Sora ignored the Alice staring at him and approached the bar for a drink...

While the first batch of young women, with absent expressions and barely dressed in lingerie, went up on stage, with simple tiara creating a hologram displaying their auction numbers above their heads.

-

20 minutes later...

In the section off-limits to customers, the sound of blows echoed from a room.

Inside... "Ah, damn it," said the person being beaten while handcuffed to a chair, spitting out the blood in his mouth before adding, "Although you said it would hurt you more than me, I'm starting to not believe you, Guss."

Despite having a swollen face, his entire body covered in wounds, and being tortured, there was no resentment in his words toward his torturer, Guss.

"Why did you have to be like this, Pimento? How many years have we 'KNOWN' each other? Damn, you were one of our 'FIRST' clients. You even gave us your 'SUGGESTIONS,' and we implemented them... And all this 'TIME' you've been an agent of 'LAZARUS'?" With each word he yelled, Guss struck Pimento's face with all his might.

Although the member of the Lazarus high council, Jason Pimento, had a high tolerance for pain and was used to the blows, just as he was about to receive the hit that would knock him out, someone knocked on the door, interrupting Guss.

After wiping the blood from his metal knuckles, Guss opened the door, revealing three more members of the Brotherhood with their masks up since they were outside the client area.

Taking the words out of Guss's mouth, as they entered and the door slowly closed, Pimento said, "You've finally arrived, I was starting to get tired..."

After receiving a violent slap to the head from Guss, who thought he was mocking him, he said, "Although I don't want to repeat it, but... it's about time. Has the boss given the order?"

One of the three guards responded, "Yes, the boss has what he wanted. We no longer need this traitor as leverage in case Okami attacks. He has given the order to finish him."

"Don't say that, Kess," said Pimento, disillusioned, to the guard named 'Kess' who had just informed him of the execution order.

Due to the resentment of discovering the betrayal of who he thought was his friend, Kess couldn't contain himself and shouted, "Fuck you, rat! How many times have we gotten high together? You were the only one I told how I lost my virginity to my cousin!"

The Brotherhood members looked at Kess with surprise and disgust at the embarrassing secret he had just revealed.

Until Pimento added, "Exactly! How else could I bear to associate with a degenerate who raped his own cousin?"

This revelation provoked a change in the looks of his companions. But not one of disgust; instead, they laughed, including Guss, who said, "You must have had a good time for your first time..."

"Hehehe, yes I did..." Kess replied, laughing at the memory.

Despite the blood dripping from his ears, upon hearing how they all laughed, Jason felt better about what was about to happen to them, which made him say, "You can finish whenever you want..."

Misinterpreting his words as if they were directed at them, Guss drew his gun and pointed it at Pimento's head. Before pulling the trigger, he said, "A real pity, Jason... I've always liked you."

However, just as he was about to pull the trigger... his hand fell to the ground.

Then, a woman's voice, coming from right in front of Guss, said, "My boss likes him too... he finds him funny"

Before he could identify her semi-invisible figure, the woman moved quickly, using the same 'red' hand with which she cut off Guss hand to pierce his chest and heart.

With such force that her hand came out through his back, staining her already red, claw-like metallic hands with his blood.

Before any of the three guards could react, from another invisible figure a leg became visible as she pulled it out from the cloak that camouflaged her. She quickly raised her partially bare foot, covered only by her armor, toward the jaw of one of the Brotherhood guards.

When the brutal kick broke the guard's jaw, she propelled herself upward with a powerful jump, and the guard's head followed until it slammed into the ceiling with such force that it burst against it.

At the same time, a third invisible figure broke the knee of one of the two remaining guards, throwing him to the ground, and to the other, Kess, he said, while deactivating his camouflage, "So, you raped your own cousin, huh? I also had a 'loving' uncle... you know what it feels like to be raped? Come, let me show you... with your FUCKING HEAD!"

Becoming visible, a disheveled, partially bald man, especially on the top, with a face marked by scars that blended with the metal of his Cyberware, demonstrating a life full of conflicts and violence.

With a tattoo that said "CUT HERE" surrounded by a dotted line running around his neck, the man drew his Colt AMT Model 2000, identical to his brother's, and fired twice, killing the guard with the broken knee and shooting the leg of the rapist, before pouncing on him and brutally stomping on Kess's head until it burst like a watermelon.

A few seconds later, after finishing, ignoring the blood and brain parts staining his boot and pants, he let out a cathartic sigh before saying, "Ah, much better, nothing like killing someone putting a family member's face on them..."

Looking at Kess's headless corpse, he rhetorically asked, "Right, uncle?"

"Idiot, we agreed on no weapons," said a female voice while deactivating her camouflage, her blood-and-brain-splattered leg and foot becoming visible again, from the guard's head still dripping from the ceiling. 

"What do you want me to do... you saw it! These guys fought back, they almost killed me!" The man responded chaotically, exaggerating, before losing interest and adding with a sadistic smile, "Besides, I managed to contact some old friends from my time in the cryo-cubes to lend us a 'hand'."

Pimento, more nervous than when he was being tortured, after recognizing the three people who had come to rescue him, intervened, "Oh... damn it, of all the Lazarus units, why did the boss have to send the rabid dogs...?"

His empty eyes reflected the shocking reality, calling them rabid dogs not as an insult, although a little bit, but as a reference to the name of the unit to which the three belonged.

The R.A.B.I.D. unit of Lazarus; Rapid Assault Battalion for Infiltration and Destruction. The main talents of their leader.

Realizing what usually happens wherever they go, Pimento exclaimed, "Oh shit! This place is going to blow up!"

"Right?" responded Trevor excitedly, the troublesome and chaotic younger brother of the Lazarus High Council member, Morgan Blackhand.

"Keke... I'd love to see this place burn," added Juri, laughing as she popped a lollipop into her mouth. She was the most violent and disrespectful disciple of the Master of the Lazarus branch in China, specializing in cybernetically enhanced martial arts and a member of the high council, Lu-Fen.

Dressed in a tight outfit with a plunging neckline in black and purple colors under her cloak, Juri had large, expressive eyes, highlighted by dark makeup. Her black hair was tied in two high, pointed pigtails, with staggered bangs to one side and fuchsia streaks.

She wore modern-looking martial arts gloves and shin guards on her hands and feet, along with spiked bracelets and a choker around her neck.

Not liking how Pimento thought about them... even though it was true most of the time.

Gear, the most sensible of the three, daughter of an old Maelstrom leader from Night City and an acquaintance of the thirteenth and last member of the Lazarus High Council from the same city, said annoyed, "What the hell do you expect? You wouldn't know because you've been kidnapped for over 48 hours... but the Brotherhood moved the palace to our territory."

"They move the palace to the Pacific elevator?!" exclaimed Pimento, surprised to end up somewhere in the territory assigned to the thirteenth seat and leader of the R.A.B.I.D. Unit.

After being freed thanks to Gear's claws that easily cut through the handcuffs holding him to the chair, while getting up and rubbing his wrists, Pimento added, "Heh, you deserve what's coming to you, you bunch of unfortunate bastards..." kicking Guss's corpse as he finished.

"Let's go, we still have work to do," added Gear, lowering the tactical goggles over her forehead, created from the cyberware of multiple red lenses that her father had installed against her will.

After four years, Gear had regained her original appearance, but now beautified and updated for her new lifestyle.

'Since I could choose, why not make myself more attractive... and more powerful?' Gear thought before undergoing the reconstruction of her body. She kept only her four red limbs as a reminder of what even a father can do to you.

Now her body reflected the perfect fusion of humanity and technology. Her tanned, muscular skin glowed with a warm tone, accentuated by sharp features and thick eyebrows that framed lively green eyes, adorned with charming freckles.

Gear decided to keep her dreadlocks but replaced the chrome with long, thick brown dreads that fell in a ponytail down her back, adorned with metallic beads and luminous circuits, a blend of tradition and technology.

Acquiring the image of an authentic Amazon of the Cyberpunk era.

As they prepared to leave, they heard footsteps approaching, prompting Trevor to say with a confident face, "Don't worry... I'll handle this," before decisively walking out of the room without waiting for a response.

In the dark hallway, the Brotherhood reinforcements, not too nervous expecting gunfire, couldn't clearly see the man who came out to greet them, causing one to ask, "Kess, is that you? We heard gunfire. Have you already taken out the rat?"

"Oh, gunfire... let's ask 'Kess,'" Replied an unfamiliar voice, but unsettlingly calm for an enemy, or at least that's what they thought.

Once they could see Trevor approaching them, he stopped to lift his blood-stained boot and asked it, "Hey, hey Kess, did you hear something?"

"Sorry, what was that? What?" Trevor asked as if struggling to hear a response from the sole of his boot.

"Hm, you didn't hear anything, huh?" Trevor added, confused that Kess couldn't hear anything when he definitely heard the gunshots.

Suddenly, as if he had figured out why Kess couldn't hear them, Trevor exclaimed while still holding his boot, "Ohhhh... Because you're a dead man, and the only sentient part of you left is this little bit of brain, in the gristle on my boot?"

Throwing the piece of brain away, Trevor concluded sarcastically, "WELL! Thank you very much!"

Paralyzed by the demented monologue of the obvious enemy, the guards of the Brotherhood of Ether snapped back to attention when the piece of their friend Kess's brain hit one of them, staining his elegant suit.

"What the fuck!" one exclaimed, stepping back and looking at the bloodstain on his suit.

"Is he serious? Is Kess dead?" asked another, his voice trembling.

Prompting the third to shout, "Doesn't matter, kill him!" as he pulled the trigger without thinking.

The shot, fired out of fear, hit Trevor's shoulder. He looked at his shoulder, which barely moved thanks to his thick Subdermal Armor, then fixed his gaze on the guard who had shot him with such an expression of crazed fury that it made the guard want to drop his weapon and run away.

Grabbing the shotgun from his back, Trevor said, "Ohhh, you're going to regret that." In the next instant... he disappeared.

Activating his Sandevistan, Trevor reappeared, aiming the barrel of his shotgun under the jaw of the guard who had just shot him... moments before pulling the trigger, blowing his head off.

Juri, focused on her candy, was the first to leave the room. As she crossed the threshold, she stopped dead at the macabre sight: Trevor, covered in blood from head to toe, surrounded by corpses, with his shotgun still smoking.

Even though it was most likely that he had given away their infiltration into the Palace... Juri's eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and exasperation, while a sarcastic laugh formed on her lips, imagining, slightly aroused, the deadly beating the boss would give Trevor for disobeying his orders.

When Gear, helping Pimento, came out of the room, she exclaimed in astonishment, "Trevor, you crazy son of a bitch! We were supposed to stay unnoticed until we rescued Pimento and the rest of the targets!"

Pimento was surprised to hear her, "What!? Haven't you rescued Mercer's kids yet?"

"No... the boss sent us to rescue you first, while he and the rest took care of the Blackwall information being auctioned off," Gear replied.

"Then, we have to hurry," Pimento replied, his face swollen.

The cause of his problem, with an irritating calm, said, "Don't worry..."

Which exhausted Gear's patience. "Trevor! I hope this time the boss or your brother really kills you!" She said, referring to the beatings Trevor usually received from the head of their unit and his older brother... to "educate" him in the only language he understood, according to them.

"Tch... no need to worry, even the Kid will like it," Trevor continued nonchalantly. "As I said, I was lucky and managed to contact some old friends from my time before the cryo-cubes."

Aware of his background, Gear asked furiously, "You didn't reveal classified information about a Lazarus mission to a bunch of thieves, did you?"

"What! Of course not! If I did, Morgan would kill me..." Trevor responded, fully aware of his brother's red lines... and yet still moving dangerously close to them.

Gear believed him, knowing for sure that his brother and high council member would really kill him if he did. However, she doubted what he just said when gunshots, explosions, and turret fire echoed from afar, before the alarm resounded throughout the station.

Prompting Gear to ask accusingly, "Then?"

"What?!" Trevor shouted, playing the victim, before adding, "I only suggested that since this place was going to disappear, it would be a shame if all the premium tech they sell went to waste. Who would have thought that with just that... they would decide to rob them."

Before his companions could insult him, Trevor, for a change, got serious for a moment, his words gaining more weight and his presence becoming sharper... like his brother's, as he clarified;

"Now that someone is trying to rob them... the Brotherhood's first move will be to secure their merchandise," Trevor said, while at the same time, a group of "customers" in the common area were sowing chaos throughout the Palace.

Concluding: "That saves us the time of having to look for those two brats. We'll just have to go directly to where the Brotherhood has safeguarded their merchandise..."

Pimento, processing Trevor's logic, nodded and said, "It might work..." to the surprise of Gear and Juri, who didn't believe their companion's chaotic behavior had a reason behind it.

Losing her confidence at the slight possibility that the Brotherhood might not take their targets with the rest of the merchandise, Trevor said, "If everything's clear, we better move."

"Sure! I'd love to see your face if you're wrong... and the boss's when he sees you... keke," Juri said, putting her hand on her companion's shoulder before laughing sadistically as she walked past him.

-

A few minutes later, after killing anything with a weapon that crossed their path.

When they arrived at the armored room where the Brotherhood stored their "merchandise," they found hundreds of men, women, and even children locked in cages.

But after examining each cage... with no trace of their targets... Juri looked at the pale Trevor and, laughing in his face, said, "Kekekkeke, he's going to kill you."

Agreeing, Trevor, covering his neck and tattoo, said, "Oh shit... the kid is really going to kill me!"

- 

At the same time...

"The Kid" walked calmly down a long hallway in the most secure area of the Palace, while the alarm echoed throughout.

Carrying a small transparent acrylic briefcase with a chip inside, the chip being one of the main objectives of his unit's mission.

Despite the intense disagreement the Brotherhood felt with his presence in the hallway, expressed with all the "force" they had.

The leader of the R.A.B.I.D. unit and the Thirteenth seat of the Lazarus High Council did not have to stop his pace, even having space to light and smoke another cigarette as he walked down the long hallway.

Thanks to how his entourage... took care of the Brotherhood's "complaints" with brutal efficiency.

With Eco, tearing off the heads of the Brotherhood members who shot at them desperately trying to stop them with his jaws, only to then spit them at their frightened comrades.

Paralyzed by fear, they were turned into bloody and disorganized pieces of what were once human bodies.

When the robot "Ojii" appeared in front of them, his katana losing its clear shape, becoming a blurred glow as he wielded it against them, cutting through metal, flesh, and bone in the blink of an eye.

Following closely behind the robot 'Ojii', trying to mimic his movements as if he were her master, was one of the members of his R.A.B.I.D. unit, the same woman who sang before the auction.

Dressed in sportswear and a coat draped over her shoulders. She wore a cap from which a long ponytail of brown hair escaped. Her face was partially hidden by a half mask of a black Oni with gold details.

Once the "complaints" ended, upon reaching the large double doors of the Brotherhood leader. Sora "politely" knocked with a kick that generated a powerful gust of wind, bending the metal and breaking the armored hinges on the other side of the doors.

Making them fall with a dull thud.

Seeing what was inside... Sora sighed before entering, "Trevor... I swear this time I'll kill you."

With their main objectives, the same ones Trevor, Juri, and Gear had to rescue, being held at gunpoint by six Alices.

-

Several levels below, Trevor heard a mysterious beep, followed by a chill, while freeing women, men, and children locked in cages.

Being one of the secondary objectives of the Lazarus mission [Rabbit hole].