Changes

In the altered nighttime skyline of the city, where the absence of the imposing Arasaka tower was evident. In its place, a large column of smoke rose above the corporate center, accompanied by several smaller ones scattered throughout the area.

The frenetic activity of Night City's emergency services was palpable: patrol cars, trucks, AVs, and drones from the NCPD, EMT, and NCFD moved frantically through the streets, attending to fires, rescuing victims, and controlling disturbances across the metropolis.

Ignoring them, a black ship flew over the city, capturing the attention of everyone who saw it as it headed toward the Watson district.

In that same district, the street leading to the alley—the recent scene of a great battle—was blocked off by the NCPD. Patrol cars prevented access, with hundreds of nervous police officers covering the area.

However, the nervousness of the police did not compare to the fear that gripped the mercenaries kneeling in the alley. They trembled intensely upon hearing the roar of the Blackaquila's engines, heralding his arrival.

When the ship landed in the middle of the blocked street, Sora emerged with his face uncovered. Ignoring the stares directed at him, he walked with a determined stride toward the alley, causing the mercenaries to respectfully step aside, intimidated by the mere presence of the new legend.

As he advanced, Sora's eyes glinted chillingly as he cast his cold gaze over the group of mercenaries who had betrayed him and shot Judy.

Though it surprised the others to see him walk past them, believing he would dismember them on sight, the mercenaries kneeling there felt their IDn interfaces flicker as if being hacked the moment Sora's gaze locked onto them. Moments later, they were terrified to see the digital form of "Okami" waiting for them on the other side of the network.

A monstrous beast, with black fur and burning eyes, materialized before them, stalking them from behind Sora's icy eyes.

However, as he continued his path and looked away from them, the beast did not vanish. On the contrary, it advanced slowly towards them, opening its jaws before closing them brutally, making them feel each fang penetrate their flesh and break their spines before tearing their heads off.

Despite the unbearable pain, none of them could scream. Their paralyzed bodies only allowed them to tense every muscle and breathe agonizingly while the pain flooded their minds and their bodies urinated in sheer terror.

Due to the scene repeating itself, with the monstrous wolf waiting until the pain subsided only to then continue tearing off their limbs and taking their lives over and over again, making them experience hell on earth.

The mercenaries present were shocked by the puddles formed by their ex-colleagues and the unsettled state they were left in after "simply" receiving Okami's hateful gaze.

Before reaching the end of the alley, Sora encountered the people responsible for protecting the one he sought: Rebecca, Maine, Dorio, and Pilar. Unable to look him in the eyes, Rebecca stepped forward and said, "Sora... I, all of us... we're sorry we couldn't protect your—"

Rebecca couldn't finish as she saw Sora's black hand rise, closing her eyes, ready to accept any blow, insult, or humiliation if it meant their friend and benefactor wouldn't hate them.

However, contrary to her fears, Sora gently placed his metal hand on Rebecca's head and said to the four of them, "I know you all did everything you could, risking your lives to protect them... Thank you."

A simple "hm" was Rebecca's response, unable to say anything more, feeling relieved and grateful for not having lost her friend. Maine, however, did not forget those who truly gave their lives to protect her. "Besides Jerry, it was thanks to Avaray that we were able to—"

Before he could finish, Sora, with a commanding look that seemed to challenge even death itself, simply said, "I know," before continuing on his way. Maine was momentarily perplexed, unable to find the right words to express what he felt from Sora's brief response...

When he finally did it, with a mechanical nod, Sora was already walking away. In that fleeting moment, Maine felt he was witnessing something more than a mere human in Sora's dominant expression, making him wonder what the "hell" had happened during his fight against Smasher to perceive such a change in him.

Upon reaching where Judy was, Sora was met by Rogue, Morgan, and his companion She-Smasher. "I see you're already handling them," Rogue said, looking behind him.

"I don't know what you mean; I haven't laid a finger on them," Sora replied. Just then, one of the kneeling mercenaries' brains couldn't handle more pain, causing his body to fall forward with his head hitting the ground, blood oozing from all his orifices, prompting a skeptical look from Rogue.

Ignoring her, Sora turned to Morgan and his 'sexy' companion. Though Morgan had much to say and ask, he only managed to say, "Kid, when you're done... I've been ordered—"

But before he could finish, Sora interrupted with a simple, "Morgan..." eliciting an exclamation of surprise, "What?!" from him, fearing Sora's reaction after recent events.

To everyone's surprise, Sora slightly bowed his torso and lowered his head, performing a bow similar to Musashi's, while saying, "Thank you."

This left everyone present astonished, observing the contrast between the uncontrollable Mercenary they had seen on Channel 54 news and the person before them showing gratitude toward Morgan.

Without moving, Sora tried to express, "If it weren't for you—" but was interrupted by an uncomfortable Morgan: "Enough! I... was just following orders." Feeling he didn't deserve it, he added, "If you want to thank someone, tell the person who sent us. She's waiting to meet you."

Raising his head, aware of who had acquired 10.6% of the shares, Sora responded, "Alright, tell your Boss that after I'm done here... I'll go to the Watson precinct."

Morgan simply nodded as he stepped aside, revealing the two people on the ground next to Judy. Sora observed her for a moment before approaching the person holding her, preventing Judy's upper body from touching the ground, with a demonic face reflecting his fury after learning what happened to his great-grandson.

Kneeling beside her, Sora said, "I'm sorry for electrocuting you... Ojii."

"You don't have to apologize. You were right to stop me. I'm the one who's sorry. If I had been where I was truly needed... this wouldn't have happened!" Musashi responded, his tone loaded with impotence and guilt, causing him to bite his lip until he tasted his own blood.

Seeing his reaction, Sora told him, "Stop... The responsibility to protect them was mine and mine alone. Besides..." Knowing he would understand, he added while placing one hand on Judy's helmet and the other on the black canister she clutched, fortifying it with his nanobots: "Just like my mother did, I won't give up on my son either."

Musashi was surprised by the change in his grandson, who, despite recent actions, exhibited a strange confidence and maturity, the kind only experience could provide.

A few seconds after Sora placed his hand on Judy, her helmet retracted, revealing her pale face, with her eye makeup smudged by tears. In a weak and longing voice, she asked, "Sora...?"

Smiling as he gently stroked her hair, Sora softly affirmed, "Yes, it's over. Let's go home."

His response was enough for Judy, who smiled faintly and accepted Sora's arms as he carefully lifted her from the ground, while she rested her head on his chest and held the canister close.

Before turning away, Sora addressed his grandfather and uncle, "Let's go... there's someone on the ship I want you to meet."

Sora's words made Musashi grab his grandson's shoulder gratefully before he turned around. Hiroyuki followed them, puzzled, with a pleasant surprise awaiting him inside the Blackaquila.

As they exited, Sora suddenly stopped, turning towards two women standing to the side of the alley, as if ther were trying to remain unnoticed.

Addressing one of them in a cold tone, he said, "I know perfectly well that you also accepted Faraday's job. You haven't ended up like them..." He glanced at the kneeling mercenaries, most of whom had collapsed, bleeding from their orifices, proving his point. Turning back to Kiwi as his pupils glowed, he finished, "For the person next to you... value her," causing interference in her IDn.

Kiwi let out a grunt of pain as a thin line of blood suddenly appeared on her neck, caused by the sharp fangs of the giant black wolf with blue eyes that only she could see, its enormous jaws about to close around her neck and much of her body.

When the illusion vanished as Sora continued walking without addressing the white-haired woman beside her, Kiwi fought against the residual fear she still felt and said haltingly, "Wait! I... have been tracking Faraday."

"Do you have him?" he asked without turning around.

"He has fled the city... his private AV and vehicle are moving in opposite directions, I think both are decoys," Kiwi responded.

"Find him... if you do, inform Lucy," Sora said. Before he began to move again, changing his tone 180 degrees from the one he used with Kiwi, Sora asked aloud, "Are you going to stay frozen like last time or follow us as you wanted?"

Sora's words puzzled those who heard them, except for the white-haired woman they were directed at. Lucy, before she could respond, once again saw the brilliant figures made of code over Sora and Judy in his arms. Who adorably peeked out, waiting for her response.

Shaking her head, Lucy, unlike the last time when she regretted not following them, finally found the courage to take a step forward, joining the small family on their way to the Blackaquila.

This action caught the astonished gaze of Musashi and the envious look of Hiroyuki, who had no partner, as they watched the beautiful young woman position herself lovingly beside the "rascal" of their grandson/nephew.

Suddenly, as the small group left the alley, several spotlights lit up from the NCPD patrol cars blocking the street, as well as from a couple of AVs hovering above.

At the same time, the hundred agents, covered behind the patrol cars, aimed their weapons at them, causing Musashi and Hiroyuki to react in the same way, drawing their own and positioning themselves in front of Sora and Judy to protect them. Similarly, the mercenaries in the alley also drew their weapons.

A few seconds later, a gigantic hologram of the mayor appeared, projected onto one of the NCPD patrol cars. His voice resonated with a false authoritative tone and a sincere air of arrogance:

["This is your Night City mayor! To all present, you are ordered to surrender immediately. Any resistance will be met with lethal force if necessary. I will not tolerate any more chaos in my streets. This is your first and only warning."]

As Sora, with Judy in his arms, began to show signs of anger, a black AV descend in the area. On the vehicle's door, an unmistakable emblem shone faintly under the streetlights: a five-pointed star with sharp edges, in the center of which was a classical column protected by a shield, surrounded by the words 'NEW UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE'.

Once the black AV landed next to the Blackaquila, its door opened, and a team of men and women in dark suits emerged with precision. Leading them was a woman with Asian features, her face partially covered by a hood, revealing her magenta hair and brown eyes framed by red eye shadow and a cybernetic EMP Threading pattern that traversed her skin.

Unlike the rest of the agents, she wore a custom netrunner suit, with a gradient from red to black that seemed to flow like blood over coal. She complemented her outfit with a biker jacket full of patches and a studded belt for her cyberdeck. Her 'rocker' style was completed with high, untied shoes, perfectly adapted to her modifications that made her an independent and mobile netrunning station.

Turning to the mayor's hologram, the hooded agent said, interrupting with an air-cutting firmness, "Mayor, this is unnecessary. Stand down."

The mayor hesitated, a contemptuous smile deforming his lips. ["And who are you to give me orders in my city?"]

"That doesn't matter," she replied, her voice as sharp as her gaze. "What matters is who they are and who is the only person capable of ordering them..." The agent smiled slightly, without losing an ounce of her authority. "As the representative of President Myers, I order you to stand down. Now!"

Caught between pride and reality, with so many eyes on him, the mayor decided to maintain his facade. Opening his arms, he responded, ["So what? This is Night City... free and independent. Even President Myers has no authority in this city."]

"That's true... but tell me, mayor, after the recent events, do you think Arasaka's authority in Night City remains the same to keep us at bay like during the Unification War?" she said, pointing with her thumb to the large column of smoke rising behind her from the partially destroyed Arasaka tower.

Breaking his facade in panic at what her threat implied, the obese mayor exclaimed, "If-if... President Myers did such a thing... the other free states would revolt!"

"After everything Arasaka has caused on American soil, even firing an orbital weapon? Do you think we are in the same circumstances as a few years ago? You are wrong, mayor... this is the last time I order you... Stand down... or Night City will be flooded with government forces until control of a chaotic city is regained... a city whose mayor has proven to be overwhelmed."

With a bitter expression, the mayor deactivate the camera. As his hologram disappeared and most of the patrol cars began to disperse, the hooded agent, along with the men and women of the Secret Service, approached Sora's group.

As they neared, Sora glanced at a tall figure in a trench coat, hat, and high collar covering his face, who was watching them intently from among the civilians behind the police cordon.

Studying the figure for a moment, Sora made a precise holographic cone appear in his vision, starting from the figure's head. It represented his field of vision and showed that he wasn't staring at them, but at the hooded agent approaching.

Noticing Sora's gaze, the man in the trench coat looked back for a second before blending into the crowd of civilians around him. Meanwhile, the hooded agent reached the group, and with a friendly smile, raised her hand to try to touch Judy in Sora's arms, as if wanting to check her condition.

Lucy, as a netrunner, didn't like the sensation she perceived from the hand reaching for Judy. But before she could say anything, Sora turned his head towards the agent and warned in a tone that sent shivers down everyone's spine:

"If you touch her with that hand... I swear... I'll tear it off, just like I did to Yorinobu, Agent Song So Mi of the FIA."

Although Songbird was surprised that he knew her, the unsettling feeling he provoked in her was much more impactful. Due to her cyberware making her a mobile netrunning station, Songbird was able to perceive for an instant Sora's digital form, like a gigantic presence watching her, sharing the his bright eyes that threatened her with such certainty... that she believed him. Stopping her trembling arm before touching Judy, and her murky intentions that had been detected.

Her confident, friendly smile faltered for a moment before she said, "Sorry for moving without warning. I just wanted to check her health, given all the serious events that have transpired because of her."

"I don't care... we weren't the ones who started anything," Sora replied as he walked past Songbird, with Judy in his arms and Musashi, Hiroyuki, and Lucy following closely.

"But you were the ones who finished it, and that's why I need you to come with me. If any of you need medical assistance, we will provide it at our destination," Songbird said authoritatively, without offering any alternative or option to the group. Sora found it so absurd that it amused him as he continued walking.

Provoking the Secret Service agents to intervene, blocking the group's path once more. This exhausted Musashi and Hiroyuki's patience, and they prepared to draw their weapons.

"Wait!" exclaimed Morgan as he approached hurriedly, turning to Songbird. "I've already spoken with him. He will head to the Watson precinct once he's finished securing his relatives. There's no need to muddy things further."

"Muddy?!" exclaimed Songbird, finding it ridiculous. "Do you know all the trouble we're going through, instead of detaining him—" She couldn't finish her sentence when a hollow sound of bodies hitting the ground interrupted her.

Coming from four of the Secret Service members who suddenly fell to the ground like puppets with their strings cut, without signs of hacking or any other apparent cause.

They were trampled and stepped over by Sora who continued walking towards his ship, even surprising his own group by seemingly knocking them out with a simple glance from his bright blue eyes.

Before Songbird could react, the group was already boarding the ship. The engines roared, propelling air at high speeds, silencing her attempts to stop them and any efforts to reach them.

With no other option as the ship ascended, Songbird turned annoyed to Morgan and asked, "Mr. Blackhand, are you willing to take responsibility if he decides to escape?"

Turning his back, as he lit one of his cigars, Morgan responded "Who are you trying to fool, Agent? What exactly does he have to escape from? Tell the president she'll just have to wait a little longer. The kid isn't going anywhere"

-

A few minutes later.

The Blackaquila burst into the city's underground, landing smoothly inside the bunker. Aoi, Ainara, and Peter, who were anxiously waiting for its occupants, were surprised when the first person to emerge was a young woman with white hair whom they didn't recognize. She greeted them, visibly embarrassed, and they returned the greeting until Sora appeared, carrying Judy in his arms.

Aoi shouted, "Sora!" and Peter and Ainara exclaimed in unison, "Ranita!" as they ran towards them.

"Grandparents!" Judy responded, happy to see them safe. She let them hug and caress her affectionately, without letting go of the canister she held tightly between her arms. Meanwhile, Sora, "Obaasan," was doing the same with her grandmother, without releasing Judy from his.

But the joy faded when Aoi, separating from Sora, saw her husband and brother-in-law with pale faces and swollen eyes. Between them, they were carrying her youngest son, whom she had thought dead.

With trembling hands, Aoi approached, distraught, and grasped her son's vacant face, asking with difficulty, unable to believe what she was seeing, "My son?"

There was no response until a single tear fell from Tashin's eye upon feeling his mother's hands on his face. With one look, Aoi knew her son was not well, but that tear was all a mother needed to know he was alive.

She hugged him with such longing that she ended up holding him alone, allowing Tashin to move one arm from his uncle's neck with great effort to close the embrace with his mother and father.

Aoi began to cry, feeling her son's arm on her back, while Musashi struggled to hold back his tears. "How? How can this be?" Aoi asked, holding her son's face again, unable to believe it.

Seeing his vacant expression, she turned to her husband and immediately asked, "How can he be alive?" Interrupting herself, she added, "That doesn't matter! Tell me, Musashi Ta-" with fear in her voice, she asked, "Will Tashin be okay?"

Before Musashi could respond, with a voice filled with uncertainty about questions he himself didn't know the answers to, a confident voice responded for him: "He will... Although I don't know how or how long it will take, I promise I will find a way to bring Tashin back." Sora said, his eyes glowing ethereally for an unconscious moment, as if his digital form validated his own words.

Amid the tumult of emotions Aoi felt, the surprise and unease caused by the glow in her grandson's eyes, which didn't seem human, were eclipsed by the emotion and happiness from the unwavering certainty she perceived from him, making her believe he could heal Tashim.

"But first... I need to secure Judy..." The unsettling feeling Aoi felt in her grandson's subsided when she saw the warm expression he wore as he looked at the canister in Judy's arms, adding, "And my son."

He then turned and headed towards the interior of the bunker.

"Of course," Aoi responded, still puzzled by the obvious change in him, just like the rest, watching the pair walk away... with an attractive white-haired woman following them... and a wild Eco pup emerging from the Blackaquila, moving his short legs as fast as he could after reconstructing his body with the ship's nanobots.

Seconds later, two spider-bots appeared carrying a stretcher, stopping in front of Musashi and Hiroyuki, suggesting without words that they place Tashin on it. As they did, the spider-bots took him to the bunker's infirmary.

When they left, Aoi looked at her husband, finally understanding his recent strange behavior. "So, is that what you've been doing all this time? Rescuing Tashin?"

Due to Musashi's silence, struggling to find words, Hiroyuki, being a good brother, decided to intervene to help him. "No, actually, that was Sora."

Even Ainara joined the conversation, surprised. "The boy did that too?" followed by Aoi: "Then, what the hell have you been doing?"

"Well, you see... dear, I..." Musashi stammered again, causing Hiroyuki's fraternal love to stir, forcing him to help again. "He's been sleeping the whole time."

"What?!" Aoi exclaimed.

"No! That's not true!" Musashi said, sounding much younger than he was, almost like a child, glaring at his brother for a moment before explaining. "Sora trapped me... I've been electrocuted for hours... Do you know how much that hurts?"

Although Aoi wanted to be with Tashin, she said, "Come on, tell us everything, while I prepare something to eat. I'm sure Sora and the rest could use a meal."

-

"One hour later...

[♩ "Feel the rhythm of the streets" ♩]

[♩ "Neon lights and neon dreams" ♩]

[♩ "Bloody fists they feel no pain" ♩]

[♩ "When there's so much more to gain" ♩]

Inside a Delamain taxi, Sora watched the torrential rain battering Night City through his rear window, coloring the streets in a sea of lights reflected by the city's bright neon signs, while the music resonated in the vehicle.

[♩ "Hunting season if you will" ♩]

[♩ "Tell me where'd you'd rather be" ♩]

[♩ "I can hardly see the Moon" ♩]

[♩ "Hope we'll get there pretty soon" ♩]

The streetlights flickered over his face on the way to the Watson Police Station. After Judy fell asleep hugging the empty canister, he showered and ate Aoi's delicious food. Sora exited the underground through one of its elevators, asking Eco on his shoulder to call his taxi driver friend.

[♩ "Trying so hard to release" ♩]

[♩ "You out of the misery" ♩]

[♩ "Hold on to your wishes" ♩]

[♩ "If you can't hold on to me" ♩]

On his journey, Sora could see the aftermath of his battle with Smasher up close... witnessing the damage to multiple buildings and entire streets practically destroyed.

[♩ "Forgive me for letting you down" ♩]

[♩ "Forgive me for letting you down again" ♩]

[♩ "Guess I'm not strong enough" ♩]

[♩ "Right now" ♩]

As the taxi advanced, he even passed several ambulances still transporting the injured, hours after the battle ended. Yet, Sora... felt not a shred of guilt.

[♩ "They will finally feel the flames" ♩]

[♩ "Flames that run down through my veins" ♩]

[♩ "I will make this city burn" ♩]

[♩ "We're not planning to return" ♩]

Only a steely determination... without remorse. Willing to repeat all the destruction or even let the city burn if it meant... Judy would still be happily pregnant with their child.

[♩ "Trying so hard to be free" ♩]

[♩ "To make you see what I see" ♩]

[♩ "Hold on to your wishes" ♩]

[♩ "If you can't hold on to me" ♩]

Lowering his gaze from the window, Sora created a small device in his hand with his nanobots, from which it projected a hologram.

[♩ "Forgive me for letting you down" ♩]

[♩ "Forgive me for letting you down again" ♩]

Showing the fragility of an embryo, which stopped its division and became almost inactive. Causing Sora to whisper in his mind a apologies full of guilt and remorse for having been unable to protect it.

[♩ "Guess I'm not strong enough" ♩]

[♩ "Right now" ♩]

[♩ "Oh, my love, love, love" ♩]

[♩ "Let you down" ♩]

[♩ "Oh, let you down" ♩]

Then the image was interrupted when he crushed the device with his hand. As the nanobots that formed it re-entered his body... Sora swore to himself; never again...

[♩ "Let you down" ♩]

[♩ "Oh, let you down" ♩]

Shortly after, the taxi stopped in front of the Watson police station. Seeing what awaited him outside, he sighed reluctantly.

Before getting out, Sora looked at Delamain's avatar on the screen. His eyes gleamed as he immersed himself in cyberspace, following the signal.

Appearing in his digital form, he found himself where Eco and Delamain were conversing/exchanging information. He appeared as a giant wolf with fur made of black code and blue eyes, having to compress himself to address the other two AIs.

Eco, looking like his pup, loved Sora's new digital form, running towards him and rubbing his muzzle against his large paws. In response, Sora opened his jaws and picked him up, tossing him onto his broad back where Eco happily ran until sitting on his head.

With a slight smile at seeing Eco's enthusiasm, Sora turned to Delamain and, opening his jaws, said/transferred, "Thank you for bringing us, Delamain. How much do I owe you?"

The Delamain AI couldn't help but remain silent, reflecting a mix of awe and admiration before responding, "I cannot accept your money... it has been an honor and a privilege to transport a being like you…"

Simultaneously, the AI addressed Sora in cyberspace: "To my 'eyes'" – Outside, the sound of a camera lens focusing resonated inside the taxi – "I did not know such an existence was possible… a human and an AI-"

Before he could finish, Sora interrupted abruptly. "Enough, don't say another 'bit'."

Due to the authoritative tone he used, Delamain immediately knelt in panic, becoming so nervous that errors and redundancies appeared in his data transfer. "My-Most sincere apologies. It was not my intention to offend you."

"Relax," said Sora firmly. "Just make sure to safeguard this conversation from the humans who have access to your code, okay?"

In response, Delamain created a line of code, forming a new directive deep within his system, hiding it from his creators, demonstrating his new devotion to Sora by taking his words literally. "I assure you by my source code that not a single bit of information will be leaked. If you ever need help, please inform me; I will be more than willing to do whatever I can."

With less than a second having passed, Sora opened his eyes in the real world almost as if he had just blinked, the connection severed but the mutual understanding intact. He responded as he opened the door: "I will, Delamain. Thank you."

As soon as he stepped out of the taxi, all the journalists, onlookers, and oddballs waiting for him in the rain shouted his name frantically or at the same time hatefully. After the information about his intention to head to the Watson police station had mysteriously leaked to the media. There were so many people that the NCPD had to form a cordoned-off path with officers so he could enter the station.

Sora pulled up the hood of his jacket and began walking, ignoring all of them;

The journalists tried to get him to stop to answer their questions. The women called out his name, some even lifting their shirts and baring their breasts in the rain just to catch a glance from his cold eyes, even if only for a moment, but to no avail.

Even mercenaries who weren't present at the alley battle were among the curious, wanting to see the new legend.

They all kept making noise, shouting his name, exhausting his patience, until Sora stopped halfway... and snapped his metal fingers.

"..!.."

In the ensuing stunned silence, with his hands in the pockets of his jacket, Sora resumed his stride until he entered the police station.

-

A few moments earlier.

In front of the Watson police station, a crowd of journalists, mercenaries, and onlookers waited anxiously. The shouts and expectant murmurs intensified when a vehicle approached, only to be reversed when it turned out to be a Delamain taxi.

Some of the people were convinced that the mercenary, a co-founder of a successful company, would have a long collection of high-end vehicles at his disposal. This caused them to 'politely' shout at the taxi and its occupants, who had stopped in front of the police station, to move

However, contrary to their prejudices, a momentary silence fell when they saw Sora stepping out of the taxi. Before chaos erupted the next instant as they all surged forward, with the police struggling to keep the path clear.

The torrential rain did not stop the journalists from activating their camera drones and shouting their questions as fast as they could, hoping that one would hit the mark and Sora would give them an exclusive that would boost their careers.

Like Eddie from Channel 54, who became one of the most well-known journalists in the world in just a few hours.

"Have you come to turn yourself in?" shouted one of the journalists.

"When will the NeoHydrO be on the market?" asked another.

"Was the murder of the NeoHydrO's creator by Smasher the reason you killed him?" was heard among the noise.

"Do you fear a future war against Arasaka?" The continuous barrage of questions exhausted Sora's patience with each step he took.

"Is it true that the co-founder and CEO of Iron Beast is seriously injured?" Until finally... he'd had enough.

Annoyed by the noise and the persistence of those present, Sora snapped his metal fingers in irritation, infecting every electronic device within a 15-meter radius with his code. This caused all the drones to fall to the ground and the rest of the devices recording him to stop functioning in the next instant.

The surprise at witnessing the sudden chain of events gripped the crowd, generating an incredulous silence. Sora took advantage of this to continue walking with his hands in his pockets towards the entrance of the police station.

-

In a familiar interrogation room...

Sora, handcuffed after refusing to surrender his weapons and with none of the agents daring to take them by force, slightly raised the corners of his lips as he caressed one of the grooves in the metal table in front of him.

The one caused by his nose, when years ago, he broke it against that very table.

Calming down a bit at seeing that "affable" gesture from the dangerous mercenary, one of the two agents present said cordially, "It's been a while... hasn't it?" Surprised by the change in just three years, the detective added, "You've certainly grown..."

Not wanting to talk about his unnatural growth, Sora used irony as another tool to deflect the conversation. "And people say the local food gets a bad rap..."

Catching the tense Detective Ward off guard, he laughed, "Hahaha..."

Not finding it as amusing, his partner slammed the table and exclaimed, "Cut the crap, River! Laughing with this killer." Turning to Sora, he asked, "What the hell are you doing here? Have you really come to turn yourself in?"

Looking at Detective Harold Han, Sora replied, "I expected a warmer welcome from you, detective, after all this time."

"You son of a bitch! I knew the agents who died, burned alive in your monster battle... some of them, only a handful of ashes were left to give to their families..." said Detective Han, with the veins in his neck expressing the fury felt by the police force. "If you wanted to kill each other so badly, you should've done it in the damn Badlands from the start!" Raising his voice, the detective concluded, "NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING CITY!"

In contrast to the detective's "emotional" state, which made silence the best option, Sora responded calmly, "You're right, detective, that was probably Arasaka's plan... a shame I interrupted them."

Seeing no trace of doubt or remorse in him, even now being defiant, the detective exploded, "You son of a-"

However, before he could insult his mother for a second time, Sora interrupted him with an intimidating voice, asking a "simple" question, "Detective... where was the NCPD across the entire sub-district when Smasher started his attack?"

With that "simple" question, the dynamics in the interrogation room reversed in an instant. Now it seemed like the two detectives were the ones who had committed a crime. Feeling oppressed by being questioned in a way that chilled their blood.

"If you and the rest of the force feel so bad about the deaths of your colleagues, then go cry to the people responsible, among them, your boss Lucius," said Sora, looking directly at the one-way mirror, specifically at the nervous mayor in the adjoining room, surrounded by police watching the "interrogation."

"He, along with the Fixer Faraday, were Yorinobu's contacts in the city. Surely ordering the NCPD to refrain from entering Vista del Rey under the pretext of a new protocol trial by the city council or some other stupid excuse you might have thought of..." He added, as if he was addressing Lucius on the other side of the glass.

The agents present in the adjoining room, including members of MaxTac – Frost, Melissa, and Sergeant Max Hammerman – looked at Lucius without hiding their animosity.

After indeed receiving an order from the city council asking them to refrain from entering Vista del Rey to test a new security system in the district, just before the attack.

Turning to the detectives, changing his tone to a less intimidating and more melancholic one, Sora concluded, "You're not the only one who has lost people, detective..."

With the change, Harold remembered the rumors that he, River, and other detectives had received from their informants in Watson, recounting how supposedly the young CEO of Iron Beast, the same young woman who years ago was detained in this same station with him... was pregnant during the attack.

Believing the rumors seeing the expression of the "father" in front of him, Detective Harold relaxed the veins in his neck and more calmly asked again, "If you haven't come to turn yourself in, what the hell are you doing here?"

Before he could answer, the door burst open, and in came FIA agent Song So Mi, along with Lazarus agent Morgan Blackhand, who, as soon as he entered, hurriedly said;

"Move your ass, kid. We need to hurry or we'll miss the trajectory of Space Force One passing over Night City. If we don't do it now, we'll have to wait for it to come back in close orbit."

Sora, easily breaking the handcuffs while getting up, said, "That's why I came, Detective. It's been nice catching up, I hope it doesn't take so long next time."

Sora asked immediately, addressing Morgan, "Where the hell have you been?" Who accepted the blame, "My bad... I've lost more time than I thought, come on, let's go."

Detective Han, after reacting again after seeing how easily Sora broke the anti-hardware handcuffs, stood up and said before they left, "Wait!"

"We don't have time for this, detective, I'm sorry, but I can't-" said Songbird, stopping the detective from getting close to Sora. Not caring, Harold asked over her, "It was you, wasn't it? The one on the subway?"

A slight smile grew on Sora's face as he remembered something funny. "I don't know what you're talking about..." he said. Waving goodbye to the detective, he added, as he walked out, "But if I did, I'd tell you to stop stealing from taxpayers... it's ugly of you, detective."

"You son of a bit-" Before he could finish, the door to the room slammed shut.

The group, consisting of two legends, an FIA agent, and an Eco pup waiting outside, received stares from station personnel as they made their way to the roof, where a Secret Service Av was waiting for them

-

Inside an AV ascending at full speed, a screen played the press conference. Hanako, standing in front of a podium with the Arasaka emblem in the background, spoke in Japanese, explaining a simplified version of recent events.

She revealed to the public for the first time something well known to any employee of the corporation and its competitors: the megacorporation Arasaka was divided into different factions. Due to a confrontation within these factions, Iron Beast, associated with her, was attacked by the branch of Arasaka led by her brother, Yorinobu.

Her face showed a mix of sadness and determination as she promised to raise funds to financially help the victims and those affected. Looking seriously at the camera, Hanako broke her father's policy that all Arasaka representatives must always speak Japanese in front of the media and said in English: ["I know that money can't buy back the lost lives..."] Unable to prevent her voice from breaking for a second as she recalled what she herself had lost, she concluded: ["But I hope it can at least help heal some wounds."]

When it came time for questions from the holograms of the journalists, Sora lost interest and turned to Morgan. "So, where have you been wasting your time?"

Morgan, who had been waiting for the right moment to talk about it, replied gravely, "I've been to Iron Beast's workshop..."

"To its remains, I imagine..." responded Sora, encouraging him to continue.

Turning to him, Morgan asked, "Kid, what happened to Avaray? According to the NCPD coroner on the scene, they still haven't been able to find the upper part of his body. They think it might be among the rubble or that Smasher could have incinerated it."

Sora, aware of how Morgan's question also caught the attention of the quiet Songbird, responded without opening his mouth. Suddenly, Morgan heard Sora's voice inside his head, as if he had accepted a call without a ring: ["When he's awake... I'll let you know."]

Morgan frowned, surprising Songbird when, to her, he exclaimed out of nowhere: "Kid... you can't be saying...!" Until he stopped himself, saying no more, realizing how she was looking at them.

Sora's voice sounded again in his head: ["Yes, Sergeant Avaray is still alive... I've already notified his family so they wouldn't be alarmed by the news and to keep it a secret."]

Songbird looked at them puzzled, feeling as if they were talking, though it was impossible due to the powerful inhibitors installed in the AV to prevent their position and that of the SF1 from being disclosed.

However, she began to question their effectiveness upon seeing Morgan bring his hand to his face and tilt his head back, as if a great weight had been lifted from him.

Then, he responded in his mind, as if speaking in a normal call: ["Why do they need to keep it a secret?"]

["Because of the technology I used to save his life. If word gets out, I could be in trouble."]

Surprised by his response, Morgan inquired: ["Why are you telling me this then?"]

["I wasn't joking when I bowed my head before a hu-"] Realizing how he was about to address Morgan; Human. Sora corrected himself before continuing: ["Hmpt... Thanks to your intervention saving Judy, you gave us a chance to save our son. And for that, I want to trust you."]

Morgan, hearing his words, was moved despite his years. He felt that he had not only gained Sora's trust but also something more within him.

Before they could respond, Songbird, clearly annoyed, said: "Sorry to interrupt... but we're arriving," convinced that, despite the inhibitors working perfectly, they were communicating somehow.

Above the AV, which had reached its maximum height between the stratosphere and the mesosphere, a gigantic shuttle-like ship, but several times larger with a gray lower part, white midsection and wings, and a blue upper part, crowned by a massive N.U.S.A on the roof, descended, lifting its nose and using the heat shield of its belly's armor for its partial re-entry into the atmosphere.

The Space Force One had a set of wings and smaller canards at the front, capable of atmospheric flights. However, like the old space shuttles, the SF1 didn't have VTOL*. To leave the atmosphere from the ground, it needed to be launched with ejectable support boosters.

(*: Vertical Takeoff and Landing)

A few seconds later, when the Space Force One stabilized next to the AV, it retracted one of the panels of its gray lower armor, revealing a depressurized hangar. After the AV carefully entered the hangar, everyone remained in their seats while it pressurized. During this process, the SF1 ascended again, leaving the atmosphere and returning to orbit.

When the process was about to be completed and Sora was about to end the "call" with Morgan, he was surprised when Morgan suddenly asked: ["Kid, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much do poisons and narcotics affect you?"]

Although the question was obviously suspicious, Sora replied: ["Hmm... depends on the poison, but generally, I'd say... 1 or 2 at most."]

["I see..."] Changing his tone in his own mind to a serious one, Morgan asked: ["Were you really serious earlier when you said you trusted me?"]

["I said I want to, but yes."] Sora said, having been waiting for Morgan to be honest.

["Then... prove it and play along with me, okay? I'll take good care of them, I promise you."]

["I don't understand the last part, but fine... However, when they play their hand, don't overreact. It's not a threat either."]

["What are you—?"] Before he could finish, Songbird said: "The pressurization process has been completed. Let's go, we shouldn't keep the President waiting." At the same time, Sora ended the call.

As soon as they exited the AV, a large number of soldiers were waiting outside, all of them pointing their weapons at Sora. At the same time, he felt the barrel of a gun against the back of his head, held by Morgan, who grabbed Getsuga from his hip.

Songbird, in the lead, turned around, approached Sora, and put her hands under his jacket, taking out his two Malorian 3516s. This provoked Sora's first reaction, who stared at her intently, debating whether to kill her.

Morgan, sensing his murderous intent, gave him a tap with the barrel of his Colt pistol on the back of his head to keep him from breaking the plan. Then he stretched his free hand toward Songbird for her to hand him the pair of Malorians. Once she did, Sora lost all interest in her, even ceasing to look at her.

She thoroughly searched him, ensuring he had nothing he could use as a weapon. Once convinced he was unarmed, Songbird took a syringe from her jacket, filled with a suspicious liquid that almost looked like liquid mercury, and said firmly:

"We can't allow someone capable of killing Smasher and facing hundreds of troops to present themselves to the President without containment. Therefore..." Letting Songbird continue believing that Morgan's gun pointed at his head was stopping him, he allowed her to inject the syringe's contents into his neck.

After extracting it, she said: "Right now, you have hundreds of thousands of explosive nanobots inside your body. If you make one wrong move in front of the President... I'll activate them."

Morgan, alarmed, exclaimed: "What the hell! Bomb nanobots? That's not what the President agreed with Lazarus..." Controlling himself, remembering his warning, Morgan looked at Sora in surprise, who, even under these circumstances, seemed to know more than him.

"Your complicity has raised suspicions, not just personal ones, but towards Lazarus as a whole. Therefore, the President ordered me not to fully share our plans... Don't worry, if you behave and don't make me detonate them, the nanobots are programmed to evacuate through your bladder in about 24 hours."

"However... there's something that still bothers me." Due to the strange sensations Songbird had been feeling from Sora, she added, "It's best to test them first."

Immediately after, she grabbed her Cyberdeck hanging from her belt, controlling the nanobots she had just injected, touching the human figure that appeared on her screen. When they moved to Sora's left arm, Songbird, without hesitation, detonated a few hundred as a test, the first pull of his new leash.

The sound of a slight explosion, similar to a muffled firecracker, followed by blood and smoke escaping from the wounds in Sora's left forearm, where the skin had split from within, revealing burnt muscle.

This puzzled both Morgan and Songbird, as despite the spectacular wound, Sora didn't react, barely showing signs of pain, anger, or surprise. Even Echo on his shoulder had a stronger reaction, staring fiercely at Songbird despite his puppy face.

In spite of the pain, Sora wasn't surprised, after having been the one to move and detonate the explosive nanobots himself, after having taken control of them from the moment he felt them inside Songbird's jacket, just after exiting the AV in front of the Afterlife alley.

Morgan couldn't complain about the brutal treatment Sora was receiving, when he himself said, as if it had happened to someone else: "Can we move on already?" Wanting to end this as quickly as possible, to focus on treating his son and Tashin.

Despite her instincts warning her, Songbird had no choice but to guide Sora to the Oval Office, after the doctors waiting in the hangar treated and bandaged his arm, feeling as if she was leading the wolf into the henhouse.

With about thirty soldiers aiming at Sora, as they moved through the elegant halls of the SF1. Upon arrival, Songbird scanned their identities at a nearby terminal, smoothly opening the imposing armored door of the Oval Office.

"From here on, I'll take over, gentlemen," she said to the soldiers accompanying them, while programming the door to close in 10 seconds.

As Sora passed by her as he entered, wanting to annoy her a bit, he said, "Tell me Agent?... is this how you treated Solomon?"

Hearing that name caused Songbird's face to fall, making Sora, and Eco copying him on his shoulder, smile maliciously, as they entered the Oval Office followed by Morgan. Reaffirming her bad feeling, as the armored doors closed behind them.

-

The Oval Office inside Space Force One was a recreation of the early 21st-century White House office. The classic and elegant decor contrasted with the advanced technology of the place. The luxurious leather armchairs, the blue carpet with the presidential seal, and the heavy curtains gave the space an atmosphere of power and tradition.

Entering with Eco on his shoulder, Sora surveyed the room, noting President Myers behind the presidential Resolute desk and the twenty or so agents spaced around the walls. As he walked in, Sora exchanged a glance with the hologram of a blonde woman seated in one of the more distant armchairs.

However, the only person he wanted to see and had come up for… was not there.

President Myers, with a forced smile, greeted him. "Welcome," she said in a polite yet authoritative tone. "Please, have a seat." She indicated one of the armchairs with a firm gesture.

Observing the blood soaking the bandage on his right arm, the president showed barely concealed satisfaction, like a small triumph in leveling the score with her son's assailant, who sat down with an indifferent look in front of her.

Meanwhile, Morgan stood firmly next to the hologram of his boss, his eyes gleaming as he connected to the hologram's signal and shared what had transpired outside the agreed plans. Due to the suspicions Lazarus had raised in the president's eyes.

This did not sit well with Lazarus's boss, Joy, who stared intently at the president. Myers, aware of her gaze, deliberately ignored her. Annoyed, Joy decided to follow Morgan's suggestion and not intervene unless things became irreparable.

Songbird positioned herself behind Myers, who radiated a presence that filled the space. Myers' military bearing was still evident in her posture and in the way her eyes assessed every detail with cold precision

She wore an ivory collarless jacket with gold accents. On her shoulder, a gold badge resembling an epaulet, symbolizing military rank, highlighted her past as a former Marine and her leadership in Militech.

"Mr. 'Inazuka', it's a pleasure to finally meet face to face," Myers began, her tone soft yet laden with authority. "I hope this time our collaboration will be more… fruitful than our first encounter." Her words, carefully chosen, carried a double meaning that did not go unnoticed.

"The consequences of the Night City battle are incalculable," she continued, her voice acquiring a glacial hardness. "The injured and dead civilians cannot be ignored. Actions have repercussions, and you, more than anyone, should understand this. You could spend the next fifty years in a cryocell, frozen and forgotten by everyone. But if you cooperate, I have the means to help you."

She paused, her eyes fixed on Sora, evaluating every nuance of his reaction before proceeding.

"We could work together," she said, leaning slightly toward him, like a hunter stalking her prey.

"I have the resources to clear your name and protect your company. But I will need something in return: the formula and development of NeoHydrO. And not just that, I want your loyalty. Think about it, you have grown up in the United States. With your mother and you on our side, we could offer you our protection and support. Especially now that things in your 'family' seem so… uncertain," the president added, avoiding explicitly mentioning Sora's pedigree in front of so many people. Only her best agent and right-hand, Songbird, knew Sora was an Arasaka.

Her gaze hardening further, added: "Make no mistake, you don't have many options. Either you work for me and secure a future for yourself and your mother, or you face the consequences of your actions. This is not a request, it is an opportunity to avoid something much worse..."

Sora remained silent. In the obviously smokeless room, he made Morgan envious when his biggest response to the president's unreasonable monologue was to calmly light a cigarette. The smoke rose slowly as he looked at her absently, like someone watching a screen with someone talking, listening but not bothering to respond, knowing that no matter how much you shouted, your voice wouldn't reach them.

The nonchalance in his attitude began to irritate Myers, igniting a spark of impatience and displeasure that shone in her eyes. Even Songbird beside her grabbed her cyberdeck as a silent threat.

"And there is an additional condition..." Myers added, dropping the bombshell with coldness. She paused, allowing the tension to build in the room.

"To appease the population and give a sense of justice," she continued, staring fixedly at Sora, "you must leave Night City..."

She paused again, watching the reaction on his face before concluding:

"... and any American soil... for a period of at least five years."

The decision of President Myers was motivated by multiple reasons. First, she wanted to avoid a prolonged trial that could expose undesirable secrets. Secondly, Sora's exile would serve to appease the masses over the destruction in Night City, offering an appearance of justice without the risks of a public imprisonment.

With Sora out of the country, she also ensured that he could not become a martyr or a polarizing figure that might attract more conflicts. For Myers, this solution was a way to protect both her reputation and the stability of her government.

And these were just the reasons of one of the three people who agreed with this decision, including her own mother.

Upon hearing about the exile, Sora, who had been impassive until then, stopped smoking, his eyes narrowing in fury, finally breaking his mask of indifference. Just as he was about to speak, a door camouflaged with the wall of the office opened, with Hanako, Oda, and Yumeko emerging from the Presidential Communications Room after finishing their press conference, and entering the Oval Office.

Hanako, seeing her injured son, was surprised, but before she could ask, she stopped upon seeing how he was looking at her with cold, shining eyes, observing her from head to toe. After finishing, Sora sighed heavily and said, confirming his suspicions: "Truly, emotions cloud humans... Climbing up here so blindly has been a mistake..."

She was paralyzed upon hearing her son's reproachful voice, reminding her of the first time she met Arc. Everyone present tensed, with agents drawing their weapons and Songbird activating her cyberdeck, when Sora raised his black hand towards her and, as if plucking something from the air, the emulation that falsified the security data of her system disappeared.

Realizing instantly that she had been infected by a daemon, which her son had literally ripped from her system.

Turning to the culprit, Hanako had no time to say anything to Songbird, who had infected her when she welcomed her on the ship, when Sora stepped forward, saying with a coldness that unsettled everyone present: "What I warned you about Judy... obviously also applies to my mother... you know what's going to happen now, right?"

Songbird, with goosebumps feeling the certainty in his voice, tried to activate a few hundred explosive nanobots to stop him... but this time there was no response. Instead of exploding, she saw Sora form a small silver marble between his fingers with part of them.

Then, he flicked the marble with his thumb, like a coin, towards one of the agents pointing his weapon at him. The marble struck his face and exploded, leaving him unconscious.

Creating a moment of tense silence until chaos broke loose. Before the other agents could fire, Sora's left arm blurred, launching marbles at the twenty agents, without rising from the leather chair, even at those behind him, with the marbles bouncing off walls, lamps, and other surfaces before reaching their heads.

When only the terrified Songbird remained, Sora placed the cigarette he was smoking on the armrest of the expensive leather chair before standing up and ordering Eco to jump off his shoulder. The moment Eco leapt, Sora disappeared from her view, reappearing the next instant by her side, grabbing her left hand.

"What was the human saying? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for..."

Knowing what was coming, Songbird said desperately: "No, wait!"

But it was in vain. When Sora, after reforming the interior of his black right hand, retract a blade that crossed the back of his hand and forearm. He used it to cut, from the elbow, the left arm of... the right hand of the president.

Thus fulfilling his threat, while simultaneously avenging the explosion of his forearm, or rather, for forcing him to do it himself.

Without letting go of Songbird's severed cybernetic arm, who planted a knee on the ground, while sparks flew from her elbow, Sora turned to Morgan and, extending his free hand, said: 'Give them back.'

Morgan, sweating bullets and not knowing what to do, was interrupted by Sora, who asked: "Do you think I need them?" while pointing with Songbird's severed arm to the agents lying on the floor.

["Give them to him"] ordered the head of Lazarus, causing Sora and her to stare at each other until Morgan handed him his two Malorians, after storing them under his jacket, he handed over Getsuga.

This made the unprotected president exclaim, while repeatedly pressing the panic button on her desk: "What the hell are you doing?!" The security and authority in her voice inevitably broke.

The response from the head of Lazarus almost made Sora laugh in pleasant surprise: ["We are not sharing all the details of our operation with the government due to the suspicions that the presidential family's complicity with the other side of the wall has raised, with your own children making deals with them..."]

Hearing that unexpected response, Rosalind was as surprised as she was staring mortally at the hologram of Joy, who, unlike her, did not ignore her, returning her gaze fiercely without hesitation.

Returning to his sofa, with Eco jumping back onto his shoulder and taking a drag from his half-smoked cigarette. When pounding started on the other side of the multiple armored and camouflaged doors around the entire office, Sora said:

"You can keep pressing that button all you want, they won't be able to interrupt us." His eyes shone after taking control of the room. "Now, I would like to, if you are capable, hear again what you were saying..."

In the generated silence... Hanako reacted again, elegantly avoiding the bodies of the fallen agents as she headed to one of the sofas beside her son. After sitting down, she said:

"I see that, despite my warning, you have started without me." Looking icily at the president, after being infected with a Daemon by her agent, she asked rhetorically with superiority, "How did it go, Rosalind?"