Wanted for the Wrong Reasons

Judy spins around idly in her office chair as Kiwi and Sasha go over the recent Arasaka movements, it was late in the night and everyone was tired but those two, in particular, seemed determined to keep themselves updated on the burgeoning situation.

From what she could hear, Saburo Arasaka was apparently going to pay a visit to Night City, presumably to visit his son Yorinobu. The CEO was bringing his daughter Hanako too, all on some exec ship called the 'Kujira'.

The duo were discussing the possibility, or rather impossibility of attacking it. Judy knew that it wasn't just a ship, it was a heavily fortified war machine, escorted by submarines, satellite tracking, and as many aircraft as the sky could fit.

The suits weren't stupid, they knew hundreds of powerful people would look to see if they could sink them, so they'd made adequate precautions.

Shaking her head, Judy stops the chair and leans forwards to them, "Did you two hear about it?"

"Hear about it?" Kiwi inquires in a dull tone.

"The feed we got from Las Vegas." she replies, causing both to straighten.

"There anything about them? The crew?" Sasha asks.

Judy shrugs and accesses the webpage showing the shit-load of news coverage about 'two large-scale terrorist attacks'. The Crystal Tower owned in parts by DMS, Militech, and Eurobank had been bombed, and a massacre had been committed in New Caesars Palace... Worst of all, an anonymous source had tipped news networks off to the ones responsible.

The next page showed mugshots of some familiar people. Maine, David, Rebecca, Pilar, and Falco. There were also two blacked-out photos over the names 'Ori' and 'Lucy'. Guys probably couldn't get an actual photo of them considering their circumstances.

All of this was under one banner though, 'Zombie Crew'...

"Shit..." Kiwi utters, almost dropping her cig as she looks it over.

"Were they arrested?" Sasha questions with a deep frown.

Judy shakes her head, "Not from what I can tell, their bounties are still up. From the forums it looks like they fled into the underground."

"This is bad..."

"No shot. We're probably gonna need to change up some plans. Even if they make it back their public personas are fucked." Kiwi remarks.

"No, not quite..." Judy interjects, "Night City is independent, if the city officials don't go after them then they'll only have to worry about the Corpos they pissed off. 'Sides, there are already plenty wanted men here."

*Ping!*

...

Sasha quirks a brow, "That's me... Speak of the devil..."

[It seems that some plans need to be advanced.] - ???

--------------------

A couple days after the heist...

Maine sits against the wall in front of a big pile of corpses, all belonging to mole people who thought they could jump him and sell off his Cyberware. Idiots, did they think his shit was for show? Even if that were the case, would it be worth selling?

He looks down at his trembling, blood-covered hands, inwardly wondering if the guys weren't bullshitting him.

Sure, things hadn't gone to plan. But that wasn't his fault, it was David, Lucy, and Ori's fault for catching Arasaka's attention in the first fuckin' place! If none of them had done that then they'd have never left Night City, Dorio would still be around...

Dorio...

"FUCK!" he shouts, slamming his fist down on a mole man's skull, splattering what was left of it across the floor.

"There's nothin' wrong with you. They're the ones losing it, you're the only sane one around!" he shakes his head, "Just keep runnin', the minute you slow is the moment you go..." he mutters to himself, standing up.

"Yo, Maine, you good?" Pilar greets, pausing as he peeks his head around the tunnel entrance. "The fuck happened here!?"

"They attacked me, what else?" he grunts, turning to look at him over his should. "Why, that a problem?"

Pilar shrugs, "Nah, why would it? These gonks were probably askin' for it!"

He snorts, "They ask you to bring me back then? Like I'm some dog off its leash?"

Pilar crooks a brow, "Now you're just yanking my stick, what kinda fuckin' dog has a cannon mounted on its arm? Shit, if you know about one you let me know, I'd call it 'Mini-Me'."

...

"Whaddya want...?"

"Wanted to know how you doin'. You lost it and left for a day or two, was starting to think the Corpos got ya'."

"I didn't lose." he scowls, "I just didn't wanna listen to you guys raggin' on me for no fuckin' reason. You keep to your shit and I'll mind my own."

Pilar sighs, "Buddy, they got a point. We almost died, and since Dorio-"

Maine whirls around, and grabs the merc by the arm tight enough to cause bruises, "What'd I say about talkin' about her!? Shut the fuck up! Mind your own mother fuckin' biz!"

"Get off me you big lump! See what I mean? You're going full schizo! Another month like this and you'll be the next goddamn cyberpsycho on the headlines!"

"Shut up!"

"All of us have noticed! Even Lucy and Christy, heck, that celeb-bitch might seem dumb, but she had a whole plan to get us out after saving Luce', then you fucked it by going for honky-gonk terrorist!"

Maine shakes Pilar harder, causing the man to grip his fist to stop him from tearing his arm off, "Choom get the hell off'a me! I'm tryna tell you how it is straight, and you grabbin' up on my jock ain't helpin' nobody! The fuck would Dorio think if she saw your ass-"

"GOD DAMN IT! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Maine roars, palming Pilar's face and slamming him back into the stone wall.

*SPLATTER!*

...

Maine blinks at the sudden warm wetness filling his hand, his breath hitches as he looks over and sees the back of Pilar's skull completely busted open, blood and brain matter spattered across the wall and floor.

"No..." he steps backwards, letting the body drop.