April 14, 2021. 21:50. Vancouver.
This has got to be the wildest team roster I've ever seen—like something ripped from a game.
I blink at the odd collection of edgerunners gathered. A solo, a nomad, a netrunner, a techie, a fixer, and a rocker. My gaze lingers on Remi longer than it should. Actually, it's just the rocker—what the hell is he doing here? Will he even be useful?
Wissen cuts off my thoughts and launches into the debrief.
"Now that everyone's here, I'll explain tonight's mission." He points at Dante. "Dante is a member of the Neapolitan Camorra."
I cross my arms and relax my shoulders to listen.
Confusion flickers across the group, everyone except Shock—and Mister, who raises his hand.
"One of the largest mafia organizations in Europe, correct?" he asks.
"Indeed. Dante is a friend of mine and has requested aid in a very delicate matter." Wissen steps aside to let Dante speak.
"I doubt any of you care about context, but it may help to know I'm one of the chosen successors to lead the Camorra." Dante's eyes harden; his hands punctuate his words with sharp, deliberate gestures—the part he plays fits him well. "Many inside the organization doubt my ability, so I've been tasked with acquiring a railgun to prove myself."
He sounds like a runner-up for godfather—smooth polish wrapped around quiet menace.
Pacing slowly, he looks each of us over. "That's where you come in. Each of you has your reasons for being here—or so Wissen tells me."
Wissen nods and retakes the floor. "Earlier tonight, a vendor advertised an Autumn Blade railgun. Local gangs were invited to bid. What started as a civil auction quickly turned into a violent scramble."
His ocular implants flare to life, pulsing a slow, rhythmic blue as he speaks. "You will be paid handsomely to recover the weapon. How you do it is your business, as long as you deliver. Payment: seven thousand eddies each."
Well, that explains why most of us were called all.
I straighten, and this time it's my hand that rises.
"Since we're dealing with gangsters, that's already a risk to us. I say bump it up to ten thousand—for insurance. Plus, we may need extra funds for supplies."
Dante raises an eyebrow, visibly surprised. Wissen nods, while the others trade looks of disbelief or amusement.
"Fair enough reasoning," Wissen says. "I'll adjust the payout accordingly."
"Thank you."
"Any other requests?" He waits, but no one speaks up. "Excellent. I'll set up a group chat and send the meeting address. Dante and I will stay here, but we'll monitor calls and messages in case you need backup. Keep things clean—minimal complications. If you need transport, let us know; otherwise, we'll assume you have your own methods. Good luck."
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. Wissen's eyes stop glowing, the blue light fading until his irises return to their usual dark hue.
I stretch my arms and take a breath. Alright—guess it's time to move.
Wissen and Dante exchange a look before heading into a nearby building to talk privately.
Damn. If this turns into a firefight, a single handgun won't cut it. I pull out my phone and check the location. Imperial Landing Dock, Richmond.
Great. That's not exactly close.
I'm about to click my tongue when Shock's voice cuts in.
"Okay, guys, sooo… how are we getting there? Oh, and Artemis—that was, like, prettyyy ballsy."
I shrug, scrolling through the app that controls my vehicles.
"To be fair, we go way back. Makes it easier to negotiate."
A few four-doors and trucks appear on-screen. I skim the list and select the truck I used earlier. Tetra steps into view as I confirm the order.
"Ayo, anyone tryna roll with me?" Remi calls out, already heading for his bike. He snaps his helmet on in one smooth motion and jerks a thumb at the back seat. "Got room for one more, still."
Silence falls. Then a look passes between Azure and Remi—quiet, charged. They don't speak, but something unspoken lingers in the space between them. I catch it and arch a brow.
Azure's lips twitch into a faint, unreadable smile; Remi's gaze holds, steady and challenging.
The standoff lasts a few seconds before Azure breaks it with a light shrug and that easy grin.
"I'll go with you."
Mister clears his throat. "I can arrange a ride for the rest of us."
Tetra nods in thanks, while Shock claps her hands together, practically buzzing with excitement.
"Slayyy, perfect!"
I just shake my head at Mister's question.
"I'll drive myself—I've got some equipment I want to bring."
Mister nods and starts toward the end of the alley, a car engine humming somewhere in the dark.
"Sounds good. We'll see you there."
Tetra and Shock fall in behind him. My eyes follow as the team disperses toward their rides.
Interesting bunch.
I lean against the wall and wait for mine.
…
April 14, 2021. 23:00. Richmond.
"Well, this is boring as hell," Remi mutters, kicking an empty can across the cracked pavement.
Yeah, no kidding.
I'm perched on the hood of my black truck, staring out at the bloody aftermath of a car-strewn parking lot.
Flickering floodlights cast long shadows that pool in every corner of the docks. Beyond the rows of warehouses, the harbour glints faintly, cranes looming orange against the dark. Closer in, pools of blood glisten beside vehicles riddled with bullet holes, shell casings scattered like confetti.
The air stinks of salt, rust, and the faint metallic tang of blood and gunpowder.
A firefight definitely went down here. But there's no bodies.
Strange, whoever was involved didn't stick around, and it wasn't just the gangs.
Cops being absent doesn't surprise me; we're too far from downtown, where most of the force clusters. Despite Mayor Gestalt's best efforts, progress only stretches so far.
To his credit, the man's done more than anyone else—tax breaks, housing reform, loans that actually reached people who needed them. When the markets crashed and the city bled out, my family almost went under too. Without him, we wouldn't have made it.
Sadly, he just doesn't have the reach—or the resources—to drag places like Richmond out of the mud. Maybe that'll change if he ever becomes Prime Minister.
I check my phone, hoping more time's passed than it feels like.
No luck—only thirty minutes since we arrived.
A cold wind rolls off the docks, whipping my hair into my face. Letting out a sigh, I fish a rubber band from my bag and tie my hair back before pulling my hood up. As much as I'm glad to help Wissen, part of me wishes I were home, elbows-deep in that stolen Porsche.
Instead, I run through everything we know.
We'd arrived earlier, only to find the lot and warehouse completely empty. After that, we split up to cover more ground. Out here, it's the middle of nowhere—a dead zone with barely any law enforcement.
Locals say the territory's loosely "controlled" by a gang inspired by the Mox from Night City—a mix of abused sex workers, queer folks, and outcasts fighting back in their own way.
They go by the Velvs, short for Velvet Fangs.
As for other crews, the only one I really know around here is the Dead Kings, mostly because their turf brushes up against mine—and I literally ran into a few of them earlier today.
I sigh and tap my fingers against the truck's hood.
Shock and Mister headed into nearby buildings with security systems, hoping to pull any footage they could find, while Azure and Tetra swept the vacant lot for clues we might've missed earlier. Remi and I stayed behind as backup in case things went sideways.
Good news for the team: nothing's happened yet. Bad news for me: nothing's happened yet. I'm no security expert, and my current job isn't exactly thrilling—it's babysitting.
With a groan, I hop off the truck.
"For fuck's sake." I'm going to freeze my ass off if I stand here any longer.
Remi glances over, equal parts bored and curious.
"What's up?" he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets as he paces.
"Nothing. Just bored out of my mind." I nod toward the bullet casings on the ground. "Weird there's no bodies. Wasn't this just a few hours ago? No cops, but someone cleaned the place up."
"Dunno." Remi shrugs, leaning against the chain-link fence. "Not exactly how I pictured my night."
"Same. I was hoping for something easy."
"Easy? C'mon, choom. Dawg, I wish." He snorts. "That word doesn't exist in this type of work. I was supposed to be home mixing a new track tonight. Got halfway through before Wissen's message popped up."
"Sounds like bad timing," I say, crossing my arms.
"Yeah, story of my life. You got other jobs lined up after this?"
"Not really. Finished another gig earlier."
"Yeah? What kinda gig?"
"Nothing special. Just work."
He gives me a look, half teasing, half curious. "You're real chatty, huh?"
"Only when it matters."
That earns a soft laugh. "Fair enough."
Silence settles between us for a moment.
Just the wind, the creak of metal, and the distant hum of the docks.
Then movement catches my eye. Tetra and Azure are heading back.
I raise my voice. "Anything?"
Azure shakes her head. "Nothing on our end."
Damn it. Hopefully Mister and Shock dug up something.
Tetra speaks up next. "Yeah, the warehouse was a bust. Nothing we didn't already see. The rest of the area's just as quiet."
I frown and start tapping my foot. "Great. So we're stuck here waiting for—"
All of our phones start ringing at once. I'm the first to answer and put mine on speaker.
"Hello?"
Mister's electronic voice comes through—crisp, formal, like he's running a board meeting instead of a raid.
"Hello. Shock and I made some discoveries."
Why does he sound like a customer service rep?
"The gangs involved tonight are the Dead Kings, the Byte Raiders, the Blak Dragoons, the Banshees, and the Melders. It seems the GTown Boys and the Velvs aren't participating."
Makes sense—the GTown Boys are too far out, and the Velvs wouldn't bother. Still, kind of weird the Blak Dragoons are here. Aren't they based in Coquitlam?
"Shock managed to retrieve some data," he continues. "According to it, Dead Kings members secured a large briefcase during the fight before things escalated—gunfire, explosions, total chaos. The ones carrying the railgun barely escaped."
Shock's voice cuts in faintly from the background.
"Ooooh! Tell them the cameras didn't catch where the car went! Tracking it down'll take forever!"
"Ah, yes," Mister says smoothly, "Shock adds that following the trail through the cameras would be inefficient."
I shift uneasily, remembering my last run-in with the Dead Kings. Not eager for a rematch—though at least this time I've got a gun.
"At least, we know who took the railgun," Mister concludes, "I suggest we go straight to the source and negotiate for it."
I raise an eyebrow and glance at the others. "So… you think we should head to Dead Kings HQ?"
"Yes."
"Ah..." No way I'm charging in there guns blazing.
"Our options are to either trade for it or steal it," Mister adds. "I'd rather trade for it."
Remi raises his hand slightly. "Ayo… is this a bad time to mention the Dead Kings hate me?"
The whole group goes quiet.
Wait, what? I blink at him.
Azure plants her hands on her hips, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.
Tetra finally breaks the silence. "Wait… what?"