Aftermath of the Ambush
The smoke had barely settled.
The wreckage of destroyed AVs and corpses of Militech mercs littered the Watson Industrial Zone.
Not long after—
A Trauma Team AV arrived on the scene.
The paramedics, clad in sleek white and red armor, swept over the carnage, scanning for any survivors.
But there were none.
The moment their scanners confirmed zero life signs, the squad leader tapped into his comms.
"Dispatch, this is Trauma Team response unit 27C. We've arrived at the scene. Multiple fatalities. Militech personnel confirmed KIA. No survivors."
A brief pause—
Then a new voice cut in.
A voice cold, commanding.
"Understood. Forward the report directly to Operations Executive Meredith Stout. Now."
---
Meredith Stout's Indifference
Atop a towering Militech skyscraper, Meredith Stout sat comfortably on a plush leather couch, overlooking the neon-drenched expanse of Night City.
Her long legs were crossed, a cigarette resting between her fingers.
When her holo-screen flickered to life, she exhaled a slow breath of smoke before answering.
"Report."
The Trauma Team's voice came through, crisp and emotionless.
"Multiple Militech assets neutralized in the Watson Industrial Zone. Your authorization was requested for further action."
Meredith snorted.
"Tch. And? They were just disposable assets. No need to waste my time."
She leaned back against the couch, tapping her cigarette against the ashtray.
"Pass it off to the field agents. Let them clean up the mess. I'm busy."
And with that, she hung up.
She turned back toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the city streets far below.
"Hmph."
Her lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Looks like the rats in the gutters are getting bold. Even daring to take shots at Militech personnel?"
She let out a slow, amused chuckle.
"Doesn't matter. They were just grunts. Easily replaced."
With that, she flicked away the remainder of her cigarette, settling back into her seat.
To her, this wasn't worth a second thought.
That was—
Until her phone rang again.
---
Unwanted News
The sharp beeping of her internal comms interrupted her thoughts.
Annoyed, Meredith glanced at the caller ID.
Operations Division - Mid-Level Management.
She frowned.
Why the hell were they calling directly?
Reluctantly, she answered.
"This is Stout. Speak."
On the other end, a nervous male voice crackled through the line.
"Ms. Meredith, there's been a serious development—"
"Spit it out."
"The middleman we assigned to the Black Flame investigation… Faraday… he's dead."
A tense silence filled the call.
Meredith didn't react at first.
Then—
She scoffed.
"Yeah, I already got the Trauma Team report. And?"
"M-Ms. Stout, it's not just that…"
The man's voice grew shakier.
"He was assassinated… while investigating the Black Flame incident at the Tiger Claw's headquarters."
"What?!"
For the first time, Meredith's expression shifted.
Her grip on the phone tightened.
"You're telling me Faraday was digging into the Black Flame case—AND he was eliminated mid-investigation?!"
Her cold indifference vanished.
This wasn't just a routine operation gone wrong.
The Black Flame incident was already a sensitive topic within Militech.
Now, a Militech-affiliated fixer had been silenced before uncovering the truth.
"Shit."
She rubbed her temples.
"Tell me that's the worst of it."
"...It's not."
The man hesitated.
Then, in a low, almost fearful whisper—
"We also lost an AV."
Meredith's entire body tensed.
"Come again?"
"An APISXH model military AV dispatched to the operation… lost its positioning signal. It's been hijacked."
Silence.
Then—
"YOU'RE TELLING ME SOME GUTTER TRASH STOLE A MILITECH AV?!"
Meredith's voice exploded through the line.
Her composed exterior shattered.
This wasn't just a hit.
Someone had targeted their operations, eliminated a key asset, and made off with an entire piece of Militech hardware.
In a single night.
"Who?!"
Her breathing was sharp, her fingers digging into the armrest.
"Who the fuck has the balls to pull this off?!"
"We… we don't know yet…"
The mid-level manager's voice wavered.
"The team is still investigating, but there are rumors about an independent merc crew… A team operating outside the usual gangs and fixers."
"I don't give a damn about rumors!"
Meredith slammed her fist against the table.
"Find them. Immediately."
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain composure.
Then, her voice dropped to a deadly calm.
"Listen carefully. Mobilize every elite operative we have. I don't care what it takes—track them down."
Her eyes glowed with a cold fury.
"If I don't have results in three days…"
She let the threat hang.
The man on the other end swallowed hard.
"Y-yes, Ms. Meredith! We'll handle it!"
The call ended.
Meredith collapsed back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
---
A City on the Brink
For a few seconds, the only sound in the room was her ragged breathing.
Then—
She let out a dark, bitter laugh.
"The Black Flame case was already a mess…"
She exhaled sharply.
"And now, someone thinks they can steal from us?"
Her fingers curled into a fist.
"Night City's rats are getting cocky."
She pushed herself off the couch, striding toward the window.
The entire city stretched before her, neon lights flickering in the dark.
"Fine."
Her gaze sharpened.
"If they want to play games…"
A cruel smile spread across her lips.
"I'll show them what happens when you cross Militech."
---
Meanwhile…
Elsewhere in Night City, David and his crew drove through the urban sprawl.
Inside their stolen Militech AV, Rebecca leaned forward, grinning.
"Think they noticed?"
David smirked. "Oh, they noticed."
Lucy, seated beside him, let out a small chuckle.
"So, what's the plan now?"
David's fingers drummed against the control panel.
"We keep moving."
His eyes flickered with a mix of confidence and anticipation.
"Let's see how long it takes before Militech comes knocking."
TO BE CONTINUED…
---
What's Next?
How will Militech retaliate?
Who will be the first to crack under pressure?
What will David do with the stolen AV?
Find out in the next chapter!
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