Chapter 31: It's Not Them Letting Me Go, It's Me Not Letting Them Go
"..."
Silence. Thick and heavy.
Rebecca lowered her head, then forced herself to look up, refusing to show fear. Kiwi, beside her, closed her eyes and took a long drag from her cigarette. Pilar had lost all his usual manic energy. Dorio shot a nervous glance at Maine. Sasha took a tiny sip of her drink, putting on an expression of blissful ignorance.
Ignorance? Her Intelligence stat was probably the highest in the room. There was nothing she didn't understand. The little netrunner was just playing dumb, trying to stay out of it.
Rhys looked at Maine, his own expression calm.
Only Jackie seemed completely lost, but even he wasn't stupid. He might be loud and boisterous, but he could read a room. The initial excitement had evaporated, replaced by a growing anxiety. Shit, did I just walk into some major trouble?
Still, Rhys and Maine... he liked these guys. Ditch them? Tell Rogue he wasn't with them? No, Jackie couldn't do that. On the street, loyalty meant something.
He squared his shoulders, about to say something, anything, to break the tension.
But Maine spoke first.
"You knew this gig was a setup, but you let Janus screw over mercs anyway. Doesn't that break the code, too?"
"Did this job come through the Afterlife?" Rogue countered coolly.
Maine looked at Pilar, who winced. No, it hadn't. He'd gotten the lead from Wakako. Wakako had introduced him to Janus...
Rhys saw Pilar's reaction and understood. So... this whole mess happened because of me?
Rogue spelled it out, her voice dripping with cold amusement. "This job went through Wakako. If you want to cry about unfairness, take it up with her. Don't bring it to my door."
"Why would Wakako screw us over?!" Rebecca blurted out.
"Rebecca!" Pilar tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Why would Wakako screw them over? Shit... why wouldn't she? Did Rebecca really think that old woman was some kind of saint? Pilar felt a wave of helplessness. His sister... she acted tough, but deep down, she was still naive, still too trusting. Their old man used to say her soft heart would get her and everyone around her killed someday.
"Why screw you over? If it was just you two, Wakako probably wouldn't have bothered. It's standard practice for fixers to invest in promising mercs," Rogue explained calmly, addressing Rebecca directly. She didn't seem to mind clarifying. "But aren't you forgetting someone new joined your little crew?"
Instantly, Maine, Dorio, Sasha, and Pilar's eyes snapped to Rhys.
"Why are you all looking at Rhys?!" Rebecca demanded loudly.
"Alright, Rebecca," Maine said, taking a deep breath and holding up a hand to silence her. He looked back at Rogue. "Rhys is one of mine. We took out Janus together. If there's heat, we'll take it together."
Pilar dug his fingernails into his thighs, lowering his head in self-reproach. Of course. Rhys had beef with the Tyger Claws, and Wakako... Fuck! It all made sense now.
Rogue actually smiled, clapping slowly. "Good. I like guys with balls."
"Mercs killing a fixer... even if you had reasons, no other fixer will touch you after this. That's just how it is. Apart from a few top players, most fixers are the same damn cut. If they don't screw over the mercs, how else are they supposed to make their eddies?"
"Look, I'm not here to blame you. This whole thing has nothing to do with me, really. But I actually admire what you did. I used to be a merc myself. I know how bullshit the fixer's code can be."
Rogue shifted, crossing her legs. "So, I called you here to make a deal. Everything I said before? That was just to make sure you understand how fucked your situation is."
Maine paused. "You mean...?"
"Exactly what you're thinking. You took down a squad of 6th Street, hit a secure building like the Santa Teresa, and zeroed your target. Honestly, you're better than I expected. And right now, I happen to need operators like you."
"You work for me, I give you my backing. As for the code... what I say is the code," Rogue finished with a predatory smile.
Maine didn't hesitate. "Of course, we're in!" he said, excitement flooding his voice. "But... what about the pay?"
"Standard rates. Like I said, I hate the traditional fixer model, so I made my own rules. They only apply within the Afterlife network, but if you run into trouble, you can always come to me."
"Then we have a deal. We'd be honored to work for you."
Relief washed over Maine, and the rest of the crew visibly relaxed. Jackie, watching from the side, finally understood. They weren't in trouble... Rogue was offering them her protection, bringing them under her wing. Holy shit! If you had Rogue backing you, you could do anything in this city. The Queen of the Afterlife, the biggest fixer in Night City! Jackie was buzzing, genuinely happy for Maine and Rhys.
"Good. Starting today, you run under the Afterlife banner. You can still take outside gigs, but when I call, my jobs take priority," Rogue said, her eyes glowing yellow as she initiated a call.
Just as Maine was about to agree, another voice filled the room, piped in through Rogue's comms.
"What wind blows you my way?" The voice was slow, smooth, almost gentle. Hearing it, Pilar snapped his head up. It was Wakako. Rogue had called Wakako and put her on speaker.
Maine quickly shut his mouth, watching Rogue intently.
"Two things, Wakako."
"First, starting today, you keep your hands off my people. If any job originating from the Afterlife gets interfered with, if anyone tries to skim off the top, I'll cut off those hands myself."
"I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning, Rogue. Why would I ever interfere with your people?" Wakako's voice sped up slightly.
"The kid who left the Mox," Rogue said, glancing at Rhys. "He runs with me now."
"What? How can that be? He's clearly..."
"Shut your damn mouth! Don't interrupt me again!" Rogue roared.
Silence crackled over the line.
"Second thing," Rogue continued, her voice calm but heavy with menace, "is about Janus. Or rather, about the Tyger Claws."
"Wakako, the only reason your little side deals are still operating is because I allow it. But I can change my mind at any time. Do you understand me? A fixer sticks to fixing. Gang business is none of your fucking concern."
After several seconds of tense silence, Wakako's voice returned, laced with apology. "Thank you for your guidance. Starting today, I will adhere strictly to the code. You are correct. A fixer's priority is the gig, not taking sides. I was foolish."
"See that you do," Rogue said curtly and cut the connection.
Her eyes returned to their normal color. She looked at the awestruck faces of Maine's crew and smirked. Jackie was practically trembling with excitement. He might not have made a name for himself as a merc, but he still had connections from his Valentino days, like Father in Heywood. But even Father... he could never talk to Wakako like that. Jackie was almost giddy. Rogue was everything he imagined a true legend should be.
Rogue understood the look in their eyes perfectly. The worship of power.
"I can handle the fixers. But your beef with the Tyger Claws? That's on you. Like I said, fixers fix, gangs gang. The low-level Claws are violent psychos, no different from Maelstrom gangers."
She looked directly at Rhys. "But as long as you keep your head down, nothing will happen."
She'd read Rhys's file. She knew about his connection to the Mox, his feud with the Claws. She had expectations for him. Just like she'd told Maine, fixers invested in mercs they saw potential in. And Rhys... he had potential. A kid with hardly any chrome who could climb a fourteen-story building, assassinate a target, and fight like a demon.
She'd known another operator like that once, had a... complicated relationship with him. That bastard's name was Morgan Blackhand. She was anticipating Rhys's future. If she could have her own Morgan Blackhand... the possibilities were endless.
But to her surprise, the kid raised in a brothel shook his head.
He met her gaze with clear, unwavering eyes. "Rogue," he said softly, "it's not about them letting me go. It's about me not letting them go."
"Like you said, gang business is gang business. And me? I've always been Mox."
"I won't just stand by."
Hearing his words, Rogue's face hardened, her expression turning thunderous.