Chapter 22: Visitor

The inauguration all went very smoothly, you'll be glad to know.

The entire time, I was bracing for something to go wrong. Another assassination attempt. A bomb-blast, a bullet, a cyberpsycho. And yet, pleasantly enough, nothing.

That wasn't to say the spectre of drama wasn't lurking. The shadow of the Arasaka supercarrier fleet loomed large over the bay, guns proudly showing, water rippling out in rings around it's massive hulking hull. Meredith's announcement had only escalated tensions more. Battle was brewing.

Just how I wanted it.

In all honesty, the most difficult thing about the following week was the move. As I was now the Mayor, I would have to conduct my business from City Hall. It was, like much of the rest of the city, a towering monument to glass and steel and concrete, looming over the Glen. A Heywood landmark, ringed with wrought-iron fences, electrified against the protestors. Secure, but not to my standards.

The move prompted a wave of work.

Firstly, there was the question of bugs. Being the paranoid type, I had my men sweep all the places I'd be using on a regular basis. Bugs were found and promptly disposed of, vents were fitted with special grates, scanners fitted on essential doorways. All at exorbitant costs. I even had River look over the NCPD security detail, using his suggestions to replace the men and augment the staff whenever possible.

Then there was the work itself. Before I'd even properly settled in, I'd have two draft proposals to put to the City Council; one regarding the renationalisation of the NCPD, and the other regarding the amnesty program - intended to be the payoff for those gangoons who'd followed me. And then there were the appointments. I'd have to find suitable replacements for the Commissioner of the NCPD, the head of the housing service, medical services, and so on.

Though I had now officially departed as the CEO of my company, and had my own assets voluntarily frozen - now considerably more valuable after Arasaka's stock tumble - I was still as busy as ever. But it was a good kind of busy - more exciting than exhausting. My own company was still running, of course, operating out of the hands of a few trustworthy subordinates and a comprehensive game plan.

Everything was taken care of. Or soon to be taken care of.

Now, finally, I could look to the future.

So it was, that with a jaunt in my step I opened the door to my new office, intent on beginning my new life.

And sitting with her back to the door, hair flowing down the back of the chair, was V. I rounded the desk with a false smile - aware than in all likelihood that Mikoshi had not cured her disease - and greeted her. "V! How are you?"

A closer inspection revealed a change in style. She wore thick, high-heeled combat boots, loose black trousers, a plain white vest that hung loose off her shoulders and a pair of sleek shades on her eyes. The Samurai jacket, weather-beaten and worn but still effortlessly stylish finished the ensemble. She slouched back in her chair, one arm slung slovenly over the back as she sat. "Good 'nuff," she said with a curt nod.

"What brings you to these parts?" I asked as I fell into my seat. "And actually, how did you get in here?"

V shrugged. "Walked straight through the door."

"Ah," I said in realisation. "Forgot I left you on the secure list. But when you didn't reach out after Arasaka, well... you can understand my conclusions."

"Glad you brought 'saka up," she said, pulling the shades off her eyes and tucking them into a pocket. "We need to talk about it."

I frowned and nodded. "Go on."

"You knew," she simply said, her tone heavy with accusation.

"I knew what?" I asked, my stomach sinking.

"The night of our raid," she said, "I was expecting a slaughter. I didn't quite get it. That night... the corpos were tearing themselves apart. And after it all, I wasn't going to question it, I was just going to get out with my life. But then in the sea..."

"You saw the supercarrier."

"You played me. Used me like a pawn."

I shrugged. "In fairness, I am a politician. It's kinda my job. And why does that bother you? I served your interests as much as you served mine."

"When you were talking about 'Saka and Militech competing, when we first met, this is what you meant," she stated with conviction. "Militech lady's announcement, the fleet. You want to play them off each other."

I smiled. "Am I that obvious?"

"And if this little cold war you're cookin' up turns hot?"

"It won't" I assured her. "Nobody important is that stupid. But if it does, well, this city's seen nukes before."

V cocked her head to the side. "Guess it has," she said, "but I doubt anyone wants a encore."

"What can I say?" I asked her. "I took a calculated risk, and it paid off. Sound familiar?"

She shook her head incredulously. "I can't believe it. You - mister-fuckin'-kindness - talking like this."

"Progress requires pragmatism," I stated confidently. "Idealism alone achieves nothing."

V raised her eyes to mine. The Kiroshi optics glinted in the low light, glowing red, then blue. Was she scanning me? Under the loose vest, I could make out movement. What was she doing under there?

"I knew I was right," she said after a long moment. "A corpo, that's all you are. Soulless."

"Never had that accusation thrown at me," I said uncertainly, something resembling recognition tingling at the back of my mind.

"Well," she said, "you are. And I gotta say, I almost admire it. You have all these gonks wrapped around your little finger - sold on a dead dream. Masterclass in propaganda. And I know propaganda, trust me."

"What are you getting at?"

"Why?" she asked. "Why all this?"

I shrugged, feigning a sense of calm even as my shoulders tensed slightly. "I wanted a better world."

V stared at me, expression unchanging, contemplative. "Okay," she said after a moment, reaching down from her waistband and pulling out Johnny's hand-cannon. The heavy metal of the gun clanked as she placed it on the desk. How the fuck did she manage to get that in here? Past all my security? Even on the secure list, that should not have been possible.

Inside my own chest, I could feel my heart pounding. What the fuck was she doing? "I've always maintained that the true test of a man is death," she said, angling the gun in my direction. "Staring down the barrel, what do they do?"

"And you're going to test me?" I asked, glancing down at the rifling in the barrel of her gun.

"Yes."

"You're not V, are you?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No," he said, "I'm not."

"She gave her life for you..."

V - Johnny - shifted uncomfortably in his seat, lowering the gun again to the surface of the desk. "Her brain... was too badly damaged."

I sighed heavily. "Shit, Johnny. I'm sorry."

"Don't want your pity," he snapped calmly.

I leaned forward, fighting to keep my cool, ignoring the gun pointed my way. "Then what?" I asked. "What do you want?"

"I want to know," he said, jabbing the gun in my direction. "I spoke to Rogue, y'know? She told me all sorts o' things 'bout you havin' an inside man in 'Saka. This whole time, you've been one step ahead of everyone. You knew. About me and Rogue, that night... How? How does a nobody like you get spies into Ara-mother-fuckin'-saka!?"

I shrugged. "You're right," I admitted. "That was a bluff. I have no spies in Arasaka. Frankly, I don't need them. But that wouldn't have impressed Rogue enough for her to get me what I needed in that moment. I needed something... something more, you understand?"

"The nuke, Rogue," Johnny said, making V's voice dangerous. "How did you know about that?"

I steepled my fingers and marshalled myself. "Fine. You want answers? Well, so do I. Question for a question."

Johnny shrugged, and V's shoulders shook with acceptance.

My eyes flicked over her - his - body, checking for signs of intent. For the first time in a long time, I found myself stumped. There were no context clues to pick up on. This was canon knowledge, pure and simple. A long-held secret revealed to me during one's most private moments, as written, as played out in doughy, glitchy pixels on a screen. How to explain that? Handwaving wouldn't suffice - Johnny was beyond panic, beyond suggestion or leverage.

That left only one answer. The truth.

I snorted, reached down into my desk and pulled from a drawer a bottle of whiskey. I'd never been an alcoholic before, but this world had a way of rearranging one's priorities. What was the point of sobriety if after it all I could just pay for a synth-liver? What was the point of safety?

What was the point of secrecy? Or even good sense?

What was the risk? Who would he tell? Who would believe him?

I gulped down a measure of whisky straight from the neck of the bottle, letting the burn brace my nerves. "How did you get the gun in here?" I asked.

"I asked first," Johnny said, eyes narrowing.

"What?" I said. "You going to shoot me? V gave her life, her body, everything, all for you. You kill me, an armed squad of guards will storm in here and kill you next. And even if by some miracle you survive, you'll spend the rest of your life on the run. Now, maybe I'm overestimating you, but I don't think you'd squander this. You have a second chance, Johnny. This really how you want to spend it?"

Johnny cocked his head to the side. "I still asked first."

I took another swig of whiskey and wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

"Fine," I sighed. "Let me tell you my tale."

End of Arc 1

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Hope you guys enjoy!

P.S. May be subject to a rewrite or edits in the future

P.P.S. Think I'm going take a little break from this story. Lately, it's just stopped being fun to write. But if this does wind up being the last chapter, I just want to say thanks to all those who enjoyed this work, warts and all, and cared to offer their praise and criticism and words of encouragement. Really do appreciate it. I've learned a lot from this story, and from the experience of writing it. Thanks.