Hello, so sorry for big big delay just want to warn anybody who has read recently this may seem long, and like wtf is this shit, but the upcoming chapters are me basically getting back into it. So it will be slow and some stuff will be wrong or swung from left field3, if you see something point it out. I'll fix it or sum.
AGAIN IM SORRY LOVE U ALL
The hangar door responded with a mechanical groan that echoed through the cavernous space, sliding open with agonizing slowness.
The massive frame cast a shadow that swallowed Teo whole as he stared ahead into the building's interior, water still dripping from his jacket onto the polished concrete beneath his boots.
The tower rose impossibly high above him, one of the largest structures in the city, a monument to the corporate power and excess that made even Arasaka's monolith look modest.
Teo craned his neck back, squinting through the storm clouds, but all he could see were blinking navigation lights fading into the darkness above, like stars drowning in an ocean of rain and smog.
The building's green structural lights pulsed in that same rhythm, the rhythm of his arm, the rhythm that had been hammering in his skull for days now.
'This is a bad idea,' Fucker whispered in his neural link, the AI's voice carrying an edge of genuine concern. 'We're walking into the lion's den here, choom. And with no exit strategy, and you just handed yourself over on a silver platter like a pig with a damn apple stuffed in it's mouth.'
'What choice do I have?' Teo thought back, his jaw clenching. 'Either I walk in there and get this fixed, or I wait for my brain to cook itself from the inside out. Real fucking Sophie's choice, yeah?'
The sharp clicking of heels echoed across the polished concrete, cutting through the sound of rain hammering against the hangar's reinforced roof. The acoustics of the space made each footfall sound like a gunshot.
A woman emerged from the shadows near the far wall, flanked by one of those security bots he'd seen with Vane at the parking lot summit.
But this one was different, much different. Where the previous model had been sleek and almost elegant in its design, this thing was a walking tank, a mechanical nightmare built for one purpose, that is to kill.
Heavy military grade plating covered every inch of its frame, reinforced at the joints with what looked like composite armor layered over a titanium skeleton.
The kind of shit designed to stop armor-piercing rounds from a fucking tank. Hydraulic pistons hissed softly with each movement, and Teo could see the telltale shimmer of an active kinetic barrier flickering across its surface.
It's top tier corpo tech, the kind that cost more than most people made in a lifetime.
An MG rifle was mag locked across its back, the barrel thick enough to punch holes through concrete walls. Or through people. Lots of people. Big people small people every people.
'That's a Militech Goliath class combat unit, but its modified.' Fucker supplied, his voice tight. 'Military hardware. The kind they use to put down riots in the Badlands. What the fuck is Vane doing with one of those?'
"Mr. Welles?" The woman's voice was firm, professional, with just a hint of synthetic modulation that suggested high end vocal implants. In her hand, she held a clipboard actual paper and everything, which was weird as hell in this day and age.
Some kind of power move, probably. Hey, look how analog and retro we can afford to be. Look how little we care about efficiency when we can afford the aesthetic.
She had dark hair pulled back in a severe bun that looked tight enough to give her a headache, and her eyes glowed a bright, unnatural yellow. Optics, high end ones probably Kiroshi Cockatrice models or better.
The kind that could see his heart rate, body temperature, and stress levels from across the hangar. The kind that were probably feeding data directly to Vane right now, telling him exactly how nervous Teo was.
Teo nodded, water dripping from his hair onto the concrete, each drop echoing in the vast space. "That's me."
"Mr. Vane is in his operation room waiting. Please proceed to the fifty eighth floor." She gestured with her pen toward the elevator bank at the far end of the hangar, the movement precise and economical, like she'd been programmed for maximum efficiency.
"Security Bot Nine will accompany you. Please offload any firearms to him. He will handle them for the duration of your visit."
The massive bot stepped forward, its footfalls heavy enough to send vibrations through the floor that Teo could feel in his bones. Its mechanical hand extended toward him, palm up, in an unmistakable give me gesture.
Up close, Teo could see the micro servos in its fingers, the reinforced hydraulics in its arm, the way the armor plating overlapped in layers like scales. This thing could probably crush a skull like an empty beer can, or rip a car door off its hinges without breaking stride. The red optical sensor in its head tracked his every movement with mechanical precision.
'Teo, this seems... iffy,' Fucker's voice whispered in his head, cautious and tense. 'You sure about this? We're giving up our primary weapon to a machine that could snap us in half. Not exactly a power position.'
'I know... I'll give up Bon Bon. It's not the only weapon I have,' Teo replied internally, his hand already moving to his holster. His fingers brushed the familiar grip of his hand cannon, and for a moment he considered just walking away.
Getting on his bike and riding until the neural blowback killed him, dying free instead of trapped in some corpo's web.
But he was already trapped, wasn't he? Had been since the moment he'd accepted the Aegis arm. Should of seen it from a mile away.
Fucker understood immediately what Teo meant. They themselves were a weapon, maybe the most dangerous one Teo carried. An AI that could slip through ICE like smoke.
And with the new Aegis arm and its touch based breach abilities, Fucker could potentially jack into the bot and take control. It was possible, anyway.
Depending on the ICE protecting the bot's systems, it could take anywhere from seconds to minutes. But it was a desperate option, a last resort that would burn every bridge with Vane and probably get Teo killed in the process.
The heavy hand cannon felt heavier than usual as Teo pulled it free and placed it in the bot's plated palm. Bon Bon disappeared into the machine's grip like a toy, the custom tech pistol looking almost comical in those massive metal fingers.
"Thank you for your cooperation," the bot said, its voice flat and synthetic, completely devoid of emotion or inflection. The weapon disappeared into a compartment in the bot's chest with a pneumatic hiss.
The bot turned with surprising grace for something so massive and led Teo toward the elevator bank, its movements fluid despite the bulk.
It pressed the call button with one thick finger, and the doors slid open with a soft ding that seemed absurdly cheerful given the circumstances, revealing an interior that was all brushed steel and ambient blue lighting.
"Please step inside," the bot instructed, gesturing toward the elevator car with mechanical politeness.
"Jesus, you talk?" Teo muttered, stepping past the machine. The elevator smelled like ozone and expensive cologne, the kind of scent that screamed corpo.
"Affirmative. I am equipped with full conversational protocols and can engage in complex dialogue across seventeen languages," the bot replied, following him into the elevator.
"I am also equipped with lethal response capabilities and am authorized to use deadly force to protect Verdant Core assets and personnel."
"Great. Love that for you, buddy." Teo leaned against the elevator wall, trying to look more relaxed than he felt. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he knew the bot's sensors could probably detect it.
The machine's bulk took up nearly half the available space, making the elevator feel claustrophobic. Its hand moved to the control panel, pressing the button for floor fifty-eight with mechanical precision.
The doors slid shut with a soft hiss, sealing them in.
As the elevator began its ascent, Teo felt his stomach drop, not from the motion, but from the reality of what he was doing. He was fifty eight floors away from street level, trapped in a metal box with a killing machine, heading toward a meeting with a man who'd deliberately trapped him into servitude.
Every instinct he had was screaming at him to run, but there was nowhere to go but up.
'Heart rate elevated, stress hormones spiking,' Fucker observed clinically. 'You're scared.'
'No shit,' Teo thought back. 'I'm about to let a corpo I barely know crack open my skull and fuck around with my brain. You'd be scared too if you had a body.'
'I am scared,' Fucker admitted quietly. 'If he fucks this up, we both die. Or worse, we both end up as his puppets, dancing on strings we can't even see.'
The TV intercom mounted in the corner flickered to life, interrupting Teo's spiraling thoughts. The interior of the elevator glowed with dim red and white light as the screen resolved into the familiar logo of Night City News Network, all chrome and neon and artificial enthusiasm.
"HELLO NIGHT CITY!" The anchor's voice was aggressively cheerful, the kind of manufactured enthusiasm that made Teo's teeth ache.
Her smile was too wide, too perfect, the product of expensive facial sculpting and probably some behavioral modification software. "Tonight, things are AMPED UP as the districts gear up for voting season!"
The screen cut to footage of Heywood's streets, campaign posters plastered on every available surface, holographic advertisements flickering in the rain.
Teo recognized some of the locations some of the streets he'd walked, corners he'd worked, the neighborhood that was supposed to be his home.
"That's right, folks, Heywood is a battleground as candidates get ready to give their pitches this Monday! The mayor will be holding the Heywood district council debate, with notable candidates like Julian Vane, Maria Vasquez, and-"
The screen went black with a soft click, cutting off mid sentence.
"Judging by your facial features and elevated stress markers, you do not wish to be hearing that," Nine said, its synthetic voice somehow managing to sound almost... considerate?
"Your heart rate increased by twelve percent when Mr. Vane's name was mentioned."
Teo gave a dry laugh, the sound bitter in the enclosed space. "How considerate of you."
"Of course. Passenger comfort is part of my operational parameters."
'It's analyzing you,' Fucker warned. 'Every reaction, every micro expression. It's feeding all that data back to Vane. He's probably watching us right now.'
"You know you're making this a lot worse," Teo thought back.
"Sorry..." Fucker said sheepishly.
Teo looked up at the camera in the corner of the elevator, its red light blinking steadily. He raised his middle finger in a lazy salute, his green optics glowing in the dim light.
The elevator continued its ascent in silence, the floor numbers ticking by on the display: 23... 31... 42... Each number felt like a countdown to something Teo couldn't quite name.
Ding.
The doors opened onto a corridor that looked like something out of a high-end medical facility crossed with a weapons manufacturer's wet dream.
The walls were pristine white, but large windows lined one side, revealing workshop spaces beyond. Through the reinforced glass, Teo could see mechanical arms working on different components, weapons, mostly.
He recognized the distinctive shape of Militech rifles, the curved magazines of Arasaka SMGs, and other hardware he couldn't immediately identify.
"This way," Nine said, its heavy footfalls echoing down the corridor.
Teo followed behind the bot, his eyes tracking the mechanical arms through the windows.
Each workspace was a symphony of precision engineering, robotic manipulators assembling components with micrometer accuracy, laser welders throwing blue white sparks, diagnostic holograms floating in the air showing stress analysis and performance metrics.
'A cyberware shop?' Fucker observed, his voice tight with realization. 'This is like a full scale weapons development facility. He's manufacturing military hardware.'
'Yeah, I'm getting that... Thats Verdant Core specialty I think.' Teo thought back, his jaw clenching. 'Question is, who's he selling it to?'
They reached the end of the corridor, where a heavy security door waited. It was reinforced steel, the kind designed to withstand breaching charges and sustained gunfire. A biometric scanner glowed beside it, and Nine placed its hand against the panel.
There was a soft chime, and the door slid open with a pneumatic hiss that spoke of serious engineering.
The room beyond was a hybrid space that made Teo's skin crawl, half operating room, half workshop, all clinical precision and barely restrained violence.
The air smelled of ozone, antiseptic, and something else... Hot metal and synth oil, the scent of chrome being worked.
Medical equipment lined one wall... A ripper chair that looked more advanced than anything Vik had, surgical arms mounted on articulated booms, diagnostic screens showing readouts Teo couldn't fully parse.
The other wall was pure workshop... tool benches covered in components, holographic displays showing weapon schematics, and what looked like a full cyberware fabrication setup.
The lighting was harsh and white, the kind that left no shadows, nowhere to hide. It made everything look stark and exposed, like being on an operating table even before you sat down.
Julian Vane stood at a medical rolling table near the ripper chair in the corner of the room, his back to the door. He was examining something on a tray of surgical tools, maybe, or components for the Neural Manifold.
He wore a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and even from behind, Teo could see the way the fabric draped over chrome.
He turned as they entered, and his eyes locked onto Teo's. Red optics meeting green slits, predator recognizing predator.
Julian gestured toward the ripper chair with one hand, the movement casual but commanding. "Have a seat."
Teo stood there, his feet planted, his arms loose at his sides. Ready to move if he needed to. "I'll stand."
"I know that look," Julian said, his voice smooth and measured, with just a hint of amusement. "Worried I'm going to mess with your systems? Don't trust me?" He reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt, shrugging it off his shoulders with practiced ease.
Teo scoffed. "Uh yeah?"
And that's when Teo saw them.
Julian's arms...
Both of them were Aegis models. Black and red carbon fiber, the same distinctive design as Teo's, the same glowing power conduits running along the forearms. But these looked... refined. Perfected. The kind of chrome you got after years of iteration and improvement, not the prototype Teo was wearing.
The arms moved with perfect fluidity, no lag, no hesitation. The power conduits pulsed in that same rhythm, but steadier, more controlled.
"Surprised?" Julian asked, flexing his fingers. The servos whined softly, a sound like a predator purring.
"Yeah," Teo said, his eyes narrowing, his mind racing. He's been using these. For how long? And if he's got them working perfectly, why the fuck did he give me a prototype that's killing me?
'This is a flex,' Fucker observed. 'He's showing you he's not just some corpo pushing product. He's a user. He understands what you're going through because he's been there.'
'Or he's showing me he's always three steps ahead,' Teo countered. 'That he's got the solution to a problem he deliberately created.'
Julian moved to a small wheeled stool and sat down, his posture relaxed but his eyes never leaving Teo's face. "Listen, I said this to you over the com, but I want everything to be cleared up. No more games, no more corporate doublespeak. Just the truth."
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together. "Yes, I tricked you. Yes, I should have mentioned the neural load of the arm to your system upfront. Yes, I acted like the usual corpo asshole dangling the shiny toy in front of the desperate kid and waiting for him to bite."
His red optics dimmed slightly, almost like a human squinting. "No, I will not fuck with you anymore. And it's up to you if you want to trust me one final time before I open your brain up and install the hardware that will either save your life or turn you into a vegetable."
Teo felt his jaw clench, his teeth grinding together. "That's not reassurance. That's a fucking threat wrapped in an apology."
"It's honesty," Julian countered. "Which is more than most corpos would give you."
"Honesty?" Teo's voice rose, anger bleeding through despite his attempts to stay calm.
"You want to talk about honesty? Give me one good reason I should trust you. One reason I shouldn't walk out of here right now and have this fucking thing removed, even if it blows my arm off in the process."
Julian was quiet for a moment, his optics flickering as he processed, or maybe just as he decided how much truth to share. When he spoke again, his voice was different. Quieter. More... human.
"Because I've been where you are," he said.
"Three years ago, I had my arms ripped off in the corpo war..." He paused, letting that sink in. "Built the first Aegis prototype right here with almost no experience. And when I installed it..." He raised his arms, the chrome catching the harsh white light.
"It nearly killed me. The neural blowback was so bad I couldn't see straight for a week. Couldn't sleep. Couldn't think. Just pain and visions and the feeling that my brain was melting."
He stood up, moving closer to Teo, his movements careful and deliberate. "I know what you're going through because I lived it. And I know that right now, you're thinking I'm just another corpo fuck trying to manipulate you, trying to make you feel like we're the same so you'll do what I want."
"Aren't you?" Teo challenged.
"Maybe," Julian admitted with a slight shrug.
"But that doesn't make it less true. You want me to work with you? You want this partnership to mean something? Then give me some leeway here, or tell me to stop fucking talking in riddles and just lay it all out."
Teo crossed his arms, his flesh hand gripping his Aegis bicep. The chrome was warm to the touch, almost feverish. "Fine. Lay it out. No more fucking riddles Vane just tell me the truth."
Julian nodded, moving back to his stool. He sat down, his posture open, his hands visible, body language that said I'm not a threat, even though they both knew he absolutely was.
"Fact one. The Aegis arm you have is a prototype. It's powerful more powerful than anything else on the market. But it's not optimized for standard human neural architecture. The power draw is too high, the feedback loop is too aggressive. Without the Neural Manifold to regulate it, it will kill you. Maybe in a month, maybe in a week. But it will kill you."
'We knew that,' Fucker muttered in Teo's head.
"Fact two. I gave you that prototype knowing it would create this situation. I needed someone to field test it, someone with the skills to actually use it properly, and someone desperate enough to take the risk." Julian's red optics met Teo's green ones without flinching.
"I chose you because you're talented, because you're hungry, and because I knew you'd come back when the pain got bad enough."
Teo felt his anger spike, hot and sharp. "So I'm just a fucking lab rat to you."
"No," Julian said firmly. "You're an investment. There's a difference."
"Bullshit."
"Is it?" Julian leaned forward again.
"Look, I know what I did was fucked up. But look at it from my perspective. I offer a kid from the streets an opportunity, a prototype arm worth an estimated two million eddies, cutting edge tech that could make him one of the most dangerous operators in Night City. But I'm worried about my tech getting into the wrong hands, worried about it being reverse engineered by Militech or Arasaka, worried about some gonk ripping it off and selling it to the highest bidder."
He spread his hands, the gesture almost pleading. "So I put in a safety net. A built in dependency that ensures you need me to continue using it. You need me to install the Neural Manifold, which I'll do for free, by the way. I wanted to make sure you didn't just jet off with a one of a kind piece of cyberware and disappear into the woodwork."
Teo looked down at his arm, at the glowing conduits and the sleek carbon fiber. He knew Julian's logic was sound from a corpo perspective, it made perfect sense. It was exactly what Teo would do if he were in Julian's shoes, if he had something valuable to protect.
But that didn't make it right. Didn't make it any less of a trap.
He looked up, meeting Julian's gaze. "What happens if I remove the arm?"
"You'll have thirty seconds to get clear before it detonates," Julian said without hesitation.
"Small explosion, about the force of a frag grenade. Enough to take your shoulder and probably part of your chest. You'd bleed out in minutes."
'Jesus Christ,' Fucker breathed.
"The kill switch?" Teo pressed.
"Only activates if the user removes it without the authorization key," Julian said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small neural chip, holding it up to the light. It was sleek and black, with green circuit traces running across its surface, Verdant Core's signature design.
"This is the only thing that controls the arm's security protocols. The only key that exists. I swear on my family."
The room was silent for a moment, the only sound the soft hum of the medical equipment and the distant whir of the workshop machinery beyond the walls.
Teo stared at the chip, his mind racing through possibilities, through scenarios, through all the ways this could go wrong. Then he held out his hand, palm outstretched, his flesh hand, not the chrome.
Julian understood immediately. This was the first sign of trust between them, fragile and tentative but real.
He stood and moved closer, placing the chip in Teo's palm. It was warm, almost body temperature, and surprisingly light. Teo could feel the faint vibration of active electronics, the chip's security protocols humming against his skin.
Teo brought his hand up to the neural port behind his ear, the one Vik had installed what felt like a lifetime ago. He slotted the chip home with a soft click, and immediately felt
Fucker's presence surge through his system, analyzing, dissecting, tearing apart the chip's code with digital claws.
'Scanning... encryption is high grade but not military. I can work with this. Gimme a sec...'
Teo waited, his eyes never leaving Julian's face. The corpo stood there, patient, his arms crossed, watching Teo with an expression that might have been respect.
'Got it,' Fucker announced triumphantly. 'Alright, choom, all encoded and locked down. I've rewritten the authorization protocols and tied them directly to your biometrics. Nobody is using this key except us. Not Vane, not Militech, not God himself.'
"It's done," Teo said aloud, his voice steady. "The key is mine now. Fucker made sure of it."
Julian's eyebrows rose slightly. "Fucker?"
"My AI," Teo said with a slight smirk. "They don't like you very much."
'Damn right I don't,' Fucker muttered.
Jullian faltered. "Ai? You have an AI? How...?"
Julian's red optics flickered, his entire posture shifting from casual confidence to razor sharp focus. "Wait. Back up. You have an AI? A genuine artificial intelligence, not just some glorified assistant program?"
"Yeah," Teo said, watching Julian's reaction carefully. "Lives in my neural link and cyberdeck. Handles my quickhacks, network infiltration, tactical analysis. They're half the reason I'm as good as I am."
'Flattery will get you everywhere, choom,' Fucker said dryly in his head.
Julian took a step closer, his chrome fingers flexing unconsciously. "How is that even possible? AI development is locked down tighter than Arasaka's black site servers. NetWatch monitors every line of code that even resembles true artificial intelligence. You're telling me you just... have one? Living in your head?"
"It's complicated," Teo said, his jaw tightening. He wasn't about to explain the whole Blackwall breach, the green wisp, the way Fucker had evolved from something alien into something almost human.
"Let's just say they found me, not the other way around."
'Tell him I'm also incredibly handsome,' Fucker chimed in. 'And that I could fry his tower's security systems before he finished blinking.'
"Fucker says they could fry your security systems," Teo relayed.
Julian's expression was unreadable for a moment, his processors clearly working overtime. Then he laughed, a genuine, surprised sound that echoed in the sterile room. "Jesus Christ. An AI with personality. That's... that's not supposed to be possible. Most AIs are either mindless drones or rampant psychopaths trying to break through the Blackwall."
"Fucker's different," Teo said, his voice carrying a protective edge. "They're not some corpo experiment or rogue construct. They're my partner."
'Damn straight,' Fucker said. 'And I don't like how this gonk is looking at you like you're a prize he just won in a raffle.'
Julian began pacing, his chrome arms gesturing as he processed. "Okay. Okay. Let me think this through. You're a netrunner... Already dangerous. You've got the Aegis arm netrunner prototype... Exponentially more dangerous. But an AI?"
He stopped, turning to face Teo. "That changes everything. An AI can process data faster than any human, can run multiple infiltration protocols simultaneously, can adapt to ICE in real time. Combined with your skills and that arm..."
"Im him," Teo finished flatly.
"You're a nightmare," Julian corrected, but there was something like awe in his voice.
"For anyone who crosses you, anyway." He ran a hand through his hair, a surprisingly human gesture. "Can it... they, him, her... whatever the fuck-can Fucker hear me right now?"
"Every word," Teo confirmed.
'Tell him his security bot downstairs has a vulnerability in its left knee actuator,' Fucker said.
'Hydraulic pressure sensor is miscalibrated by point three percent. One good hit and it'll fold like cheap chrome.'
Teo relayed the message, and Julian's eyes widened. "How the hell... We just had that bot serviced yesterday."
"Fucker sees everything I see," Teo explained. "And they see a lot more than I do. Thermal signatures, network traffic, structural weaknesses. It's like having a tactical supercomputer riding shotgun in my skull."
Julian was quiet for a long moment, his red optics dimming as he thought. When he spoke again, his voice was careful, measured.
"Teo, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest. Is Fucker... stable? Are they in control? Because if there's any chance they could go rogue, could hurt you or-"
'Oh, NOW he's worried about Teo's safety,' Fucker interrupted, their voice sharp with sarcasm. 'Not when he was installing a prototype arm that was cooking your brain, but NOW he's concerned.'
"Fucker's stable," Teo said firmly, cutting off Julian's question.
"More stable than most people I know. They've had plenty of chances to hurt me, to take over my systems, to do whatever the hell they wanted. They haven't. They won't."
'Damn right I won't,' Fucker said quietly. 'You're stuck with me, choom. For better or worse.'
Julian studied Teo's face, searching for something, doubt, maybe, or fear. He wouldn't find it.
Finally, he nodded slowly. "Alright. I believe you. But this changes our arrangement, you understand that? An AI augmented netrunner with military grade chrome isn't just a contractor. You're a strategic asset. The kind of asset that could reshape how operations are run in this city."
"I'm not your asset," Teo said, his voice hard. "I'm your partner. That was the deal."
"Right. Partner." Julian's smile returned, but it was different now, sharper, more calculating.
"But a partner with an AI? That's worth renegotiating terms. Better terms. For both of us."
'I don't trust him,' Fucker said. 'But... he's not wrong. We're worth more than he initially thought. Use that.'
Teo met Julian's gaze, his green optics glowing steady in the harsh white light. "Then let's renegotiate. But Fucker's existence stays between us. No reports, no data logs, no whispers to your corpo friends. They're mine, and they stay hidden."
Julian considered this, then extended his chrome hand. "Agreed. Your AI, your secret. But in exchange, I want to know what you're both truly capable of. No more surprises."
"No more surprises," Teo echoed, gripping Julian's hand. "From either of us."
'This is either the smartest thing we've ever done,' Fucker observed, 'or the dumbest. Time will tell.'
Julian actually smiled at that, a genuine expression that made him look younger, less like a corpo and more like the street kid he claimed to have been. "Fair enough. I wouldn't trust me either."
Teo took a breath, feeling the weight of the moment. "Okay. We need to make proper terms. A real contract, not this corpo entrapment bullshit."
"So you're in?" Julian asked, and there was genuine surprise in his voice, like he'd expected Teo to walk away even after everything.
"Mmh," Teo grunted. "But communication between us needs to be clear. No more games, no more surprises. You fuck with me again, and I don't care what it costs... I'll burn your whole operation down."
Julian nodded slowly, his expression serious. "Understood. Terms, then." He moved back to the medical table and pulled up a holographic display, his fingers dancing through the interface.
"First. with this Neural Manifold implant, the arm's capabilities will no longer inhibit your neural function. You'll have full access to its power without the blowback. The visions will stop, the pain will stop, and you'll be able to use it the way it was meant to be used."
"Second," he continued, pulling up what looked like a contract template, "this will be a work agreement. In exchange for the chrome... The arm, the Manifold, and any future upgrades you'll run private merc contracts for me and Verdant Core. Specialized jobs that require your particular skill set."
Teo held up a finger, cutting him off. "First fix. I want free rein over any contract given and the right to refuse a job if I deem it 'uncomfortable.'" He made air quotes with his flesh hand, his tone making it clear that 'uncomfortable' was a euphemism for 'morally fucked.'
Julian tilted his head, considering. "Define uncomfortable."
"Anything involving kids. Anything involving non combatants who aren't actively fucking with someone. No wetwork on civilians, no terror jobs, no scorched earth shit." Teo's voice was hard, leaving no room for negotiation on this point.
"I'll kill corpos, I'll kill gangers, I'll kill anyone who's in the game. But I'm not murdering families or disappearing people who don't deserve it."
'Good man,' Fucker said quietly.
Julian was quiet for a moment, his optics flickering as he processed. Then he nodded. "Acceptable. I'm not in the business of creating monsters, Teo. The jobs I have in mind are corporate espionage, asset retrieval, and targeted strikes against hostile actors. Nothing that would make you lose sleep."
"Second fix," Teo continued, his confidence growing. "We're equals. A partnership, not a hierarchy. You don't give me orders like you own me. You make requests, I decide if I take them. I'm not your employee I'm your contractor."
Julian's smile widened slightly. "You've got balls, kid. I'll give you that." He manipulated the holographic contract, making changes in real time. "Fine. Partnership structure. You maintain operational independence, I provide resources and intel. We split profits on jobs sixty forty."
"Fifty fifty choombata," Teo countered immediately.
"Sixty forty," Julian repeated. "I'm providing the chrome, the intel network, the corporate access, and the legal protection. You're providing the skills and taking the physical risk. Sixty forty is more than fair."
Teo wanted to argue, but he knew Julian was right. The chrome alone was worth millions, and having a corpo's resources behind him would open doors that would otherwise stay locked. "Fine. Sixty forty. But I want a performance bonus structure. If I exceed expectations, I get a bigger cut."
"Done," Julian agreed, adding another clause to the contract. "Bonuses for exceptional performance, to be negotiated on a per job basis." He looked up from the hologram.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah," Teo said. "I want it in writing that you can't modify my chrome without my explicit consent. No remote updates, no kill switches beyond the removal failsafe, no backdoors. My body, my rules."
Julian's expression grew serious. "That's... actually a very smart ask. Most people don't think about that." He added the clause, his fingers moving quickly. "Agreed. No modifications without your consent, logged and verified by a third party arbiter if you want."
"I want," Teo confirmed.
'This is actually turning into a real contract,' Fucker observed, sounding surprised. 'He's actually negotiating in good faith. Or he's a really good actor.'
'Time will tell,' Teo thought back.
Julian finished the modifications and flicked the holographic contract toward Teo. It expanded in the air between them, floating in translucent blue light, every clause visible and readable. "Look it over. Take your time. This is binding, Teo. Once we shake on this, we're locked in."
Teo read through the contract carefully, his enhanced optics scanning each line, looking for loopholes or hidden clauses. Fucker was doing the same, analyzing the legal language with inhuman precision.
'It's clean,' Fucker finally said. 'Surprisingly clean. Everything we discussed is in here, no hidden bullshit that I can detect. Either he's being straight with us, or he's playing a game so deep we can't see it yet.'
Teo looked up at Julian, studying the man's face. The corpo met his gaze steadily, no flinching, no tells. Just patience and what might have been genuine respect.
"One more thing," Teo said. "I want to know why. Why me? You could have picked any netrunner in Night City. Why a kid from Heywood with more attitude than sense?"
Julian was quiet for a long moment, his red optics dimming slightly as he considered the question. When he spoke, his voice was softer, more honest than it had been all night.
"Because you remind me of me," he said simply. "Three years ago, I was you, angry, talented, desperate to prove myself. My family was struggling, so I stepped up and took the reins, doing everything I could to keep this company afloat.." He gestured at the room around them, at the tower, at everything he'd built.
"This is what my hard work became. And I want to see what you become, Teo. I think it's going to be something extraordinary."
It could have been manipulation. Probably was, at least partly. But there was something in Julian's voice, something in the way he said it, that felt true.
Teo took a breath, feeling the weight of the decision settling on his shoulders. Then he reached out with his Aegis arm, the chrome hand extended toward Julian.
"Alright," he said. "Partners."
Julian's smile was genuine as he reached out with his own Aegis arm, the black and red chrome meeting Teo's gold and green. Their hands clasped, servo against servo, two pieces of the same technology recognizing each other.
"Partners," Julian agreed.
The contract hologram flashed green, registering their biometric signatures, sealing the deal. Teo felt a notification ping in his neural link the contract was now logged in his personal files, encrypted and backed up.
'Well,' Fucker said dryly, 'we're officially in bed with a corpo. Hope you know what you're doing, choom.'
'Me too,' Teo thought back. 'Me too.'
Julian released Teo's hand and gestured toward the ripper chair. "Now, let's get you fixed up before your brain decides to cook itself. The Neural Manifold installation will take about two hours, and you'll need to stay conscious for the calibration phase. It's going to hurt like hell, but it's necessary."
Teo moved toward the chair, his legs feeling heavier than they should. "How bad are we talking?"
"Ever had a migraine while someone drills into your skull?" Julian asked, already prepping the surgical equipment.
"No."
"Well, now you will." Julian's smile was sympathetic but not apologetic. "Welcome to the bleeding edge, Teo. This is where legends are made."
Teo settled into the ripper chair, the medical restraints automatically adjusting to his body. The leather was cold against his back, and the smell of antiseptic was overwhelming. Above him, the surgical arms began to move, their instruments gleaming in the harsh white light.
'Last chance to back out,' Fucker whispered.
'No,' Teo thought back, his jaw set. 'We're committed now. All in.'
Julian moved into position, his hands steady, his red optics focused. "Alright, Teo. Let's make you into something Night City has never seen before."
The surgical arms descended, and Teo closed his eyes, feeling the cold touch of metal against his skull.
The real work was about to begin.
6k words btw