It had been a long time since Karl had taken on a solo job.

Lately, his gigs had always involved teammates—at least one of them tagging along to handle tougher tasks. Having to go solo again, after being used to operating as a squad, felt oddly unfamiliar.

Karl couldn’t help but wonder—did V feel this weird when working alone? Judging by how he kept pinging their group chat during solo runs, either giving updates or ranting about the mission, maybe he actually enjoyed it?

There’s that old saying: even the worst grind becomes bearable if you’ve got someone to talk to.

Still, for Karl…

A solo job was a solo job. But—

“T-BUG, can you find Maelstrom’s current hideout? And if possible, pull up a layout of the place. I picked up a solo gig from Rogue—gotta pay Brick a little visit.”

T-BUG, who had just come down for dinner, looked over at the unusually lavish spread and rolled her eyes.

“You trying to bribe me with food?”

“Well, I’m on a tight schedule. Gotta prep early.”

“Fine. But you owe me a proper meal later. I’ll help, but don’t rush me. Tomorrow morning work for you?”

“Of course. It’s not like someone pissed me off today and I have to settle the score before nightfall. It’s just a solo gig. Tomorrow morning’s perfect.”

“So you’re offing him in the morning instead?”

At the dinner table, Oliver lifted his fork. “Need backup? I’m free tomorrow. Could give you some overwatch from a distance.”

“No need. It’s just a disciplinary job for Brick. No killing.”

“No killing?” Oliver nodded. “Then watch your strength.”

“So what got Rogue pissed off at Maelstrom?” Jack asked. “Didn’t think they were even on her radar.”

“They hijacked her cargo. Even after the courier told them it was hers.”

“Well, that explains it.”

Jack chewed on a bite of Karl’s Chinese-style dinner. “Maelstrom’s not like the other gangs in Night City. Most know the rules—what’s off-limits. Maelstrom, though? Those freaks get high and lose all sense of boundaries.”

“Which is how they ended up on Rogue’s shitlist,” Karl said.

V nodded while gnawing on ribs. “These ribs are great, by the way. Shame I’ve got a side job tomorrow too. Not in Watson though. Otherwise, I’d hit up a fixer, see if there’s a Maelstrom job I could knock out alongside yours.”

“You’re lining up jobs based on convenience now?” Karl raised a brow. “Haven’t you saved up enough? Maybe not for an AV, but definitely for a couple of high-end rides. What are you still grinding for?”

“To buy some fun stuff.”

“More like you’re blowing money on Panam.”

“Panam doesn’t care about that,” V said. “I just want to get her something nice…”

Then he paused mid-sentence, suddenly realizing. “Wait—how do you know about me and Panam?”

“Figured it out back at Christmas. You two weren’t exactly subtle.”

Oliver chimed in. As the team’s self-proclaimed romance expert—despite all his relationships ending in disaster—he prided himself on his instincts. And spotting V and Panam’s chemistry had been a no-brainer.

“It’s still new,” V said sheepishly. “I was gonna tell you guys soon.”

“That’s good news, not something to hide,” Jack said. “We all know what Panam’s like.”

“She’s a bit fiery,” he added. “But she’s solid.”

“‘Fiery’ is kind of a negative word, Jack,” Karl corrected him.

Still, Karl wasn’t surprised. V was decent. Panam was a good person. The pairing made sense.

“Just remember to check in with her before gigs. She might worry.”

Karl glanced at Jack. “Like you should with Misty.”

“I always see Misty after jobs,” Jack said quickly.

“Yeah. But you never tell her before. I get it—you don’t want her to worry. But Mrs. Wells mentioned it to me. Some things are worth talking about beforehand.”

Jack thought about that and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Misty’s tarot readings are scary-accurate anyway. Might be smart to get a reading before your run.”

Oliver leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. “Not like we’ve had any dangerous gigs lately.”

He paused, then caught himself. “I know, I know. We’re mercs. There’s always danger. Even the smallest job can kill you. But with all of us working together? Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything in Night City we can’t handle anymore.”

“That sounds cocky. Like you’re tempting fate,” Karl said dryly. “Lines like that usually mean someone’s about to get screwed.”

“Can I take it back?”

“No worries. If things go sideways, I’ll personally come take your mouth back.”

“Just my mouth?!”

Amid the banter and teasing, Night City’s dusk quietly fell.

Meanwhile, across the ocean in Japan, Arasaka Senzaburo finally received a transmission after a long wait.

The message was short—its meaning known only to him—but it was enough to spur him into action.

“Soon. We’ll have the exact location soon.”

Senzaburo had been hunting for the secrets hidden away by the man he was bound to call his father.

And now, he had found them.

The flame in his heart burned hotter than ever.

–

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