Cyberpunk: The Ultimate Saga

"This is part of the footage I managed to restore from the Mewtwo Evelyn left behind," Judy muttered, rubbing her temples with exhaustion etched across her face.

"You stayed up all night, didn't you?" V frowned and handed her a chilled coffee bottle. "I get that finding Evelyn is urgent, but you need rest too. Otherwise, you'll collapse before we even reach her."

Although V had already uncovered Evelyn's current location, he kept it from Judy. She was too impulsive—especially when Evelyn was involved. The last two times, they'd been lucky. But if she rushed headfirst again, it wouldn't end well.

Leon Black wasn't someone to be underestimated. With corporate muscle behind him and his own eerie presence, he felt less like a man and more like a predator draped in human skin.

"I'm fine," Judy replied, downing the coffee in one gulp and getting back to work. "This Mewtwo original is unlike anything I've cracked before."

"The encryption is next level, and there's an auto-destruct protocol embedded in it. If I hadn't reacted fast enough, we'd have lost everything."

"Even so, there's not much usable footage left. I need you to dive in and see what you can extract."

"Understood," V said, placing the device on his head. "I'll do my best."

The moment he connected, the world around him dissolved into digital memory.

---

Inside what looked like a dimly lit church, Evelyn sat on a bench, speaking to a woman whose face remained blurred by static interference.

"All you have to do is record a Mewtwo for us," the woman said in a smooth, emotionless voice. "Then you can walk away and live in comfort."

"That's it? I just hand you a Mewtwo?" Evelyn asked.

"Yes."

"Can I at least know why?"

"No. This was the deal."

"Fine."

The clip ended.

V took off the headset and looked over at Judy. "No clue who the woman is. But judging by the decor—voodoo icons on the walls, candles, tribal symbols—I'd say this meeting happened in Voodoo Gang territory."

"The Voodoo Gang?" Judy repeated through the headset. "The Haitian hacker syndicate? Evelyn was mixed up with them?"

"Seems so. From the conversation, it looks like they wanted her to record a specific Mewtwo for them."

Judy sighed. "And then she got greedy and crossed the line…"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll understand once you watch the next clip."

---

The video shifted again.

Evelyn sat on a staircase, puffing on a cigarette. Just around the corner, voices echoed from a phone conversation—her employers, speaking in a language V didn't recognize.

"What the hell language is that?" he muttered.

"Haitian Creole," Judy replied. "The Voodoo Gang's native tongue. Hold on—uploading a translation patch now."

A moment later, subtitles scrolled across the screen.

"The sex doll is gone?" a man asked.

"She's gone," a woman replied, "but she's smarter than expected. She's starting to suspect something."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. We need her to access the biochip. She's the only one who can get close to Yorinobu Arasaka."

A pause.

"Are you sure Johnny Silverhand's consciousness in the chip can reach Ultra?"

"It's our best bet, given your history with him. Now quit asking questions. Get it done."

The video ended.

V took off the headset again, his face grim. "So that was their plan. The Voodoo Gang used Evelyn to record the Mewtwo, hoping to use her as a bridge to steal the biochip containing Johnny Silverhand's digital ghost... and use him to access Ultra."

"But Evelyn outsmarted them," Judy added, eyes downcast. "She figured out what the chip really was and tried to keep it for herself."

"Which is when she approached Dexter," V concluded. "Trying to cut out the Voodoo Gang and make her own play."

"Exactly," Judy said with a bitter smile. "She didn't even let me help. I only found out because I edited the original Super Dream footage. Evelyn made sure I wasn't dragged into it."

V let out a breath. Evelyn had guts—going against both the Voodoo Gang and a corporate fixer like Dexter. She was playing with fire on all sides.

"And this," Judy continued, pulling up her phone, "was on Evelyn's terminal."

She showed V a series of screenshots—messages between Evelyn and a Network Surveillance agent. She was trying to sell the chip to them directly, asking for an absurd amount of money and top-tier protection in return.

"Even got the net police involved, huh?" V muttered. "She really didn't know when to stop."

It wasn't hard to understand why Evelyn vanished. She had offended every major player in Night City—two elite hacker factions and a power-hungry middleman. That she was still breathing was a miracle, and likely only because Leon Black had stepped in.

"She might've been taken by the Voodoo Gang," Judy said grimly. "We need to go to Pacifica."

"That's suicide," V shook his head. "Pacifica is off-limits. Even NCPD won't go near their turf."

"But Evelyn…"

"I'm not saying no," V interrupted. "I'll reach out to some contacts. But you can't come with me. Too risky."

Judy's eyes burned with frustration.

"She lied to me, hid things from me… but she's still my best friend. I have to help her!"

V gave a faint smile. He understood. Judy and Evelyn were like him and Jackie—bonded through chaos.

"Then stay here. I'll handle the legwork. But I need your help too. The Voodoo Gang mentioned Johnny Silverhand and someone named Otto. Look into their connection. It might help me negotiate with them."

"Alright." Judy nodded. "Give me something to do, or I'll go insane."

---

Later, at a high-end Japanese restaurant in Sakura Square…

In a soundproof VIP booth at the back, four people gathered.

Arasaka Michiko sat at the head of the table, regal despite her young age.

"This is Leon Black, and this is Lena Fox," Yuuto introduced. "They're captain and vice-captain of the security unit I've been training with."

Leon and Lena gave a curt bow.

"Thank you both for coming," Michiko said politely.

Though she held high status as a direct Arasaka heir, she spoke with sincerity, knowing she'd need their help to uncover the truth about her grandfather's death.

Leon wasted no time.

"So, what did you invite us here for, Miss Michiko?"

The young girl blinked, slightly caught off guard by his bluntness. She had planned to ease into the topic.

Yuuto was about to speak up when Lena interjected smoothly, "Yuuto, Leon asked Miss Michiko directly."

Yuuto went quiet. During operations, Leon's rule was absolute.

The tension in the booth thickened.

Leon's steady gaze bored into Michiko. Lena sat still, eyes lowered. The silence stretched for ten seconds—then twenty.

Michiko's hands clenched under the table. Sweat formed on her brow. Leon's presence was more oppressive than even Hanako's had been.

But she didn't back down.

"I'd like your help uncovering the truth behind my grandfather's death," she said clearly.

The pressure in the room vanished like a burst balloon.

Leon smiled faintly. Lena looked up with a nod of respect.

"Not bad," Leon said. "You've got nerve."

"I thought Mr. Saburo Arasaka died of natural causes?" Leon continued, feigning ignorance.

"My grandfather was in perfect health," Michiko said firmly. "He was murdered."

"And who do you think killed him?" Leon asked.

"I don't know. That's why I need you."

"Well, it's not complicated," Leon replied. "If he was killed, there was a motive. Based on the current situation, it was either the work of two scapegoats—or Yorinobu Arasaka himself."

Michiko froze.

"You've had your suspicions. You're smart enough to see the truth. But there's no evidence."

Leon's tone was calm, cold, and cutting.

"And without evidence, Yorinobu inherits everything under Arasaka law. That's the reality, Miss Michiko."

His words hit like hammer blows.

Michiko knew. She'd guessed. But to hear it laid bare—it felt like betrayal carved into stone.

"Greed is stronger than family ties," Leon added, standing up. "Ideals clash more than you'd ever imagine. There's nothing to investigate. The truth is in front of you. Few are brave enough to believe it."

He turned to leave, Lena rising to follow.

"Evidence!"

Leon paused at the door.

Michiko stood, red-eyed but defiant. "I want evidence. Evidence that can bring Yorinobu Arasaka down!"

Leon raised an eyebrow. Now she was talking.

"What's in it for me?" he asked coolly.

Michiko reached under her seat and produced a small black box—10 centimeters long, smooth and sleek.

"A prototype. An Immortal-class cyberware core. Codename: Black Box."

Leon exchanged a look with Lena.

Now that was interesting.

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