~•Flatlined•~ [Female V + Judy]

[XXI]_haven's_last_fight_[21]

[Flashback]

**[TW/CW: drug abuse mentions, deaths]**

"You sure you wanna do this, V?" I stared at the enterance of Arasaka HQ from afar. "Chances are we flatline pullin this stunt-"

"We gotta find him, we gotta get Raine's brother back." I turned to Scar, who looked at me with a mixture of fear and doubt. "What is Soulkiller?"

"You're asking the wrong merc, kid." They leaned back in their chair and stretched, howling out a low but long yawn. "I'm not plugged into the techie shit, Raine is, but, ya know..."

"Max is in there, I can feel it. If we get him back, maybe Raine'll get better-"

"I'm aware his pysche is practically coding in a server's storage drive. That much I can comprehend, V. What I cannot understand is how a gang of teenagers are gonna penetrate corpo walls and free Raine's brother and survive." Scar had every right to doubt me and had worries of this half baked plan but my gut was telling me it's do or die time. Night City wouldn't miss me if I died anyways...

"I'll iron out the details, Scar. Scout day and night if I have to if it means Raine'll get better once her brother's back."

"Did you wonder where he'll go? His body's gone so where would his soul go, V? Would Raine want to see her brother in a droid's body?"

"I....I-"

"Death is inevitable. It's time to let Raine grieve and move on. There's no saving Max." I nodded as I followed Scar back to their car in silence with my head down. Maybe death's not inevitable. Everything can be fucked with. Even our own mortalities.
_____________________

Back at Haven, people were a bit on edge. Our only doctor/ripperdoctor was always comotosing herself as our people laid in pain and agony. Theo and Devil took up the positions as impromtu medical staffing, taking care of the less severe injuries of Haven while myself and Saint drove those who were in a more dire state of being to ripperdocs and paid them with eddies from working oddball gigs. We all were quite fed up with the drugged up medic, Scar called me into their room.

"Wanted to see me?" They nodded as I closed the door. Scar sat ontop of a wooden desk, a small handled lantern laid in the middle of the floor lighting up the dark room.

"Druggie's having a real fuckin time with all of our meds. I need you to klep some more."

"Won't Raine just take them all as soon as I snag em?" Scar shook their head.

"I'll talk to her. Just grab the meds, flatline whoever tries to get in your way. I'll deal with Raine." I nodded and left their room. "V?"

"Yeah?"

"You have a good heart, kid. Better come back to us, ya hear."

"I will, Scar. Don't worry about me." They nodded as I closed the door.
___________

Center City Ripper Clinic, I read from the illuminated signs hanging above the office. Walking in, I booked an appointment with the ripper, Karl Foxner. A slim pale fellow with a five o'clock shadow and dark, short, wavy hair. He spoke with a calm tone as I walked into his operating room and sat on the chair.

"What kind of chrome are you looking into, young one?" Distracted by looking up the fake name I gave him for insurance payment, I grabbed my pistol from my waistband and concealed it between my thighs and the chair. "Something flashy? Something practical?" I fixed the silencer onto the gun as he looked up at me