Edgerunners2077

David: 3

Night City: District Watson

Heading home from the Afterlife was less than preem. I had to evade any trace of Maelstrom goonies, keep my head low, and not draw too much attention...all while surviving on below average Buck A Slice pizza and one too many swigs of whiskey encouraged by Becca.

Definitely running on fumes!

Taking two puffs of beta blockers, I take the freeway out of Little China and head towards the Heywood District.

Saturday's the night every gang member in NC plays patty cake with the law. The Animals were outside every club, bar or social establishment as hired muscle. Tyger Claws were cleaning out the corner stores of all their cash and booze. The Valentinos were hustling city goers with their hands out and fingers on the trigger. Even the Mox girls were out tonight, sporting heavy pieces of iron in their sexy skimpy ware.

David Martinez was definitely a low concern as far as NCPD goes. The Edgerunners are still considered a new crew, so most of us don't have warrants out for our arrests just yet.

The gonks weren't the only ones out tonight. Miltech caravans pass by carrying expensive cargo, (weapons no doubt) heavily guarded. Arasaka agents were out riding in unmarked blacked out SUVs, doing shady business in exchange for eddies in plain sight. That's how Corpos operate, clean on paper but soiled in person. Arasaka dealt business like a mafia. A big fat corpo mafia. Companies like Miltech, Arasaka, Kiroshi-- They hoard wealth and resources so people like me, born with nothing, are made to kiss the boots only to scrap by.

No wonder why Night City is so fucked up. Its either kill to survive and rise to the top or let Corpos hold you by the nuts and discard you discretely like used rubbers. Not me! No number of eds could get me to ride corpo dick train.

It's a long drive back to Heywood. There was a disturbance near the freeway towards City Center in the direction of Corpo Plaza. Trauma Teams had the area blocked off, redirecting traffic into Westbrook. I didn't mind though, the cool breeze drafting in from the windows was both stimulating and refreshing; plus, I was going to need to sober up before I get back to the condo where Lucy awaited my arrival.

***

Night City: District Heywood

I pasted three robberies and a shootout before I got home. Honestly, I surprised it wasn't more considering I took Vista De Ray and The Glens to get here. The Valentinos were out tonight, but the 6th Streeters were the true annoyance. I can deal with a community of flashy, tatted goons with strong ties of faith and family. But I draw the line at overtly eccentric patriotic bastards who claim to be better than the law, (and other gangs in NC) when in truth they engage in the same bullshit as the rest of us. A bunch of flag bearing hypocrites! They are high on my list of gangs I can't stand, right underneath The Scavs and Maelstrom.

Megabuilding H2 was in the southwest corner of Heywood, just barely in Wellsprings. The Glen was a spitting distance away, however the streets were cleaner on this side, updated and roaring with nightlife.

Akin to Time Square, the large commercial city intersection connected the old neighborhoods to the new. Motion billboards, crowded walkways, and long overhang highways shadow over Wellsprings streets. The junction was covered in neon lights shining beneath the railings, in store fronts and even on the streets, lighting the crosswalk for pedestrian usage. Nicola vending stations lit up like slot machines on the sidewalks. Arcade games and public laundry mats were open streetside. Outdoor bars and even pawn shop stalls and eateries occupied right below H2.

The grand metro station like stairwell leading up to H2 was for resident use only. From the congested streets to inside the exclusive lobby, the minute you entered inside the cultural shift that came with it was staggering. A long black carpet hall with gold trimmings and sleek design, could have easily been mistaken for an apartment in Downtown Heywood. Pricy, with a certain amount of class too. Swiping my resident card, I call the elevator and swipe again for the penthouse suite. The Valentinos' motifs decorated the inside of the elevator doors, claiming even this dressier part of Heywood as their territory.