Friday Night Firefight - A Cyberpunk 2077 Isekai

Friday Night Firefight - Chapter 60

I was slouched on a beat-up leather couch we'd dragged into our little headquarters. The place was a chaotic blend of industrial grime and our own personal touches, and it was buzzing with activity tonight. The bass-heavy beat of some old radio was pulsing like a heartbeat, syncing with the sound of glasses clinking, laughter, and conversations buzzing. The war was finally over, and it felt like the entire gang was finally able to exhale after everything we'd been through.

Diego was holding court by the makeshift bar, cracking jokes as he poured drinks, his laugh carrying over the crowd. Deng was kicked back in a busted chair we'd salvaged from who-knows-where, grinning wide at whatever joke Diego had just thrown out. Cyndi was tucked into a corner, looking half-asleep, though I knew better – her eyes never stopped scanning, always watching, always ready.

Anna was settled in one of the deep, worn-out armchairs we'd found. She looked more at ease than I'd ever seen her, a world away from the stiff, sharp cop I'd met back when she was still with the NCPD. Here, surrounded by The Pack, she seemed to have finally found her place. I felt a strange sense of pride in that. These were my people. We'd clawed through a war none of us had asked for and now, finally, we could breathe again. At least for the night.

But as much as I wanted to enjoy the moment, my mind kept wandering. My Kusanagi had been gathering dust since the war broke out, and I could almost feel the rush of tearing through the city again – the wind whipping past, the freedom of it all. But no one in The Pack wanted to let me off my leash just yet. We were still technically at war, even though all the gunfire had stopped. Gunner was still out there, holding what was left of 6th Street together. Even if they were limping, they weren't out of the fight, and my crew wasn't about to let me ride solo just because all the fighting had stopped.

Albert was out there right now, trying to put the final nail in the coffin of the war. I'd sent him to meet with Gunner, to make everything all official and to finally get some peace. Frankly, I couldn't be bothered to drag myself across town to tell a guy I'd threatened to necklace that the war was done. Albert could handle that. He could deal with all the talking. He had a knack for it, even if I didn't quite trust him the way I trusted the others. His time with Arasaka had given him an edge in negotiation. He knew how to push just hard enough without toppling the whole table over.

I still wasn't sure what to make of him, though. He'd kept his head down during the war, kept his little group of hired muscle busy guarding our assets, never throwing himself into the thick of it like the rest of us. While we were all out there, bleeding for The Pack, he was safe behind the lines. Useful? Sure. Trustworthy? That was still up in the air.

I sent Zion out with Albert, plus some extra muscle – not so much to protect Albert, but more as a reminder to Gunner. I wanted him to feel the weight of The Pack. Even with everything we'd been through, even after we'd taken our fair share of hits during the war, we were still standing. Still strong. We had muscle to spare, and I wanted Gunner to know it.

I sank deeper into the couch, rubbing my temples. Albert had his uses. Maybe after he finished with Gunner, I'd send him out to smooth things over with all the other gangs in the city. He might be able to patch up whatever scars the war was going to leave behind. Nobody was in a rush to take another shot at us after the way we'd dealt with 6th Street. We could probably enjoy some time at peace, rebuilding what we'd lost.

Deng caught my eye from across the room and wandered over, dragging a chair next to where Anna was sitting. He handed me a glass of whiskey and raised his own in a mock toast. "You did good, kid," he said, his voice cutting through the hum of the party around us. "Real good."

I gave him a half-smile and knocked back the whiskey. The burn was a welcome distraction to all the thoughts swirling in my head. Deng turned to Anna, chatting with her and making her laugh with some war story. He wasn't wrong. We'd done good. The Pack had survived the war and come out stronger for it.