Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"She didn't tell you what happened?"

Valerie swerves in the wet concrete, taking a forceful turn out of the highway. "No. She just sounded like she was in shock."

Her brother hums, his iron clicking as he closes the pistol chamber. "We jump off and go in armed, just in case."

She couldn't agree more, stepping on the choo again and in no time the tires screech in the building's empty parking lot. They get out of the car and run up the fire escape stairs. Valerie opens the door to the hallway before pressing the buzzer at Judy's apartment.

"Come on, Jude..." She can't help the anxiety flooding her insides, and it thickens when the door is unlocked.

They rush in, guns raised. "Judy?!"

"In the bathroom!"

They waste no time in following her voice, Valerie going in first with her shotgun raised but what she sees has her frozen.

Vincent comes in right after her, infovisor over his eyes and rifle at the ready, "What happened —" only to freeze in the same way.

Blood. A lot of blood, inside the tub, over the edge of it as if she tried to crawl her way out, a last second attempt at running away... All of it's over Evelyn's pale body, slumped inside the bathtub. Her eyes fixed on a random point, pupils wide. Dead.

Valerie can't believe it, "Oh fuck me..." her eyes flick between Evelyn and Judy, who's sitting at the edge of the tub, tears running down her face.

Johnny flickers into reality, materialising himself nearby. "Lil' birdie offs herself to express her undyin' gratitude to you guys for savin' her ass."

"Shut the fuck up, Johnny!" The engram looks at her but says nothing, choosing to stay quiet with his arms crossed. Valerie takes a few steps towards Judy and kneels down to her height on the floor.

"I was — I was only gone an hour... She's gone —" Judy's voice was raspy, as if she's screamed her lungs out already.

Valerie looks over her shoulder at her brother, the man's slowly coming down from being stunned, his rifle slack in his hands. She turns her head back to Judy, reaching out and touching the woman's shoulder lightly. "Jude..."

"I don't know why — Evie was lying in bed when I went out. And I got back to her like this. She was getting better — I can't..." Her body's violently shaking. "If I'd just known, I'd've..."

"No, no. Don't blame yourself. It won't solve a thin' —"

"Augh! I should've sensed somethin', that she was off!"

Valerie now holds Judy by both shoulders, thumbs gently circuling over her skin. "Stop it. You couldn't watch her twenty-four seven... It's not your fault." She spares Evelyn's corpse a glance before looking back. "People who make up their minds like this always find a way to do it, always... You didn't fail her."

Footsteps behind her have her looking over her shoulder again, Vincent's standing nearer now, his voice comes out with visible effort. "We... gotta do something with her."

She couldn't agree more, though the question is what — a sudden move from Judy sitting up has Valerie's attention. "Don't want any trouble... I'm calling the badges. Can one of you carry her to the bed?"

Valerie frowns slightly. "Not sure we should move her before the badges get here."

But Judy scoffs in turn. "She's just another dead whore to them — nobody'll care." She stands up, wobbling but not falling thanks to Valerie giving her support. "The least we can do is treat her with some dignity..."

"I'll do it." Vincent's voice has Valerie looking up at once, seeing her brother bending down to hook his arms around Evelyn to lift her up. His face set neutrally.

Judy walks out of the bathroom, HoloPhone in hand, and Valerie follows at a safe, close distance to allow the woman to pace around. Judy dials, and waits with a nail between her teeth, gnawing at the thing. Finally the call is picked by someone. "Yes — I-I need to report an accidental death... Northside, Jackson Street. No — No imminent danger, a suicide." A second passed, than another and Judy's face contorts in rage. "Tomo- NO! Today! What part of dead, don't you understand?!" Of course, NCPD being useless as always. "Urgh, no. She was not pronounced dead by Trauma Team. If she'd had coverage, we wouldn't be talking. And fuck you. If you don't wanna move your asses, why don't I come down to the precinct and trash it into bits!? Now will you come and arrest me, you pussies?!" she takes her phone away from her ear, practically yelling at it. "Fine! I don't give a fuck what you write me up for!"

With the press of a button that was way too personal, Judy throws her phone over the couch, slumping on a stool in the kitchen. Valerie approaches slowly, her hand instinctively coming up to rest on the other woman's shoulder.

Judy jolts but doesn't move away. "They'll be here soon." Valerie nods at her words and sits down on the stool beside her. "Psh. Fucking idiot told me to keep her in ice until tomorrow. Can you believe the balls?"

"Hah, welcome to Night City. Where the street you live in is more important than anything." That makes Judy scoff in agreement.

After a minute or so, Vincent comes out of the bedroom, his clothes now stained with Evelyn's blood. "She's, uh... in bed."

Judy nods, her throat clicking. "Thanks... I'm gonna put somethin' on her. Rather she look like a person than a fuckin' body." She stands up, walks towards the bedroom and closes the door behind her — with a bit more force than necessary.

It did take long for the badges to arrive, and once they did they spent even more time asking for statements, names, the usual works. All they know is that all three were tired and fed up by the time the NCPD left, the clock striking 5AM.

Valerie exhales smoke into the polluted air of the city, her back comfortable against the worn couch up on the rooftop. Judy's standing a few feet away and Vincent is quiet, sitting at by the edge.

She puts the cig between her lips again and pulls on it. "Uh... Bum a cig?" She looks up to see Judy, now standing closer than before.

Valerie frowns and takes the cig away from her mouth. "Didn't know you smoked."

Judy scoffs, crossing her arms tight over her chest. "Uhh. Quit, been years. But right now I need something 'sides air in my lungs. Please, V, just one."

Well, it's not like Valerie herself smoked from liking it. The reason of her new addiction flicking in a corner like he exists in the 'ganic world. "Fine, here." She holds out her smoke case to Judy, in the end.

Judy takes it and their fingers brush lightly, but the woman's eyes are fixed on the case given to her, the design being to the taste of the previous owner. "This was her smoke case..."

"Wanna hold on to it?"

Judy shakes her head, sitting down on a chair beside the couch. "Nah, you seem to like it. Keep it." She takes out a cigarette from within, and flicks it closed. "Kinda glad it's you who has it, actually." Valerie takes her lighter out from her pocket, leaning forward to light Judy's. She watches the woman pull from it, leaning forward on her knees. "Fuck, Evie... I let her down. I thought if I gave her some space or time she'd get back on her feet..."

Valerie takes a pull of her own cancer stick, the smoke whisking into the wind. "I dunno what to say. Never was any good at this stuff." She then gestures to her brother by the edge, "And he... well, he's just as bad as me."

Judy waves her hand briskly, "Ah, you two don't need to talk... did more for her than anyone else."

"Yeah, well... we had a motive to find her, Judy. You know that."

Judy's lips curl ever so slightly. "Yeah... but it's what you bring that counts. You gave her the freedom to choose... even if this wasn't what any of us expected." Valerie nods along, taking one last pull from her cig before stubbing it out in an ashtray. "'Member Fingers, how he said Evie was with 'im for four days?"

"Mhm... did say so."

Judy's lip trembles. "She disappeared from Clouds a week before you two showed up at my den, Tom told me later. I couldn't sleep at night, knowin' that. I kept thinkin' — what the hell happened to those three other days, so... I did some more diggin' in her virtus... found Woodman." Judy's hands start to shake again, and Valerie impulsively reaches out to hold the one closest to her. Judy doesn't pull away. "He kept her. Had his way with her. The things he did... And once he got bored, he pawned her off."

Valerie feels sick, her stomach churning with the emptiness it has endured the whole night. "Fuck, Judy... I had no idea that guy was such a fuckin' monster. Saw him as your average tricksy sleazebag."

Judy flicks her half smoked cigarette into a corner. "Yeah, he puts on a convincin' facade. I knew him, but I never thought him that sick in the brain." She leans back, finally letting go of Valerie's hand. "Gotta be somethin' I can do about it."

"Like what?"

Judy looks at her and they lock gazes, Valerie can just see the fire burning behind the woman's eyes. "Don't know yet. Think I'll call Suze... Heh, thanks, V." The smile she gives the nomad is brief. "Sorry, but, uh... I'd rather be alone now. Promise to keep in touch."

Valerie stands up, picking her shotgun from where she left it over the plastic table and slinging it over her shoulder. "Sure you don't need anything?"

Judy simply shakes her head. "Nah... but, sweet of you to ask."

"Well," Valerie motions for her brother, who promptly gets up and approaches her, "Anythin' comes up, holler on the holo, Jude."

They walk together down the fire escape stairs and back into her car, the doors closing with a final thud. They didn't speak, not yet anyway. His head's against the window and her hands firmly on the wheel. The situation clearly shook them both, they didn't expect her to take this route, but in the end you can't force anyone to heal.

"We, uh... should call Panam."

Vincent turns his head slightly. "Who?"

"The hick merc Rogue told us to contact, y'know, to get Hellman."

Vincent sighs, adjusting himself better on the seat. "Ah... right. I can call her." His eyes glow red and a few seconds later, "Hey, this Panam? I'm V. Rogue gave me your number. ... Got a job for you, and I know where to go to get your wheels back. ... Alright, I'll meet you then." His optics return to their usual color after hanging up. "She's got beef with Rogue, but she might help. We'll meet her at a container freight station in Rancho Coronado, in the afternoon."

"Mhm..."

Vincent looks at his sister properly, seeing the pout on her lips combined with a distant stare. "What's going on in your head?"

"I wanna go to Vik's again."

"We were just there."

"I know, but —" She straightens up, now turning to face her brother inside the car. "We never got to talk about, y'know... the big upgrades we wanted to get."

"Oh that... yeah, I completely forgot."

Valerie grins and turns on the engine. "That old goat will be happy to see us again, you'll see."

Vincent's stomach then growls, making the twins stare at each other. "Well... maybe we go to Vik's after we eat something."

"Yeah — there must be sum' open in Kabuki."

"I can't get rid of you two, can I?" Viktor's leaned against a table, his arms crossed loosely. He's been listening to the twins talk about their ideas for upgrades, big changes that worry him quite a lot. "You're both taking a big risk with those ideas. Cyberpsychosis ain't no joke." He points to Vincent. "Specially you, since you've got the most 'ware out of the two of you."

He watches Vincent sigh, with an air of a child being told no. "Not much is known about Cyberpsychosis —"

But Viktor wasn't having it. "We know enough for me to worry about it, you two gonks."

"Maybe so." Valerie stops closer once, her voice calm. "But we've made up our minds."

Vincent nods. "I don't need much, just a few tweaks, enough to make me able to handle two people at once with my RAM."

The ripper doc sighs, feeling his chest contracting a little. "I can... see what I can do. Maybe I can find replacements for a few of your cyberwares as well, make them lighter and compatible with the whole build." He turns, fishing out a short stool with his foot before sitting down at his computer.

"You think you can do that?" Vincent's voice on his right, the man now leaning on the table.

Valerie stops on his left, almost mimicking her brother. "We know you've got a lotta suppliers but —"

"Eh, it's not impossible... All I gotta do is ask the right people. However, everything will take a while to get here, so I'll reach out once I've got the parts." The doctor's fingers fly across the keyboard with practised ease. "I'll be calling on my best assets for you two. So, don't die out there."

The twins grin at him from the corner of his vision. "Thanks, Vik."

His fingers almost freeze over the keyboard, but he saves it and manages to act like normal. "Sure thing, kids." He'd help, as always, but he can't avoid caring about these two. They've been the closest thing he's ever had to children, them and Jackie... Viktor just doesn't want to go to another funeral so soon.

"Think it's her?" Vincent gestures to a woman parked in the deserted place, elbows deep under a car hood.

"Must be..."

Yeah, he ain't taking no chances, so he slips his iron into the back of his jeans before stepping out of the car. The sun beams down at their backs in this part of town, far away from the high buildings and snaking highways.

Oh well, here goes nothing. "Hey. Panam?"

The woman doesn't stop fiddling with the car's engine, not even sparing them a glance. "So, you're V."

"We are V." His sister's quick to say it, standing beside him with her arms crossed.

Panam scoffs a quiet, "Whatever" before finally leaning out of the hood. "Where's my car?" Her tone of voice is sharp and to the point, definitely someone who takes no shits but throws them at your face instead.

"Rogue said we could help each other. So, agree to help us and we'll tell you." He has to be careful with this one, she's a clan outcast so... they don't know what she's capable of.

"Oh, fuck no." the woman's head whirls to him so fast he thought it'd fall off. "You will not jerk me around. Tell me where my car is!"

It's Valerie's turn to scoff. "Fuck me. You always on the warpath?"

"Only when some idiots try to jerk me around. Where the HELL is my car?!"

Vincent gently taps his sister's arm before stepping closer to Panam, saying without words that he'll handle this. "I tell you, and then what? Gonna storm off, handle it all by yourself?"

The woman's voice comes out restrained, as if it's hard to keep herself in check. "That is no concern of yours. None."

"Listen to me. You need our help, and you'll get it. I mean that. Right after we do the job we came here with."

He watches the woman pause, think and then resume to fiddle with the car engine. "Fine. Say it. What do you want?"

He sighs with some relief, and leans against the car. "We need to nab someone, guy named Anders Hellman. He's being transported out of NC by a Kang Tao AV the day after tomorrow. Aka, we need to hit that AV."

The woman scoffs, loudly. "Are you out of your goddamned mind?"

"About you, or the job?" His arms now cross over his chest, "Kang Tao's AV route'll take it over Jackson Plains, away from NC's airspace. Heard that should help us."

But Panam is not convinced, at all. "Yeah, I doubt it. Fuck..."

"In return for helping us, you get the info on your cargo, and we'll help you get back what's yours. We got a deal?"

"I dunno, I —" the car she's been tinkering with starts to blare its horn, complaining about something she's done. "Shit!" With more strength than necessary she rips something out and throws it in a random direction before closing the hood with a loud clunk. "All right. Deal. But if you want your thing done, we'll need to get my Thorton back first." She crosses her arms and finally turns to face the twins. "So, where is it?"

Valerie now steps up to her brother's side. "Rocky Ridge. You're supposed to know where that is."

Panam's face contorts, her words coming out through clenched teeth. "Nash, you dirt-eating bastard. I will strangle you."

Vincent frowns, he did not hear about a 'Nash' from Rogue, at all. "This Nash, someone we should worry about?"

"He's a grade-A gonk, used to work together but the Shiv tricked me. He straight up nipped my truck and the merch. Probably now aims to sell it off in Rocky Ridge."

Valerie rolls her shoulder. "Right, we can take on a stupid gonk any day. So, Rocky Ridge, let's go."

Panam's hand lifts up. "Eh, hang on, I-I should think this through... We'll need backup, for sure. We have one brief stop to make on the way."

Well, Panam decided to go ahead with the deal behind Rogue's back, by calling the client and telling him what happened, asking the same to just not show up to the meeting with Nash and wait for Panam's word instead.

This just keep getting better and better. "So, mind tellin' us where we going?" They're currently inside the car Panam tinkered with, Vincent on the passenger seat and his sister in the back.

"The Aldecaldo camp. I need to see some of the old clan."

"Don't seem too excited about it, if at all."

"That's not your concern."

Vincent sighs. Talking to this one is like pulling out your own teeth with pliers. "Maybe so. But we know a thing or two about nomad clans."

"Oh, yeah? By reading the screamsheets and watching BDs?" Ouch.

"By living." Valerie speaks from the back, her tone sharp. "We were part of the Bakkers. Left when the clan merged with Snake Nation."

"Oh... Didn't know."

"It's OK. We don't scream it out first thing when we meet somebody. We've been living in the city for about a year, learned to camouflage." His words take a giggle out of his sister, but Panam's eyes are glued to the road. "So when we heard from Rogue that you got cast out from the clan, we got worried we'd be working with a Raffen."

"I'm no Raffen. There was just a misunderstanding with the family, so I left." Her hands tighten around the wheel, the leather complaining under pressure. "Fuck. Did Rogue tell any of you she was the one to bring me and Nash together? He's a fucking Raffen, and she never told me!"

So, that's what eating at her, that and many other things from the looks of it. "We can chuck that up to two things..."

Panam scoffs loudly. "Oh, yeah? And what's that?"

Valerie leans forward, her elbows on the seats up front. "Well, either that Rogue doesn't know or care about the difference between Raffens and Nomads, or..."

"That she knew and kept it a secret because having two natives to the badlands working for her is valuable for smuggling." Vincent finishes the train thought. "She's considered the queen of the Afterlife for a reason. She's dangerous and spiteful."

"Yeah... I've learned that a nomad's values mean jack shit to 90% of Night City." And Panam could not be more right. "Rogue's a frigid old bitch, that's what she is."

Vincent snorts a laugh, now finally leaning back on his seat, the car having just passed into the badlands. He loves it out here, even though they almost never have time to come around, being away from the city, away from the noise, just heals his spirit.

His mind then wanders, to simpler times. Helping the cooks at camp, observing their dad clean his old pipe, Chewy chasing after the young kids after dinner, the makeshift bunkbeds he had to share his whole life with his sister... He knows they can't go back, that both their parents are gone... But that's what imagination is for. He can dream all day about the things he'll never get to do with his family. A comfort, just as much as a curse.

"OK, we're here." Panam's voice drags Vincent out of his thoughts, not even noticing his eyes had closed. "We'll gather my guys, then ride to Rocky Ridge."

She gets out first, followed by Valerie and then Vincent. He stretches his arms once he's out of the car, the fact that they've pulled an all nighter is absolutely not lost on him. But they've done worse things before, while being sleep deprived.

His sister joins him and they look out to where Panam is and that's when it hits them... this is the first time after arriving in Night City that they've been in a nomad camp. Everything bringing wave after wave of nostalgia; the tents, cars and bikes everywhere, a big campfire with seats around it...

He feels Valerie's hand brush against his arm. "It's almost like... one of them is gonna pop up and greet us, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." But it was just wishful thinking. He reigns his emotions in before approaching Panam and the two men she's talking with.

The two men look up as if sizing them up, the one with a hood speaks out first. "And who're you two?"

"My babysitters." Oh, so Panam can joke, not everything is harsh anger and short fuses with her, huh. "Vs, this is Scorpion, Mitch. Two old friends."

Valerie waves at them both, "Hey there."

"I'm awful with children... I prefer the term partner in crime." Vincent's words gain him an elbow to the ribs from his sister.

Scorpion looks back at Panam, his face set in a frown. "The big city got too small for you? You know the old man's gonna be angry when he sees you here, right?"

Panam rolls her eyes in turn. "I've just come by for a spell. Saul needn't know a thing. The Raffens screwed me over. I'll get them back, but I need your help. Come with us. We'll thrash 'em, the five of us."

Mitch reaches into his pocket for a cigarette, lighting up and smoking it before answering Panam's plea. "You know we would do anything for you, sister."

"But now — now's hard." Scorpion adds, to Panam's dismay.

"Seriously, you won't help?"

Mitch exhales some smoke. "Ah well, the old man told us to sit tight and get those generators back up after the batteries went kaput."

The twins take a step back when Panam throws her arms to the sides. "Generators? You won't help because of some goddamn generators? Is this another joke?"

Mitch shakes his head. "Not this time, we're needed here."

Scorpion seems to catch Panam's silent thoughts, because he promptly speaks, "This isn't about Saul against you, it's about the clan. You know that."

"Listen —" Mitch cuts in, "we can't leave camp, no chance. But... but, Saul never said a thing about gear."

That calms Panam, visibly as her posture changes from being frantic to more controlled. "OK. Well... I'll need that rifle of yours. And some of my old stuff." Mitch and Scorpion nod and step out of her way as she passes them.

The twins follow suit, with Valerie leading the way. "Looks like you're stuck with us. Disappointed?"

"I dunno. Maybe a little, yes."

Eh, he understands it. Anyone would rather have their old friends at their side than two strangers. But beggars can't be choosers, not in this world, anyway.

"Yo. You do it." He's jerked from his thoughts by someone tapping his shoulder.

"Huh, do what?"

"Cary that to the car." His sister points to a heavy-looking case inside what looked to be Panam's old tent. Least it's safe to assume it.

"Uh, sure." He bends down, moving the crate a bit to test how heavy it actually is before picking it up with ease. "Huh... Either this just looks heavy or I'm on sum'."

"You have arm implants, brother. They help." She wasn't wrong, and the smirk on her lips indicates she knows it too. "What's inside it, anyways?"

"A few odds and ends that should be useful." Panam passes by them holding a massive sniper rifle, that has them gawking.

They follow her through the camp again, and now Vincent realises that people were talking as they walk by, some calling out to Panam and others staring at the twins, as if they're two rats in a wolf's den. He hates that.

Finally they get back to the car, and Panam walks briskly past Mitch and Scorpion. "So... I'm off."

"Yeah, yeah... Go on, go, already! And call us sometime!"

Scorpion looks up at the twins, his scarred face set neutrally. "Keep an eye on her, twins."

"It's V —"

"I ain't calling you two by the same name. Might settle on thing 1 and thing 2."

That catches them off guard, but laughter bubbles from Valerie's chest. "We're fine with that, hah!"

Vincent shrugs a bit, but smiles at the nomads before going over to Panam by the car and sliding the case into the trunk.

"Well, let's go then." Panam sits behind the wheel and the twins hop inside soon after, with Vincent taking a seat in the back this time.

As the car hums to life, the motor's rumble and the soft noise of sand under rubber lulls Vincent into a comfortable stupor, his eyes heavy with sleep, arms slack over his lap. They have not slept the whole night because of what happened at Judy's and his body is complaining, out of battery. The last thing he remembers is hearing the two women talk in the front before his head rocks back and everything fades to black.

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