Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077-Chapter 154

Leo raised a finger. "First, I'm not that weak. You just saw me take down your two most elite operatives in the blink of an eye. If Royce tries to kill me, he'll be the one who should worry."

He raised a second finger. "Second, if I were you, I wouldn't pull something so shortsighted and stupid. As you can see, I'm a merc. I get paid to solve problems, and if it's not against my personal code, I'll consider any job."

"People say more friends mean more opportunities, more enemies mean more obstacles. You're a corporate exec—how many true friends do you really have at Militech? I'm guessing close to none."

"And, to be blunt, how many of your subordinates genuinely follow you out of loyalty? If it weren't for the money, who would stick their neck out for you? When you eventually lose favor, do you really think they'll stay by your side, or will they abandon you without a second thought?"

Each word hit Meredith where it hurt. Though her expression stiffened, the two still reached an agreement.

Before Leo left, there was a small incident—the Militech mole locked in the SUV's trunk had been hoping Leo would kill Meredith, which would have been his ticket to freedom. The sight of them striking a deal made him shout in desperation.

"You've made a mistake! That bitch is finished—if you work with her, you'll go down with her!"

...

Leo watched Meredith drive off in the armored SUV, disappearing into the tunnel by the drainage channel. Afterward, he climbed the service ladder back up to the overpass.

Jackie wiped sweat from his brow. "Looked tense from up here, but you never signaled, so we held our fire."

V and Lucy put away their rifles and hurried over. Worry shone in their eyes.

"I'm fine," Leo assured them.

But the two women insisted on checking him over thoroughly. Jackie shook his head and stepped aside, looking away to give them space. Only when they were sure Leo hadn't taken so much as a scratch did they relax.

"All satisfied?" Leo teased.

V still looked shaken. "You have no idea how worried I was. My sniper scope never once left that corpo woman's head."

"If she'd tried anything," Lucy added, "I'd have hacked her neural link and fried her system in a heartbeat."

Leo patted V's shoulder and gave Lucy's arm a quick squeeze. "Good thing neither of you did that. Otherwise we'd have one less ally."

Jackie rolled his eyes at the sudden flood of affection. "Show some mercy! There's a third wheel here, you know!"

Leo gave an amused shrug. "Anyway, let's not waste time. We've got to retrieve that drone for Dexter."

...

Northside Industrial District used to be Watson's bustling hub for manufacturing, once brimming with life and promise. After earthquakes and a string of failed investments, though, its golden age ended in ruins. Most factories couldn't stay operational, and the place became Night City's junkyard—a foul-smelling, chaotic purgatory.

The Totentanz was housed in a run-down motel. After NCPD cleared out the All Foods factory, this spot became Royce's base of operations for Maelstrom. Like every other gang in town, Maelstrom had numerous smaller factions scattered around Watson. Though they weren't exactly friends, they'd band together briefly if another gang tried to poach their turf—only to turn on each other again once the threat was gone.

When Leo and the others arrived at the street near the Totentanz, it was impossible to miss the graffiti everywhere—on walls, doors, even vending machines—screaming "Maelstrom territory, outsiders keep away."

Jackie parked, and the four got out, heading toward the motel. In the courtyard outside, a dozen or so Maelstrom punks lounged around. They'd been minding their own business, but as soon as they spotted Leo's crew, they rose and closed in.

"New faces. You heading to the Totentanz, too?"

Maelstrom's style was distinct from other gangs. The Tiger Claws, for instance, favored neon tattoos and jackets with Kanji insignias. Maelstrom, meanwhile, was all about heavy cyber-modifications—especially to their eyes. Every recruit had their eyeballs cut out and replaced with cyberoptics in a no-anesthetic ritual. Survive that, and you're accepted. Screw-ups or complications left many recruits with seizures, vomiting, nerve damage... or worse. Yet the gang hadn't changed their initiation for years.

...

Being glared at by a dozen sets of glowing eyes was enough to unnerve anyone. Jackie, V, and Lucy tensed, hands drifting toward their weapons. But Leo stepped forward, smiling slightly.

Click—

A crisp sound echoed, like a blade returning to its sheath. The surrounding gang members froze, stunned. Then they watched the belt around the ringleader's waist—just seconds ago a cocky loudmouth—cleanly sever in two. His sagging pants slid right down, baring his limp junk for all to see.

For a beat, everyone gawked. Then a roar of laughter erupted from the other Maelstrom punks. The humiliated grunt's face flushed white-hot as he hastily yanked up his pants and fled the yard.

Leo let a moment pass. "Yes, we're here for the Totentanz. Is that a problem?"

None of them had even seen Leo draw his blade, let alone how he'd sliced the belt so precisely. The Maelstrom crew looked shaken and forced out awkward laughs.

"Haha, all visitors are welcome. Why wouldn't we let you in? Don't stand around here—get inside, get inside."

They automatically moved aside, forming a path that Leo's group followed up the stairs to a hidden elevator. Once the doors slid shut, the very Maelstrom goon who'd just been acting so friendly reached for his radio. He was actually the one in charge out front; the guy who lost his pants was just the fall guy.

...

Inside the elevator, Jackie stewed in frustration. "I hate dealing with these chrome-obsessed psychos. Why'd it have to be Maelstrom?"

"They're just another gang, no?" Leo asked, slightly puzzled.

Jackie shook his head. "No way. Maelstrom's got the worst rep in the city. They're obsessed with cybernetics and extreme body mods hasn't earned them any nice points"

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