Cyberpunk: The Magnet fruit

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The moment the "Executor" pulled the trigger, something unexpected happened.

V reacted instantly. She activated the [Project Source] armor chip implanted behind her ear. With a barely perceptible hum, her body shimmered, vanishing into a blur. Utilizing the [Project Source: Purification] armor's unique evasion and stealth protocols, she twisted through space and shadows, avoiding the rain of bullets like a ghost.

Had she hesitated for even a second—had she not prepared for this exact moment—she would've been turned into a bullet-riddled corpse in the alley.

"What the hell is this...?"

Jenkins' eyes widened in disbelief. His voice trembled as his pupils contracted in fear. "Fire! Fire immediately!!"

Reacting to the command, the four armed "Executors" turned their weapons on V, fingers squeezing the triggers.

Da-da-da-da—!

Gunfire erupted again. Muzzle flashes lit up the darkness like strobe lights at a rave.

But it was useless.

Just like before, V's form became an afterimage. With fluid grace, she rolled forward, re-engaged her stealth field, and vanished before their eyes. The cutting-edge armor wasn't just tech—it was a second skin, responding to her every intent with millisecond precision.

Seconds later, chaos erupted.

A sharp crack echoed as the first "Executor" dropped, a neat bullet hole through his forehead.

Then the second collapsed, then the third…

In mere moments, all four had been taken down with surgical precision—clean headshots, no wasted bullets.

Only Jenkins remained.

He stood alone in the narrow alleyway, his hands trembling, his breath coming in rapid gasps. Fear clung to him like a cold sweat.

And then… V reappeared.

She emerged silently from the shadows, her figure fluid and commanding. A smart pistol gleamed in her gloved hand, already aimed directly at Jenkins' forehead.

"V, you—wait—don't get excited! Just—just hear me out," Jenkins stammered, eyes wide with terror. He raised his hands, hoping to show he was unarmed, hoping to appeal to a humanity he once believed she had.

"I... I had no choice. I swear! I never wanted to kill you. It wasn't me—it was pressure from above! You know how it is!"

V stared at him with an unreadable expression. Her eyes were cold, calm, resolved.

"Oh, is that so?"

Her voice was soft, almost too soft. A bitter smile tugged at her lips.

"Well, I suppose... I don't have a choice either."

Boom—!

A single shot.

Sharp, echoing through the alley like a hammer strike.

Jenkins' body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Silence returned to the alley, broken only by the distant sounds of traffic and neon buzzing overhead.

A moment later, V stepped out of the shadows, casually holstering her pistol. Her expression remained emotionless, as if what had just occurred was nothing more than routine maintenance work.

Jenkins and his team were done for. No one was walking away from that alley.

After finishing the job, V didn't run.

She walked back to Arasaka Tower like she belonged there—because, until tonight, she did.

Inside, she acted as if everything was normal, blending in among the corporate drones under the tower's cold white lights. She packed up her belongings quickly, efficiently. She wasn't reckless. She copied as many files as she could—data related to Arasaka's classified projects, Jenkins' private logs, and hidden files about black operations she was never supposed to know.

She didn't know how long she had until someone realized Jenkins was dead.

But she wasn't going to stick around to find out.

By the time anyone discovered the bodies, she would be long gone.

With a last glance at the high glass ceilings of Arasaka Tower, she walked out through the front doors as if it were just another night.

The first people she thought of contacting were, of course, Jackie and David. They were the ones she trusted most.

But things didn't go as planned.

She tried calling—once, twice, a dozen times—but no one picked up. Each time, the call rang endlessly before dropping into static.

Frustrated and uneasy, V slid into her car and sped through the neon streets of Night City. Her destination: Building H—the place where David lived.

Meanwhile, in the Afterlife bar, the air was thick with booze, smoke, and laughter.

"Hahaha! C'mon, hombre, one more round!" Jackie cheered, his face flushed red from alcohol. He slammed his bottle on the table, nearly tipping it over.

"Who's afraid of who!?" Mann yelled back, equally drunk. He grabbed another bottle, raised it high, and took a long swig.

David sat beside them, half-smiling, his thoughts distant despite the lively chaos around him. The music thumped through the walls. The flickering lights turned everyone's faces into colorful masks.

Tonight wasn't about contracts or hits.

It was about letting go.

Jackie leaned against David, his speech slurred. "Bro, I'm tellin' you, we gotta do something big. Real big. Somethin' that'll shake Night City to its damn core."

David chuckled, swirling the drink in his glass. "You always say that when you're drunk."

"I mean it this time!" Jackie insisted. "You, me, V—we're gonna be legends, man. Chrome-plated legends!"

Mann, now barely able to stay upright, shouted, "To the dream! To... to ideals! We got all night to talk about 'em, yeah?"

Everyone raised their drinks.

"To life ideals!" Jackie bellowed, nearly falling out of his seat.

Clink!

The bottles collided. Laughter erupted again.

Back at Building H, V arrived at David's apartment.

She pounded on the door. No answer.

Tried calling again. Still nothing.

Her instincts told her something was wrong, but she pushed it aside. They were probably out. Drinking. Celebrating. She could join them later.

But something still gnawed at her.

Too many pieces were falling apart all at once—Arasaka, Jenkins, the mission, her identity. And now her only allies had gone dark.

She pulled her coat tighter, glanced around the hallway, then turned back toward the elevator.

There were still things she had to do—questions to ask, loose ends to tie.

And somewhere out there, her friends were partying, unaware of the storm she was about to bring with her.

To Be Continued...