I enjoyed my time at the bar, thanks to Mama Welles' warm hospitality. She served homemade food and healthy drinks, the kind that actually made me feel human again. Somehow, between the stories, laughter, and Lola chasing after a mop, I'd become friends with Jackie and V without even realizing it. Lola, as usual, had her own opinions. She gave V permission to pet her, but Jackie?
Not so much.
"Sorry, Jackie," I said with a grin. "Looks like Lola's still holding a grudge about you calling her a boy."
Jackie chuckled, unfazed. "It's okay, choom. Give me time — she'll warm up to me."
All good things eventually come to an end.
An elderly man approached our table. Clean-cut, suit sharp, eyes sharp — too sharp.
"Hello there, son," he said, voice smooth but commanding. "Do you mind if I borrow this young man for a moment?"
"Padre," Jackie said in surprise, standing. "Didn't expect to see you here. What kind of business do you have with my friend?"
Yeah, no mistaking it — the man standing before me was Sebastian Ibarra, better known as El Padre. One of the most influential fixers in Heywood. The room shifted slightly. Mama Welles didn't look happy to see him.
Padre noticed. He gave her a respectful nod. "Don't be alarmed. You have my word — nothing will happen to him."
I stood and thanked Mama for the meal, handed my contact number to V and Jackie, then followed Padre outside. His towering bodyguard was already holding open the door to a sleek, classic car.
We got in and pulled away from El Coyote.
"Sorry for disturbing your time with the Welles family," Padre said.
"No problem," I replied. "Let me guess — you want to talk about what happened yesterday?"
"Indeed. I heard you killed two Valentinos. May I ask why?"
"You already know why," I said calmly. "But out of respect, I'll explain."
I told him what happened — how three Valentinos tried to take Lola from me, and how it escalated when I refused to cooperate. How it ended with two dead and one spared.
"I see," Padre said thoughtfully. "I'm surprised you took them down without any cyberware."
"I'm guessing the one I spared told you all this?"
"Yes. I was skeptical at first… but now that I see you, it all makes sense." He leaned in slightly. "May I ask why you spared her?"
"She didn't want to kill me. She was praying. I respected that."
Padre smiled faintly.
"I heard you let her finish her prayer before walking away. Tell me, child — do you believe in God?"
"You could say that," I said, leaning back. "More like I respect the teachings."
Truth was, I didn't know how I'd ended up in this world. One second I was in front of a screen, the next I was inside it. Whether by fate, glitch, or some cosmic joke — this was my reality now.
Padre nodded slowly, his gaze lingering.
"Another question," he said. "Why don't you have cyberware? You don't strike me as someone low on money."
"Two reasons," I replied. "One — I'm not cutting off parts of my body to install machinery. Two — I don't want some netrunner frying my brain like an egg."
In the early days of the game, hacking was ridiculously overpowered. I used to wipe out whole buildings without even stepping inside.
"Yes," Padre said with a grim look. "Many have died to netrunners. Forgive me, I didn't ask your name."
"Name's 8," I said, nodding at the cross on his chest. "And you're Padre."
"Yes, but I didn't call you just because of what happened yesterday. I—"
I stopped listening.
Outside the car window, I spotted two men assaulting a woman and her child in broad daylight.
Without thinking, I ripped the car door open and jumped out.
"You stupid b***h!" one of the men screamed. "This is what happens when you don't pay up!"
"Leave Mommy alone!" the kid cried.
SLAP!
The man struck the child across the face.
"You want another one, punk—?"
BOOM.
I slammed the car door into the man, sending him flying into a concrete wall.
"What the f—?!"
The other man didn't have time to react — Lola hit him like a missile, knocking him off his feet and into a dumpster.
I turned to the woman and child. Both were bruised and shaken. I reached into my pocket, accessed my system, and pulled out a couple of healing stims.
"Here. Take these," I said, handing them over.
"Thank you…" the woman whispered.
I nodded, then turned back to the two scumbags on the ground.
I went for the one who hit the kid. Lola went for the one who beat the woman.
"Get the f**k away from me—!"
I didn't hear the rest. I grabbed him by the neck and started slapping him — again and again — until his nose bled and his eyes swelled shut.
Lola clamped her jaws around the other guy's arm and snapped it like a twig.
"This is what happens," I said loudly, "when you assault a woman and her child in broad daylight."
I didn't care that we had an audience. I didn't care the bastards were screaming apologies.
"You shouldn't fear me," I growled. "You should fear her."
Lola growled low and menacing beside me.
We dragged the two men over to the woman and her kid.
"You decide whether they live or die," I said.
The woman blinked, shocked.
The two men fell to their knees, begging.
"Please! Forgive us!"
"We'll never do it again! Please!"
The woman looked at them for a long moment. Then her face changed — from fear to rage.
"Kill them."
"NO! PLEASE!"
"Too bad," I said. "You thought there'd be no consequences."
I told her to cover her child's eyes.
Then I grabbed the man who'd slapped the kid and slammed his head against the wall until it left a stain. Lola went feral on the other one — biting, shaking, tearing into him until there was nothing left but twitching limbs and blood.
When it was over, I gave the woman a fat stack of eddies — enough to last for months.
"Thank you. Thank you so much," she cried.
"No problem, ma'am. Take care of your child."
I picked up the car door and walked back toward the car where Padre was still waiting.
"Sorry about the door," I said, setting it beside the car. "I'll pay for the damage."
Padre just chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Now… shall we continue our conversation?"
"Sure… uh, where do I put this door?"
——
Time passed, and eventually, Padre dropped me off in front of the Glen apartment.
"May God be with you, 8," he said as I stepped out.
"Thanks, Padre."
After he drove off, I pulled out my phone. I smiled as I saw my growing contact list.
Mama Welles. Jackie. V. El Padre.
"Welcome back, Mr. 8," the receptionist greeted.
I nodded and gave him a tip, then headed up to my room.
Padre wanted to hire me as a mercenary. I accepted — but with conditions:
I don't harm innocent people. I choose which jobs to take or reject. All Valentinos are to be warned — don't mess with me, or I will kill them.
He agreed.
"From tomorrow onwards," I said, setting my gear down, "we're mercenaries."
"Woof," Lola answered.
Night City is full of crime, corruption, and death.
I don't want to be like everybody else.
I want to be different — a legend that people admire… and that monsters fear.
Corrupt cops. Greedy corpos. Psychos who think they can hurt others without consequences?
They'll all learn:
There's a new beast in town.
End of Chapter