Chapter 38 — "Gimme Danger"
(Act 2 — Main Quest)
The rain sliced across the city like glass. Night City didn't care who you were — but Alaric walked its streets like a man who'd read the script in advance.
He leaned back against the hood of a nondescript Thorton as Takemura rattled off plans beside him.
"Infiltration. Arasaka's warehouse. We sneak in, plant malware, observe movements. We go quiet."
Alaric smirked.
"Except Oda's going to show up, uninvited. You'll try to talk him down — he'll swing anyway. I'll put him on his ass… and you'll still call it a 'quiet job.'"
Takemura's eyes flashed, suspicion flickering.
"You… have experience with this?"
Alaric tilted his head.
"Something like that."
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[System Alert — Mission: Gimme Danger — Objective: Plant the Virus]
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The infiltration wasn't stealth. It was art.
Alaric ghosted past scanners he knew the timing of. Sidestepped guards whose routes he anticipated with uncanny precision. His system even chimed —
[Stealth Bonus Achieved — "Phantom in the Night"]
Oda came — right on schedule.
The masked ninja dropped from the rafters, katana slicing the air with a sharp hiss.
"Traitor!" Oda hissed.
Alaric sidestepped, letting the blade miss by inches.
"Predictable."
A quick elbow, a sweep — Oda crashed against a crate.
"I could kill you now," Alaric said coldly, gun pressed to Oda's head. "But we both know… you'll crawl back to Arasaka like a good lapdog."
Takemura barked, "Enough!"
Alaric held Oda's furious gaze for a heartbeat… then stepped back, holstering his gun.
"See you around, Oda. Try not to die too fast."
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Mission Complete. Malware Planted. Oda… spared.
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Later, back at his apartment, Alaric kicked his boots off.
Judy lounged on his couch, Evelyn curled beside her.
Both shot him a look — a mix of worry… and heat.
"You're insane," Judy murmured, eyes soft.
Evelyn smirked, voice low.
"And hot as hell for it."
Alaric dropped onto the couch between them, arms slinging over both their shoulders.
"Yeah. But I always win."
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