Arasaka Tower
Night City
08:32am

"Permission to speak sir?" A rough voice asks. A man turns away from the window overlooking Night City. Yorinobu Arasaka.

"What is it." He states with no emotion in his face.

"We are still unaware of Y/n Arasaka's locatio-"

Slam.

A loud sound quietens the soldier. His straight face hides the fear lurking behind.

"I told you, unless you have news that can help us find her location. Do.Not.Speak.To.Me," Yorinobu's tone deepens in anger. After a moment of silence the soldier takes this as an opening to speak.

"We might know who does know her location sir..." Yorinobu lifts his head up slowly looking at the soldier with an unreadable look.

"...we believe Goro Takemura is involved, as well as a mercenary, but no success in finding out his location or his name

"Great," A smirk makes its way onto Yorinobu's mouth.

~

Abandoned building
Ghost town
09:32am

"Are the cuffs really necessary," I roll my eyes at V, while exaggeratingly gesturing to my cuffed right hand. He doesn't look at me as his eyes remain on the road but his eyes furrow, showing that he is listening.

"You're acting like a child, if you don't have a leash, you'll get us in trouble," I clench my jaw at this.

"If you MAYBE stopped treating me like one, I wouldn't act like it!" He sighs. A hand reaches into his pocket and the sound of a jingle enters my ears. V shakes the keys obnoxiously.

"If you want the key, prove that you can be trusted," he places the key back into his pocket. I narrow my eyes at him. Idiot. A groan escapes my lips.

"Where are we going to anyway?" I look around at the environment. The lack of buildings gives me an unsettling feeling. It feels strange leaving the city.

"We are meeting a nomad," I ask in confusion.

"What's a nomad?" V gives me an incredulous glance and turns back to the road, shaking his head.

"Tell me you're joking.." V gives me another glance and notices my confused expression. He sighs and answers.

"They're like pirates in a way. Move around in small gangs, they are like family very close. Once you leave them, it's a chance you will still be welcomed with open arms or disowned," He trails off. A passionate statement.

"Are you a nomad?" He shakes his head. "No," I hum at his answer. We make a turn and the sight of a broken down car appears. A woman is bending down in front by the hood of the car. Possibly trying to fix something. From what it seems. She isn't doing so well.

"You know her, V?" No answer. He stops the car once he enters through the broken gates of an abandoned looking building's parking lot.

Wow...rude.

V steps out the car, leaving me inside...cuffed to the door. If this mission supposed to involve me as well, I don't know why I need to stay in the car.

I give the woman a quick scan.

Panam Palmer

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

STATUS

Alive

HOME

Badlands, NUSA

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

GENDER

Female

HAIR COLOR

Dark Brown

EYE COLOR

Brown

EQUIPMENT

Overwatch (formerly)

FAMILY

PARTNER(S)

None

FACTION INFORMATION

AFFILIATION

Aldecaldos (formerly, dependent)

ROLE

Nomad
Solo
Merc (former, dependent)
Aldecaldos leader (dependent)

Hmm, Panam Palmer. Catchy name. This is one of the rare times I wish to have a clue of what they are talking about. Panam seems a bit unnerved with something and throws a tool away from the car.

V continues to speak with her, but this time she is shocked and  turns slowly towards V's car. She stares at me and looks back to V. He walks to the side door and the windows slide down automatically.

"Wow you weren't kidding?" Panam chuckles as she examines my face.

"Yup Y/n Arasaka, most wanted in Night City and the daughter of Hanako Arasaka," I glare at V. He seems to enjoy flaunting my name to complete strangers. Panam turns to V.

"I changed my mind," V looks at Panam in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I want the girl-" "-woah woah woah...woah, I'm not an object nor am I for sale!" I say in shock and anger.

"I agree with her, Y/n isn't for trade, she is my partner," V says narrowing his eyes at Panam. She smirks at his statement.

"You have one of the most wanted people as your partner and she is an Arasaka no less. That's pretty dangerous," V rolls his eyes for a second.

"We all have bounties on our heads, Y/n's is just bigger.." He clarifies. It's surprising that V is actually standing up for me in a way. Wasn't expecting that.

"I guess we can't do this then, I'm sure you know how Rogue gets when someone doesn't complete their job," Panam informs V.

"Can we just do this?" He asks the brown haired woman. She shakes her head, disapproving V's question.

"You are a mercenary right?" V doesn't answer. Panam is unmoved by his reaction and continues to speak, probably already knows V is one.

"Then I'm sure you know that a mercenary can't do a job without knowing what type of payment they would get, therefore, V," she drags out his name.

"You can't say once we do the job then after we see what the payment will be," V widens his eyes in disbelief.

"You just told me that in order for you to help me, I need to assist you in getting your car back. Basically the payment is helping you on a job to help us..." He gestures to me and himself.

"..it hardly seems fair if you want something extra as well.." V finishes.

After a moment Panam sighs. She nods stiffly, agreeing to what V said.

"We'll take your car," She looks at V and hops into the back not waiting for an answer. He says nothing and gets into the driver's seat.

"So how's life like being an Arasaka?" Panam leans on the back of my seat and peers at me. A question I can't stand.

"How's life as a disowned nomad?" I smirk.

"Why you-" "-ladies please! I'm not in the mood for a cat fight?" V says sternly. I don't get why he has to say it like that, I'm not his child.

"There is a difference between being disowned and choosing to leave your clan, I guess corpo rat wouldn't understand that," a dry chuckle escapes Panam's mouth.

I clench my teeth. She is really getting on my nerves.

"So what are you saying?"

"Wealthy Night City citizens are up the food chain stealing money from us 'bottom feeders', while they live life in luxury and no worries!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know that I could choose which family I can be born into, busy acting as though I'm the one who makes all the decisions that made Night City into what it is today," I snarl at her.

"What a joke-" "-ENOUGH!!" V yells as he stops the car on the side of the road. His eyebrows furrowed.

"If you both don't stop fighting, I'll drop you off here to sort out your differences," I look around at the environment. We are in nothing but the badlands. Pure sand everywhere.

"Apologise, Y/n," What! I turn you him incredulously. He has to be kidding. V looks at me and raises his eyebrow as a warning.

"She start-" "-Apologise," He says excruciatingly slow. I release a harsh breath.

"Yes okay whatever, as if I'll apologise to someone who doesn't deserve it," I finish in Japanese.

"Okay good, Panam, you too," V looks though the rear view mirror. 

"V, we are here to get my car, not a manner lesson," Panam says in annoyance. V starts the car and we head off to who knows where.

A

/n long wait, sorry about that fellow readers, I had some things to take care of. Still do but I will try and finish this book as soon as I can :)