So like I said earlier, I started writing the cyberpunk 2077 AU, and, well, here it is! 5 whole pages, not M nor E yet, but that will come, just you wait hehe ;)
The music of Afterlife beats like a heart, ironically enough, since the place used to be a morgue, the slaps now used as tables around the space, with a big, fancy bar in the middle. Oddly big for a morgue if you ask Billy, but he won't complain, got good booze, especially the Jackie Welles one, "with a splash of love" or some shit, whatever that is.
But tonight he's not here for the drinks or to watch the dancers in the water filled tubes, although he does give Claire a friendly nod as he passes by. No he's here to meet some fixer that gave him a short message asking to meet up and that was it.
"Come by Afterlife, got a job for you."
He's not even sure what they look like or where at the bar they'll be, so he's stuck wandering around in circles like some kind of lost gonk.
And just as he grits his teeth with annoyance, ready to delta, someone approaches him.
"So you must be the merc everyone's always talking about. Even Rogue."
Billy turns around to face the prettiest fucker he's ever seen, slightly taller than himself, especially with that poofed up hair, and a pristine suit - awfully clean, like it hasn't ever seen a day of hard work before. Same goes for his clean skin, moles dotted across it as the only blemishes, no scars, no tech on him.
"Yeah, maybe so." He licks his lips that turn into a grin. "What's it to you?"
"Might be a lot, might be a little, really depends on you." The fixer smiles with a hand on his hip.
Billy gives him a quick scan, no affiliation. "Just give me the detes, don't got all night."
The brunette sucks his teeth and gives Billy a certain look from head to toe. "Shame you're in such a hurry… don't wanna get a drink, talk it over proper?"
"Why, you paying?" Billy crosses his arms but keeps his well amused smirk.
"Sure, first round's on me - last round? We'll see."
The merc very much enjoys the tone of his new fixer, and the way he near sensually watches him as they walk to the bar.
“A Johnny Silverhand, and…” The man in the snazzy suit looks to Billy as they order from Claire.
“A Jackie Welles.”
“Haven’t heard of that one before,” he admits and leans on his elbow on the countertop, whilst Claire quietly pours them their drinks.
“Yeah, well…” Billy avoids eye contact, looks away as he tries to forget Arasaka. “Trying to get it to catch on.”
They both bottom their glasses in one go, although he doesn’t miss how the fixer stares at him even when doing just that.
“You sure you don’t want a more… private setting?” he suggests and the other man huffs a laugh.
“Why, are we chooms all of a sudden? No I know you merc types well enough to want a more public scene, besides, this won’t take long.”
“Do I at least get a name?”
“Of who? Me or the client?” The brunette grins knowingly.
“Who do ya think?”
“Stephano Harrington, but you can call me Steve.” Steve extends his hand, and Billy shakes it firmly. “Manners, nice.”
“Yeah, well, my ma taught me right.”
“And your pa?”
Again Billy has nothing to say, nothing he wants to say at least. Spilling personal details to a stranger is a danger in Night City. “So what exactly does the client want from me?”
“It’s really very simple, there’s a van with some goods in it, and I need you to klep it for my client to an address that they have chosen for you two to meet at,”
“Nothing’s ever simple in NC, and this? Sounds too easy.”
“Well maybe I’m an easy guy, maybe I needed an easy merc, who’d take on an easy job.”
Billy can’t help but ponder if there’s a double entendre there or not, but there’ll be time to figure that out later, if the way this Steve Harrington looks at him has anything to say.
“Sure then, shoot me the detes and I’ll get to it.” Billy rises from his seat.
“You don’t want to know about the payment?”
Eyes bluer than the ocean ever was looks Steve up and down. “I’m sure a guy like you will pay more than what’s fair, and besides we’ll meet after - still owe you a last round.”
It was far too easy to find, down by the docks in Watson Northside, fresh off the boat. The workers there were easily paid off, something mr Harrington will have to reimburse of course, and the doors to the container creaked open like sesame. Inside he found a teal colored van, otherwise unmarked and would probably be a bit suspicious to drive around in, but hey, a job’s a job, and Billy is a professional, takes it all very seriously. He tries to be as non-lethal as possible when going anywhere in this city, but he won’t shy down from a brawl if need be; has helped the NCPD plenty of times with their psychos and gang bangers.
The ride is smooth, not a lot of hard work required, just from point a to b, Watson to some megabuilding in downtown city center. It isn’t till there’s a bump on the road and a few voices gasping behind him that he senses something is very very wrong.
He finds the closest alleyway to back into, parks there, then rushes behind to get a look at this precious cargo he’s transporting.
Seven women and two men all whine as the harsh daylight hits their eyes where they’ve gotten used to the darkness they’re caught in.
“Oh shit.” Billy turns his back to them all, shoulders raised and tense, teeth gritting as he dials up Harrington.
“Billy,” he chimes as he picks up, “How’s it looking? Found the cargo alright?”
“Yeah I did, but you didn’t fucking tell me we were trafficking humans!”
“Oh look, a merc with a heart of gold, how quaint. So what does it matter? The client didn’t ask for a judge and jury for this job, they asked for someone to safely transport the goods.”
“This is not okay! Tell me who your client is and I’ll have a talk with them myself!”
“No that won’t do, but if you’re gonna be such a pussy about it, allow me to explain some, will you?”
Billy clenches his fists and turns to look at the very confused people who haven’t fled the scene yet for some reason. They’re not shackled or poorly dressed or anything, just… sitting there staring.
“Go on.”
“They’re fugitives.”
“What?”
“Yeah, fleeing from bad pasts all across the country, trying to come into Night City in hopes of a brighter future, all that bs that the advertisements sell us.”
“Is that the truth?”
“We may not know each other very well, Billy, but trust me, I don’t lie.”
“Excuse me, sir?” a timid and gentle voice asks as one of the women approaches Billy. “Is this where we get off?” she asks as if she’s on the bus.
“N-no, we still have a bit to go, so just sit down again, yeah?” he tries to speak as kindly as possible. “Harrington, we’re not done yet.”
“I didn’t assume so.” And without a goodbye, Steve hangs up the phone.
Billy stamps in past the bouncer and up to where Steve is spending another night drinking his Johnny Silverhand alone at the bar, eyeing up every piece of meat around him.
“Hello Billy-”
“Why didn’t you just fucking tell me?!” The blonde flares his nostrils and scowls at the other.
“Would it have saved us any questions and time?” Harrington asks almost politely and swirls his drink around in the square glass.
And the way he asks takes Billy off guard, making him take a step back to consider his answer. “Probably… probably not.”
“Exactly, and it was a time sensitive job clearly, so I didn’t think it prudent for you to know every single detail in the moment. Would you have said yes, then?”
The blonde sits down and waves for Claire to pour him his usual. He has calmed down considerably and a drink would take off that final edge. “I’d like to think so, yeah, again given you’re telling the truth.”
“And would you have believed me that they were willing participants if you hadn’t seen it for yourself?”
“No.”
“Then that’s that! Client was very happy, I’m happy, hopefully you’ll be happy with the payout.”
Just then, 2k eddies is transferred to Billy’s account, and he gapes. “Mr. Harrington, if you pay this well for something as simple as a transport op, this’ll be a very fruitful partnership.”
Billy gives a friendly slap to Steve’s back just as he takes a sip, making the finer man cough up a lung and spewing his drink all over the bar.
Claire pauses with her hands on her hips and a very displeased expression.
But Harrington still smiles all the same as usual, and turns to look Billy straight in the eye.
“Well Billy, I believe so too.”
Then he places his hand on Billy’s thigh.
