Summary: V meets Nathan, the beginning of our adventure.Â
Ships: (Nathan Bateman x F!V!Reader)Â
Word count: 1767
âThis could be big for you, donât fuck it up.â Rogueâs warning rang in Vâs mind as she entered the conference room.
The room was monochromatic with minimalist decor, nothing really clueing her in to who this âNathan Batemanâ guy was. No personal effects or awards, just some plant that looked fake in the corner and a geometric table with two chairs. She scans the room, finding nothing of note, just a security panel and a thermostat. She shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs, tapping the table under her fingers. She had gotten from Rouge was that this guy was âUnlike any other corpo.â and that could mean anything. She sighs and leans back in her chair as she looks up at the paneled ceiling, after a brief moment of pretending to play tic-tac-toe with its gridded pattern sheâs startled by a low voice.
âAnything interesting up there?â She jumps slightly and turns quickly in her seat about to curse out whoever scared her when sheâs face to face with him. Sheâs surprised by the man in front of her, not a scrap of visible chrome on him. She starts up her scanner for a habitual scan, but before she can even get a glance at the info, he vanishes from her field of view in the blink of an eye, a sudden gust of wind whipping across her face from the movement. âI wouldnât do that if I were you.â Nathanâs voice comes from around the corner.Â
V instinctively flexes, Mantis blades springing into action, she takes a defensive stance, anticipating the worst.
âWoah, chill honey. Not gonna hurt you.â Before she could even react, her blades retracted, plates shuffling and closing back to their inactive state.
âWhat the- How didâŠ?â She felt significantly less chill.Â
âSo, can we talk or are we gonna keep this back and forth going for a while longer?â Nathan asks.Â
âIâm happy to talk, I donât know why you vanished in the first place.â She stands up straight again and leans on the table, Nathan comes back around the corner.
âTrust me, you donât want to randomly scan me like that, just might end up another fried corpse in a trash heap if youâre not careful.â Nathan stands in front of her and relaxes slightly. âNow go ahead.â She raises an eyebrow but doesnât ask anything further as she proceeds to scan him. As she's skimming over his NCPD file she's surprised to see his middle name vanish from the file in real time, glancing back at him it appeared he had been following along her reading.Â
"Much better." He mutters
"Hamlet? Really?" She chuckles.Â
"We don't talk about it." He crosses his arms with a sigh.
âNoted.â She looks around the room again, trying to figure out what to say next. âSo, what's the deal? Youâre definitely not like the other CEOs of megacorps, pretty sure most of them donât even look the mercs who do their dirty work in the eye, much less invite them into their freakishly minimalist space.â Nathan laughs.
âI guess you could say Iâm not like the others.â He walks past her and sits down in one of the chairs, gesturing for her to do the same. She sits down, her eyes still trained on him. Rogue wasnât wrong, he was different from any other corpo sheâd ever met, Ditching the expensive restricting suits for a soft waffle-knit white sweater and some dark slacks, his head shaved, and a full well groomed beard. After a longer examination she could tell he didnât have any optic enhancements either, somehow wiring the typical display functions of cyberoptics to the silver wireframe glasses perched upon his nose, leaving his eyes a natural deep brown, which was almost unnerving, she was so used to the bright artificial colors and slight glow that most had, seeing pure natural eyes, she understood what all those old poets meant by the eyes being the windows to the soul. Nathan gives her a slight smirk, leaning forward in his seat with interest. âNot every day I meet someone who knows nothing about me.âÂ
âSorry, don't mean to bruise your ego.â She says leaning back in her chair, keeping a comfortable distance between them.Â
âNo, NoâŠI quite like it. You have no expectations, you arenât expecting some genius bullshit that blows your mind. Itâs nice, no performance, no need to please or meet some expectation of grandeur.â Nathan also takes the time to examine her more closely. Sure, she was here to do a job for him, but he couldnât help but enjoy the view. It's not often someone who looks like that waltzes in, toned muscle and soft skin fading into the harsh telltale lines of combat cyberware, fire in her cybernetic eyes. He blinks lazily, taking a second to refocus. âAlright, the gig should be easy enough. I just need you to get something for me, and if necessary, zero the choom who has it.â Sheâs slightly taken aback in his casual choice of words but nods.Â
âOkay, what exactly am I looking for?â She asks, her eyebrow raised slightly.Â
 âLong story short, a Braindance. I got drunk at a party and a doll got a BD of a conversation I had, where I gave up some information I shouldnât have. I canât have that getting around, top secret shit.â She watches Nathan talk, as much as she was listening to the details of the gig she was amused by the way he talked with his hands, the expressions he makes, she couldnât help but feel at ease with him, not something she had felt so easily with anyone in a while. Nathan had picked up on that feeling, her body language going from tense and on edge to seemingly relaxed. Her shoulders lowered, her head tilted to the side a bit, ankles crossed in front of her. She had let her guard down just a little bit, the corners of his lips turning up slightly in a smile. âIt should be simple, get the BD, by whatever means necessary.â
âSeems easy enough, who am I looking for?âÂ
It was jarring to have information transferred without seeing the familiar blue flash from the optics of the transmitter. âAmethyst Bronte.â Her NCPD database file didnât have anything notable to speak of besides a tie to The Mox, which was not unusual for a doll.Â
âSure itâs her? She seems remarkablyâŠunremarkable in her records for an NC citizen.â V did another once over of the squeaky clean file. âOnly offense was trespassingâŠto feed stray cats on private property. This upstanding citizen if NCâs ever known one, snagged a BD of you giving up classified info? Choom-â
Nathan quirked a brow at her, an amused smile tugging at his lips. Another tab appeared in Vâs view, the ice blue backdrop and text looking oddly familiar, as she skimmed through the extensive file including images, video, and audio attached that did not seem like they were recorded with the subjectsâ knowledge. This file painted a very different picture of Amethyst, a data broker who sold information to corps and gangs alike for the highest offer, the file even included insights into her personal life, broken family, little to no friends to speak of, just trying to keep a roof over her head and food on the table. âThought youâd know better by now than to judge a BD by its title, choom.â
âWhere- The fuck? How did you even get this much information? I know the place this was taken, thereâs no cameras-â He silently stared, waiting patiently as realization dawned upon V. âNo, no, theyâre real? Those fucking, conspiracy theories about Tsunami?â
âTsunami Watch.â He nodded, leaning back in his chair, expression only describable as with the pride and arrogance of a man who thought himself to be God. Maybe he wasnât all that different from other corpos after all. âAnyways, you donât have to worry about all that, just enjoy the extra deets.â Nathan waves dismissively, she doesn't know how to feel about the sharp contrasts of emotion heâs made her feel in the short timespan sheâs known him. She shakes it off with a hesitant nod, she needs to focus on the job, get through this and get home. That's what matters.Â
âSounds good, Iâll keep in touch.â V says calmly as she stands up and gets ready to go.
âOh and V, be careful. You never know who's watching.âÂ
~Â
It took over a day to track down this Amethyst character even with the additional deets provided, despite having her life in a neat file she posed more of a challenge than V initially expected. When V finally found her, it was in amongst the pounding beats and sweaty bodies of the most popular club in Night City, Riot. As she entered the establishment she was greeted by the familiar sound and sight of Johnnyâs engram flickering into existence, leaning against one of the lobbyâs brutalist concrete walls.
âYou should try taking me somewhere this nice sometime V.â He snarked with his usual tone of arrogance-riddled sarcasm. V rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him, pushing past as he flickered out of view. She decided to observe Amethyst from afar, having spotted her bright purple streaked hair through the crowd, chatting with someone as she moved to the beat. Calculating her next move, V carefully moved to the bar flagging down the bartender, watching out of the corner of her eye as Amethyst approached the opposite end of the bar. Perfect timing.Â
âA shot of house tequila, neat, and whatever sheâs drinking.â She said tilting her head in the direction of the other woman. The bartender silently nods in acknowledgement, pouring and setting the drink in front of her with the flourish of practiced efficiency before turning to get Amethyst's order. V knocks back the shot, letting the familiar feeling of the burning amber liquid ignite upon her tongue as it slides down her throat. It was only a moment before Amethyst approached, holding her own drink of a dreamy pink and purple hue.
âThank you for the drink Miss V, I think I have something youâre looking for.â She smiled as she slid what looked to be a metallic cigarette case across the table, motioning for V to open it. V cocks an eyebrow at her before cautiously popping the case open to find a datastick and a handwritten note, a mix of shock and irritation crossing her face as she reads the note.
You can find him in the Black Sapphire Hotel's club/casino on the top floors gambling and dealing secrets with NC's finest politicians and criminals alike. Government client has V meet him in person at the Black Sapphire for secure exchange of details, He doesn't trust much having been given many reasons not to trust anyone, offer him information, Do enough to earn his trust, he might open up a little more and can offer assistance, maybe even friendship.
Iconic Weapon/Item description:
Dice of God & Bargaining Chips (Dual Power Revolvers), names are references to his love for gambling as well as current job as an FIA Agent. Iconic modifier: Every shot fired by Dice of God has a damage increase by 10-60% (random chance). Bargaining Chips fires eurodollars instead of bullets, firing 50e per shot, increases Headshot Damage Multiplier by 77.7%.
Occupation/Association: Former FIA Agent/Merc | Nomads
Status: Alive
Short Bio/Backstory:
Part of the highly classified NUSA government project to create the perfect supersoldier/spy/assassins, Operation Outcome, on the run after failing an assignment and betraying direct orders. Is currently hiding in the autonomous free city of Night City looking for a way to flee the country as well as a place to provide him sanctuary. Nameless, faceless, untraceable. The very skills and abilities the NUSA gave him are now the only thing keeping him from a bullet in the head. When pressures in the city gets high chances are youâll find him with the Aldecaldos, or rather you wonât find him, but heâll be there. The strange man without a name who proved his loyalty to the clan and the pack, came to them in desperation for their help, one survivor to another, and continues to protect them in return whenever he could with his unnaturally adept skills with a rifle, watching over them like a guardian angel. Closer to the city heâs constructed a concealed base of operations and hiding place within the trash mountains of the Municipal Landfill, blending perfectly into the surrounding landscape, completely invisible to anyone who doesnât know where to look. His time not spent on planning an escape or riding with the Aldecaldos are used scavenging for valuable cyberware he could sell to shady rippers that didnât ask questions, or occasionally bounty hunting in the city for some quick cash.Â
Known to be reliable with a near if not 100% job success rate, regulars at the Afterlife who are trusted by Rogue with tough gigs. Expensive to hire, picks and chooses which jobs theyâre interested in.
However, they are also very caring of their community and people, protecting and helping around their neighborhood for free. If youâve got a good heart then in your desperate hour, approach them for help and they might just be convinced to be your knights in shining chrome, fee to be paid at a later date, or not, if Steven convinces Marc to let it go. Not like theyâre particularly short on eddies with corpo clients vying for their attention. Theyâve got a fair share of blood on their hands, they started like any other mercs with jobs they couldnât ask questions about, innocents killed in the crossfire, in Night City you have to do what you can to survive. Now, they have the choice, and they always choose what they think is just. Who said NC legends canât have a heart of gold? Â
Iconic Weapon/Item description:
Marc: Vengeance (Power Assault Rifle) Iconic modifier: Damage increases with health below 60%, additional damage increase effect with every hit sustained (any kind of damage taken).
Steven: Moonshine (Legendary Quickhack) Effect: Similar to the Cyberpsychosis quickhack, spreads to up to 3 enemies, targets effected by Moonshine will not target V or allies.
Occupation/Association: Valentinos Member | Streets
Status: Alive
Short Bio/Backstory: Childhood friends with V, Misty, and Jake. Grew up in Heywood, there was rumors of his family being defectors from the USSR. Being the younger of the group it didn't take long for him to view V and Jake "Loco parentis" Now he's one of the Valentinos, having signed on at Jake's urging. Unfortunately for all involved, he's very bad at it, often causing more problems for the gang then actually benefiting them. He's had a rough life, he has spent his whole life trying to fit in, not that he ever really had another choice growing up on the streets of Night City . He's known to take care of the local kids, so often so that he's become known as someone the kids can come to in times of need. In the last couple months (Start of story) he's come on some hard times and now stays on V's couch most nights.
Occupation/Association: Merc/Former Valentinos Member | Streets
Status: Deceased
Short Bio/Backstory: Grew up in Heywood with with V, Misty, and Shiv. Best friends with V since they were kids. He'd been dating Misty for about a year, having spent many years as friends. Jake raised by both of his parents, his father was an alcoholic and an abuser, often beating Jake and His mother until finally Jake was old enough and strong enough to take action, no one has seen the man since. As a teenager, he joined the Valentinos with Shiv in tow. Had a brief stint as a taxi driver until Delamain stepped in a few years later and taxi driving is no longer a viable career or cover for the Valentinosâ operations so he leaves it. Always being a Car guy he started modding cars to make eddies here and there. He eventually leaves The Valentinos thinking he can make it better out on his own, eventually pairing up with V to be a Merc team of legends. Unfortunately while completing a heist to steal the relic he died in the back of the Delamain cab they had used to get out of Konpeki Plaza.
Iconic Weapon/Item description:
Luz de luna dorada: Twin Gold-plated pistols, Acquired after Jakes Death, Name translates to: Golden Moonlight. Iconic modifier: headshots against enemies to grant 10% increased Crit Damage and 10% increased Burn chance for 3 seconds, stacking up to 10 times. Each headshot will cause the magazine to restock ammo equal to the amount of headshots performed (max. 10) on the next equip.
Occupation/Association: Founder and CEO of BlueBook | Corporate
Status: Alive
Short Bio/Backstory: Â
Nathan was born and raised in Night City, Grew up with a mix of corpo and street influences. He was always very intelligent and is one of the few people in Night City to have an education. After creating BlueBook and quickly surpassing, and absorbing, Tsunami Defense Systems, he found himself a very popular name, and yet he wasn't nearly as well known as some of the other leaders in the industry, he uses his anonymity to his advantage, Keeping very little of his personal life out there, and keeping himself a mystery to the public, preferring to let others speak publicly for the company.
He has very minimal cyberware, practically a âganic, only a cyberdeck and sandy both developed/altered by himself. Typical cyberoptic functions are wired to his glasses, (rightfully) does not believe in such a thing as bulletproof software security but still has an impressive array of protections for himself such as Anti-Personnel Black ICE.Â
some wonder if his reluctance to be known in the city is really for the best, only those closest to him know him as he is. many assume he is a narcissistic, self focused man with a god complex, is that all an act or is he just as self centered as the other corpos? only time will tell.
Iconic Weapon/Item: Deus Ex Machina (Cyberdeck): if you have a good relationship with him and run a netrunner build (high Intelligence attribute), heâll make you a deck, same model as his own. Iconic modifier: Reduces/Eliminates enemy quickhack resistance, preinstalled with his custom Anti-Personnel Black ICE that automatically consumes a certain amount of RAM to inflict lethal damage on enemy netrunners attempting to quickhack V.
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