While David and his crew celebrated the night away at the Afterlife Bar, the city's neon glow casting long reflections on polished floors and synthetic skin, elsewhere in Night City, a different kind of storm was brewing.
Arasaka Tower loomed over the skyline like a dark, omniscient god. Beneath its shadow, the Arasaka Company headquarters buzzed with a strange mix of anxiety and ambition. Rows of corporate drones sat hunched over glowing screens, hammering out data, processing security protocols, and attending virtual meetings—many with bloodshot eyes and trembling hands from one too many cans of synthetic energy drinks. For them, sleep was a luxury. Overtime wasn't a request; it was survival. Every keystroke might bring them closer to a promotion—or to unemployment.
And on this sleepless night, one woman was anything but idle.
Susan Abner, high-ranking executive of Arasaka's elite Special Operations Division, stood poised like a blade honed over decades of corporate warfare. She wasn't just another cog in the corporate machine—she was a storm waiting to break.
For months now, she had been locked in a brutal silent war with her rival, Minister Jenkins, over the coveted role of Director of Special Operations. The position held more than just prestige—it meant access to the most classified missions, complete control over Arasaka's black ops units, and, most importantly, influence. Influence over Night City. Influence over the underground. Influence over the world.
Tonight, that war was coming to a head.
Inside the sterile, metallic conference hall on the 73rd floor of Arasaka HQ, Susan sat alone, legs elegantly crossed, the hem of her sleek black skirt brushing against her thigh. Her crimson eyes glinted under the dim light, predatory and calm. On the obsidian table before her, a small data shard gleamed ominously.
Then—
Squeak—
The sound of the door opening was sharp against the silence.
Minister Jenkins walked in, the collar of his suit slightly askew, his expression impatient. He was tall, lean, and always wore that arrogant smirk as if the world owed him something.
He raised an eyebrow and scowled. "Susan, it's late. I'm swamped. What was so important you had to drag me into a conference room at this godforsaken hour?"
Susan smiled coldly, her voice laced with a silky confidence. "Minister Jenkins, always so direct. I admire that. So let me be direct as well."
She leaned forward, folding her hands under her chin. "I called you here because I want you to withdraw your candidacy for the Special Operations Director position."
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the room.
Then Jenkins burst out laughing.
"Hahaha—!" He clapped his hands mockingly. "You're insane, Susan. Have you completely lost it?"
His face twisted into one of disdain as he stepped closer to the table. "Let me get this straight. You ask me to step down, just like that? And I'm supposed to comply because what—you're asking nicely?"
Susan's smile never wavered.
Jenkins scoffed and turned to leave. "I don't have time for your power fantasies. If you think I'll give up my chance at that seat, you're more delusional than I thought."
But just as he reached for the door—
Snap!
Susan pressed a button on a remote, and the projector on the wall flickered to life. The cold, blue glow of the screen filled the room, casting eerie shadows across her face.
Jenkins paused.
"What is this?" he muttered.
The footage began playing.
Grainy at first, but soon crystal clear.
The screen showed V.
The infamous merc. The urban legend. The chaos bringer. Sitting across from David, along with Jack and the rest of the crew.
More importantly, it showed V handing over restricted Arasaka tech—high-grade internal weapons, prototype cybernetics, classified files. Things that should never, ever leave the hands of the corporation.
Jenkins' face drained of color.
He took a step closer, eyes narrowing. "Where… Where the hell did you get this?"
Susan's voice was calm and precise. "That's not your concern. What you should be worried about… is how this footage ties you to the breach."
He spun around to face her, face twisted with anger. "You're bluffing. I had nothing to do with this! You know I didn't authorize any of this data to leave Arasaka!"
"But you were in charge of internal logistics the day this data went missing," she replied smoothly, "and conveniently enough, you were the one who downplayed the breach in the system log to our board."
"That's circumstantial at best—"
"Oh, I'm sure our superiors will see it differently," Susan cut him off, voice growing colder. "Especially once they see this footage. It paints a pretty picture of gross negligence. Maybe even corporate treason."
Jenkins stood frozen, fists clenched.
Susan rose from her seat, walking around the table with the grace of a predator. Her heels clicked sharply on the floor.
"You see, Jenkins," she said softly, "I don't need to ask you to step down. I just gave you a chance to do it with dignity. But if you walk out that door still thinking you're a contender…"
She leaned in close, her breath brushing his ear.
"...I will bury you."
Jenkins didn't respond. His jaw tightened, eyes flickering from the screen to Susan's unblinking gaze.
"I'll give you till tomorrow morning," she said, already walking back to her seat. "Resign. Or I'll release this footage to the oversight committee—and to the media, if I have to. You won't just lose your job. You'll lose everything."
He hesitated.
Then, without a word, Jenkins turned and walked out of the room, slower this time, the arrogance gone from his stride.
As the door closed behind him, Susan let out a soft exhale and reached for a glass of wine on the table.
The storm was coming.
But tonight, she had won a battle.
Elsewhere, back at the Afterlife Bar…
David and his crew were still celebrating. Bottles clinked, laughter echoed, and old jukebox tunes mixed with the scent of oil, alcohol, and gunmetal.
But somewhere far above the city, Susan Abner stared down from her tower with a wolf's grin, fingers tapping rhythmically against her wine glass.
She had the footage.
She had the leverage.
And she wasn't done yet.
Not by a long shot.
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