"I really didn't expect to see you guys in a holding cell." Now Deputy Chief, Johnson waved off the officer standing guard outside the cell
"I really didn't expect to see you guys in a holding cell."
Now Deputy Chief, Johnson waved off the officer standing guard outside the cell and entered with Andy. Upon seeing the familiar faces, he couldn't help but rub his forehead. "I told you before—I didn't want to see you at the precinct. And now here you are. What a surprise."
His eyes swept across Karl, Oliver, Jack, and V, finally landing on the unfamiliar young man.
"And who's this? Another new recruit? Never seen him before. Didn't even bother to register him?"
"A friend. Just arrived in Night City," Karl said with a grin, casually throwing an arm around Arasaka Seisen's shoulders. "Time to hand over the keys, Mr. Johnson. My friend's been cuffed the entire way here."
"If he really wanted out, he could've sliced them off with his monowire or shot them off with a pistol."
Johnson glanced at the cuffs on Seisen's wrists. "Those are the lowest-grade restraints we've got. Just civilian-grade. No shock modules, no detonation charges. Guess that means you were all being... cooperative."
"We're model citizens, after all."
"Right. Like the 'model citizens' who just got done killing a bunch of Tiger Claws. Japantown's in chaos right now. Let me guess—you guys kicked that off?"
Johnson sighed. "If MaxTac hadn't been nearby to shut it down, who knows how long it would've gone on."
"I know. I was the one who made the emergency call."
Karl nodded. "Those psycho squads move fast. The second they heard about cyberpsychos on the loose, they deployed."
"So that mob of bloodshot-eyed Tiger Claws tearing each other apart—that was your handiwork?"
Johnson paused, then seemed to piece it together. "I remember there was a fire alert around the same time. The area was already evacuated in advance. Don't tell me…"
"I had T-Bug help with that."
"And those berserk Tiger Claws?"
"T-Bug again. I assisted. We scrambled the neural signals of seven of them. They went full-on psycho, and the others thought they were moles. All-out civil war."
Karl sounded a little amazed even as he recounted it.
"I thought it'd just stall them until MaxTac got there. Figured they'd scatter once the heat showed up. Never expected them to completely lose it and tear each other apart."
"Their cyberware loadouts were already pushing the limit," Johnson said. "Then you dump them into a pressure cooker, make them think their own crew's turning on them? Of course it triggered mass hysteria."
He pulled out a credential chip, swiped it through the slot on Seisen's cuffs. With a soft beep, they disengaged. Johnson caught them mid-air.
Watching Johnson's motions and listening to his words, Seisen spoke quietly: "I believe that's called emotional contagion? People tend to mirror the emotions around them."
"Looks like you've read up on psych theory."
Johnson studied him, increasingly intrigued. "Back when I was a beat cop, I read a bit of that stuff just to kill time. But technically, it's called herd mentality."
"When people are influenced by those around them, shaping their perceptions and decisions to align with group norms. Only a few can resist. Throughout history, every successful leader has mastered this—guiding the majority," Seisen replied.
"Yeah… something like that."
Johnson listened to him talk, impressed. What had been just a hobby for him was clearly something this guy had actually studied.
Which only made him more curious.
This newcomer to Karl's crew… he was different.
He didn't look like a fighter, but his speech was articulate, deliberate. Clearly well-educated. And even so, he didn't seem out of place with the squad. If anything, he complemented them.
Johnson was suddenly reminded of an old RPG he'd played as a kid—this guy was like the bard: the eloquent outsider traveling with a party of warriors, assassins, sharpshooters, and netrunners. A perfect addition.
"Alright. Let's get your ID sorted before you get arrested again."
He gestured for Andy to bring over a device. Taking the screen—faintly familiar to Karl—Johnson placed it in front of Seisen.
"Night City always welcomes outsiders. But you still need a foundation. You just arrived—so fill in your identity. Real name, alias, whatever. Like 'V' did."
Clearly, Johnson was using his clearance to access the NCPD intranet directly, allowing Seisen to register from inside the holding cell.
Seisen could've generated any number of fake IDs. But faced with the screen Johnson handed him, he took it seriously—because Johnson's words had struck a nerve.
Night City welcomed outsiders. But it still demanded a place to stand.
Years ago, when Seisen had first walked away from Arasaka and wandered the streets with no direction, he too had been searching for that place to stand.
Whether rebelling in youth or now returning to the streets, his identity had always been out there—waiting.
He completed the registration in under a minute.
Name: Yori (ヨリ)
Occupation: Street vagrant
Age: 21
Nationality: Japanese
"Yori?"
Johnson read the name aloud, frowning. It sounded familiar.
He felt like he'd heard it before—but couldn't recall where.
While Johnson puzzled over it, Andy—quiet until now—narrowed his eyes slightly.
He looked at Yori.
And in that moment, he understood who he really was.
That face. It all made sense now.
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🔥🦾 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS 🦾🔥
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🛑 ALSO AVAILABLE ON PATREON:
🌃 Cyberpunk: Dogtown Legend
👩👦 Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
🧠 My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
🤖 My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?
🛡️ Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore
🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
🏰 Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
⚡ The Rebirth of Harry Potter
🌹 R18: Reincarnated in Her World
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