"I knew it. No matter how sweet it sounds, it's still fixer business."
Roqi was quite satisfied with Regina's arrangements. Working with a solid fixer always brought peace of mind—especially after being burned by someone like Dexter DeShawn.
Top-tier fixers might not promise you the world, but they're the most dependable. Their names—and their crews—stand on reputation and results.
But Max didn't seem as happy about Regina.
His decision to stay felt more like a temporary compromise than a commitment.
Still, he wasn't totally against it. A familiar rhythm, a trustworthy team, and gigs that also advanced his own goals? That was a plus in his book.
What he hated was all the manipulation and backroom scheming that came with fixer circles.
He was stuck between both sides.
"But this is the reality, choom," Roqi said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You know better than anyone—Night City's a flaming shithole."
He gestured toward Regina, standing by the tall windows.
"Where else are you gonna find a fixer this decent? If you can't deal with her, there's no one better—or kinder—in the whole city."
"And hey, you two used to work together. You know her better than I do."
Roqi wasn't just talking for the sake of it. Both Max and Regina were smart and capable—but past baggage made communication hard, especially when that history wasn't so pleasant.
Max's questions would be met with Regina's cold, clipped replies, and Max himself had a short fuse and a stubborn streak. That combo never led to smooth conversation.
Maybe with time things would get better. But for today, Roqi had to be the bridge.
Max was someone who responded to logic. His impulsiveness didn't cancel that out—it made him easier to talk down, not harder.
"Alright, let's get back to business. About that Asuka Faction job."
Roqi clapped his hands and looked at the two.
Regina didn't miss a beat. She nodded, arms crossed. "Natsuko Asō's a big name. She met me and gave two options right off the bat."
Option one: work for them directly, become part of their machinery.
Option two: keep things transactional—just intel trading.
Of course, Regina wasn't stupid. She chose the second.
"She wants us to dig into someone—Suga Masaru."
Suga Masaru?
Roqi's face said it all. Regina explained immediately:
"He's the top dog in Arasaka's legal department. Handles all external disputes and litigation."
She'd done some digging. Only surface-level data came up. Anything deeper was sealed tight. Clearly, the guy handled high-level secrets.
The legal department wasn't for PR stunts. In a city where laws bent to the corps, legal battles were just a formality—one they always won.
Between the legal teams and the security forces, the corps had both law and firepower backing their interests.
Of course, "interests" usually meant screwing everyone else.
Biotechnica had once pulled a stunt pretending to offer free medical services—only to test unapproved treatments and drugs.
Participants paid out of pocket to be guinea pigs.
Then it got worse: the drugs failed. Half of them died.
And the company, thanks to waiver forms, didn't owe a single eddie.
Hell, they even threatened to sue survivors for "failing to complete the clinical protocol."
And as a "generous gesture," Biotechnica offered the families 100 eurodollars in condolence payments.
Roqi had thought they were a decent corp—until Vik told him the truth.
In Night City, the media's in the corps' pockets. You only see what they want you to see.
Rogue once said something that stuck with Roqi:
"Those with the power to see the truth eventually will. Those without it… even if they know, it won't matter."
That hit hard.
To the megacorps, this was business as usual.
So yeah, someone like Suga Masaru, top of Arasaka's legal game?
Not exactly a guy you poke lightly.
"He's really the head of that department?" Roqi asked again, almost in disbelief.
The subtext was clear: Are you seriously thinking about messing with this guy?
But Regina just smiled coolly.
"Digging into someone doesn't always mean a gunfight. We're just starting with surface info. We'll see what my people can pull up first."
A request was just a request. No one said they had to accept it.
"But I want to try. Not going full throttle—just gathering intel."
Regina laid it out clearly.
Anyone who'd worked with Suga or reported to him could be a lead. No need to go head-on when you could flank.
Intel work was a skill—and Regina was a pro.
Now with Max on the team, their capability just got a serious upgrade.
"Let's not rush it. Scout things out. If it gets too hot, we drop it. But..."
Her tone shifted.
"They're offering a lot."
Even if they weren't going after Suga directly, the payout was enough to make a fixer like Regina pause.
How much money did the Asuka Faction have?
Then again—it made sense. You don't go toe-to-toe with Arasaka unless you've got serious firepower. And funds.
Regina told Roqi and Mower to wait for solid intel before they discussed the next step. With nothing else on the table, they wrapped it up and left the safehouse.
They had bigger things to deal with.
"Finally decided to call me?"
Roqi dialed. The familiar voice in his earpiece belonged to Rogue.
"If you'd taken any longer, I'd have hunted you down myself," she half-joked.
And if Rogue said that, she meant it.
"Everything's ready. We're just waiting on you."
She'd been prepping this op for days—
Hijacking convoys out in the Badlands.
Not for cash.
For the Relic—the biochip Johnny Silverhand's engram was still riding.
From what Roqi knew, Anders Hellman had built a lab at Rogue's request, recruiting loyal researchers from Night City.
Only someone like Rogue could find people skilled and loyal enough to do the job.
Roqi didn't know the hiring process—but the gear-stealing?
That was his part.
PDG was working under Rogue now, and they were quickly earning a rep—almost like a new gang in the Badlands.
Even the corps were noticing.
No way Maelstrom or your average nomads could pull off these surgical strikes.
Half the time, convoys didn't even realize they'd been hit.
But corps were one thing. Rivals were another.
Maelstrom started to take notice—and they didn't like it.
The biggest nomad families around Night City had already taken heavy hits.
But nomads don't rely solely on convoys.
So with no competition left, Maelstrom's attacks increased.
That's when PDG stepped into the spotlight.
But this Maelstrom wasn't the same one that attacked Aldecaldos.
The ones who captured Saul were the Night Howlers, the largest Maelstrom splinter group outside Night City.
The counterattack Roqi joined only scratched the surface.
The Howlers kept growing, barely dented.
And this new Maelstrom group?
They had no clue who they were messing with.
"How many people does Dallas have again? Three?"
Roqi asked, wondering how they planned to survive.
"Five now," Rogue replied. "You haven't met the other two—an old vet and a tough girl. Just arrived in the city."
"I sent them some extra muscle. Around twenty skilled mercs. But even that's tight against a full Maelstrom pack."
"So what do you want me to do?"
Roqi was getting confused. He thought she wanted him to wipe out their base. Maybe stage a surprise attack to force a retreat.
"Jackie's injured. V's busy. T-Bug can't do much in this zone… So it's you and Mower. You think you're the Doom Slayer?"
Sure, the two of them were far stronger than your average Maelstrom ganger—but this wasn't Cyberpsycho Mayhem. They couldn't just mow down armies.
"You two are more than enough."
Rogue sounded confident. "I've changed the ambush site. PDG has already cleared the area."
"Your job is to pose as Maelstrom. Attack the convoy half a day early. Then pull out.
My people will lure the corpo reinforcements straight to the real Maelstrom hideout. Then? We sit back and watch the fireworks."
She said it so casually Roqi could picture her kicking back with a drink while dictating someone's doom.
"Damn. You're insane," he muttered—half shocked, half impressed.
Rogue didn't waste her time. The Badlands weren't even her turf, but she wasn't about to let Maelstrom run wild.
Intel, gear, crew, plan, escape routes…
All locked and loaded.
The bolder Maelstrom got, the harder they'd fall when corp security retaliated.
Classic Rogue move: pit monsters against each other.
Sure, she could've hired elite kill squads to hunt Maelstrom across the Badlands—
but with over 1,300 in the Night Howlers alone?
She'd be doing that until 2177.
"Alright. I'm in."
Roqi gave his approval.
"I'll fill you in when you get here. Meet me at Afterlife."
Rogue hung up.
The sound of traffic and the city returned to his ears, replacing her voice.
Mower, who'd been on the shared comm channel, nodded in agreement. No objections.
When it came to jobs, Mower was even more experienced than Roqi—and more used to it.
"Once we finish this, let's take a proper break."
Roqi stretched like it was a lazy Sunday.
"What do you mean, 'proper'?"
Mower raised an eyebrow.
"Swim in a real pool. Get a massage. Eat something expensive. And wander around doing nothing."
Roqi grinned. "We've pulled in enough eddies. Can't buy a house—but we can damn well afford to live a little."
Mower blinked her big eyes.
"Honestly? This already feels easy."
Compared to her soul-crushing corporate life, this was like semi-retirement.
Back then, her only joy was dragging her enemies into the hell she lived in.
Now?
Now she could breathe.
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🤖💘 MY GIRLFRIEND'S A CYBERPSYCHO—WHO KNEW? 💘🤖
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📢 LOVE MEETS CYBERPSYCHOSIS! 📢
My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew? has 100+ chapters ahead available on Patreon! 💘💥
Romance is already complicated.
Now add:
🌃 Night City
🦾 Cyberware
🔫 Gunfights
💀 Cyberpsychosis
💥 Property damage
❤️ And a girlfriend who might snap at any moment
Love hurts.
In this case, it might also come with bullets, broken walls, and emergency trauma care.
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🛑 ALSO AVAILABLE ON PATREON:
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👩👦 Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
🧠 My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
🛡️ 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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