Chapter 89: Miss Michiko, I Want to Make a Deal
The military AV sped across the Badlands. Inside, screens flickered with information that Rhys had never seen before.
For example... the Badlands wasn't just home to Nomad clans. Militech had planted outposts all over the place, like dandelion seeds. Every ten kilometers or so, you could spot a squad of their soldiers.
And then... there was the territory belonging exclusively to the Dangerous Girls' Jaguar Squad.
Nestled in a low valley between two natural ridges sat a small fortress.
The AV circled a few times before landing on a designated pad.
Tigress disembarked first, followed by Rhys, Maine, and the others. The three other Dangerous Girls stayed on board, taking off again towards another destination.
"Where are we?" Rhys asked, falling into step beside Tigress. She was tall, easily matching Rhys in height—not quite Dorio-sized, but definitely taller than Kiwi or Lucy.
Hand on her hip, heavy weapon slung over her back, Tigress strode confidently ahead. "A temporary base. Exclusive use."
"Stationed out here? Doesn't Militech give you trouble?" Pilar asked hesitantly. He was confused. As a Night City native, he knew the score: Mayor Rhyne invited Arasaka back in, and Militech immediately flooded the Badlands with troops.
This squad, and the Arasaka agents earlier... even Pilar could tell they were "on the same side" but from different factions.
"Give us trouble?" Tigress laughed, shaking her head. She didn't bother explaining. If not for Rhys, mercs like Maine would never even be in the same room as her.
Truth be told, Tigress didn't dislike them. Their loyalty was admirable. But recklessness without the power to back it up was just stupidity.
As for Pilar's question... Heh. If any other Arasaka unit camped this close to Militech, they'd be under fire in minutes. But this was Michiko's personal squad.
Did he understand what a "personal squad" meant?
The Jaguars weren't just Michiko's employees; they were her confidantes. The people she kept closest when she was making big moves.
Whatever. These mercs wouldn't get it. The gap in our worlds is too big.
Tigress led them into a building.
After an elevator ride, a long corridor, and a retinal scan, they entered a room.
It was dim, lit only by the glow of massive screens covering the walls. A girl in a netrunner suit and a black cat-eared helmet was lounging in an executive chair. A holographic interface floated in front of her, and she was poking at it with her finger.
She was playing a game. A yellow bean-character eating little dots. Pac-Man.
"Shoko, I brought them. Where's the boss?"
The girl in the chair swiveled around. The opaque visor of her helmet hid her face completely. She yawned. "Talking to the Captain. Naomi says she's made another breakthrough in her medical tech and needs funding."
Tigress's mouth twitched. "Great. There goes another few million from the squad budget."
Behind her, Maine's jaw dropped.
How much?
A few million?!
"Wait here. Take a load off," Tigress told the crew.
But the girl in the chair had already gotten up and walked over to Rhys. She leaned in close, examining him. "You really don't have any high-end chrome..."
"Amazing. How do you do it?"
She stared at him, then added as if just remembering, "Oh, right. I'm Shoko Asakari."
Rhys looked at her blankly. Never heard of her.
He was a fan of the Dangerous Girls, sure, but he didn't know every single member. Especially not the ones in Michiko's inner circle. These people were top-tier talent, hand-picked for covert ops. Their identities weren't exactly public knowledge.
Rhys was about to reply when Tigress interrupted. "Alright, Shoko. Where's Moira?"
"Mouse is in Canada, shooting a magazine cover," Shoko replied casually.
Rhys's eyes lit up.
Moira... Now that was a name he knew.
The public face of the Dangerous Girls. And Sasha's absolute favorite. His little kitten had a ton of Moira merch—chibi figures, purple mouse plushies, branded headphones, mice...
Moira, the Dangerous Girls' top stealth detective and most famous operative.
Tigress ran a hand through her hair. She was about to ask more about Moira when Shoko spoke up.
"Boss is calling."
"Answer it. What are you waiting for?"
Shoko nodded and snapped her fingers.
The massive central screen on the wall flickered to life.
A woman in a business suit sat in an executive chair—Michiko Arasaka. Standing behind her was a girl with cute bear ears, wearing high-end armor with a medical cross emblem on the chest.
"Naomi, I'm telling you again. Purifying water resources is fine. But shipping that water to impoverished zones for free? No. Do I look like a charity?"
"Boss, it has strategic value. You said..." The bear-eared girl started to argue, then noticed the group on the screen. She stopped, nodded politely to Shoko and Tigress, and stepped back behind Michiko.
Michiko Arasaka looked at the screen and smiled sweetly. "Good afternoon, Maine's Crew."
"Some of you might know me, some might not. So let me introduce myself properly."
Michiko placed a hand over her chest—a metallic, silver cyberarm. She spoke with disarming warmth.
"I am Michiko Arasaka. Currently handling Arasaka's Commercial Division, Network Watch deployment, Asset Management, Government Relations... well, let's just say I wear many hats."
She beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
On Rhys's side, Maine's eyes were bulging. He never dreamed he'd be face-to-face with a heavy hitter like this. Michiko Arasaka... a name as famous as Yorinobu, Hanako, or Saburo. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know who they were.
But knowing the name and knowing them were two different things. Why would a street merc bother learning the details of the world's elite? They were untouchable gods. Better to focus on the next gig and the next drink.
Hearing her introduce herself, Maine was speechless. His brain short-circuited. He stared at this "beautiful girl" who was older than him but looked young enough to be his daughter. His expression was almost comical.
No one noticed Lucy's reaction. Upon seeing Michiko's face, her expression shifted minutely. She grew tense, holding her breath, and subtly lowered her head, hiding her face.
Rhys stepped forward, looking at Michiko on the screen. "What do you want from us?"
"Wow, straight to the point," Michiko said, dropping the smile. She tapped her fingers on her expensive desk. "I'll tell you why I helped you."
"I like talent. People say talent is common, but I disagree. Most people they call 'talented' are just... competent."
"True talent is reaching the absolute peak of a specific field. Being a freak of nature. And you, Rhys... you are talent. You have combat capabilities that defy logic. I've seen plenty of strong fighters, but none of them belong to me."
Michiko's eyes shone with undisguised desire. Her lips curled up. "So... I want you, Rhys."
"Boss, too direct," Naomi coughed from behind her.
"Shut up, Naomi. You're great at spending my money, terrible at making it," Michiko retorted without looking back.
"You want me? I killed Tanaka. I did all that... and you want me?" Rhys asked seriously.
"Is there a problem?" Michiko countered.
"I slapped Arasaka in the face in front of the whole world. I'm a liability. You can fix that?"
"This... is indeed troublesome," Michiko mused, rubbing her chin.
She thought for a moment, then laughed. "I think you're misunderstanding something."
"Hmm?"
"Do you think Arasaka actually takes you seriously because of this? It is trouble, but not the kind you think."
Her eyes twinkled. She'd caught his meaning.
"The trouble is me having to protect you. It's going to cost me time and political capital. Not the trouble you caused Arasaka. Do you really think what you did today actually hurt the corp?"
"Don't be naive, Rhys. You're overestimating yourself. People fight Arasaka every day. People who do way more damage than you are a dime a dozen. Why would you think you matter?"
Rhys, a huge problem for Arasaka?
Don't make me laugh. Even Morgan Blackhand... to Arasaka, he wasn't a critical threat. A massive empire doesn't crumble because an ant bites it. Arasaka ruled half the world. Individuals didn't matter.
"Anyway, I can fix this for you. You can go back to Night City safely. But the condition is: you become mine."
"If you don't believe me, think about Rogue. She bombed Arasaka Tower, yet she lives in Night City untouched, the biggest fixer in town. Who do you think arranged that?"
"Holy shit..." Beside Rhys, Maine and Pilar gasped in unison.
Rogue is Michiko Arasaka's asset?! Did we just learn Rogue's biggest secret?
"So, tell me your decision," Michiko said, leaning forward. The aura of a ruler pressed down on them.
Rhys looked at his crew.
"You decide, Rhys. We're with you," Maine said instantly.
He could see it. They were just tag-alongs. Michiko hadn't addressed them once, hadn't even looked at them. Her focus was entirely on Rhys.
She was charming, cute, charismatic... but that underlying arrogance was undeniable. Only those she deemed worthy could speak to her.
Rhys smiled. "Then... my choice might disappoint you."
"Doubt it," Rebecca chirped, still hanging off Pilar's back, grinning at Rhys.
Dorio stepped up, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Rhys, I'm with Maine. We trust you."
"Fuck... fuck, why does this feel so wrong?" Kiwi muttered, looking around nervously. She wanted a cigarette desperately, but in this place? In front of her? No way.
But she had a bad feeling... Rhys was about to do something stupid. Maine and Dorio were practically cheering him on to jump off a cliff!
Isn't joining Michiko a good thing? Why refuse a golden ticket?
"Decided?" Michiko asked, smiling again.
"Yeah. I appreciate the rescue. Without you, the Arasaka agents would have zeroed us. But... I'm not going to be your subordinate," Rhys said firmly.
Michiko's smile didn't waver. "Reason?"
"I just attacked Arasaka, attacked the corporate system, in front of everyone. If I turn around and join you less than a day later... what does that make me?"
"Rogue fought the corps too. Now she works with us."
"That's because she got old," Rhys said calmly. "I'm different. I live for my face. Some things are more important than life and death."
"Call me an idiot, call me arrogant... but I'm not becoming a corpo-dog."
My heart is fire...
Igniting a fire just to pour cold water on it himself? What was the point?
Besides, Rhys's hatred for the corps was bone-deep. He could work with them as a merc, but he wouldn't join them. He was afraid if he did, he'd forget who he was, where he came from.
Michiko nodded slowly. "A wild horse is hard to tame. Rhys, speeches won't change my mind."
Rhys fell silent.
If Michiko really wanted him, she had a thousand ways to force him. He couldn't stop her.
He took a deep breath. For the first time, he decided to try and defeat a "boss" with words.
He glanced at his achievements. Time to switch.
He swapped badges, activating the [Presence] skill.
[Presence]
Effect 1 (High Presence): You become the focal point. Your words carry immense weight and are more likely to be believed/obeyed.
Instantly, Rhys didn't feel different, but the effect was immediate. Tigress, who had been standing at attention, turned to look at him. Shoko looked up from her game. Even Lucy lifted her head.
"Miss Michiko, I want to make a deal," Rhys said, his voice magnetic, commanding attention.
"Let's hear it," Michiko said, intrigued. Her expression didn't change—she was trained for this—but a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
She wasn't a tyrant. She preferred to win people over, to make deals. She wanted hearts and minds, not just bodies. She needed loyalty, not resentment. That was why the Jaguars were mostly recruited from civilians and refugees.
But she wasn't a pushover either. Kindness? In her position? Please.
So, hearing Rhys propose a deal instead of begging... she was interested.
"Three..." Rhys held up three fingers, then corrected himself. "No, two years."
"In two years, I will be the best merc in Night City. And my crew will be the strongest team in the city. When that happens, we can be partners. Instead of leashing me, having the King of Night City as an ally... wouldn't that be more useful to you?"
"You solve my Arasaka problem, let me back into the city. I promise you: if I don't achieve this in two years, I will come to you. I will be your subordinate. But if I do... then I will do one thing for you. One thing that doesn't violate my principles."
"Like?" Michiko narrowed her eyes. "Define 'principles'."
"I won't hurt my people. I won't betray my code. Outside of that? You want me to kill a Militech exec? Assassinate the NUSA President? I'll do it."
"..." Michiko was silent.
Arrogant. Unbelievably arrogant.
But... Rhys's physical potential... If she gave him the same top-tier chrome as Tigress or Moira, he would be a monster on par with Adam Smasher.
But once you chromed up that much, you became vulnerable. Assassinating high-value targets became harder. You'd walk into a scanner net, face a team of elite netrunners, and get shut down instantly. Both Arasaka and Militech built backdoors into their high-end gear. One command from an executive, and your chrome turned off.
But if... if Rhys could keep getting stronger without chrome?
If, in two years, he could match Smasher with just his organic body?
Then... he would be the one person the elites truly feared. Someone they couldn't hack, couldn't shut down remotely. A force of nature they couldn't control.
The thought... excited her.
Maybe Rhys's idea had merit?
Two years was nothing to her. If he succeeded, she'd have a perfect entry point into Night City. If he failed, she got a loyal dog.
But there was one condition. He couldn't install high-end chrome. If he did, the deal was off. She needed a human nuke, not a mechanical one.
"One favor isn't enough," Michiko countered.
"Depends on how much you pay," Rhys said seriously.
Michiko laughed. "Mercenary code?"
"Exactly. But I'll prioritize your contracts."
Behind Rhys, Maine and the crew were stunned.
They believed Rhys could become the strongest. The kid was a freak; he kept getting better.
But... Maine's Crew becoming the strongest team in Night City?
How?
With us?
Maine looked at Tigress's chrome and felt despair. He couldn't even handle that kind of hardware.
Lucy, Kiwi, Sasha... great netrunners, sure. Sasha was a prodigy. But Lucy and Kiwi were just... good. Not top-tier.
Rebecca was a grunt. Pilar was a decent techie, but... that was it. Dorio was solid, but average.
The strongest crew?
Don't make me laugh.
If Rhys knew what they were thinking, he'd smile.
Maine's Crew... weak?
Hell no.
Gloria Martinez had joined. David wasn't far behind. That kid could go toe-to-toe with Adam Smasher. Sure, he lost, but who didn't get insta-gibbed by Smasher? The guy was a walking nuke.
Jackie was a solid operator. With his new Sandevistan, his ceiling was just as high as David's.
Legendary Jackie Welles, the man who (technically) zeroed Saburo Arasaka?
And most importantly...
V.
If he could find V, get her on the team, chrome her up... becoming the Kings of Night City would be easy. With V at his back, who gave a shit about Adam Smasher?
Johnny wasn't a power-up for V; he was a parasite. V's strength didn't come from the Relic; it came from V. In the endgame, V was soloing Smasher while dying. Without the Relic killing her? She'd be unstoppable.
Damn right we're strong.
"Let me think about it," Michiko said, not agreeing immediately.
"In the meantime, stay here and rest. Tigress, find some ripperdocs to treat them."
"Boss, can I go?" Naomi asked from behind her.
"You? You're not wasting your time on scratches like that," Michiko scoffed.
Naomi, the first member of the Jaguar Squad, their captain. She wasn't a fighter. She was a prodigy... a doctor.
Michiko cut the feed.