Aside from work emails, Anthony's inbox held a pile of encrypted documents.
Not that encryption mattered to V.
Once she cracked the locks, every hidden secret spilled into view.
[Abernathy: HQ wants results again. I need some of Militech's newest operation plans.]
[Anthony: Sure. What do you have to trade?]
[Abernathy: Full documentation for the Shingen-series smart SMGs.]
[Anthony: Don't joke. Arasaka's smartguns get steamrolled by Kang Tao. What would I want with that toilet paper? Bring me specs for the Yinglong smart SMG and then we're talking.]
[Abernathy: Yinglong? Why don't I just grab you blueprints for the fucking Ba-Xing Dragon Cannon while I'm at it?]
[Anthony: You can get it?!]
[Abernathy: Of! Course! I! Can't!]
[Anthony: Don't you have a lover in Kang Tao?]
[Abernathy: Lover, not mother. She doesn't pamper me. Security around Yinglong is tight, Arasaka has nothing of equal value to trade, and her daughter's been acting up lately. Haven't talked to her in a while.]
[Anthony: Shame. But Shingen alone isn't enough. Add more.]
[Abernathy: Fine. Lucky you—some Arasaka bitch has been competing with me lately. I need results. Project Adamantine: military-grade cyberware aimed at producing controllable supersoldiers, letting Arasaka seize Militech's defense market and boost dominance in Night City.]
[Anthony: Holy shit, Arasaka's cooking up nasty stuff. That's good data. Send it.]
[Abernathy: And Militech's operation plan?]
[Anthony: Relax, we've worked together for years. I'm no liar. Sending now.]
[Abernathy: Received. Pleasure doing business.]
[Anthony: Don't hang up yet—I need another favor.]
[Abernathy: Speak.]
[Anthony: Arasaka partnered with Biotechnica, then Zetatech and Kang Tao joined. Militech feels cornered. My idiot boss said whoever gets Militech into that alliance gets promoted. You know Meredith Stout's been shitting on my head for years—I need to turn this around. Help me.]
[Abernathy: Depends on what you can pay.]
[Anthony: Come on, my promotion benefits you too. You lose nothing.]
[Abernathy: Arasaka isn't my personal fiefdom. I don't control alliance admissions.]
[Anthony: Think of something—we've cooperated for years. Don't let me drown.]
[Abernathy: I really can't.]
[Anthony: I'll pay. You liked that Sandevistan I traded you, right? Help me and I'll get you two—no, three more.]
[Abernathy: Done.]
[Anthony: I'll wait for your good news.]
Email ended.
"Mm." V rubbed her chin.
The picture was finally clear.
Abernathy and Anthony were just like V and Joanne Koch—
partners in corporate betrayal.
Except unlike V and Joanne, who leaked info purely for personal gain, those two did it to climb the ladder.
They fed each other intel, inflated each other's achievements.
Arasaka and Militech were long-time rivals; there was always dirt to exploit. No wonder Abernathy rose so fast.
This email must have been sent right after V established the Arasaka–Kang Tao alliance, when Zetatech and Kang Tao had just joined. To help Anthony score points by adding Militech to the alliance, Abernathy needed the alliance host position—thus sending Lieutenant James to assassinate V.
Fine.
Who was she kidding?
Even without Anthony's request, that old bitch would have tried to kill her anyway.
She and Abernathy were the same breed—
ruthless, merciless, ends-first.
Two predators can't coexist.
And Abernathy was truly troublesome:
even Jenkins in 2077 never uncovered her Militech ties.
A formidable opponent indeed.
But that suited V.
Bullying the weak wasn't fun.
She preferred challenges.
"So out of respect, I'll go all out too."
V flexed her fingers. Time to counterattack.
Originally she only planned to find leverage to topple Abernathy.
But since she now had this email involving Militech…
why not solve that problem too?
She copied everything from Anthony's computer—
every document, every incriminating proof of treason—
then hacked into Anthony's neuralware to extract Meredith Stout's private contact.
The name felt unfamiliar—
V usually called her "Venus."
Why?
Because they met in bed.
Teenage stupidity.
V and Meredith had shared several one-night stands, but V swore—
they were strictly fuckbuddies, zero feelings involved.
V never knew how to face her afterwards…
but business was business.
She dialed.
A cold female voice answered:
"First—how did you get this number?"
"I hear Militech will promote whoever brings them into the corporate alliance. Meredith Stout, do you want a promotion?"
"What the fuck—who are you?!"
"Come to the No-Tell Motel. Room 303. I'll be waiting."
"Why would I listen to you?"
"Because I can help you."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Fujitsu-brand faux-dildo, XXL model, high-frequency shock variant. Your favorite toy. Want me to keep going?"
"You—!"
"You've been under my surveillance for a long time. If I wanted, you'd already be dead. Alone. In your sleep.
Remember: No-Tell Motel. Room 303. Come alone."
V hung up.
Meredith would come.
Her paranoia was legendary; she trusted nothing but hard evidence.
Now that V exposed her secret…
she wouldn't rest until she got answers.
V wiped the guards' memories with Memory Wipe, erased all traces, and returned to the No-Tell Motel.
Meredith, meanwhile, was spiraling.
Was the caller bullshitting her?
Or truly spying on her?
Arasaka testing her?
Another corp's agent?
A random PI with unlucky timing?
She swept her room for bugs—found none.
Enraged, she pulled out the Fujitsu toy to destroy it…
but hesitated.
Long hesitation.
And put it back.
If they knew one secret, they could know them all.
Destroying it was pointless.
She holstered her Militech M-76E Omaha, put on a coat, and left.
A Militech Hellhound armored SUV parked behind the motel.
Meredith stepped out.
A camera swiveled toward her.
Fuck.
Expression unchanged, she entered the building.
V watched through hacked feeds, waiting.
A knock.
V opened the door remotely.
Meredith approached.
V poured a drink, offering it politely.
"I mean no harm. Have a drink."
In response, Meredith drew her M-76E Omaha with textbook-perfect reflexes, sights locked on V's forehead.
"Talk. Who the fuck are you?!"
The Omaha was a compact monster:
rail-boosted rounds, triple-shot bursts, suitcase-sized portability.
Many execs carried them for a reason.
In the right hands, an Omaha was as deadly as a heavy machine gun.
Meredith was confident she could blow V's skull open in one second.
V wasn't surprised.
Meredith, true to Militech culture, always acted first and talked later.
Even in bed she insisted on being on top—
well, focus.
V lowered the glass—
then flicked her wrist, splashing Meredith with liquor.
Meredith reacted instantly, finger tightening on the trigger—
—but V only needed a fraction of a second.
[CYBERWARE MALFUNCTION]
Sparks crackled. Meredith's right hand spasmed.
The Omaha slipped from her grip—
V caught it smoothly, ejected the mag, racked the slide, and shook out the chambered round.
"Relax. We can talk."
V placed the gun and magazine on the table and pushed them toward her.
Steady. Impossibly steady.
"You fucking—!"
Meredith swore internally to fire her ICE dev team.
But she also recognized power when she saw it.
She sat.
Even in another timeline, Venus was still Venus.
A battle-hardened Militech type:
She respected power.
Faced with someone stronger, she submitted—
just like in bed when V flipped her over and took control.
"Fine. What do you want?"
"Look at this."
V slid her a shard.
Meredith hesitated, then slotted it.
If V wanted to hack her, she didn't need theatrics.
As she read the data, her expression twisted darker and darker—
until she slammed the table.
"FUCK! No wonder operations kept failing! That bastard Anthony!"
She turned to V.
"How much for this shard?"
"What do you plan to do?"
"Report him. Get him killed!"
"Will Militech HQ believe you?"
"Why wouldn't they? Evidence is ironclad."
V chuckled.
"You've lived in Night City long enough to know evidence means nothing. You're a Militech exec. So is he. To the board, you're both corporate dogs. Whether they trust you or him… depends on their mood."
Meredith frowned.
"I have connections. Anthony won't escape."
"Anthony has connections too."
V shrugged.
"Maybe he won't escape… but he might survive. Demoted, imprisoned, fired—who knows? If he isn't executed, he'll come back eventually. And when he does, do you think he'll forgive you?
Kang Tao has a saying: You can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against one for a thousand days.
Can you sleep knowing a vengeful Anthony is still alive?"
Meredith grimaced.
A perfect hit on her paranoia.
"…Then what do you suggest?"
"Simple."
V leaned forward.
"Kill him first."
"That's against protocol."
"Protocols are written by people."
"Militech doesn't do internecine killings."
"Really?
What do you think Anthony will do if he gets promoted first?
Shake your hand?
Or fill your boots with concrete and toss you in a river?"
Meredith looked like she'd swallowed shit.
Forgive and forget?
Anthony?
If he were capable of that, she'd start dating men tomorrow.
After a long pause:
"What do you want out of this?"
Good.
If she's asking, she's already halfway sold.
"I need to kill someone too."
"Who?"
"Arasaka's Director of Special Operations.
Abernathy."
"You two have beef?"
V removed the Reaper Mask.
"Nice to meet you. Name's V. Just V."
Meredith's eyes widened.
"V—Arasaka Counter-Intel Deputy Director. Alliance host?!
You were supposed to be killed by a cyberpsycho!"
"You know how trustworthy NC news is. I wasn't killed by a cyberpsycho—I was assassinated."
"Abernathy?"
"Correct."
"No wonder you want her dead."
Now Meredith relaxed.
A motive made V trustworthy.
This wasn't some mysterious political trap—
just Night City business.
You get hit, you hit back.
Simple.
V wanted an ally.
Fair enough.
"Fine." Meredith crossed her arms. "What's your plan?"
"Abernathy and Anthony are collaborating.
So we set up a little… ambush."
"Using Project Adamantine as bait?" Meredith thought aloud. "I'll file a report on how powerful it is. Militech will send a team. Anthony will jump at the chance to steal it."
V continued:
"To maximize gains, he'll probably lead the op himself. It's a 'guaranteed win' after all.
He'll never expect you to show up instead.
In the chaos of crossfire between Militech and Arasaka, his heroic death becomes perfectly reasonable."
"Good. Done." Meredith nodded.
"And Abernathy?"
"Do you know whose project Adamantine is?"
Meredith blinked.
"Whose?"
V smirked.
"Abernathy's."
"She'd sell her own project?!"
"Funds are corporate. Personnel are corporate. She invested nothing. Why wouldn't she sell?
But she still needs results to show HQ.
So she'll let Adamantine get stolen, but she'll definitely retain data.
If I were her, I'd use the Militech–Arasaka clash to run live combat tests.
Anthony gets the 'old build', while Arasaka uses the new combat data to develop Mark II.
Still ahead of Militech."
"Fuck!" Meredith stood up.
"You Arasaka types are filth."
"Thanks." V smiled.
"With my hacking, how long do you think I need to steal her data?"
Meredith didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
"Remember—only this once!" she said as she left.
V didn't stop her.
No need.
Just like their "one-time thing" years ago—
and yet who was it that called back?
Once you taste certain things—
like power—
you never let go.
V pulled the curtains open and sipped her drink in the morning sun.
The first of her three days
had ended perfectly.