Chapter Text
Johnny felt like he was stirring awake after falling asleep drunk out of his mind, but he didn’t remember even touching a bottle. His head felt like it was pounding… until he realized it wasn’t. That’s when he remembered the previous night.
”Need a smoke, where’d you stash yours?”
”Who you work for?! Start talking!”
”See you never asshole!”
”Leave me alone! Get out, just get the fuck out!”
Johnny just felt agitated as suddenly all these thoughts and memories that weren’t his own struck him in his digital cranium. Vague glimpses of getting a tattoo, stargazing, and the desert all coming and going in a blink. That is until some of the images were becoming clearer, clear enough to actually tell what was going on in the moment.
“Said it was nothing serious when I came in, you said you were sure.”
“My family’s in pieces, that’s why I’m headed for Night City.”
“You know what Jackie? You’re not all bad yourself.”
“We got chemistry, you an’ me. Be a cryin’ shame to waste it… partner.”
“I’m V.”
The last sentence Johnny heard had echoed when he finally felt like he had some semblance of control over his head. All those thoughts and events pounding in him like a storm before he finally got his shit together, letting recent events finally come his way slowly. All that time he spent locked away and now he was trapped in the head of some stupid small-time merc, and a damn stubborn one at that.
(Real fucking brilliant) he thought to himself as he suddenly felt the sensation of water hitting his back and trickling down it, now aware of his apparent host’s surroundings. He realized the merc was showering as he took note of feeling her sit down to let the water hit more of her body, at least that was his presumption. (Valerie) was what interrupted his train of thought, a loose thread of the merc’s memories he subconsciously tugged at. His thoughts on the matter finished with (Her name is Valerie… she calls herself V.) before he tried reaching for a cig, but that was when he remembered that he was still dead, a digitized psyche on a chip in someone’s head. Just as Johnny started asking himself how the fuck this ended up happening to him, more of V’s memories surfaced in front of him.
“Yorinobu just offed Saburo.”
“I be - been made! A-aaaaaah!”
“See you in the Major Leagues Jack.”
“Silverhand’s construct is overwriting your consciousness, gradually taking over your body until one day you’ll just be… gone.”
That was when it finally hit him. Johnny of course knew, hell he could feel it, but he didn’t really process any of it until just now… fuck, it wasn’t enough that he was stuck in some mercenary’s head for the foreseeable future, he was being forced to rewire her brain. All because of this fucking chip, because of fucking Soulkiller doing this to him 50 years back, because Mikoshi was still around to -
(Wait,) Johnny began thinking, (Soulkiller… Mikoshi…) and just as he started hearing V’s radio talking that was when an idea began to take shape. Maybe, just maybe, they could help each other out… all that was needed was a proper plan, and hopefully an agreement.
April 19, 2077
V had just finished changing into something more inconspicuous after getting out of the shower and having something to eat.
It wasn't really much, just a white long-sleeved shirt (which she rolled up to make room for her Mantis Blades), a pair of basic black pants and some boots. It was probably a better choice for her to wear something more "civilian" looking at the moment either way just in case Arasaka was still looking for her.
She then proceeded to step into the room where she kept all her gear and extra clothes, grabbing the Lexington she got back from Wilson as well as stocking up her ammo on a hunch that things were going to be picking up again fast. Her optics then lit up as she received a message from Mama Welles asking her to call, and after holstering the Lexington, she picked up.