Chapter Text
V opened her eyes and seemed to be back on that roof, where she took Silverhand by the hand and went on a suicide mission to Arasaka, just her and him. And despite the fact that he was just a disembodied spirit in her head, the line between them had blurred so much that she could feel his warm, slightly sweaty hand, the smell of cigarettes wafting from his hair, and his feelings as if they were her own. Determination. Fearlessness. The desire to defy the whole world. All or nothing. Or was it all her thoughts and desires? It's really hard to understand right now.
And yet this is not reality. Far away on the horizon, where the red sun was rising behind the smog, the usual blue ripples appeared. V went to the edge and picked up the pendant Misty had made. And at the same moment, voices began to be heard around, fragments of phrases: River, Panam, Kerry, Judy, Misty, Vic and even Jackie. The floor disappeared under her feet and she began to fall, but for some reason V was not afraid, on the contrary, she felt relieved and calm and she closed her eyes.
"Why are you lying down? Are you dead or something?" Already a familiar voice made V smile and open her eyes. Johnny was sitting next to her. "But no, you're alive."
"Well, you see, I've dealt with everything."
"You were right, V. You did it."
"And who choked on his words?"
"Oh, fuck you." Johnny got up and disappeared from V's field of view, so she got up too, following him and sitting down at the table, as in that diner in which she furiously shouted at him the second time they met. Right now, the memory only made her smile. "Why are you smiling all the time?"
"Can't you hear my thoughts?"
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Johnny put his leg up on the table and sprawled on the chair.
"What?"
"We have already been separated, we are now two different engrams."
"Oh. So now I'm an engram too." V took a closer look at the dark space around them. "Is this the terrifying prison of souls?"
"Yes, but it has changed since my last time here. Alt is managing here now."
"I don't even feel pain, it's weird. It was worse in your memories." V examined her hands, and then leaned across the table and quickly grabbed Johnny's aviator sunglasses, which felt both weight and texture quite clearly. "But the sensitivity is not gone."
"This is temporary analgesia. We're a dataset, so some feelings can be turned off." Johnny watched with a slight grin as she played with his glasses like a child or a monkey.
"Since when do you understand such things?" V finished experimenting with glasses and put them on her head, it was still unusual to not have long hair, she had been walking with a shaved temple for so long that she no longer remembers how it was before. But since Vic had to have surgery on her skull, hair were crookedly cut off and after waking up, there was nothing left for her to adjust the entire length to the overgrown temple. Of course, she doesn't feel bald anymore, but sometimes she still misses the length.
"Alt uploaded some shit to me while you were gone."
"I see." V leaned on her arm and stared intently at Johnny, who also did not take his eyes off the green eyes opposite. V liked to see a face that was not hidden behind dark lenses, in fact, she believed that Johnny hid them for a reason, because his eyes were incredibly expressive and warm, not at all an appropriate description for a rocker, a legend of Night City. But it was from them that she couldn't take her eyes off, especially now that she was beginning to realize that this was the last time they would see each other.
"One minute you're grinning like crazy, and now it's like you're ready to burst into tears like a pathetic bitch. What's the matter with you?" Johnny swung his legs off the table and sat up straight, frowning.
"I somehow managed to forget that you're not in my head forever." V took off her glasses and put them back on the rocker. "I can't believe you're just going to disappear." V took the index finger of her right hand in left hand and began to pull it with her fingernail, an old stupid habit. But she never managed to maintain a pessimistic attitude for a long time, so she put a smile back on her face. "Who's going to give me their fucking great opinion on anything now?"
"Ha. Ha. V. You are as original as always, but I must admit that not hearing your thoughts and not sharing the same feelings between two is really strange." Johnny began to tap the rhythm with his foot.
"Is that all over? Now everything depends on us?"
"No!" The red figure of the Alt appeared in the air, her voice sounded loud and stern.
"Fuck… What do you mean?" Johnny clicked his tongue.
"I was wrong when I excluded the body from the factors. DNA reconfiguration has been going on for too long. Aggressive drugs complicated the process, and the immune system began to attack the neurons."
"That's enough! Speak like a human being!"
"V will die no matter what I do. Nothing will change that anymore." Alt spread her hands.
"Holy shit, Alt! How could you even mess up like that?" Johnny hit the metaphorical table with a metal hand, and his voice was filled with rage. But when he turned away from the cold bitch for whom he had once died, he saw V bending over and covering her face with her hands.
"I couldn't assess the situation until I had the opportunity to make a full diagnosis."
"You promised her a new life! Did you fuck with her, is that it?"
"Fuck, Johnny, shut up! I need to think about it." V shouted irritably.
"It's going to be okay, V. We'll figure something out."
"I asked you, Johnny. Fuck off." V took a deep breath of nonexistent air and looked up from her shoes. "Alt, you have access to all of Arasaka right now. What Hanako was talking about when she offered to help me. What other base should I blow up to get it?"
"Judging by the recordings of her conversations and the engram of Saburo Arasaka, which I absorbed, her plan was in neurosurgery, but this option is not valid. Arasaka doesn't have the right technology."
"Shit." V had no other words, all she could do was grab her head.
"Alt, come on. There must be an option." Johnny wanted to go over and at least pat the miserable and devastated girl on the back, but she didn't really want his company right now.
"V's body has changed under the influence of the biochip. Now it perceives her consciousness as an outsider." The mechanical voice did not change the voice, it sounded clear and soulless, which only made Johnny more angry. "It's different with you. You have become his rightful owner."
V abruptly jumped to her feet and pointed at the Alt with her finger: "So you're in favor of your ex kicking me out of my body?"
"The changes are irreversible. You have nothing left to lose, and he can have everything. But I won't interfere, you have control of the body right now."
"Alt, leave us alone. V and I need to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about. I'm totally fucked." V got up, she wanted to walk around, as if to cool her head, but the picture blurred and she, unable to stand on her feet, sat down again only now on the floor, and Johnny was in front of her on a chair, leaning on the back. "That's enough for me. I'm tired."
"Stop it, of the two of us, I'm talking about the futility of existence, not you. So pull yourself together."
"I am more than in my mind. Where does the Alt take the engrams?"
"Behind the Black Wall to become a part of her. Whatever the fuck that means."
"It's dangerous."
"Everything is better than when your consciousness is crumbled and reassembled, and so on indefinitely. No one is going to roll my ass over what's left of me anymore."
"Walking in the dark, without a purpose, without a form, without desires still sounds like bullshit. Bullshit that I'd rather die for."
"Liberation from the body, from basic needs and worries, opens up new perspectives." Alt reappeared behind Johnny. V grinned, she didn't give them much time.
"No. Stay with fading memories of crazy parties, the feeling of the sea breeze, the warmth of the dawn..." The words flowed so easily from V, there were so many things she didn't want to lose, she turned to Johnny and more popped up in her head. "The warmth of the bed and someone else's laughter... no, just not."
"Great. So we stick to my plan, I leave with Alt, and you take your life back. At least for six months."
"And at the same time send you into darkness forever? This light inspires hope, but to me it's just a gateway to hell." V pointed to the bridge leading to the black barrier.
"And yet the choice is yours. The well will return you to your body, and after crossing the bridge you will join me." Alt went into darkness, and the last words echoed.
"Come on, no heroic bullshit, I took my step over the edge fifty years ago. Jump into the well and live happily, I don't know, fuck a cop or that braindance girl. Rock it."
V got up again and immediately found herself at a crossroads, looking around in confusion. She wanted to live, very much, more than anything in the world. But... there's always a fucking but. Six months, is nothing, it just doesn't make sense and that's if she's a good girl, gives up everything that made her her and folds her paws like she's terminally ill. Yes, it's like she is! And then there's Johnny. This arrogant, rude, vulgar rocker who values his cigarettes above other people's lives, but this is Johnny. How could she send him to nothing when the ticket to freedom is very close to him, it's so damn unfair. Why can't they have a happy ending for everyone?
V looked back at the well and resolutely turned away from it, walking towards the bright light, but before she had taken the second step, Johnny appeared and threw her over his shoulder and carried her away. V slapped him on the back with all her might, with the force which she had carried out the entire Arasaka a couple of minutes ago. But Silverhand didn't even twitch, and V remembered that there was no pain here, and just as she wanted to start swinging, they were at the well in a second. Johnny leaned forward sharply, throwing his body off himself into a whirlpool of numbers and lines of code. But the mercenary did not give up so easily, she grabbed the strap of his T-shirt and the edge of the well, from which he had to restrain himself from falling after her.
"Fuck, V, stop being such a pussy and go back to your fucking body!"
"Stop, Johnny, this is not what I chose!" V kicked him on the kneecap, which made Johnny squint and almost fell into the well.
"Your choice sucks! Fuck me, I don't need such a rescue." He pulled them back and V followed his momentum, clinging to the guitarist like a koala.
"Don't be so selfish anymore and accept my decision!" V lowered her legs, still holding Johnny tightly across his chest, pressing his hands to his body, ready to continue the fight. But Johnny stopped and didn't resist. On the contrary, he raised his arms as far as he could and hugged V. She looked down at her waist in disbelief, and just moved her arms around Johnny's neck, wrapping him in a tight hug, seeing only his dark hair. And he squeezed her into a careful ring of hands. "I'm scared to go back to all this without you." V whispered, barely audible.
"You lived without me somehow. You can keep going. Do you remember when I asked you what you would write on my tombstone?"
"I remember saying: "Relentless rocker who never surrender. Not even in death." V grinned and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You made me realize that some things are worth giving up or letting go of. But you must never forget who you are. If you really learned something from me, then don't give up, V. Fight to the end." Johnny pushed V away, but holding her by the shoulders so that she would not decide to run again.
"...Okay, okay." V looked him up and down, noticing the tokens, she turned her gaze to the bullet amulet and took it off. "I don't know if you can take it and whether it matters behind wall, but just let it remind you of me."
"After all, you're still the same sentimental snot as before." He took the amulet with a grin and put it on. "You didn't take shit from me."
"Well, don't tell me, as soon as I get back to reality, I'm going to blow up the whole Arasaka Tower, I was going to, and in light of new events, I'm going to set fire to the asses of these corpos."
"That's the attitude. Come on, it's time for you." Johnny turned V around and pushed her forward.
She climbed over hesitantly and sat on the edge, and he was there too: "Goodbye, Johnny."
"Goodbye, Valerie"
V squeezed her eyes shut and dived, for a moment the broken pixels were replaced by darkness, and then by pain, which forced her to open her eyes and swim to the surface. She cleared her throat and climbed onto the platform to the server.
The siren was howling, but there was no one nearby. She double-checked the readiness of the weapon and the bag of explosives and moved to the elevator to the helipad, climbed to the roof, put a bomb in the cabin, turned on the timer for five minutes and sent the elevator down, and then moved to the landing craft rising into the air.
"Delamain, I'm on the roof."
"Your flying machine is waiting for you."
V pulled out a katana and, as if on supersonic, demolished heads and limbs, and those who dared to approach from behind received point-blank range from the Malorian Arms 3516. So it was not difficult to get to the car, she jumped into the cabin.
"Go ahead and rev it up."
"Please buckle up, we are in combat mode. Thank you for using our services."
Delamain immediately go to the marked point, while V slipped out the window and aimed her hand at firing projectiles from the cyberimplant at the ships pursuing her, but the notification on the optics warned ten seconds before the explosion. V disappeared back into the cabin, counting down the seconds, and an explosion thundered, so loud that it could be heard even behind the bulletproof glass, and V turned around, not nuclear, but it was burning fine too, and then they were shaken by the shock wave.
And then the real strangeness began, a strange green wave began to spread from the explosion, and when it reached V, everything turned green and sparkled in the optics, and she lost consciousness.
V woke up to someone pushing her and wailing loudly. She opened her eyes abruptly, and Panam stood in front of her.
"You're awake! Finally! What the fuck, V? Why did you come to me on a Delamain and why do you look so shabby?" Panam forcibly dragged V out of the salon and put her on her feet, without stopping talking in raised tones.
"Panam, not so loud, my head is exploding." And V wasn't exaggerating, she didn't have a headache with such force even when the chip malfunctioned. It's like she's got a bucket on her and someone is banging on it. From the overabundance of sensations, V felt like she was being led and immediately vomited. Panam was saying something else, but V wasn't listening, she was just walking slowly behind her. She was laid on a couch, and people began to circle around her until she passed out again.
The next time she woke up, she wasn't sick and her head didn't hurt. On the contrary, it seemed that a second breath had opened in her, and she calmly stood up. Judging by the situation, she's in the Aldecaldos medical tent, and if she's still breathing, it means she managed to get away from Arasaka. She couldn't help but smile with all thirty-two teeth, ecstasy filled her so much that she screamed. Mitch ran into the tent.
"What happened?"
"It's okay, Mitch. Everything is just fucking great." V tapped man on the shoulder and went outside, where she headed for cold drinks. Hutch caught up with her at the refrigerator, and before he could start scolding her, V spoke up.
"Calm down, I'm fine, so whatever you inject me with, it worked, I feel much better."
"Yeah. I noticed. If you are healthy, go to the Panam, she created a flap for you."
"As soon as I drink this life-giving liquid." V put her face under the cold blowing from the refrigerator, then pulled out a can of soda and drank it greedily, and then crumpled a can with one hand. She turned around and already saw furious Panam coming towards her, V did not run, waited until the nomad stopped, they silently looked at each other until Panam exploded.
"What? Don't you have anything to say?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure, when I was running away from the explosion, some kind of green wave flew by, and the next thing I remember, I'm already here."
"Explosion of what?"
"What do you mean of what? Has it been on the news yet? Arasaka Tower. It should be on all channels." V frowned and bowed her head, the corporation couldn't hide it even if it wanted to.
"What? Arasaka Tower is completely intact." Panam put her hand on her hip and lowered her tone. "Did you take something?"
"Yesterday I pawned a huge bag of TNT, drove off on a Delamain, and fucking demolished the whole building, there should have been only dust and ruins left."
"V, I repeat. The tower are intact, I was in the center yesterday and everything is fine there, this is firstly. Secondly, you didn't arrive yesterday, but the day before yesterday, because you were unconscious for a day. So again, have you been drugged? Your system is clean."
"You're fucking kidding." V walked around Panam and went to the computer, she opened the network and entered "arasaka tower explosion". And nothing. Literally nothing, not even a moronic thread, not even a tweet. No. Shit.
"See, I told you." Panam slapped her friend on the shoulder.
"It can't be." V didn't know what to think. The chip has distorted her brain so much that she is hallucinating what is happening, are corporations changing her consciousness or is she in Mikoshi now? But then the date caught her attention. 23.03.2017. V, perplexed, brought her face closer to the numbers, but they remained the same, then she clicked on them, maybe it hung, but no. Then she turned to Panam. "What does it say here?"
"Um... date?"
"What date?"
"March 23rd."
"What year is Panam?!" V jumped to her feet and took Panam's hands.
"Calm down, V, you're not yourself."
"Panam, it's important, what year is it now?"
"2017".
V stared intently into her friend's face, looking for at least some signs that she was joking or just mocking, but she only came across sincere concern and confusion. Then V let her go and ran out to the camp, where, seeing Mitch, she ran up to him.
"What is the date and year today? Quickly"
"March 23, 2017".
"It can't be." V threw up her arms and ran on, bumping into Saul on the way, discussing something with Carol. Who if not Saul would answer her directly and without jokes, so she broke into their dialogue. "Sol, what year is it now?"
"And hello to you too, V. It was 2017 yesterday."
V shifted her gaze from the male figure to the female one, only one question remained in her head: "How?. How could it be 2017?"
"I need to go home." V said, still in a daze, she silently went out to the road and opened the list of numbers. The interface also showed the same date. Then she opened the photos, and it was as if they were from another life, they had moments that had never happened to her. She met Panam three weeks ago, and there were photos for a year ahead. It felt like someone had lived a lifetime instead of her.
"I thought you'd already left," Panam stopped in front of her in her car.
"I was going to..."
"...And? Why didn't you leave?"
"Yeah, I'll call the car now."
"No need, I'll give you a ride."
"Thanks."
Without thinking, V sat down and stared out the window. From a distance, Night City seemed the same as in 2077. But when we got closer, everything turned out to be wrong, at a cursory glance everything was as it was before, but the details did not match. This feeling of strangeness was especially evident when they entered the usual route to her apartment, but every second building was unfamiliar to her, and when they stopped at her house, it was a different color and there were other eateries nearby. What kind of stupid simulation is this? And what's the point of her if she knows it's all bullshit.
"V, I didn't know you were a Samurai fan."
"What? No, I'm not a fan, I've only heard a couple of popular songs that Johnny played to me."
"Which Johnny? Did he give you this new and honestly shitty tattoo?"
V slowly turned to her friend. If this is a simulation, then it's the dumbest one that could be created. And whose doesn't matter, Arasaka or Alt. There was no way Panam could forget or not understand who she was talking about, because she knows the Samurai, knows who their vocalist and main guitar were, and knows exactly who was sitting in her head for a month. So V pinched herself, it hurt, as if in reality.
"V? Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just need to exhale."
In the same confusion, she went up to the apartment, which recognized her and opened, and everything was as before inside, even Nibbles came out to greet her, and Manny the iguana just turned away from her. Home. Sweet home. Only a cork board appeared, on which there were photos of her friends, as if from some kind of party, there was even a photo of Jackie, but not from the party, but what his mother used at the funeral and a small note: "A small gift. From Judy. :*". Looking into the weapons storage, V saw an incomplete arsenal, some weapons were missing, for example her favorite rifle, present from Panam. She urgently needs to clear her head. She took off her clothes, took a shower and went to the mirror. Her face was not badly damaged after the tower raid, a couple of scratches and abrasions, but large parts of the torn synthetic skin were on the right side of her body, but it is not surprising, it was there that the Smasher hit her, perhaps if she did not consist of 80% of cyberware, then she did not survive a direct hit. Gathering her courage, she looked at her right hand. The tattoo was in place, V ran her hand over it, smooth, good job.
What is really going on with her? She was sure that in 2077 she made a fucking way to salvation, and eventually lost a friend, and blew up Arasaka out of anger. But the whole world was telling her now that this was not the case. And if this is reality, then what happened before that? Maybe her brain is so destroyed that she has withdrawn into herself and imagines a new world. She changed everything around except herself. Except herself. An insight came to V, if she remembers 2077, where in the files of her cyberwares there should be a trace that she has not gone mad. She threw on the first clothes she saw. And she rushed to the Vic. Running into the esoteric shop.
"Hi, Misty. Bye, Misty." V stormed over to Vic, who was watching a boxing match. "Vic, do cyberware store dates?"
"Hi, V. What do you mean?" Victor turned to her, putting down the screwdriver.
"Can dates be saved in cyberware? Any, for example, when it was installed or when the software was updated and so on, I do not know, I am not a ripperdoc".
"They can be saved, but is Kiroshi buggy?"
"Look, please." V climbed onto the chair herself and settled herself comfortably.
"Okay." Without question or delay, Vic rolled up a chair and connected the wires, the lines of analysis ran across the screen and V sat up to look at the screen, but Vic put her back down, and then thoughtfully put his hand to his chin.
V was twitching her finger with her fingernail.
"There's really something strange with the data, the date of the last update is 06/21/2077."
"Show me!" V leaned over the armrest and ripperdoc, moving the screen towards herself. A mechanical hand pointed to the right line. She didn't go crazy, everything that happened to her was not an invention of her sick brain. "Vic, how is my brain?"
"It's fine. Are there any complaints?"
"Completely normal and no structural changes or pathologies?"
"There are no differences from the last time, as I see
it."
"Ha.. Ha ha ha ha… I can't believe it." V covered her face with her hands and laughed, it can't be like this, not in Night City, not with her. This is some kind of very evil joke, and when she finds this joker, he will suffer for a long time and painfully. She pulled the cord out of her head and sat down.
"V, what's going on with you?"
"I do not know, it's like I woke up in a completely unfamiliar world after a terrible nightmare."
"I see. Many people get lost in the routine in this city, you should take a break and exhale a little. You haven't allowed yourself to do that since Jackie left. For example, go to the ring or a concert, Samurai for example."
"Samurai?" V tore off her hands and raised an eyebrow.
"You like them." Victor pointed to the logo on her T-shirt. "They're kind of going on a tour of the local bars. I don't know, check with one of the fixers."
"I'll clarify, thank you." V nodded slowly and returned to Misty's shop.
"Well, have you solved your urgent case?"
"Yes, everything is fine. I shouldn't have worried. How are you? How's the business?"
"Everything is fine, I made a fortune-telling, and it showed that I have a big deal waiting for me next month. Do you want me to tell your fortune too?" Misty spoke in her usual quiet and calm manner, so even V was getting easier now.
"Let's go, it won't get any worse. Are we going to reading for the future?"
"Let's limit ourselves to this half-year." Misty took the deck and whispered something, and then shuffled and took out the first card. "Death."
"Very positive."
"This card doesn't mean what you think it means. It will mark the end of the old stage and the beginning of something new. New acquaintances, a change of occupation or worldview." Misty drew a second card. Peace. "And this change will be for the better, they will bring pleasure and happiness." And the last card was hanged man. "Although there will be doubts and disbelief, everything will come to what it should."
"Sounds very good and encouraging."
"You'll see soon, everything will change for the better."
"Thanks Mits. I'll see you again." Misty waved at her. V opened the phone book, it contained the numbers of the fixers she already knew. She dialed Regina, she's a journalist and she should know about such things.
"Hi, V. What the matter?"
"I want to get to the Samurai concert, can you help me."
"I can, of course. Give me a second." Regina's eyes glowed blue and went out. "They're doing a mini-tour of the Night City clubs. Like going back to the roots. They're going to the Red Dirt tomorrow. Admission is by ticket, so I understand you need a ticket too?".
"You understand me correctly. How much?"
"I don't know yet. I'll contact you in the evening, then we'll discuss the price." Regina disconnected the call.
V walked around the city all day, she had a good amount in her account, probably that V was saving up for the move. For now, these plans will have to be held back. As she thought, this world was a confluence of two times, something got out of her time, and the other should have been covered with dust or rotting in a landfill long ago. And the city was cleaner and it was easier to breathe, that's what they are, the good old days. V grinned, expecting a sarcastic remark, but immediately pulled herself away. There is no chip in her head, no engram, and no rockerboy. He is probably like the whole world a stranger to her.
What should she do when she sees him, what to say, and most importantly, how to cope with complete indifference. V will be just another fan in a sweaty crowd that he despises, but still tries to shout. How can she prove that he is important to her and she already misses him? And should she even try? She's healthy, Vic couldn't have been mistaken. This means that all roads in front of us are now open. But why does each of the fictional scenarios always lead her to him? Perhaps their merging had affected her so much. Also concert in such an ironic place, as if fate tells her that this is the end.
V exhaled, slapped her legs and decided that there was nothing that a delicious pizza couldn't fix, so she went in search of it.
After just six hours of actively avoiding negative thoughts, Regina called V back.
"There is a ticket, but it will cost 4000, do you take it?"
"Is it with a surcharge for your services?"
"Yes."
"I'll take it." V transferred the eurodollars.
"Pick up your invitation at the post office."
V did so, and when she returned home, she drew a plan of the building from memory, roughly imagining where the back rooms and dressing rooms were. IF she does decide to talk to Johnny, then it should definitely not be done in front of his numerous fan base, perhaps even out of sight of his band. Having roughly made a plan, another problem arose, what should she wear. Her appearance should not extradite her as a mercenary who came to someone's head, on the contrary, she should blend in with the crowd. But what do listeners of rock bands wear in the 2010s? Her casual wardrobe was more suitable for climbing in the desert than for entertainment. Should she buys some new clothes? On the other hand, Alt seemed to be wearing jeans, a top and a jacket, she would have that. After trying on a few things, she fished out a couple of decent-looking ones and settled on a green top with thin straps, brown wide-leg capri pants, a black biker jacket and even her worn sneakers fit well. Turning around in the mirror, she nodded affirmatively and imagined how Johnny would appreciate her image. Probably complained that there was not enough leather fabric in the image. A smile involuntarily touched V's lips. God, she thinks about him too much, like she's possessed.
***
Standing in line, V nervously tapped her foot on the asphalt, they were already being launched, the queue was slowly moving forward, and it was getting harder to delay the moment of the meeting. There were cheers all around without stopping, it seemed that she was the only one who felt anxiety among the admiring crowd. Inside, the club was not much different from 2077, only the crowd was many times larger, and the air was heating up quickly. V managed to get closer to the stage, not in the front row, but close enough that she could be seen from the stage.
Soon the light changed tint and Nancy, Henry, Danny, Kerry came on stage. The crowd burst into applause, and V crossed her arms over her chest, holding her breath. And so he entered the stage, the king of the evening. Johnny fucking Silverhand. With his trademark laid back gait and guitar in hands. Denny beat the rhythm and the concert began. Surprisingly, Johnny had other clothes besides skinny jeans and a Samurai T-shirt, now he was decorated with a black short-sleeve shirt only half buttoned and black jeans with red inserts. He sang loudly and furiously into the microphone, and fiercely played the guitar, he attracted attention by the way he gave himself up to the music. Unnoticeably, V succumbed to the waves of music, swaying and singing softly.
It's solo time, and he's just as good as he was fifty years later in her body. The words about the rock legend were not an exaggeration. And it also reminded V of how he played the virtual guitar while she was cleaning guns in a small apartment in a megablock.
Johnny looked around the crowd, and it didn't seem to her? Is he looking at her? More precisely, he did not look, but stared, he continued to play, but he no longer shook his head and jumped on stage, but behind the lenses of his glasses it was difficult to tell where he was looking, but she only looked at him without taking her eyes off him. And they stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, until his solo ended and Kerry came forward. And maybe it's just her imagination, but Johnny seems to be glanced at her. So they played peek-a-boo until the end of the song. When he was done, he took a bottle and poured water over himself, and then reached for the chains around his neck and pulled out two tokens and her bullet amulet from under his shirt. V's optics zoomed in on the picture and it was definitely hers, then she looked straight into Silverhand's face again. And he was looking at her, and V noticed how he said something with his lips, but could not understand, and he shook his head as if trying to drive away an obsession, and returned his gaze to her, then she smiled at him and waved her head in greeting in the usual manner.
The concert was a great success, the crowd raged and asked for an encore. But staff came out to collect the stage, and V was already on the roof of another building, which had a good view of the emergency exit, a little further from it, there was a grille with two big guys hold the crowd. Johnny came out the back door to smoke, he was standing so that he could not be seen by the fans around the corner. V assessed the route and, unnoticed by the eye of the layman, jumped to the roof of the club, her landing was silent, and she stood looking at the dark crown, exhaled and jumped right in front of him.
Well, here he is, he didn't even flinch at her appearance. V opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. And Johnny threw away the cigarette, took her forearm and dragged her into the back room, which was empty. They stopped in the middle of the room, still looking at each other. V took the first step towards him, and with her free hand she took the amulet and twisted it.
"...Hello, Johnny." V smiled weakly and held out his gun. "It seems to be yours."
Johnny took off his glasses, and finally V could see his eyes filled with both disbelief and hope, he took the gun and checked the magazine with a practiced movement, and then threw it back on coach: "Hello, Valerie."
And V just hugged him, grabbed him across the back like that, squeezing hard. It wasn't the same as in Mikoshi, now she could hear his heart, felt that he was made of flesh and blood.
"I don't give a shit if this is all a simulation." V felt his arms wrap around her like a cocoon.
"That was my line." Johnny grinned. V felt the warmth as he breathed into her hair, and movement of his muscles under her palms.
"Fuck, you're alive."
"Am I alive? Are you alive?" Johnny moved away, but put his hands on V's shoulders.
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"How you flew into the body, and then I talked with Alt for a long time. And then a strange green wave swept by and here I am in this fucking strange place." Johnny walked away and poured two glasses of something alcoholic.
"So you saw the wave too. It happened after I blew up the tower. I don't understand what's going on with us. If this is a simulation, then it turns out I'm still an engram, and then where are we? To Mikoshi? In the Alt?" V also took a glass, but did not drink, twirled it in her hands, thinking.
"Alt wouldn't screw us like that. It was a fair deal, everyone got their benefits." Johnny drank alcohol. "Are you really V?"
"Are you really Johnny?" V left the glass and leaned back on the couch. "2077 registers my implants, as if I was just yanked out of there and teleported here."
"Have you been to Vic's? What about the chances of survival?"
"According to him, I am healthy, absolutely. As if there was nothing."
"Or maybe here in this universe, this V never inserted a Silverhand chip, because it never existed."
"Universe?"
"Previously, moves about parallel universes were very popular, there were different ways to get into them, including a explosion"
"So your theory is based on a popcorn movie? I blew up the tower and it magically moved you and me here?"
"Now there has to come a moment where some nerd with glasses will start talking about the subtle structure of the universe."
"We have a nerd with glasses, it's a pity he doesn't fuck what's going on with us, but makes very scientific conclusions from the film from his youth." V folded her arms and looked skeptically at the other man.
"In this world, it's from your youth too." Johnny downed another glass.
Suddenly, there was a furious knocking on the door and Kerry's voice rang out.
"Johnny, this dressing room is not for you alone!"
"Oh, fuck. It's time to get out." V got to her feet, but Johnny grabbed her arm.
"Why the fuck?"
"First of all, I don't want to be known as your sick fan who snuck in to you like a stalker. Secondly, I will have to invent the story of our acquaintance, and I do not have a working option. I'll be waiting for you in the car at the diner around the corner."
V got out and just as imperceptibly got to her car and got behind the wheel looking in the rearview mirror, after a couple of minutes Johnny jumped into the front seat and threw the guitar into the back.
"Drive. Where are we going?"
V started the car and drove out onto the highway: "To my place."
"So fast? Won’t you even buy me a cocktail first?" Johnny opened the window, putting his hand to the gusts of wind.
V chuckled, "Do you have a place to take me? Not that rundown hotel room, I'm not going back to that dump."
They reached her apartment. Johnny walked in as confidently as if it were his own apartment. He put down the guitar, took off his jacket and lay down on the sofa, taking out cigarettes, he held out one, and she accepted it. The lighter wheel gave a spark and a flame appeared, V held a cigarette to it, and she inhaled and exhaled.
"You must be thrilled that your smoking is no longer dependent on me."
"There are many advantages to gaining a body."
"So Nancy is free?"
"Yes, Nancy never went to jail in this place, and the band didn't fall apart."
"It doesn't sound so bad." V took another inhale her cigarette. "Alt is she... online?"
"Yes."
Johnny looked thoughtfully at the cigarette in his hands, being in the flesh, it was like even more difficult for him to hide this wound, and V decided to change the subject.
"You look younger. How old are you now?"
"2017. So 27."
"Oh, so you're only four years older. Damn, now my entire stock of jokes can be thrown away." V flicked off the ashes. "If the band is together, does that mean you live together?"
"Live, it's too big a word, we rather tolerate each other." Nibbles came out of the toilet and began to caress at Johnny's feet, he picked up the cat and sat it on his lap. "You fattened him up."
"It's like he's been living with me for a year, not a couple of weeks. I have a life here, friends, a job, a home. Stability and grace." V scratched the cat's ears, and he rolled over onto his back, revealing his stomach. "It's so weird."
"And what are your plans for this life?"
"I don't know, at first I tried to unravel the universal conspiracy behind all this. And now I just want to exhale and enjoy life, and also..." V looked into Johnny's face. "I'll only say it once, but it was fucking scary to wake up and lose your presence." And as soon as the words left her mouth, V realized how pathetic it sounded. "Okay, forget it."
"V, when I was still in your head, sometimes I woke up, and it was as if I owned my body again, as if I was free. And the next second, I felt like I was lost something. Something very important. Then I realized that you were here, always were. And an stupid wave of relief wash over me." Johnny's voice became quieter and huskier.
"You know, Johnny, you said you didn't want to ruin our friendship, and I don't want that either. So I want to ask you for something that we'll forget later and keep trying not to fuck it all up." V tried to keep a serious expression on her face, although giggles tried to escape.
"What do you want to do?"
"You'll have to trust me, Silverhand. So?"
"...okay. Go ahead."
"Then move your ass to the floor and don't peek. V pressed her lips together tightly so that they wouldn't form a smile. She grabbed the combs, elastic bands and hairpins that Misty had given her from the bathroom, she hid it all behind her back. Johnny continued to smoke and play with the cat, only now on the floor. V sat down on the couch so that Johnny's head was between her legs.
"Look, you promised, so don't twist or twitch." She began to brush Johnny's hair, surprisingly it was soft and clean. V whistled. "I didn't think you cared for your hair."
"Kerry has a great shampoo and balm."
When she finished combing, she separated a small section of hair and began to carry out her insidious plan, which was to braid a waterfall braid for Silverhand and maybe attach small hairpins with white flowers. V grunted, unsuccessfully attempt to hide the pleasure of the little prank, and Johnny began to turn towards her, but she put her hand on the top of his head and turned him back. By the end, V was shuddering in silent laughter. She nodded contentedly at her work and took the first picture through Kiroshi, and then squatted down in front of Johnny, not hiding a huge smile, took off his glasses and took another picture, and finished everything with a shared selfie, and then ran to the printer that she was given
"You're just lovely." V connected to it and gave the command their selfie was printed, after which she attached it to a cork board. "I think it suits you very well. You're made for the catwalk."
Johnny was finally able to look at what V was doing and the whole meadow on his head.
"Seriously, V? That's how you decided to use your only chance to do any shit at all, and I'll agree with it."
"You should have been a model, not a rocker." She began to show the photos she had taken. And then she pointed at the tattoo on her arm. "Now we're even. I can't even imagine how I'm going to explain it."
"Say it was your guardian angel." Johnny was smiling, and so were his eyes.
The doorbell rang and the intercom turned on, from which the deliveryman shouted his presence.
"I hope you're hungry."