Chapter 947 Cyberpunk: Escaping from Santo Domingo, Pursued by an Army, Arriving in Westbrook, and Find the Edgerunner Maine.

There were no more gunshots. All that remained in the air was an intense heat that burned the throat.

They didn't understand it. They could only stare in confusion at the armored Jeep split in half, its metal still glowing red as it melted in the center.

One of the gangers tried to speak, but no voice came out. He had never seen a weapon like that. It didn't even seem like something that should be possible, but there it was: a high-powered energy weapon disguised as an implant.

"Fuck..." one of the gangers gasped, but before he could react, a bullet pierced his head.

His lifeless body fell to the ground. A woman with implants in her neck and jaw tried to shout that everyone should take cover, but at that moment three bullets struck her, killing her.

"Everyone take cover!" shouted a ganger.

The remaining men obeyed, but before they could fire, drones appeared in the air. They mercilessly illuminated them with their red lenses before opening fire.

Rebecca killed the six remaining gangers, then let out a breath and ran toward Allen.

"Idiot!"

She jumped onto Allen's back before putting him in a headlock.

"You know, I had to do it," Allen said defensively, though he didn't regret his actions despite knowing he had brought trouble upon himself by doing something like this.

"That's not it! If you were going to do something like that, you should've told me! Now I'm the idiot for only bringing toys!"

Many of the girls in the Chat were left speechless. Rebecca, being Rebecca, wasn't angry at Allen for breaking the unspoken rules and pulling out an energy cannon, something that didn't exist in Cyberpunk. She was angry because she hadn't been the one to do it.

Besides, wasn't Allen the one who said they had to remain discreet in this world? Wasn't it implied that they would only use things that could actually be obtained in Cyberpunk? What the hell? This might be a futuristic world, but it didn't have science-fiction-style energy weapons!

Gwen – Do you know how much trouble you just brought upon yourself by using something like that? And Rebecca, you should understand this too!

Eve – I can already see Militech and Arasaka drooling over the idea of ripping that arm off you. Even in that world, that thing looks like science fiction.

Mirajane – Allen-san...

"They're worrying about details," Allen laughed.

Many of the girls thought Allen was affected by the madness of this dystopian world, but unexpectedly, there was also support for his actions.

Thor – I don't see what the problem is, haha

PercyJ – He did what he had to do!

Tony – I know it's stupid, but damn, I would've done it too.

Rick – Frustration leads to impotence, so at least for the sake of their future happiness, it's better to let him release his stupid impulses. Burp

"What kind of support is that?!" Allen complained. "Rebecca, calm down."

While Allen tried to calm Rebecca, Pilar snapped out of his daze.

"Come on, quickly!" Pilar shouted, grabbing the military crates and running toward a pickup truck that had survived the conflict.

The man had many doubts, but decided not to ask and acted.

Allen was secretly surprised, but thinking about it, it was to be expected that Pilar wasn't as stupid as he seemed. In this world, you couldn't expect to live long as an Edgerunner if you didn't think every once in a while.

Rebecca jumped off Allen's back and ran alongside him toward the pickup.

Allen sat in the driver's seat, while Rebecca and Pilar climbed into the back with the military crates.

"What are you waiting for? Start it!" Pilar exclaimed.

Before leaving, Allen looked toward a camera, hacked it, and allowed Lenalee to take care of deleting all the footage and traces. Even so, when the 6th Street arrived, they would wonder why there was a burned trench with traces of concrete and melted metal, but those were things Allen decided to ignore while continuing to be a model citizen.

....

The engine roared as they sped through the streets.

Seeing someone driving that fast through Santo Domingo could only mean trouble, especially when they noticed that the pickup belonged to the 6th Street.

"Turn left! We'll take the main road and hopefully reach Westbrook before they kill us!" Rebecca shouted.

Allen looked at the system's holographic map. "Rebecca, isn't Heywood closer?"

"No, that's Valentinos territory. If we go there, even without knowing it's us, they'll blow us to pieces if we enter their territory in a 6th Street pickup! Haha!"

"Rebecca, this isn't a joke!" Pilar said nervously.

"Whose fault is it?!"

Rebecca kicked Pilar in the shin.

"Ah! Lil bro, control your girl!"

"Die!"

"Ahh!"

Allen shook his head. If he weren't there and Rebecca weren't a Doll, their chances of making it out alive would be less than zero. And yet Pilar remained as cheerful as ever. Maybe he wasn't afraid of death, or perhaps he had already prepared himself to die.

On the streets of Santo Domingo, people could be seen turning their heads when they saw a pickup running red lights. However, once they saw who the pickup belonged to, they all returned to minding their own business.

Originally, the 6th Street had been created with good intentions. It was a gang in Night City founded by veterans of the Fourth Corporate War, and it only wanted to help ordinary people in a decaying city.

Its founder, Solomon Wright, was an idealist and anti-corporate, and that characterized the 6th Street for many years. But everything changed during the era of Rick Morton, nicknamed the General. Under his leadership, the 6th Street expanded like never before. While other small gangs were born and died, the 6th Street consolidated its power. However, this expansion came with a catch.

The General abandoned Wright's ideals and began making deals with Militech and Arasaka again. Little by little, what had once been a gang created to protect ordinary people became a corrupt gang working for the very same people who kept ordinary citizens in misery and desperation.

"...?" Allen felt a slight tremor in the ground. When he looked in the rearview mirror, a smile appeared on his face.

"They're here already! Haha!" Rebecca shouted from the back of the pickup.

As if it were a military convoy, several armored vehicles began gathering behind them, coming from all directions.

The amount of force of 6th Street Gang had deployed to kill them was simply ridiculous.

Rogue – Allen, this isn't a game. The NPCs aren't going to be confined to small areas where they can only attack you if you get close. There are two thousand of these guys, and you're clearly crossing their territory. Obviously, they're going to respond disproportionately!

"Tch." Allen clicked his tongue, but then smiled mockingly. "If they want to fuck with us that badly, then..."

Just as Allen was about to order them to open fire, he spotted two NCPD patrol cars not far away. Allen rolled down the window and shouted.

"Hey, blues! There's a criminal group trying to kill us! Do your job!"

At his shout, the police were perplexed and confused, but they immediately looked behind them and, as if they hadn't seen anything, returned to their business.

McDragon – What the?!

Felicia – Well, looks like the police aren't an option~

Allen wasn't surprised. In fact, he had expected it, which was why he didn't even slow down. It wasn't that gangs were untouchable, but the 6th Street was special.

Night City didn't have a traditional government. After the country's collapse, Free States were formed, and cities became "independent" in a manner of speaking. The ones who ruled this city were the major corporations.

Arasaka and Militech were the heads of that snake, so the 6th Street was useful to them, since the police ignored certain behaviors.

Of course, there was another, simpler reason. The police were poorly paid, and in this city, gang conflicts were endless. Sometimes they simply did nothing. It wasn't worth risking their lives over mercs and gangers fighting each other.

"And I thought I knew what corruption was," Allen mocked. "Rebecca, can you handle it?"

Rebecca smiled. She could read Allen's thoughts, and if the police didn't give a damn, why should they?

"Fuck off!"

The girl grabbed two pistols and began firing at the vehicles. They had armor, but Rebecca's bullets weren't ordinary.

When marks appeared on the armored windows, the gangers immediately returned fire.

Rebecca laughed as she shot, and Pilar was having a great time with an assault rifle as well. Some people in the Chat couldn't believe what they were seeing. Was this supposed to count as a family activity?

Although the vehicles withstood the bullets for a while, they eventually penetrated the windshield of a Jeep, killing the driver. The vehicle lost control and crashed into a light pole.

Pilar wasn't left behind. He killed two gangers with his rifle, their corpses falling into the street and being crushed by the other vehicles.

"Babe, can you help us?" Rebecca asked with a mischievous smile. "I left a present in the passenger seat."

Allen turned around, and sure enough, there was a box there. Inside were a dozen grenades, but all of them looked different.

"Rebecca?"

The girl was far too busy to answer. Allen grabbed a grenade that appeared to be painted white with small colored circles.

– Clown Grenade

Origin: Rebecca

Rarity: Blue (Rare)

"This gives me a bad feeling..."

Right at that moment, a rocket passed beside the driver's window and struck a vehicle, causing it to explode.

Allen knew he had no time to waste. He pressed the detonator and threw the grenade out the window.

It hit the ground, bounced once, and exploded, covering the vehicle behind them in colorful paint.

"Fuck! I can't see anything!" the driver shouted.

The vehicle lost control and crashed into a wall.

"Nice!" Pilar shouted.

"I'm a genius!" Rebecca shouted.

"That was unexpectedly effective," Allen said with a cunning look as he grabbed another grenade.

– Chihuahua Grenade

Origin: Rebecca

Rarity: Blue (Rare)

Allen didn't question the name and threw it. The grenade fell to the ground and remained inert, but when a vehicle drove over it, it attached itself to the underside.

When nothing happened, Allen thought it hadn't worked, but soon the vehicle began releasing smoke and lost control before crashing and flipping over.

"Hey, why Chihuahua?" Allen asked Rebecca. The grenade had worked, but he couldn't see the connection.

Rebecca didn't know how to answer for a moment. "The magnetic adhesive grenade uses vibration to damage sensitive components in electronic devices, and, well, you know how Chihuahuas are always shaking... vibration..."

"..." Allen didn't ask any more questions and simply grabbed another grenade.

– Sauna Grenade

Origin: Rebecca

Rarity: Purple (Epic)

There was a slight bad feeling in his gut, and he hesitated to use it, but as he did, a bullet struck Rebecca in the shoulder. This enraged him, and he threw the grenade with all his strength. This time it flew like a cannonball, piercing the windshield of a Hummer.

A red flash could be seen inside the vehicle, followed by the horrifying screams of the four gangers inside. It was a terrifying scene. The four men were literally cooked alive.

"Rebecca, what the hell is that?!"

Rebecca went pale. Even she thought that was too much.

"It's a grenade that produces high-intensity microwaves!"

Everyone in the Chat was left in shock. It was a terrifying grenade. It literally cooked people!

"Okay, enough!" Allen closed the grenade box and stepped on the accelerator. Fortunately, the destroyed vehicles slowed down the pursuers, allowing them to escape.

The street came to an end, and they reached a bridge—the one connecting Santo Domingo and Westbrook. As they crossed it, the vehicles behind them began to slow down.

....

The aesthetics changed, and the factories and warehouses gave way to nicer, cleaner buildings and streets.

Westbrook had three subdistricts: Japantown (tourism, clubs, Japanese culture), Charter Hill (upper-middle class), and North Oak (elite, mansions, no gangs, private security).

They entered through Charter Hill, where the Tiger Claws were the dominant gang, but most of their presence was in Japantown, so they didn't run into any of them.

The 6th Street didn't want to start a war with the Tiger Claws, so they had to stop.

The General definitely wasn't going to be happy.

....

Allen drove until he stopped on a random street.

Pilar grabbed the military crates and got out of the pickup. "That was close! Haha!"

Allen also got out and checked Rebecca's shoulder. It was only a scratch, which relieved him. He then looked around. Seeing them there definitely attracted attention.

This time Allen didn't call Delamain. Instead, he smiled at Rebecca and Pilar before walking toward a parking garage. Once inside, he inspected the vehicles.

He scanned several vehicles before stopping at one, and a smile appeared on his face.

[Chevillon Thrax 388 Jefferson

Origin: Executive

Price: €$34,000

HP: The heaviest car ever to drive the streets and responsible for a quarter of all pedestrian fatalities]

"..." Allen rolled his eyes at Lenalee's comment, but soon returned his attention to the vehicle.

Four doors, five seats...

The preferred automobile of the mid-level managerial class, the Chevillon Thrax is elegant, commands respect, and, most importantly, is safe and heavy.

However, what caught Allen's attention was that this was the car of the infamous Fixer, Dexter DeShawn, who would eventually betray V and nearly kill him.

Fixers were supposed to be the intermediaries between clients and mercs like Pilar, Rebecca, and Maine. But Dexter was a bastard. He allowed fear and greed to get the better of him and betrayed the Fixer profession.

If he got the opportunity, Allen wouldn't mind teaching that fat traitor a lesson.

"You really like that thing?" Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It looks sturdy but slow as hell," Pilar mocked.

Allen shrugged. "There's a saying in my town: if you're going to die, do it in style."

"What town?! You just made that up!" Rebecca mocked.

Allen paid no attention to the siblings as he opened the vehicle's doors. Once inside, he sat in the driver's seat, and Rebecca jumped in and sat on his lap.

"Tch, am I the butler?" Pilar complained, but he put the military crates in the trunk before getting into the back and reclining casually. "What's the plan, lil bro?"

Rebecca looked at Allen too, but he blinked in confusion. Why did it suddenly seem like he had become the leader? No, to begin with, what happened to Maine, Dorio, and Sasha? This whole time, it seemed Pilar had never even thought about contacting them.

"Pilar, don't you have a crew?"

"Hm? Maine? Nah, man. We only just started working with him. I didn't want to drag him into our shit."

Allen narrowed his eyes. "Mmm, and it's okay to give me problems?"

"Hahaha!" Pilar lifted his sunglasses while smiling. "Well, we're family, aren't we?"

At the same time, Rebecca hugged Allen. When he looked at her, she had bright, cunning eyes, as if saying, give up.

Allen remained silent for a moment. He had no intention of getting too involved in this world. The original plan had been to save Sasha, try to prevent Maine from installing twenty implants and falling into cyberpsychosis, and then let this world follow its natural course while Rebecca tried to make sure none of her friends died during the future events.

"I feel like Toretto..." Allen chuckled before stepping on the accelerator. "Fine. Let's go to Watson, find somewhere to live, and then head to Afterlife to meet your boss, Pilar."

He had no intention of getting involved in this world. However, it seemed it was already too late, so he could only accept it. And since he was already involved, why not turn things upside down and shake up Night City—or even the whole of Cyberpunk?!

....

Santo Domingo

The General got out of his vehicle accompanied by Will Goner. He ignored the bodies of his men and went straight to the "melted" Jeep.

"What the fuck happened here?!"

"General." One of the men approached him fearfully. It was the same man Allen hadn't killed and had only hacked his optics. "It was him! The albino young man who was with Rebecca and Pilar. He's the most terrifying Netrunner I've ever seen!"

The General frowned before silently looking at the man.

"And tell me, how the fuck did a Netrunner do this?!"

The man didn't know what to say.

"It doesn't matter." The General ignored him and looked at his trusted man. "Goner, can we recover the BDs?"

BD was an abbreviation for Braindance, a recording captured through someone's optics and stored on a memory chip in the neural link. Basically, it was a black box that most people had inside their heads.

Will Goner stood up after examining the fifth corpse he had found.

"I'm sorry, General, but that Netrunner burned the neural links of everyone here. It's absurd that he took the time to do that in a situation like this."

An army had been coming for them. Who would think about erasing their tracks under those circumstances?

This indicated that the Netrunner was confident he could escape, or perhaps there was something he didn't want anyone to see, even after his death.

Will looked at the melted Jeep and the burned trench.

"Goddammit!"

Rick Morton cursed before turning around. At that moment, Will's eyes showed murderous intent. He couldn't wait for the day when he could slit Morton's throat and take control of the 6th Street. But he knew it was too soon. He needed to find loyal people and plan everything carefully.

To Will, someone like the General, who bowed his head to Arasaka and Militech, was worse than garbage.

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A/N: "You don't turn your back on family." Allen/Toretto