The trip to the Moon turned out to be a great idea—a chance to slow down, relax, and clear his mind. After Alex learned of the existence of an avatar of an Outer God in this world, he immediately started devising plans and countermeasures in case of a confrontation with a being from the digital realm.
His brain was working at its limit, calculating all possible scenarios, and the trip to the Moon offered a perfect opportunity to unwind a bit. The girls were thrilled; even Kiwi, usually reserved and composed, couldn't help but smile. Everyone enjoyed this unusual visit—except for the robo-dog, G.I.R, who was first used as a throwball and then taken for a ride on the lunar buggy by Rebecca. G.I.R, despite being a daring racer himself, hadn't anticipated that Rebecca lacked concepts like 'obstacle' or 'braking.'
Valerie and G.I.R soon realized it was better to keep Rebecca away from the wheel in the future, as every bump and uneven surface became a challenge she tackled head-on. When they finally returned to the group, Alex thought everyone was worn out, but Rebecca made a grand finale by crashing at full speed into a barrier, completely wrecking the buggy, with G.I.R flying forward and hitting the barrier face-first.
Back from the Moon, life resumed its normal rhythm. Gloria no longer mourned David's passing, as she had been able to say goodbye and kept part of his ashes in a pendant Alex had crafted for her. Now Gloria wore it all the time as a reminder of David's presence.
Meanwhile, the increase in cyberpsychos had given Alex even more work, and he couldn't handle it all alone, so he got the entire group involved. Initially, Maine was against this kind of work, but with Alex's guidance and support, he agreed. The group split into pairs to track and neutralize the runaway cyberpsychos terrorizing the city. Alex swiftly handled his part of the work and returned home to continue investigating those who had become pawns of a certain Mechanical Man.
He suspected that Maelstrom and someone from Arasaka were aiding this entity, so he decided to start with members of the Maelstrom gang. To deal with their numbers, Alex tested a theory: could he eliminate targets without leaving home? In a high-tech world where everyone is connected, it proved possible, especially with G.I.R as his assistant.
At first, Alex didn't believe it would work, but he soon saw his idea come to life. He chose a lower-ranking Maelstrom member as the first target, and, with G.I.R's help and a few trial-and-error attempts, achieved the desired outcome. Alex then invited Rebecca and the other girls to demonstrate the process.
G.I.R hacked a car's system, accelerated it to high speed, and directed it into a wall, staging an improvised crash test. Initially, Alex wanted the car to fall off a bridge into a river, but G.I.R had his own ideas. The curious robo-dog decided to test the resilience of cars in this world and drove it straight into a wall. It looked incredibly realistic—G.I.R even edited a video of the crash with epic music.
When Rebecca realized she could control a car remotely, she immediately asked Alex to let her try, but he firmly refused, foreseeing that it could turn into a scene from Final Destination. The others, especially Gloria, fully supported his decision.
Meanwhile, G.I.R continued experimenting with remote elimination options: snapping a cable in an elevator, using high voltage, and even setting fire to a warehouse with blocked exits. Initially, all of this felt like something out of a movie to Alex, but he soon considered giving G.I.R a black military uniform.
However, what concerned him most was that G.I.R recorded all these moments, edited them, added music, and proudly showed the videos to Rebecca, who, along with the other group members, clearly enjoyed these spectacles.
After realizing he could eliminate people without leaving home, Alex decided to focus on other unfinished projects and allowed G.I.R to 'have fun,' orchestrating the 'accidents' that had become increasingly frequent throughout the city. Alex could work in peace—except for the constant laughter of G.I.R echoing through the workshop, as if he'd turned into a mad scientist discovering a dangerous toy. Eventually, Alex assigned G.I.R a separate space to avoid disrupting his work.
Time flew by, and even Kiwi, now a regular visitor, had somehow moved into the apartment. Alex hadn't noticed until one day he decided to relax, take a hot bath, and brainstorm new ideas. Without noticing anyone around, he walked into the bathroom… and ran into Kiwi, wrapped in a towel. Alex was stunned; he hadn't expected to see Kiwi at that time and in his own home. Staying a gentleman, he tactically retreated to find out why she was in their bathroom.
The girls informed him that Kiwi had been living with them for several days. To his bewilderment, they all chorused that he should leave the workshop more often and stop locking himself in like a reclusive scientist. With no response, Alex simply waited for Kiwi to finish so he could finally take his own bath.
Now aware that Kiwi was living with them, Alex noticed her more often, especially at unexpected moments. Soon, he faced another problem: Maelstrom gang members had started behaving cautiously. It seemed someone was warning them about the 'accidents,' which greatly frustrated G.I.R, who had grown quite invested in his work.
Seeing no other option, Alex decided to go hunting himself. No one was more disappointed than G.I.R, who could no longer create his epic montages to boast to the others. To console his companion, Alex crafted a powerful Force Spear for him.
When G.I.R received his new weapon, he joyfully shouted for the annihilation of heretics, his cry echoing through the workshop. Alex began to suspect that G.I.R had become too invested in the Warhammer universe, but decided to ignore it as long as G.I.R didn't try to impose his ideas on others.
Alex instructed G.I.R to mark Maelstrom bases on the map and highlight those with the highest enemy concentration. In the end, two targets remained. Knowing that clearing them out could take some time, Alex suggested the girls handle one of the warehouses. Rebecca immediately agreed, rushing to pack her weapons bag, while Lucy and Kiwi reluctantly followed, knowing how dangerous Rebecca had become with Alex's help.
He gave each girl a protective bracelet in case of unforeseen situations. When Alex handed Kiwi her bracelet, she took it as a sign of interest and unexpectedly kissed him. Alex didn't mind, as he was attracted to Kiwi—tall, beautiful, and with a cold yet kind heart.
Once ready, Alex and the girls headed to the parking lot. The girls announced they'd be taking the car, as there were three of them, while Alex was just one (and G.I.R didn't count, since he was small). Under Alex's watchful gaze, his beloved car rolled out of the garage, and with a sigh, he realized that in relationships, personal items easily become shared property.
Sighing, Alex got on his motorcycle and headed to the warehouse where the Maelstrom members were hiding. Climbing onto the roof, he and G.I.R scanned the building, using sonar to confirm it was the right location. Pulling out flashbang grenades, Alex handed a few to G.I.R, sending him to the other side of the warehouse to make their attack simultaneous, leaving no escape route for their enemies.
Once G.I.R was in position, Alex held up three fingers and began the countdown. As he folded the last finger, he and G.I.R threw a barrage of flashbangs into the warehouse, disorienting everyone inside. When the room flooded with bright light, Alex realized he might have gone a bit overboard with the number.
The blinding explosion could have lit up an entire city—and all within an enclosed space. Dropping in through a skylight, Alex landed on the floor and began taking out the nearest enemies, opting to use his favorite pistols this time rather than makeshift weapons.
Meanwhile, G.I.R crashed through the glass and landed on one of the opponents, piercing him with the Force Spear so powerfully that the floor cracked. Thanks to his small size and agility, G.I.R expertly dodged incoming bullets and methodically eliminated enemies, slicing through them with his new weapon like a hot knife through butter. Alex had already dealt with his half of the enemies and waited with interest for G.I.R to finish.
Lighting a cigarette, Alex listened as the sounds of gunfire and screams slowly faded until silence fell. Suddenly, the body of a Maelstrom member flew toward Alex, landing right at his feet, impaled by the spear. Clearly, G.I.R wanted a dramatic finale to his mission, though he had slightly overdone it by throwing the enemy with the spear across the warehouse.
Moments later, Alex heard the pitter-patter of small paws and saw G.I.R, covered in blood, trotting over to him. Alex exhaled a stream of smoke and shook his head, smirking quietly.
«Done, I see,» Alex said, watching as G.I.R hopped onto the fallen body to pull out the stuck spear.
G.I.R raised the spear, flashing a peace sign, and Alex nodded in reply, wiping the blood from his robo-dog's suit. Then, grabbing G.I.R by the head, he headed for the exit to check on the girls. Seating G.I.R on the motorcycle, Alex leaned against the seat, pulled out his phone, and dialed, waiting for Lucy to answer. When Lucy picked up, she asked why he was calling.
«Just wanted to check if you all were done. G.I.R and I are already finished,» Alex explained.
«We're all set too, though Kiwi and I didn't have much to do. Rebecca took out the whole warehouse with a machine gun,» Lucy replied with a sigh.
Alex tried to recall where Rebecca could have gotten such a powerful machine gun, and then it hit him. He remembered that he'd promised to make Rebecca a dangerous machine gun just because he was curious to see how someone her size would handle such a massive weapon.
Alex frowned, disappointed that he'd missed it, and could only sigh, realizing he'd lost a perfect chance to watch Rebecca wield a massive machine gun.
«Well, head home, and we'll clean up here and join you soon,» Alex said, making his decision.
Lucy was about to reply when a powerful explosion erupted in the background, and Alex felt the ground shake. He looked up and saw a mushroom cloud rising from the area where the girls were. Alex's face darkened with shock, his expression marked by black streaks, while G.I.R pulled out his small camera and began taking «souvenirs.»
«Are you okay? And what the hell was that?» Alex asked, trying to keep his calm.
«We're fine, we were in your car. And that was Rebecca,» Lucy replied in a tired tone.
«How did she manage that?» Alex asked, struggling to hold back his irritation.
«I'll find out now,» Lucy responded, and Alex could hear her trying to stand up to assess the situation.
Alex calmly watched the mushroom cloud towering over the explosion site, gradually losing his patience at the sound of camera clicks coming from G.I.R. He was enthusiastically taking photos and even managed to snap a few selfies against the background of the explosion. Alex lit a new cigarette and waited for Lucy's response, hearing the rising argument about Rebecca's actions on the other end of the line. Finally, Lucy spoke again.
«Our 'gremlin' stole a box from your desk labeled 'Big Boom 3',» she said tiredly, and in the background, Rebecca's voice could be heard, defending herself, claiming she didn't know it would be so powerful.
«Thank the gods she didn't take the first or second edition... Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a quarter of a city left,» Alex sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Lucy sighed again and glanced at Rebecca, who was sulking with her arms crossed, muttering that she didn't know the effect would be so strong.
«How many buildings were affected?» Alex asked, removing his hand from his face.
«Just the warehouse we were clearing, a few shattered windows, and some chunks of concrete flying around,» Lucy answered, her voice sounding as tired as his.
«Good. I'll have G.I.R check if anyone was hurt by the explosion, and you all head home. Tell Rebecca we'll talk when she gets back,» Alex concluded, ending the call.
Putting the phone down, Alex turned to G.I.R, who was now sitting and looking at his photos, clearly pleased with himself. Seeing his owner's attention, G.I.R quickly hid the camera behind his back, as if expecting Alex might take it away. Alex just shook his head, suppressing a smile, and finally said:
«Check if anyone got hurt from the explosion,» he ordered his little assistant.
G.I.R immediately began his check, ensuring the blast hadn't harmed any innocent people. Alex thought for a moment: though his weapons were destructive, he never wanted them to harm innocent bystanders. Everything he created was solely meant for eliminating enemies—or as he called them, «sinners.»
G.I.R finished his check and gently tugged at Alex's sleeve to snap him out of his thoughts.
«No one was hurt. Since Maelstrom had occupied the warehouse, people were too scared to go near, avoiding encounters with those idiots,» G.I.R reported.
«Great. But Rebecca will still have to explain why she took something from my desk without permission. Did you find the ones helping Maelstrom avoid trouble?» Alex asked, looking at G.I.R.
«Not yet, still hunting for those bastards who keep ruining my fun!» G.I.R responded dramatically, clenching his fist.
«Don't talk like that, don't be like your 'mom' Rebecca,» Alex said, lightly flicking G.I.R on the head.
G.I.R gave Alex an offended look, not understanding why he had received that flick. Alex, however, ignored this and remembered that he needed to visit Hanako — she was clearly sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Either she had already fallen under the influence of the Mechanical Man, or there was still a chance to save her.
«Send a message to our friend Hanako and schedule a meeting in a couple of hours,» Alex said, glancing at his watch and deciding that she was probably still in a meeting.
G.I.R stopped glaring at Alex and got to work sending the message to Hanako. Meanwhile, during her meeting, Hanako received a notification about a new message. The sender's number was not displayed, which only added to her irritation—she hadn't been able to sleep properly in the past few days, and she was constantly haunted by the feeling of being watched, her focus slipping away. What made it even more intriguing was the fact that someone had sent her a personal message without identifying themselves.
Opening the message, Hanako noticed a strange notification: she was informed that someone was planning to break into her apartment again. Despite her surprise, she decided to agree to the meeting. Her suspicions about her strange feelings not being random had been bothering her, and she felt that this visit could shed light on her recent anxieties.
While Hanako wrapped up the meeting, Alex and G.I.R decided to relax a bit. At a decent diner, Alex ordered a burger and a drink for himself and a kid's meal for G.I.R, just to tease the little robo-dog. To his surprise, G.I.R actually liked the toy that came with the kid's meal.
Realizing his plan had backfired, Alex started eating, contemplating the situation with the Maelstrom gang and their possible allies. After dismissing the idea of the mechanical man, he thought about the Voodoo Boys—the only gang in Night City that could interfere with G.I.R's operations so skillfully. But what could possibly motivate them to get involved with Maelstrom remained unclear. Deciding to leave that for later, Alex checked the time and realized it was time to head for his meeting with Hanako Arasaka.
«Alright, let's go, we have a meeting,» Alex said, getting up from the table and tugging on G.I.R's head to follow him.
Arriving at an alley near Arasaka Tower, Alex stored his motorcycle in his inventory and asked G.I.R to check the cameras to see where Hanako was. G.I.R quickly found out that she was already in her penthouse, waiting for the visit. Alex decided to approach her in a new guise: he changed his hair color to blood-red and grabbed a mask and a red coat that suited the role.
«How's this? Will it work?» Alex asked, showing off his updated look to his companion.
G.I.R gave a thumbs-up in approval, which gave Alex the idea to change G.I.R's outfit too. He swapped the usual green robo-dog look for a skeleton costume. After inspecting himself, G.I.R also seemed pleased, and Alex, placing him on his shoulder, headed for the building.
When they reached Arasaka Tower, Alex decided to take the elevator up to Hanako. Ignoring the security and reception, he called for the elevator and told G.I.R to send him to the penthouse floor.
Meanwhile, Hanako, sitting and waiting on the couch, once again felt the annoying ringing in her ears that had been bothering her for several days. Recalling her conversations with her bodyguard Oda, she tried to convince herself that it was just fatigue and stress. Just as she was thinking about pouring herself some wine, she heard the sound of the elevator doors opening.
Turning around, Hanako saw an unfamiliar man with blood-red hair, wearing a red coat and a mask. She was surprised not only by his appearance but also by the audacity with which he had used the elevator, as if entering his own home.
Alex, noticing her surprised and irritated gaze, smirked beneath the mask, realizing that he had managed to make the desired impression.
«Good evening, Miss Hanako,» he said in a cold tone.
With the greeting spoken, Alex, without wasting any words, calmly made his way to the chair and sat down opposite Hanako, meeting her intense stare. It was only then that she snapped out of her brief confusion and cleared her throat.
«Good evening to you too. It seems you already know my name, yet I still don't know yours. It would be polite of you to introduce yourself,» Hanako said, maintaining her composure while carefully studying her visitor.
«Alexander Vanloel. You can call me Van if it's more convenient,» Alex responded in a calm, cold tone.
The name seemed strange to Hanako, much like those of the other members of the mysterious organization, but what intrigued her more was why the one who had come to the meeting wasn't Hiruco, but this unfamiliar man.
«What position do you hold in your organization, Mr. Van? If Hiruco Kagetane is your bishop, then what are you?» she asked carefully, trying to probe the situation.
«I'm an inquisitor, just like my little partner,» Alex nodded toward G.I.R. «We deal with those who need to disappear,» he explained in a cold, emotionless manner.
Hanako pondered this. Her guest clearly held that very position that was whispered about in dark rumors, eliminating anyone pointed out by the leaders. Deep in thought, she tried to understand the purpose of this meeting. Meanwhile, Alex observed her carefully, and his expression twisted beneath the mask: Hanako was infected. It had likely happened recently, as the darkness in her soul had not fully spread, and it could still be removed. But Alex felt irritation, realizing that Hanako had ignored the warning and ventured into places she shouldn't have.
«Miss Hanako, it seems you've already been warned to stay away from certain matters,» he addressed her, drawing her attention.
Hanako flinched at the cold voice and looked at him warily.
«What do you mean, Mr. Van?» she asked cautiously, trying not to show her unease.
«Exactly that. You've poked your nose where it didn't belong, and now you're infected,» Alex replied, never taking his eyes off her.
The words about the infection made her tense up; she again felt that strange buzzing in her ears that had been tormenting her for the past few days.
«And what do I need to do to get rid of this?» Hanako asked cautiously.
«Not a difficult task... but it seems someone won't let me do that,» Alex said with a smirk, glancing away.
Hanako followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at her bodyguard, Oda, who had been unusually quiet and reserved lately, often maintaining an impassive expression.
«What do you mean by that?» Hanako asked suspiciously, glancing at her bodyguard.
Alex smirked, never taking his eyes off Oda. Beneath his calm exterior, there was a swirling dark energy that seemed almost inhuman.
«Oda, what's it like being the loyal dog of the Mechanical Man?» Alex said with clear disdain in his voice.
Before Hanako could respond, Oda suddenly lunged forward, his mantis-blade flashing in the dim light. Alex didn't even attempt to dodge. Hanako held her breath, unable to believe her eyes as she saw what happened next.
To be continued...