"We're in," Starr said, her voice steady but cold. "But we do this on our terms," Starr finished, her voice like steel.
Chimera's eyes gleamed with approval, the faint smirk returning to her lips. She nodded slowly, as if she'd expected nothing less. "Of course. You'll have the freedom to execute the mission how you see fit. But make no mistake—this is bigger than anything you've dealt with before. You're swimming in deep waters now."
"Then you better make sure the payout matches the risk," Zeke grunted, stepping forward with his usual brashness. His broad frame filled the space between them, his face set in a scowl. "I didn't sign up to take on the world for a few eddies."
Chimera's smile widened, but it was a cold, calculating thing. "Don't worry, big man. If you pull this off, you'll have more than enough to buy your own slice of paradise. Or whatever it is you desire."
Starr's jaw clenched. It was always about the payout. But the real currency in Night City was leverage, and Chimera had it. They needed her if they wanted to stay ahead of the fallout from Arasaka. Once you stirred the hornet's nest, as Chimera put it, the hornets didn't stop coming.
"What's the next move?" Reaver asked, his voice steady but laced with suspicion. His eyes flicked between Chimera and Starr, the unspoken tension between them simmering under the surface.
Chimera's eyes gleamed. "The asset is located within Arasaka's Neon Tower, one of their most secure facilities. It's in Westbrook, hidden in plain sight among the elite. Arasaka's higher-ups conduct most of their business there, but beneath the surface, it's a hub for some of their more… classified operations."
Reaver's brow furrowed. "You want us to infiltrate Neon Tower? That place is a fortress. You can't just walk in the front door."
"You're right," Chimera said, pacing slowly as she spoke. "You'll need to get creative. The asset, Juno, is embedded deep within their systems, but they can't leave on their own. Arasaka keeps them under tight control. Your job will be to extract Juno and retrieve the information they have. Once we have it, everything changes."
"Great," Zeke muttered sarcastically. "Another impossible job."
Starr's mind raced. Neon Tower was known for being one of Arasaka's crown jewels in Night City. It was an impenetrable fortress, crawling with corpo elites and their security. Getting in would require more than just brute force—they'd need finesse, planning, and precise execution.
But it wasn't just the challenge of the infiltration that bothered her. It was Juno. Something about the name tugged at the edges of her memory, something she couldn't quite place. And if Chimera was being vague about the nature of this asset, it meant the stakes were higher than they realized.
"What's so special about Juno?" Starr asked, narrowing her eyes at Chimera. "What kind of information are we risking our lives for?"
Chimera's expression darkened slightly, and for a moment, Starr thought she saw a flicker of hesitation. "Juno was once a top researcher in Arasaka's neural division—the very one responsible for the tech you encountered in The Mind Maze. They were key to developing that technology, but they've since… turned against Arasaka. Juno's been feeding me intel for months, but their position is compromised. They won't survive inside much longer. And the data they have… let's just say it could bring Arasaka to its knees."
There it was. The heart of it. Juno wasn't just an asset—Juno was a defector. A key player in Arasaka's neural experiments who now held the power to expose the corporation's darkest secrets. If Chimera could get her hands on that data, it would shift the balance of power in Night City, possibly even beyond.
"Why is Arasaka keeping them alive?" Reaver asked, always the one to dig deeper. "If they've turned, why not eliminate them?"
Chimera's smile turned razor-sharp. "Because Juno is still useful to them. They're a prisoner in everything but name. Arasaka wants to extract every last drop of knowledge from their mind before they're discarded. But Juno's smarter than they realize. They've been playing a long game, and now it's time to move the final piece."
Starr's chest tightened. This was more dangerous than she'd imagined. Juno wasn't just an asset—they were a ticking time bomb, and if Arasaka caught wind of what was happening, it wouldn't just be Juno's life on the line. It would be all of theirs.
"When do we move?" Starr asked, her voice cold and resolute.
Chimera's eyes glittered in the dim light. "Tonight. I'll send you the full details shortly, but you need to prepare. Once you're in, there's no turning back. Arasaka will throw everything they have at you if they catch wind of what's happening. You'll need to be fast, precise, and, most importantly, invisible."
Starr exchanged a glance with Reaver, the weight of the mission hanging heavily between them. Neon Tower wasn't just another corpo building. It was a symbol of Arasaka's dominance in Night City, and breaking into it was an act of war.
But they had no choice.
"I'll send Byte the full data package," Chimera continued. "She'll handle the infiltration logistics. You'll have all the resources you need."
"And the payout?" Zeke asked, crossing his arms, always the one to push for the details.
Chimera's smile returned, colder than ever. "Enough to make sure you never have to take a job like this again. Trust me."
The promise of wealth and freedom lingered in the air like a siren's call, but Starr knew better. Nothing in Night City came without a cost, and the deeper they went, the harder it would be to climb back out.
"Let's go," Starr said, turning to leave. "We've got a lot to prepare for."
Zeke and Reaver followed without a word, the tension still palpable between them as they stepped back into the cold night air. The alley was quiet, the distant hum of the city's chaos a dull roar in the background.
As they walked toward the Quadra, Starr's mind raced. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being set up, that Chimera was pulling strings they couldn't see. But there was no turning back now. Neon Tower awaited, and with it, the most dangerous job they'd ever taken.
"Starr," Reaver said quietly as they reached the car, his voice cutting through the silence. "Are you sure about this? Chimera's playing us. You know that."
Starr stopped, her hand resting on the car's door handle. She didn't look at him, but she could feel his eyes on her, waiting for an answer.
"I'm sure," she said, her voice low but firm. "We don't have a choice. If we don't do this, Arasaka will hunt us down for what we've already done. This is our way out."
Reaver was silent for a moment, and Starr could feel the weight of his unspoken words. There was more between them, more that needed to be said, but now wasn't the time. Not with the city breathing down their necks.
"Alright," he said finally, his voice softer. "But we do this together. No one gets left behind."
Starr nodded, her hand tightening on the door handle. "Together."
They climbed into the car, the engine roaring to life as the Quadra pulled out of the alley and back into the streets of Night City. The towering megastructures loomed overhead, their neon lights casting long shadows over the broken streets below.
Neon Tower was waiting.
And with it, the ghosts of Arasaka's darkest secrets.