The cold metal beneath Starr's boots felt like ice as she crouched behind a row of chrome-laced cyberware stalls. The Militech enforcers were fanning out, scanning each vendor with ruthless efficiency, their red-lit eyes flickering under augmented helmets. It wasn't the first time Starr had been hunted in the shadows of Night City, but these weren't your average street thugs—they were corporate killers, trained for precision, with a clear directive: find and eliminate.
Her comms buzzed softly in her ear as Byte's voice came through, calm but tight with urgency. "You've got about twenty seconds before they're on top of you, Starr. Four targets. They're moving in fast."
Starr clenched her jaw, her fingers twitching over the hilt of her Kenshin blade. "I need a distraction."
Byte's voice crackled, the sound of her fingers tapping away on her end. "Give me a second… okay. There's a stall two rows down selling illegal EMP mods. I can hack the grid and set them off remotely. It'll knock out their optics, give you a chance to move."
Starr's lips curled into a grim smile. Byte always had her back.
"Do it," Starr muttered, already calculating her next steps. Her eyes darted between the approaching enforcers and the narrow alley that wound through the market, offering a potential escape route. But she wasn't ready to run just yet.
As Byte worked her magic, Starr kept her body low, melting into the shadows. The enforcers were close now, their boots heavy against the slick metal floor. She could hear their comms crackling as they communicated, their voices cold and mechanical.
Byte's voice came through again, sharper now. "EMP's ready. On your mark."
Starr waited, every muscle in her body coiled like a spring. The first enforcer stepped into her line of sight, his augmented limbs gleaming under the market's flickering neon lights. His eyes swept the area, cold and detached.
"Now," Starr whispered.
The alley lit up in a flash of blue as the EMP mods went off, the pulse of electricity surging through the air. The Militech enforcers froze, their optics flickering and shorting out. They staggered for a brief moment, disoriented, and Starr moved.
She shot forward like a bullet, her blade slicing cleanly through the first enforcer's neck before he had time to react. Blood sprayed against the chrome stalls as his body collapsed, sparking and twitching. Starr didn't stop. She spun, driving her Malorian Overture into the chest of the second enforcer, the heavy-caliber round blowing a hole through his armor.
"Two down," Starr growled into the comms, already locking onto the third target.
The remaining enforcers recovered quickly, their backup optics kicking in. One of them raised his rifle, the barrel glowing as it powered up for a lethal shot. But Starr was faster. She dodged to the side, her blade flashing as she sliced through his arm, severing it at the joint. The enforcer howled in pain, but Starr's next shot silenced him, the bullet tearing through his helmet.
The fourth enforcer wasn't as reckless. He moved back, using the cover of the stalls to his advantage. Starr could hear him issuing orders into his comms, likely calling for reinforcements.
"Byte," Starr said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through her veins. "You pick up on those comms?"
"I've got them," Byte replied, her voice tense. "They're calling for backup. You need to get out of there now."
Starr cursed under her breath. She had expected this job to go sideways, but not this quickly.
She pressed forward, moving with the precision and speed of someone who had spent years navigating the underbelly of Night City. The fourth enforcer was still in retreat, trying to regroup. Starr tracked him through the maze of chrome stalls and flashing neon lights, her footsteps silent against the slick metal floor.
As she rounded the corner, she caught a glimpse of him—his rifle raised, his eyes scanning the shadows. Starr didn't hesitate. She lunged, her blade cutting through the air in one smooth motion. The enforcer barely had time to react before her sword plunged into his chest, the force of the blow driving him back against the stall.
He gasped, his body going limp as blood seeped from the wound. Starr yanked the blade free, her eyes cold and unfeeling as she watched him collapse to the ground, lifeless.
"Four down," Starr said into the comms, wiping the blood from her blade. "I'm moving out."
"Good," Byte responded. "But you need to hurry. I'm picking up multiple signals inbound—more enforcers, maybe more elite units. Militech's not letting this one go."
Starr took a deep breath, scanning her surroundings one last time before turning toward the narrow alley. She could still hear the distant buzz of the market, the dealers and buyers oblivious to the bloodshed that had just occurred. This was the reality of Night City—everyone was too busy trying to survive to care about what was happening around them.
But Starr couldn't linger. She slipped into the alley, her movements quick and deliberate. The sound of her boots echoed softly in the confined space, but she kept her pace steady, her senses on high alert.
"Byte," Starr said, her voice low. "I'm headed to the safehouse. Keep me updated on any movement."
"Already on it," Byte replied, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard. "There's a back route out of the market. Should take you out of the line of fire."
Starr followed the route Byte sent her, moving through a maze of dimly lit alleys and rundown buildings. The Red Market was a labyrinth, but she knew it well enough to avoid the dead ends and ambush points. Her mind raced, but her body moved on instinct, every step calculated.
Scene: The Safehouse
Twenty minutes later, Starr arrived at the safehouse, an old abandoned loft tucked away in the forgotten corners of Pacifica. The building was crumbling, its walls covered in rust and decay, but it had its advantages—namely, it was off the grid and far from prying eyes.
Starr slipped inside, locking the door behind her. The soft hum of the city outside seemed distant here, muted by the layers of concrete and steel that separated the loft from the rest of the world. For a moment, Starr allowed herself to relax, leaning back against the cold wall as she caught her breath.
Her comms crackled, and Byte's voice filled the silence. "You're clear, for now. Militech's pulling back. They must have realized chasing you into Pacifica wasn't worth it."
Starr exhaled, running a hand through her damp hair. "Thanks, Byte. You saved my ass back there."
"Just doing my job," Byte replied, her tone softening. "I'm glad you're okay."
Starr pushed off the wall, moving to the small table where her weapons and gear were laid out. "I'll be fine. Just need to regroup. That hit on Rafa is still haunting me."
"Rafa was a big target," Byte said. "And Militech doesn't forget. They'll come for you again."
Starr nodded, even though Byte couldn't see her. She had known the risks, but Rafa's death had unleashed a wave of consequences she hadn't anticipated. Now, she was being hunted, and it was only a matter of time before someone found her.
She glanced at her Kenshin blade, the edge still gleaming despite the blood it had shed earlier. It was a familiar weight, a reminder of who she was and what she had become.
"Starr," Byte's voice interrupted her thoughts, a hint of hesitation creeping into her tone. "I've been thinking… maybe we should get out of the city. Lay low for a while. There are places we can go, places where Militech won't be able to track us."
Starr's chest tightened at the suggestion. The idea of leaving Night City behind, of walking away from the constant cycle of violence and survival, sounded almost appealing. But the reality of it felt impossible.
"I can't," Starr said, her voice firm but tinged with regret. "Not yet. There's too much left to do."
Byte was silent for a moment, and Starr could hear the unspoken worry in the silence. She wanted to believe they could escape, that there was a future for them outside the neon-lit nightmare of Night City. But Starr knew better.
"Just promise me you'll be careful," Byte finally said, her voice softer now. "I don't want to lose you."
"You won't," Starr replied, though she wasn't entirely sure she believed it herself. "I'll figure this out. I always do."
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the weight of things left unsaid.
Scene: A New Job
The silence was broken by the chime of Starr's data terminal. A new message flashed across the screen, the sender marked only by a familiar handle: Rogue.
Starr's heart skipped a beat as she opened the message. Rogue wasn't the type to reach out unless there was something big on the table. Starr quickly scanned the contents, her eyes narrowing as she took in the details.