Starr swallowed hard, her emotions swirling in a storm of conflict. She had always kept Reaver at arm's length, knowing he was trouble, knowing that letting him in would mean opening herself up to the kind of vulnerability she'd spent years building walls against. But now, with Neon Tower looming on the horizon and the possibility of death creeping ever closer, those walls felt fragile, as though they might crumble at any moment.
Reaver's eyes were locked on hers, his hand still resting gently on her cheek. There was a softness in his gaze she hadn't seen in years, something raw and unguarded. Starr's mind raced, torn between the dangerous pull of their shared past and the cold reality of what lay ahead. She could feel the familiar tug of desire mixed with the fear of losing herself in it.
"We don't have time for this," Starr whispered, her voice thick with the tension between them. But even as she said the words, she didn't pull away.
Reaver's lips curved into a faint smile, the kind of smile that always set her on edge, equal parts charming and dangerous. "There's always time, Layne. Especially when it's the last chance we might get."
He stepped closer, closing the space between them until she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. Starr's heartbeat quickened, the familiar surge of adrenaline mixing with something deeper, something she had buried for too long. She wanted to push him away, to tell him that this wasn't the time, but she couldn't. The walls she had spent so long building cracked under the weight of the moment.
"Reaver…" Starr started, her voice barely a whisper.
Before she could finish, Reaver leaned in, his lips brushing against hers with a deliberate slowness that sent a shiver down her spine. The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as though testing the boundaries they had both built over the years. But then it deepened, and everything else—the mission, the danger, the uncertainty—fell away. It was just them, caught in the moment, the heat between them igniting into something that neither of them could deny.
Starr's hands moved on their own, sliding up to Reaver's neck, pulling him closer as the kiss intensified. It was a release of all the tension, all the unresolved emotions that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long. She could feel the rough texture of his jacket against her skin, the way his body pressed against hers, strong and unyielding. For a brief moment, the weight of the world lifted, and all that existed was the electricity between them.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless, their foreheads resting together as they caught their breath. Starr's mind raced, still reeling from the intensity of the moment.
"I'm not letting you walk into that tower without me," Reaver said, his voice low and serious. "If you're going to do this, we're doing it together."
Starr pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his. There was something different about Reaver tonight, something that made her feel both grounded and on edge at the same time. Part of her wanted to push him away, to keep him at a distance like she always had. But another part, the part that was tired of running, tired of always being alone, wanted to let him in.
"This isn't your fight," Starr said softly, though her voice lacked conviction. "You don't owe me anything."
Reaver's gaze hardened, his hand tightening around her waist. "That's where you're wrong, Layne. You and I have been through too much to walk away now. I'm not going to lose you. Not to Militech, not to Arasaka, not to anyone."
Starr felt her resolve faltering, the familiar walls crumbling under the weight of his words. She wanted to argue, to tell him that she didn't need anyone, that she could handle this on her own. But the truth was, she didn't want to be alone anymore. Not tonight.
She let out a shaky breath, her hands still resting against his chest. "Alright," she whispered, her voice soft but steady. "But if you're coming with me, we do this my way. No heroics. We get in, we get Juno, and we get out. Understood?"
Reaver smirked, his hand sliding from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her closer again. "Whatever you say, Layne."
Scene: The Final Preparations
The next morning, Starr woke to the faint hum of the city outside her window, the pale light of dawn filtering through the cracks in the blinds. She lay still for a moment, her mind drifting back to the night before. The kiss with Reaver had left her shaken, not because it had happened, but because of how much it had affected her. She wasn't used to letting people in, and Reaver, of all people, was the last person she had expected to break through her defenses.
She glanced over at the bed, where Reaver was still asleep, his arm draped lazily across the pillow. For a moment, she let herself indulge in the quiet, in the rare sense of peace that came from knowing someone else had her back. But reality came crashing down soon after. They had a job to do, and there was no room for distractions.
Starr slipped out of bed and began to gear up, her movements mechanical as she strapped on her weapons and armor. The Kenshin blade rested against her side, its familiar weight both a comfort and a reminder of what was to come. The Juno job wasn't just another gig—it was the key to her survival. If they pulled this off, Militech's heat would die down, and she'd have enough leverage to disappear, at least for a while.
As she finished packing, Reaver stirred, blinking groggily as he sat up. His eyes flicked to Starr, a slow grin spreading across his face. "You always this much of a morning person?"
Starr gave him a half-smile, her mind already focused on the task ahead. "We've got work to do."
Reaver swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up and stretching. "Yeah, I figured. You ready for this?"
Starr nodded, though the weight of the mission pressed heavily on her shoulders. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Reaver stepped closer, his hand brushing against her arm as he met her gaze. "We've got this, Layne. We get Juno, we get out. Simple."
Starr's lips twitched, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners. "You make it sound so easy."
"Isn't it?" Reaver winked, his cocky grin doing little to ease the tension building in her chest.
They left the safehouse soon after, making their way to the rendezvous point where the rest of the team would be waiting. The streets of Night City were still waking up, the neon lights of the night slowly dimming as the sun rose over the towering skyscrapers. But the city never truly slept, and neither did the dangers lurking in its shadows.
Scene: Meeting the Team
The team gathered in a rundown warehouse on the outskirts of Westbrook, a forgotten corner of the city where no one cared to look. The space was filled with old, rusted machinery, the walls tagged with graffiti from long-forgotten gangs. It was the perfect spot for a clandestine meeting, and Rogue had chosen it well.
Nix was already there, hunched over a portable terminal, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he worked through the security protocols they'd need to crack once they were inside Neon Tower. His cyberdeck was top of the line, sleek and dangerous, with enough processing power to break through even Arasaka's formidable defenses.
He glanced up as Starr and Reaver entered, nodding in greeting. "You're late."
"Got distracted," Reaver said, his tone casual as he took a seat on a nearby crate.
Starr ignored Reaver's smirk and focused on Nix. "You've got everything we need?"
Nix nodded, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of the challenge. "Yeah. Arasaka's firewalls are tough, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. We'll be able to shut down their internal security long enough to get Juno out. But once we're in, we'll have a limited window. No more than fifteen minutes before their backup systems kick in."
"Fifteen minutes is all we need," Starr said, though the pit in her stomach told her it wouldn't be that simple.
Vega arrived shortly after, his movements sharp and calculated. He was a former corporate soldier, his body bristling with high-end chrome and mods that made him a force to be reckoned with. His face was a mask of calm, but his eyes held the cold, detached look of someone who had seen too many battles.
"We're ready to move," Vega said, his voice low and steady. "Once we're in, we stick to the plan. No deviations."
Starr's gaze flicked between the team members, each one of them lethal in their own right. This was it. The moment of truth. If they pulled this off, everything would change. If they failed… well, she didn't plan on failing.
"Alright," Starr said, her voice cutting through the tension. "Let's do this."