The endless expanse of the Badlands stretched out before Starr, a desolate wasteland bathed in the soft orange glow of the early morning sun. The AV descended toward a cluster of abandoned shacks and rusted-out vehicles, a forgotten corner of the world where no one came unless they wanted to disappear. This was the safehouse Byte had arranged—a place where they could regroup, far from the reach of Arasaka or Militech.
As the AV touched down, kicking up clouds of dust, Starr's body felt heavy. Exhaustion clung to her like a second skin, the weight of everything that had happened in Neon Tower pressing down on her. Reaver's absence gnawed at her, a hollow ache in her chest that she couldn't shake. But she couldn't afford to dwell on it—not now. They had Juno, and the mission wasn't over. Not until they figured out what Arasaka had been using her for, and what that meant for Militech.
"Let's get her inside," Starr ordered, her voice sharp but tired.
Vega nodded, lifting Juno's limp form from the medbed. Nix followed close behind, his face drawn with fatigue as they made their way toward the largest of the dilapidated buildings.
The air was dry and hot, the cracked earth beneath their feet crunching as they moved. The only sounds were the soft hum of the AV's engines powering down and the distant howl of wind sweeping across the desert. Starr's boots kicked up the dust, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement, any hint that Militech or Arasaka had tracked them this far. But there was nothing—just the emptiness of the Badlands stretching out in every direction.
As they stepped inside the safehouse, the cool darkness offered a brief reprieve from the scorching sun. The interior was sparse—just a few worn-out chairs, a rusted table, and a small makeshift medbay set up in the corner. It wasn't much, but it was secure.
"Byte, you still with us?" Starr asked, her voice cutting through the silence as she activated her comms.
"I'm here," Byte's voice came through, steady and focused. "I've got the perimeter locked down. There's no sign of Militech or Arasaka tracking you yet, but we need to keep a low profile. I'm monitoring the city's networks for any chatter about your extraction. So far, nothing."
"Good," Starr muttered, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Keep me updated."
Vega laid Juno gently on the medbay's cot, his movements precise despite the exhaustion in his eyes. Starr watched him for a moment, her gaze lingering on Juno's still form. The woman was a mystery—someone who had once been a powerful figure in Arasaka's inner circle but had somehow become their prisoner, wired into their systems like a piece of tech. Whatever secrets Juno held, they were dangerous enough to set two of the most powerful corporations in the world against each other.
"We need to get her conscious," Nix said, his voice strained as he powered up the medbay's diagnostic tools. "If we can access her neural data, we might be able to figure out what Arasaka was doing with her."
Starr nodded, though the unease in her gut hadn't faded. "Do what you can, but don't push her too hard. We don't know what they did to her in that tower."
As Nix began working on stabilizing Juno, Starr moved to the far side of the room, sinking into one of the worn-out chairs. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes for a brief moment, allowing the exhaustion to wash over her. Her mind was racing, but her body screamed for rest.
She couldn't rest. Not yet.
The soft beep of the medbay's monitors filled the room, a steady rhythm that seemed almost out of place in the dead silence of the Badlands. Starr's mind drifted, the weight of the past few days pressing down on her chest like a stone. Reaver's voice still echoed in her ears, that cocky grin and his reckless charm seared into her thoughts. The memory of leaving him behind gnawed at her, a festering wound that wouldn't close.
"He knew what he was doing," Vega's voice cut through her thoughts, startling her. She hadn't realized he had moved closer, his large frame now leaning against the wall beside her.
Starr opened her eyes, turning to look at him. Vega's face was unreadable, his stoic expression giving nothing away, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
"I know," Starr replied, though the words tasted bitter on her tongue. She had told herself the same thing a dozen times since they'd left Neon Tower, but it didn't make it any easier.
"You did what you had to do," Vega continued, his voice low but firm. "If you'd turned back, none of us would've made it out. You made the right call."
"Doesn't feel like it," Starr muttered, her gaze drifting toward the horizon through the broken window. The endless desert stretched out before them, a vast and unforgiving expanse that mirrored the emptiness she felt inside.
Vega said nothing more, simply nodding in silent understanding before walking back toward the medbay to help Nix.
Starr sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. She needed to focus, needed to keep her head clear. Reaver was gone—maybe forever—and there was no changing that. But she was still here. Juno was still here. And that meant the fight wasn't over.
Scene: Juno Awakens
Hours passed in a blur of tension and silence, the oppressive heat of the desert settling over the safehouse like a suffocating blanket. Starr paced the room, her mind churning with a thousand thoughts as she kept her eyes on Juno's still form. The medbay's monitors beeped softly, the only indication that Juno was still alive, but there had been no signs of consciousness.
"Starr," Byte's voice crackled through the comms, pulling her from her thoughts. "I'm picking up chatter from Night City. Militech is mobilizing—looks like they're putting together a team to track Juno. They don't know where you are yet, but it's only a matter of time."
Starr cursed under her breath, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her blade. She had expected as much—Militech wasn't going to let Juno go without a fight. But she had hoped for more time.
"How long do we have?" Starr asked, her voice cold.
"Maybe a few hours," Byte replied. "I'll do what I can to slow them down, but you need to be ready to move."
Starr nodded, though the knot in her stomach tightened. They weren't ready. Juno was still out cold, and they didn't have the information they needed. Leaving now would put them at a disadvantage, but staying meant they risked being overwhelmed when Militech's team arrived.
Before she could respond, a soft groan filled the room.
Starr's head snapped toward the medbay, her eyes locking onto Juno. The woman stirred, her fingers twitching as her eyelids fluttered open. Her movements were weak, sluggish, but it was a start.
"Juno?" Starr asked, stepping closer.
Juno's eyes flickered, her gaze unfocused and distant, as though she were trying to piece together where she was. She blinked slowly, her brow furrowing as she struggled to speak.
"Where… where am I?" Juno's voice was barely above a whisper, hoarse from disuse.
"You're safe," Starr replied, though the word felt hollow. "We got you out of Neon Tower. You're in the Badlands."
Juno's eyes darted around the room, her expression filled with confusion and fear. It was clear that she was disoriented, the effects of whatever Arasaka had done to her still clouding her mind. Starr felt a pang of sympathy but knew there was no time for gentleness.
"You need to tell us what Arasaka was doing to you," Starr said, her voice firm but not unkind. "Why did they have you wired into their system? What were they trying to extract?"
Juno's eyes met Starr's, and for a moment, something flickered behind them—a spark of understanding, of recognition. But it was quickly overshadowed by a deep, lingering fear.
"They… they wanted the Neural Shard," Juno whispered, her voice trembling. "It's… it's buried deep inside me. A prototype. Arasaka's… last-ditch weapon against Militech."
Starr's blood ran cold. A Neural Shard—that kind of tech was dangerous, capable of carrying entire neural networks and AI constructs. If Arasaka had developed a new prototype, something powerful enough to be a weapon against Militech… it would explain why both corporations were desperate to get their hands on her.
"Where is it?" Starr asked, her voice barely containing her urgency. "How do we access it?"
Juno closed her eyes, her body trembling with the effort of speaking. "It's… hidden in my neural pathways. But extracting it… will kill me."
Starr froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Extracting the Shard would kill her. Everything hinged on this moment—this woman, this piece of tech buried inside her mind.
"You can't let them have it," Juno continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Arasaka… Militech…"