Chapter 289: Escalation

Words : 1396 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

"WNS Emergency Broadcast!" "A fuel storage facility in the northern industrial district has exploded!" "Preliminary investigations suggest that this incident is an escalation of a nighttime street shootout." "The explosion was triggered when an out-of-control vehicle crashed into the fuel depot, resulting in a massive fireball and thick smoke." The scenes on television resembled an apocalyptic disaster—flames soared into the sky, and the shockwave shattered windows across the entire street! "Estimates indicate that approximately 20,000 to 60,000 gallons of various grades of Ethanol-2 fuel were incinerated. The facility's owner, Honorable Logistics, has yet to issue a response." "This marks the 11th street war in Watson District this year. Some officials suggest that Night City's government should increase security in the area and, if necessary, bring in Arasaka Corporation's premium services." "Experts claim that Arasaka has extensive experience in handling deteriorating industrial zones, citing the company's security success in Chiba, Japan." Ordinary people would be terrified by this news, but Leo immediately knew—it had to be Brick leading an assault on the fuel depot. The footage on the news was truly over-the-top: A full-blown mushroom cloud! This was a clear sign that the conflict within the Maelstrom gang had fully erupted into the open. Now, the entire city would know—Brick wasn't dead, and he was going head-to-head with his former 'brother,' Royce, in an all-out war. In the last moments of the broadcast, those with a keen eye could spot several Galena speeding out of the flames, their riders still partially engulfed in fire, spraying bullets from the machine guns mounted on their vehicles. It seemed like the purchase of those cars wasn't a waste after all. As the news played, Leo slipped on his ripper gloves. His mechanical arm swapped its default hand for a specialized surgical toolset. V and Jackie lay on the operating tables, while Leo, assisted by 'Little Octopus,' began making adjustments to their cyberware. Jackie's Gorilla Arms had two main issues: impacts beyond their load-bearing limit had caused component deformation, leading to abnormal internal wear. Fortunately, the damaged parts weren't custom-made; they were standard models that Vik regularly used for cyber-surgeries, making replacements easy to find. V's adjustments were focused on optimizing her Kerenzikov system based on its recent performance. The last two battles had proven that Little Octopus' Kerenzikov drive was highly stable. Compared to the standard model, it activated faster, had broader trigger conditions, and was nearly on par with an entry-level Sandevistan. However, Sandevistan's manual activation remained a crucial advantage in combat. Leo's next step was to attempt a real fix for Kang Tao's 'QianT' system. But before that, he needed to fine-tune and analyze all nerve-linked implants, including Mantis Blades. The first step was repairs. Thanks to Little Octopus, Leo could use traditional AI training models to analyze countless instances of Sandevistan activation patterns, using that data to guide his repairs. Ordinarily, collecting such data would be nearly impossible—Sandevistan logs were highly private, and different models were hard to come by. But now? Things were different. Among Night City's cyber-psychos, the Maelstrom gang had the highest concentration of people running Sandevistans. If conditions allowed, the next phase would be boosting Sandevistan's output. Leo still had an unexamined braindance extracted from V, which recorded QianT's system overload in detail. Kang Tao was eager to get their hands on that data—and even more eager to turn V into a test subject. But Leo preferred to solve the problem himself. Relying on unknown technology without fully understanding it? That was a dangerous gamble. Just as the surgery was nearing completion, V watched the news and muttered, "This situation is serious... Sounds like a lot of people are going to die." Leo nodded. "More accurately, power shifts always come with casualties." Jackie lay on the table, staring at the ceiling. "Doesn't sit right with me, man. After all, this whole mess—" "You're getting ahead of yourself," Leo cut him off, powering up Jackie's Gorilla Arms. A sudden jolt ran through his limb. Leo put away his tools and gestured for the two to get up. "In times like these, some focus on eliminating enemies, some on self-preservation, but only those who gain the support of the locals can emerge as the ultimate victors in difficult times." In reality, all of Night City's gangs fundamentally survive by being propped up by the local population. The 6th Street Gang rules over the lawless zone of Santo Domingo, but before that, they attempted to establish their own laws—killing many corrupt NCPD officers in the process. The Valentinos are the idols of the Haywood street kids, devout Catholics with their own code. They strike hard against those who break their rules—whether it's the NCPD, Scavs, or corporate lackeys. Then there's the Tyger Claws, backed by Japanese connections, the Mox, supported by sex workers and the working class, and the Voodoo Boys, who draw their strength from the locals of Pacifica. Every gang follows the same pattern: profiting from local industries, arming their enforcers, and using their firepower to impose order—keeping the region stable enough to keep the money flowing, all while bleeding it dry. Maelstrom is a bit of an outlier, but not by much. Right now, they're busy with their own internal war, leaving their turf unguarded. This was the perfect opportunity for the Aldecaldos to expand their influence. "Alright, let's get to work. First, make the delivery, then check if the people in North Watson need any help." V got up from the bed, stretching. "I have a question: Why isn't Militech getting involved? Maelstrom's a serious threat, and I'm not sure we can take them on." "Corporate troop deployments in Watson are a high-stakes game. Both Arasaka and Militech are watching closely. That's all you need to know." "And don't underestimate Maelstrom. They're called cyberpsychos for a reason." "Pfft, they're just walking piles of junk. None of 'em can match my Mackinaw or my flying bike." V patted Leo on the shoulder. "Besides, we've got you, our genius inventor." Leo scoffed. "Focus, dumbass." Incoming Messages: From Brick [Brick: Bro, your cars look like junk, but they kick serious ass in a fight!] [Brick: Just sent the rest of the payment. Got more of 'em? I need another batch.] [Brick: Holy shit, Royce has a ton of stuff stockpiled here.] [Transaction Received: +150,000 Eddies] [Mysterious Hero]: Of course. How many do you need?] [Mysterious Hero: I've also got something better—interested?] [Brick: What is it?] [Mysterious Hero: Can't crack open those Centaur mechs, right? I've got the drivers. I'll reflash 'em for 50k each.] Royce sat in his surveillance room, his fury barely contained as he watched the footage. Brick had used his knowledge of the fuel depot's layout to siphon off fuel in secret. If Royce hadn't changed the patrol routes, he wouldn't have even noticed the stolen Ethanol-2 until it was too late. Then his idiot subordinates decided to open fire, Brick fired back, and before long, someone hit the fuel tanks— Boom. At the current price of Ethanol-2, 5.3 Eddies per gallon, that explosion just cost him over 100,000 Eddies. And to make matters worse, Brick had transferred out the depot's stored funds—over 400,000 Eddies gone in an instant! This wasn't just a minor setback—Maelstrom was now split. Brick's loyalists were rebelling, and what should have been a smooth takeover had turned into an all-out civil war. And there was no way out of it now. Just as Royce was cursing his luck, gunfire erupted inside the All Foods factory. Grabbing his pistol, he stormed forward, sending a message as he walked. Outgoing Messages: To Anthony [Royce: Seen the news? That bastard Brick got his hands on some armored vehicles and just stole my fuel depot.] [Royce: Don't play dead. I need real backup.] [Royce: If I die, you're not getting the data either.] [Anthony: Useless.] [Anthony: I can't make a move openly. Send me a list of the cyberware you're using and everything in the factory. I'll send you an upgrade package.] [Anthony: Don't. Fail. Again.]

Chapter 289: Escalation

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