Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Xenji, or Xen to those who knew him well, said his final farewell to his brother a few hours ago. The service was nice, traditional Japanese despite he and his brother being raised in Night City their whole lives. That was a choice made by their parents. Xen hadn’t even been consulted on what Hiro would have wanted, but that was the price he had paid for losing his job at Arasaka. His parents wouldn’t even look at him when he passed by them to place his flower at Hiro’s urn. Had Hiro’s partner not informed him of the service, Xen would not have even known about it. His parents’ pettiness was still in the back of his mind, even now as he and his childhood choom Jackie made their way through Corpo plaza, towards some bar that Jackie had been told about. The owner of said bar was a Fixer, or the go-between when it came to clients and mercs. Jackie figured that they could get a few drinks and see if they can do some biz with said fixer. They were already doing biz with Wokako Okada of Japantown, but it was always good to have several Fixers as contacts. They were low on the merc totem pole, but Jackie was feeling ambitious, wanting to at least get their foot in the door, so to speak. Xen couldn’t argue with that logic, though this evening he just wanted to forget the day. Hell, forget the last few weeks even. 

Xen looked up at the sign above the door, cocking his head to the side. He was about to ask if Jackie was certain it was the right place, until he heard the muffled music. The sound was rough, but catchy. It was live music being played. He looked to Jackie. “Shall we?” He asked. 

Jackie shrugged and the two men entered the establishment, nodding at the bouncer who stared them down. A typical bar, though it looked like a bar more suited for Heywood or Watson rather than Corpo Plaza. Black and white checkerboard linoleum flooring, the main bar to the left along with a kitchen behind it. Scattered throughout the bar were little scuffed up tables, but the main attraction was the stage to the right of the building. Throughout the bar were all kinds of people. Mercs were at the bar and tables, while the floor in front of the stage had a bunch of men young and old adorned in leathers and spikes slamming into each other. Xen even spotted a couple of men in suits. Drug dealers? Weapons dealers? It was hard to tell, as Xen had dealt with both during his time at Arasaka. He and Jackie approached the bar, Jackie getting the attention of the barkeep by yelling over the band. He ordered a couple of shots for the both of them. Rather than yell over the band, the two just nodded at each other as they raised their shots. The first one burned, but each one that followed burned less. Six shots in a row down the gullet, and soon Xen was feeling nice and chill. 

“You know where we can find the owner of this establishment?” Jackie yelled to the barkeep, who was cleaning a glass with a rag. 

The barkeep pointed forward. “Dino’s on the stage,” He yelled back. 

Xen looked forward, then back to the barkeep. “Which one?” He barked. 

“The gonk with the bass!”

Xen, feeling curious and buzzed, made his way towards the stage. He stuck to the small set of stairs to avoid the thrashing audience, leaning up against the wall. He watched the band as they played. The lead guitarist and singer had a red mohawk and a face full of freckles. He screamed into the mic, his face fixed in a snarl. The drummer had a single green strip of hair on his head that flew about as he flailed wildly, staying in tempo. The rhythm guitarist had a mane of long dark hair that obscured his face as he headbanged. Xen’s eyes then fell on the bassist, the fixer named Dino, who was off to the side, head bopping with the tempo of the song. He was an older man, older than the other musicians by at least twenty years. His face was weathered yet handsome despite the prominent indented scar on the right side of his forehead that disappeared into his eyebrow. His hair was green and cut into a mohawk style, flopping over the chromed up left side of his head. His build could only be described as ‘stocky but fit’. He had the shoulders of a football player, well defined muscles that flexed with his playing. His left arm was chromed, bolts and threading along the arm itself, ending at two of his knuckles. Their eyes met briefly, Xen’s dark greys locking with Dino’s hazel-greens. His eyes were soft, for someone who worked with mercs and looked like he would kick you in the face rather than look at you. His lip curled into a slight grin, softening his face more. Was he smiling at Xen? Before the merc could figure it out, the song concluded and the singer bid everyone a ‘BURN CORPO SHIT AND HAVE A FUCKED EVENING!’, the crowd responding with cheers. Dino placed his instrument on the stand towards the back of the stage, congratulated his bandmates on a gig well-played and then leapt off it, elbowing through the crowd, nodding at a few who shouted compliments to him about the show. He made his way past Xen, their eyes meeting briefly again before he ascended the steps and went to the bar, sitting down on a stool as the barkeep handed him a towel to wipe his face with. His musk, strong and quite pleasant, tickled Xen’s nose still. 

Jackie jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow with a chuckle. “Pick your tongue up off the floor hermano,” He teased. “How’s about we go introduce ourselves to him?”

Xen felt his face turn warm. Was he blushing? Xen hadn’t blushed or gotten flustered by another person in quite some time. He felt like a dumb kid again, suffering his first crush. Xen cleared his throat and got himself under control. “You think he’ll wanna talk to us? Probably gets amateurs like us all the time bugging him.”

Jackie smirked. “I’ll get us in the door, then I’ll delta and you can get to know him. I saw you makin’ eyes with him. You have a type.” 

Xen tilted his head to the side, shooting Jackie a doubting look. “I have a type, do I?” 

“You do. You like your hombres old and tough.” 

Xen smirked. He couldn’t argue with that. He had always been drawn to older guys with attitudes, ever since he discovered that he was attracted to men. Older meant more experience, and he had always found alternative fashion to be intriguing and appealing. And a man who is lethal, but chooses to be gentle, did something to him carnally. 

“You’re too smart for your own good sometimes, Jacks.”

Jackie chuckled, then beckoned Xen to follow him. They approached the bar. Dino was talking to the barkeep. He paused for a moment to down a drink, then noticed the two mercs and paused with his conversation. “What can I do for you boys?” Dino asked. 

 “The name’s Jackie Welles and this is my partner, V,” Jackie stated, motioning to Xen, who was halfway to bowing his head, stopped himself and then transitioned into a basic nod. He didn’t object to being introduced with a name other than his own. Jackie was the one who suggested that Xen go by a pseudonym. It was a way for Xen to separate himself from his family name and his corpo past. A fresh start. “We heard you’re the fixer to know around here.” 

Dino looked both men up and down, lingering a bit on Xen. “Ya heard right. Here to talk biz?” 

Xen took a step forward. “He is,” He stated, hinting at Jackie as he fiddled with his hands. “I was more interested in your set. You guys were shimra. Heavy, raw, with a message that stays long after the notes have gone silent.”

Dino raised his eyebrows, a smirk curling his upper lip. “A merc with a functioning pair of ears, and a brain to go with it.” 

Xen raised an eyebrow. “Is that rare in this biz?” 

Dino chuckled. “Quite rare actually. Most don’t analyze the sound, the lyrics, the message within. It’s all just noise to slam into each other with to these gonks.” 

Jackie cleared his throat, feeling like a third wheel. “Right...so the two of us are mercs. We have a runner who works with us too, but she rarely leaves her den. I’ve been on the scene for a few years now and V is new to it all, but he knows what he’s doing. Been working with Wokako Okada.”

Dino nodded. “Alright, gimme your detes. No guarantees, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Jackie nodded, face beaming. His eyes glowed red, as did Xen’s as they passed their information to Dino through a secure connection. Dino’s hazel eyes glowed green then went back to normal, indicating that he received the files, as well as their phone numbers. “Appreciate it, choom! Now that that’s over with, I’m gonna go have another drink and give the old ball and chain a ring on the holo.” 

Jackie winked and smirked at Xen and made his way towards the other barkeep on the other end of the bar. Xen shook his head, then turned his attention back to Dino, still feeling quite buzzed from the shots they had taken prior. 

Dino ordered up two more drinks, then motioned to Xen and the stool in front of him. “You earned yourself a drink on the house for coming into my establishment with actual thoughts in your dome.” 

Xen sat down. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, even when getting wasted,” He mused. 

Dino picked up his drink and raised it up. “I’ll drink to that.”

Xen did the same, knocking it back in one gulp, preparing for a wicked burn that never came. The drink was warm but smooth, with honey undertones that coated Xen’s throat in sweetness. He had tasted whiskey like that before, during the company parties he had been forced to attend when he was working at Arasaka. He figured it was Dino’s special whiskey that was meant for him and whomever he deemed worthy to share it with. Xen had a feeling that wasn’t too many people, and that thought filled him with a warmth beyond the alcohol, a warmth that he hadn’t felt in awhile. It was a welcomed feeling. 

One free drink turned into a few more. Conversation flowed between them, going from Dino talking about his band’s origins and their recent reunion to Xen telling him about his artistic pursuits. With the alcohol dimming inhibitions, that led to Xen pulling up his mesh shirt to show off his torso tattoos, all of them designed by his own hand. Dino responded by pulling down his tanktop to show off his green wolf and nail tattoo on his chest, then suggested they move their conversation to a less loud and crowded place, though the bar wasn’t exactly crowded but Xen wasn’t about to decline an offer to be somewhere more quiet. Dino led the way to the right side of the establishment, to a door that led to his office. They stepped into the space, the door closing behind them. The office was simple. A desk on one end with a mini fridge next to it, a black couch on the other end, and a few filing cabinets. Dino approached his desk, opening the bottom drawer. He reached in and retrieved an inhaler. He took a hit and coughed, shaking his head. He offered it out to Xen, who accepted it without question. He wasn’t much of a drug-user, but if he’s offered a hit of something he rarely says no to it. Besides, Xen recognized the inhaler style and knew that it was Thrill, which was a party drug. 

Three hits later and Xen was feeling rather euphoric. Colors were popping, from the posters on the wall to the colored buttons on the couch. He could hear his own pulse and it was rapid and he could feel his blood whooshing through his body. His skin was extra sensitive, nerves and synapses firing off as Dino’s arms wrapped around his torso, one hand caressing his chest while the other slipped down, stroking his stomach and falling further still until it palmed his crotch. Xen gasped as lips kissed up the side of his neck, skin prickled with goosebumps as he bucked his hips. Inhibitions non-existent, drunk and high, Xen turned around and pressed his body up against Dino’s, smashing their mouths together in a rough and passionate kiss, hand gripping the front of the fixer’s vest to keep him in place. Dino’s hand was on Xen’s ass, squeezing as his tongue invaded Xen’s mouth. Dino was then pushed backwards, landing on the couch. Xen climbed on top of  his lap, their mouths reconnected, tongues dancing as hands wandered and groped wildly. Xen’s shirt was removed when their mouths separated for air, Dino kissing down his neck, biting and suckling a bruise into the pale ivory flesh. Xen grunted, grinding against the fixer’s growing erection below him. He slipped from Dino’s grip, settling between his legs. Belt unbuckled, pants unbuttoned and unzipped, flayed open for easier access. The fixer’s cock was freed from the confines of his briefs. Xen admired it for a moment, realizing just how long it had been since he had seen a cock other than his own. He locked eyes with Dino as he wrapped his fingers around his thick shaft. He slid the cock into his mouth slowly, hollowing out his cheeks, his tongue lapping and licking. A gasp turned to a grunt, then a moan as Xen’s head bobbed. He reached down, tangling his fingers in Xen’s black locks as the merc’s tongue and mouth worked him up, winding him tightly within. Xen gagged a few times as Dino’s cock head hit the back of his throat, but he kept going even as his eyes watered a bit. He grabbed onto Dino’s shirt, his other hand on the couch, letting the fixer’s cock slip all the way down his throat like a champ, head bobbing faster. 

Dino yanked Xen’s head back, stopping him from his ministrations. Dino got to his feet, bringing Xen to his by his hair, though he made sure not to be too rough with him, not knowing if he was into that or not. The merc’s blown out pupils and moan told him that he didn’t hurt him. Dino released Xen’s hair and gripped the back of his neck, a rough kiss placed on his lips that left the merc breathless.  

“I don’t plan on finishing in your mouth, pretty boy,” Dino crooned.

“You can finish wherever you want,” Xen purred. He pressed his crotch against Dino’s leg, erection aching for release from his pants.

Dino smirked, and led Xen to the couch and pushed him onto it stomach down. The fabric of the couch was scratchy on Xen’s bare chest, making his skin tingle. He heard the opening and closing of a desk drawer, then felt a shift on the couch. Dino was hovering over him, kissing and biting his neck as he hovered on one elbow while his other arm snaked around Xen’s torso and started unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. Xen’s cock fell out, erect, heavy and aching for contact. Dino hummed, impressed with what he saw as he pulled the shiny tight pants off the merc’s hips and legs, taking his boots along with them. He heard the rustle of clothing, leather, denim and cotton dropping to the floor. Dino returned to his position over Xen, reaching around and gripping his cock, maneuvering his foreskin before slowly stroking from tip to root and back again. Xen moaned, arching his back and rolling his hips as his fingers dug into the couch cushions. His body was warm, sweat beading on his skin as an inferno of elation began to build in his belly. Dino released his cock, eliciting a whine of protest from Xen’s throat. 

“Give you something better than a handy, kid.” Dino assured him, sitting up. He picked up a bottle of lube he had fished out of his desk, applying a liberal amount to his hand. He slicked up his cock, going slow to tease the man below him, who was watching him with eyes drowning in lust and inebriation. He grabbed Xen’s hips, lining himself up. Dino slowly pushed forward, his cock sliding past the ring of muscle. Xen hissed and winced as the fixer stretched him out, realizing just how long it had been since he had gotten laid. He couldn’t even recall the name of the guy he was with last. Pain turned to pleasure after a few slow and careful thrusts. Winces became sighs, moans as Dino established a good pace and rhythm, hips moving with the music dimly thumping behind his office door. Xen’s body was pushed back down to the couch, the friction of the cushions feeling phenomenal on his cock as Dino rammed into him with more ferocity, brushing against the bundle of nerves that made Xen see stars. Be it the Thrill, the alcohol, or just his need for a distraction, but Xen’s entire body was tingling, covered in sweat as his entire system was being overloaded with pleasure. The inferno in his belly was ready to consume him.

“So close,” Xen uttered, fingers clawing at the couch. “Your cock...so good.”

Dino growled low in his throat, his hips snapping faster. Xen’s back arched and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Another few thrusts, and the inferno freed itself finally as he fell off the cliff he’d been teetering on, landing in a sea of bliss. Xen let out a chain of curses in both Japanese and english, his cock erupting underneath him as his body trembled. Dino’s thrusts turned erratic as he grunted and chased his own orgasmic high. He collapsed on top of Xen, laying his head between the merc’s shoulder-blades as he took a few moments to catch his breath. Recovered, he kissed the side of Xen’s neck and pulled out of him, getting up from the couch and collecting his clothes. 

Xen took a moment longer, then sat up and started to dress, trying to ignore what was brewing within his mind. He was sobering up a bit and the numbness provided by the alcohol and Thrill were fading. Thoughts from the last few weeks were creeping up in his head. His brother’s last message to him before his death. Hiro left a voicemail, and it was still saved on Xen’s phone. He had intended to call him back, but by the time he was getting around to it, he was being driven to the morgue at NCPD to identify his brother’s body, brutalized post-mortem. Xen shook his head, staring down at the rug on the floor in front of the couch. There was a small stain in the shape of a deflated smiley face. It reminded him of when Hiro tried to retrieve a balloon that he had lost his grip on when they were children. The balloon had a smiley face printed on it. The latex orb got ripped by a branch and fell back down to the concrete. The ending result was a deflated and deformed face. Both boys thought it was the funniest looking thing they had ever seen and laughed until their sides ached. 

And now that face was staring at him in the form of a stain on a carpet. A happy memory turned bitter, like the bile that rose in his throat below an emotional lump. Xen swallowed both bile and lump down, only for the lump to start slithering back up his throat again as tears began to well in his eyes.

“You alright kid,” Dino asked.

Xen lost what little grip he had on his emotions. He lowered his head, sobbing silently. He felt like a pathetic gonk for falling apart, especially in front of a fixer that he just had sex with. Why did the simple act of asking him how he was enough to make him feel so fucking vulnerable? He must still be drunk and high. He tried to regain composure, lifting his head, wiping at his eyes. Before he knew it, his mouth was spewing forth words. 

“Fuck,” Xen uttered, shaking his head. “I...I don’t usually...”

He felt Dino’s hand on his head, sifting his fingers through his sweat soaked hair, gentle scratches on his scalp that felt so damn good. “Hey, it’s fine. Coming down from Thrill can be rough, especially if you’re using it to try to run away from problems.” 

 Xen sniffled. “Gave my final farewells to my brother today. Been a rough few weeks since I was...Just wanted to forget everything for a few hours.”

“Yea, drugs and alcohol can numb things for a bit, but it’s a bandaid on a bullet hole,” Dino continued to pet Xen’s hair. “Speaking from experience.”

Xen glanced over at Dino. He was starting to feel a little less embarrassed about falling apart like he did. Dino wasn’t what he expected from a fixer, but his experience with fixers was limited to Wokako Okada and Padre Ibarra. He was different. “You should be a guru with the wisdom you’re dropping.”

Dino chuckled. “Nah. I fix situations, not people,” He smirked. “But thanks for the compliment, kid.”

Xen smirked, then sighed. “I think I’m gonna call it a night and sleep this off,” He turned to Dino. “Up until now, had a good time. Been awhile since I’ve been able to just sit and bullshit with someone, drink and fuck like a normal gonk.”

Dino’s hand was on Xen’s face, a brief caress before he removed it. Soft hands, warm hands. Not what you expected from a bass player. Or a fixer. “Likewise. Take it easy, V,” He leaned back on the couch as Xen got to his feet. “Don’t be a stranger. Wanna see some of your work that isn’t inked on ya.” 

Xen smiled. “Sure. Could show you my portfolio sometime,” He made his way towards the door, then paused and turned back. “And, the name is Xen. V is my work name.” 

Dino nodded. “Figured your parents didn’t give you a letter as a name, though corpo parents do have a tendency to name their kids weird these days.” 

Xen’s heart stopped for a moment, panic gripping it. “You...you know?” 

“Can spot a former Corpo-Rat from a mile away,” Dino mused with a grin. “Especially one that went through training at Arasaka Academy. Hard to unlearn to bow to superiors and stand with perfect posture.”

“Hope this doesn’t sour anything. That life was comfy, but it wasn’t for me. Had to do things I ain’t proud of and don’t like to think about anymore.” 

Dino shook his head. “I don’t judge people by their past. We all got skeletons in our closets. Some more than others. If I didn’t vibe with ya, then we wouldn’t have come in here. Would have sent you on your way.”

Xen relaxed and once again found himself surprised by the fixer. “Thanks Dino.” 

Dino nodded. “See ya around, Pretty Boy.” 

Xen left the office with a smirk. He didn’t have to look too hard for Jackie. His choom was chatting up some mercs in the corner of the bar. The mercs were grinning and laughing with him. Everyone liked Jackie and if they didn’t at first, they grew to like him in time. It was impossible to hate a son from Heywood like Jackie Welles. 

Xen approached Jackie and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m out,” He stated. “Feeling a bit...run down.” 

Jackie nodded. “Yea, think I’ll do the same,” He looked back to the mercs he had been talking to. “See ya fellas around, huh?” 

“Take it easy, Jackie,” One of the mercs stated. The other two nodded in agreement. 

Jackie and Xen left the bar, both nodding at the bouncer who was still stationed by the door. The bouncer gave a small nod back, saying nothing. Then men were outside the bar when Jackie turned to Xen. 

“You think we’re in with Dino now?” He asked. 

Xen shrugged. “Think so.” 

Jackie nodded, then smirked. “Seems he likes you enough at least.” 

Xen felt his face get warm, but cleared his throat then rolled his eyes. “Don’t make too much of it. Just a little fun.” 

Jackie chuckled. “If you say so.” 

They walked the rest of the way to the metro in silence and rode the train to their respective homes. The day tomorrow would involve a gig that Wokako would brief them on later. It would give both men time to sleep off their night out. One of the perks of being a merc was that they set their own schedule. Xen was finally able to sleep like a normal gonk, after having to wake up before the sun for so many years. At least that was one habit he managed to break from his Corpo-Rat days. He got off on his stop, walked a few blocks and then let himself into his apartment. It was smaller than the one he had a few weeks prior, but Xen liked it. Perhaps one day when they get better paying gigs he would move, but for now it was his refuge from the stink of the Neon Jungle outside. 

Xen stripped down to his boxers and took his phone from his pocket, throwing it onto the bed as he crawled onto it. He was about to lay down when the screen on his phone lit up. He grabbed it and took a look, to find a text from Dino. 

Hope you got home safe. G’night Pretty Boy.

Xen’s heart fluttered for but a second. He had never been given a nickname before. He liked it, but did it mean anything? Was this more than ‘just a little fun’? 

Xen didn’t know, but he also didn’t really care. A little fun, or a little more, he at least had a little distraction from the dystopia outside, from the misery that is Night City and he wasn’t about to pass that up. He typed a response(safe and sound and going to bed. g-night yourself :)), put his phone down and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him for a few hours. 

At least until the nightmares disrupt his rest.

Chapter Text

Xen was determined to find out what happened to his brother. The NCPD didn’t seem to be moving forward with any investigation, which had him concerned and frustrated. And to top it off, his brother’s partner was no longer with the precinct. He had resigned shortly after Hiro’s funeral and no one had seen him since. Or so they say. Xen looked up where Erik Takanawa lived, and found an apartment long-since abandoned, stripped bare. Something was off. 

Xen’s phone rang. T-Bug, his other partner was the one calling. He was waiting for this particular call. The holo on his phone sprung up. An ebony woman, slim with a shaved head and dressed in a black netrunner suit was comfortably sitting on a netrunner’s chair.   

“Hey T,” Xen said, flashing a smile to the holo. “How’s things?”

T-Bug shrugged. “Can’t complain,” She replied. “Last gig allowed me to pay my bills.” 

“And the eddies I’m about to pay you will allow you to eat?” 

T-Bug smirked as her eyes glowed blue. Once her eyes were their normal dark brown, her face turned serious. “V, what I’m about to send you is some pretty heavy shit. You need to promise me something first, okay?” 

Xen’s stomach began to churn. “Promise you what?” 

She got closer to the holo. “Promise me you won’t fly off the handle and do something gonk.”

Xen’s eyebrow raised, stomach acid sloshing about, making him regret the burrito he ingested moments before. “What did you find? How bad?” 

“NCPD’s datafort is guarded well and for good reason,” T-Bug shook her head. “Nearly got made a few times, but like all forts, there is a weakness and I found it. Your brother’s case files, reports, all there. Including the last case he was working undercover on.”

Xen nodded. “Thanks T. You’re the best. When I get my bearings, won't need you to break into dataforts anymore for me.”

"Well, you are learning from the best so you'll be running in no time," T-Bug smirked, then her face turned serious. “Just remember your promise.” 

Xen remembered his promise. Sneaking into the security office of the last place his brother had mentioned going to wasn’t ‘doing something gonk’, and stealing security footage certainly wasn’t either. At least that was what Xen told himself as he copied the footage to his phone and then disconnected himself from the computer. He texted Jackie, who was running interference, that he was done so he could distract any other Claws or Animal bouncers so he could slip back out of the security office.

However, what happened a few hours later would have to be labeled as ‘gonk’. After watching all the footage he had copied over, Xen found what he had been looking for. And he almost wished he hadn’t. He watched his brother’s execution, at the hands of his own partner. That explained why Takanawa was in the wind and why his brother had been covered in post-mortem stab wounds on top of having been shot in the chest and head. His partner had done the shooting and he had some Tyger Claws stab his brother’s body to make it look like it was just a case of his brother blowing his own cover. Except that Hiro would never have done that. He was one of the best undercover detectives in the NCPD. Head filled with rage, heart filled with disgust and the need for revenge, Xen left his apartment and headed to the Ho Oh Club. He had received a gig from Regina, a former journalist-turned-fixer, that involved that very club. Jotaro Shobo, the club owner, was not only the Tyger Claw boss that his brother was trying to take down for human trafficking, but he was also a sick man who tortured JoyToys for BDs. Hiro was so close to bringing him in, it seemed. The stars seemed to have aligned this evening, allowing Xen to finish his brother’s case AND bring justice to some victims of the Claws.

Sneaking into Jotaro’s office was easy enough. He managed to find blueprints of the club on the net. The club was open and busy, which made sneaking up a hidden flight of stairs pretty easy when he caused a diversion by telling a drunk club-goer that another one was trying to steal his girl which resulted in a fight breaking out. Xen had turned off the security cameras hours prior when he had been in the security office and it seemed that no one had noticed, so he managed to get where he needed to go undetected. Jotaro was in his office on his computer. Xen surprised him and before the Claw boss could even unholster his gun, Xen was in front of him. He pulled his katana from his back and thrust the blade into Jotaro’s stomach. Xen knew where to stab to do fatal damage. He pulled the blade out the way it went in and let the Tyger Claw fall to the floor face down. Xen kicked him onto his back and stared down at him. 

“Who,” Jotaro uttered in Japanese, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he stared up at Xen with wide eyes. His white suit jacket was turning red as blood began to soak through.

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Xen growled back, also in Japanese. “All that matters is you’re dead and done hurting people.” 

Jotaro coughed, body stiffening for a moment. He let out one final long breath, his muscles relaxing and head slumping to the side. 

Xen shook his head. “Rest in piss and burn in Hell!” 

He gave Jotaro’s body a kick, then sheathed his katana and made his way over to the computer on the desk. He looked through it quickly, looking for anything that would tell him where Erik had gone off to. He sighed and cursed under his breath when nothing was found. He left a different way than where he snuck in, finding an open window and jumping down to the street below, in an alleyway that was unoccupied. He stepped out into the Concrete Jungle of Night City and informed Regina that Jotaro had been taken care of. It was a little past one in the morning. Xen took a walk, wanting the adrenaline and the anger to subside. The adrenaline evaporated, but the anger remained. He didn’t want to go home just yet. He jumped on the metro and took it to Corpo Plaza, but didn’t head to Electric Orgasm. He recalled it being one of Dino’s nights off. The fixer was probably asleep, but Xen found himself walking into the apartment complex where Dino lived. He had been there once or twice in the past few weeks and Dino gave him the code to the elevator. Xen punched in the code and rode the elevator to the third floor. He got out, slowly walking down the hall to the left until he got to the door with the number 303. He knocked. Five minutes passed before he heard shuffling behind the door, but to Xen for some reason it felt like hours. His mind started racing. Why was he there? Dino didn’t need to know his biz. They were just friends. 

Friends who fuck? 

Just friends, he insisted. Then why was he feeling himself panicking at the thought of annoying the fixer with this late night visit? Once again he questioned why he was even there, but before he could decide to delta, the door opened. Dino was standing in the doorway, yawning. He was in a pair of boxers and nothing else, hair a bit of a mess. Xen instantly felt bad for waking him. 

“Hey,” Dino said, rubbing the back of his neck. “What’s...what’s up?” 

Xen shuffled his feet nervously. “Sorry to wake you.” He stammered. “Just...Dunno why I’m here. I can go if you’re--”

Dino put up his hand and stepped to the side. “Get in here,” He commanded, voice soft yet authoritative. There was something about that way he spoke that did something to Xen inside. He obeyed, stepping into the apartment. He followed Dino into the small living room to the left and sat down on the white couch. Dino sat next to him. “You alright? Acting like you got a heap of shit running around in your dome.”

Xen sighed and leaned forward, chuckling dryly. “A heap of shit indeed. I...I found out who killed my brother.”

“I see.” 

Xen looked over at Dino. He could see the questions in his eyes. “My brother’s own partner. He’s gone though. Left the force and there’s no fucking trace of him. The Claws could be hiding him though, but they’re everywhere so it’s gonna be hard to pinpoint where. I...I killed one of their bosses tonight. He was the one my brother was about to bring down.”

Dino nodded. “Explains the blood on your shirt,” Xen looked down at his cutoff green ratty shirt and saw splatters of crimson on it. “You weren’t seen, right?” 

Xen shook his head. “Course I wasn’t. Disabled the cameras when I stole their security footage earlier. I know what I’m doing. Before I was a merc I...” He stopped himself. Xen’s past with Arasaka involved a lot more than what he let on, and a lot more than what was available through an online database search. 

If Dino knew, he didn’t let on. He put a knee up, leaning on it. “You still want to find your brother’s killer?” 

“I do. I want to know why he did it,” He felt himself getting angry. Tears stung his eyes. “And I want to see the life leave his eyes when I take it.” 

“Ah. Revenge,” Dino put his hand on Xen’s shoulder, an act that brought his pulse up for some reason. He looked over at Dino. “Ain’t gonna try to talk you out of it. Not my place, but I can offer you a little wisdom, if you’ll allow it.”

“I’ll allow it,” Xen said with a nod. “Your wisdom hasn’t let me down yet.” 

It amused Xen to see some color rush to Dino’s cheeks. He seemed to be the only one who could get the fixer flustered like that. Dino smirked. “Give it time, kid,” He cleared his throat. “Anyways, the thing about revenge, is that it might taste good at first, but the bitterness comes through real quick.” 

“Speaking from experience?” Xen asked.

Dino nodded. “Been down that road many times. It can consume you, turn you into something you’re not. Don’t want that for you, ya know? You’re better than that.” 

Xen cocked his head to the side. “I am?” 

“You are,” Dino leaned closer. “You’re no merc, Xen. I mean, for now you are and you’re a damn good one, but you’re meant for better. Don’t get bogged down with revenge and the need to make it to the top. Not with the talent you have in those hands and that head of yours.”

It was Xen’s turn to blush. He wasn’t used to too many people complimenting him on his artistic talents. The only ones who ever have were Jackie and Misty and his brother. Everyone else looked at what he did as a ‘hobby’ and one that they felt was a waste of time when he could be studying harder, climbing the corpo ladder or training harder to keep his reflexes sharp. Art was for dreamers, those with no ambition, according to his father. It took a long time and a lot of trust for Xen to share his art with his brother, then Jackie and Misty. He didn’t trust too easily, and yet Dino found his way in.

Dino was different....

“I’ll...” Xen stammered. “I’ll keep that in mind. Don’t plan on being a merc forever. Just long enough to get enough Eddies to get a gallery show, get my work out there. Long enough to deal with my brother’s killer.”

“I’m holding you to this, you know,” Dino smirk became a smile. It made Xen’s heart feel weird. It felt like it was vibrating in his chest, but not in a concerning sort of way. It was like he was a teenager again, looking at the first guy to make him realize that he was attracted to men. Some punker spraying a horrendous rendition of a penis on the side of a building on his way to classes at Arasaka Academy. Orange long hair, sharp features, luscious lips. Shit...They were just friends...just...friends. 

A nervous chuckle fell from Xen’s mouth. “I won’t let you down then,” He got up from the couch and stretched his arms over his head briefly. “Think I’ll head home. Sorry for waking you for this gonk shit.”

Dino got to his feet as well. “You didn’t wake me really,” He sighed and rubbed his neck. “Got insomnia. Don’t sleep much to begin with. But hope I helped with whatever’s bugging you.”

Xen nodded. “You did. If I’d talked to Jacks about it he would have just asked if I wanted help with killing the guy. You at least gave me something to consider. Sometimes you need that more.”

“I mean, if you do wanna find him I can put some feelers out.” 

“I got this. It’s my family biz,” Not that Xen wasn’t grateful for the offer. It just felt wrong to have a fixer offer his services when Xen technically worked for him. And slept with him from time to time. They hadn’t slept together in awhile though. Both had been too busy to hang out either. Xen didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he missed Dino. He shook his thoughts loose before they could finish. “Thanks though. I’ll drop by the bar when Wokako gives me a goddamn minute to breathe. See ya, Dino.”

Dino smiled and put his hand on Xen’s shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger, Pretty Boy.” 

That damn nickname again. It gave Xen a warm feeling in his chest, akin to drinking a really good whiskey. 

“I’ll try not to be.” Xen stated with a grin, briefly placing his hand over Dino’s before he pulled it away, then finally turning and making his way out of the apartment.

As he left the complex and made his way back to Watson, Xen began to realize something that he felt may complicate things going forward. 

He was starting to have feelings for Dino. 

Shit. 

Chapter Text

Head pounding, stomach churning, sun too bright, radio too loud. Xen covered his face with his hand, groaning as he forced his eyes open. He slowly sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, bent over as he stared at the ugly linoleum floor under his bare feet. When did he take off his shoes? Hell, when did he take off his pants? And his shirt? He slowly started remembering the night. Drinking a lot after the meeting with Dex. Way too much drinking, egged on by Jackie of course, who outweighs him by at least fifty pounds so keeping up with him came at a price. That price was vomiting outside, followed by nearly getting into a scuffle with some gonk. Claire confiscated his keys and his phone, giving Dino a call to come drive the two mercs home. Xen blacked out here and there, but he remembered being carried into his apartment.

Dino’s voice brought him out of his stupor. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” The fixer stated. Xen lifted his head, surprised he could even accomplish such a feat with how heavy it felt, the painful throbbing within his skull in time with his pulse. Dino was sitting on his couch, his tablet in hand. Must have been doing biz while Xen was passed out. He put the tablet down and got to his feet, picking up a bottle of painkillers from the coffee table along with a bottle of water.

“You stayed here all night?” Xen asked, voice crackling and croaking. He realized how dry his mouth and throat were. He tasted bile and remnants of what he had eaten last on the inside of his mouth. 

“Someone had to make sure you didn’t choke on your own puke or do anything else gonk,” Dino said with a chuckle. He handed Xen the bottle of painkillers and the water. “According to Claire, you tried to swing on some fat Tyger Claw unprovoked after you lost your dinner on the ground.” 

Xen recalled the incident, and what triggered it. His alcohol-soaked brain decided he needed to interrogate the Tyger Claw about his brother’s partner, but the guy had no clue what he was talking about, which only made Xen angry. He remembered Jackie holding him back, which didn’t take much effort on Jackie’s part. He took the painkillers and washed them down with a few gulps of water, letting it coat his throat with some much needed relief.  “Fuck...yea...things went sideways towards the end.”

“That’s an understatement,” Dino’s demeanor changed. He seemed tense, bothered by something. “Jackie was rambling to me about this gig Dex put on the two of you.”

Xen took another sip of the water, then returned the top to the bottle and put it down. He looked up at the fixer, taking note of his stiff muscles, the frown he was attempting to conceal. “Do you have some thoughts on that?”

“It’s not my biz.” Dino replied bluntly. 

Xen cocked his head to the side, despite it making his head feel ten times worse. “Well, I wanna know what’s on your mind right now. Something’s clearly eating at you about this.” 

“Just remember, you asked for it,” Dino sighed and took a breath. “Dex is a scumbag. One of the worst fixers in this city. Got his last crew flatlined because of his negligence, which is why he disappeared. Most who work with him end up that way.”

“You’re worried we’ll end up the same?” 

“No offense, but you three are still kinda green. What’s your cut? How much is he offering you to steal from the biggest megacorp in all of Night City?” Dino’s voice was sharp, his frown deeper. 

“Thirty.” Xen replied. He was tempted to tell him about Evelyn’s offer, but thought better of it. She was asking him to do the first and only unwritten rule in the merc biz. 

Dino shook his head. “Thirty to risk your lives klepping from Arasaka? Is thirty what your life is worth, Xen?” 

Xen found himself getting angry too. “Why do you care? Thirty percent would get me a better place to live, keep me comfortable.” 

“If the gonk even pays you. You really trust him to do that? And I care because--”

Xen was on his feet and in front of Dino, scowling with frustration. “Because why? I wanna hear it from your mouth, Dino. Been dancing around this for weeks now you and I. Come on, out with it! I know you wouldn’t stay with anyone else all night after they got trashed. What’s so fucking special about me?”

Dino stepped back with a shocked look on his face, but the frown returned as he took a step forward and grabbed a hold of Xen’s face, smashing their lips together. Xen tensed in surprise, then melted into the kiss. Dino’s hands dropped from his face to his ass, pulling him closer. Xen pulled back for a moment, but leaned right back in, adding a little heat to the kiss with his tongue slipping into Dino’s mouth, his hand on the fixer’s cheek. Neither man had touched one another in a few weeks. Xen had thought his random feelings would diminish, but they had only gotten stronger and now it was apparent that Dino felt the same way. Their mouths finally separated, both men breathing hard. Dino took a step back, sighing. “I--fuck kid, this probably isn’t the time for this kinda thing, is it?” He stated. 

Xen chuckled. “Probably not. Not when I’m about to go on a gig that can make or break me. I..but this is something we should probably talk about.”

Dino nodded. He reached forward, cupping the back of Xen’s neck. “You’re already in too deep to back out now, so just....be careful...” He looked like he wanted to say more, like maybe he wanted to kiss Xen again, but instead Dino just gave his neck a squeeze, then turned and made his way towards the door. Xen watched him leave, his lips tingling from the kiss. His stupor was disrupted when his phone began to ring. Sighing, Xen turned away and retrieved his phone from the coffee table. 

“Morning Xen,” Jackie chirped. “How’s the hangover?” 

Xen shrugged. “Don’t worry about it,” He insisted. “Took some painkillers, about to rehydrate with a shower.” 

“Hope you’re ready for today.” 

“Course I am,” Xen lied, putting on his best mask to keep what had just occurred moments before hidden from his best choom. “Simple klep job, right?” 

Jackie nodded with a chuckle. “Simple klep job. Then it’s the majors for us both, hermano.” 

A fake smile curled Xen’s lips. “Yup. Majors. I’ll see you in an hour, Jacks.” 

“Later.” 

Xen hung up and made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the water and stripped out of his boxers, letting the hot water relax his tense muscles as he stepped in. He couldn’t stop thinking about what transpired between him and Dino. The anger that quickly turned to passion. There was something there. It started innocently enough as friends. Friends who fucked, but then it became much more and now? Where could they go from there?

Xen shook his head, his wet hair slapping at his face, bringing him back to reality. He still had a job to do and he couldn’t be distracted by anything. Especially matters of the heart. 

Gig now. Talk later. 

At least that was the plan.   

Chapter Text

Jackie was dead. His final words kept running through Xen’s head as shaky hands washed away blood under cold running water. 

The biochip....hold onto it...for me?

Before Xen could object, Jackie shoved the biochip, the thing that was supposed to be a ‘simple klep job’ over, into his neural port. It felt wrong to keep it in there, but it felt even more wrong to hand it over to Dex. He told the fixer that he had lost it. He planned to hand it over to Evelyn later. She was the client after all. 

Xen splashed water onto his face, rubbing the blood splatters from his cheeks and nose. The cold water shocked his system, bringing the reality of everything back to the surface. He remembered how the light in Jackie’s eyes, his essence, just faded out as he slumped forward. It was so quick, like a candle being blown out. He looked back up at the mirror, barely able to see his reflection in the spiderweb-like fractures in the glass. He had punched the mirror in anger. He didn’t need to see his haunted reflection anyhow. Xen turned from the mirror and started pacing in the small bathroom, the tremors in his hands worse now as his heart ached in his chest. He stopped and sat down on the toilet seat Before he knew it, Xen was sobbing. He was trying to keep quiet, to keep in control, but he was failing at both as his grief spilled out of him like a broken dam. Jackie wasn’t supposed to die. They should have been at Afterlife, having a celebratory drink, fantasizing about how they were going to spend their earnings from the gig. He knew Jackie would have wanted to spoil Mama Welles and Misty. 

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Xen bawled, voice a whisper. “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry Jacks. I’m sorry...” He put his hand over his mouth to muffle his sobs. He wanted to be anywhere but on the filthy floor of a motel bathroom. He wanted to be in Dino’s bar, talking to the fixer, finally getting things off his chest. He wanted things to be normal again. But they weren’t normal anymore. If the Arasaka Ninjas weren’t already aware of him, they would be soon enough. Would he be able to skip town, the country even? He had no idea if Evelyn would even want to conclude their biz now, especially after what happened. He just needed to get to her. He just needed to pull himself together and concoct a plan. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Xen took a few breaths and pulled his phone out, thinking it was a text from Evelyn, only to find a text from Dino.

What the fuck is going on? Heard Konpleki is in lockdown, something about The Emperor being murdered...please tell me you didn’t. 

Another text. 

Xen? Talk to me...

Xen wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and then willed his hands to be still so he could type out a response.  

We didn’t. The gig went sideways. Tell you more when I get out of here.  

It was short, vague and probably made Dino’s anxiety spike, but it was the best Xen could come up with. His mind was racing. He clicked on Evelyn’s icon next and sent a text to her. 

Have the relic. Gonna come to you. Where should we meet?

A loud and impatient knock on the bathroom door startled Xen, nearly making him drop his phone. 

“You fall in or something?” Dex’s bodyguard growled. 

Xen took a breath. “Out in a minute.” He replied as he put his phone into his pocket. 

He got to his feet, smoothing his jacket and pants as he gathered his thoughts and came up with an excuse to leave the motel. Dex said they needed to leave the area, but he was going to insist that he can find his own way. He had some extra cash stashed away for situations that required a quick and quiet exit. He approached the door and took a deep breath, opening it up and stepping out. Before he could get any words out, he was grabbed and punched in the face. The blow stunned him as he fell to the floor before he could react, the bodyguard’s foot was stomping on his stomach. Xen coughed, spat a little bloody saliva from his mouth as he struggled to get air back into his lungs. He was then staring at the barrel of a pistol being pointed at him by Dex. 

“Can’t risk it, V,” Dex stated, voice flat. “Remember our first conversation?” 

Xen could only look up at him with shock. Dino was right about Dex after all. 

“What the fuck,” Xen uttered. 

“Seems I’ve chosen the quiet life after all,” Dex put his finger on the trigger. “No blaze of glory for me.”

Xen heard the shot, saw the barrel of the gun light up as the bullet tore free. Time slowed down for but a moment as he saw the bullet twirling through the air, like a dancer. Then time became normal again as it burrowed into his head, ripping flesh and cracking bone before embedding itself in his brain. The pain was brief but immense. Xen’s head fell back, his vision glitching. He felt his phone vibrate a few times in his pocket. 

Dino, Xen thought. Fuck, I wanted to...

Then the world went black. 

************************************************************************************

A whole week Xen had been fighting for his life in Vik’s clinic, only to find out that he had a ticking timebomb in his head that was going to take him out unless he found a way to diffuse it. And that bomb came with a ranting and raving rockstar terrorist. Xen didn’t know how he ended up in the shower, but that was where he found himself in the morning. The hot water had run out, the water pelting his head and body cold and painful against his skin. The last thing he remembered was taking an Omega-Blocker. It managed to stop Johnny from attacking him further, but it also made him black out. Xen shook his head, then heard a knock on his door. 

Xen shakily got to his feet, almost tumbling back to the floor if not for the wall he leaned up against. He turned off the water and grabbed a nearby towel, drying himself off. 

Dino’s muffled voice from the other side of the door. “Xen, you in there?” 

Xen grabbed his boxer briefs from the middle of the floor, pulling them on as he approached the door. He almost didn’t want to open it up, but he didn’t want to be alone in his own head anymore. He unlocked the door and let it slide open. Dino’s face wore an expression of relief upon it that transformed into concern. “Xen...you look...” He stammered. 

“Like shit,” Xen finished for him with a nod. “Feel that way too.”

He stepped aside, motioning for Dino to enter. The fixer stepped into the apartment, looking around awkwardly before their eyes met again. “What happened? You were missing for a week. If not for remembering you were chooms with that chick who runs the Esoterica, wouldn’t have known you were home.” 

Xen shrugged, sitting down in the chair by his computer. “The gig...it fell apart when we grabbed what we were there for. Had to fight our way out of the place. Soburo’s son flatlined him, locked the hotel down. We were in the room...saw it happen.” 

Dino leaned up against the wall across from Xen. “You and Jackie really stepped in it, didn’t ya,” He frowned and shook his head. “That gonk go into hiding?” 

Xen shook his head, the wound of losing Jackie and T-Bug still stinging him inside. “He bled out in the cab, nothing I could do, and T-Bug, she was--” He swallowed the emotions that wanted to come screaming out of him. “She got fried getting us out of the room.”

Dino’s face fell. “Shit. Well, what happened after that? After the text you sent?” 

Xen looked down at the floor, then back up at Dino. “Dex’s hustle manhandled me as I was about to delta, then he...he killed me.” 

Dino raised an eyebrow. “Whatta ya mean by that?” 

Frustration started to take hold. “I mean he killed me,” He brushed his hair from his forehead, pointing to a pinkish indent on his temple. “He shot me in the fucking head! I was gone and then I woke up in a landfill.”

Dino’s face was stoic now, his muscles stiff. “How?” 

“The tech we klepped. Some sort of biochip, experimental. Jackie had it in his head and before he...before he died he put it in mine. Apparently brought me back to life,” 

“So...that’s a good thing, right?” 

Xen’s head had been spinning since he woke up in Vik’s clinic. He hadn’t really had enough time to process everything that he had been told yesterday. Now, he was able to do so, and it all made him feel ill, angry, hopeless. He shook his head. “No. The tech brought me back but...According to Vik, it’s doing something to my brain, something I can’t stop...Can’t take the chip out or I’m flatlined, and if I sit here and do nothing, it’ll overwrite me like I’m some virus in my own fucking body, replacing me with the personality already on it.” 

Dino leaned back against the wall, staring down at the floor. He looked back up. “So this tech saved you, but is trying to kick you out of your body and replace you with...who?” 

“Johnny Silverhand,” Xen looked at Dino, then got up from the chair, his arms wrapped around his bare torso as he shook his head, staring down at the floor. “You think I’ve gone crazy...that I’ve cracked or something...don’t you?” 

“This is...a lot to take in,” Dino admitted. He went silent for a moment. “But no. I don’t think you’re crazy.”

Xen nervously shifted from one foot to the other, body unable to be still. He turned away from Dino, not wanting him to see the fear that was quite visible on his face. Or the tears that were forming in his eyes. “Well, I feel like I’ve gone crazy. I was dead, and then I wasn’t. I lived someone else’s life for a moment, then I was in a landfill. The thing that saved me is killing me. If I don’t act, I’m dead and if I try to rip the thing out, I’m dead, I’m a dead man either way. I don’t know what to do. I can usually analyze my way out of any problem, but this...I can’t see a way out...”

Xen felt Dino’s hand on his shoulder. “Xen,” He said softly. He gently grabbed both of Xen’s shoulders and turned him around to face him. 

Xen blinked and the tears fell. “Fuck, I’m scared. I’m scared, and I’m exhausted and all I fucking want is to go back to that morning, to that fucking kiss, to you, and I just...I’m sorry...”

Dino wrapped his arms around Xen and pulled him close. Xen couldn’t hold in his emotions any longer and cried. He didn’t want to break down in Dino’s presence again, even if the first time was because he was drunk, but he was exhausted and his nerves were shot and the string that held him together had finally snapped. His body hurt, his soul ached and nothing felt right anymore. Except for Dino’s strong arms holding him, his gentle hands on his back and the back of his head, rubbing soothingly up and down and in circles. 

“Nothing to apologize for, Pretty Boy,” Dino soothed. “Takes balls to admit you’re scared, but I’m here...if you’ll have me.” 

Time seemed to stop and all the chaos within his mind stilled. His heart skipped a beat as Dino’s words seeped into his brain. The fixer was, in his own way, telling him what he had been hoping to hear for weeks. Xen lifted his head from Dino’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. The eyes were the windows to the soul, the way to know what a person was really thinking. Xen saw the twinkle that he had seen before, but he couldn’t understand why Dino would even want to be with him at this point. 

“You’d have a disgraced merc and failed corpo-rat who did some awful things?” Xen asked. 

Dino smirked and cupped Xen’s face with both his hands. “Xen, I don’t care about any of that shit. I don’t see your past or your mistakes. I see you, as you are.”

Xen had no words. He blinked away fresh tears, which were wiped away by Dino’s thumbs. The fixer then initiated a kiss, which was reciprocated enthusiastically by Xen. For a few moments as their lips intermingled and they breathed each other in, things didn’t feel quite as heavy. The burden of his prognosis, of losing his team, of what may or may not happen to him down the road, all of it felt far away and unimportant. 

“Have you slept yet?” Dino asked. 

Xen shook his head. “Tried. Got attacked by...whatever the fuck Johnny is. I don’t know how, but he threw me around like a ragdoll, ranting and raving until I took beta-blockers to make him stop.”

Dino grabbed Xen’s hand and gently pulled him towards his bed. “You need to sleep. I’ll lay with you and keep you safe.”

Though Xen had no idea how Dino would protect him from something he couldn’t even see, he found the offer extremely comforting. As he walked towards his bed, he felt the heaviness in his muscles. It was as if they had been replaced by lead. Dino sat down, removed his boots and then laid down, beckoning Xen to join him. Xen got onto the bed, his back flush against Dino’s chest as the fixer wrapped his arms around him. Xen’s eyelids grew as heavy as the rest of him. 

“Everything is so weird in my head right now,” Xen murmured. He turned his head towards Dino. “Is it weird to have a crush on a person you’ve never met while also being with someone you’ve wanted for awhile?” 

Dino smirked. “Not weird at all. Hearts and heads are strange things. So who’s the other guy?” 

Xen sighed, looking sort of embarrassed. “Kerry Eurodyne. Don’t think I’ve ever actually seen his face until Johnny’s memories. Didn’t know how hot he was.” 

Dino chuckled. “Ker’s quite the looker, so can see why you’d be drawn to him. That’s what drew me to him a few years back.” 

Xen raised an eyebrow. “You mean to tell me you hooked up with Kerry Eurodyne?” 

“He came into the bar incognito once,” Dino explained, as Xen turned back around. “I kept the regulars off his back for the night, gave him a few free drinks. Next thing I knew, we were going at it in one of the penthouses he rented around here. Would hook up a few times a week, talk music, get fucked up and fuck. Was nice while it lasted.” 

“What happened?” 

Xen felt Dino’s shoulder shrug against his back. “Just fizzled out. He was in the middle of a bitter divorce and some other heavy shit. Didn’t hold it against him. Hope that I at least provided him with some sort of comfort.” 

“Small world,” 

Xen’s body and mind finally succumbed to exhaustion. Before he passed out, Xen wondered what a threesome with Dino and Kerry would be like. 

He may have been dying, but he was still a man with needs. 

Chapter Text

Xen stood in front of the ashes of his best choom, Jackie Welles. The Ofrenda had concluded and everyone was just mingling about the bar. Xen managed to get Mama Welles to agree to invite Misty to dinner sometime, though it did take some prodding. In return, she gave him the key to Jackie’s beloved Arch motorcycle. He didn’t feel right taking it, but if he didn’t then it would probably end up collecting dust in the garage. 

Dino stood next to Xen, his arm around his shoulders to be supportive. Xen thought he had been done crying and mourning, but it seemed he still had some of that left in him as he stared at Jackie’s portrait with irritated eyes and tear stained cheeks. 

“The big guy’s gonna be missed,” Dino stated. “The old guys at my bar had a moment of silence for him when I told them what happened. They liked Jackie.” 

Xen sniffled, then chuckled dryly. “Everyone liked Jackie,” He said, voice strained. “Don’t think there was a soul in Night City who didn’t.”

Dino looked from the urn and back to Xen. “Think you did good by him.” 

“Hope so,” Xen wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath, then glanced at Dino with a small smile. “Thanks for coming with me.”

Dino nodded, squeezing Xen’s shoulder. “Not a problem, Pretty Boy. Never been to an Ofrenda before. Gotta say, overall a chill service. Would recommend to friends and family.” 

Xen chuckled at Dino’s review, knowing that the fixer only said such an absurd and inappropriate thing to cheer him up. “We should probably go.” 

“Wanna grab some lunch? I’m buying.” 

Xen nodded, even though his stomach felt a bit sour, acid churning and spinning within. The two men made their way out of the bar. Xen started feeling dizzy, his lungs tight and constricted and before he knew what was happening he was on the ground coughing, muscles twisting tightly under his skin as his vision went red and the words ‘chip malfunction’ flashed at the bottom of this vision. He could feel Dino holding onto his shoulder, but Xen was focused on trying to get control of his body, his breathing. He hacked drops of blood onto the concrete below and felt a warm trickle drip out of his nostril. The fit passed as quickly as it came on, his muscles no longer feeling like they were being wound around his bones beyond their stretching capabilities as his lungs were able to take in and keep air. His vision returned to normal and he looked up at the scared expression worn by Dino. 

“The relic,” Xen uttered, sitting up and wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Only happened one other time about a week back when I went looking for Evelyn.”

Dino sighed, annoyed. “Should have told me.”

Xen shrugged. “Slipped my mind cuz it didn’t happen again...til now.” He knew that Dino wasn’t going to take that excuse as valid, so he sighed and nodded. “But you’re right. Should have said something. I’m still processing this shit too, you know.”

Dino’s face softened. “Just...don’t leave me in the dark when it comes to your health, kay?” 

“I’ll keep you in the know from now on.”

Johnny appeared behind Dino, shaking his head. “Not his biz to know.” He grumbled. 

Don’t remember asking for your opinion, Xen thought, narrowing his eyes for a moment. 

Johnny rolled his eyes and glitched out of vision. Xen was relieved that the digital ghost decided not to try to push the issue. It seemed to be his favorite past-time, to needle Xen and be a contrarian at every turn, even though he agreed to a truce and to being removed from his head in exchange for a final bloody nose to Arasaka. Perhaps it was just the person he had been in life. A shit-stirrer and toxic element. Xen had read some stories regarding Samurai, wanting to do a little research on the occupant in his mind, as well as Kerry Eurodyne. The latter was out of curiosity rather than trying to understand the former. 

Dino noted Xen staring for a moment, but he didn’t press about it. Instead, he got to his feet and helped Xen to his. The one thing about Night City that was a small reprieve was that people minded their biz. No one stopped to stare when Xen fell. They just went about their day, barely noticing or caring. Dino wrapped his arm around Xen’s waist. “Let’s get you back to your place and order in.” 

“Sounds preem.” 

Dino’s car was parked by the bar, so they didn’t have to walk too far to get to it. Dino drove a pretty preem Caliburn with a gorgeous chrome black paint job. Not a scratch on her either, which indicated that the car was his fave. He drove fast but cautiously. They made it to Xen’s new place at The Glenn. The week before he had moved out of the old H10 complex, though he was still paying rent on it just in case he needed a place to lay low. Dino led him to the elevator and they both got in, riding it up to the apartment. It was spacious, yet compact at the same time. It had come pre-furnished so Xen didn’t have to do much shopping for anything for the place at least. Dino brought him over to the long flocked couch and sat him down, then sat down next to him. There was a bottle of painkillers on the coffee table along with a bottle of water. Xen grabbed the bottle and took two pills out, popping them into his mouth and then washing them down his throat with the bottle of water.  

Dino took out his phone. “So what are you feeling? Ramen or--” He stopped mid-sentence as a hairless cat emerged from under the couch. His eyes widened as he looked from the cat to Xen, to the cat and back at Xen. “Ok, we both see that cat, right?”  

Xen chuckled. “That’s Nibbles. Found her rummaging in a garbage can at the old place,” He leaned forward on the couch and put his hand out. The cat, Nibbles, sauntered over to his hand and rubbed her face against his knuckles as she purred loudly. “No one claimed her, so I took her in. Smuggled her into this place in my hoodie.”

Dino leaned forward and offered his hand out to Nibbles. She sniffed it, then rubbed her head against it. Dino pet her from her head to her tail. “She feels like velvet and looks like a ballsack.”

Xen raised an eyebrow. “Whose ballsack are you looking at that looks like that?” 

“My own,” Dino chuckled. “Hell, yours kinda looks like that too.”

Nibbles, not at all interested in their conversation comparing her to testicles, walked away, jumping onto the pooltable in the loft and batting around a pool ball before growing bored of it. 

Xen shook his head with a grin. “Weird thing about her besides looking like a ballsack is that I think she can see Johnny...or at least sense him.”

Dino nodded, watching as the cat curled up and blinked slowly. “Heard that cats can see ghosts,” He then turned back to Xen, looking a little puzzled. “But he’s not a ghost...I mean...is he?” 

Xen shrugged. “I don’t know what he is exactly except a pain in the ass nine times out of ten.”

“Has he tried to do anything since that night?” 

Xen shook his head. “We kind of came to a truce,” He took note of the skeptical look on Dino’s face. “Doesn’t mean I trust him or that we’re actually getting along, but for now we are begrudgingly working together to solve this whole relic thing...or at least trying to.” 

Skeptical turned to curious “Take it finding Evelyn didn’t give you the answers you were looking for?” 

“By the time Judy and I found her, she was catatonic thanks to whatever those scav scumbags put her through. No change last I checked.”

“Any other leads?” 

Xen sat back on the couch. “Johnny thinks I should talk to Rogue. They have history.”

Dino shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt, right? If she even agrees to see you. Rogue’s one stone-cold bitch,” He wrapped his arm around Xen’s shoulders. “So back to my original thought. What are we eating?”

“Ramen would hit the spot.” Xen said with a smirk.     

 Dino ordered through his phone, then set it down on the coffee table. “Fifteen minutes.”

“How ever will we pass the time?” 

A devilish grin curled the fixer’s upper lip. He grabbed Xen’s chin, turning his face towards his. “A few options come to mind.” He leaned in and their lips met, gentle pecks that quickly turned to rough and passionate presses, lingering with heat and lust. Xen pulled away for but a moment and laid himself down on the couch. Dino crawled on top of him, lips joined together, crotches grinding against one another, cocks beginning to strain against the fabric of their pants. Xen forgot all about the post-relic-malfunction headache as he moaned into Dino’s mouth, lips separating long enough for both men to remove their shirts. The heat coming from both of their bodies felt hot enough to melt steel. Things came to a pause as Xen’s phone began to ring. The name “Takemura” flashed across his vision. 

Xen looked from his phone to Dino and smirked. “Don’t stop,” He begged. “I can multi-task.” 

Dino raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and began to kiss down Xen’s neck, nibbling and suckling. Xen used his new internal cyberdeck to answer his cell. It was something that T-Bug’s choom taught him recently. 

“V, can you talk? It’s important.” Takemura asked. 

Xen stifled a moan as Dino kissed down his chest, stopping to stimulate his nipples with both fingers and tongue. “What’s...what’s important?” He asked, then glanced down at Dino with half-lidded eyes, biting his lower lip. 

He heard Takemura sigh in annoyance. “I may have found a solution to… the problem we share. I have established contact with an old friend from Arasaka. He is here in Night City now. He is well-connected to certain influential people.”

Dino was testing Xen’s ability to keep composure as he nuzzled his nose against the bulge in his pants. Xen bucked his hips in response as he moaned through pursed lips, hoping Takemura didn’t hear his zipper being pulled down. 

“Old friend, well-connected to the influential,” Xen stated, his voice straining to keep from giving away the fact that his cock just entered the warm and moist void of Dino’s mouth. “Why..so..mysterious? Get to the...point.” 

“I told you once I would explore options, knock on many doors.”

Xen felt a tinge of annoyance at the back of his mind, but it was hard to stay that way when he had his output bobbing his head, his thick and flexible tongue slithering and slurping around his shaft and head. Dino glanced up at Xen, locking eyes as he performed, one hand on Xen’s chest and the other around the root of his cock for extra stimulation. Xen swallowed a moan that nearly escaped his throat. 

“That’s gonna help us how exactly?” 

“You will tell my old friend about what Yorinobu did. He may not believe you, but it will be a start.”

Xen didn’t trust anyone from Arasaka. Being one of them, knowing how the game was played, he had a feeling that this supposed choom was probably still loyal to the corp and not willing to listen to any sort of slander against the Heir to the Arasaka Throne. But it was worth a shot at the very least. 

“Alright,” Xen blurted out, voice raspy as he felt his stomach tighten with anticipation of climax. He fought the urge to release though, not exactly wanting it to end, though the elation was intensifying with each passing second. “Tell me where and when.” 

“Japantown after sunset. I’m sending you the location,” Xen heard Takemura sigh and then he muttered something in Japanese under his breath, something about how the ‘stupid merc better show up or he will--”

“I can understand you, asshole,” Xen bit back in Japanese. “I’ll show up. You have my word.” 

“You had better.” Takemura growled back, hanging up without saying ‘goodbye’. Xen knew that the old Arasaka lap dog did not trust him, and the feeling was quite mutual. But he needed to exhaust all options available to him, even if it came from the corp that made him into a monster and then ruined him for good. 

Xen disconnected the call with a frustrated but elated growl and then focused his attention back to the man giving him a mindblowing blowjob. He let Dino pleasure him a bit longer, his mouth and tongue working overtime as he took the merc’s cock to the back of his throat over and over without so much as a gag. Xen let loose moans and grunts, able to be as loud as he wanted now. He glanced down at the fixer. 

“You need to fuck me right now.” He commanded. 

Dino released Xen’s cock from his mouth with an obscene pop and proceeded to remove his pants, then his own in quick succession. A bottle of lube was conveniently on the coffee table. He grabbed the bottle, opened it and squeezed a liberal amount onto his hand, slowly slicking himself up, teasing Xen with each nearly agonizingly slow stroke. Satisfied with the impatient whimper he elicited from his output, Dino climbed onto the couch, back on top of Xen and maneuvered his hips as he pinned one leg up with the crook of his arm. He lined himself up and bucked his hips forward, gliding into the warm and tight embrace of Xen’s hole. The merc moaned and grabbed onto Dino’s arms as his prostate was stimulated at a nearly brutal pace.

“Taking me so well,” Dino praised between thrusts. “Am I giving you what you need?” 

Xen nodded, face twisted in pleasure as a tingling sensation started at the back of his head and began to move down his spine, a tiny spider scurrying along the highway of nerves, multiplying as it traveled. He was on the edge, looking down with anticipation. “So...close.”

Dino reacted by rolling his hips faster, diving deeper, his cock brushing Xen’s prostate, making his toes curl. He reached down and coiled his fingers around the merc’s hard cock, red and swollen and leaking.
“Let go, pretty boy,” He urged, pumping his hand with his thrusts. “Come for me.” 

It didn’t take long before Xen was falling into bliss with moans and grunts, fingers digging into Dino’s arms as his cock spat seed all over his own stomach and chest. He was shaking, cursing in Japanese as he rode out his orgasm, holding on despite the over-stimulation. Dino finally caught up, a few breathy grunts as his thrusting became erratic, his eyes tightly shut as he rested his forehead against Xen’s. After a few moments of silence, Dino’s eyes opened as he caught his breath. A smile came across his lips as he stared into Xen’s gorgeous pink and white Kiroshis. 

Xen smirked. “With only a minute to spare.” He uttered, referring to the time left until their food arrives. 

Dino chuckled and kissed him gently. “Gives me enough time to get dressed before the delivery guy comes up with the food.” He pulled out with a grunt, then got to his feet and located his clothes. There was a box of tissues on the coffee table within reach so Xen grabbed a handful and began wiping himself down before sitting up on the couch and gathering up his boxer briefs and shirt. He stepped into his boxers and pulled his shirt over his head. The elevator buzzed, and Dino was there to have the food handed off, dressed in everything except his boots. 

Johnny appeared on the couch, sitting on top of the backrest and leaning forward. The fact that the rockerboy rarely sat on couches like a normal person both baffled and amused Xen. Was he capable of sitting his bony ass on the cushioned part? The rockerboy removed his aviatars. 

Cozying up to Arasaka again, he grumbled. 

Xen rolled his eyes and shook his head. Not cozying up to anyone, he snapped back. While I wait for Mr Hands to get the intel on the VooDoo Boys, might as well see what this friend of Goro’s might be able to offer. Not planning on going back to the fold. Should know how I feel about them by now.

Johnny scowled. I saw what you were to them, what you did. You were a cleaner. One level below their ninja sqaud. Made decent eddies to flatline alleged traitors. 

Xen could feel tension throughout his muscles as anger and annoyance began to build. He didn’t need Johnny to tell him what he had been to Arasaka. He had been more than a member of their Counter-Intel team. The last assignment he had been on, the drugs that numbed his conscience had not had the effect they usually did and he couldn’t follow through. He told the target to leave Night City and never return. He did what he could to make sure his boss never knew about it. 

What the hell do you want, Xen demanded. That I flog myself for my past? Am I demanding you pay for your past, your actions?! I regret what I did, every fucking day. I did what I needed to. Don’t you fucking judge me. Just weighing all my options. That’s fucking it, got it?

Johnny said nothing. He only just stared at Xen for a moment, his face stoic and unreadable, but Xen could see something in those deep brown eyes of his. A flicker of respect? Understanding maybe? Before he could delve deeper, the rockerboy glitched out of existence as Dino sat down and placed the food on the coffee table. 

The anger and annoyance quickly melted away when the aroma of ramen and synth beef hit his nostrils. He grabbed the carton closest to him, unwrapped a pair of chopsticks and dug in, slurping up noodles. The taste wasn’t quite on par with the ramen he used to get in the cafeteria at Arasaka, but it was pretty close. Xen preferred it that way. This ramen was crafted by an elderly couple who used recipes from a time long since gone. Arasaka’s ramen was mass-produced and though it tasted great, it lacked that hand-made quality. It lacked soul, love, basic humanity. 

“If I could live off one food for the rest of my life, it would be this.” Xen commented with a belch. 

Dino shoveled some food into his mouth, swallowed and nodded in agreement. “Can’t beat food made by human hands.” He mused, gazing over at Xen. “Saw you staring off earlier, looking pissed. Guessing your head-roomie had something to say.”  

Xen shrugged, slurping more noodles. “He always has something to say. I mean, he’s right in a way but...he just likes to twist the knife a bit when it comes to my corpo past.”

Dino nodded and scooped some more of his meal into his mouth. “Change of topic. When did you become a netrunner? Heard you did some running for Muamar recently.” 

“Was taught netrunning back at Arasaka Academy,” Xen explained. “Was pretty good at it too. But...” He stopped himself, not wanting to say why he really didn’t pursue netrunning. He didn’t want Dino to know about being recruited to the ‘cleaner’ team. He didn’t know that the combat training he had done at the academy would bring him into that world, where he became a weapon to tie up loose ends. Wasn’t something he wanted to broach. Though Dino iterated that he didn’t judge Xen on his past, he was still afraid of his reaction. Being a merc is one thing, but the guy who’s sent in to kill people for the crime of deviating from the Corp? Not something to be proud of.

Xen took a breath, then continued. “Just wasn’t in the cards. Picked it back up again a bit before...before Konpleki. Took a few dives with T-Bug to get my bearings, then did a few small runner gigs for Wokako. Like re-learning to ride a bike.”

“Explains some of the headaches you were getting back then.” 

Xen nodded. “Comes with the territory.”

“Just don’t fry that pretty brain of yours,” Dino finished his food with a satisfied sigh, then pivoted the conversation away from biz. “Noticed the new canvas. Like where your current piece is going.”

Xen gazed over to his designated ‘art corner’ in his apartment. The floor was covered with a tarp to protect it from splatter, and there was a brand new canvas set up. The work in progress was a piece based on a recurring nightmare. A slender red body, curled into itself. It was surrounded by shadowed figures pointing, their narrowed white eyes the only features visible. The background looked digital and yet organic, swirling code and what laid beyond was a tower of some sort. 

“Been using my nightmares these past few weeks as inspiration,” Xen commented, finishing off his noodles. “Better than letting it sit in my head.”

“That bad, huh?” 

Xen cracked a smile. “Figure if my head is a mess, might as well create something with it that art snobs can analyze.”

“Nightmares suck, but if it helps create some sick art...” Dino got up from the couch. “Should head to the bar. Got some biz to tend to and judging by that phonecall, so do you.”

Xen also got to his feet. “Yea,” He approached the fixer. “I’ll stop by when I’m done with Takemura.”

Dino nodded and grabbed onto the back of Xen’s neck, pulling him into a kiss that left the merc breathless and smiling. “Be careful, pretty boy.”

“I’m always careful.” Xen reminded him, cupping his face. He sighed and met Dino’s eyes with a serious look. “Don’t treat me any different than you have been, D. This chip thing, what you saw earlier...it changes nothing, okay?”

Dino’s eyes were still full of concern, but he nodded. “Kay. Sorry.” He leaned in for another kiss, still gripping the back of the merc’s neck. He released it finally and smirked. “Stay outta trouble then.” 

Xen smirked back. “No promises on that front.” 

Dino shook his head with a chuckle, gave the merc’s beard a playful tug and made his way out of the apartment. 

Johnny made another appearance. This time, he was staring at the painting. He didn’t look like he was about to go on a tirade or mock Xen, which was what he expected from the ghost. Instead, he just stood there for a bit, face stoic and arms crossed in front of his chest. Xen turned from the ghost and went to his wardrobe to get a fresh pair of pants and shirt, waiting for the snide comments. None came, and for some reason that bothered him far more. He put on his boots slowly, still bracing for the rockerboy to say something. Anything. 

Xen stood next to him, annoyed. “What, no comments? No critique?” He grumbled. 

Johnny shook his head. “I’m not always an asshole you know,” He said flatly. He turned his head towards Xen. Underneath his Aviatars, his eyes showed sincerity. “You got some talent. Corpo art muckety-mucks would pay big eddies for shit like this.”

Xen once again waited for the rockerboy to sting him with some quip, but his stinger remained sheathed. Xen found this confusing, baffling even. Then again, they hadn’t completely been at one anothers’ throat. They needed to work together, so perhaps Johnny was learning that working together required some form of cordial behavior on his part at the very least.

“Um...thanks,” Xen stammered. “Was told this was a waste of time by most people.” 

“Bullshit,” Johnny’s face turned into a frown. “Only peeps who say that shit are those who have no talent to do it. Art can make you think, feel. Artists can start a revolution with the stroke of a fucking brush.” 

Xen smirked. He wasn’t really in the mood for a ‘Johnny rant’ at the moment. He shook his head. 

“I’m not trying to start anything right now. Just trying to get nightmares onto canvas so that maybe they stop tormenting me every night.” 

Johnny shrugged. “Whatever. Point is that you should probably change careers once I’m gone from your head. Better use of your hands.” 

Xen nodded, then grabbed his coat. Johnny glitched out of sight. The entire exchange left him feeling weird. 

Was it possible for them to get along after all?   

Chapter Text

Xen didn’t think he would be working with a badge, but there he was. And a detective none the less. River Ward in some ways reminded him of Hiro. He was twice the size of his brother, in both height and width, but they seemed to both have the same attitude when it came to their job. It made working with him a little bittersweet. They managed to figure out what actually happened to Mayer Rhyne, and also discovered that River’s partner was involved. That part hit a little too close to home for Xen’s liking. A confrontation did very little, and only resulted in both men staring out at the body of water near Chubby Buffalo’s, neither speaking for awhile. 

Xen glanced over at River. “You’re gonna pursue it, aren’t you?” He asked. 

“Have to,” River replied gruffly. “Can’t let it go. Won’t. They’ll have to re-open the case now.” 

Xen nodded. “I understand. Even if it’s futile, at least you did the right thing, right?” 

“Not many badges are willing to do that these days,” River glanced down at his prosthetic hand, flexing it awkwardly. “But I’m not most badges.” 

Xen turned to face River. “You remind me of my brother. He was a detective too, and one that actually was in it to help people.”

River turned his head towards Xen. “Was?”

“Was,” Xen confirmed, a jab of pain to his heart. He still missed Hiro. “You might have known him. His name was Hiro Shimada.” 

River’s eye widened. “So you’re the little brother,” He commented, cocking his head to the side with a raised eyebrow. “Said you were at Arasaka last I spoke to him. Before he went undercover.”

Xen sighed. “I was...until I was canned. You know what happened to him?” 

“According to his partner, Erik, he blew his own cover, got zeroed for it.” River stated.

Xen scowled. “That’s a load of bullshit,” His fists were clenched tightly as he turned so his back was leaning against the concrete. “Erik was the one who killed him, then had the Claws rough up his body to cover it up.” 

River glanced over at Xen. “You have proof?” 

“Not acquired legally, but I do,” Xen shook his head. “Saw what Erik did to him. The fucker’s in hiding now, but I’ll find him. One way or another.”

River nodded. “So you understand my position more than I thought, only my partner didn’t zero Rhyne. Fucker just covered it up,” He straightened up. “So what do you plan to do if you find Erik?” 

Xen shook his head. “You don’t wanna know, believe me.” 

River smirked. “Not like I would stop you, V. Merc work is out of my jurisdiction.” 

Xen found River’s response surprising, but quite welcome. The last thing he needed was a badge to stand in his way. He smirked back. “Good to hear. Should get going. Need a shower, a trip to my ripper just to make sure that spiked BD didn’t do anything permanent.” 

“I’m gonna stick around here a bit,” River offered out his hand. “Thanks for your help, V. Thanks to you, the truth will be revealed.”

Xen shook the detective’s hand. “Glad to be of service. I’ll see you around, Detective.”

Xen left River to his thoughts and made his way back to Jackie’s archer. He glanced back with a nod. There are still some decent badges in Night City. 

*******************************************************************************

Xen did love netrunning when he took the course at Arasaka Academy, and coming back to it only reignited his love. Being able to move through digital space, crack open a datafort and take what was inside was like living in a videogame...only it was quite real and the risks were also quite high. Xen knew that all too well, especially after what happened to T-Bug. But the risk was worth it. And he was one of the few netrunners who knew how to move about as if he was but a phantom in the system, his cloaking ability strong and his movements light and floaty. His net tag back then was ‘R3D PH4NT0M’ for a good reason. T-Bug had been impressed when the two of them practiced some drills, and she was hard to impress in both worlds.

Standing, dressed in a funeral Kimono, his face obscured by a red holo-skull-mask, Xen looked over at his target. The datafort was shaped like an old Japanese temple. Fitting for the mysterious new club owner of the Ho Oh Club. He was also surprised to see the security system. There were several systems at work, for a simple club. Perhaps they had learned from having two detectives infiltrate their organization and one nearly taking them down. Either way, Xen didn’t seem all too bothered. 

Johnny glitched next to Xen, startling him for a moment. 

“Ah, so that’s why your net-tag is R3D PH4NT0M,” Johnny remarked, removing his aviatars. “And here I thought you were just being an edgelord about it.”  

Xen rolled his eyes at the back-handed compliment, then his annoyance turned to confusion. “How are you here?” He whispered.

Johnny shrugged. “Fucked if I know.”

“Well, just don’t get in my way.”

Johnny glared at Xen. “Not like I could if I even wanted to, jackass. I’m a real ghost, unlike you and your cosplaying ass.”

Xen rolled his eyes again, then glanced back to the datafort. He mentally took note of each type of security system at work. A few Watchdogs around the perimeter, and a bunch of Bloodhounds and Pitbulls around each Watchdog. All represented as Japanese warriors, the Pitbulls being Samurais and the Bloodhounds being Ashigaru, while the Watchdogs were Yamabushi. Xen considered his options and then nodded. He loaded his daemon arsenal, then took a few steps forward. With the gesture of one hand, a bunch of yellow digital ghosts materialized. They looked like your run-of-the-mill transparent sheet-like specters, mouths agape, a few wearing mean expressions. They moaned as Xen pointed towards the left end of the datafort. The ghosts made their way in that direction, swarming around the Bloodhounds and Pitbulls. The programs were confused for a moment and then confusion turned to annoyance as their weapons passed through the specters. The programs on the right side of the fort were drawn to the action, making their way to that side. Xen gestured with his other hand, materializing another bunch of ghosts. They were far more frightening than the cloth variety as he pulled their images from Japanese folklore when he created the daemons. Some were large, others quite small, each more stranger looking than the other. He pointed to where he wanted them to go and watched them drift, run and jump over. The rest of the security system was now fully distracted, all of them drawn to the distractions. Some of the daemons had the ability to restart the programs or freeze them temporarily. Feeling satisfied with the distraction, and having the door they were guarding freed up, Xen cloaked himself. He approached the door and assessed the lock. It was beefier than your standard lock, but it was no match for his CodeCracker program. The lock disintegrated, allowing Xen access. 

Xen stepped in slowly, looking around. He scanned the interior of the temple until he found the hidden servor where everything was held. It was an elaborate statue in the center of the room.

“Hidden in plain sight,” Johnny remarked. “How cliche.” 

Xen nodded in agreement. He was about to respond with a quip of his own when he took notice of the netrunner in the corner of the room. Though she couldn’t see him with his cloaking on, Xen felt she needed a ‘break’ from her guard duties. He scanned her and uploaded a quickhack that would overheat her cyberdeck and disconnect her for at least fifteen minutes. Had her cyberdeck not been the latest model, his quickhack would have disconnected her for longer, but fifteen minutes was all he needed for what he needed to do. She looked around in surprise before her avatar disappeared. With the netrunner incapacitated, Xen was free to do what he needed to do. He had his worm program prepped with the ability to copy information. He scanned the statue for a weak point, found it and used Hammer to make a small opening and let the worm loose. It burrowed deep into the statue and got to work with copying all the files within the server.

Xen looked over at Johnny with his head curiously cocked to the side. “I wonder, do AIs in here see you? Sense you?” 

Johnny shrugged. “Maybe. Not just a figment of your imagination, ya know. I do exist.” 

The worm was at 75%, which meant a few more minutes and they could leave. Xen had an idea. He approached the door they had come in through and peered out. The daemons were still doing their part to distract the security, though a lot had perished already. A pitbull was making its way back towards their direction. A smirk curled Xen’s lip. “How about we test that theory? Go see if that Pitbull sees you.”

Johnny crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Why?” 

“It would prove that I’m not insane and that you’re real,” The smirk intensified. “Plus, I wanna see what happens.” 

Johnny frowned, but then sighed. “Fine. I’m kinda curious myself if these things can see me or not,” He raised an eyebrow. “So how do you plan on escaping if it does see me?” 

The worm was at 90%. 

“I have Dino keeping an eye on me,” Xen explained. “I can text him and tell him to bring me out. Showed him how before I dove in.”

The worm returned with the files. Xen grabbed and secured them, returning the worm to his deck while making sure the files were sent straight to his computer. Once those were secured, he looked to Johnny, and motioned for him to proceed. The rockerboy sauntered out of the door of the datafort and stood there. He stared in the direction of the Pitbull. 

“Hey dipshit,” Johnny taunted. Xen heard the clank of armor cease. Johnny looked surprised. “Guess you can see me, huh? Whatta ya gonna do about it then?” 

Xen shot off a text to Dino to bring him out. He scanned through the wall with his kiroshis. The Pitbull was standing still, looking in Johnny’s direction. Then, it rushed forward with its katana out, ready to slice and dice the rockerboy to pieces. Johnny didn’t move, just watched with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Xen began to feel a cooling sensation overtake his body. He felt himself beginning to fall, his vision fading. Johnny was flinching as the katana’s blade was on the downswing, and then it all went black.

With a gasp, Xen opened his eyes and sat up. He felt dizzy and lurched forward, feeling a hand on his chest and another on his back. 

“Easy Pretty Boy,” Dino soothed. “You’re back in real space.”

Xen looked around his apartment for a moment, letting his mind catch up with the rest of his body. His vision started blurry and doubled, then normalized as his eyes focused on Dino, who was kneeling by the netrunner chair. The man looked worried, but relieved at the same time. He brought his hand up and placed it over the hand on his chest. 

“Thanks for bringing me out,” Xen said, voice hoarse. He cracked a smile. “Told you there was nothing to it.”

Dino smiled back. “Yea. Can’t blame an old man for being a little cautious though,” He rubbed Xen’s chest. “Need something to drink? Your suit might have cooling in it, but you still feel hot as hell.”

Xen nodded. “Could use a cold drink.” 

Dino nodded, kissing Xen on the forehead as he got to his feet and headed into the kitchen. His lips were cold, sending a small chill down Xen’s spine. He was feeling quite warm, though he was used to feeling that way after a dive, even if he had one of the best netrunner suits on that eddies can buy. His mind went back to the image of Johnny about to be chopped and a small tingle of panic danced on his nerves.

Johnny glitched into sight across the room and sauntered over. I’m fine if that’s what you’re wondering, he stated. The blade didn’t touch me. Probably wouldn’t have done anything to me. Weird that they can see me though.

Xen was relieved. He nodded as he shifted to the end of the netrunner chair. It is weird, he agreed. But it does prove that you’re not just an hallucination. Sorry I had to put you in peril for it though.

Johnny scoffed. We’re even now. 

Xen didn’t believe his experiment made them even, but he was also not in the mood to argue. He could see the glimmer of challenge in the rockerboy’s eyes, but he was not going to indulge him. He felt drained from the dive, and drained in general. The day before, Judy had called him in a panic about Evelyn. When Xen got to her apartment, he saw why she had been so upset. Evelyn had come out of her catatonic state...and committed suicide. She could have told him more about the relic and why the VooDoo Boys were wanting to get their hands on it. Another path closed off, unless Pacifica’s fixer, Mr. Hands can come through for him. Johnny had made some insensitive comments during the situation, earning him a very brutal tongue-lashing from Xen. If Johnny thought today made them square, he was wrong. 

Dino returned from the kitchen with a bottle of chilled water, handing it to Xen, who chugged it and then sighed. Johnny was gone for now. 

“So what did you need to break into the datafort of that club for?” Dino asked, breaking the silence. 

“Heard there was new management after I flatlined Jotaro,” Xen replied, getting to his feet. He unzipped the front of his netrunner suit, stopping below his belly button. “Never heard of him either. Something feels off.”

Dino nodded and raised an eyebrow. “You think it might have a connection to your brother’s partner?” 

“I have a hunch.” Xen peeled the sleeves of his suit from his arms and removed the rest of it from his torso. “If Erik is still in Night City, he’s probably under the protection of his new chooms. Best to look where it all began.”

“Still want him dead?” 

Xen hesitated, but nodded. “An eye for an eye, a life for a life,” He turned around and faced Dino. He approached the fixer. “He sealed his fate when he killed my brother. I can’t let him live for that.”

“Still not judging you,” Dino cupped Xen’s face. “As long as you can look at yourself in the mirror afterwards.”

Xen nodded, placing his hands over Dino’s. Since his firing from Arasaka, Xen has only reserved killing for those who have done truly horrendous things. Scavs, Tyger Claws, recently Wraiths when he had helped out a nomad girl in exchange for her help in tracking down the guy who created the relic. The worst of the worst were the only ones he killed. Everyone else, he used his words when he needed to, made deals, or he used his stealth training to be discreet. Xen didn’t want to be what he had been to Arasaka. He was no longer a hired killer. He was a merc. But even so, Erik deserved to die for what he did. At least that was what Xen kept telling himself. Either way, he wanted to track him down. “Gotta delta?”

“Fraid so. Got some biz to tend to at the bar,” Dino leaned in and planted a long a passionate kiss on Xen’s lips. He pulled away and smiled at his breathless and dazed input. “You gonna stop by later?” 

“I’ll come by your place with some food.” Xen smirked. “Burritos from Tom’s alright with you?” 

Dino’s hands slipped down to Xen’s hips and pulled him close for a moment. “Sounds preem, Pretty Boy.” He leaned in for another kiss, that Xen enthusiastically obliged and gave the merc’s hips a little squeeze before turning away and leaving the apartment via the elevator. Xen stood there for a moment, smiling like a gonk before approaching his computer. Everything he copied from the Ho Oh Club’s server was in a folder and ready for him to decrypt and sift through. 

It was going to be a long day.