Cyberpunk Patriarch

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Don't worry about it. I'm on good terms with the Voodoo Boys. We're practically old friends," Arthur said, waving dismissively.

"They should be thrilled I'm their new neighbor. Who knows, they might even roll out the red carpet and give us a warm welcome."

Arthur seemed convinced the Voodoo Boys wouldn't mess with him. After all, he wasn't here to claim territory—he was here to increase employment in Pacifica. Surely no one would turn away money handed to them on a silver platter...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Boom!"

The sudden sound of gunfire shattered Arthur's thoughts, followed by the staccato of rifles and the deafening roar of machine guns. Moments later, a grenade exploded nearby.

"Get down!" Arthur yelled, grabbing Lucy and crouching behind his car, Sword in the Stone. The supercar was their only hope for cover as bullets rained down.

Lucy, her hands trembling, glared at Arthur. "This is the warm welcome you were talking about?!"

She couldn't believe she'd bought into Arthur's nonsense. Somehow, they were under fire—grenades included—mere moments after arriving in Pacifica. What on earth had Arthur done to provoke such hatred from the Voodoo Boys?

Night City was a place where grudges didn't last long. Blood feuds were usually resolved with bullets, and everyone moved on. But this level of hostility? Lucy couldn't fathom what Arthur had done to deserve it.

Lucy pulled out a pistol, firing a couple of shots in retaliation. "I'm a hacker, not a soldier!" she muttered, ducking back behind the car. "I'm not built for firefights!"

Arthur, puffing on a cigarette, threw the butt to the ground in frustration.

"Damn it! This is all because I blew up their server back in the day. I can't believe they're still holding a grudge!"

As if on cue, Arthur's phone rang. The voice on the other end was sharp, dripping with venom.

"Arthur, you bastard. Crawling out of hell, are you? How's my little reception party treating you?"

Arthur instantly recognized the voice, dredging up memories of its owner.

"You old hag!" Arthur snapped. "It's been over a decade since I blew up your server. Can't you let it go? I'm here to discuss business, to bring prosperity to Pacifica! Can't you forgive me just once?"

The woman on the other end burst into bitter laughter. "Forgive you? You shut down Poseidon for three months, you piece of trash! Do you have any idea how many of my people died because of that?

"And now you're telling me you're a businessman? A corporate dog? Disgraceful. Depraved people like you belong in hell!"

Arthur tried to respond, but the line went dead. He stared at his phone, muttering curses under his breath.

"Maman, that spiteful witch," Arthur growled. "So what if Poseidon was down for three months? It's not like I wiped out the whole Voodoo Boys network. And she's the one who treated me like garbage back then!"

Lucy, who had just emptied her magazine, reloaded her gun. She glanced at Arthur with exasperation.

"If you don't come up with a solution soon, we're both going to die here. And for the record, I'm not interested in being buried alongside a lunatic like you."

Arthur smirked, undeterred. "What's wrong with that? You're a psycho; I'm a psycho. It'd be poetic for two psychos to share a grave."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Relax," Arthur said, pulling out his phone. "Support's on the way."

He dialed a number, and the call was answered almost immediately.

"Hello, this is the NCPD hotline. How can I help you?"

Arthur didn't miss a beat. "I'm under attack in Pacifica. Armed individuals are trying to seize my private property. Under Night City law, it's your duty to ensure my safety!"

There was silence on the other end.

"Hello? Don't play dead on me! My property number is S***9527B. I've paid a fortune in taxes on this place. If you don't get here soon, I'm applying for a tax refund!"

The operator hesitated. "Hold on, sir."

The receptionist checked the database, baffled that anyone would call the NCPD for help in Pacifica. It was common knowledge that the district was a tax-free zone.

But when the asset number checked out—confirmed by years of tax payments with no violations—the operator was stunned.

Who in their right mind paid taxes in Pacifica for over a decade? This caller wasn't just any citizen; he was a five-star citizen. Even the mayor would be impressed by this level of civic responsibility.

"Sir," the operator said after a long pause, "I need to escalate this to my supervisor."

"Then do it quickly!" Arthur barked. "If you take too long, I'll be a corpse by the time you arrive. And for the record, there are at least a dozen cyberpsychos here. You'd better send in the MaxTac team!"

"...Understood, sir. Please hold on."

Arthur hung up and grinned. "See? Help is on the way. All we have to do now is survive a little longer."

Lucy glared at him, still fuming. "If we die, I'm blaming you for all of this."

Arthur just shrugged, lighting another cigarette. "Relax. It's all part of the game in Night City."

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