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canon:ace30:chapter8 [05/04/2026 14:23] – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1canon:ace30:chapter8 [05/04/2026 14:23] (current) – ↷ Page moved from chapter8 to canon:ace30:chapter8 kkurzex
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 +======   CHAPTER 8 — First Contact   ======
 +
 +The distance between them didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +That mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +In most places—
 +
 +----
 +
 +distance meant intent.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Approach meant escalation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Stillness meant calculation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Here—
 +
 +----
 +
 +it meant observation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure didn’t reach for a weapon.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t shift stance.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t even adjust their footing.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That alone told Ace enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not harmless.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not careless.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Confident.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai stepped forward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Half a step.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not closing distance—
 +
 +----
 +
 +testing response.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Nothing changed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Good.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You recognized us,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure’s gaze moved between them—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not lingering—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not prioritizing—
 +
 +----
 +
 +just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +mapping.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Not exactly,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“More like… I’ve seen the pattern.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Pattern.
 +
 +----
 +
 +That word landed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai’s attention sharpened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Where.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure shrugged slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Here and there.”
 +
 +A small pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Net fragments. Fixer chatter. Stuff that doesn’t line up clean.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t care about the source.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Only the result.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“And that’s enough.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure’s eyes flicked back to her.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah.”
 +
 +A faint smirk.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Usually it isn’t.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was honest.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy stepped slightly to the side.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not distancing.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Aligning.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air shifted around the figure—
 +
 +----
 +
 +subtle—
 +
 +----
 +
 +but real.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re stable,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure blinked once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Thanks?”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t explain.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Local structure holds,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure exhaled quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Good to know.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Because if it didn’t, we’d all have bigger problems.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace tilted her head slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We already do.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure studied her for a moment.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Fair.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A short silence settled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not awkward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Measured.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The city moved around them—
 +
 +----
 +
 +never stopping—
 +
 +----
 +
 +never waiting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure broke it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You got names?”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai answered first.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Mai.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t hesitate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Ace.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy watched the air for a second longer—
 +
 +----
 +
 +then:
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Shammy.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure nodded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“V.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +No more needed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t ask anything else.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Instead—
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Resources,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Direct.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V’s expression shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not surprised.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +aligned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah,” V said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Figured we’d get there.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai stepped in.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We need baseline.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V nodded slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then you need three things,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Money. A place to crash. And people who don’t try to kill you the second you step into the wrong block.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace’s expression didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That narrows it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V almost laughed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Welcome to Night City.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy tilted her head slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air around V held steady.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Consistent.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No pressure spikes.
 +
 +----
 +
 +No structural anomalies.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re not reacting,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V raised an eyebrow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“To what.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“To us.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Short.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then:
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I am.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai watched closely.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“How.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V shrugged again.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“I’m not running.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was an answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace accepted it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Good,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V glanced between them once more.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Look,” they said, tone shifting slightly—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not softer—
 +
 +----
 +
 +just clearer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You three showed up out of nowhere, you don’t match anything local, and you move like you already know how bad things can get.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That usually means one of two things.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t blink.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Say it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V held her gaze.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re either about to make this place worse…”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…or you’re the kind of problem people pay to point at something else.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That landed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai processed it instantly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Second option,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t argue.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V nodded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A small exhale.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Figured.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shorter this time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then:
 +
 +----
 +
 +“I’ve got a place you can use. Temporary.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t thank them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Cost.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V smirked slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Nothing upfront.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“But you don’t stay in Night City for free.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Understood.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V turned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then come on.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No dramatic gesture.
 +
 +----
 +
 +No hesitation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just movement.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace followed immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai a step behind.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy last.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air shifted again—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not wrong—
 +
 +----
 +
 +just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +full.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +As they moved deeper into the city—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the noise increased.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The density.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The pressure.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But underneath it—
 +
 +----
 +
 +something else remained.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pattern.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not visible.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not explained.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But present.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And V had seen enough of it—
 +
 +----
 +
 +to know one thing for certain.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +This wasn’t the first time something like them had touched this city.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just the first time
 +
 +it had stayed
 +
 +long enough
 +
 +to matter.
 +