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.

—

© 2025-2026. “World of Ace, Mai and Shammy” and all original characters, settings, story elements, and concepts are the intellectual property of the author. All rights reserved.
Non-commercial fan works are allowed with attribution.
Commercial use, redistribution, or adaptation requires explicit permission from the author.

Contact: editor at publication-x.com