Cyberpunk: Angel of Chrome

06:45 – V's Workshop

The morning came before the sun dared. Inside the chrome-lit gloom of his private workshop, V stood shirtless, sweat trailing rivulets down his back as sparks flared against his goggles. In his hands, a mangled blade scavenged from a gang fight days ago—a cheap sword, dented and carbon-stained. But in V's fingers, it was becoming something else entirely.

The vision burned in his mind—not of Night City, but of something older. A woman in a scrapyard cradling a sword that sang when it met her hands. Alita. V never forgot that scene. A weapon reborn—not through rituals or ceremony, but through pure engineering and will.

He carved away the trash steel, layer by layer, until only a core remained. Replaced the edge with a smart-fiber lattice, rerouted impact stabilization through his neural link. Strengthened the alloy frame using a carbon-weave fused with militech tank armor plating. Now, when he touched it—when the hilt locked into the microchannel socket of his mantis blade—the connection was near-perfect.

His HUD blinked to life.

"Circuit stability at 97.4%, resonance match achieved."

The blade pulsed red, then glowed, humming faintly in the stale morning air. He gave it a test swing—barely a flick. A red arc of displaced air followed, slicing a clean diagonal through a suspended chrome dummy head. The room thrummed for a second longer. The damage profile? Likely enough to split a building if he focused all kinetic transfer through one cut.

He exhaled, rotating his wrist slowly. "That'll do."

A buzz from his agent. Jackie's icon lit up.

"Yo, V! You up? My chrome's finally tuned—no more limiters. I want to see what this baby can do."

V smiled at the sword again, then at the message.

Maybe today I don't have to hold back quite as much.

A hiss of steam behind him. Kiwi appeared in the doorway with two mugs. "Caffeine, cowboy?"

V took one, smirking. "If I'm the cowboy, who's the cow?"

Kiwi arched a brow and grinned. "Obviously me. You rode me all night, remember?"

V nearly snorted his coffee, chuckling. "Guess I gotta saddle up again later."

"Careful," she purred, "I bite if you don't hold the reins right."

Kiwi leaned against the wall, sipping. "What's it called?"

V looked down at the blade. "Still figuring that out."

"Name it after something you miss," she offered. "Or something you fear."

He just hummed, watching the glow fade from the weapon.

Kiwi tapped her chrome-clawed fingers together. "About my upgrades…"

As she spoke, V's gaze lingered on the weapon again. The alloy's white-steel gleam caught the faint light of the workshop, and something stirred in the back of his mind—an echo of a name.

"Yuki," he murmured.

Kiwi looked up. "Hmm?"

"The sword. It's white as snow. I think I'll call it Yuki."

Inside, though, V felt something stir. Like the old manga artist. Yukito Kishiro. He made me dream about blades that mattered. And this one... it matters.

She smiled faintly. "Yuki. Not bad. Cold, clean, and cuts straight through bullshit. Fits you."

V turned the blade slightly, watching the white steel glint—and then, as he tapped its edge against the socket in his arm, it flared red.

"Yuki," he muttered again. "And when she gets mad... Yuki the Red."

He turned to Kiwi, that half-smirk still on his lips. "Now let's chrome you up, little jawbreaker."

07:30 – Chrome Bench, Lower Bay

The upgrade session with Kiwi was smooth—clinical, almost routine now. Her mantis blades clicked and extended like scalpels. V made minor refinements—fine-tuned servo delay, corrected pulse drift, rerouted heat dissipation. The kind of tweaks you only know how to make after fixing chrome for half a dozen mercs under fire.

"Done," he said, pulling back. "Limiter's installed. Start slow, build up. Don't go full psycho the first time you sneeze."

Kiwi chuckled. "You saying I'm not elegant under pressure?"

"I'm saying I've seen Sasha tear a car in half trying to open a can of soda. It's a chrome thing."

Speaking of Sasha—she strode in uninvited, hair slightly damp from the shower. "You two going somewhere?"

"Jackie called," V replied, strapping his gear. "His setup's finally stable. Wants to test it properly. I'm heading out to Baldnad."

Sasha tilted her head. "Then I'm coming too. Someone's gotta record the beatdown."

Kiwi gave a smirk. "Guess we're making it a Chrome Angels field trip."

"Not you today," V said, nudging her gently. "You're on rest duty."

She mock-saluted. "Aye aye, boss." Then, under her breath, added with a smirk, "Mooo."

V smirked, shaking his head. Damn, she's the best.

08:10 – Baldnad Combat Zone | POV: Sasha

The desert air shimmered with heat. Sasha's optics zoomed in as Jackie stood across from V, both of them still—like two predators waiting for the other to move.

Jackie charged first.

Rockets. Fists. Gunfire. Berserk-enhanced lunges. The ground itself cracked under the impact of his movements. V danced between them like water, cutting bullets and micro-rockets midair with Yuki—the white blade now glowing red.

What was more insane?

He wasn't even using his Sandevistan.

Jackie's roars grew louder. His chest steamed—sweat evaporating instantly. His chrome surged blood red as he pushed Overclock past safe limits.

"30 SECONDS OF HELL!" Jackie yelled.

But V didn't slow. He parried everything—redirected, countered. Hit combos with his feet and blade so fast, Sasha couldn't track without slowing her BD recorder.

Jackie grunted, wiped blood from his mouth, eyes bloodshot. "GIVE ME 100%, CHOOM!"

V smiled, sheathing his blade.

"Alright."

He flexed. A new aura burst from him. Wind peeled back from the sand. Even Sasha flinched.

Jackie's HUD showed him pushing 300% Overclock. V raised five fingers.

Sasha gasped. "Fifty percent?!"

A sonic boom cracked behind V's step. Jackie tried everything. Ground slams. Rocket knees. Redirect feints. But V had already seen it all.

In three flashes—it was over. A bloody Jackie, panting, down on one knee.

V's blade hovered at his throat.

"You lose," V said, smirking.

Jackie coughed, laughing. Turned his overclocked off. Steam faded.

"Damn… Chingón…" He pulled a healing stim and stabbed it into his ribs. "You're a monster."

Sasha kept recording, mouth open. That was 50%?!

POV: V

He turned away from them as the dust settled, a crater carved behind them like a bomb site.

They think 50% is my limit.

His HUD pulsed softly: Limiter Set – 0.5%

He let the lie stand.

Because if they knew the truth… they wouldn't walk beside me anymore.

Can an ant be equal to a human, no matter how much it wants to be?

Power isolates. That's the tax.

V sheathed his sword in silence.

No one saw him smile.

09:15 – V's Apartment

The Chrome Angels returned together in one flying Delamain. Jackie was buzzing, practically glowing with excitement. "Choom, my arms were on fire! You saw that chrome work? Felt like I could punch a tank in half!"

Sasha grinned. "I recorded the whole thing. I'll edit my POV and yours into something Judy will love."

Jackie's agent buzzed. He glanced at it, then turned to V. "Oh—Judy says to call Irina."

"Irina?"

"The ripper from Mox. Y'know, the one with the neuro-threading hands?"

"Oh. Right. Almost forgot… again."

V rubbed his neck. Only Emilia ever made sure I remembered these things. Guess soft approaches don't work on me.

V leaned against the wall near the kitchen, distant for a second. Then smiled faintly. Whatever happened, happened. Let's focus on now.

All three jumped out of the Delamain into his place.

Inside, Kiwi was preparing hot chocolate.

Rebecca was muttering about her brother, and Lucy was quietly cursing Martinez. Her expression distant. Worn. Maybe too quiet.

V glanced at Lucy. She used to keep her distance. Now she's bringing her stuff over?

Guess breaking up with Martinez hit harder than she lets on.

"Well, well," V said aloud. "Looks like the circus is back in town."

Kiwi puffed her smoke and raised an eyebrow. "Today's my rest day. I just got chromed, remember?"

The girls waved her off with smirks.

"Don't worry, you've earned it," Sasha said.

Rebecca grinned. "Rest day or not, you're still the queen of sass." She winked. "I'm sure you drained V all night too."

Kiwi mock-curtsied. "Damn right I am. You think sass comes standard with the chrome?"

Jackie laughed. "Can Misty come too?"

"Sure," the girls chimed in chorus.

From the corner, V added, "Invite Vic while you're at it."

Sasha laughed. "Vic and Misty? That's a whole family dinner."

Kiwi exhaled smoke. "Let's call Irina too. Might as well keep the upgrades rolling."

"Soft approach never worked on me anyway," V muttered. "Only Emilia ever got through my thick skull."