Not Quite Back to the Future

Helen and Rogue settled into an empty booth, the worn leather seats offering a comfortable spot to chat. Across from each other, they exchanged knowing glances, their recent exchange adding a touch of intrigue to the coming conversation.

“So, you know about the Neon Nexus Crew? I’m assuming you know about their deaths too?” Rouge asks

“Yes, when I got the job from you I was wondering who could’ve afforded that rate, and what they were trying to accomplish,” Helen states

“That’s a rather dangerous thing to do, especially against a fixer we have the buffer for a reason,” Rogue says

“Yes, well when one does a job for the Voodo boy’s I think they should know what they are getting into.” Helen says calmly causing Rogue to freeze.

“The Neon Nexus Crew is Mox,” Rogue states

“And they were running a job for the Voodo Boy’s hitting an Arasaka convoy to capture a bio chip of some sort. Well, that’s what I got from the Arasaka system. Unfortunately, the girls ran into Adam Smasher.” Helen says

“Yeah… Rumor has it that Adam Smasher had hit one of them with so much power it vaporized them. They were unable to find Stryker’s corpse.” Rogue says

“You don’t say?” Helen responds leaving an open-ended question.

“I mean, I don’t have much more info for that… I did get quite a lot of info on your Tower raid. Oh, Girl, you hit a hornet’s nest with a baseball bat.” Rogue says stifling her giggle.

“I mean, I bet you appreciated the speech that I uploaded into their system,” Helen replies with a smirk.

Rogue groans, “Where in the hell did you find a copy of that speech.”

“I’ll have you know I was a massive samurai fan girl. Chippin’ In was the best song to play before starting a bar fight. I actually think I had my first ever kill with a pencil while listening to it.” Helen states

“You know Baba Yaga looked a lot like Johnny now that I am looking at it,” Rogue says a hint of teasing in her voice.

Helen looks away flushed with mock embarrassment. “I have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.”

“Oh, I bet his attitude was significantly better than Johnny's as well.” Rogue mutters

“Of course it was… I loved Johnathan.” Helen responds

“You know, I did some research on it after I first met you. Johnny Silverhand and John Wick really are two sides of the same coin in some strange way." Rogue says

Helen took a sip of her drink, her eyes locked onto Rogue's. Her gaze carried a weight of sorrow and nostalgia. "You know, Rogue, it's funny how our lives have been shaped by our respective Johns."

“They both have a way of getting under your skin, don't they?" Rogue says leaning back in the booth taking time to figure out how the conversation had gotten on to this topic.

The silence was palpable one could very well feel the tension in the air. "You know, Helen, I sometimes wonder what would happen if our Johns had ever crossed paths. The chaos they’d have unleashed..."

Helen managed a soft smile. "I'd give anything to see that event and or showdown, Rogue. But for now, let's just toast to the legends we call our own."

Silence hung in the air for what felt like minutes as the two just relaxed together.

“I hope you don’t mind Helen, I gave out your number to some other fixers’s” Rogue says

“Meh, worst case scenario I could always say I am unable to do the job at this point in time,” Helen says taking a sip of her drink.
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Jackie Wells had always been a man with a thirst for adventure. Growing up in the mean streets of Night City, he'd heard tales of the legendary Southern California, a place where the sun kissed the sandy beaches, although the Valentinos loved their tall tales.

Jackie Wells approached the border checkpoint with caution. He had received the details from Padre, and his current mode of transportation was stolen However Militech wouldn’t car so long as he was exiting Night City. Getting back in would take some skill. Luckily he had a nomad connection who he was supposed to meet.

The checkpoint was a sprawling complex of high-tech security measures, guarded by armed Militech personnel going to the NUSA and Arasaka Personel for coming back into Night City. It was a wonder the two companies could actually cooperate on something without it involving shooting at each other.

When it was his turn to approach the checkpoint booth, Jackie put on his best friendly traveler act. He smiled at the Militech guard and handed over his fake identification. "Just heading to Southern California for some sun and relaxation," Jackie said in a cheery tone.

The Militech border security took a good long look at Jackie before looking at the car he was driving and smirked.

“Rest and relaxation you say? I mean I guess you can't get that in Pacifica.” The guard says mocking the city. “Now what is the real purpose of your visit?”

Jackie leaned on the open window of the door trying to appear casual. "Vacation, mi amigos. Life's been too rough lately, need some time to unwind."

The guard grunted and scanned the ID again. It seemed like an eternity, but finally, he handed it back to Jackie. "Alright, move along.”