The phone rang so many times, Johnny wondered if he’d called the wrong number. Finally, an answering click sounded off.

“V? That you?”

“It’s Johnny,” he replied, V’s voice soft. “You busy? Got a real favour to ask, Rogue.”

A sigh on the other side of the line made Johnny smile to himself. “Of course you’d only call to talk about business or a favour. I’m not interested in whatever scheme you’re concocting, Johnny, sorry. If that’s all you wanted, I’ll save us the time and hang up now.”

“Rogue, gimme a chance will ya? V’s dying. I need help saving her.”

The line was silent for a moment. “What’s in it for you, huh?”

“I’m being serious, Rogue, I want to save V. Need to get into Arasaka Tower, bottom levels. Alt said Mikoshi is kept there, and it’s the only way we can save her. Please Rogue,” he added, a hint of pleading in V’s borrowed voice. “She’s my best friend.”

“She what?” Rogue’s genuine surprise made Johnny roll his eyes. “Huh… you really have changed, Johnny.” He could almost hear the gears starting to crank in Rogue’s head as she fell silent again.

“Rogue?”

“….alright. I’m in. What do you need, Johnny?”

A sigh of relief left their shared body, and a tinge of gratitude glimmered in the back of Johnny’s conscience. I got you, V. Johnny rose, starting to pace the rooftop as he explained what he wanted to do.

“Johnny, are you out of your fucking mind?” Rogue asked, voice tight. “We’re never going to get that close, not even with that kind of firepower!”

“It’ll work, trust me. This is what we got, and we’re going to make it work. We have to, Rogue,” he added, planting himself in Misty’s chair again. His eyes landed on where V had been sitting before. “We’ve got no choice.”

A bar stool scraped across the floor on Rogue’s end, and Johnny could hear her heels on the laminate that was in the Afterlife. She sighed. “I’m gonna miss this place, y’know.”

“You’ll be back to being the Queen of the Afterlife as soon as we get V safe, I promise. Nothing to miss just yet,” Johnny offered, looking at over Night City. Arasaka Tower stood tall, far above the city horizon. Just like a sore fucking thumb.