Cyberpunk 2075: Apotheosis

[X] Solidify your position in Watson by taking control of the immediate. You are still a fledgling god and you barely have control over the area around Precinct 2, let alone this sector of Night City.

To the surprise of many in Watson, Night City. The next few days around NCPD Precinct 2 became quite busy. For once in many decades, NCPD Precinct 2 was fully manned and while the precinct is still heavily underfunded, its new and mysterious benefactor, known only among its loyal officers, keeps their identity a tight-lipped secret. Much to the frustration of many gangs and corporations, attempts to insert their own spies have been rebuffed.

---

Jonathan Mahoro grins as the officer in front of him went from hesitant to thoughtful as he wired him the eddies and pushed just a tad bit more as he leaned in close, wrapping an arm around his new choom as he slipped a pouch containing highly illegal substances into the officer's hands. "I'm not asking for much, choom. Just a little heads up in case your fellow officers are in the area, you know?"

He spoke as if he was talking to an old friend rather than a cop who almost turned him in and slowly guided him away from the small box of illicit goods he was caught carrying. "I could easily make it worth your while~" His eyes lit up, ready to wire even more funds to the officer, he had the eddies to spare, he's been making a killing peddling drugs on the street.

The officer opened his mouth to speak but before he could get a word in, someone cleared their throat and the two of them froze and slowly turned around to see a couple of NCPD officers, one man and one woman, both looking unimpressed with either of them, particularly the officer Jonathan had his arm wrapped around.

They stared at each other for a nice long while and Jonathan opened his mouth to come up with a nonchalant excuse but the idiot next to him stupidly spoke up. "Uhh… I wasn't taking a bribe?"

It was absolutely the wrong thing to say and Jonathan stamped down the urge to wring this idiot's neck.

"On your first fucking day, no less." One of the officers tsked, slowly shaking her head in disappointment.

"Hands behind your head." The other grunts, already reaching for his cuffs as he approached the both of them.

---

While the whole of Watson is still riddled with crime, the immediate area surrounding Precinct 2 was quickly swept clean of criminals as Precinct 2 Officers cracked down hard on illegal activities, much to the pleasant surprise of the precinct's immediate neighbors.

---

Allison Sanchez felt her heart hammering in her chest, she could barely move nor breathe. It was hard not to do either, considering that someone was holding a knife to her throat and all. She'd gotten complacent, crime has been steadily going down since the nearby Precinct had their purge and the local officers, while overworked, were saints in keeping the peace but it led her to foolishly walk down an alley all by herself.

"Drop the knife! Drop it right now!"

It was the perfect recipe for a mugging, which is what was happening right now.

The thug pressed the knife closer to her neck and she had to lean away from the knife and into his chest to try and keep away from it, but it also drove her further into his clutches while the officer in front of them yelled at him to drop the knife.

"Please, please don't kill me I'll do anything-" She tried to beg but the man squeezed her tighter as he slowly backed further into the alley.

"Shut up." He hissed, his eyes trained on the officer before them, "Or I'll fucking slit your throat right now." Turning his attention to the armed officer, he kept backing up, taking one small step at a time, dragging Allison with him. "One wrong move pig and I'll cut her open!"

The officer didn't react, Allison could see him looking right at her "Don't worry, you're going to be just fine." He said with so much certainty that she could not help but to believe him. She tried to nod but the thug dug the blade further into her neck, not enough to break skin but enough that if she made the wrong move, it would definitely start drawing blood.

"Now," She could hear the thug behind her licking his lips nervously, "You're going to let me go and we'll forget all about this, yeah? Me and her eddies. Just let us go and no one get's hurt. Not worth this pretty lady's life, right?"

"How about a better offer?" A new voice pops up from behind and there was a small click as a gun was pressed into the back of the man's head. "Let her go, give her back her money and we'll put you in cuffs," The officer cheerily offered, "and in exchange we don't shoot you."

The thug stood still for a moment, thoughts racing in his head before he slumped, his grip on Allison eased up and she tore herself away from him and ran to the other officer for safety.

"Fuck…" Was the last thing she heard from her mugger as the officer slapped cuffs on his wrists.

Thank god for the NCPD.

---

Word soon breaks out that the blocks around Precinct 2 become extremely risky areas for any street level crime to occur, most of the lowest ranking goons steer clear of any officers near the precinct while those higher up in ranks grow wary of the sudden competency of Night City's boys in blue.

[Precinct 2 and all near its vicinity are crime free. Territory successfully claimed!]

---

[X] Use everything you have left to fully heal the boy through Tano give them the boost or inspiration to save the boy with their own hands. (-9 Faith)

You sense Tano Asa's desperation to save the boy. She had the skills, she had the knowledge, but she simply did not have enough hands nor time to fix what had been done to the poor teen bleeding out on her table. Your gaze lands on the boy on the table. He was pale from blood loss, eyes flickered about in a barely conscious haze. His mind was unable to comprehend what was happening to him right now. A mercy. It would be far too much for a child to think about.

A child.

Your eyeless gaze turns to your follower's hands desperately trying to staunch the flow from a bleeding wound, one of many that looked far too fresh on his young body. You connect the dots immediately.

This had been done to him.

Mortal hands had taken a blade to cut. Slice. Take. You sense the severity of his wounds, your godly powers sensing the horrific acts that had been done to him. You saw him as he was, scared and desperate. Struggling against bindings in vain as hands wielding sharp blades cut into him. It made you sick.

It made Tano Asa sick. Her disgust and shock at the results of his torture was palpable. Her calling; her profession; was meant to save lives but instead it had been perverted. Twisted into a tool of greed.

A mockery of her profession.

An Injustice.

You barely had any power left but the deed was well worth it. Without any more hesitation, you made several gestures as light began to gather at your fingertips. Channeling what power you had left and sent it towards your Faithful. You watch her stiffen as the power sinks into her, and you feel a wave of relief and gratitude from the Ripperdoc before her hands begin to blur.

With divine power coursing through her, Tano Asa began to perform a miracle on the operating table. Her hands grabbed at surgical tools as she began to heal the boy, first cutting off the flow of blood to repair the damage that had been done to him, following that, she did her best to replace what was stolen. Synthetic organs were quickly taken out of storage and carefully inserted in a half empty body.

It was slow grueling work. Hours had passed.

Yet you stood by your Faithful for every second of it. You beheld her work as the boy's weakening soul, barely able to maintain its grasp on the physical plane, slowly regaining its strength. It's hold on its own body growing stronger.

By the time Tano Asa was done, it was far past closing time. Her clinic and body were covered in blood. Empty bags of synth blood lay around her, her tools lay haphazardly on a tray, and your ever faithful Ripperdoc sat down with exhaustion, panting heavily with her eyes wide open, staring into open air as she processed every second of tiring surgical work.

You could not help but feel immense pride in her and laid your hand on your shoulder as you stared at the boy on the table.

He will live.

---

[X] Night City is a big place, who knows what you may find? Explore more of the city!

Night City, the City of Dreams, the city where your dreams come alive. The city of unparalleled Ambition, the place where you reach for the stars and aim for the Big Leagues. It is a city where, despite the mounting death rates, continues to receive an even larger supply of immigrants hoping to make it big. 'Come to me,' the City sang like a siren luring sailors to their deaths at sea, 'From Worldwide, I call. To the dreamers and the idealists, to the rejects and the poor. Come to my glimmering shores and enter my golden doors. Dare to hope and live your dreams, for here, it may all come true.'

It is a city that calls to all and sooner or later, draws in souls that wish to try their luck in the city of fortunes to make their dreams come true and everyone is willing to kill to make it happen.

You see this firsthand during your exploration in Night City, you wandered deeper into Watson and closer to Kabuki; opting to not stray too far from your temple for the meantime, you visited places that you haven't seen before. Watching the streets as its people went about their day. The differences could not be any clearer, how the people behaved the further away from your temple.

As of late, the people of Watson near Precinct 2 were relaxed, easygoing and while still carrying weapons, kept them hidden from view. They were open and felt safe, allowing them to breathe and take advantage of the feeling of wandering streets that are actually safe. Wherein on this side of Watson, the people were tense, the casual swagger of their steps were of exaggerated casualness. Their eyes constantly darting about, looking for exit points at every corner they turn, warily avoiding other pedestrians as if afraid of catching something.

It was honestly a bit surprising to see the difference, you have to admit and before you had the chance to observe more, there was a scream and the street erupted in a panic as people cleared the streets.

In a flash of golden light, you reposition yourself close to the source and you find yourself looking at two men wearing bright, if somewhat gaudy street clothes harassing a heavy set woman with curlers in her hair who sat behind the counter of her small bodega. The two men wore masks and were armed, one had a mask resembling the Japanese Oni, and carried an impressively large gun in one hand while the other had an air filter mask covering the lower half of his face and dragged a metal baseball bat against the concrete as he circled the store, almost as if marking the territory.

Both brandished their weapons at the woman who looked surprised yet resigned at what appears to be a robbery.

"Give us the cash, bitch!" The man in the Oni mask yelled, aiming a gun at her head, tilted to the side. You honestly don't know why some people hold their guns like that. You've seen how the officers at Precinct 2 handle their weapons and you find it odd that this person would hold his gun in such a manner.

'It's to look cool. It's one of the things you need to be when you're on the streets.' Tanner Montoya told you when you asked him about it but you don't quite get it. Fashion, you can understand it a little, thanks to some leftover faith you've absorbed from Jinguji.

"Alright, Alright! J-just don't shoot!" She sighs, her shoulders slumping with resignation. You get the feeling that this isn't the first time this has happened to her and the woman bent behind the counter to reach for the money.

"Hurry the fuck up bitch or I'll blow your fucking brains out!" The man with the gun yelled, growing impatient with her slow actions.

"The cops are gonna be here any minute!" His companion hissed, looking around nervously as his fingers tightened around his baseball bat before slamming the knob against the flimsy metal wall of the woman's small bodega. "Move it, fat a-!"

BOOM! Sh-chnk!

In a sudden explosion of flesh and gore, the thug holding the gun was suddenly blown back as his back exploded, slamming into the wall behind him and sliding down in a bloody heap.

"YOU THINK I DIDN'T COME PREPARED, GONKS!? YOU AIN'T ROBBING MY STORE!" The large woman behind the counter held a massive pink Carnage decorated with lipstick kisses in her hands, her eyes wide and manic with righteous fury as she turned to aim her gun at the other thug who stumbled back, dropping his weapon at the sight of his choom getting zero'd before his eyes.

"H-HOLY FUCK!" He turned and ran for it but the woman wasn't having it, she climbed over the counter, in nothing but her pale blue dress and slippers and ran after him, or rather, waddled considering her rather large size. It was quite surprising to see someone so large squeeze out of something so small.

You could do something here, you could strike down the robber in some manner, or you could give the woman a little boost to go after her former assailant, it is highly likely that she will kill him though you may add some sort of stipulation to your gift by ensuring that she won't kill him, or you could just leave it alone considering that she has the entire situation well-in-hand.

Do you help the woman enact her own brand of justice?
[ ] (Justice) Infuse her with some of your godly might. Justice shall be served through her own hands. (-10 Faith)
[ ] (Justice) Enact Karmic Justice on the fleeing criminal. May he repent through his misfortune. (-7 faith)
[ ] (Justice) Bless the woman with a trickle of divine power. It's not much but it should be enough to give her some satisfaction. (-5 Faith)
[ ] (Justice)There is no need to meddle, she seems to have things well in hand.

---

[X] Injustice still runs rampant on the streets. Find and fight Injustice in Watson.

In your eyes, or whatever method of divine perception an eyeless face like yours uses, your knowing, devoted followers shine with their own unique lights, dyed slightly golden through their devotion and your influence.

When you were travelling Watson in an effort to stamp down on random injustices, your attention was caught by Jack, who was talking to a burly, surly, hairy man.

"I keep tellin' you, choom. I haven't seen anything!" the man insisted.

"Pull the other one, it plays a tune," Jack snapped back, taking a step forward and, despite the height difference, making the man step back. "I've got camera footage, you were Joyce's last client."

"I'm a married man!"

Invisible to both, you drifted over behind Jack and announced yourself to your follower by making a subtle golden glow appear from you.

"He lies," you whisper in your follower's ear, and he does a good job pretending nothing happens. "He lies to you, to his wife. He is a thief and an oathbreaker."

Jack's scowl deepens, and before the liar bears further false witness, his fist lashes out and digs into his solar plexus, bending him in half. As the man wheezes, Jack reaches up to the hair on his head and pulls back.

"Listen," Jack hissed. "You either start talking, or you're going to find yourself on the wrong end of a beating."

A little harsher than the methods employed by your other followers, but it seemed to work for Jack.

After getting a few details about times and places, Jack let the guy go and stormed off, seemingly unbothered by you hovering near him as he went.

"Who is Joyce?"

"Missing girl," Jack said, turning on the lights on his eyes so it seems like he's in a call instead of talking to the air. "Joytoy, but... her mom paid me to find her."

"... then find her we shall."

And so off you go, God and Follower travelling together into the night.

It's an interesting difference, the way Jack investigates against the way Tanner Montoya investigates.

Your first follower always relies on a veneer of legality and legitimacy when asking questions. The fact that Tanner Montoya actually gets paid to do so, even though there's a cultural expectation of corruption, means that people are slightly more willing to accept his interrogations.

Jack has to actually go past the hurdle that people see him not as an investigator, but as a civilian. Well, a cyberpunk, but to the people he questions, Jack is someone butting into matters that don't concern him, and the cultural surrounding of cyberpunks is not so established and permissive as that of police officers.

His suspects tend to react poorly. So, Jack tends to start off aggressive, immediately opening with threats and forceful moves. This being Night City, it works better than when he feels pressured to act politely in front of you, despite your efforts to reassure him that you're not judging him.

Nevertheless, through a combination of testimonies and video footage, Jack is able to narrow down the general area of where the girl, Joyce, has gone missing.

Unfortunately, the general area is five blocks, one of which includes a megabuilding, so Jack is momentarily stumped.

"Any ideas, big guy?" he asks you.

Help Jack with his investigation?
[] (Jack) Not This Time: Multiple arms or not, you can't hold the hands of your followers at all times.
[] (Jack) Only A Little: Narrow down the possible locations of Joytoy Joyce to a single block. (-3 Faith)
[] (Jack) Track Her Down: Lead Jack to her exact location (-5 Faith)
[] (Jack) Take Over: Find Joyce and punish the guilty yourself (-10 Faith)

---

[X] There is something odd in the air. An energy not unlike your miracles, but unattached to any domain. This warrants investigation, see if one of your worshippers feels like doing legwork for you in their free time.
-[X] Write-in who investigates Tanner Montoya

Tanner's got to admit, he's seen a lot of cases in his time as a police officer. He's seen things that were dark and disturbed, things that shook his very faith in humanity and pushed him towards the mindset of nihilism if it weren't for a steady support group and meeting Aves. His faith in his fellow men is slowly being restored as he keeps finding good people who do good things in the world, not to mention the divine encouragement he receives from Aves who favors him for his selfless and heroic deeds to uphold Justice in Night City. Literally finding God is one hell of a boost to one's mental health, who knew?

It's not all bad though, being a police officer, for every bad thing there's a good, and then there are cases where it's just downright weird. He's not had those kinds of jobs come up regularly throughout his career but when they do? He's never really sure to laugh to bash his head against the wall from the absurdity of it all.

This assignment was different though. He's seen weird before and the last one involved the theft of a toilet, a three breasted prostitute, a 30 minute chase throughout Watson and they only ended up catching him because he tried to return said stolen toilet when he realized he meant to steal the kitchen sink. But this? This was the 'down the rabbit hole' kind of weird and he was all for it. The reports that he had been investigating so far involved a lot of eye witness accounts of strange occurrences throughout Watson. It was a very wide net to sort through and, after doing some quick investigating of his own, found that a good chunk of these 'unexplained happenings' were people's imaginations getting away with each other. There's still a lot he needs to sort through but he has found a few promising leads.

Which lead does Tanner Montoya follow up?
[ ] (Supernatural) There have been some almost reverent rumors of some kind of Psychic in Little China.
[ ] (Supernatural) Lately, people have seen some strange lights coming from a run down warehouse in Northside.
[ ] (Supernatural) Officers have been receiving calls about a suspicious lady in white wandering around Kabuki in the middle of the night.
[ ] (Supernatural) Residents have been complaining about loud noises in the area and want it taken care of.

A/N: I admit, I had to stare at Lady Liberty's poem when I wrote the bit about Night City's siren song. I hope it turned out okay. I also just realized that I had forgotten to reduce the choices to one for our weekly actions considering there were only 3 choices and 1 write in… Woops. Also, many thanks for Dr Heaven M.D. for helping out with this chapter! Can you tell which part was written by him? It's pretty obvious, it's the better part of this update!!