ALL NOVEL What’s Up Danger
4 hours after the sunset on the West Coast of The New United States of America (NUSA)
[Unknown location]
In the middle of the ocean, 3000 meters deep, lay the true base of a certain organization that, to the world's eyes and all those watching, appeared as a mere corporation of private military contractors with their headquarters in Virginia.
"Boss, you wanted to see me?" Said a deep, broken voice from smoking, quickly filling the room with the scent of the cigar the imposing man smoked as he entered his boss's office without knocking. He appeared to be around 60 or 65 years old, almost half his actual age, with a streak of gray hair standing out amidst his black mane, the rest of his hair on the sides cropped short and fully grayed.
He wore a black trench coat made of a aramid of resistant and ultralight fabrics, providing exceptional protection against most calibers and bladed weapons. The magnetic fasteners ensured a quick and smooth closure, granting ease of movement in combat. A characteristic detail of the trench coat was its high collar design, rising to cover half of the face. The edges of the coat and collar were embroidered with a silver fabric, adding a touch of distinction to the ensemble.
"Yes, put out the cigar," responded seriously "Boss", a tall woman of approximately 40-45 years of age. With coldly symmetrical features and piercing blue eyes contrasting with his short hair, combed back in a blond tone so light that it almost looked white. Her emotionless face seemed to have been carved from marble, maintaining an almost always serene and immutable expression.
Her presence was enhanced by the military officer's coat she wore, made of a dark navy high-tech fabric that fit her athletic and straight figure perfectly, displaying her discipline. The wide lapels and raised reliefs on the jacket denoted her high rank and affiliation with Lazarus. Completing her outfit were tight black pants and high military boots, adding a touch of authority and practicality to her appearance.
"But... I just lit it!" protested the man's raspy voice, struggling to accept the idea of parting with his cigar.
"...." It became easier for him when he saw the emotionless gaze on his boss's face looking at him.
"Fine! But I'm adding it to the cost of my next mission," grumbled the hoarse voice, yielding to the woman in front of him, while he used his black cybernetic arm to extinguish his cigar. "Well, tell me where I'm going this time?"
He sat on the couch at the back of his boss's office, more comfortable and farther away from her, that the chairs in front of her desk.
The office had walls lined with reinforced steel panels, giving a feeling of solidity and protection. A strategic map illuminated by holographic displays occupied one of the walls, while a system of monitors displayed real-time data. Giving a professional and practical feel to the office.
"You're going to Night City. Night Corp has contacted us, they want assistance in resolving the source of the cyber-attacks they have been experiencing over the past few weeks-"
"It must be some corporate espionage case to make such a fuss and ask for our help."
"I haven't finished speaking, don't interrupt me. The servers being attacked are the ones the corporation uses for city control and maintenance. Until recently, they were harmless, causing only occasional power outages and glitches that could easily be resolved by rebooting the servers. But the latest attack a few hours ago nearly caused one of the city's suspended subways to detach from its rail and plummet into the void. The emergency mechanisms kicked in and prevented the disaster, but it seems the attacks are escalating.
They want you to go there and fix the problem. You'll have the support provided by Night Corp through their contracts with Night City, and you'll have a Max-Tac squad at your disposal if things get ugly," said Joy Lazarus, daughter of Emile Lazarus, former UNSA military and creator of the Lazarus corporation.
"Alright-" said the man, unable to finish his sentence, thinking his boss had finished speaking.
"Also-"
"Is there more?"
"Yes, stop interrupting me. Since you're going to the city, I want you to test a new recruit."
"Seriously? Don't we have some hired merc who can do that for a few coins? Why me?"
"Yes, I'm serious. I want you to test him, and if he passes, assist him on his first mission. If you find him useful, let him assist you on yours. As for why you... it's because of who recommended him and who trained him."
"Many ifs? Does he already have a mission? How the hell is that possible? If he doesn't even have access to our 'Job Board' yet, unless... he was chosen before he joined. But that would only be done by..."
"Yes, the person who recommended him. They have also posted a job through Lazarus, selecting him to be the bodyguard of a young CEO from a new local company at the Gala Night in four days."
"Who would do that, his mother? And you want me to go to that shitshow?"
"I doubt it. The person who recommended him, contacting me personally, is Hanako Arasaka. As for whether I want you to go to that 'shitshow' or not, it's unnecessary to ask. They are orders, and you will follow them. I want you to use your contacts at Militech to attend the Gala Night as well."
"What the hell... That's why you want me to go?"
"Something like that. With your contacts at Militech, you have the easiest way to get into the gala. Arasaka has never supported us, and the fact that they are doing it now, even if it's late and only one of their members, is a good thing. When the time comes, I want all the help I can get. Besides, the recruit is related to someone you know."
"Who is the recruit?"
"He is-"
When Joy was about to respond, something happened at the Lazarus underwater base, triggering an alarm that startled everyone inside and bathing the base's lights in red, highlighting the sudden emergency taking place.
Without wasting a second, Joy contacted the base's control center. On her office screen, the officer in charge of the control center appeared, wearing the same style of Lazarus military uniform as her and looking nervous..
"Boss! Someone has attempted to access the base's servers, but as soon as they breached the firewalls, they disappeared. We don't believe any data has been stolen, but it seems we've been discovered," said the officer, somewhat afraid to deliver the bad news to his boss.
"Impossible!" Joy got up from her seat and shouted, her usually composed face now incredibly angry at the magnitude of the information leak. "We're off the grid; it's impossible for anyone to connect to our servers! Where does the hacking attempt originate from, and how the hell did they find us?"
"We're not sure, but we believe it originated from one of our new member registration cards. We think the perpetrator used the registration card to somehow bypass the servers at the Virginia base and trace the connection to our servers," Said the officer with some difficulty evident in his voice, seeing the expressions of his normally composed and serene boss.
"WHERE!?" Joy shouted, interrupting the officer's status report.
"Ma'am?" The officer looked bewildered by the sudden outburst.
"WHERE IS THE SOURCE!?" she shouted again.
"Night- Night City, ma'am," the officer stuttered in his response.
Upon hearing the officer's response, Joy ended the communication with the control center, sighing heavily as she sat back in her chair, knowing where, how, and most importantly, who was responsible.
"Morgan, get your ass moving. I want you in Night City in less than 8 hours. And find out how that damn brat Sora Inuzuka managed to hack us! I shouldn't have listened to that cold-hearted witch from Arasaka. He's not even a member, and he's already found us... damn it!"
"Is that the new recruit? Wait, Inuzuka!? Could it be? Wait (again)... is he a Netrunner? And Musashi allowed it?" asked ''Morgan'', easily recognizing the name Inuzuka and, above all, the man who was married to the only surviving member of the Inazuka family, or so he thought.
"No, based on the combat intel we have on his alter ego as a Mercenary, he doesn't use daemons. He's equipped with a sword, just like his grandfather used to do. But... there are also reports of him using various weapons, demonstrating a style similar to yours.
And Either he knows a skilled Netrunner who just discovered us... or he also knows how to navigate the Net. There's only one access card in Night City, and it was delivered to him today."
"Hm, not bad. This is turning out to be more entertaining than I thought. Is Musashi also in the city?"
"Yes, he's been living there since he retired from Arasaka 17 years ago."
"Hahah, then it's time to see a old Frenemy," said Morgan, leaving cheerfully in contrast to his boss's foul mood, heading towards the hangar to go to Night City, as he had been ordered to do.
-
At the same time, on a rooftop of a mega building in Night City,
"What the fuck is in the middle of the Atlantic....?" the culprit asked when his consciousness returned from the Cyberspace to his physical body, leaning against Eco, who was lying behind him. While looking at the black card with elegant golden patterns in his hands.
---
4 hours earlier.
When Sora finished equipping himself and prepared to leave his old room, he found Lazarus' briefcase on the floor in front of his door, left by his grandmother Aoi while he slept.
Sora grabbed the briefcase and "Eco keep this for me" threw it to Eco who caught it with his mouth and threw it towards his own back, slowly sinking into the nanobots in his body.
Sora walked out with his hands in the pockets of his jacket, heading towards his grandmother's small garden on the second floor. With calmly, he jumped onto the garden railing, enjoying the nighttime view of the city while remaining one step away from falling into the void.
"We need to go to the bar, so how about a race? The first one to reach the subway?" Sora suggested.
"Woof!" Eco barked cheerfully and replied at the same time with a message to Sora's IDn [Okey!]
Without wasting a second, Eco leaped off the terrace, extending two sections from his front lshoulders, which released a magnetic grapple hook that adhered to the surface of the nearest building. Eco propelled by his grappel, reaching the facade of the building, and then launched his second grapple from his other shoulder to the rooftop, propelling/running vertically to the top.
Eco, not having great maneuverability in the air, used his grapple gun to reach the nearest building, go up to the rooftop and jump to the next building, repeating the same strategy until he reached his destination.
"You don't understand the true beauty of..." Sora controlled his helmet through his IDn, playing a certain song as he let himself fall "...swinging."
[♩ Two-hundred miles-per-hour wit' a blindfold on (on) ♩]
[♩ Mama always askin', "Where did I go wrong?" (wrong) ♩]
Sora let himself fall, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket as he fell, exposing his cybernetic forearm. Seconds later, after enjoying the fall and gaining enough speed, he used his own grapple gun from inside his wrist.
Feeling the magnetic hook cling to the nearest building...
[♩ What's up, danger? (Danger) ♩]
Withstanding the centrifugal force of Sora`s body...
[♩ Ah, what's up, danger? ♩]
Allowing him to swing with agility...
"WoOoOoOoOoOooo!" Adrenaline flooded Sora's body, making his heart gallop as he let out a euphoric shout.
[♩ Can't stop me now ♩]
Releasing the thrill of swinging from one building to another in a city that sprawled before him.
[♩ Traveled two-hundred miles, I'm knockin' at your door
And I don't really care if you ain't done wrong, come on ♩]
[♩ D-don't be a stranger (stranger) ♩]
Sora enjoying the sensation of speed and temporary flight as he swung through the air. Performing acrobatics mid-air, he experienced the beauty of the city from a fresh perspective with each leap.
[♩ I'm right here at your door ♩]
[♩ I won't leave, I want more ♩]
[♩ What's up, danger? ♩]
He landed on the rooftop of a medium-sized building, maintaining most of his speed. Running across the rooftop, moving with agility and fluidity avoiding air vents, pipes, and cooling machines that obstructed his path.
Jumping, sliding, or using them as a base to run over. taking the opportunity to rest his cybernetic arm and relieve the tension generated in his entire enhanced body from swinging.
[♩ Yeah, what's up, danger? ♩]
[♩ Can't stop me now, yeah ♩]
[♩ I said, "I got you now"♩]
When he crossed the rooftop, Sora leaped back into the void without hesitation, to once again experience the almost addictive thrill of swinging between the buildings of the city.
[♩ Come on, what's up, danger? ♩]
[♩ Come on, I said, "What's up, danger?"♩]
Even running over the windows of buildings, surprising the people still working in their offices with sudden noise of footsteps running vertically in front of them. Some of them were quick enough to capture an image, but upon review, they could only see an unusual blur.
Meanwhile, Eco, using his own grapple, jumped from one building to another, following Sora's trail, but it didn't take long for Sora to surpass him. Although Eco did not have the same freedom in the air as his creator, he was thrilled by the race and the running through the city along with his creator
Together, Sora and Eco crossed the city's district zero until they reached the subway station. Creating a loud noise on the roof of the subway heading towards Watson, that made the passengers look up. When Sora and Eco landed abruptly, oblivious to anything but their race.
"Sorry, buddy," Sora said, breathing heavily as he lay down on the subway roof.
"Wmhhf," Eco grumbled, barking in frustration at losing the race, sitting alone at one end of the roof.
Watching Eco pout, made Sora laugh until they were interrupted by one of the Fool´s crows, who spotted them and flew towards them, pecking angrily at Sora's helmet for not notifying him and having to be the one to witness their fun.
While Sora was distracted by Fool, the subway stopped and the lights inside flickered until they turned off. Sora couldn't help but think, "Here we go again." Remembering when he took the train this morning, bumping into Lucy and experiencing a brief power outage, similar to what was happening now.
But unlike the insignificant incident earlier in the day, Sora, being on the train roof, could see the connections between the train and the overhead rail starting to uncouple. Quickly lighting up the circle around his black eyes, as he tried to connect to the car's control server.
Everyone inside the car felt a fall, when the last attachment disengaged, dropping a few inches, before the emergency locks. Large hooks that came out of the sides of the top of the train car, managed to reengage it before it went out of range. Avoiding tragedy when Sora reactivate the disabled emergency locks
"What the hell just happened?" Okami's synthetic voice exclaimed in disbelief. Sora, like the rest of the people, found himself on the ground with his balls as a tie. Who never imagined they were about to fall into the abyss, when they boarded the subway as usual on their way home after a long day's work.
Sora stood up again, climbing onto the rail with the help of his grapple, with Eco following closely behind and Fool flying behind them.
With the subway now immobilized, stuck literally on the tracks, Sora ran until the nearest building in Watson entered the range of his grapple. Swinging away from the subway incident, with no intention of being entangled in whatever had caused.
They were just a few blocks away from the Afterlife. And Sora knew not to keep the queen waiting.
---
Okami suddenly fell into the alley leading to the Afterlife, with Eco falling behind him, scaring the people waiting in line outside the Bar to enter.
Despite the looks and whispers due to their sudden entrance, Sora ignored them and headed towards the stairs that led to the Afterlife, with Eco following closely behind and Fool flying over the alley.
As they descended the stairs and approached the bar door, Sora encountered a familiar face. The burly guard in front of the door, who had a strange obsession with Rogue, frowned upon seeing Okami's helmet and raised his hand to stop him. But before reaching the door, Okami's synthetic voice warned him, "Either you open the door or I'll break your nose again."
Within seconds, Sora passed through the doors of the Afterlife, with the burly guard clutching his nose, once again broken, with his hand. Upon entering, the booming music and green neon lights gave the usual welcome (Come Close by Sebastian Robertson & Daniel Davie).
The bar was filled with mercenaries armed to the teeth and chromed up to their brows, with different and, some of them, eccentric customized Cyberwares. Immersed in their conversations about their current gigs.
Not everyone in the bar were Mercs; there were also a significant number of customers who were lucky and patient enough to wait in line until they were allowed in, adding to the chaotic atmosphere of the Afterlife and ensuring a steady flow of people for the resting Mercs to invite for a drink... and whatever arises... after.
Which most of the people in the line outside knew and expected to happen to them when they entered the Afterlife. Attracted by the dangerous and exciting lifestyle of the mercs and the people who dedicate themselves to it.
Despite the intense atmosphere, Sora was pleasantly surprised by the stark difference from the game's Afterlife. It was more vibrant, more chaotic, and... much more fun.
Sora looked up and greeted the bartender behind the counter, who had changed four times since Okami first entered the Afterlife, having learned not to get attached to them. He friendly greeted some of the Mercs he knew from previous jobs.
But not everything was good...
Feeling also the envious glances of some groups of mercenaries, good for nothing, who had their eyes fixed on the imposing Eco and Sora's cybernetic arm, whispering among themselves the rumors about what Okami's arm was supposedly capable of doing.
However, when Sora perceived those too intense gazes, full of greedy and violent thoughts, he stopped in his tracks, changed direction and planted himself in front of them, with Eco at his side.
Staring at them, intensely illuminating the two blue stripes like eyes of his helmet creating a silent warning and those who dared to hold his gaze were in a dangerous situation. When the next instant Okami grabbed them and began to beat the shit out of them. With Eco joining in as well. Respecting the rule of not using weapons in a fight in the Afterlife.
After finishing, Sora and Eco had no trouble moving among the normal customers that crowded the bar, moving away from them and letting them pass, stunned by the sudden brawl that they thought had occurred unprovoked. Sora advanced towards the private area of the bar where his fixer, the Queen of Afterlife, Rogue Amendiares was watching him.
---
Okami approached the private area of the bar where Rogue was waiting for him, but once again he was stopped by another burly guard, this time with dark skin. Before Sora reacted in a bad way, Rogue intervened. "Let him pass." The guard allowed Okami to pass with a serious and professional expression on his face, unlike his colleague at the door.
Once he passed, Sora headed towards the couch where Rogue was surrounded by her entourage. However, one of the entourage members occupied the seat Sora wanted. So, Okami kicked the side of the couch, grabbing the seated man's attention.
Sora tilted his Okami helmet several times to one side , clearly indicating tto the man occupying his seat, to move his ass. The man of Rogue`s entourage looked at her, seeking her intervention, but receiving her silence, getting the hint and and leaving the site. Sora sat alone at one end of the U-shaped couch, and Eco sat down on the floor to protect the side where Sora sat.
Creating a tense atmosphere on the part of Rogue's entourage who did not like Okami's manner. While the aforementioned, without even noticing them, much less caring about their stares, ordered a drink from Rogue's private waitress.
While waiting for his drink, without looking directly at Rogue, Sora settled comfortably on the couch, extending his arms and crossing his legs wide open. He placed the ankle of his boot on the knee of the opposite leg, taking up more space than necessary, demonstrating a clear lack of consideration and exuding an air of dominance and disinterest. he casually said, "You owe me, Eddis," a reminder to the Queen of Afterlife, that for a moment, due to he demeanor, posture, and the way he said it, it seemed as if there was a "King" in Afterlife instead of a "Queen."
Rogue didn't flinch and didn't look at Okami. Instead "Leave us" she sent her entire entourage out, due to the looks and the tense atmosphere they were creating, leaving them alone. Evidencing how Rogue valued Okamii, the mercenary who had become one of her best "Merc" in just two years.
"I don't owe you anything. That's why I asked you to come, and as always, you're late," she said.
"It's not my fault the subway I used to get here almost plummeted into the void" And he replied excusing himself.
"...." Rogue stared at him, not bothering to reply to the silly excuse, unable to imagine the mercenary in front of her with his current appearance, among the rest of the people on the Subway, much less the subway falling down.
"What! It's true! You'll see it on the news," He replied childishly
"Whatever you say... About your last job, the client wants to meet you. According to 'Padre' himself, she'll give you the Eddis she owes you."
"Fucking great!, now I go from house to house collecting my payment... next thing you know! I'll be looking for jobs so I won't need you."
"As charming as always," Rogue remarked.
"I know, right!" Okami said tilting his head turning the lines in his eyes off and on as if he was blinking, completing his ironic comment with his posture.
"Heh," Rogue chuckled, shaking her head. "As I was saying, stop whining. I imagine she wants to pay you herself and give you the next job. I can't think of any other reason."
"Why? What do you know? Who is she?" Okami asked several times, in the unusual situation of a client wanting to see him or pay him in person.
"Are you willing to pay to find out?" Rogue said, expecting something in return for the info.
"Are you serious?" Surprising Okami, who couldn't believe she was trying to charge him for practically following a conversation.
"..." Responding with silence as affirmation.
"You stingy old scamming thieving shameless woman, trying to rob me any way you can... I'd rather not know than give you a FUCKING EDDIE!" Okami exploded, leaning his helmet towards Rogue without moving his extended arms from the couch or changing his seated posture.
"Why do you complain so much? You don't have a problem with Eddies, do you?" Rogue said, mysteriously smiling to finish what she wanted to insinuate, looking at Eco, who was sitting and watching the people at the Bar with his back to them, before turning her gaze back to the blue stripes on Okami's helmet.
With both of them staring into each other's eyes, saying nothing.
Until Sora was the one to break the staring contest, as he avoided Rogue's gaze, causing her triumphant smile to widen, knowing who was hiding beneath the helmet... the co-creator of a certain company and, more importantly to her... the young masked boy she saw on a fire truck years ago... not forgetting the eyes of that boy... and the person they reminded her of.
Sora changed the subject, "I want your help with two things. In the first one... I understand you'll charge me for... and in the second, I hope you won't for our fixer-merc relationship."
"What will be?" Rogue replied vaguely, finding it amusing the way Okami had phrased his request. She took a sip from her glass while Sora took his from the newly arrived waitress. A short glass of bourbon with cola. Sora had always wanted to try whisky or bourbon, but when he finally did... he could only enjoy it if he added cola, showing his taste as a novice drinker.
Okami brought the short glass towards his helmet, and from the lower frame of his chin, a small extension unfolded. Without losing his dignity, Sora began pouring his drink into it, drinking with the helmet on. This was the result of trial and error, as the first design of Sora's helmet included a straw for this purpose. However, when Rogue saw it in action, she ordered him to change it immediately. She didn't want to be associated with him, seeing him with his drink closed to his helmet and drinking through a straw.
"The first one, I want a car," Okami said, holding the glass in his hand, playing with his drink by swirling it.
"Oh!, so you're finally going to stop playing with your little motorbike and get yourself a real vehicle." Rogue responded, pleasantly surprised.
"-.-" Sora didn't like it when someone messed with his Yaiba, staring at Rogue.
"Don't look at me like that. I get that you like it, but it was about time you got four wheels." Rogue replied, at the fixed gaze of the blue stripes on Okami's helmet.
"Well, until recently, I couldn't." Said Okami truthfully
"Why?"
"..."
"You're not going to tell me that..." Said Rogue unable to continue
"Yes, until recently, I couldn't get my driver's license," Okami confessed the reason why he still didn't have a car.
"Hahahaha, sometimes I forget how young you are, hahahaha," Rogue couldn't help herself, remembering that the intimidating Merc in front of her was under 20 years old. Causing Rogue to attract attention due to her uncommon fit of laughter.
"H-a-h-a, very funny. Can you help me, or should I ask another fixer?" Sora, avoiding Rogue's laughing gaze, asked again, thinking that maybe it was a bad idea to ask Rogue for a car, but besides his family, Rogue was the closest thing to a friend and also, in some way... a teacher as well.
"Haha... okay, I'll stop, haha... hmpt. What are you looking for?" Finally managing to control herself, Rogue asked,
"I'm not sure, a muscle car or an armored SUV that can carry my bike, one of the two, I'm not sure which. I'm not looking for something too exclusive, just something I can tinker with and find parts for."
"I'll see what we have that might interest you. Stay tuned to your IDn, and I'll send you some cars that might catch your interest. What's the second thing you wanted to ask?" Rogue asked, taking another sip from her glass.
"What do you know about this?" Okami's synthetic voice said, taking a gold coin out of his pocket and tossing it to Rogue.
Rogue's expression changed when she saw the coin in her hand. "Have they contacted you?"
Hesitant to respond, Sora said, "More or less."
"Don't screw with me on this. Have they contacted you, yes or no?" Rogue said, changing the friendly tone she had in her conversation with Sora.
Seeing Rogue's sudden serious expression, Sora also stopped joking. "Yes, they have."
"Damn it!" Rogue exclaimed angrily.
"..." Waiting for Rogue to speak, Sora remained silent.
"Are you going to get involved?" She asked seriously, looking at the stripes on Okami's illuminated helmet.
"I don't know. I'm waiting for you to talk to me about them before making a decision." He responded by being sincere, really wanting to know Rogue's opinion on Lazarus.
"Ahmm... Lazarus is..."
---
A few minutes later...
Sora was sitting on the edge of a rooftop in the alley, with his legs dangling. He had used his grapple immediately after leaving the Afterlife to ascend to a nearby rooftop. After the conversation with Rogue about Lazarus, he wanted to smoke.
Smoking from the rooftop, watching the frantic traffic of vehicles on the road in front of the alley. Sora had taken off his helmet to smoke and had sent Eco back home to pick up his Yaiba motorcycle now that Judy would have arrived home.
The tobacco smoke dissipated into the air as his mind remained distracted by the recent conversation. Sora shook his head and decided to postpone the topic for now, checking the address Rogue had given him in Heywood, the territory of the Valentinos and, the Fixer and more, the "Padre," near the bar Coyote cojo, to meet the client.
Sora stood up, threw his half-finished cigarette away, and put his helmet back on. Preferring to swing his way to Heywood rather than still waiting for Eco to return. Just as Sora raised his black arm to use his grapple towards Heywood, he received a message on his IDn that stopped him.
It was from Eddie, the journalist he had met three years ago at the Tygers' base. Excitement filled Sora as he read Eddie's message: [I think I've got it], recalling the deal he made with Eddie three years ago.
Still, Sora didn't rush, having encountered and worked with Eddie several times in these three years, Sora asked to confirm: [What are you talking about?].
Eddie's response didn't take long to arrive: [Ebunike]. The same ship that Sora had told Eddie to keep an eye on as well.
And when Sora/Okami read it... he couldn't help but have a big smile beneath his helmet as he quickly connected the dots: Ebunike ---> Greyson ---> Smashes.
Meaning that Adam Smasher himself is in Night City or will be.
Without hesitation, Sora sent another reply: [When and where?].
Eddie's response arrived promptly: [Not sure yet. Give me an hour to confirm it.]
"Ah, tonight is going to be more entertaining than I thought," said Okami's synthetic voice, with Sora smiling broadly beneath his helmet, using his grapple as he had planned, heading to Heywood to finish it before Eddie could notify him.