Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077

2-in-1-chapter

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Saul hesitated before speaking. "But with just the Aldecaldos' strength, to take a cement plant like that would be…"

"Don't worry. I have a way," Leo signaled to Saul not to concern himself with the matter.

He stepped a few paces away and called Rogue.

"Rogue, it's Leo. I need a Manticore for support. Money isn't an issue… alright, I'll send the coordinates now."

After the call, he turned back with a smile and told the others, "Just wait and enjoy the show."

The other three were completely in the dark.

Saul and Bob exchanged confused looks but managed to hold their tongues.

Panam, however, couldn't help but ask, "Boss, did you just call Rogue? Are you asking her to send people to back us up?"

She had once met a member of the Raffen Shiv through Rogue's introduction, and that incident had left her with a very poor impression of Rogue. Still, Panam knew Rogue was the Queen of Afterlife, with plenty of people under her. So she assumed Leo's call had been to request manpower.

"The Manticore—you've never heard of it?"

Panam shook her head.

Manticore? Was that the name of one of Rogue's merc squads?

"It's a Militech heavy assault AV. Rogue offers them for rent. As long as you've got the cash, you can lease one from her."

That was another reason Leo no longer bothered with Trauma Team's platinum plan.

If he needed backup, he could just pay Rogue and have a Manticore come down. In terms of both firepower and armor, a Manticore was in an entirely different league than a Trauma Team AV.

Most people subscribed to Trauma Team's platinum plan because they wanted to be rescued when under attack, with an armored AV swooping down to save them. But Rogue's Manticore could deliver the same results, without the constant monthly premiums. It was far cheaper.

Of course, not just anyone could casually call in a Manticore from Rogue. First, you needed money. Second, you needed a good enough relationship with her.

….................

....

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"Look. Our air support's here."

Following Leo's finger, the others looked up at the sky and spotted a black speck.

To the naked eye, it might not have been recognizable. But if you had Kiroshi optics or any other corporate-grade cyberoptics, the scan would reveal the speck for what it was—the Manticore.

In the next instant, more than a dozen rockets detached from the black dot and plummeted straight toward the cement plant.

Within seconds, the plant was engulfed in fire.

The Raffen Shiv inside were completely stunned. Those few dozen rockets alone had already killed scores of them, and they still hadn't figured out where the attack was coming from. Some even rushed to windows and rooftops, trying to engage the supposed attackers.

But after the first volley of rockets, the Manticore switched to autocannons.

Twin rotary cannons spun up, spewing a storm of rounds.

In front of those cannons, the human body was as fragile as paper. The Raffen Shiv who had rushed to the rooftops and windows were shredded along with the outer walls of the building itself.

When the barrage ended, there were no intact corpses left—only shredded remains and splattered gore.

The godlike destructive power of the Manticore left everyone but Leo dumbfounded.

When the cannons had finished methodically plowing through every rooftop and window of the cement plant, the few survivors finally realized the attack had come from above.

But by then, of the original three hundred Raffen Shiv, only a few dozen remained.

None of the survivors dared to step outside. Even a fool would know that you couldn't escape an assault from the sky by car.

Their only hope was to hunker down inside and pray the Manticore ran out of fuel or ammunition and had to withdraw for resupply.

But from his vantage point, watching coldly from above, Leo shook his head. His expression was that of a man watching the dead.

"It's over."

The Manticore swooped low over the cement plant and dropped several cylindrical bombs. These didn't explode on impact with the ground but burst apart midair, scattering dozens of smaller submunitions.

The moment they struck the cement plant, fire and smoke engulfed everything.

If earlier the plant had been reduced to broken ruins, now it was a blazing inferno—a vision of hell itself.

The flames roared, an unstoppable blaze devouring the cement plant. Even from a long distance away, the terrifying heat could be felt.

No one could survive inside.

…..............

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The group drove back to the Aldecaldos.

At the Aldecaldo camp, a bonfire party was held—both to celebrate Saul's return and to thank Leo for his help.

Everyone sang, drank, and danced late into the night.

Leo could clearly sense how Panam and the other Aldecaldos now trusted him far more deeply. Their loyalty had jumped several steps.

At this point, even if he asked Panam and her people to storm Arasaka Tower with him, they likely would not hesitate.

Saul's matter was settled.

With Panam and the others, Leo returned to Rocky Ridge Mountain.

By now, enough time had passed for the construction crew to complete the base, their work accelerated by the advanced technology of 2077. What had once been an abandoned stretch of desert hillside was now transformed into a fully functional stronghold.

At the heart of the compound stood a reinforced office building clad in composite armor plating and smart-glass windows, serving as the command center. Behind it rose several dormitory blocks, stark but durable, each capable of housing thousands of personnel in relative comfort. These were not just bunks thrown together, but modular smart-living units equipped with automated climate controls, communal kitchens, and medstations—designed so that soldiers, mercenaries, or trainees could live there for months without issue.

Adjacent to the residential section stretched the training grounds. There was a conventional live-fire range with automated target systems, rail-mounted dummies, and environmental hazard simulators capable of reproducing city streets, desert ambushes, or industrial firefights at the flick of a switch. Alongside it, a VR training hall gleamed with arrays of neural interface pods, allowing full tactical simulations to be run for squads or individuals. Anything from urban close-quarters combat to armored convoy defense could be drilled endlessly inside the digital scenarios.

Further back, reinforced hangars and garages had been carved into the mountain rock itself, giving shelter for vehicles, drones, and air support craft. Fuel depots, munitions storage, and repair bays were neatly integrated into the same underground network. A power grid tied into solar towers and backup fusion cells kept the entire facility humming with constant energy, and a water recycling system meant the base could operate independently of outside supply for extended periods.

What impressed Leo most, however, was the foresight in the base's design. The engineers had left deliberate buffer zones around the perimeter, flat and pre-graded land reserved for future expansions. Defensive turret mounts were already installed, though many sat empty for now, ready to be outfitted when funds allowed. Road access had been widened to accommodate armored convoys, while fiber optic and satellite uplinks ensured that communication would never be a weak point.

It was not simply a base—it was the skeleton of a private military complex, a place that could grow into something rivaling the compounds of the megacorps themselves.

Leo stood at the overlook, surveying the compound as the desert winds swept across Rocky Ridge. For the first time since he had taken this path, he felt that his organization had solid ground beneath its feet. No wonder Rogue had recommended this particular crew of builders—they hadn't cut corners, and their planning had gone beyond mere construction. They had built with the future in mind.

Leo was very satisfied with the work. So much so that he would hire them again for future projects.

It was then that David came to see him, wearing a heavy look and keeping his head down, silent.

Leo spoke first. "What's wrong, David? What happened?"

"My mom woke up."

"That's good news," Leo said, thinking David wanted to ask for time off but was embarrassed. "You want leave to visit her? That's fine. I'll give you three days. If that's not enough, I'll give you three more."

David hesitated. "No… it's not that, boss. I don't dare go see her, because she might ask me if I'm studying at Arasaka Academy. I… I don't know what to say."

So that was it.

Leo patted his shoulder. "Then I'll go with you. I'll explain."

David's face brightened. "Really? Thank you, boss."

…...............

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Trauma Team hospital.

Inside a private ward, Leo and David met Gloria, David's mother.

After regaining consciousness, Gloria had already learned from the nurses that Leo was the one who brought her here and paid all her medical expenses.

Instead of feeling relieved, she was uneasy.

She didn't know what Leo's intentions were. In her mind, she had nothing of value that could attract someone like him.

Lost in thought, she looked up to see Leo enter with David. She forced a smile.

"You must be Mr. Leo. The nurses told me you brought me here, and that you covered the expenses. Once I'm discharged, I'll find a way to repay you as quickly as possible."

Leo smiled. "There's no rush about the money. Are you fully recovered now?"

Gloria nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

Her eyes moved from Leo to David, then back again, puzzled why her son was with him.

She hesitated, then asked the question that weighed on her heart. "David, did Mr. Leo bring you from Arasaka Academy?"

As expected, Gloria asked.

David glanced at Leo. "Mom, actually…"

The words were at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to finish.

Seeing this, Leo stepped in. "Ms. Gloria, David is working for me now."

"Working for you?" Gloria's eyes widened. She turned to her son. "David, is that true? You're not attending Arasaka Academy anymore?"

David forced himself to answer but couldn't meet her eyes. With his head down, he said, "Mom, remember how we messed up the Academy's online education system? Because I was in the hospital for days after that, Arasaka expelled me."

Gloria let out a breath of relief.

She had thought David simply did not want to go to school, but it turned out the problem came from the academy itself.

Schools like Arasaka Academy, a privatized aristocratic institution, ultimately only cared about money. If she could repay the damages from before, she still believed David could return.

Gloria started to rise from the bed. "Don't worry, I'll discharge now and go talk to the headmaster…"

David stopped her and shook his head.

"It's no use, Mom. I already went. No matter what I said, even when I offered to pay double compensation, the headmaster refused. To Arasaka Academy, a kid like me from a labor background doesn't matter at all. Whether I'm there or not makes no difference. My grades might be good, but what use is that?"

"The other students always hoped I'd be expelled. They thought it was a disgrace that someone like me could attend Arasaka Academy, studying in the same classes as them. And the headmaster is on their side, of course he wouldn't support me."

Gloria sat frozen on the bed after hearing David's words, as if her soul had been ripped from her body.

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