Chapter 118: Shocking Night City — The Return of Johnny Silverhand!

"Welcome."

Neo's voice carried that easy calm only men with absolute control possessed.

Rogue found a spot near the bar, threw her coat across the chair, and sat like she owned the place. Her sharp eyes moved briefly over Lucy and Rebecca beside him.

"You've got good taste," she remarked dryly. "Didn't peg you for a man who picks his women as well as his weapons."

"Alright, Claire," Rogue said, turning her head. "Give me a Rogue."

Claire paused mid-polish, raising a brow. "You sure? You've been drinking Johnny Silverhands for as long as I've known you."

Rogue's expression didn't flicker. "Change is healthy."

Claire shrugged, then began to mix, bottles flashing under the low neon.

While she worked, Rogue's gaze returned to Neo. "So," she said, "I hear you're planning to put Johnny on stage. Live. With Samurai's logo blazing across the wall like it's 2023 again. That true?"

Neo smiled faintly. "What do you think? Enough of a spectacle?"

Rogue gave a quiet, humorless laugh. "Enough? Kid, that's not just spectacle. That's you taking a dump on Arasaka's boardroom table."

She leaned back, voice steady but sharp. "Half a century ago, that idiot walked into Arasaka Tower with a portable nuke and blew himself into vapor. You know what people remember from that? Not Johnny Silverhand, not Samurai—they remember that Arasaka survived. They remember Adam Smasher. They remember how untouchable the corps were."

She looked at him hard. "If you bring Silverhand back to the public eye now, you're reviving their worst embarrassment. You're slapping the company across the face in front of the whole city. They won't just sit back and drink to that."

Neo's tone stayed amused. "Ever consider that's exactly what I want?"

Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"I've gone loud, and I'm not going quiet again," he said. "If there's a spotlight, I'll stand under it. If there's a hornet's nest, I'll kick it myself. I killed Adam Smasher. You think there's any going back after that? No deals, no truce. So if I don't mock them to their face, what kind of legend would I be?"

For a second, Rogue just stared—then gave a short laugh and shook her head. "You're crazier than Johnny ever was."

Neo's grin widened. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Rogue glanced toward Claire, who was setting her drink down, the amber liquid catching the neon firelight. "No wonder she left Afterlife for this madhouse," Rogue muttered.

Neo lifted his hands. "Swear on my sword, I didn't bribe her."

"I believe you," Rogue said, swirling her glass. "Claire's a professional. She goes where the story feels right. And you—" She paused, measuring him again. "You're one hell of a story."

"Good to know," Neo said, already turning away. "You two catch up. I've got a bar to run."

He left the counter, Lucy and Rebecca following close behind.

...

The rest of the team was already gathered near the stage, waiting for orders.

For mercenaries who'd spent their lives fighting, running, and killing, it felt strange—almost funny—to be taking job assignments inside a bar. But Neo's voice left no room for doubt.

"David," he said, "you're at the door. You're the face of Night's Ember tonight. Smile, talk, and make people feel like they've walked into something special."

David straightened. "Got it."

"Lexington," Neo continued, "you handle the cars outside. Valet duty. Make sure the guests feel safe leaving their rides—and don't even think about scratching them."

Lexington nodded fast. "Yes, sir!"

Neo's gaze swept to Maine and Dorio. "You two handle security. Anyone working with scavengers or the Scav trade, anyone acting weird, throw them out. I don't care how loud it gets."

"Understood," Maine rumbled.

"Copy that," Dorio added.

Jackie raised his hand. "Bro, what about me? I was thinking… maybe I do what I do best—chat folks up, keep 'em drinking, keep 'em coming back?"

Neo smirked. "Perfect. Night City's favorite loudmouth handling customer relations. I couldn't pick better."

Jackie grinned. "Hell yeah!"

He turned to Viktor and Pilar next. "Vik, you're on standby here. You see someone OD, glitch, or bleed out, you handle it. And if anyone wants a quick tune-up or implant check, it's your clinic for the night. Pilar—help him."

Both men froze.

Pilar blinked. "Wait—you want me helping in a clinic? I can barely fix my own arm!"

"Exactly," Neo said. "Time to learn."

He didn't wait for a reply.

By the time he was done, everyone had a task. The only ones left were Lucy and Rebecca.

"Alright," Rebecca said, tapping her foot. "So Lucy's running net security and braindance feeds. Cool. What about me?"

Neo's eyes softened. "You? You're the boss's right hand. The one who doesn't have to work."

Rebecca frowned. "The hell does that mean?"

"It means," he said, "you get to sit back with me in the control room. I had it custom-built—big couches, drinks, sound controls, holo access. Everything. You, me, Lucy. We watch the show from up top."

Her expression flipped instantly. "You serious? That's awesome!"

"Go," Neo said, smiling. "I'll join you soon."

...

Once they were gone, he drew the Unregistered Katana X. The blade shimmered, data pulsing along its surface.

With a light flick—

Johnny Silverhand appeared.

The rockerboy took one long look around, his ghostlight form flickering faintly against the neon. "Well, I'll be damned," he muttered. "You actually pulled it off. This place… puts Afterlife to shame. Big stage, big lights—hell, it's beautiful."

"Glad you like it," Neo said, leading him to the stage.

...

Outside, the sky turned deep violet.

The streets of Kabuki pulsed with life—music, neon, the buzz of implants and engines.

Lucy's handiwork was already spreading across the city. Every public display, every feed, every projection lit up with the same message:

"NIGHT'S EMBER – THE LEGEND RETURNS.

FEATURING JOHNNY SILVERHAND."

By the time the first hour of darkness fell, Night's Ember was overflowing.

Crowds spilled into the street, shouting, laughing, craning their necks to see through the glass.

"Holy shit!" someone yelled. "Johnny Silverhand's back? No way that's real!"

"Real or not, I'm getting in there," another shouted. "You see that logo? That's fresh as hell!"

"Who cares if it's fake? It's Johnny Silverhand!"

"New legend, same chaos—hell yeah!"

And under the roar of the crowd, beneath the shimmer of gold and neon, Neo smiled from the control room balcony.

The bar he'd built was alive.

The music was about to start.

And the night—

The night was ready to burn again.