• Published 23rd Jun 2019
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Sunset's Isekai - Wanderer D



Somewhere, out there, there's a bar with a familiar yin-yang sun on the door.

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Isekai Shenanigans: A Nomad Wolf in Night City (Cyberpunk 2077)

Isekai Shenanigans: A Nomad Wolf in Night City (Cyberpunk 2077)
By Wanderer D

Note: Isekai Shenanigans do have some continuity to them as they follow events in previous Isekai chapters. Panam's situation is explained in the Cyberpunk/Wolfwalkers crossover chapters. New cast/footnotes in Author Notes at bottom.

Judy Alvarez was not exactly an Aldecaldo, although she was getting there. After V had contacted Panam before the attack on Arasaka Tower, she had been formally invited to join the clan, and she had, but, she still checked on the Mox and others, so she had been tied to Night City a bit longer than intended.

It was funny, in a way, it had taken her so long to join them. Or another clan, if not them, given that she was a sort-of-Nomad herself. All her life consisted of being displaced by corpos and gangs; her original childhood home had been flooded by a corp, then falsely arrested, then working for the Tigers at Clouds, then joining the Mox, and finally breaking free thanks to V… and finding this family who didn't just want her for her editing skills (although she was respected for them). Mitch had found a common soul in her, and she had been able to transfer her robotics hobby into actual practice.

Life had been a process of slowly falling in love with the lifestyle of the Aldecaldos. She had heard from V that a friend named Misty had once tried to live city life only to end up really missing the hustle of it; the sounds of cars, and constant hum of a dense population. Judy had been a bit afraid that it would be the case for her, but to her surprise, the life in the badlands suited her well.

It also stirred her imagination to be surrounded by such characters as the Aldecaldos. From Mitch and Panam to Dakota, Carol and Bob, all of them were crazy in one or another endearing way, especially the vets. And while they all worked together to a communal good, each fostered and relished in their independence and personality.

A few months back, Panam had gone out on some spiritual journey while Judy was visiting her grandparents, and she had returned to find Mitch being in charge while Panam made her way back. It had taken a week or so, but the decidedly gorgeous woman had rejoined her clan with not only a strong sense of purpose, but, if anything, an even stronger sense of belonging.

That, and a supposed guardian spirit that, as legend (relatively new one at that) had it, protected the camp. Judy had even heard it once… seen it against the wall of her tent when the moon had been full, but when she'd walked out, there was nothing.

Everyone had been interested in learning more about where she had been, but Panam had been secretive about the whole situation, simply assuring them, that she had needed a sort of spiritual retreat to tame her more wild side. The only one that seemed to have an idea of what had been going on was Mitch, and he hadn't said anything other than Panam needing that time to herself. And it appeared to have worked.

Panam was by no means any less dedicated, strong, or resolved. Combined with the fact that she wasn't trying to turn the Aldecaldos into some sort of cult like many religious converts did, and with her sights on strengthening the clan come what may, everyone's worries had been put to rest, and for months since her return, there had been no problems. Panam would occasionally take a day or two on her own out there, but it wasn't more than that, and she never was too far for a call to have her back immediately if needed.

Ever since joining the Aldecaldos, she had felt complete. And that was why she had joined Panam in her visit to Night City… she knew it better than anyone at camp, and so she had volunteered to join the other woman for both, enjoying eye-candy purposes, and also to actually be of use.

It had helped that they had grown closer since V introduced them, thanks to their shared acquaintance, and the crazy stunts they had both helped V with. Which was how she and Panam had ended up infiltrating a Wraiths base in the middle of the night.

"I still can't believe you found this camp in the first place," Judy said, her holovid-feed going straight to Panam, who was silently making her way up to the wall of the compound. "Wraiths might be crazy, but they're not dumb when it comes to finding places to hide."

"Heh. You could say I've developed a nose for it."

Judy chuckled at the joke, lame as it was, although the way Panam had said it made her feel there was more to it than what she was catching on.

"You sure do," Judy said. "I just hope they haven't figured out where we're camping."

"If they do, we can move, but we also have the Basilisk," Panam growled. "Let's see these raffen shivs try to get us with that in the way."

"Yeah, I don't see them doing a frontal assault," Judy muttered, her eyes studying the data and cameras. "There's two of them ahead, by the way. Patrol, looks like."

"Yeah, I could smell them coming, and they make more noise than Claire's truck."

"Okay, so real talk, did you get some sort of nose cyberware?" Judy asked, "because you keep referencing smells."

"Why? Are you afraid I'll smell you looking at me?"

"As if." Judy could feel her ears burning. Had Panam known all along?

"If you say so." Panam chuckled. After a moment, she continued. "You know, V and I almost got there."

Judy raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. She and I were in the Basilisk, testing it out, and when we connected I could feel her attraction to me. I was game for messing around a bit, but we got interrupted by Wraiths."

Judy shook her head and sighed. "I thought you were into guys." She tapped two spots on her display. "Another patrol to your eight."

"I am, and I see them," Panam answered as she stopped, spotted the pair of guards and weaved around the various objects, undetected. "But a girl can have fun, right?" She sighed. "V was a special case, I admit, but even then… other than a friendship with benefits, I didn't see us going stable ever, like you and her."

Judy snorted. "Well, then there was River. Although she let him down gently, nice guy that he is. Still a horn dog, tho. I saw some of their chats and she was laying it thick that she wanted nothing but friendship from him."

"Did you read that piece where they said she was Eurodyne's new output?"

"Yeah, that was a stunt from their Samurai revival concert. It doesn't count. But still, if her merc work hadn't been amazing, that concert alone made her a legend. I've edited BDs of that night and it was pretty nova."

"I also heard she… or maybe Johnny… took out Rogue on a date." Judy could almost envision Panam shaking her head. "Our V sure led an eventful life."

"Yeah." Judy paused. Swallowed. "Have you… heard anything from her?"

Panam sighed. "Nothing yet. I'm keeping my ear to the ground, tho and… ugh."

Judy could see Panam had stopped and pressed her back to one of the crates. "What's wrong?" she hissed, her eyes scanning the displays. "You're right in the middle of two patrol crossing points, don't stay there."

"I think we're already too late," Panam said somberly. "I can smell the stench all the way here."

Judy winced. A few young Aldecaldos and some Night City residents had gone missing after a party. Rogue had reached out with an offer, not really knowing how many people or their origins had been captured, only that some of them came from a wealthy enough family to pay for rescue. After confirming with the fixer that they were talking about the same place, Panam had traced their location to here. She'd of course taken the job… not because of the money, but because she didn't want to trust family to rescue from strangers that might think nomads were disposable.

She bit her lip. Hesitated. "Do you… want to—"

"No," Panam interrupted, although she sounded a bit resigned. "We can't leave without making sure. Maybe some of them are still alive."

"Right." She pulled up the map they had recorded with a drone and frowned. "You're still pretty far away… are you sure…"

"I am," Panam said. "It's definitely coming from there."

"Alright, you still have time before the patrols get there."

Clink.

Judy paused, tearing her eyes from the monitors and displays. Her hand strayed to the silenced smart gun next to her. The van was dark, except for the ghostly light of her equipment. There were no windows to look outside, more due to the necessity of obscuring the light coming from within. And they hadn't parked too close to the site… but… had she heard something? She kept quiet for a bit, but couldn't hear anything else.

"Everything alright there?" Panam asked.

Judy's eyes went back to the displays, spotting her friend already reaching the door to where they knew the Wraiths had dragged all their prisoners. "Yeah. I thought I heard something, but—" Her words trailed off as Panam opened the gate and she saw, through the link, the massacre that had taken place inside. "Oh, no."

"No Aldecaldos," Panam said, thankfully moving away from the metal slabs where some of the bodies lay. "Damn scavs," she growled. On the other side of the room, she found several cages with unconscious teens inside. "Judy… they're alive."

"Probably keeping them to either draw you out or get the camp location from them," Judy said, still struggling to hold her food in. "We need to get them out somehow. What's the schematics showing?"

"On it," Judy responded, quickly bringing up an overhead view and sending a message.

Clink.

Judy ignored the sound and studied the map. "Yeah, I think I see where… it looks like the place was undergoing construction just before the Wraiths took over. There's a ditch near—"

Judy came to with a splitting headache, wondering where she was. A flash of memory came to her… a loud sound, the whole world turning upside down, rolling as equipment exploded around her, hitting the side of the van… she groaned, and rubbed her eyes. Her hands scraped on the sand and stone she was lying on as she turned on her elbows to stare around her. Several meters away, she could see what remained of the van, and other residue clued her into what had happened to it.

The Wraiths had drones of their own, and they had remoted a couple to attach themselves to the side of the van and explode. The sounds she had heard were the devices landing on it. It was only thanks to Mitch's zealousness on the van's armor that had stopped her from becoming minced meat, and the reinforcements had prevented the vehicle itself from exploding or burning away.

She groaned and rested her back against a rock, bringing up her HUD. She'd been out for almost an hour. But… something didn't sound right about that. She looked down at herself. "How did I get here?"

A rumbling, deep growl made her shiver. She slowly turned around and spotted a brownish-maroon furred… not a dog. Not that size. That thing was as big as a car. A wolf? Here?

She vaguely remembered sightings of wolves in the city a few months back, but she had dismissed those as fantasy… nothing natural could survive out here. Certainly nothing that size!

The wolf stepped forth, a paw as big as her head thumping gently on the dirt.

Judy slowly crawled back until her back bumped against another large rock. She spotted her gun… right behind the wolf. Great. "Um… good boy…" she said, trying to remember if she knew anything about dealing with extinct creatures in person. Something about not making eye contact since that was apparently a challenge? It was too late for that!

The wolf stopped and narrowed its eyes, growling.

"Uh… w-what's wrong boy?"

The wolf growled again.

"Um… girl?"

The wolf snorted and nodded.

"Right." Judy rubbed her head. The unusual behavior and seeming intelligence of the creature was somehow reassuring. It was dawning on her that she had been at the wolf's mercy for as long as she had been unconscious and nothing had happened. The wolf looked downright worried about her. "I must've hit my head harder than I thou—oh no, Panam!" She tried ringing her friend through the HUD, but there was no response. "Is she alive? Dammit, Panam, answer!"

The wolf growled and nudged her with her head… towards the Wraiths camp. Judy stared from the animal to the Wraith's lair, back to it. "You want me to go there?"

"Woof." Half snort, half bark. It made her feel like the creature found her amusing.

"So… you know where we're supposed to go?"

"Woof."

"...is that a yes?"

The wolf rolled her eyes and nodded. More and more Judy realized this was not just an abnormally smart animal, and it wasn't just the size either that made it so. She peered at it. "Are you some sort of European overly-modded person? I know they had the whole furry thing going there, just not to that extent."(1)

The flat look from the wolf was telling enough.

"Hey, not that it would be wrong! I thought about doing a cat theme for myself a few years back, you know? Couldn't afford it, unfortunately. Well, that and Grandma Alvarez would have skinned me alive."

The wolf raised an eyebrow, clearly amused and seemed to look her up and down, then, sighing, motioned at the Wraith's camp again with its large head.

The intention was clear, and Judy did not want to make the wolf big enough to chomp her in half angry. "Do you know where Panam is?" she asked after a moment.

"Woof."

Look at that. A bark AND a nod. Now they were getting somewhere. Where exactly that was, was anyone's guess. Judy pushed herself up and walked/stumbled over to pick up her gun. She checked it, then took a moment to note to herself, that—given what she was about to say—anything that happened now was her own damn fault. "Okay, lead the way."

For a creature of such size, it moved not only surprisingly silently, but also fit in places she would've never imagined it would. At times, she could almost believe it could change sizes, although that was impossible.

Judy had already requested backup, but she knew the others would still take a few minutes to reach them. She had mentioned the wolf to Mitch, who had taken it in stride.

"Wolf? She's with you?"

"You know her?"

"She didn't bite you, did she?"

"No? Should I be worried?"

"Huh. Nah, you'll be fine. Anyway, that's good news! That means Panam is okay. Listen, we have to get rolling, but trust her and get to where Panam is. Send me a message once you've found her and we'll launch the attack." Mitch paused. "Oh, and don't mention the wolf to anyone else for now, alright? Thanks."

Judy glanced at her furry friend. "Well, Mitch seems to trust you too. I wonder what's the story there?"

The wolf snorted, sounding amused. They stopped behind a large truck, still outside of the perimeter of the actual base, but close enough to see the guards.

"I hope she's okay," Judy sighed. "Besides being unfairly hot, she's been so kind to me… she loved V, just as much as I did… and she's made so many efforts to integrate me into the Aldecaldos properly. I usually don't trust people but V met a lot of good ones, and she was kind enough to introduce me to the best of them."

The wolf looked away, almost seeming embarrassed. Judy chuckled, and in a move that surprised her, elbowed the much larger creature with a familiarity that was alarming. "Hey, no bashfulness, alright? Just don't tell her I said she's hot and an ideal woman… don't want her getting the wrong impression. I mean, I wouldn't say no to her, but I'm not here to get in her pants… I just respect and appreciate her."

The wolf gave her a look of baffled surprise, then—eyes narrowing warily—it snorted as if to say: Sure, and I'm a fairy queen!

Judy felt her cheeks blush at the wolf's unimpressed look. "A girl can dream, okay? That's where I'll keep those thoughts. In my dreams. And with you, I guess. It's not like you can speak. But still, just in case, keep it a secret?"

The wolf rolled her eyes, but there was decidedly a smile creeping on her muzzle; as if she knew more than Judy could imagine. Then the wolf lifted a paw and ran it across her maw in a very clear 'my lips are sealed' motion. Judy grimaced, her instincts telling her that she was going to have a hard time living this down. "As long as you keep your word…" she mumbled.

Still, a nudge from the wolf brought her back to the real world, and she stalked to the edge of the old truck so she could look. The guards seemed to be walking away, so the shift was coming up… it was good that Wraiths were not Militech or this gap would have never happened.

Hacking the camera was easy, at least long enough for them to sneak past, and they both took off, taking advantage of the opportunity presented.

Judy was by no means a coward. As a former Mox, she had more than enough experience in fights, although she'd never be as efficient as V or Panam. Thus, despite her heart racing in her chest like she had ran a marathon, she kept enough presence of mind to regulate her breathing and fight the adrenaline rush enough to not act impulsively.

She didn't have subdermal armor, or even equipment that could survive the guns of the Wraiths. She'd be lucky to make it out alive on her own, but… she couldn't just sit on her ass and wait for the others while Panam was in danger. Plus, she had the wolf.

A Wraith, who had been searching a nearby container had looked up and spotted Judy, but before she had been able to raise the alarm, the car-sized wolf had slammed the unsuspecting raffen against the wall and, with a sickening crunch, had ended her life before even a scream had come out. The large animal had then dragged the body away and hid it before rejoining Judy, who was trying hard not to shiver.

"G-good girl."

The wolf snorted, then led her further into the camp. As they made their way, Judy noticed how the wolf would disappear for a few moments, then reappear to guide her, and, suspicious of this behavior, she kept an eye around, noticing the telltale marks of several Wraiths having been dispatched by the powerful creature.

An abandoned gun barely visible under a bag. Traces of blood. The lack of more enemies.

"I'm starting to think you didn't need me at all," she whispered to the wolf, who gave her a full-body shrug, then indicated a camera with its head. "Ah, I see, you want me only for my camera skills." She sighed. "So much for being a true Aldecaldo."

The wolf gave a soft whine and prodded her.

"I'm joking, I'm joking," Judy said, smiling and giving the large beast a hug. "I am just glad I can help in some way."

The wolf gave her a look as they reached the next hiding spot.

"It's just… I feel like I'm dragging everyone down, you know?" Judy said. "Sure, I can do some fancy mechanical things, but so can Mitch and many others. My only transferable skills are BDs and Netrunning, and I'm not really that great at the latter." She sighed. "I don't want to be added weight to the clan, but I'm clearly not cut out for this kind of thing."

The wolf nudged her gently.

"I-okay, I know. I shouldn't let that get to me. Come on… let's go."

Just as she was about to get up, the wolf growled softly, stopping her. Another pair of Wraiths had come into the area, but they were on opposite sides. There was no way for her furry friend to kill them both without raising the alarm.

The wolf gave her a pointed look.

Judy chuckled nervously as she raised her gun and checked that the silencer was attached properly. "I had to open my mouth, huh?"

The wolf seemed to smirk, nodding with her head at the closest Wraith, then, turning in place, she bounded off and was lost in the maze of boxes, pallets, and freight containers.

"I guess I'll do that one…" she muttered. She was no stranger to gunfights, but she felt the rush of excitement nevertheless. She pressed her back against the box, and kept an eye on the slowly moving Wraith.

She heard the thud of the wolf colliding with the other scav at the same time the Wraith in her sights did. He turned, confused, not even thinking about raising his assault rifle, and then he was staring straight at her, eyes wide under one of those metallic half-face masks that they favored.

They held each other's eyes for a second, then he raised his weapon, stumbling back, and her finger instantly pulled on the trigger. The smart weapon accounted for her hesitancy, the liimited AI recalculating the path of the two bullets that shot out in quick succession, both hitting the panicking scav in the head, snapping it back with a sickening squelch.

Judy held her breath. Had she been too slow? Had he somehow managed to alert anyone?

She gulped and stayed quiet, ears straining, but there were no warning shouts, no calls for action.

She released the breath just as the wolf came back to sniff at the dead body. The wolf glanced at her, giving her an almost smug look that seemed to say: "And you doubted yourself. Silly girl."

"I'm still keeping my mouth shut," Judy said, following the wolf along. "You might've been right, but I still don't want to tempt fate."

The wolf seemed amused as she led her deeper into the compound, until they reached a locked room. Judy was about to try and force it open, when the wolf pushed her to the side, then walked her around until they could both see an open window a few feet up.

"I don't know, seems a bit too high for—" Judy bit back a cry of surprise when the wolf slid its head between her legs and lifted her up onto her back. The former Mox steadied herself, eyes wide, then, when the wolf moved to stand right under the window, she understood. "A little warning next time?" she muttered, looking down at the wolf, who seemed to snicker.

Shaking her head, she carefully got to her knees on the large wolf's back, then, shakily, stood up, balancing carefully. "Here goes…" she muttered, then jumped up and managed to grab onto the edge of the window. She started to pull herself up, then felt the massive head of the wolf pressing up against her feet, helping her stabilize.

She glanced down with a smile at the wolf, who was standing on its hind legs and resting its front paws on the wall. It wasn't fully standing straight, but still, standing like that, it was clear that if it stood straight up, it would be just shy of the window itself.

Judy turned and managed to pull herself into the room, carefully twisting so that she could lower herself to ground level feet first, then looked around. The room wasn't too big, more like a large closet with a few devices on the walls.

Panam was there, seemingly unconscious, and tied down in a disconnected Netrunner chair. She had a bruise on her face, and it looked like they had tried to interrogate her before leaving her to steam for a bit.

"Mitch," she said into the holo. "I've found her, she's secure."

"Understood," came the reply. "We're just outside, I've pinpointed your location. Be ready."

Just as she started looking around for a way to release her, she heard a whine just outside the door. "Oh…" turning, she inspected the panel, and jacked in. Security was thankfully not as big of a deal with Wraiths as it would've been with Maelstrom, so after a few seconds, it wheezed open, allowing the large wolf's head to peek in.

"I know you're worried, but I don't think we'll both fit in…" She trailed off as the massive beast started glowing a gentle white-golden that slowly seeped into all of it, turning it into a wispy, spirit-like form that twirled around the room and around her before flowing straight into Panam.

Judy stared.

Panam groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Oh shit," Judy whispered. "Oh shit! She's the wolf!" She covered her mouth in horror. "I told her everything!"

Panam coughed and gave her a look. "If that's what you're worried about, I think you're taking it quite well."

Judy shook her head. "No. I'm not. You're a-you're a werewolf! Gary was right!"(2)

"Wolfwalker," Panam corrected. "And I am also tied down. Could you help get me out of here?"

"I told you I thought you were hot!" Judy hissed as she moved over to unclasp the mechanism holding Panam down. "Y-you have to forget everything!"

Panam tilted her head. "Why?"

"You promised not to tell! The only way not to tell yourself is to forget!"

"That's dumb, also, I didn't promise anything."

"I heard you bark!"

Panam grinned. "We're not that close."

"Oh my god." Judy stepped back, allowing Panam to finish untying herself. In the distance she could hear the shooting and shouting already. The Aldecaldos had attacked the camp. "You know, you take the meaning of being a bitch to the next level."

"Bitches get things done," Panam said, shrugging.

Well. Judy couldn't quite disagree with that statement. "You turned into a wolf. How's that possible?! Can all Aldecaldos do that?"

"No… just me," Panam said. "It's a long story, better told over a cold beer… but we still need to get out of here."

"Right." Judy struggled to keep her thoughts straight. "But you have to explain this whole thing!"

"I will, I promise." Panam stretched and Judy took a moment to enjoy the view before quickly turning around when Panam started picking up her equipment. "Hey."

Judy sighed and looked over her shoulder as Panam joined her. "Yeah?"

Panam grinned. "I think we can scrunch up enough eddies to send you to Europe, kitty cat."

"Gah!"

Panam burst out laughing and gave Judy a quick hug. "V was special, but so are you. I'm glad you've joined us."

Judy sighed. "Thanks… I'm glad too."

"And who knows," Panam said, walking ahead. "I might be into guys, but I've got at least one Basilisk ride that I never finished."

"Are you…"

"Come on," Panam interrupted. "Let's get the captured kids out, and then you and I can have a long talk."

Judy chuckled, then, taking a deep breath, kept her gun steady and followed the Aldecaldo leader. She still liked cats, but she wouldn't mind being a wolf, either.

"Oh," Panam said, looking over her shoulder. "And don't worry. I don't bite unless I mean it."

End Shennanigans

Author's Note:

Welcome back to Isekai Shenanigans! This time around we're checking in on Panam Parker, who was last seen heading out to another dimension's Ireland with Robyn and her family to learn more about being a Wolfwalker. She's come back home since, and had been keeping her secret well until now.

Cast:

Panam:

Current leader of the Aldecaldos, Panam was accidentally turned into a Wolkwalker by Robyn Goodfellowe during the events of An English Wolfwalker in Night City. After leaving from time to time via the Isekai to learn more about her condition, she's managed to master it as much as her Packmates in Aisling's Forest.

Judy Álvarez:

Brave and loyal, and a master of editing BDs (BrainDances), Judy helps V and Evelyn plan the ill-fated attempt to steal from Arasaka tower. She's one of the games possible romances, and a marshmallow under all that tough exterior. After Cyberpunk 2077, she can go with the Aldecaldos if you take certain actions. Clearly V did just that in this one.

Wraiths:
Wraiths are Nomads, just like the Aldecaldos, unlike them, however, the Wraiths are and will mix with Scavs (Scavengers) who will capture innocents and harvest them for parts after... doing things of various levels of excess and inhumanity. No-one's favorites, they are a cancer in the already dangerous Badlands.

Footnotes:

(1) This is true in the sourcebooks. It is not mentioned in the 2077 game itself. But, it's the same universe.

(2) This is also true. There is a popular myth in Cyberpunk about Nomads, and even a shard found in-game where Nomads being werewolves is discussed, not to mention Gary the Prophet's infamous rants about Nomads being said lycanthropes right when a few are around. They don't like it.

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