Chapter Text
It wasn't often that Kurt found himself with time to spare. Nor was it often for him to find himself craving a few drinks away into a distraction from his line of work. Typically the unofficial leader to the city's most violent district preferred to let his work consume him well into the night — a drink of the finest whiskeys and bourbons at his disposal. But something in the air kept whispering in his ears, kept pulling at his ears, pushing him towards this particular bar on this particular night.
There was one bar in Pacifica that Kurt Hansen would leave his district and fortress for anything other than business. Only one that he would attend, surrounded by his armed men, for a night out away into a specific wave of calm in contrast to the chaos he usually drank in. A night out away from his section in the world of crime and violence associated with ruling over Dogtown, a district within Night City.
Clear skies, bright stars, a slight breeze, calm waters. The night was perfect — too perfect.
Kurt steps out from his heavily guarded SUV. The thick air clings to his lightly tanned skin yet he feels nothing of whether it is cold or warm. He scans the area. It's silent and no bodies are to be seen outside from his men and a random citizen smoking a cig with his leg propped up against the wall. They make eye contact for a short moment. The man stubs the cigarette out on the concrete of the wall before retreating inside. Kurt grunts before following.
The bar isn't busy when Kurt enters. It rarely is compared to those deeper within Night City. Kurt much prefers Alter to ones like Afterlife, Riot, Lizzie's. Alter is quieter, less crowded. He finds it cozier in a sense. Easier to keep track of each body in the vicinity. Easier to keep watch while he enjoys a drink or two.
"Hansen," A man standing behind the bar shouts out. He tosses the towel in his hand over his shoulder. His lips curve into a smirk, his chin lifting in a slight nod. "Welcome back! The usual?"
"Whiskey. Neat." Kurt confirms, barely glancing at the thin stick of a man behind the counter as he makes his way to his usual booth hidden away in a dark corner. The two men that followed him inside stand at the edges of the leather seat to guard.
The booth Kurt takes up for himself was chosen for it being in a prime spot. It provides him with a near perfect view of the bar's first floor and a good view of the stairwell leading up. And he is able to sit back and relax without the music becoming overbearing. It brings him almost a slice of peace in the seemingly never ending events of chaos that living and working within Dogtown brings.
As Kurt scans the room, taking in the overall vibe of the evening, he notices a figure sitting at the bar — a new body he doesn't seem to recognize. From where he sits, he can see that it's a woman, fair skinned with a touch of color from the sun, and blonde hair tied up into a pony tail. He makes the attempt to scan her, only to find himself surprised. She has nothing to be scanned.
"Meeting someone tonight?" The bartender chimes, setting down a rock glass filled with only a few inches of a warm, dark liquid.
"Enjoying myself." Kurt reaches for his whiskey. "For the moment I can, at the very least." He takes a sip before leaning back against his leather seat.
"Didn't know you knew how to do that." The bartender lets out a chuckle at his own joke that quickly dies as Kurt gives him a deadpan glance. His chuckle quickly turns to a nervous cough. "Well, I, uh, I'll leave you-"
"Who's the girl?" Kurt motions with his glass towards the unfamiliar blonde chatting it up with another woman at the bar.
"The gir-oh! You mean Maya?'
"Maya who?"
"Hobbs. She moved to Pacifica about…a week ago."
Maya
Chapter Text
"What's your poison?" Kurt leans against the bar next to the mysterious blonde woman. He took note of her clothes as he made his way over. She's wearing a leather jacket, but unlike those affiliated with any of Night City's various gangs, hers is blank. The pants she's in seem like a tighter fit from what he could tell under the dim bar lights - leather like her jacket by the way the light catches onto the material.
"Whiskey." The woman turns her head to face the man now keeping her at the bar longer than she had expected to stay. She was about to wave down the bartender to pay her tab for the single beer she downed in the few short hours time she spent wallowing in her own sorrows. Kurt's cybernetic cyan eyes immediately find hers - brown. He makes a second attempt to scan, only to find she truly has no metal in her skin. This peaks his interest in the mystery woman more. "On the rocks."
Kurt hides his surprise well under a perfected poker face. Keeping his signature smirk on his face, he lets out a soft rumble of a chuckle. "A woman halfway to my own heart." He says, earning a partial giggle from the woman in return. The sound catches him off guard - a rare feat only very few have managed to do. His ears perk up at the music escaping her.
"Oh, is that so?" She rests an elbow on the counter, her fist under her chin. Kurt takes note of the small mole just beside her nose and the metal rings on her fingers. "Well, whose heart is it that I'm partly chasing?" He notes the charm in her voice mirroring the charm he was giving her before picking up on her slight accent. There's no ring to it, but he can tell she's not from around the area.
"Hansen. Kurt Hansen." As if meeting with a client, Kurt holds out his hand. The woman bows her head slightly as she accepts his handshake. Her skin feels warm to his cold grasp and soft in comparison to his all rough and calloused. Her delicate fingers are twigs compared to the branches that are his.
"Maya Hobbs." As her hand slips from his, Kurt finds himself missing the warmth. "Say, I recognize that name…Hansen."
"Dogtown is my turf. You might have heard about me on the news, maybe on the net."
"Hm," She shakes her head slightly, smile faltering just barely. "Nothing's ringing a bell."
"That's alright. How about a drink? On my tab." He offers, hoping to keep her talking. Hoping to figure out why he wished to make her laugh again, why he wished to feel her skin on his again. To figure out what game she might be playing. She has to be playing one if she has him this intrigued this quickly. Right?
"I wasn't planning on staying much longer…" Another surprise. Kurt feels almost…disappointed. Almost feels…relieved at the same time. "But if you insist." She nods, her smile returning in approval of his offer. Kurt lets himself show off a real smile in return hoping to mask his sudden relief.
"Two whiskeys. One an empty pond, the other with a stone." Kurt calls out to the bartender.
"You've got it, boss." The man begins pouring Kurt's favorite into two glasses he had already prepared, over listening to the two's small talk.
"So, do you always come up to women in bars? Offer them drinks?" Maya questions lightly.
"Only those who catch my attention." Kurt gives her a sly wink, earning himself yet another giggle. The bartender sets down the glasses in front of them on the bar top without a word and moves away to tend to a new couple sitting down at the other end.
Kurt and Maya pick up their glasses at the same time, clink them together and take a sip. Kurt finds amusement in watching her face as she processes the taste. The bar keeps a special stock in store for Hansen's rare appearances. It's expensive and hard to get in. And he's the only one to order it.
"Markus here tells me you're new to Night City." He motions with his glass towards the tall, dark bartender chatting it up with patrons.
"Been a long year so far in the big city o' dreams." Maya admits, taking another sip to avoid letting out the defeated sigh fighting to get out.
"And in Pacifica?" Kurt takes a sip.
"Only a week. Though, I fear I won't be here for much longer if things keep up as they have been…" Maya's smile fades, the reality she was hoping to ignore for at least one evening sweeping her away. Her eyes fall from Kurt's and daze off into the ice sphere slowly melting into the dark liquid.
"What do you-"
Kurt is interrupted by the doors to the bar being slammed open. A group of rogue gang members burst inside with automatics and handhelds ready to be used. Screams of the few patrons realizing what is happening ensue. The bartender reaches for his own gun hidden beneath the counter. Maya gasps, her glass slipping from her hands and shattering onto the floor.
"Goood evening, ladies and gentlemen." A man with a bright green mohawk and various face tattoos and piercings speaks. Kurt assumes him to be the leader. "This is, in fact, a robbery. Start handing over any eddies and valuables and we'll all get-"
Kurt's men are quick to act. One takes a shot at the presumed leader of the gang without a second thought while another takes a shot at one of the henchmen. The bartender is quick to the trigger, firing a shot. Kurt is quick to his feet, a hand quick to the gun hanging at his side. He steps in front of Maya as a wall between her and potential harm - potential death.
"There's a door in the back," Kurt explains, cocking his head towards a hall to their right. "I can get you out safely that way." A bullet his the bar, barely missing Maya's calf. She lets out a small yelp. Tears begin to fall from her eyes in terror. Kurt lands a shot at the man who aimed their way. "Go!" He demands, his colonel voice slipping out seamlessly. Another shot towards the gang members. "Now!" Maya wastes no time listening and hurries towards the hall, another bullet flies her way. She lets out a cry but continues moving on. Kurt is quick on his feet despite his massive build. He moves backwards as he shoots towards the failing robbers. Once he lands a final blow to the one shooting towards him, Kurt turns his back and rushes to catch up with Maya.
He finds her just outside the door throwing her guts up into the dying grass and sand.
"Hey…" Kurt places a hand on her back. "You alright?"
"I…" Maya coughs, trying to steady her breathing. "I…" She takes a deep breath before standing straight. "I'm fine." A gunshot goes off. It's near enough to make Maya jump.
"Let's get you out of here." Kurt wraps an arm around Maya's small frame. She doesn't agree but doesn't object either as he leads her towards the safety of the SUV waiting.
The two back doors of the blacked out SUV open up as they near. Kurt helps Maya in on the side nearest them before hurrying to enter on the other. He doesn't wait for his men to follow before instructing the driver to begin heading back to the Black Sapphire.
"Are you alright?" Kurt questions once he's confirmed none of the gang members were on their tail. Maya winces as she tries to turn in her seat to face the man responsible for saving her life. Kurt's eyes scan her body to find what is causing her clear discomfort.
"You're bleeding." Beneath her jacket was a hole in her waist, just below her bottom rib. A thick liquid, dark under the car lights, was leaking from her.
"I'm fine…" Maya's heart was racing more than it ever had in her life. Violence was something Night City was familiar with. Violence wasn't something she was familiar with.
"Nonsense." Kurt is careful as he removes her jacket from her small frame to get a better look at the wound sitting below the hem of her cropped shirt. She winces at both the slight movements and the way he examines a piece of her body so intensely. Kurt hums, his poker face not faltering to give Maya any indication on how her wound is.
"Is it bad?" Death wasn't a friend she was necessarily scared of, but not a friend she wished to meet quite yet.
"There's a bullet in you, but not deep enough to do any real damage." He works quickly to remove his shirt, tearing it in half on one side. Maya falls limp to his work, allowing him to wrap his torn shirt around her over her wound. He is careful to tie it, avoiding any chance of pushing the bullet in any further. "I'm bringing you to the Black Sapphire to get you cleaned and stitched up."
"Black Sapphire? What's that?"
"My fortress."
Chapter Text
Maya had no idea what to expect once they crossed over from Pacifica to Dogtown. She had only heard about the district but that all was so very sparce. It was the last place within Night City she had yet to move to. It was the district she had been most warned about and the last district she had been considering. She was shocked to see the large security presence at the border between Pacifica and Dogtown. She was even more shocked to see the reality of Dogtown itself.
Graffiti covered nearly every visible surface. Trash and litter covered a decent chunk of the greenery patches and the cement. Roads were cracked and filled with holes. A heavy security presence all throughout the streets, but none were badges like within the rest of Night City.
Maya had never seen a place quite like Dogtown, had never experienced a place quite like Dogtown. Kurt could tell by the way she ignored most of the pain to take a good look through the glass of the tinted window. The way her eyes sparkled with curiosity despite the pain in them caused by the bleeding wound in her side. Curiouser and curiouser the colonel was the longer he kept her in his presence.
"You're not from around here." The words he doesn't mean to let out, yet they slip his tongue. Maya turns to look at Kurt, holding back another wince of pain from the wound feeling the effects of movement. She manages out a small laugh. The noise fills Kurt with a comfort he finds himself unsure of.
"What gave you that idea?" Maya jokes, slowly turning serious. "You didn't believe me, did you?"
"I don't like to keep all the cards on the table. An eye open for suspension, if you will."
"From all I've seen in Night City and heard of it's people, you're a smart man for that, Kurt." A flash of pride shines through a half filtered smile on Kurt's face. Maya can't help herself but to give one in return.
The rest of the ride is made in silence. Kurt makes glances towards Maya as she winces in slight pain each time the vehicle hits a hole in the road. She keeps her eyes glued to the outside world, examining it's every crack and corner that they pass by.
As the lights of the city shine in onto her skin, her hair, Kurt finds himself unable to guard himself from the human emotions causing a stir in his stomach. It was odd. Odd for him to feel like this. Physically, he couldn't feel much of anything due to the mods in his skin and every ounce of pain once felt and endured during his time in war and rebellion. But that didn't mean he was immune from feeling the natural emotions of his non-mechanical side. Yet to feel them coming on this strongly, he was unsure of what this meant. For once in his life, Kurt was completely taken by surprise with no idea how to navigate through.
The SUV pulls up in front of a massive black building littered with security guarding the entrance. Kurt is first to get out and is quick to Maya's door.
"Can you walk?" He paid attention to her wound during the ride. It was still bleeding and she was growing weaker the more that was lost. Her skin was paling and her breathing more shallow. Though he knew she would make it, those same feelings of worry remained. Once he was able to stitch her up, he was going to figure out what was happening to him.
"I…I think so." Maya's legs move to dangle over the edge of the seat. She groans at the pain but pushes through it. She takes one step out of the vehicle and finds Kurt's thick arms catching her fall.
"Hold onto me." His voice is deep and commanding, like an officer in the war. Maya doesn't object, can't object, and grips onto his arm before following him towards the entrance.
Her breaths begin going even more short, the air feels heavy as it tries to enter her lungs. Her heart is racing and her vision is beginning to blur. Maya tries to warn Kurt that she feels faint, but no words manage out as her mouth opens. Her fingers loosen their grip on Kurt's arm. His quick reflexes catch her before she can fall limp on the concrete.
Chapter Text
Maya awakens slowly. For a few short seconds she's unaware of where she is and how she got there. A sharp pain ignites from her waist as she sits up. The sting of the pain drags out her memories from the night before.
I came for a drink.
…forget my problems.
Kurt….Kurt Hansen…
"Dogtown is my turf."
The robbery.
I got shot.
He saved my life.
I got shot
She glances to look down at her wound, only to find she's dressed in a shirt that is four sizes too big and not hers. Rolling up the green fabric, she finds the gunshot wound wrapped up and bandaged. She can feel the stitching beneath as she carefully slides out of the bed. The room she is in, she realizes, must be Kurt's. And she knows she shouldn't, but she can't stop herself from taking a good look around.
There's framed photos hung in a corner above a desk with what appears to be a military grade computer. The photos all appear to be from Kurt's time spent within the military. A younger Kurt stands with his fellow armed men in front of a large tank in a large black and white photo framed with the date 2065 scribbled in the corner. Another depicts Kurt and female soldier standing out of formation and close in such a manner that a couple would. Maya ignores the strange sense of jealousy washing over her and moves her eyes down to a photo sitting on the desk. A headshot of a younger Kurt with short brown hair and a metal hanging from the wood of the frame. She brings a finger to the cold bronze, brushing over the small token of an award.
"I thought I heard movement." Kurt's deep voice echoes to Maya's ears. She jumps a little in her skin before quickly turning around. "Sorry," A rumble escapes Kurt's chest. The sound followed by a shy smile warms Maya's heart. She ignores the way the half stranger makes her feel and gives him a small laugh back. "I didn't mean to give you a fright."
"I didn't even hear you come up the steps."
Kurt is leaned back against the metal railing of the stairwell. The entrance to his bedroom is open, no wall or door to enter or exit through.
"Some habits are more difficult to end than others." Quick on his feet, Kurt Hansen always had been despite his impressive build and massive size. "I made a batch of coffee. If you'd like some. Or I have tea, if that's more your style."
She wants to say yes. She wants to hear about the people in the photos and his stories from war. She wants to get to know this Kurt Hansen, the man who saved her life.
"I…I should really be getting back home." She has a job she's desperate to keep but knows she probably just lost by not showing up first thing in the morning as scheduled. Her rent is due soon, she must figure out payment.
Kurt studies her from across his room. The way she suddenly has little confidence and the way she shrinks herself down. The way she bites her lip and her eyes grow shifty with nerves. He assumes it's due to the lack of alcohol in her system and the fact that he left her in just her underwear and his shirt - that she's realized he had to have seen her naked to do so. For a moment the thought crosses his mind that she may have been embarrassed he caught her snooping through her photos, that she might be considering the very real possibility of him thinking she was about to begin snooping through documents and his personal belongings. If she was smart, she wouldn't have considered it. If she was dumb, she would have.
"I can arrange transport for you. But you are more than welcome to stay." Something in the way her eyes sparkle as she looks over and up at him makes him feel confident she simply was curious. Curious in the man he was. Curious in the man he is.
"I really appreciate everything you've done for me, Kurt, really - but I should be getting back home." With no chrome, no mods, no…anything, Kurt must rely on his strong knowledge of base human emotions and body language. Maya's lean towards her being completely honest. But this was Night City. This was Dogtown. A place nobody is purely honest for the purpose of simply being honest.
"I'll arrange a car to return you safely." Despite the slight pang of disappointment, Kurt keeps a calm smirk painted on his face. He turns to make his way back downstairs when Maya steps forward with a question.
"My…my clothes?" Kurt hums in response, cranking his head back towards her. "Where are they?"
"Your pants and shoes have been cleaned. I have them waiting for you in the bathroom." He nods with his head towards the connected room just off to Maya's right. "I'm afraid your shirt got a bit torn from the bullet and stained from your blood."
"And my jacket?" A flash of panic washes over Maya's entire body. Kurt finds himself ever so intrigued as he tries to figure this mystery of a woman out. The jacket seemed like any ordinary leather coat yet she's practically shaking and in tears over the obvious idea that he may have tossed it out alongside her bloodied shirt.
"I'm afraid it was in as bad a state as your shirt." Maya's shoulders slump, her face falls in disappointment. "But if it's important to you, I can have one of my men take a look and fix it up. I'll mail it to your apartment." He takes the first few steps down the stairs before he hears her feet moving to follow him. Kurt can't help but notice how close she lets herself get to him. He's used to his men keeping close at his side, but never a citizen and most certainly not a complete stranger who just met him at a bar.
"I…I never told you I live in an apartment." She notes aloud. Her voice is more curious than suspicious like she doesn't care that he knows but rather curious on how he does.
"I had my men do a little research." Is all Kurt replies with before making his way towards the kitchen where a cup of fresh coffee awaits him.
Research was a…broad term when it came to Maya Hobbs. There was very little to be found. Lived in multiple apartments throughout Night City - first in Corpo Plaza, then The Glen, Japantown, Northside and now within Pacifica. She's worked for multiple people since moving. First was at some clothes shop to push customers towards spending extra eddies. Then she moved around working at different bars and helping at food carts. And currently helped a fixer keep track of inventory and 'special' deliveries. When his men came empty handed, Kurt took it upon himself to do his own research only to come up empty handed himself. There was nothing but a past unknown. It was as if Maya Hobbs appeared in Night City out of nowhere.
Kurt knew this was likely to be the last time he may get to spend with Maya, the last chance he had at unravelling the mystery that she is. He knew he would regret not questioning and pushing as he normally would with any other person. He knew he would regret not figuring out why he felt such a way towards her. But despite how much he hated how much his body, and what was left of his heart, felt towards this being their last moment together, he didn't press on. He let her make her way to his bathroom. He let her out of his home, his fortress. He let her into the guarded vehicle. He let her out of Dogtown. He let her out of his grasp.
Chapter Text
"Wait wait wait….the Kurt Hansen? Kurt Hansen as in Dogtown leader Kurt Hansen? Ex Colonel Kurt Hansen?"
When Maya returned to her apartment, she wasn't surprised to find her door had been unlocked and opened. There was one person who she trusted the most, trusted enough to have possession of a copy of a key into her private space. Her closest and only friend, Nancy Collins, whom she met during her first month living and working within Night City.
"I suppose so…" Maya pauses. Kurt had told her that Dogtown was his turf. Could he have meant that he was the leader of such an area? Was he the leader of a sanction full of violence and crime? Ex Colonel. Were those photos in his room not only photos of Kurt when he was in the military, but when he was in a high rank within the military? "Why are you even reacting like this?"
Nancy was another employee for Hits Fashion, a luxurious and rather expensive clothing store located within Corpo Plaza. Maya initially felt she had hit the jackpot with not only snagging the last available apartment there, but also landing such a job with no prior history. As she and Nancy instantly clicked and became close friends, Maya felt she hit a second lottery. Nancy felt as though she stumbled upon a lost puppy who needed someone to watch over and take care of it.
"Look," Nancy places her hands onto Maya's shoulders and forces her eyes to her own. "I know you're still new to Night City and all, but Kurt Hansen is not the man to mess with. He could have beheaded you." In dramatic Nancy Collins fashion, she flails her hands in the air. "Or shot you…or-or-or something." Nancy was always the one to look out for Maya. She was a diamond in a sea of coal. Not many in Night City let themselves be as outright honest and open as Nancy let herself be with Maya.
"I think that's a bit dramatic." Maya shakes her head before standing from her spot on the couch. She steps towards her bathroom, to the mirror to check on the site of her wound. "He was a complete gentleman. Albeit a touch strange but he jumped between me and a group of gunmen." The evening, despite happening only last night, was as fresh in her mind as if it happened only hours ago.
"And yet you still got shot." Nancy doesn't move from her seat. She watches Maya like a hawk as she tosses off her shirt and begins to slowly unwrap the gauze from around her waist.
"I could have died." Maya retorts like death wasn't close enough to grip her, like the moment was now a joke to be laughed at over a few drinks.
"Exactly!"
"But I didn't." Maya rolls her eyes. "Kurt saved my life and then stitched up my wound." She turns to show Nancy her stitched up wound. It was clean save for the small spots of blood that leaked out as she had been moving around. "He even cleaned my clothes before calling a car to bring me home." Nancy stills at Maya's words.
"You mean…he just let you, what, leave?" Nancy's face contorts into full confusion.
"I'm standing in front of you, aren't I?" Maya cocks an eyebrow and smirks at Nancy in attempt to lighten the mood. She tosses the old bandage into a small trash bin sitting on the floor next to the sink.
"Just please tell me you aren't considering going back. For my sake at the very least."
Trixie09 on Chapter 2 Tue 02 Sep 2025 01:46AM UTC
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The_Bhaal_Gazette on Chapter 2 Tue 02 Sep 2025 11:11AM UTC
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