If you ignore the mysterious weapons Wooly was carrying, what happened in Heywood isn't particularly unusual in Night City.

"A hacker named Chuqiao Xi hired some mercs to investigate the servers in the building where Holt kept his data. Supposedly, there was evidence of his embezzlement stored there."

The matter was simple: someone hired a hacker to steal data, and the hacker in turn hired mercs to handle the physical side of things.

The apartment where the fighting broke out just so happened to be in Valentino's turf, so they called in a few Valentino boys.

When those guys entered the building, Wooly was drawn in, and the fight started.

The battle escalated quickly—gang boys refused to back down and started calling more of their buddies from nearby. Soon, other gang members from the street joined in.

Eventually, Wooly went berserk and pulled out an automatic grenade launcher, blasting the building apart—

It was only thanks to his platinum Trauma Team membership that two full strike squads were dispatched, finally pinning him down.

Otherwise, after the first Trauma Team rescue failed, the next to arrive wouldn't have been another team, but the heavily armed MaxTac unit.

Because the data they dug up wasn't complete, Leo decided to use a 3D map of the battle site to reconstruct the general situation for the Padre.

The point of this reconstruction was to clear up a few suspicious details.

The battle took place in a building behind the Buen Provecho Chicken restaurant. The terrain was complicated due to uneven surrounding architecture.

In theory, all they had to do was slip in quietly and set up a signal interceptor, and the job would be done.

But unfortunately, somehow, they were exposed.

That exposure was suspicious:

The deputy mayor's chief of staff, Javier Alvarado, chose to stash things in a building with only light security—almost as if to avoid attracting attention.

And yet, the Valentinos couldn't even sneak into their own turf without getting caught?

The Padre nodded slightly:

"Valentinos may not be the most united crew, but each one of them knows Heywood inside and out. This job shouldn't have made such a mess.

Did they slip up, or was there something else going on?"

Leo said meaningfully:

"Javier is rich. He helped Holt embezzle from City Hall—he's got money, power. The Valentinos love cozying up to that type of guy."

"But Heywood doesn't deal directly with corps or city hall brass, and they wouldn't betray their own for them." The Padre rubbed his forehead. "Any proof?"

"No, but when Wooly got the tip-off, the boys were already at the server room perimeter. Theoretically, there was no way they'd been spotted.

And the warning about thieves? Wooly got it straight from Javier. So we can assume Wooly himself hadn't actually spotted them."

The Padre no longer doubted:

"Then someone inside the crew betrayed them."

"I got a list from Kaneck. You can check who's still alive."

Using Kaneck's list, the Padre quickly matched the names to the Valentino lieutenants they belonged to.

After hearing Leo's account, he lit a cigarette, sat at the table, and folded his hands against his forehead.

The intel wasn't complete, but Leo had already done his best to restore the picture.

So this squad was exposed purely because of an inside traitor.

According to Leo's theory, the mole didn't even betray them at the start, but waited until the mission was nearly a success, then tipped Javier off.

Which wasn't hard to understand—who knows what kind of data they'd stumbled onto?

Maybe the traitor was swayed just by the numbers on City Hall's embezzlement files. That kind of thing happens all the time in Night City.

After a pause, the Padre sighed and murmured scripture:

"The Son of Man must walk the path that was appointed for him, but woe to the man who betrays him!"

"I've always warned them, Heywood's boys—stick together, protect your family and community.

But there are always some who choose this path, betraying their brothers and friends."

"Maybe he just wanted to be a big shot," Leo said. "This is a perfect chance to climb the ladder.

Prove he can threaten data, offer protection, buy guns, implants, cars, pay salaries—suddenly he's the boss he always dreamed of becoming."

"Maybe so. But it's unforgivable. Heywood's kids are like family—they can argue, fight, even beat each other bloody.

But to betray your own for outsiders? That cannot be tolerated."

The Padre rose from his chair and looked out the window:

"Right now, he's being treated in a clinic. But soon, he'll be dealt with the same way."

The Padre was a middleman, not a Valentino boss.

The Valentinos didn't even have a single leader—just several respected "older brothers" each commanding their own.

But Heywood's civilians were mostly baptized in this church, followed Catholic traditions, and listened to the Padre's gospel.

He didn't interfere directly in gang affairs, but whenever the cohesion of Heywood was threatened, he acted.

He was like a Pope: they could fight among themselves, but they must all acknowledge the values of scripture and act under that framework.

Police, passersby, and even vagrants of Heywood might have once been baptized here. They might wear different skins now, but under the same belief, they'd still give the Padre face.

And now, that traitor would discover that the doctor he trusted, his neighbor, his buddies, would suddenly bare their fangs at him.

Just as he had done to his own squad.

The matter wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either. The key was that no one could be allowed to set such a precedent.

If not for Leo, the Padre might not have noticed early enough, and that traitor could've walked away with the money, rallying a crew on the streets.

Who knows what kind of damage that would've done to Heywood's ecosystem?

When it was done, Leo said:

"Padre, not to overstep, but as long as the Valentinos keep cozying up to the NCPD and corpo dogs, there'll always be another traitor sooner or later."

"I know." The Padre nodded slowly, repeating again, "I know."

The Valentinos had risen to power by crushing the 6th Street Gang, starting from Vista del Rey.

6th Street was simple, uneducated hicks. Valentinos were different.

Under the Padre's guidance, they made money, sent their kids to school—some into pharma, some even earning degrees, getting into the NCPD.

But no matter what, their ethnic and religious identity left a mark deep in their souls.

Through shared roots and faith, Heywood people might have different jobs, but they all saw themselves as Heywood's own.

With the blurred lines between legal and illegal, the gang could expand into legitimate fronts: restaurants, auto shops, clubs, and betting parlors.

Steady businesses brought longer-term wealth than endless bloodshed, and soon the 6th Street Gang was driven out.

But that history also meant Heywood boys were closer to corps and City Hall than before, and betrayals for money were inevitable.

The Valentinos couldn't grow much more. This kid wouldn't be the last traitor—might not even have been the first.

"How about this," Leo continued. "I'll take care of him myself. That way, anyone else thinking of doing the same will think twice."

The Padre looked surprised:

"You're sure? That doesn't really fit your role."

"I'm sure. Just consider it me doing you a favor."

If the legendary street warrior who once crushed 6th Street himself took action, it would carry much more weight.

Even Tiger Claws still honored their pact with Leo.

The Padre nodded slightly:

"Good. I knew I wasn't wrong about you."