Cyberpunk: Fatherhood

by RobinRounds

Car wrecked. Mom in the hospital. Bills are due. Desperation setting in. Our only chance is a number in mom's old holo records. It's listed as "Vinny - Emergencies Only!" I mean, fuck it, he can't make it worse for us. Right?

16. Chapter 16 - Back To School

There were many things about his new lodgings that David loved. The natural light. The well-stocked fridge. And the high quality furniture – but, he was starting to have doubts about the quality of the bed frame. It creaked and groaned with every thrust, seemed to whine anytime someone arched their back. Not to mention the occasional thud or scrape of it on the floor if things got particularly heavy. If it wasn't for the fact that the bed was in the elevated loft, David would have concerns about disturbing the neighbors.

Then again, he really couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. With a final groan that matched the metallic frame of the bed, David let out a content sigh and rolled off of Lucy for a moment, letting her catch her breath before he snuggled into her side.

"Sorry for waking you again." He muttered, feeling one of Lucy's arms wrap around his back as he wrapped his around her torso.

"It's alright puppy," Lucy gently ran her fingers over his scalp, and David grumbled in mock-annoyance even as he leaned into her touch. "I can think of worse ways of being woken up than having you sleepily grinding up against my thigh."

David groaned in embarrassment, mentally cursing his bodily functions. The annoyance he felt at himself only lasted a few seconds as Lucy's caresses turned into full scratching. He let out a content groan and shifted just slightly, half-lidded eyes falling on the small clock radio on the bedside table.

[8:03 A.M.]

The content, sleepy high that sex had brought was blocked out faster than the sun in a sandstorm. Letting out a curse, David pushed away from Lucy with one hand, while tossing the covers off with the other. He hopped out of bed, stumbling as the sheet betrayed him and wrapped around his ankle.

"So much for afterglow..." Lucy's voice was laced with laughter, muffled a moment later as the sheet was tossed over her head.

"Ugh! Thought I set an alarm?" He glared at the clock, as if trying to intimidate it into telling him why it didn't go off.

"Uh, you did..." She adjusted the sheet so it covered all but her head as David stared at her. "I...may or may not have quickhacked it and disabled it?"

"Lucy?!"

"I'm sorry." Her eyes held the full weight of her guilt. "We were in the moment, I could see it about to go off and..."

"I'm gonna be late!" He whined, annoyance at the alarm forgotten as he looked at his clothing rack.

"Thought I was the one who had to worry about that?" Lucy's voice was teasing, and while the words sent a small amount of heat to his face, David found he didn't exactly care.

"There's my jacket...Ugh! Where are my pants?" He sent an upset pout her way, silently asking for assistance.

"I'd help you, but you're still dripping down my thighs." The white-haired beauty shifted on the bed, legs shifting under the blanket. "Seriously puppy, you're like a fire-hose..."

Ignoring her comment, and the fact they'd probably have to wash the sheets again, David turned his attention back to the hangars, the metal and plastic clicking softly against each other as he scrutinized each one. "No. No. No...YES! Need my shirt..."

He heard Lucy laughing behind him and turned around in time to see her push up and off the bed. His eyes flicked down to her thighs, noting the sheen to coat them as he paused in his own dressing. Mesmerized, he watched Lucy pluck his bathrobe off the rack and wrap herself in it.

"Get dressed puppy, I'll make you breakfast." She gently poked his nose, before moving down the stairs. After a brief second, David seemed to reset enough to remember what he was doing.

"Just something quick!" He called over the railing while adjusting his pants. "Just toss a bagel in the toaster for me?"

Lucy gave a hum of agreement that he barely heard as he pulled on the white, collared long-sleeve shirt, and adjusted his tie – a requirement for males and optional accessory for females attending the academy. Though a neighbor had shown him how to make a simple knot years ago, David had never quite gotten the hang of it. His knots usually ended up crooked, or just wouldn't remained tied. In response, his mom had bought him five different pre-tied neckties. The ties were a lifesaver, as all he had to do was throw it around his neck, tuck it under the collar, and tighten it.

"Crap...First day back to school." He looked at the five ties, trying to decide what color. Should he go blue or gray because calm colors? Gold because it would make him stand out? Red or black to match Arasaka colors? "Lucy! What color tie should I wear?"

"Red! It'll match your face." She called up, making him roll his eyes even as he adjusted the red one around his neck. Slipping his jacket on, he nearly jumped down the stairs and hastily moved into the kitchen. Grabbing the bagel Lucy had just heated, he gave her a quick kiss before moving into the elevator.

"Good luck! Do well and I'll have a surprise for you tonight!" He heard Lucy call as he pressed the button for the ground floor, barely registering her laughter as the doors slid shut.

"Can't this thing go faster?" He took a bite of his bagel and checked the time: [8:15 A.M.]

Class didn't start until nine, but David had wanted to get there early just in case things had changed in the few weeks he was gone. All methods of transportation left him maybe five minutes to spare, which for most would be enough time but for him?

"Got one chance to get there with time to spare...Full throttle, 30 second burst, 60 second cool down. That's what Vic said..." He took a deep breath, and activated the Sandevistan. Everything passed by in a blur as David kept a mental count of how long had passed. "28, 29, 30!" The effect wore off, and David moved among the morning foot traffic at his usual pace, taking another bite or two of the bagel as he counted to sixty. At a count of sixty-one, he fired it off again. Repeating the process until the familiar black and gold building that was Arasaka tower was visible on the horizon. By his own count, he had fired off the Sandevistan a good six times.

He slowed to a more reasonable walk and checked the time again: [8:25 A.M.]

"At this pace, should be there in another ten, fifteen minutes tops." David smiled, ignoring the looks from the few people around him. His smile faded however as he got a call on his holo.

["V?"]

["The parental software in that spine of yours keeps going off sayin' you're at full throttle?"] V almost sounded confused, ["care to explain?"]

["I was running late. Didn't think to set an alarm on the holo, just on the clock at my bedside. It's one I brought from the old place, and looks like the old thing finally gave out."] It was as close to the truth as David cared to give the man.

["Uh huh. And you couldn't ask Jackie for a lift why?"]

The idea of 'call Jackie' had crossed his mind. But could Jackie really have gotten him from the apartment to Arasaka Tower in ten minutes?

["I didn't know if he was home?"]

["You could have asked him in the call."] David could almost hear the sound of V's fingers rubbing at his temple. He heard the man mutter something about intelligence versus wisdom but ignored it and made another counter.

["I didn't want to wake him?"] Nevermind that he knew that, against all odds, Jackie was a morning person. ["Besides, doesn't he only have that bike of his? Didn't think you or mom would appreciate him speeding me through Night City to get to school."]

["And using the Sandevistan is supposed to be safer?"]

["I mean, kind of?"] David went off on a small tangent about how using the Sandy put him in control, and thus only he was responsible for anything to go wrong. Being on the bike put him at Jackie's will, and while he would have some say in the matter? V's counter argument was that Jackie was actually ridiculously careful with his bike, but even moreso with people he cared about.

["No way would Jack do anything stupid with you on the back."] V had finished his argument with that fact, and David found he couldn't exactly disagree. The two went back and forth a little bit longer, until he was standing in the shadow of Arasaka Tower.

["Anyhow V, gonna have to let you go. Just got to school and I want to make sure there's nothing extra I need to do before classes start."]

["Sure."] V paused, and he heard the faint intake of breath from his sperm donor. ["I'll let you go. Good luck on the midterm, son."]

["Uh, thanks. Later."] David ended the call, still processing what his father had said. It wasn't the first time the man had said something positive to him, nor was it the first time he had addressed him as son. But somehow, this time seemed different, and David was oddly thankful to have his father's blessings as he took a moment to fix himself before making his way towards the Academy.

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["Hey David, just want to wish you good luck on your test today."]

["Thanks mom. I'll stop by after school and let you know how it goes."]

David smiled as he sent the message, though he dropped the smile as he stepped into the classroom. His time with V and the crew had done wonders for his perception, and he could tell exactly when someone realized he was back. The group of girls who were always discussing celebrity gossip went silent, David's name on their lips a moment later. Two of the meeker students stepped aside, and he caught the words 'apprenticeship' and 'counterintelligence'. One of the friendlier students, Yasuhira or something like that saw him and opted to address him.

"Martinez?" There was a note of confusion in Yasuhira's voice, "thought you got expelled?"

"Nah. Just caught the attention of an executive." David smiled, a huff of a laugh escaping him. "He decided to take me under his wing on the apprenticeship program."

"So its true that that gets you out of class?" Another student, a girl named Sarah, moved over to the pair.

"Classes yes, but not tests." He let out a long suffering sigh, making the other two smile. "Because apparently test scores matter more than overall grades?"

"Consumer logic." Yasuhira shrugged. "People will buy something if it looks good. Never mind what it is."

Sarah scoffed. "And you think Arasaka Academy really needs to sell itself anymore than it already does? They should show off other grades, not just test scores and..."

David excused himself with a nod as the other two students got into a friendly debate over advertising and appearances versus substance. Sure, he had his own thoughts on the matter, but just wanted to get the day over with so he could go back to fucking around with the crew. Falco was supposed to give him a hands on lesson of car repair. And Maine and Jackie were going to help him with hand to hand combat training. And then there was a surprise that Lucy had promised him later...A tiny smile took over his face, but it quickly faded as he heard an unwelcome but not unexpected voice.

"Martinez." Katsuo's voice was smug as ever, but David could hear the small tremor of surprise. "Surprised they let trash like you back in here."

"Midterms." He answered, opening his eyes to meet Katsuo's. The brat looked the same as ever, though the chrome implant marks to cover Katsuo's nose were new. The gold and silver banding ran along his cheekbones and over the bridge of his nose, and just partially up around his eyes. Much as it was fashionable, David knew it was also functional as a mask that hid just how badly he had probably fucked up the Corpo-kid's nose.

"Cut the shit Martinez. You shouldn't be here and everybody knows it." The blue-hair brat gestured to their classmates, though none of them agreed or disagreed with his declaration.

"The academy needs to do a better job educating you." He raised his voice just slightly, feeling the eyes of his classmates upon him. "What? I'm sure you're aware I've been out on the apprenticeship program."

"Bullshit. There's no way a street rat like yourself could get into that program." Katsuo accused. "Hell, you probably couldn't even get an internship with the janitor for Arasaka."

By Katsuo's posture, David could tell he struck a nerve with that revelation. Internships were easy to get if you knew someone. Go to school, shadow an Arasaka employee for a few hours and help them here and there. Translation? Do the grunt filing and paperwork they don't want to. Apprenticeships however? They had you in the field and actually working. They were the dream of many a Corpo-raised kid. But apparently even with power and nepotism on their side, they were bitchingly difficult to get.

"Well I did." He shrugged, arms out to the side. "More than one higher up had an eye on me after our little spat. Seemed impressed at what I could do with this baby." David tapped at the back of his neck, "Suit who took me on even went ahead and got me some additional chrome to compliment it."

By the way Katsuo's eyes briefly glowed, David knew the other boy was scanning him. In a show of power, David proceeded to do the same. From what he recalled, it seemed Katsuo's cyberware hadn't changed much. Strong arms 400, reflex chipware, and some upgraded cyberoptics. Meanwhile, he could see that Katsuo was uncomfortable as he looked at David's cyberware.

His own Gorrila Arms were miles better than Katsuo's, and the Sandevistan more than enough to counter the reflex chips. Not to mention some of the minor upgrades to his software. All of it put him well ahead of Katsuo, and he could tell the other boy knew it.

"What the fuck?" Katsuo muttered, pulling back just slightly. "Where are you getting all this shit?"

"Should have upgraded your audio instead of your optics." David shook his head, "told you. The Suit who took me as an apprentice hooked me up."

The Corpo-brat's mouth opened to reply, but the arrival of an actual flesh and chrome teacher in addition to the Engram that usually taught them stopped him. He knew from past exams that they would be monitored both physically and virtually.

"Alright students," It was the physical teacher who addressed them, and David saw everyone look to face the newcomer. "I am Mister Bernal, and I will be your physical prompter for this test."

"This isn't over." Katsuo mouthed as he took his seat, attention focused on the front of the room. David did the same, listening as the teacher explained how the next few days would run. The first round of testing would be given after morning announcements and continue up until lunch time. Students would be given BD wreaths provided by the Academy designed to prevent cheating that would be handed out at the start of class, then collected before lunch. Instead of the usual half-hour, students would have a full hour to eat and relax before the second round of testing where the wreaths would be returned to them. With this method, the odds of a student getting the same wreath twice were low, and further reduced the opportunities one would have to alter them to get an advantage.

"Now if you will form a single file line, I'll collect your personal wreath and give you an academy one. You may turn it on and put it on to adjust the settings, but do not try to log into anything or access anything else. All actions are being logged, and you will be automatically failed for the exam if you don't follow these instructions."

"Well, isn't that lucky for you Martinez." Katsuo grinned as he stood up, "you don't have to worry about that fossiltech of yours preventing you from taking the midterm." The Corpo-brat held out his own wreath, showing off the quality.

"First, the company that made it was called RetroTech. Second." David pulled out his own wreath, it was the latest model from Aoi Tora, just released to the public in the last week. Both of Katsuo's lackeys stared at it wide-eyed, while Katsuo just huffed and turned away, not bothering to comment. "Yeah, thought so."

He joined the line, handing his wreath to the teacher and accepting the loaner. It was the model that had come out prior to his, but was still better than the one Katsuo was sporting. David couldn't help the twitch of a smile that graced his face as he saw Katsuo realize that fact. Returning to his seat, he pulled the wreath on and adjusted it to fit his head comfortably.

"Everybody set up?" The teacher asked after a couple minutes, checking something on a control tablet before him. "Alright, you're going to be logged into the Blue room for testing. The first subject is 'History', good luck." David saw the teacher type something on his tablet, before a flash enveloped him and test appeared before him. "You may begin."

Letting out a grunt, David turned his attention to the questions. The first few were basic questions; What year was the Eurodollar adopted? Nineteen ninety-two. What year did The Collapse begin? Nineteen ninty-six. What was the primary cause of the Fourth Corporate War? CINO and OTEC competing to acquire the recently bankrupt IHAG. The questions seemed to be a mix between regular history, and what David decided to classify as 'business history' given how many seemed to be about company mergers and the end results of said mergers on the country.

Even so, David couldn't help but be surprised at how quick the answers were coming to him. And more than once he went back and checked his answer, or reread the question to make sure he had it right. Finally, he reached the last question on the test. He barely needed ten seconds to get the answer of 'Arasaka Sasai ', and was surprised when after putting in his answer, a pop-up window asked if he was finished. Ignoring it, David opted to look over his answers one final time before hitting 'submit'.

"Thank you, Martinez David." The Engram teacher appeared before him, "there is still twenty minutes remaining in this test period. While you are not allowed to log out on your own, there are several other Braindances available for you to use as you wait for the next test."

David looked at the small list to pop up, most of them simple virtual reality escapes into natural landscapes. Somehow, the option of 'babbling brook' triggered something in David's bladder, and he let out a noise of discomfort. "Would it be possible for me to use the bathroom?"

"Yes. I will lock you out of this session for a few minutes. Once you are logged out, hand your wreath into Mister Bernal and go. This unit shall be given back to you upon your return, and you will be logged back into this session."

"Thank you." He gave a tiny bow to the Engram teacher, before another flash blinded him. Finding himself back in his regular classroom, he removed the wreath and started to walk to the front of the class. As he moved, he looked at his fellow classmates, noticing that all of them were still focused on their own tests.

"Wait. Am I really the first one done?" He blinked as he came even with Mr. Bernal, who was checking something on the control tablet.

"Yes. Most impressive Mister Martinez." The older man held out a hand, and David handed over the wreath, receiving a bathroom pass in return. "Here's your pass, try to hurry back alright? I suspect some of your other classmates might have to go too."

"Of course, thank you sir." David looked at the pass and gave a nod to Mr. Bernal before exiting the classroom.

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When lunch time rolled around, David found himself skipping the lines of the cafeteria in favor of just grabbing a bottle of water and bag of chips from the vending machines. Finding a secluded corner in the cafeteria, not that anyone usually sat with him anyways, David took a seat and looked out at his classmates. Not much had changed, though Katsuo seemed to have gained even more of a following than he had before.

Maybe it was just paranoia, but David looked away before Katsuo or any of his lackeys had a chance to catch him staring. While the rest of the morning's tests had passed smoothly, David wasn't oblivious to the looks the Corpo-brat kept sending his way. Once or twice, Katsuo had even thrown some snide comment or another at him. Normally, he would have just let them roll of his back, but now it seemed like there was more in play. More than once, Katsuo had mentioned his father, and the power the man held. And while he doubted Mr. Tanaka had the same level of power as V... The man probably was just as much a snake oil salesman as his old man.

David took a long drink of his water, deciding that he needed some advice. Opening up his comms, he sent a quick message to the man most likely able to help him.

["Hey V? You got a minute?"]

Instead of the expected text response, the internal chime of an incoming call made him jump as he answered.

["Everything alright David?"] V's voice was his usual level of calm corporate professionalism. ["Testing going okay?']

["Testing is going fine. Questions haven't been too bad."] David paused, ["thanks for buying those tutors for me."]

["No problem."] V's tone had a small smile in it. ["But I doubt you called just to thank me for that?"]

["Having trouble with a classmate."] He stalled for time by eating a handful of chips, and V didn't seem to mind. ["Remember the kid I beat up? Katsuo?"]

["The Tanaka brat?"] V let out a single grunt, ["seriously?"]

David hummed in confirmation. ["Seemed surprised that I was back in school. Even more when I told him I was out on apprenticeship and not suspension."]

["How'd he take that?"]

["Didn't believe me."] David took a drink, ["Don't think he could believe how many upgrades I've gotten to my tech, my chrome, and stuff either."]

["Not surprising. Said he knew your background?"]

["Yeah. Called me out more than once for it."] He shook his head, sighing. ["Doesn't bother me as much now, but he dragged mom through the mud once or twice too."]

["I see."] V's answer came almost too quick, and David had a feeling he hit a button he shouldn't have. ["Did he ask any questions about where you got your tech or the apprenticeship?"]

["No, but I did tell him in a roundabout way that my mentor got the stuff for me. Then again, teacher arrived shortly after he lost the dick-waving contest from comparing cyberware. So there wasn't a lot of time to ask."] A laugh almost rolled from David's mouth. ["He also couldn't believe the school was lending out wreaths better than his own either."]

["And has he bothered you since then?"]

["Just the occasional side eye, or snide comment if he passes near me. Nothing out of the ordinary but."] David ate another handful of chips. ["I don't know. Something seems...off about the whole situation."]

A long intake of breath came from V's end, the man thinking. ["Sounds to me like he's envious of your situation. Seeing someone he deemed lesser than himself being more successful."]

["So what should I do?"] David finally asked the question he had message V about.

["Speaking from experience, some Corpo-types just aren't fond of finding out that they're not as..."] V hummed, ["high up on the ladder as they think they are. And just look for someone or something to vent their frustrations on. I dealt with those types by just keeping my head down and focusing on my own things."]

David's shoulders slouched as he deadpanned. ["You're not very good at this 'fatherly advice' thing, are you?"]

["Not really, no."] V admitted, just a hint of a hint of shame in his tone. ["But it worked for me so..."]

David almost wanted to laugh again at how poor of advice that was. Ignoring Katsuo hadn't done anything the few times he went that route. ["Well, it hasn't worked for me."]

["Alright."] He heard V scratching his head. ["Want another idea on how to deal with this?"]

["Sure. Can't be any worse than your first one."] David added a chuckle to his words, showing he was joking.

["Kick his ass, and let me know if you do so I can clean everything up."]

"Okay, maybe it could be." He kept that thought to himself. ["Maybe if I can't find any other option. Anyhow V, gonna have to let you go. One of those brown-nosing teacher's pets is looking at me and I don't want to deal with a lecture from them."]

While he could see one of the students in question, they were too busy schmoozing up to one of the teachers to even notice him.

["Don't blame you. They're almost as bad as being dressed down by that one employee whose just slightly higher than you on the corporate ladder."] There was a small amount of laughter in V's voice. ["Anyhow, think of what you want for dinner. Your mom's insisting we celebrate the first day of testing with her. Message me after school, alright?"]

["Sure, thanks V. Later."] David disconnected the call shortly after V wished him good luck again. No longer able to fully ignore Katsuo, David really wanted to take V's advice to 'kick his ass'. However, he was already being scrutinized by the Academy, and no doubt a few people from Arasaka were watching as well. Checking the time, he finished off the bag of chips and sent out another call.

["Puppy? Know you're stressed from your tests, but I don't think phone sex is gonna calm you down."]

["Eh! Wha-huh. No. No!"] David mentally stammered, ["That's not...I didn't call for that!"]

["Yeah, think you got enough this morning anyhow."] Lucy's gentle laugh did little to calm the fire that took over David's cheeks. ["So what did you call for puppy?"]

["Advice. Tried calling V but-"]

["He's not the best advice giver, is he?"] Lucy cut him off, voice knowing.

["For some things, yes. For anything that requires a parental touch? No."]

["And you think I'll be better, why?"]

["Because you're smart?"] Lucy laughed again, and David found himself feeling a little more relaxed as he recounted the morning's events to her.

["Yeah, so you can see why I can't keep ignoring him or kick his ass."]

["I really, really, hate to say it, but I kind of agree with V."] Lucy made a small noise of disgust as the words left her mouth. ["Don't exactly ignore him, but look out for number one."]

["But you're at the apartment."]

["Oh my god..."] She gasped, voice rising in fond exasperation. ["I meant yourself you gonk. Try to avoid confrontation, but if they try to start something? Just use the Sandy and delta. At this point, there's no use risking anything in what's essentially a schoolyard scrap."]

["Somehow, that's better advice than what V told me."] David gave an appreciative nod, though he knew she couldn't see it. ["Appreciate it Lucy."]

["You're welcome."]

["Anyhow, hate to cut this conversation short but lunch is almost over. Oh, before I forget. I'm meeting with mom for dinner, so I'll be home a bit later than intended. Do you need me to get anything?"]

["No, the place is pretty well stocked. Sure I can find something to make."] The hum that came over the holo told him Lucy was up to something. ["Say hi to Gloria for me, would you puppy?"]

["Of course."] David checked the time, there was just under ten minutes left. ["See you tonight Lucy. Miss you."]

["Miss you too Puppy. See you tonight."] The sound of a blown kiss punctuated Lucy's words as she ended the call. Smiling to himself, David no longer felt content sitting and decided to take the last few minutes of free time to walk around and try to get his thoughts in order before the next round of testing would start.

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After lunch, the students had been ushered back into the classroom and once again issued BD wreaths. David had expected some more comments or ribbing from Katsuo when the teacher announced the next test subjects: Math and Economics. Instead, the blue-haired brat had remained silent, the only acknowledgment David got from him this time was the occasional side eye. Any other day, and David would have been content with that. But given the morning, Katsuo's actions were actually irking him this time around. Any second now, David felt certain Katsuo would do something, anything, to disrupt him before the next round of testing.

That interruption never came, and with another flash, David found himself in a virtual classroom with the tests before him. This time, students had to the option to choose if they wanted to take the math or economics test first. While he knew both subjects better than he did history (without the tutors help) – he still decided to get the math test out of the way first.

"Ugh, what bastard decided to add letters to numbers?" He mentally whined, even as he penned down formulas and answers. The answers coming to him as easily as breathing. The economics test went just as smoothly, though he was surprised at how many of the business ethics questions had gray answers as opposed to the expected black and white answers. Then again, if he really thought about it, most of what he'd seen in recent days had been in the gray area so...

The brown-haired boy shrugged off the feeling, and turned his mind back to the test at hand. This time, David wasn't the first to finish his exams – that honor went to Yasuhira, but he was still done well ahead of Katsuo. Deciding to enjoy his remaining time, David logged into the 'Beach' braindance and enjoyed the gentle roaring of the waves crashing into the shore until the Teacher Engram announced the end of the testing period and instructed him and the others to log out.

"Hand in your wreaths, and I will see you all again tomorrow." Mr. Bernal called as one by one everyone turned in their wreaths. David noticed Katsuo had been one of the first up and out of the classroom. His two lackeys following behind like the dogs they were.

"Wonder what that's about?" David's eyes looked away from the door.

"Maybe he just had to take a shit?" Yasuhira answered, making David realize his thought hadn't stayed private as the boy moved up to him. This brought a laugh from several of their fellow classmates, as they joined Yasuhira in walking towards the gates. David followed behind the group, taking a moment to respond to a message that had come in from Maine just before the second round of testing had started.

["Dorio said you had testing today. Sorry this is so late, but good luck."]

["It's cool. Got another round of testing tomorrow."] David grunted at the thought, not wanting to admit that there was a third day of testing planned as well. He loosened his tie, and unbuttoned his jacket. The Academy was just slightly less strict about dress code after school, so David knew he could get away with it.

["Oof. Well, good luck for those days as well. Hey, I was gonna hit up Turbo's tomorrow night. If you've got nothing planned, I'll round up the crew and we can celebrate."]

Before David could respond, he noticed a small crowd had gathered near the gates. All of them looking at something just out of his line of sight, though he could hear the various whispers and murmurs being thrown about.

"Whose that?"

"Definitely a higher-up..."

"School board maybe?"

"Not with a Caliburn..."

That last one made David perk up and he pushed his way through the crowd, mouth falling open as he noticed V leaning against the Caliburn. The car had been waxed and polished to perfection, but it was the suit himself that drew the eyes.

There was no doubt in David's mind that V wanted everyone to know he was Arasaka. A black jacket with a red pocket square covered an immaculate white collar shirt. His golden tie shined in the light, and the single red pinstripe up the side of his black dress slacks showed off just how crisp and pressed his clothing was. Even his shoes had been polished and shined to the point one could almost see their reflection in them. The final touch? The golden lapel pin that was only given out to Arasaka Executives.

"You think he's lookin' for a side-piece?"

"Jeeze Himeko, just walk up to him and ask if you can suck him off already."

A disgusted shudder ran through David as he heard those last two, but he recovered quick enough as V noticed him.

"Mister Martinez. There you are." Nearly all chatter died as V spoke, only one or two wondering why a suit was addressing David of all students. "How'd testing go?"

"Oh, hey." He awkwardly replied after a moment, eyes focused on the man and the car behind him. Had results for the day already gone out? "And testing went good. Really good."

"Glad to hear it." V gave a nod, a smile on his face. "Anyhow, I was finishing up some work at the office and figured I'd pick you up here before heading to your assignment today."

"Assignment?" David asked, slightly confused before he caught on to what V implying. "Oh yeah. It's the Trauma account today, right?"

"Right." The suit gave a nod, and David could see a faint hint of...maybe not pride but maybe something similar in V's eyes. Behind him, the crowd started to mutter about what that could mean. "If you've nothing else to take care of, I'd like to get a jump on this assignment."

"Was thinking of swinging by my apartment for a change of clothes." He looked down at his uniform, one hand moving to fix the buttons on his jacket. "Unless you feel this outfit is acceptable?"

"Yeah, it'll work for this meeting." V gave a nod as David adjusted his tie. "But if you did want to change? Well, catch."

That was the only warning David got before V tossed something to him. Fortunately, whatever deity might watch over Night City saw fit for him to catch the control key V tossed his way. It was the key for the Caliburn, and David couldn't keep himself from smiling as he studied the key in the light.

"No way..."

"Did that executive just give..?"

"Lucky bastard."

The whispered muttering changed again, and while some still debated the identity of the suit. Most were focused on 'Martinez's new car'. David ignored all of them and looked at V with a disbelieving expression.

["Gonna let you drive. Hop in and let's go."] The message was simple, and while David had a feeling V was doing this for reasons. It did little to mute the slightly smug yet appreciative smile on his face.

Rather than respond to V's request over the holo, David grinned and gave a single nod and moved towards the driver's side. "Thanks V."

"No problem kid." The not-so-quiet whispers became open muffled discussions at the switch to a more informal exchange between the pair. David didn't let it bother him as V hopped in the passenger's side while he got comfortable in the driver's eat. He took a moment to let the systems adjust everything, still grinning as he started up the car. The engine hummed, and he heard more than one appreciative cheer come from the gathered crowd.

"Treat her right Martinez!"

"Don't scratch the paint!"

"Listen to that gentle buzz." He could see one of the motorhead's pointing at the hood.

"Sounds like you got some fans out there." V commented as David started to play with the radio.

"Doubt it." David replied, glancing at V out of the corner of his eye as he settled on a station.

"I was talking to the Caliburn." The suit replied, one hand gently patting the dashboard.

"W-was that a dad joke?"

"I mean, it was a joke...and I am your father."

"You know, I was worried about your sense of humor. Then I remembered your life."

"Well, you're part of it now. So what does that make you?"

"The best joke you ever made."

David felt V's hand on his shoulder, the look from earlier was back and now just a step closer to one of pride. "Shut up and drive."

"Yes sir." That was all the encouragement David needed and, being mindful of the foot traffic of his fellows, started to slowly pull away from the Academy. He was just about to pull out into the street when he took one last look at Arasaka Tower for the day. Katsuo was just outside the gate. The blue-haired brat was absolutely seething, one hand clenched into a fist while the others was gripping the strap of the messenger bag slung over his shoulder in a death grip. Knowing that the CrystalDome of the Caliburn meant that he and V were concealed from prying eyes, David flipped him the bird. An approving snort came from V, and David put his hand down as the street became clear just long enough for him to pull out and away from the school.

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Instead of instructing David to go directly to the hospital, V told him to take the scenic route to get in some driving practice. The old man offering some comment here and there to help his budding driving skills. Eventually, V instructed him to head for the Trauma Center, and he complied. Upon arriving at his mom's hospital suite, David didn't see anyone at first, but he could smell something akin to one of his mom's chicken recipes coming from the kitchen.

"Mom?" He questioned, looking around the suite, seeing V doing the same.

"Bathroom." Nadia's voice came from the kitchen, the woman rising up from the floor, a soiled towel in hand. "Take a seat, dinner's almost ready."

"Nova, thanks Nadia." David moved over to the table and took a seat, "smells good."

"Thanks." The woman stirred something in one of the pots. "Your mom wanted to make her celebratory creamy chicken for you, but-"

"But somebody won't let me cook." Gloria's voice came from behind him, and he turned, seeing her rolling over to the table in a wheelchair. "So I had to verbally tell her how to prepare it. Apologies mijo if it doesn't quite taste the same."

"It's your recipe mom, of course it will be good." David gave her a hug as she came even with the table.

"Gloria, you know you need to take it easy." V advised her, giving her a kiss on her forehead as he joined them at the table. "Thanks for doing this Nadia."

"It's what I'm paid for." The brunette replied, removing something from the oven. "And everything's ready by the way."

"Let me help y-"

"Gloria, no. Relax and spend time with your family." The plastic smile on Nadia's face seemed at odds with the stern look she was giving his mother. "I'll take care of this." She grabbed a few plates from the cabinet and started putting plates together. David laughed as his mother rolled her eyes, her attention falling on him.

"So how was school? Testing go okay?"

"Yeah. Had three different subjects today. Oh, thanks Nadia." He gave a tiny nod as the woman set a plate before him. Though the smell was that of his mom's creamy chicken recipe, the presentation was on another level. A couple pan-seared chicken tenderloins rested on top a bed of rice, all covered in a cream sauce. A small green salad in a bowl beside the plate, and there was an extra plate with some dinner rolls in the center of the table. His missing appetite decided it was time to return, and he forgot the conversation in favor of taking a bite of his food. "Sorry, was too nervous to eat much at lunch today."

"Understandable." David felt his mom's eyes upon him as she studied him, trying a bite of the food herself. "Well, I hope this helps you recover and feel better about tomorrow's testing. Even though its not quite the same as mine." He laughed at the sheer amount of shade and sass his mom was throwing at Nadia.

"It does, even though you're right and it's not quite the same." David answered, agreeing. It pained him slightly that while the taste was that of his mother's, the flavor was on another level. Not that he would ever admit that, but clearly that culinary chip had a point that quality ingredients made a difference. "Where's the love?"

"I'll have to try your version when you're well to compare." V offered, making Gloria smile even more. "That aside, what were you saying about your tests David?"

"Oh yeah. The history, math, and economics tests were today." David took a drink of his water. "And I know I've said it a few times already, but thanks again for those training shards. They really helped."

"You're welco-"

"Training shards?" Gloria cut V off, "I thought David told me you hired him some tutors?"

"Do virtual tutors count?" V had a shameless grin on his face as Gloria pouted. "What? Told you I invested in some learning aids for him. I just never said what those aids were."

"You let David take a 'shortcut'." Gloria put down her fork in favor of glaring at her estranged lover. "I'm not complaining-"

"That means you are." V sassed, a chuckle escaping him as he got hit with a stray grape tomato Gloria flicked at him from her salad.

"Again, not complaining. But if he could have just gotten all that knowledge from, what did you call them? Training shards?" David nodded, and Gloria sighed. "Then why did I bust my ass working to get him into Arasaka Academy to get the same knowledge?"

As much as David could hear the lighthearted tone in his mother's voice, he could also hear what might have been some form of regret or maybe resentment towards the man. He looked at V, seeing what might have been a flash of guilt move across the man's eyes.

"Because you wanted your son to have a good life. And that was one of the only ways you could accomplish that." V reached over and gently held Gloria's hand in his own, thumb caressing the back of it. "I...just made sure all that hard word didn't go to waste. And ensured that it stuck." He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it, causing her to let out an affectionate sigh.

"I suppose." His mom relented, wiggling her hand free of V's in favor of poking him in the chest. "Still doesn't change the fact that you are basically encouraging our son to take the easy way with some things in life. Now before you say it, would I have liked an easier path? Yes but-"

David shoved a dinner roll into his mouth, trying not to laugh as he watched his mother continue to lecture V. He glanced over to Nadia, who was leaning on the kitchen counter while eating her own meal. She offered him a sympathetic shrug while hiding a grin of her own at the live-action sitcom happening before her eyes.

"Okay, you have a point." David looked back at his parents, seeing V rubbing the back of his neck. "But look on the bright side. We wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for that." Once more, V had taken Gloria's hands in his own. "And while I wish we reunited under better circumstances. Doesn't change the fact that because of all that. That we get to sit here, eating dinner, laughing, and enjoying each others company."

V leaned in and gave Gloria a kiss, making her giggle.

"Do you mind, I'm trying to eat?" David grimaced, taking a large and aggressive bite of chicken to show his annoyance. His mom and V both laughed, with Gloria telling him to take sensible bites. Just then, he was struck with a feeling of false deja vu. Much as Gloria did her best to provide for them. And as much as he loved her and enjoyed sharing meals with his mother. More than once, David had found himself wondering what dinner would be like if his father was there.

These imagined scenarios usually had him telling about his day in school, with his mom smiling as she served them. His father would be complaining about something or another at work, though occasionally telling a story of something stupid a coworker did. Gloria wouldn't talk much about her job, but she'd laugh at the stories her boys would tell. Or ask questions just to hold them at the table a little longer even after the food was gone. Once or twice, his parents would steal little kisses when they thought he wasn't looking.

Now that was all playing out before him, and David felt as if he was floating, observing the situation from a third-person point of view. It was almost surreal, to see thoughts of fantasy turned reality...Something he never thought could, or would ever actually happen. And even though it had come about because of his undeniable own stupidity. David had to admit he was thankful everything had turned out as it had. The realization made him genuinely smile, something that both of his parents were quick to notice.

"And what are you smiling about D?" He felt Gloria's hand on his arm, her eyes looking at him with gentle mom amusement.

"Uh...Just enjoying the food and the chance to relax and unwind before tomorrow's testing." David answered taking another bite of food. "What? Not often I get to have a family meal like this." His mom laughed lightly as he gestured to the table, the food, and to both his parents. "Go ahead and laugh mom, but...it's nice."

"I agree." V answered, giving David an approving nod as he slipped an arm around Gloria's shoulder, giving her a gentle peck on her forehead. "It's nice that the three of us can be together."

"Ugh, I'm never prepared for when you get all sappy and sentimental..." Gloria whined, though she nuzzled into V's neck as he kissed her again. Much as he enjoyed seeing his happy family, teenage emotions still managed to take over and he rolled his eyes at the tooth-rotting familial fluff.

"Nadia, can I come stand in the kitchen and finish dinner with you?" He gave her the puppy eyes.

"No David." Nadia shook her head, and David pouted. "Family dinners have shown to do wonders for patient morale."

"Suffer." David and Gloria said at the same time, the two of them cracking up laughing shortly after. Annoyed as he was at now being the butt of a joke, David joined them in laughing as they continued to enjoy dinner.

About an hour after they had finished eating, Gloria had started nodding off as they watched a movie. Deciding to leave her to rest, both father and son had wished her good night and took their leave. To his slight disappointment, V had been the one to drive him back to the apartment. The man taking the control key with him as he drove off.

"There's still two more days of testing..." He reminded himself as he rode the elevator up to his apartment. The door opened with a soft ping, and David was surprised to see most of the lights were off, illumination only provided by the soft night lights. He looked over at the living room, seeing some movie playing on the screen.

"Lucy?" David called as he moved closer to the couch, not wanting to startle her.

"Welcome home puppy." He heard her voice come from the couch, seeing her sit up. Her hair was slightly mussed up on one side, and she had a faint flush on her face as she tried to fix it. "How'd the day go after you got off the phone with me?"

"Pretty good all things considered." David sat down next to her, giving her a quick kiss. "Katsuo left me alone, but I think I'm gonna hear it from him tomorrow."

"Aw, why's that?" She snuggled into his side, arms wrapping around his chest.

"V picked me up in the Caliburn and let me drive over to visit mom." He slid an arm around her shoulders, "caught Katsuo giving me a death glare as we left."

"Eh, don't let him get to you puppy." Lucy nuzzled her head against him. "Besides, he probably went home and whined to his daddy that 'the poor kid' had better stuff than him and that he needs this and that. And then tomorrow he'll show up with the same shit you have, but equal or better just to try and stay on top."

At that, David let out a snort and pulled her closer. "You've been watching those eighties high school teen movies, haven't you?"

"Maybe." She admitted, frowning as he openly laughed. "Shut up! Sure they're campy, predictable, feel good movies but I like them."

"I know they are, but come on. We've a library of a few hundred movies and shows and that's what you pick-oof!" A throw pillow connected with David's face, and he retaliated by tightening his arm around Lucy, hand tickling her side. She squealed and tried to pull away, allowing him a chance to get his other arm around her as they devolved into a minor tickle fight. After nearly falling off the couch, the two agreed to a truce and decided to relax and calm down by watching a movie. About a third of the way through the movie, the pair had lost interest in what was happening on screen and instead ended up focusing on each other.

The sound of a party popper on the TV startled them, and Lucy let out a gasp as she realized something. "Oh, I almost forgot about your surprise."

"You mean it wasn't coming home to a movie night make-out session with my girlfriend?" David tried to look upset, and failed.

"No, that was an afterthought." He grinned, even as she bopped him once again with the throw pillow. "I just hope you'll like the actual surprise I got you."

Lucy's voice was low and playful, an almost shy smile on her face as she instructed him to close his eyes. David complied, though like a child he couldn't help but open one eye partially as he felt her get up from the couch. His eye followed her over to the console the TV rested on, and she caught his eye on her.

"Hey! No peeking!" Lucy sent a playful pout his way, and David got to see her move towards the stairs. "I said no peeking, naughty boy."

Snapping his fingers, he smiled and fully shut his eyes even as he heard her soft steps on the stairs. His mind ran wild with possibilities of what it meant. Cliche as it was, was she going to slip into something more comfortable? Had she bought new lingerie just for him? David shifted on the couch, pants starting to feel just a little tighter than they were before. Maybe she was going to call him upstairs, and he'd see a trail of her discarded clothing leading to the bed where she'd be sprawled out. Glistening with oil and inviting him to-

"Okay." David was pulled out of his anticipation by the feeling of her weight settling back on the couch. Something smooth was pressed into his hands, and he briefly felt her fingers against his own. "You can open your eyes now."

Of all the things he expected to see when he opened his eyes, a paper bag with some newspaper poking out the top to hide whatever was inside was not on that list.

"You got me some recycling?" He joked, using it to hide his slight disappointment as he noticed Lucy was still wearing all her clothes.

"Just open it." She scooted closer, letting her chest rest up against his arm. "Hope you like it." She added again as he tossed some of the paper aside and pulled out the object within.

"You got me a clock?" It was a vintage model alarm clock, the kind with the bells and hammer on top. The black and brass body created a sharp contrast to the white face of the clock. While the glass to cover the face was smooth and clear, David could see a few tiny scratches here and there. No doubt caused when a careless hand knocked it over trying to shut it off. He looked at the back, seeing the dials to set the time for the clock and for the alarm.

"Not just any clock. This one's antique and analog..." Lucy fidgeted slightly, seeming nervous. "So I can't break it, or hack it...and make you late to school...again."

David looked back at the clock, then over to Lucy. Taking a moment to fiddle with the alarm dial, both him and Lucy let out a surprised squeak as the hammer rapidly moved back and forth, striking the bells with a sound guaranteed to wake up even the deepest sleeper. Hitting the switch on the back to shut it off, David let out an appreciative laugh and held the clock in one hand while pulling Lucy closer with the other.

"Well, do you like it?" There was an odd hesitance in her voice, and he could see the faintest hint of worry in her eyes. While he would have preferred it to have been one of his fantasies, Lucy had clearly put a lot of thought into this gift. For that, David was rather grateful and gave her a kiss on her forehead even as he set the clock on the table. Pulling her in for a full hug, he kissed her again, much more romantically this time.

"I love it." Another kiss punctuated his words. "I just hope you won't mind being woken up by it."

"I'll consider it penance for all the nights I've kept you awake." Lucy returned the kiss, returning his embrace.

"Worth it."

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David's second morning of his return to school had been a cacophony of screaming bells, cursing, and laughter all punctuated by the sound of a human body falling out of bed in surprise. Shutting off the alarm, he grumbled as he set it back down the table, sending a reassuring smile at Lucy who seemed concerned despite her laughing.

"Look on the bright side, least you won't be late this morning." Lucy offered, slipping out of bed in favor of stealing his bathrobe again.

"Yeah." He rubbed at his head, trying to massage away the pain as she moved to his side. "I guess."

"And you can actually enjoy breakfast this morning." She kissed where he had bumped his head, "eggs and toast fine with you?"

"Sure. Thanks." David watched as she walked away, before starting to get dressed for school. By the time he had finished, Lucy had two plates of scrambled syn-eggs and toast at the table, along with two glasses of some type of fruit juice. Taking the seat next to her, David tried a bite. The eggs were slightly overcooked, but if that was the worst thing he'd have to deal with after the way the morning started, he'd take it. The two ate in silence, enjoying the early morning calm after the excitement of waking up. David was just about finished with his meal when he got a call on his holo.

["Hey sobrino, didn't wake you, did I?"]

["No. I was already up. Did you need something tio?"]

He could hear Jackie's face crack into a smile. ["Actually called to see if you needed a ride to school. Heard from your old man how you used the Sandevistan to make it to class on time yesterday."]

["Yeah. Probably not my smartest move but."]

["You were nervous and, I don't want to say you panicked but. There were much better options."] David heard Jackie chuckle. ["Anyhow, if you want a lift today, I'm just over at the Cojo and can be there in five."]

["Thanks, but I'm just gonna take the NCART."] Sure, it would have been cool to roll up to the Academy on Jackie's arch, or relaxing to ride in whatever car Jackie might borrow from V or someone else. But after yesterday, David thought it best to lay low. ["No traffic, you know?"]

["I suppose. Well, if you do need a lift at some point, don't be afraid to call me, alright?"]

["I won't. Thanks again for the offer though."]

["You're welcome. Good luck today."] He could hear Jackie talking to someone, ["Misty says good luck too. Oh, and call your abuela later, would you?"]

["Will do, thank Misty for me would you? Later."] David ended the call, catching Lucy's questioning gaze. "Jackie." He finished off the last bite of his toast, getting up to put his plate in the sink. "Thanks for breakfast Luce."

"Anytime puppy." She smiled, watching as he put on his shoes. "Oh, I'm going out with Dorio before dinner tonight, so don't be surprised if I'm not here when you get home from school. But I'll see you at dinner with the crew tonight, alright?"

"Works for me." David adjusted his socks. "Turbo's right?"

"More than likely. See you tonight puppy." Lucy blew him a kiss, and David found himself smiling as he hopped in the elevator. The smile remained on his face until he hopped onto the train. Yeah, it was one of the fastest modes of transportation in Night City, but it just didn't have the same appeal as watching everything zip by from behind the wheel of the Caliburn. A sigh escaped him as he leaned against one of the poles, waiting for his stop.

He had arrived at school, running into several other students who also used the same mode of transportation. He half expected someone to ask where his car was, but no one did and David was almost thankful for that. Trying to take V's advice, he wanted nothing more than to keep his head down and make it through the day. Unfortunately, fate didn't feel like entertaining him today and Katsuo was already in the classroom. Along with most of his other classmates. One or two gave him a nod or verbal greeting, but most were content to ignore him as they always had. Acknowledging those who addressed him as he passed, David moved to his seat.

No sooner had he sat down did he catch the scowl the blue-haired brat was giving him. A moment later and he received a message on his holo.

["How the fuck does a gutter-rat like you know anyone close to a Caliburn?"]

David wasn't going to respond at all, but curiosity got the better of him and he sent back the simplest reply he could think of.

["Huh?"]

["Seriously?"] He heard Katsuo snort beside him, and he knew he had struck a cord. ["Who the hell would let you drive it? Let alone even let you near it?"]

["Huh."]

["Seriously Martinez?"] David made the mistake of looking at Katsuo this time. The fuming expression the brat had been wearing yesterday showing in full. ["You're going to give me some answers, or I am going to kick your ass."]

["Kay."] David's mouth twitched as he heard Katsuo growl, one of the boy's fists striking the chair even as the teacher entered the room and the Engram Teacher turned on.

["This isn't over Martinez. I will find out what I want to know."]

David caught Katsuo's eyes on him and made a show of rubbing his chin, looking just a little concerned. His head tilted to the side, one hand moving to scratch at the back of his head. By the way Katsuo's knuckles were turning white, David could see he was growing annoyed at his lack of response.

["You hear me Martinez?"]

At that, David gave a nod, hand moving to the side of his head. By the faint pull at the side of Katsuo's eye, David could tell the brat thought he had won and was about to get an answer. Instead, David tapped the side of his head, and blocked Katsuo's contact information. Beside him, he heard Katsuo let out an annoyed grunt, a single thump of his leg on the seat as he realized what happened.

"Tanaka, Katsuo. Are you alright?" The Teaching Engram asked, and David noticed several of their classmates staring at him.

"Ugh, sorry." Katsuo bowed his head. "Pinched a nerve or something."

"Do you need a medical pass to see the nurse?"

"No. I'll be fine."

"Very well." The Engram replied, vanishing for a moment as Mr. Bernal once again called for the class to come up and get a wreath for that morning's testing. Once more, David found himself in a virtual classroom with a test before him. The subject this time? Science.

As before, David found the answers coming to him easily. He smiled, feeling much less hesitant in his answers this time compared to the last. Taking a moment to stretch his hand, he actually looked around the room testing was taking place in this time. It was a more traditional classroom, all of his classmates seated at desks with their sheets before him. David dared to look beside him, seeing the concentrating frown on Katsuo's face as the boy seemed to be struggling with a question.

The thought amused him as he focused back on his own test, finishing up a question before moving to the next page. During this round of testing, David kept getting the occasional feeling of being watched. His suspicions were confirmed when he happened to catch that Katsuo's eyes had flicked over to him right as he was starting on the last page. There was no doubt in David's mind now that Katsuo's frustrations at him were more than likely screwing with his test scores.

"Maybe I won't need to do anything. Katsuo's probably gonna fuck himself with this." David smiled, taking a moment to review his test before hitting the submit button. As before, the Engram appeared before him and told him how much time remained before offering him the BD menu. Picking the 'Forest' option, David took a deep breath and started walking along the path before him as he awaited the end of testing.

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"Hey kid."

"V?" David turned, confusion evident on his face as he stared at the man. He wasn't as dressed up as the day before, but David could still see the executive lapel pin on full display. "What are you doing here?"

"My, uh lunch lined up with yours today." He answered, "Wanna...Wanna grab something to eat?"

The question took him by surprise. He had expected V to be asking about Katsuo. Or testing. Or his trip to school. Asking to join him for lunch was something so far down the list, David wouldn't have ever entertained the thought. His mind thought back to dinner last night, and he recalled V's expression when he had mentioned having a family dinner.

"Are- Are you trying to act like a dad?" David asked after the initial shock wore off.

"Is it working?"

David stepped aside as another kid came over to the vending machines. "It's food, and I'm your kid... so yes and no?"

"Then yes and no." V motioned for him to move out of the way as a few students approached the machines. "Now do you wanna eat before the next round of Q and A or do you wanna sit here and feel awkward?"

"Food please."

"Good. The cafe on the forty-ninth floor serves a kickass steak and cheese. " The suit started walking towards the elevator. "Actual 'ganic steak, cheese, and bread."

"Seriously?" David was quick to follow. "Haul ass old man."

"Old man?"

"Yeah, well, they ain't gonna let me eat it, let alone let me in, without you are they?"

"You say that like you could afford it." V smirked, though David caught the faintest downward twitch of V's mouth.

He laughed. "If you're buying then that's even better!"

"You've been hanging around Jackie too much." V scanned his badge, the elevator opening with a ping.

"And whose fault is that?"

"If I wanna be snippy about it, and I do, our employer." V sighed as he selected the forty-ninth floor. David was surprised at how quick the elevator seemed to move, barely feeling any sort of skip or jolt as it stopped on the thirty-fifth floor to pick up a few additional passengers. Once they arrived at their floor, all but two of the passengers hopped off. David had expected to see a cafeteria similar to the one at the Academy floors. Instead, the room looked more a coffee shop with booths and high top tables. Everything had been painted shades of green or brown, and all the paintings were of nature scenes.

"This place always look this nice?" David asked, following V over to a small cooler that was filled with assorted beverages. The man gestured to the cooler, inviting David to pick out a drink, taking a Nicola for himself. After a moments thought, David settled on a bottle of berry flavored water.

"Just got remodeled last year. Apparently the 'natural' look has been good for morale." He replied as the clerk behind the counter addressed him. "Oh, do you want onions on your sandwich?" David shook his head. "Yeah, can we get two steak and cheese specials, one with onions? Got some bottle drinks too."

The girl behind the counter rang up their purchases, and David could see the chefs in the kitchen start to work as V instructed him to grab a table. After a few minutes, he heard a number get called and he watched as V accepted a tray and moved to the table. David's mouth watered at the sight to meet his eyes. A sub roll loaded to critical mass with melted cheese and seared steak, a pile of what appeared to be fresh fried potato chips beside it. V's sandwich looked much the same, but he could see bits of caramelized onion poking out here and there.

Taking a bite, David was embarrassed by the sound to leave his mouth as the flavor registered on his tongue.

"So...How's the sandwich."

"S'amazin'." He swallowed the bite. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"Glad you like it." V took a bite of his own sandwich. "I, had a similar reaction when I first tried it."

David let out a hum, opting to savor his next bite. An awkward silence hung between the two of them, before David decided to break it.

"V? Tell me something."

"Shoot."

"Mom put you up to this, didn't she?"

"Subtlety's never been Gloria's specialty." There was a knowing smirk on V's face. "Said she's really enjoying our family meals and wanted us," he pointed between himself and David, "to bond a little more."

"Of course." David shook his head, taking a sip of his water. Though it was clearly artificially flavored, the taste was pleasant and he hummed in appreciation. Once more, a bubble of silence seemed to fall between the two, and this time V broke it.

"So...This better than the cafeteria of the Academy?" V asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"It's quieter." David ate a couple chips. "Foods better. Not that I bought lunch all that often."

"Brought it from home?" V took a drink of his soda, expression unreadable.

"Mom...rarely had time to make me a lunch." He looked down at his sandwich. "She'd give me some eddies before school to buy something, but at most I'd grab a bag of chips from the machine. Kept the spare eddies for myself to get other things." David admitted, feeling slightly guilty as he considered everything he had learned in the last few weeks. 'Other things' had included practical things like clothing, transportation, and laundry at times...but a lot of it was wasted on XBDs.

V hummed, seeming to pass no judgment as the two resumed eating in silence. While he knew his mom wanted to reach the top of Arasaka Tower, he figured being able to tell her about having lunch on the forty-ninth floor of the tower's hundred and forty floors would be a good start. He looked around the cafe, now noticing the grass-like carving on the floor molding. The vine designs encircling the wall lights. A few planters rested on the dividers between the booths, and after a moment David's eyes fell upon a small potted palm tree to rest beside the elevator. Recalling the ones he had seen scattered around the city, and those in the Beach BD scene...

"So, that a real tree or plastic?" It wasn't the best question, but David knew his mother would be disappointed if he didn't try to make an effort like V was.

"Subject of debate between a few of us." V huffed, eating a few more chips. "Trunk feels like real wood, but the leaves are oddly waxy. Yet when punctured they, I suppose bleed would be the best word? Personally, I think it's a synth-plant or something as I never seen anybody water it but any damage it takes seems to heal over time."

"Huh, neat." David ate another bite of his sandwich. Their lunch hour continued like this, the silence filled by their chewing and the occasional poor attempt at making small talk. Towards the end of lunch, the subject of David's plans for after today's classes came up.

"Maine said the crew was having a get together tonight." He finished off the last bite of his sandwich. "Said they'd make it a celebration of my surviving another day of testing. You going?"

"Can't." V drained the last of his soda. "Got some work to finish up. Speaking of...Looks like lunch is almost over for you." The suit held out his arm, letting David see his watch as he stood up and gathered up their trash. "Come on, I'll escort you back down to the academy."

"Uh sure." David followed behind V, not wanting to stray too far from the man's side. Sure, his status as an apprentice probably granted him some level of leeway, he didn't want to be questioned as to why a student was running around Arasaka Tower. The ride back down to the Academy was just as smooth, and he offered his thanks to V again for lunch as they arrived at his classroom.

"Don't mention it." V gave a nod, "catch you later, alright?"

"Later V." David gave a wave as he watched V head down the hall. As much as he was nervous about what Katsuo might say, David had to admit he felt a genuine sense of relief as he returned to his seat to await the start of the next round of testing.

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The second round of testing for the day was the 'English' exam. Once more, David had no difficulty in answering the questions, instantly able to recall the definitions of certain words. Sure, he couldn't fathom anyone using words like 'ubertization' or 'glocalize' outside of discussing business, but he knew what they meant. The only thing that tripped him up was a few of the shorter writing prompts. He had plenty of ideas for them, but even with the help of the training shards, couldn't seem to get the words to flow. Eventually, he had gotten words to flow – but if you held him at gunpoint and asked him which test he felt he did the worst on?

English was sitting comfortably at the top.

Unlike the first few tests, David had actually been the last one in his class to finish this time. Not that how soon he finished a test mattered all that much to him. But he was a little disappointed that he didn't get to check out another BD environment while waiting for everyone else to be done.

"Maybe I can ask or a copy of the BDs? Or maybe V knows where to get similar ones?" He kept the thought to himself as he stepped out of the classroom. He smiled at the idea of being able to check them out as he wished, maybe taking Lucy with him. Strange. BDs like that were once boring to him, and he wouldn't have dropped a single eddie on a twelve-pack of them. Now, he was debating spending a couple hundred on using them for romantic virtual getaways. "Maybe Lucy would like to go to the beach? Though that mountain chalet option might be ni-"

David let out a groan as his body collided with something soft. Keeping his footing, he blinked and noticed he had walked right into the larger of Katsuo's friends. The big guy let out a laugh and, with help from his smaller companion, cornered David against the wall. Barely a moment later, and Katsuo had appeared before him, looking angry as ever.

"Martinez." The blue-haired brat drawled, one arm coming to rest beside David's head. "I can forgive you for not wanting to be on your holo during class. After all, I can tell you're trying to be a model student."

Katsuo's voice was dripping with sarcasm, his two lackeys muttering in agreement with his assessment.

"But class is over for the day, and I want answers." The gaze Katsuo was sending his way might have been intimidating if it wasn't for the light reflecting off his chrome-nose. "And you're going to give them to me, or else."

He thumped the wall beside David's head, making him flinch just slightly. The corner of Katsuo's mouth briefly twitched, thinking he had scared him, when in reality David was annoyed by the brief ringing in his ear from the strike.

"V was right, the top dog isn't happy learning he's nothing but a runt in a kennel." He rubbed at his ear, the action annoying Katsuo even more.

"Aww, what's the matter Martinez? Couldn't afford a basic audio upgrade to prevent that?" Katsuo thumped the wall again. "You know, maybe if you tell me what I want to know...I can arrange for you to get an upgrade at a discount, if not free of charge."

"Yeah, my uncle works for Kiroshi's cyberaudio department." Skinny turned his head, as if to indicate that he had some work done himself.

"Good for you." David kept his voice steady, a challenge given his trying not to laugh at how childish Skinny sounded. He noticed some of their other classmates starting to gather to watch the sad excuse for a stand-off. "Can I go now?"

"Damn, you really need that audio upgrade." Never mind that Katsuo was using a variant of David's own earlier backhand insult against him. "Here, I'll spell it out for you. Where. Are. You. Getting. This. Shit?"

"My mentor." David answered, refusing to elaborate any further. It was getting harder for him to maintain a straight face as Katsuo started to stew.

"Wrong answer!" Katsuo slammed the wall again, the sound seeming a signal for his larger friend to move in.

"Come on Martinez, just answer his questions." The big guy took a step forward, as if hoping his size would intimidate David into answering. It might have worked in the past, but now that he'd met actual powerhouses like Maine, Dorio, and Jackie? And seen monsters like The Butcher and Hildryn? "Don't want another fight breaking out, do we?"

Tubby took up a poor boxer's stance, trying to taunt him into doing something. Anything. Skinny didn't seem to want to be left out, and opted for a more karate style stance. Sloppy as the two were, Katsuo seemed pleased with their actions. The blue-haired brat's eyes had a faint glow to them as he took on a proper fighting stance. And David knew Katsuo had his reflex chip at the ready the moment he tried something.

The sight made David realize something. The banging on the wall, the cornering of him, their constant pestering, and their posture. This was the limit of what the boys could do to threaten him given their present location. Sure, Katsuo had beat him up the first time...but that had been just outside the Academy's grounds and before school. The second time had been within and during school hours, and he recalled hearing some claim that Katsuo only fought in self-defense and that's why he wasn't expelled, suspended, or whatever other words a few had used to describe David's absence.

"Bribery, badgering, and threatening." A smile moved across David's face. "They're really putting what we learned in our business and economics classes to work here."

"Quit smiling." Katsuo hissed, hands balled up into fists and looking ready to strike at any time. "And start talking!"

An internal ping alerted David to an incoming call, the ID showing it to be Lucy. Seeing her name brought her advice to just delta to the forefront of his thoughts, and he knew he had to get away before something happened. The sight of more students coming to watch reminded David of the day before. He recalled how distracted everyone was at seeing something unusual (like a Caliburn parked at your school) and knew he needed a distraction to get away.

Katsuo meanwhile was not happy at being ignored, and continued to talk and taunt David. "Come on Martinez! Answer me! I know there's no way that you're an apprentice." David grimaced, and the corpo brat grinned. "Look, save us all a lot of trouble and just admit this is all some prank a delinquent like you is trying to pull on all of us honest and hard-working students."

Much as David wanted to refute that, he felt certain Katsuo would try and turn whatever he said against him. Instead, David decided to turn the tide against him. Not wanting to risk any of the watching students get caught up in the potential crossfire, David used his elbow to push Katsuo away and slip through the gap that existed between Katsuo and Tubby. This action pissed Katsuo off something fierce.

"Oh no. Don't you try to run away." Katsuo reached out and grabbed David's wrist, trying to pull him back.

"I'm not taking this shit from someone who gets off sucking a Joy-Toy's toes." It was such a ridiculous insinuation, but it had the desired effect on everyone gathered. Katsuo's posture briefly went slack, while the crowd around started to gossip on if David's statement was true or not. Taking advantage of the situation, David met Katsuo's grasp, taking the other boy's wrist in his own with both hands. In one fluid motion, David had flipped Katsuo up, the other boy losing his balance and landing prone on his back. Releasing his grip, David took off running as Katsuo bitched impotently while gossip grew and on the spot rumors started to fly.

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Much as David wanted to do something after school to forget his confrontation with Katsuo, he decided the best course of action was to head straight back to the apartment. Sadly, Lucy was nowhere to be found. And while he was a little disappointed that he couldn't cuddle with her to forget about Katsuo's BS (or hear her laugh at the awkward lunch hour he had). David decided to embrace having the apartment to himself again for a little while.

He put on some action movie and turned up the volume before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. Having not bothered to bring in clothes or a towel, David shamelessly walked to his room to put on some more comfortable street clothes. He stared down at his uniform, unceremoniously discarded by the bathroom door. Briefly, he debating doing a load of laundry, but decided he'd save that for after testing.

Moving back into the living room, David sat down and decided to actually watch what remained of the movie instead of just listen to it as he waited for word from the crew.

"Da~vid!" He heard Becca's voice, surprised to see the green-haired girl exiting the elevator, Pilar in tow behind her. "Where's my fuck boy?"

"I'm not your fuck boy?!" He stood, eyes wide and eyebrows held high.

"Shit Becca, you weren't kidding about the windows!" David saw Pilar crab walking on his fingers over to the windows. An audible thud came from where Pilar stood as he pressed his face up against the glass. "What a view!"

Becca was too busy giving David her best 'gremlin grin', "I meant your father silly." She laughed, "or is he not here?"

"V's at work. And uh, what are you two doing here?" His eyes followed Becca as she moved over to her brother, pulling him off the window.

"Came to pick you up for the party." She pushed him away, letting him explore while she handled the pleasantries. "When you didn't reply to our messages, we decided to pop in and check on you."

David checked his messages, seeing he had indeed missed a couple of them. He watched Pilar run up the stairs, and it was only then that it registered with him. The siblings were in his apartment, and he hadn't authorized them to be there.

"Uh, how did you get in here?" He asked, getting up from the couch in favor of grabbing his shoes.

"Jackie let us in. He's waiting outside with the car." The gremlin grinned, before hollering for her brother. "Come on Pilar! You know I get cranky when I don't eat!"

"Coming!" Pilar cried, sliding down the first half of the banister before jumping down the rest of the way. With all the skill of a trained acrobat, he rolled over to David and Becca, an arm on each of them as he moved them towards the elevator. "Alright! Let's go!"

The ride down went quickly, though David could feel an odd excitement radiating off Pilar as the door to the elevator opened and they stepped out.

"There's three of us. There's three of us." Pilar sang under his breath, arm effectively keeping him and Becca pinned as the elevator started to move. "Look closely, you will see!"

"What the heck is he singing?" David whisper-shouted to Becca who sighed.

"Pilar's trying to...get back into singing and song writing." She replied as they stepped out of the building and made their way over to where Jackie had parked. Once again, the man had borrowed V's Ragnar. "Just wish he'd try a different genre."

"What genre is that?" Becca motioned for him to take the front while she and Pilar moved to the back. "Hey Jackie, thanks for the lift."

"No problemo. Even though we're not going far, figured you'd appreciate cruisin' in style."

"There's four of us. There's four of us." Pilar's voice had grown in volume, and he changed the lyrics as he settled in. Jackie facepalmed as his picked up on the lanky man's singing. "Look closely, you will see...There's-"

"My fist with your name on it if you don't stop singing that Raffi crap." Jackie turned, hand formed into a fist and lined up perfectly with Pilar's face.

"I'll be good." Pilar made a zipping motion of his mouth, and Jackie withdrew his hand.

"Good. Didn't want to have to explain to Mama why I need a first aid kit before we even get to the Cojo." Jackie laughed and started the car.

"The Cojo?" David blinked, "thought Maine said we were meeting at Turbo's yesterday?"

"We were going to," Becca started, mouth forming slightly into a pout. "But Maine changed his mind."

"Time out!" Pilar held his hands up in a T. "Maine agreed to eat somewhere else?"

Becca nodded, looking slightly unnerved. David might not have been with the crew long, but even he knew Maine's love of that diner.

"Wait, who changed his mind?"

"Dorio."

"How did she-" David left the question unfinished, mind thinking of several possibilities that he really didn't want to dwell on. "Never mind."

The short ride went by smoothly, and soon enough David found himself standing out front of the Cojo. He could see Maine's quadra and the Edgerunner parked off to the side, along with Kiwi's motorcycle. The boy casually followed Jackie into the Cojo, the siblings lagging behind. The delinquent pair's energy returning the moment they set eyes on the bar interior.

"Oh shit! There's a Roach Race machine here!" Pilar cheered, running over to the machine with Becca in tow. "I call first play!"

"Heh, good luck beating my score hombre." Jackie called after the pair, shaking his head. David followed the man's eyes over to the bar, where Pepe was trading jokes with Falco. "Oi Pepe. Can you tell Mama her grandson's here?"

"Sure, excuse me." The bartender poked his head through the door behind him. "Mamá, tu nieto está aquí!"

"I could have done that." His uncle sighed, gently patting him on the back before moving to keep an eye on the siblings as their Abuela came out of the kitchen.

"Nieto. Why haven't you called to update me on your life?" Mama Welles' voice was both welcoming and judging at the same time.

"Sorry Abuela, been busy settling in the apartment. And with school." David awkwardly returned the hug, "got plenty of time to talk now though."

"Good. I'm just finishing up preparing some more food for your little friends." She gestured to a long table near the back of the restaurant where Lucy, Kiwi, Maine, and Dorio were seated. "Go sit down and I'll be over shortly."

David ignored the laughter to come from the crew and some of the other patrons as Abuela ruffled his hair affectionately before pushing him over to his friends. He couldn't bring himself to actually be angry, instead moving over to the table.

Already he could tell Abuela had visited the table, as bowls of chips, salsa, bean and cheese dip littered the table. Lucy greeted him with a blown kiss, while Kiwi gave a nod. Dorio smiled warmly as he took a seat beside Lucy, giving her a real kiss in return. Only Maine didn't react, the man eyeing the bowl of bean dip warily while he opened and took a sip from what looked to be his third can of Chromanticore.

"Maine, are you sure you should be drinking that many Chromanticores?" Lucy asked, eyeing one of the cans as she took a sip of her beer.

"Honestly?" Maine looked at his drink, then to her. "Been drinking these things for so long that I'm afraid if I stop drinking them now I'm gonna die."

"So David, how'd school go?" Dorio asked him, making a show of trying the bean dip. "And Maine, you're not gonna die if you stop drinking those things. Same if you try some new food." The chip went into her mouth, and she chewed it contentedly.

"It's goin' good." David helped himself to the chips, opting for the cheese dip. "Midterms easier than I thought it be."

"Can't say I miss school at all." Kiwi gave him a sympathetic look. "So glad I'm done with that stuff."

Conversations continued to flow between them, though Maine was only offering up the occasional one-syllable response. Even when David dropped his insult of sucking Joy-Toy toes the man did little more than snort.

"Are you gonna be grumpy all night?" Dorio gently poked him, one arm going around his shoulders after his latest mumbled answer.

"M'not grumpy." Maine grumbled, "just not a fan of the food."

"Have you even tried any of it?" The muscle-bound woman rolled her eyes, holding a plain tortilla chip next to Maine's mouth. "Come on, just one bite." She started poking the corner of his mouth with it, trying to make him open up.

"It's like watching a mother and her child." Lucy whispered, making David laugh as Maine finally relented and ate the chip. Laughs came from around the table as Maine tried, and failed to stealthily grab another chip after about ten seconds of finishing the first. Fortunately, the big man was able to avoid some ribbing as Abuela and Jackie arrived with trays of food, while Falco had been roped into helping carry a tray full of drinks.

Tacos, fajitas, enchiladas and other entrees large enough to share were placed on the table. Bowls of rice and beans, and additional tortillas were added to the mix. Pitchers of beer, water, and soda were well within arm's reach, and David knew Abuela was once again showing off.

"Mijo, will you go fetch the children?" Abuela tossed her head towards Pilar and Becca, who were still playing on the arcade machine. Jackie sighed and complied with his mother's request as the woman took a seat next to David while instructing everyone to help themselves.

"This grub looks preem!" Pilar cheered, hopping into one of the seats and reaching across the table to grab a taco. He downed half of it in one bite. "Correction. It is preem!"

"I'm glad you like it." The older woman smiled. "Now David, tell me all about what you've been up to?"

David laughed, telling Abuela and the crew about his recent ongoings with school and other things. Soon, everyone was telling stories, trading jokes, and eating and drinking to their hearts content. Only Maine still seemed grumpy, something Abuela called him out on as she watched the man eat a few more chips. What followed was an odd conversation between Maine, Dorio, and Abuela that left everyone in stitches as the man was tricked into eating an empanada after Abuela claimed it was a 'Mexican Burger'.

"Still think Turbo's has better burgers." He took the suggestion to dunk it in the cheese dip before taking another bite. "But this is good."

"Glad you like it." Dorio smiled as she finished off another syn-chicken taco. "So, does that mean we can come here on date night occasionally?"

"...maybe." Maine gently kissed Dorio's forehead, causing her cheeks to faintly glow.

"It's a nice place." Lucy offered, "David and me had our first date here."

"We know. We've seen the pictures." Kiwi sipped at her beer. "Still can't believe you got a guy before me."

"I wonder why." Becca idly ran a finger around the rim of her glass, ignoring the death glare being sent her way. This just made a new round of laughter move through the table.

"Like you're any better?" The netrunner snapped back. "How many times have you struck out?"

"Oh shut up pillow princess!" That made the table howl, and David joined even though he didn't quite understand what that meant.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sorry would you prefer to say you fuck like a dead fish?" As if to drive the point home Becca leaned back, putting her hands up to her face and moved them like fish fins, mouth slowly opening and closing. Several more insults were thrown back and forth between the two women before Falco slammed a hand on the table and shut down any further arguments.

"Will you two just screw each other already?"

That made the table fall silent, and most of the chatter from other patrons fell silent too. The silence lasted only a few seconds however, as Becca made a counter.

"I'm not turned on by smurf nipples."

"They are not smurf nipples!" Kiwi's hands flew to her chest, making David raise an eyebrow. He had never seen Kiwi in anything but her usual pant suits.

"Bitch, they are bright blue!" Becca pointed at one of the neon signs in the bar. "If they had any lighter shade, they'd be luminescent!"

The netrunner shook her head, eyes narrowing as she calculated her response. "For a short stack who fails to be anybody's joy toy, you got a lot of opinions about my body!"

"Hard not to when you're always naked when you work!" The green-haired girl crossed her arms, as if that settled it.

"Glass houses tiny!" Kiwi let out an amused snort. "At least I look better than you."

"What's that?" Becca growled as Kiwi gestured to Becca's outfit. The shorty currently had her jacket open, showing off the tight fitting black bra and panties beneath.

"The walking fleshlights on Jig-Jig Street wear more, and could wear that better."

David sent a prayer of thanks to the heavens for Mama Welles who was quick to stand up and try to mediate the impending catfight. He looked to Lucy and the others, seeing them observing the situation while continuing to enjoy the food.

"A-are we sure they're friends?" He asked Lucy, pouring her another glass of beer at her request.

"Crew, yes. Friends?" The white-haired girl took a drink. "Hard and hesitant maybe."

David couldn't argue that, and nor could the crew if their toasts of agreement were to be believed. Luckily for everyone gathered, Abuela was able to prevent further arguments, and the evening passed by without any further incidents. By the time Jackie had driven him and Lucy back to the apartment, David was too tired to do anything more than undress, flop onto his bed and snuggle into Lucy's side.

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Despite the partying. The over-indulging. And the fatigue from two days of testing, David found the motivation to wake up ahead of his alarm so that he could do something nice for Lucy. She had been his rock the last two days, okay – more like the last week if he was really being honest. And while he knew she was content with couch cuddles, finger foods, and bed frame rattling sex. David felt she deserved a bit more and set about making her breakfast for once.

He had decided the night before that he was going to make her waffles. Logging onto the computer that rested near the kitchen, he set to work on making Lucy breakfast. The cooking process had gone smoothly, now he was just applying finishing touches to Lucy's plate. Setting it on a portable retro 'TV tray', he had just picked it up when-

"Puppy? What are you doing?"

"Lucy!?" David jumped, nearly dropping the tray he had been about to take upstairs to surprise her with breakfast in bed. "I...was trying to surprise you with breakfast."

He held the tray out, the artfully arranged contents only slightly askew from his hop.

"I made you homemade waffles!"

Lucy eyed the tray warily. "You made waffles from scratch?"

"I made them myself." It wasn't a complete lie. After all he had been the one to put them in the toaster over.

"David you gonk, I can see the box sticking out of the trash." Lucy pointed to the trash can behind him, the yellow corner of the box a stark contrast to the black bag.

David pouted, not actually offended by her observational skills. "I made them look pretty?"

Now that was true. He had taken the time to arrange the three butter-soaked, cinnamon sugar dusted waffles on the plate in such a way that they made a well in the center. It was to here that the excess maple and caramel syrup he had drizzled over them could run into, and be used to dip bites taken from the outer edges. He even took a couple of fresh strawberries and gave them a dusting of sugar as well, using them to fill in the additional gaps the waffles made. A few additional strawberries and some microwave sausage links rested on another small plate, along with a glass of orange juice.

The girl's head tilted to the side, still looking beyond him. "I can see the image you're copying on your browser over there."

David cursed, he was zero for two so far.

"I tried?" The tray was raised up again, hitting her with his best 'puppy dog eyes'.

"I appreciate the effort." Lucy let out a gentle laugh, hands taking hold of the tray as she leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. "It's cute."

"Thank you?" Feeling a gentle tug, he understood the unspoken command and released the tray. Giving him another kiss, Lucy moved to the table and took a seat. Even though they were just 'toaster waffles', David couldn't help but feel a little nervous as he watched Lucy take her first bite. "Well?"

Lucy's reply was a tiny, strangely orgasmic moan that left David feeling confused and aroused at her opinion. Taking that noise and her suggestive biting of a sausage link as a win. He picked up his own plate of less-than-artfully arranged waffles and joined her at the table.

He almost ended up late for school again.

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As David walked into school, he noticed a change in the atmosphere. There was still an air of tension due to testing, but a lot of it was replaced with the buzz of gossip about yesterday's confrontation between him and Katsuo. David wasn't about to be pulled into any discussions, but he happened upon Yasuhira and a few others talking with Tubby and Skinny. While Yasuhira and the others just seemed to be looking for information, the two lackeys seemed to be doing everything in their power to defend Katsuo.

"...probably only said that to hide his own enjoyment of sucking toes." He heard Skinny say as he came nearer to the group. This brought a laugh from Tubby, and skeptical looks from the others. Normally, David would have let a comment like that go, but seeing that the others looked to be on his side, decided to get involed. He walked over to the group and gently tapped the skinny blond on his shoulder. The boy jumped, eyes wide as he realized who had touched him. "Ma-Martinez!?"

"Hey. I'm willing to let your comment go if you can honestly tell me, while looking me in the eyes, that you believe a hundred percent," David let his hand rest on Skinny's shoulder. "That the secretly insecure prick you call a friend isn't the kind of pervert who would suck someone's toes to get off."

It was a simple request, and David was thankful for the 'Public Speaking' training shard for allowing him to deliver the request so easily. Skinny's eyes flicked up to meet his own, mouth moving to try and forms words that just couldn't seem to come out. The seed of doubt had been planted, and now all David could do was watch it grow. That is, if he actually cared enough about the end result.

"Thought so." David released his grip, giving a friendly nod to the others as he continued on his way to the classroom. He barely paid any attention to who was already inside, though he noticed that Katsuo had been one of the last to enter today. As he had the last few days, Mr. Bernal had taken charge of the class informing them that today was the last day of testing. Much to David's amusement, a cheer had gone up from his classmates.

"Settle down. You've still got two tests left to take." Mr. Bernal laughed despite the small scolding he was giving. "By now, you all know the drill so come on up."

Nodding, he had grabbed his wreath and settled in for the penultimate test. This time, it was on 'Arasaka History and Culture'.

What year was Saburo Arasaka born? Nineteen Nineteen.

The Arasaka Corporation was founded in Nineteen Fifteen for what purpose? Manufacturing supplies for the Imperial Army in WWII.

"Of course they'd consider Arasaka a subject on its own." He shook his head, not actually caring so long as he got these damn tests out of the way. Of all the tests he had taken, this one seemed to have gone by the quickest and he spent a good chunk of the remaining time goofing around in the 'snowy fields' landscape BD before the lunch break.

To celebrate his last day of testing, David treated himself to something from the school's cafeteria. The soup and sandwich combo he purchased wasn't anywhere near as good as the one he shared with V at the cafe, but it was decent. He half expected to be accosted by someone during lunch, but fortunately everyone seemed content to leave him be as always. In between bites, David opted to pass the time by looking up a few new breakfast ideas he could surprise Lucy with.

The lunch bell rang and David returned to his classroom for what he hoped would be the last time until finals were due. He returned to the classroom and was given the final test 'Philosophy and Civics'.

"Are you serious?" A snort came from him at the absolute joke of a final test subject. Those two classes had become little more than jokes over the last few decades, and in an odd way it made sense to put them together but. David shrugged off the feeling, turning his attention to the questions. So many of them had gray answers, and David couldn't help but wonder if points would be given or taken away depending on how they were answered.

He dared to glance at his classmates again, noticing that several of them seemed just as confused by some of the questions. Only Katsuo seemed unaffected by the test, and was sporting a pleased grin every time he stole a peek at David when he thought he wasn't looking.

"Probably thinks I'm gonna pick all the 'bad' answers and fuck myself over." David sighed, unable to fathom just how Katsuo's brain was working. Instead, he finished up his test and hit 'submit' for the final time.

"Thank you, Martinez David." The Engram teacher appeared before him, "you have now completed the midterm exam. There is still thirty-two minutes remaining in this test period..."

He turned out the rest of the Engram's message, and chose to visit the 'beach' for a final time as he awaited the end of the school day.

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Testing came to a end with another round of cheering from his classmates, everyone talking of their plans as classes let out for the day. Yasuhira extended an invite to David to join him and several others at the arcade, but he declined the invitation, saying he was going to visit his mom in the hospital. Ever the nice guy, Yasuhira wasn't phased by David's rejection and simply gave him an okay before leaving with his friends.

David watched them go, turning to walk in the opposite direction towards the Trauma Center. No sooner had he stepped away from Arasaka tower and around a corner did he run into Katsuo. As usual, the brat was accompanied by his lackeys, the three of them sporting the same pleased expression Katsuo had during the test.

"Was wondering when you'd show up Martinez." Katsuo's voice was heavy with spite. "Did you really think you'd get away with your little stunts the last few days?" The brat snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was joined by ten additional hired goons. "Get him."

At the command, the thirteen of them charged forward, leaving David with no option but to run. He glanced over his shoulder, all of them hot on his tail. This time, he knew a confrontation was inevitable, and he called V to inform of the latest update on the situation.

["Dad, need some help. Katsuo's made his move. Got ten on my tail, two with weak sandys."] David activated his own even as he noticed one of the two with speedware do the same.

["Head for city center park. Keep to the storefronts, don't go into the park."] V's voice was flat, and David was thankful for the odd comfort it provided.

["Got it."] He slide-hopped over the hood of a parked car.

["Got your piece on you?"]

David's hand flew to the pocket inside his uniform's jacket, feeling the weight of the pistol. ["Yeah, but-"]

["If they draw a weapon be ready to use it."] His pace slowed just slightly at V's words, but it was enough to give Katsuo and his gang a chance to close the distance.

["I don't-"] David felt a rush of wind as a hand reached out and failed to grab him.

["Jump down to the road. Use the sandy. Ten second burst, run the road and get some distance."] V advised him as he came near the railing that separated the upper and lower streets of the city as they neared the park.

["Got it."] David hopped over the ledge, landing with a heavy thump. A few seconds were lost as he regained his footing, but they were quickly gained back as he fired off the Sandy.

["Good. They'll need to take the walkways, don't lose them. Keep them in sight and lead them to the stores."]

["Any other advice?"] David looked over his shoulder again, seeing them doing their damnedest to catch up even as the shopping center came into view.

["Three of them are carrying knives, four have iron, and one has a bat. They won't play nice. Your gorillas will break bone without trying, use that to keep them down."] David couldn't see them fully, he could tell several were carrying objects. It was then David realized that V had also known where he was, making him question if the man was nearby.

["How the hell can you see that?"]

["I'm watching from the nearby security cams."] By chance, David saw a camera as he continued to run. ["I'll take care of this, but you need to hold them off till we can set them up."]

["Craptastic."] David wished that V was actually with him, but apparently observing was the best the man could do on such short notice.

["Best place to pull this off is 'Appel de Paris', you see it?"]

["Apple the what?"] He looked around, confused.

V didn't falter. ["The rich prick clothing store?"]

["Oh, yeah I see it."]

["Wait for the gonks right in front of it."]

["Why?"] He slowed his pace to a light jog as he neared the store. They were still a good twenty yards behind him.

["Security is all over the place. The store owner will most likely call NCPD too. Can't have a scrap outside his place, bad for biz."]

["So what should I do?"]

["Coax them into talkin', and be loud. The more they say, the more they are hung by."] He heard the upturn of V's mouth even as he heard Katsuo and his goons whooping and hollering for his head. ["You've got multiple eyes on you now, almost zero chance of entrapment if this turns really ugly."]

David let out a grunt of understanding even as the gang chasing him grew closer and came to a stop near him.

"Martinez!" Katsuo screamed, face red from anger and the exertion of running. "Get the fuck back here!"

"No, you come the fuck over here!" He called back, not his best work but V just wanted them talking right? Katsuo took the challenge though and moved closer, the gang doing the same. The two got into a verbal confrontation, with the goons occasionally throwing out their own insults. David couldn't say how long their verbal fight lasted, but it seemed all to long yet far too short before the goons had drawn their weapons.

["Uh, pops, think talking's over."]

["Listen to me, and do exactly as I say. Use the sandy to keep up if you have to."]

David's eyes flicked up to a security camera and he nodded his understanding before looking back at the group.

["Prick on the left, white shirt. Aim for the left leg, kick the shin. When he's down, stomp on the center of his shoulders. Hard."]

The guy in question was one of the gonks holding a knife. Though it was little more than a large pocket knife, David could tell it would do some damage if it struck him. Still, he threw caution to the wind and followed V's advice. True to the man's assessment, the gonk dropped in such a way that David got the perfect window to strike at his back. With a final groan, the gonk was down for the count.

David didn't have time to celebrate as two more charged in, and he fired off the Sandevistan to dodge and wait for V's next instruction.

["Duck, black shirt, grab the arm, pull and throw. Aim for the others."]

The black-shirted guy was slightly taller than David, but had an incredibly skinny build. Similar to his tossing of Katsuo earlier, David was able to lift and throw the man with ease into his fellows. The other one who had charged had paused for a moment, caught off guard by the display, giving David enough time to act on V's order.

["Kitch punk, left arm is weak. Grab the wrist and twist. Backhand the chest to wind him."]

"Ga-!" The punk screamed as he heard his own bones pop due to the force David was gripping his arm with. His scream was cut short as David's hand connected with his chest. With a final cough, the wheezing punk went down. Another punk took offense to that and ran in, seeming determined to avenge his fallen buddy.

["Back four steps, then duck and sweep the legs. Roll over and slam his head, aim for the side of the face."]

"One, two, three, four..." David dropped on all fours as the new punk came even with him, leg connecting with the punk's perfectly. The punk barely had a chance to hit the ground before David rolled over and kicked out again – connecting with the side of the punk's head.

"How the fuck is this kid so good?" The largest of the hired goons spat to one side, flexing his arms. They seemed almost comically large compared to the rest of the goons, but David could tell they weren't the best quality of Gorilla Arms.

["Boxer chip. Ignore his arms, go low. Full punch into the guts."]

He ducked under the punch the boxer threw his way, activating his own Gorilla Arms as he did. Reaching somewhere back towards Heywood, David let his fist fly. It connected with the boxer's stomach, causing the man to cough up bile and whatever else was in his stomach as he flew backwards and collided with the glass display window of a nearby store. David felt it was a testament to whatever company had manufactured the glass that it didn't instantly shatter upon being struck by a two-hundred plus pound projectile object.

Just then, a loud crack rang out, making David jump while those civilians who hadn't already run or sought cover raced to do so. His eyes fell on the source of the noise; one of the rockerboy gonks had pulled out a gun and fired at him. David had just enough time to register that the goons still standing had done the same as V screamed at him.

["David roll! Cover behind the pillar!"]

He complied as a shot struck the wall behind where he had been standing. A few more being shot just a little too close for comfort.

["Shit! What do I do?!"]

["Draw your piece."] V let out a heavy sigh. ["They've gone lethal, you need to too."]

["I-I can't. I've never-"] David's hand reached into his jacket and felt the grip, but just as quickly pulled away.

["Son, listen to me. He's shooting wild. The pricks with him can too. There are civies near. Those shots can go bad."]

["I-"] He returned his hand to the pistol, now letting his fingers encircle the grip. Though he registered the metal as being cold, part of him told him to drop it like it was burning.

["This isn't a cyberpsycho situation."] David could see V shaking his head. ["Stroke of luck that you hit that store, but even still the NCPD response time is ten minutes at best. If you don't want others to get hurt, you need to pull the trigger!"]

["O-okay."] David pulled the pistol out and held it at the ready.

["Listen to me. Sandy, full throttle. Your gun has twelve bullets. Six shots, two rounds a pull. Aim for the legs of any of them still standing, then duck back behind cover for a reload."]

David cursed himself for not following the condom rule as he checked his pocket for another clip and found nothing. ["I didn't bring any spares."]

["Then make sure you don't miss."] V's voice was cold, and David knew that was his cue to move.

Kicking on the Sandy, he ran out from behind cover and moved towards the shooters. Taking aim at the legs of those firing at him, he made the shots. He heard the crack of his gun, the firing of the other guns and cries from both foes and those watching.

Skipping over Katsuo and his goons, David took aim at any thug still standing. The first of the four David saw took a shot to his left calf, while the second thug was struck in the kneecap. David didn't see where the third shot landed thanks to the last thug standing.

The fourth was the rockerboy who had started shooting. The man also in possession of a Sandevistan, and he had the same idea as David and used it. David was just faster.

The rockerboy leveled his gun at David's chest and fired. Twisting his body, David felt the bullet as it scraped across his jacket, ripping it and the shirt beneath. Raising his own pistol, David fired reflexivly. The shots connecting with the rockerboy's head and tearing a large chunk out of it. Even if he hadn't used his Sandy, David felt everything went by in a flash. The results of his speedware usage becoming clear as he entered the cool down period.

All of the hired goons were on the ground, whining in pain or knocked out entirely. Katsuo's two lackeys had gone white, with Skinny struggling to support Tubby who looked ready to pass out. Katsuo himself was almost catatonic, mouth agape and eyes wide as he processed all he had just witnessed. David himself felt woozy, vision clear yet unfocused. He leaned against a nearby lamppost, no longer fully trusting his legs as his ears finally registering V talking to him.

["David? You okay David?"] V's voice was still that of a tactical commander, but somehow it also seemed to be concerned.

["The last guy, he had his sandy on. I-"] David stared at the half-headless corpse, eyes going between it and the Apparition he was still holding.

["It's okay. Self-defense."] His dad counseled, ["are you hurt?"]

["He missed. Just grazed me..."] David tore his eyes away from the corpse to look at his jacket. There was the faintest hint of damage skin peeking through the rips. ["I saw the gun, his head-"]

["It was a reflex. You did good kid. Hold tight, I'll be there soon."] V's words did little to comfort David, and he felt sick as he realized there was a hint of pride in V's offered praise. He hummed his agreement, a shiver running through his body as he once again looked at the gun. The sight of it glinting in the light seemed to awake Katsuo, and the brat was quick to go on the offensive.

"The fuck did you just pull Martinez?!" Katsuo was visibly shaking as he looked around, eyes going just a bit wider as he saw David's gun. Apparently it had just occurred to Katsuo that David probably could have shot him at any time. "Why the fuck do you have a tech pistol?!"

David finally threw the shaken brat a bone and answered the question. "It was a gift."

"A fucking gift-... No. No, no, no! No!" The blue-haired boy's eyes were darting around wildly as he moved closer, hand shaking as he pointed at the piece. "Where'd you get that gun, who gave it to you?!"

"The fuck you care for?" Sick and dirty as he felt at taking a life, a dark part of David felt Katsuo should be glad he was out of bullets.

"That's an executive's piece. Arasaka elites only!" Something seemed to click in Katsuo's mind. "The only way street trash like you'd get it is-... Oh-shit." He bowed his head, hands clasped before him as if to pray. "Please...Don't report me to them. I take it all back! Everything! Please!?"

Katsuo looked up at him then, eyes watering and filled with genuine terror. Before David could respond, the sound of engines roaring and sirens filled the air as several armored cars bearing the Arasaka emblem roll up. A dozen guards in heavy combat armor, lead by V of all people, came marching out of the vans and moved towards the boys and the fallen gonks. While David was relieved to see his father leading the pack, Katsuo now looked outright terrified as he recognized V from the day before.

"Detain the subjects for questioning. Bring them to the ACI holding pen and keep them on lock-down. If anyone tries to interact without my personal authorization, detain them as well." The guards all gave grunts or nods of agreement and started to move in on the scene. "Make sure they're down. Shock 'em before shackles."

V commanded, his own steps taking him towards David and Katsuo. David made the mistake of looking at one of the men he had shot, watching as the guard took out a stun baton and struck the man with it. He groaned and convulsed a few times as the electricity coursed through his body, movement ceasing a moment later as the guard slotted something in the gonk's neck before cuffing him.

"Baker, handle the Academy kids." V pointed to where Tubby and Skinny were still standing, both too scared and shell-shocked to run.

"Roger that." David was surprised to discover that Baker was a woman, but that fact did little to comfort the shaking corpo brat before him.

"Oh shit. Oh shit..." Katsuo chanted, grabbing onto David's shirt in fear as they watched Baker move over to the pair. The duo started whining that they were scared, or for their parents as the guard grew closer. David didn't know what to expect as the guard came even with the two. And he let out a relieved and grateful breath that the woman appeared to have a sliver of heart and simply cuffed them both and lead them to one of the vehicles with no resistance.

The sound of sirens indicated the arrival of NCPD then, but after a brief conversation with V, the officers backed off to the sidelines. Only once the situation was under control did V move over to where David and Katsuo stood. The rich kid took cover behind David as V simply stared.

"Martinez. You're dismissed for the day. Be on your way and I shall contact you later to discuss this." V's voice gave nothing away, and still reeling from the situation, David could do little more than nod as he shrugged out of Katsuo's grip and turned to walk away.

"No! Don't leave me with him! Please!? Noooo!" Katsuo screamed, even as a guard came over and detained Katsuo. David turned around in time to see V's eyes light up as he either made or received a call.

"Is this Executive Tanaka? Your presence is requested by Counterintelligence immediately. There had been some developments involving your son."

Those words were enough to spur David into walking away just that much faster.

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After taking some time to walk around City Center and calm down, David had received a message from Lucy telling him to meet her at the the Republic Way NCART station. To be honest, David wasn't all that surprised by the message. There was little doubt in his mind that V had probably contacted Lucy shortly after dismissing him. Something he was oddly thankful for.

It only took him another five minutes on foot to reach the station, and he was surprised to find Lucy already waiting for him, her hands holding the strap of her messenger bag. He greeted her with a chaste kiss, and she held him in a comforting embrace for a moment.

"V...Told me a little of what happened." Lucy started to rub circles on his back. "Don't know if you want to go back to the apartment to change before we go see your mom or?"

"Nah. If I go home now, I'm not gonna want to go back out." David sighed, eyes looking to his shoulder.

"Alright." Lucy followed his gaze, hands moving from his back to her bag. "Then why don't you change, and we'll take the scenic route so you can relax and decompress a little more before dinner?"

Lucy pulled out two articles of clothing from her bag; one of his many black t-shirts, and his mom's EMT jacket. He accepted the items, more thankful than ever for the beautiful woman choosing to put up with his shenanigans. David ducked into the nearest bathroom and removed his academy uniform. He debating throwing it in the trash, arguing that he had a spare...But decided against it in the end. The damage was minor, and V probably knew a tailor who could fix it in a heartbeat.

He slipped on the shirt, breathing a sigh of relief at the looseness of the fabric compared to the dress shirt. And, childish as it was, putting on his mom's jacket felt like getting a perpetual hug from her. That's why he had been wearing it recently when out and about. Using the jacket as a reminder of how much his mother cared for him, and how his stupidity had nearly taken her from him. Shrugging off the melancholic feeling threatening to smother him, he stepped from the bathroom and offered Lucy his uniform to hold onto.

"Thanks again, for this." David hugged her again once his uniform was stored away.

"You're welcome. Now come on, next train leaves in two minutes." Lucy gently tugged on his arm and lead him to the train. Finding a set of open seats, she sat down and pulled him in next to her. Hard and worn out as the padding on the seat was, David couldn't argue that it felt good to sit down. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was starting to feel the full effects of his running and cyberware usage.

"Shh, just relax puppy." Lucy adjusted her posture and David found himself resting his head on her shoulder. "We're gonna take the circuit a full loop, and get off at the Trauma station next time around."

The train started to move, and David felt powerless to do little more than nod as Night City zipped past them. Based on the NCART scheduel, David knew it would take at least a good hour or more to fully ride the rail system. This would give him plenty of time to think, decompress, and gather his thoughts and feelings before dinner. Lucy shifted, one of her arms coming to rest on his shoulders in a silent offer of additional comfort.

As the train moved, David let his mind run over all the details. Let his body shake with various emotions. Through it all, Lucy didn't flinch or try to pull away. Nor did she try to ask about what had happened, or offer any sort of platitudes. Instead, she let herself be used as a comfort object for him to cling to, only occasionally stroking his hair, kissing his forehead, or squeezing his hand affectionately.

Only when the train pulled into the Trauma station the second time did he release her. Though the moment they were off the train, he was holding her hand and leading her through the building to his mother's hospital suite.

"Mijo...and Lucy? What a pleasant surprise." Gloria greeted them warmly from the daybed, arms opened for a hug. David moved into his mother's arms, trying not to grumble as she kissed the top of his head. "You finished the midterm, I am so proud of you."

"Thanks mom." He gave her a weary smile, though he wasn't sure if he deserved the praise or not given the day's other events.

"You're welcome." Gloria ruffled his hair, while gently pushing him away. "Now, move aside so I can hug my future daughter-in-law."

David let out a heavy sigh as Lucy's cheeks took on a faint hint of color, but the pair complied and switched places.

"Mijo? What's wrong?" His mom released Lucy, eyes full of concern as she looked at him.

"Just tired. Testing and everything, ya know?" He rubbed the back of his neck, "think it all finally caught up to me."

"Then come sit down and relax." Gloria did her best to shift to the far end of the daybed, patting the spot beside her. David sat first, and Lucy joined him a moment later. "Nadia? How much longer until dinner's ready?"

"Another fifteen minutes or so." The brunette called back, "oh. Congrats on finishing the midterms David."

"Thanks." He replied, letting out a yawn. Lucy and Gloria made small talk while David stared at whatever his mother had been watching on TV. Still, he couldn't help but steal the occasional glance at his mother and girlfriend. Both of them were smiling, and seemed happy to be sitting with him.

Eventually, despite the fact that V was still missing, Nadia called them over to the dining room for dinner. Once again, with Gloria's guidance, a meal had been prepared for the family based off one of her recipes. This time, it was her taco boats, though David had a feeling Nadia had replaced the Eezybeef with either higher quality synthetic beef or possibly 'ganic.

The three of them continued to make small talk that was only interrupted by the late arrival of V. Upon seeing him, David noticed Lucy shifted just slightly, putting her chair closer to his. She was already in the position that put her as far away from V as the table allowed, but he knew she was wanting to keep a buffer.

"Thanks again for picking David up Lucy." V spoke as he sat down, "really appreciate it."

"No trouble at all." Lucy replied, taking another bite of her taco. "So David, you were telling us about the English midterm?"

"Uh yeah. Telling you, some of those questions were really out there." David had to admire Lucy's ability to avoid talking to V anymore than nessisary. It also helped that V still didn't seem fully comfortable with the whole 'family dynamic' now that there was a fourth (technically fifth if he counted Nadia) person present. Lucy noticed this too, and David smiled as she nudged his foot under the table after V tried to be fatherly and tell David about his own experience during Midterms.

"Thanks, though shouldn't you have told me this before I started testing?"

"I...Didn't want to make you nervous?"

"Oh my god." Both Gloria and Lucy said together as one, shaking their heads as David continued to go back and forth with his father. He didn't exactly disagree with V's thought that it would have made him nervous, but it might have been nice to have a head's up.

"Look, I'm just saying that-"

"Gloria?" The new voice came from the door, and David looked over to see Maine carrying a paper shopping bag in his hands. "Oh, whole family's here. Hey everyone."

"Hey Maine, what are you doing here?" V asked as the blond man entered the room and moved over to the table where the family was relaxing as Nadia started to clean up.

"Crew and I chipped in to get you a present." Maine handed the bag over to Gloria. "Hope you like it."

"It's from everyone – how could I not?" Gloria smiled as she opened the bag and removed the items from within. One of them was one of those wall-mounted fiber-optic lamps that could be set to be a solid color, or change colors. There was also an option to have the lights move in different patterns. The other was a framed photo of the crew, including David. "Maine, I love them."

"Lucy mentioned how plain you felt your room was. So we figured you'd appreciate some color." The big guy smiled. "We wanted to get you some flowers or similar table-top decorations, but Trauma said no to anything that couldn't be mounted on the wall. Something about not cluttering up the room and keeping the floor open?"

"I much prefer these to flowers. Plus, I can bring them with me once I'm out of here." Gloria looked again at the photo. "Nadia, would you mind helping me hang these up in my bedroom?"

"Not at all Miss Martinez." The nurse set down her cleaning cloth and moved to assist Gloria. David watched his mother go, noticing both Maine and V watching her. Only when the two women were fully in the bedroom did either one speak.

"David, heard you had your first real street fight today." Maine placed a hand on his shoulder. "Glad to see you're still in one piece. Don't let what happened get you down. Everybody on the crew's had that same moment, and if you want to talk about it. Well, we're all willing to listen."

"Thanks Maine, appreciate that." David gave him a thankful smile as he moved away, turning to look at Lucy who nodded in agreement. He turned his attention back to Maine, noticing now that he and V had struck up a conversation. Both of them acting like he and Lucy weren't even there.

"Everything went down like we wanted, right?"

"Tananka ran his mouth without much prompting." V replied, and David found himself wondering what the two men were talking about. "He was desperate to throw his son under the train, anything to keep from getting fired."

"Did it work?"

"Nope. His coworkers jumped his rep the moment word 'leaked' that Counterintel was pissed at him. All sorts of skeletons were just shoved out of every closet." V mockingly tapped at his chin, looking thoughtful. "Almost as if dozens of employees that worked with him kept whatever dirt they had in the hopes of burying him one day. Who knew?"

Maine let out a bark of a laugh. "How the hell have you kept yourself alive in that shark tank?"

"No family, few friends, and all my skeletons have been in the sun so long they're bleached white." V gestured towards the bedroom, while looking at David. "'Til Gloria and David came back, I had no weakspots to touch."

"Eech. No offense kid." Maine turned an apologetic smile to him. "So, Whats the plan now?"

V reached into his pocket and handed Maine a datashard from within. "Got the data on Tanaka's blacksite. Should be enough to draw your fixer out from whatever hole he's been hunkering down in."

"So the Queen...?" Maine started, and suddenly everything clicked in David's mind. This was the Tanaka deal that had been mentioned before, but never in this much detail.

"The Queen's ready to drain him dry, just need to pick a day. We do this right, we get a major payday and he's dust in the wind."

"Good. 'Bout time that-" Maine heard the sound of Gloria and Nadia returning, "that we teach David a bit more about cars and proper maintenance."

"Nova. Thanks Maine." David played right along, suspecting the sudden shift in subject was to keep Gloria from worrying.

"Any chance that lesson can wait a day or so?" Lucy piped up. "Not sure his brain can handle anymore lessons."

That brought a laugh from all sides, and David agreed with her assessment, though he wasn't about to voice it aloud. "It's alright...Though I'd feel better if I had a car of my own to learn on. Hint. Hint."

"Test results won't be out until tomorrow. So you'll just have to wait." V replied, a knowing look on his face.

"V...Don't you dare go buying our son a car in exchange for good grades." Gloria's eyes narrowed just slightly, "It was bad enough with the training shards, if I find out you bribed our child into getting good grades..."

"Oh come on, I still have seventeen years of birthdays to make up for. And he's turning eighteen soon."

"Then give him it for his birthday...Did your parents buy you a car for good grades?"

The building argument was making more than just David uncomfortable, "Hey, it's getting kind of late." Maine gestured to the clock on the stove, obviously cutting in. "you kids want me to give you a lift home or?"

"If that's your way of offering us an out of watching a domestic dispute?" Lucy asked and Maine nodded. "Count me in."

"Same." David gave a nod of his own. "Hey mom? V? Maine's heading out and offered to give us a ride home, so we're gonna delta, alright?"

"Alright mijo. Go home and get some rest." Gloria blew him a kiss, and sent a wave at Lucy and Maine. "We can talk more tomorrow, once I've knocked some sense into your father. Honestly, a car? When you're already throwing money around for my treatment." She put her hands on her hips. "Where are you even getting this money?"

"Installing Router boxes and charging security fees for maintaing them." V replied, "and that's on top of working for Arasaka."

"Somehow, I don't believe you bu-"

Maine motioned for the pair to follow him, and David didn't bother to hang around and hear the rest of his parents' argument. Instead, he followed Maine and Lucy out of the Trauma center and over to his car, thankful that testing was finally over and that he could sleep in.

If Lucy would let him.

Not that he was complaining.