The Glits the Glamour.
The beating music, the shining colorful lights, the booths being cluttered by people all looking for a good time.
This was Lizzy's bar as the dance floor was crowded and drinks were raised to the sound of the beat.
While some were getting in the seats.
And while some people were having the time of their lives.
Rich was celibate to the atmosphere for he had seen it all before and pushed to its extreme.
The scantly dressed people doing exotic and sexually driven dances getting lost in the moment while spilling their drinks on the floor.
The place reeked of Alcohol and Sex.
This was indeed a commonality of Night City, one that to him felt innocent for the most part.
At least there wasn't any fights going on or shoot outs taking place in the middle of the dance floor, in Maelstrom a party could never just be just a couple shots and dances there just needed to be the blood of are own and decapitated bodies of rookies to fill the void.
Rich made a move for the bar as there was one bar stool left as people were still taken with the club atmosphere.
He successfully captured the seat at the bar.
Damn, it had been a real long while since he had been to a real bar, even the Totentanz.
He's forgotten how to properly start a conversation with people that weren't patients or newbies or even victims.
He was used to young guns aiming for the top and having no idea what they were in for because age and experience was the razor that made legends in NC but also pushed them toward an early grave.
Having dreams in Night City spelt Death, and most Merc's didn't care for it as long as they went out in a blaze of glory.
Not realizing only so many people will remember them and what they did but even those people will be lost to time and with those people goes the young dumb merc's burning ambitions.
Only those that can see through the Night City Dream can actually live to see the fruits of they're success.
"Hey, is there anything I can get you" said the Bartender which completely sent Rich to look like a goof.
As he got caught in his thoughts, shit.
"Uh yes, I don't know if you still serve it but I'll have Lizzy's Golden Shower" spoke Rich hoping he wouldn't get the fatal (Sorry Pal don't serve it anymore, what else can I get ya) when he came here for only one God damn thing.
"Sure, coming right up" said the Bartender as he went to get the ingredients necessary as the Bartender got badgerd on by other party goers for they're own drinks.
Rich was over the moon that they still had it.
The last time he had the drink was well, forever ago, it was little bit after he joined up with Maelstrom that he had been to Lizzy's Bar.
And he had never been back.
To Rich it felt like yesterday as he remembered what he looked like back then.
He had only 3 Inplants at the time, a Ballistic Coprocessor, illegal modded out Kiroshi Optics MK.2, and pair of Syn-Lungs.
Now he was all fucked up with Implants.
Kiroshi Optics MK.3
Self-ICE
Mechatronic Core
Limbic System Enhancement
Adrenaline Booster
Biomonitor
Cataresist
Pain Editor
Inductor
Syn-lunge
Second Heart
Krenzikov
Nanorelays
Reflex Tuner
Fireproof Coating
Subdermal Armor
Tetratonic Rippler Mk.4
Microrotors
Projectile Launch System
Titanium Bones
Ballistic Coprocessor
Reinforced Tendons
Years upon years of service in Maelstrom demanded him get so much work done on him because without half of these Implants he would have been dead long ago.
That was the reality of Night City, the longer you stay the more you lose pieces of who you are.
"Hey, on your order, It might take a bit, you don't mind the wait" spoke the Bartender as Rich had watched this guy go up and down making drinks like a man possessed.
"Na, take as much time as you need" said Rich as he wasn't in a rush.
He was to busy reminiscing about the past.
And slowly falling to depression due to the present.
How did shit end up like this.
There used to be a code to this shit, and as time went on Maelstrom had changed.
Or...
Was Maelstrom always this way.
A realization bugging him was that.
Had He Changed?
Was he the problem?
Had he gone soft?
The Probability was there he couldn't deny that.
His mind going to the Information Dum Dum had given him earlier today.
Would the situation between Royce and Patricia force him into a situation he wouldn't be able to come back from.
Rich didn't know what to do, what to think of it all.
He had been strapped to All Food for 3 to 4 years now and that had been his life.
What would happen if that life suddenly was wiped.
Would he go back to working jobs on the streets, would he go back to organizing and planning his own jobs.
Would they kill him, probably.
Damn it all.
Years of his life given to Maelstrom, the tragedy of watching friends old and new getting put in the ground, living, surving to see all that just to be put out because of someone else's ambitions.
Fuck that.
He had done too much, seen so much just to let it be put out because Patricia and Royce can't keep they're fucking cool.
No, if it came down to it, he would do what needed to be done.
But that doesn't mean he wanted things to come to that.
There is a probability that he's just over thinking things and when everything is said and done that he would remain in the same position.
What was he kidding, Royce is too unpredictable for things to just turn out Ok in the end.
That isn't how Maelstrom works.
Not even under Brick.
"Hey sorry for the wait, Enjoy" spoke the Bartender as he put down a slender glass of Lemonade.
"Thanks" spoke Rich as he was the only one in a BD Bar Club to be drinking Pure Lemonade and Not Enjoying himself at all.
"For a man who tries to forget, can never escape."
To Be Continued.