"Fuck me," blurted out Kerry. "Didn't expect that."

Ava laughed nervously.

"Understandable," she said. "I didn't want you to ignore my text message so I concluded that if you see my face, you'll listen to me."

"You bet we'll listen," murmured V. Even if he was surprised or confused, not a single muscle on his face moved. "We've got lotta questions to you, Ava."

"I promise to answer to them, but not over the phone." Ava stopped smiling, her voice became high-pitched. "Can we meet in person? Today?"

Jesus, thought Kerry. He wasn't any expert when it came to reading people's moods – in fact, he had problems with naming his own feelings – but it was very clear the girl was terrified, even though she tried her best to hide it. And very desperate to meet them as soon as possible.

He took a quick glance at V but the merc's face was still like a stone mask.

"In an hour," was V's answer. "Yagami Market in Lele Park."

Ava seemed to process V's words for a second, then nodded.

"Until then, gentlemen," she said politely and hung up, not even waiting for their reactions.

Kerry's eyebrows went high as he turned to V.

"Lele Park? A fancy one, gotta say."

"This ain't no easy job, Ker," sighed V and tilted back his head while still sitting on the plastic bed. "Shit got serious, someone's just got flatlined, that girl might be next on the list. Can't just meet up in a shady dump, we'll all be safer with more people 'round."

In the morning light, V's cheeks had more colour, his face wasn't as white and lifeless as it was at Viktor's clinic. That was definitely a good sign. On the other hand… If Kerry wanted to be completely honest with himself, he would have had to admit that V looked worn out and weak, as if five years had been added to his age in just one night. He would have had to notice the tiny grimaces of pain, shaky hands or short moments of rapid breathing. Somewhere, deep inside, he knew he would have had to notice them much earlier instead of convincing himself that it's only a sign of tiredness.

But Kerry was just Kerry and he didn't want to face the truth. Not at that moment, at least, not when V had just come back from the other side.

It was still much too early to start thinking about a goodbye.

"Got it," he said quietly.

Kerry knew that V was right to choose a popular meeting spot. Of course, it was Night City, one could never be completely safe, but blending into the crowd always reduced the risk of being attacked.

The real problem was…

"You sure you wanna go there now?" asked Kerry with concern after a short moment of silence. "You look like shit, V. And I'm not gonna save your ass again, I'm too old for that. Just sayin'."

V chuckled.

"Feelin' good enough to jump into action again, Vik's a damn miracle worker. I swear, that guy's like my own personal Jesus. 'Sides…" V bit his lower lip.

"'Sides?"

"The girl… she's waitin'," he said and Kerry immediately knew that V wasn't talking about Ava.

Even though Kerry wasn't born in Night City, that neon-lit monster with its sketchy alleys, glass skyscrapers and second-rate bars was the only life he actually remembered. When his parents decided to leave the Philippines in search of a better life, he was too young to be aware of what was happening. As Kerry was growing up, though, he also grew into the city so fast and so much that before he knew it, he was madly in love with that place. Night City had never been known for letting the victims escape from its clutches, after all.

Much to his parents' despair, returning to the Philippines with them was never an option for 19-year-old Kerry. He rented a tiny apartment in Charter Hill and, after he leaned back and put his feet on the table, finally felt at home. Back then, Charter Hill was a poor district, perfect for aspiring artists like him who were so broke that they could afford only a room with an old beat-up couch and mould on the walls. Luckily, Kerry had actual talent and his career developed so fast that in 2023 he moved to a new apartment in Rancho Coronado. It wasn't any bigger, not at all, but at least he finally had a real bed. As a bonus, it was located pretty close to Caliente, so there was no excuse to not have that organic coffee and scrumptious pancakes every day.

A few months later, Kerry learned in horror that his old apartment got completely wiped out in a nuclear bomb detonation, along with the whole district. But the worst part… oh, the worst part was discovering that Johnny was behind all of that. That his best friend, blinded by a private vendetta, almost fucking killed him.

The Kerry Eurodyne of 2077, who was sitting comfortably on an expensive couch in one of the most famous bars in Lele Park, was still haunted by those memories, even though that post-apocalyptic wasteland turned into the swankiest and the cleaniest neighbourhood of NC over thirty years ago.

For the Kerry Eurodyne of 2077, Night City had a few faces and all of them at once.

"Morning, glad you came to Yagami Market!" a cheerful female voice interrupted his thoughts. "What can I get for you? We've got a special breakfast offer!"

A smiling waitress waved at the neon sign above the entrance to the bar. She seemed genuinely happy to see them having come there, and that was something very unusual in Night City, to feel welcomed so much.

Kerry glanced at V, not sure if he should order anything while they were waiting for Ava, but V nodded slightly. Yeah, a breakfast would be a good idea. It can't be as good as that one at Mama Welles' yesterday, no way, but let's give it a try.

"Dunno, what can we get here?"

The waitress, although it appeared impossible, smiled even wider and her eyes glowed.

"Oh, there's a wide variety of culinary delights!" She was speaking with a strange, Slavic accent. "We'll find something tasty for both of you. Full English breakfast? No problem! A sandwich? Sure! But don't forget about coffee. Coffee is a must. Coffee is life. And I know what I'm saying, I worked as a barista my whole life!"

Kerry raised one eyebrow. Jesus, what was wrong with people in this city? He knew he had to stop the woman before she started reciting the whole menu. Or even worse, telling the complete story of her life.

"Thanks…" He looked at the waitress' name badge. "Thanks, Emma. Think I'll go for a sandwich. And a cup of coffee, too. No milk, no sugar, thick as tar."

"Cheesecake?"

"W-what?"

"Take some cheesecake, too," she encouraged, still grinning for some reason. "Goes great with coffee. And lemme tell you, it's a cheesecake to die for!"

"I'll take it," said V, saving Kerry from his misery and smiled at him. "Sounds good. And yes, with coffee," he added, before Emma managed to say anything.

Kerry leaned back in that ridiculously shiny couch under a tree and took a deep breath, inhaling the refreshing smell of petrichor, mixed with coffee aroma. Fuck, it was still the morning and he was tired already. He really was hoping that Ava would bring them a real bomb, something that would allow to close the investigation and find Diane, safe and sound. Not that Kerry wanted to part ways with V that fast, not at all, but he could definitely use some sleep in his own bed. And a few drinks to take the edge off first.

"She's late," started V and frowned.

"Think somethin' might've happened to her?"

"Fuck, I hope not," groaned V. "Wonder why she insisted on meetin' in person so much."

"I had my reasons," said a female voice, somewhere above their heads.

It already felt very odd, to see Ava on the holocall, but in person it was even more unreal. She was a twin, Kerry knew that, but his lookalikes at Blue Velvet differed in a few details and it wasn't only a flat butt. From what he learned during the process of putting a copyright claim on his biometric data, even in the current state of cyberware technology, it was pretty difficult – and terribly expensive – to create an ideal doppelganger.

Ava, on the other hand, seemed to be a perfect copy of Diane. Kerry had seen Diane only once, in the photo provided by River, but he was sure that if he took out that picture and compared it side by side with that woman, he wouldn't be able to find any differences. The resemblance was striking. Even her cyberware seemed to be fully functional chrome, plated with real gold, not just a substitute to look like Diane's original.

The only thing that appeared different was Ava's face expression – she was clearly uneasy and kept looking around, as if she was afraid of being followed. Kerry still remembered how pissed off Diane was in the photo, disgusted even, so seeing her identical twin being so scared… just didn't feel right.

Damn, she seemed so fragile that he almost wanted to take her hand and tell her that everything would be alright.

"Glad you're already here," said Ava and sat on the couch, next to Kerry. A sweet scent of lavender reached his nostrils immediately. "I didn't want to wait alone for you."

"Bein' tailed?"

The woman made a strange noise, something between snorting and laughing. She took out an expensive looking cigarette case.

"I'm in deep shit", she said, visibly distressed, and lit one cigarette. Her golden fingers glistened in the sun. "All I had to do was to record a few BDs and leave this damn city for good. Was supposed to be basking in the sun after that job… But now, Diane is fuck knows where and..."

Ava stopped in mid-sentence, when Emma once again materialised next to them, with a big tray this time. She put their orders on the table, wished them a nice day and left in a hurry. Kerry, a bit surprised that this time Emma didn't try to talk their ears off, reached out for his food, but his hand froze in the mid-air when he saw the sandwich on a fancy plate. Well, "sandwich" was too strong a word for two very uneven slices of bread and a thin piece of something pink in between and Kerry had to admit that he hadn't seen anything looking so poor in a long time.

Lele Park seemed to still cultivate the cuisine of Charter Hill from the past, apparently.

"Tell us whatcha know and we'll help you in any way we can," said V. He chose to ignore his cheesecake which was probably the wisest thing to do. "From the beginning. How did ya meet Diane?"

Ava blew out the cigarette smoke.

"I found an ad in the darknet, maybe half a year ago. Someone was looking for a female actress for a few BDs, the money was pretty big, I got interested."

"How big?" wanted to know V.

"A hundred grand."

"For the whole job?"

"For one braindance."

Kerry whistled quietly. That much money for one BD was insane. The rules of the NUSA showbiz were surprisingly rigid and it was impossible to be almost able to buy a secondhand Aerondight with one acting fee even for the most famous stars or artists. Of course, he could buy a new Aerondight with money from just one concert, but Kerry decided to not say anything for now.

"Good cash for some BDs." V nodded. "Bet there was a catch."

"Not just one, actually," agreed Ava and pointed at her face. "But condition number one was that I had to look exactly like Diane. She paid for all surgeries and in case you're wondering – yes, this chrome is real."

"An' you didn't mind?" interrupted Kerry. He was not able to understand why anyone would agree to look like another person. "Losin' your identity, livin' as someone else?"

Ava smiled sadly.

"It's not that hard to make such a decision when you haven't achieved anything. I was a joytoy before and I wasn't even pretty enough to make a living. Now I like my reflection in the mirror, at least."

"Yeah, the ripperdoc did a preem job, you really look like Diane," said V. "You could fool anyone, includin' her husband."

"Excuse me, but what are you trying to suggest?!" she asked, irritated. "That I did something to Diane to take her place?"

"You said that." V shrugged.

At that moment Ava looked exactly like Diane in the photo taken at Dark Matter. Fear and doubt disappeared from her face and got replaced by rage, the same furious sparks kindled in her eyes. The way she bristled at V's insinuation made Kerry think that one more false move and Ava would stand up and leave.

Shit, V, what's your plan?

"That was a really low blow," snarled Ava after a long moment. "Can't say I wasn't expecting that you'd accuse me, but doing this in the first few minutes was really something. But let me make it clear for you," she added after another pause. "I'd never even think of replacing Diane. She's far too good a person to double-cross her just like that."

"You know, I've heard that for a few times already." V's voice was bored, but Kerry knew it was just a pose. "Hard to imagine such an angel would need a double for porn BDs."

Ava narrowed her eyes, as if she took that last remark personally. That's it, thought Kerry. She won't tell us anything now.

"Diane didn't do it on a whim." she said quietly and took a puff at the cigarette. "She had no other choice. If you still think I'd want to take her place and live in fear, you're not the brightest merc in Night City. And let me tell you, playing tricks on me is not very clever either." She blew the smoke out. "We're on the same side. We both want to find her."

"You gotta forgive him," intervened Kerry and glanced disapprovingly at V, who rolled his eyes in response. "V's not in a good shape today. He… had an accident."

For a short moment, Ava was looking at Kerry carefully. What was she thinking about? If she could trust those words or not?

Or maybe she recognised him?

"I… happen to know about that," she said finally. There was not a hint of satisfaction in Ava's voice, the tone of her voice was rather indifferent. "See, one of my… clients from my previous life… Well, he's an NCPD officer. You can't trust the cops in this city," she let out a short, sad laugh. "He checked this and that for me when I couldn't get in touch with Diane. Told me that the officer handed the case over to a merc. Getting your phone number was the easiest part, V." Ava threw the cigarette on the polished concrete and took a deep breath. "Like I said, when we met in person to discuss the detes, Diane told me I'd have to look like her. I didn't really care about my old face and body but… I'd be an idiot if this hadn't struck me as odd."

"You asked her 'bout that, right?" started V softly. Apparently, he decided to play the good cop now. "She didn't want to tell anything?"

"Actually… it was more like she really wanted to talk about it." Ava bit her lower lip. "Said she couldn't stand it anymore."

"But what?" encouraged her V.

"That everyone thinks she and Angelo are a perfect couple."

V frowned upon hearing those words and Kerry knew exactly why. Diane and Angelo Hayward were a perfect couple. Both V and Kerry heard it so many times yesterday that when Ava called the couple's happiness into question, it just didn't feel right. Moreover… they talked to the guy in person, just the day before. Kerry still remembered Hayward's despair and how sorry he felt for the producer. Hayward seemed genuinely worried about his wife's disappearance which was something to be expected from a loving husband.

"You thought so too, didn't you," said Ava. She sounded… disappointed? "The truth is, those BDs are a fantasy of a rich man who likes power too much. It was his idea, to… spice up their marriage," she uttered the last few words with utmost disgust.

From a loving husband, huh? Or maybe from a good actor?

"Guess there was a reason she couldn't just say 'no'," started V. He ate a spoonful of the cheesecake but the moment the cake landed into his mouth, his face expression clearly told he deeply regretted that unconscious action. "Diane seems to be a pretty independent woman," he added when he finally swallowed the cake.

"People do strange or even dangerous things for money, V." Ava smiled sadly and raised her hand to show them her expensive cyberware. She contemplated over the gold on her fingers for a second. "I know it's easy to judge if you don't have to choose between making a few BDs and divorcing your golden goose."

"We talked to Hayward yesterday and he said it was Diane's idea. A... "V hesitated," hobby, even."

Ava snorted.

"And neither of you thought that it was strange? Even for Night City?"

Kerry and V looked at each other. Of course they did find it weird, what was she thinking? People have all kinds of hobbies, Kerry personally knew a guy who liked collecting plants so much that he was sleeping on the floor in order to get even more space. And another one, who was so crazy about tattoos that when his whole body got covered, he started tattooing his bike. But true, recording porn BDs… that was a whole new level of "strange hobbies". And on top of that, there was Hayward who apparently didn't mind it at all. Kerry knew that freedom was important in a relationship – after all, he also needed it – but fuck, there were some limits. Right? He would never, ever approve of his partner disappearing for a few days to record porn and forbidding any form of contact.

If that was true love, then Kerry didn't want it.

"Hayward said he'd never think of limitin' her freedom by even messagin' her," replied V evasively.

"Of course he did!" she snapped. "Did you expect him to say 'hey, I made my wife fuck with someone else for fun'? Let me guess, he whined about how much he'd love to see her again? Maybe even started crying?"

V raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, he did. And it didn't sound to me like he was lyin'."

"Look," sighed Ava, "I'm not saying he doesn't love her. I'm pretty sure Diane… has feelings for him too. But it surely isn't a healthy relationship if she had to look for an actress to please that…" she hesitated, "man. I wouldn't trust him, if I were you."

"Think he might be involved?" pressed V.

"Don't know." Ava bit her lower lip. "Diane and I wer… are friends. She told me to stay away from him, and I see no reason to not believe her."

"If Hayward knew about you, that'd ruin her plan for sure. No wonder she didn't want you to get any closer."

"It's not only about that, V. Angelo's a powerful man and he knows he can do anything with his eddies. Diane said she didn't even want to imagine what he'd do if he discovered that she hired a twin."

Once again, Kerry exchanged glances with V. He knew that V was thinking the same – what if Angelo Hayward found out what was his wife's plan? What would he be capable of?

"You said you got someone at NCPD," started V. "Then you probably know who reported Diane's missing and why."

"Mhm." Ava nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did that on purpose. To throw suspicion off him."

"You realise you're accusin' him now, right?"

The fire in Ava's eyes lit up again, for a millisecond only.

"I'm just saying it's possible, V," she replied dryly. "I'm probably the only person now who can tell you that there are scratches on Angelo Hayward's perfect image."

Upon hearing those words, something in the back of Kerry's head reminded him again how difficult it was to believe that Hayward would be able to hurt Diane, but he decided to ignore the voice. Now they at least had a lead they were looking for.

"You may be in danger, Ava." V's voice became serious. "Whoever got to Diane, might know about you too. Got a place to lie low for now?"

"I wanted to leave the city for good after this meeting."

"Would be a good idea, but I must ask you to stay in NC for now," said V and looked into Ava's eyes. "We need ya here, just in case. For just a lil' longer. We all want to save Diane."

Kerry knew that V was so deep into the case, so determined to find Diane that he would do anything to solve that mystery. If it meant protecting Ava personally, he would not hesitate to do that too. Even if it was about blowing up a truck with music equipment, V still treated it seriously.

Yeah, he was probably one of the best people that could get this case.

"You got some nerves, man," sighed Ava. "First you tell me that I might be in danger and then ask me to stay in the city? But fine. Fine. There is one safe place I know. I'll hole up there and wait, but I'm doing it only for her."

"Need a ride?"

"No." Ava stood up and brushed her hair back. "I'll call a Del. If there's one thing this city does well, it's the existence of an armoured cab."

Her dark eyes glowed bright blue for a second. So she had the premium membership, thought Kerry. Normally, the service required an actual phone call and sending coordinates, but the VIPs needed only to connect with the web and just use one command. He had to agree with Ava, that it was a very comfortable option, but also rather expensive.

"There it is," she said. "I'll be waiting for any info, V. I hope you'll find that motherfucker who kidnapped her. Would be awesome if I could say goodbye before leaving."

Kerry stared after Ava for a moment, as she was walking up the stairs. She was visibly relaxed after that talk, her movements were no longer nervous, but soft, almost cat-like. Ava's rapidly changing moods somehow reminded Kerry of Hayward but still, seeing her less afraid made him feel better and more confident. He turned his head to V but then he noticed that V was looking at Ava too.

V's eyes, however, were glowing blue.

"Whatcha doin'?"

V didn't answer immediately. He was still staring at the woman silhouette in the distance and stopped only when it disappeared from view.

"Scannin'," replied V finally and his eyes turned red again. He was frowning, which worried Kerry. "You believe that 'Ava' is her real name?"

"Well," started Kerry, "now that you said it… it's pretty obvious she's usin' a fake name."

"Yeah. So I tried to find out what was her real name, but…" V pointed at his right eye. "Turns out her data is protected. Even my Kiroshi can't read it."

Now it was Kerry who frowned.

"What does it mean?"

"You tell me." V started tapping his fingers on the table.

Kerry's eyes followed V's hand. It was slightly shaking and even though Kerry really wanted to pretend he couldn't see that, those little, uncontrollable movements were the only thing his mind was able to focus on. With effort, he tore his gaze away from V's fingers and noticed a trail of ants wandering on the surface of the table and disappearing in the sugar bowl, full of synthetic sweetener. It didn't escape his attention that the insects completely ignored the food which was still on the table and at that moment Kerry was glad he didn't even take a bite of that expensive, yet unappetizingly looking sandwich.

Expensive, huh.

"Seems Diane spared no money on her," said Kerry after a moment. "It costs lotta eddies to get a private profile. Like, lotta," he emphasised the last word. "Only the rich can afford that."

"Really? So tell me, Ker," V smirked and his eyes glowed bright blue again, "why don't you have it?"

"I'm a fuckin' rockstar, V." Kerry shrugged. "People know everything about me anyway."

"Vandalism, disorderly conduct, engaging in lew…"

"Everything," interrupted Kerry dryly. "Just open any fanpage and it's all there. With exact dates and sometimes with pics, even."

"Shit, I'm sorry, Ker," said V quickly. The optics went back to red. "Shouldn't have done that, it was idiotic to read you like that."

"You had a perfect chance to blame Johnny and you missed it, man," joked Kerry. He never knew how to accept apologies. "So, what's the plan now? We really goin' to meet Hayward again and get some dirt on him?"

"Nah." V stood up. "We're not gonna meet him this time."