Gunshots and screams. That's how her descent into dreams always started. Everything always seen so clearly, though nothing really had a defined shape. She would be running down a long, empty hallway, chased by monsters with no form. She would never look back, only forward or to the side. Forward was always the same view of the gray walls, dotted here and there with florescent lights on the ceiling or set into the walls themselves. The only illumination afforded to them as they ran. To the side, she'd see her friends as they ran beside her. Sometimes their faces were in perfect focus, while other times they were featureless and undefined. One by one, she would hear their cries as they died beside her. Each one cut down by the bullets fired in the unseen darkness behind them.
Every time she had this dream, she would just keep running until she grew exhausted and fell. Sometimes the gray tiles of the floor enveloped her as she struck them, while other times a shadow would descend over her fallen form.
This time however, there was something new to the dream.
An end to the long hallway.
It was just a bright rectangle of white light that swallowed up the gray of the hallway, but it clearly marked where it ended. A true manifestation of the light at the end of the tunnel. This might have been an inviting sight, if it wasn't for the fact that it was where something just as terrifying as what was behind her stood. Just watching and waiting for her to get close. Whatever parts of her mind and body that were aware of this tried to stop, to slow down, to change direction, or even turn around and run back. In the end, she found herself standing before the monster at the end of the hall.
"Don't move." It said to her, and she obeyed. "Wouldn't want you to lose that pretty little head of yours."
She gasped, now feeling the collar around her neck. Made of death, pain, and promises of misery, it connected to a chain that lead back down the hall. All someone had to do was pull...
The monster solidified, taking the form of a man in a suit. A man who wrapped the thing called its hands around her throat and squeezed. She screamed. A cry of pain, of fear with no sound...And no witnesses.
That's when Lucy woke from her slumber; her heartbeat now a thundering staccato accompanied by sweat dripping from her skin that left her clothes and sheets soaked. She regained just enough lucidity to realize she was in her apartment before the nausea struck. Kicking off her blanket, she managed to make it to the toilet just in time to expel what remained of the bottle of Bolshevik Vodka and quadruple dose of pills that she had needed to sleep. The stress of feeling she had run a marathon in her sleep only adding to the desire of her body to purge itself.
The first heave was a torrent of pain that rivaled the phantom pain of the dream. Throat burning and muscles cramping as they desperately worked to expel the poisons in her system. She groaned, one hand pushing her hair back while the other supported her hunched over form. Blindly, she pawed for the button to flush the toilet, feeling another round of nausea building.
The second wave struck, weaker than the first round, but still enough to where she felt something pop in her back as more toxins found their egress. The pain in her back was enough of a distraction that her body allowed her a moment's rest, before the third wave rocked her body.
This one was as powerful as the second, though all she had left in her system at this point was bile. Letting out a groan and closing her eyes, she slumped to the floor and let out the tiniest moan of relief. The cold floor her only comfort at the moment, the coolness of the tiles the only thing she felt that wasn't unpleasant to the touch.
Lucy lay there for what felt like hours. The cold sapping the heat from her body as the ambient noise outside her apartment soothed her other senses. She finally opened her eyes again, breath hitching as she saw the tiles. Except these ones were colored a warm and vibrant gold, not a cold and lifeless gray. They matched nicely with the faded tan walls and soft overhead lighting, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.
"I'm okay." She told herself, voice hoarse and soft as she shifted into a sitting fetal position. "I'm free. I'm safe."
The white-haired girl couldn't remember where or when she had adopted those words, but it was a mantra that always helped her find solace in her current situation.
"I'm okay. I'm free. I'm safe." She repeated, hands gently rubbing her arms in a pathetic attempt to restore some lost warmth.
"I'm okay. I'm free. I'm safe." Her heart rate finally started to slow, allowing her to take deeper breaths than she had been.
"I'm okay. I'm free. I'm safe." Her nerves started to settle, along with her stomach. Still not trusting her legs to support her, Lucy dragged herself the short distance to the counter top sink. Reaching up, she pulled down the small wash cloth to rest on the side. Still repeating her mantra, she gently wiped away the sweat she could feel sticking to her face. Her recital continued, voice just that much louder to scare away the memory of V's touch as she gently dabbed at the sweat on her neck.
"I'm okay." Lucy reached back up to the sink, intending to use it as a support to get back on her feet.
"I'm free." She wobbled to her feet, hands still firmly gripping the counter to help take some of her weight.
"I'm safe." Right as the final words left her mouth, a gunshot roared out from the street outside, more soon accompanying it. Every so often it was punctuated by the unintelligible shouting of Sixth Street and Valentino gangoons picking another pointless fight with each other.
What little strength she had regained in her legs drained away as the sounds triggered her memories. It was only the support of her arms that kept her upright and over the basin of the sink as another round of stress-induced vomiting overtook her. Tears started flowing freely, and Lucy found it impossible to keep them back any longer as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her arms gave up the fight then, body soon following her tears as they fell to the floor. Letting out an anguished cry, she once more curled up into a ball.
"Forgive me," she begged her friends. Not to their ghosts, but to their memories. "I'm sorry."
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Following her panic attack, Lucy had directed the remaining energy from her restlessness at the nightmare to cleaning up her bathroom. Once that rush had worn off, Lucy knew she should remain up, and stay active. Basically do anything that would help occupy her mind and keep the dark thoughts away. But lacking the energy, she simply climbed back into bed and wrapper herself up in a blanket. Reaching to her side, she picked up one of the magazines to rest there and began to leaf through it. Her eyes skimmed over words, stared at pictures, but didn't really retain any of what she was reading. Coming to an article about the latest advancements in business technology, what little interest she had in reading faded, and the magazine was unceremoniously dropped to the floor.
Sighing, she let her head hit the pillow and buried herself in the blanket, deciding on the poor option of trying to take a nap and regain some level of functionality. That option was quickly discarded after a few minutes when the edge of the blanket brushed against her neck. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, gasping for breath. She didn't have the urge to vomit this time, but her movements did leave her with a headache. Groaning, she struggled to her feet and moved to her little kitchen where she knocked back a couple painkillers with a swig of vodka. The girl knew it wasn't the best idea, but at this point she didn't exactly care. Anything that could bring about a little relief would be welcomed with open arms.
"Fuck, I need help." Mentally, she cursed herself as she moved over to her couch and sat heavily. Her eyes fell on another small collection of magazines on her coffee table, one of them a travel magazine with a section dedicated to getaways with your friends. Seeing those words, and deciding to take her own advice, she made a call.
["Hey Kiwi, you got a few?"]
["Sure, what do you need?"]
["I...had another nightmare last night...and this morning."]
["The Arasaka one again?"]
["Yeah, except something was different about it this time."] She took a deep breath and skimmed over the details of the recurring nightmare that Kiwi had heard a dozen times before. ["This time, when I got to the end of the hallway...V was waiting for me. Hand outstretched to grab me the minute I was in range. I had a collar around my neck, but still could feel his hand. He squeezed and I screamed before I woke up."]
["Lucy, did you take your 'sleepy time cocktail' again?"] There was no judgment in Kiwi's tone, instead it was loaded with inquisitive compassion.
["Is that what we're calling it now?"] No reply came from her fellow netrunner. ["And yeah. Can't sleep otherwise. The pills don't do it on their own anymore, and neither does the booze."]
["I would argue that you've built up a resistance to them, but I think we both know that's a lie."] She heard Kiwi take a deep breath. ["You coughed it all up this morning, didn't you?"]
["Like usual. Don't think it helped that I took a quadruple dose either."]
["You trying to make yourself sleep forever?"] There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that if Kiwi's mouth was capable of doing so, it would be on the floor with that revelation.
["No, but. I mean..."] Lucy's smile was pained, ["V just stressed me out so much...And now we're going to be working with him? What if he figures out who I am? What if he tries to take me back to 'saka?"]
["Lucy, calm down. Something tells me he's got bigger things to deal with than one Arasaka runaway. You saw how defensive he got at the thought of Arasaka getting their hands on Gloria and the kid despite his 'family drama'."]
["My phonics processor heard the quotes on that..."]
["Well, it's true. Look at how he charged in to save the kid when you guys tried to scrap him."] She heard Kiwi light up a cigarette. ["And I suspect he'd level half a city block just because someone on it upset Gloria."]
["Could just be his way of protecting his assets."]
["Call it what you will, but isn't protecting an asset just the corporate way of caring for something?"]
Lucy didn't have a response. She knew it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that some suits did actually have people they cared about. But the thought of someone like V genuinely wanting to keep his family safe?
["To me, it seems like V actually does care for Gloria and her boy. I mean, why else jump through all these hoops to keep the kid out of Arasaka's hands?"]
["I don't know? Less corpo bullshit to deal with if he does?"]
["I think Becca put it best; Suits can't take a shit without their boss' permission."] Lucy could just see Kiwi tilting her head to the side, eyes slightly narrowed in amusement.
She rolled her own eyes, pained smile now replaced with a slightly more amused one. ["Why can't you be this talkative in person?"]
["I have my reasons."] Lucy felt the smile in Kiwi's eyes. ["Seriously though, like he said, he doesn't want Gloria wrapped up in all this. Or the kid to end up being a lab rat for 'Saka. And if I'm correct, he's also going to do his best to keep both of them happy and content as much as he can."]
["So? What does that have to do with me and my issues with V and Arasaka."]
Lucy should have realized that the intake of breath from the other side was the warning siren for the impending bombshell idea Kiwi thought of.
["Why don't you just seduce his kid?"]
["W-what?! Have you fried your brain?!"] Lucy blinked, eyes wide and jaw somewhere on the floor of her apartment.
["Think about it. If he's legit about Gloria's boy, then wouldn't the best way to keep him from bringing you in is being attached to his boy or Gloria too?"] There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that Kiwi's eyes were bright with amusement.
["You're serious? I'm not gonna play joytoy for some brat just to keep Arasaka away!"]
["Joytoy? You think he's only after some T&A? Have you seen the puppy eyes he sends you when he thinks you're not lookin?"]
["I-I don't know what you're talkin about!"] She spat, eyes narrowing at her unseen contact. Sure, she had caught David looking at her a few times during yesterdays negotiations, but he was just curious right? It didn't mean anything, right?"
["I know you're probably feeling guilty for feeding him to Maine, but think about it, that's a perfect in for this. Take him out on a 'sorry' date, charm him, make him yours. Then win over his mom. As long as the Martinez family love you, the suit won't touch you so he can keep his family happy with him."]
["I hate it when you make sense..."] Lucy sighed at her fellow netrunner, head held in one hand and bowed low in defeat.
["So, what's the error then?"]
["It just feels so dirty."] Idly, she scratched at her scalp, hand moving in the same motion as if she was washing her hair.
["For someone so bitter about life, you are really innocent about the mushiest things."]
["S-shut up!"] Lucy crossed her arms. ["Is it so wrong to want something in life to stay untainted?"]
["Nothing is pure in Night City. Besides just because you start it with a dirty idea doesn't mean you can't make it into something nice and clean."]
["I can't tell if you're trying to be a voice of reason or just an evil temptress."]
["A little of column A, a bit of column B."] A tiny snort escaped Lucy at that. ["I figure more of us should be getting laid besides just Dorio and Maine. With Becca its funny because she just makes every guy she takes a swing at uncomfortable. Pillar is addicted to that pussy box he thinks none of us know about. And I don't know about you, but I could use a good fuck that I didn't have to pay for or regret afterwards."]
["I-I... Just... I mean."] Lucy could feel the heat radiating off her face.
["Wow, I don't even have to be there to visualize how red you are. You sure you're not a cherry too? Make it even more special for David?"]
["S-shut up! I doubt he's a virgin!"]
["Oh that is precious!"] She heard Kiwi coo. ["That's what you catch on to? I guess my idea really caught on then."]
["Don't make me fry you."]
["KK. I get it, no more teasing."] Kiwi's voice had returned to its more serious tones. ["Anyhow, I'll be honest and admit that after we were done dealing with V yesterday...I took the liberty of probing into the deals as much as I could without pissing Arasaka off."]
["And you didn't think to tell me that FIRST?"]
["You didn't quite give me a chance. Anyways, asked around and everything I could find seems to be legit about the deal. Far as I can tell, V already commissioned some of our requested gear, no questions asked. No flags raised, or alarms triggered."]
["Meaning?"]
["Meaning that V might be a goddamn unicorn and actually be a honest suit."] Lucy expected to hear a chuckle, a snort, even a breathy hum to indicate some form of jesting or another. Instead, she was met with the silence that usually accompanied any serious statement of Kiwi's.
["Maybe, but I still don't trust him."]
["I don't either, but again. Maybe if we can keep his family happy, we can keep him happy."] There was another pause on Kiwi's end, a muttered curse coming over the comms. ["And shit, hate to say it but I've got to delta and pick up another call."]
["That's fine, I should probably get going anyways. Finish cleaning up and whatnot."]
["Just don't overexert yourself. And think about what I said. And call me if you need anything, alright?"]
["Will do. Later."]
["Later.] Kiwi disconnected the call, and Lucy let out a sigh. She had to admit, Kiwi's idea did have some merit. David didn't seem all too happy yesterday to be around V himself. Lucy didn't know the full history between the father and son pair, but what little she had seen of the dynamic gave her hope that, at the very least, she might be able to sway David to her side. The fact that David was cute also served as a nice bonus.
"Wait, what am I saying!?" She rubbed her hands on her head, trying to scrub away the thought. Her eyes caught sight of the discarded package that held the BD trip she had shown him. True to Kiwi's assessment, a small pang of guilt hit her as she picked up the package and threw it in the trash. She let out a sigh, recalling David smiling and laughing as they played around on the virtual moon. A pleasant memory before the darker side of what she had done started to taint it. Catching sight of a small stain on her floor, Lucy let out another sigh as the apartment suddenly felt just a little too small.
Deciding to finish cleaning later, she threw on a fresh set of clothes and stepped out for some fresh air.
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Lucy let out a small sigh as she stopped and leaned against a nearby street lamp, deciding where she should go next. She had left her apartment with no particular destination in mind, opting instead to just walk around and stop off here and there to look at large store display windows or small street-side vendor stalls. Or at whatever else might catch her attention. Much as she had told David that Night City could feel stuffy or suffocating at times to her, right now the city felt wide open.
That didn't stop her from being on alert though. Lucy's eyes never stopped scanning her surroundings, nor did she ever fully relax. She recalled how quickly Jackie had appeared after the ambulance incident, and wondered if the man was anywhere nearby. Had he only been tasked with following David? Hot on the heels of that thought came the memory of how quickly V had appeared at her place and suddenly the city seemed to close in on her just slightly.
She looked around, mostly seeing the usual assortment of vagrants, gang members, street walkers and just once in awhile, a Corpo suit. While she knew they were probably just ordinary men and women going about their business, and that a suit didn't necessarily mean Arasaka...It didn't stop her from conveniently needing to step into a nearby store. Or cross to the other side of the street at first chance. Or to change her route entirely, just to put that much more distance between her and a suit.
"There's being on guard, then there's being paranoid." She heard a piece of advice Maine had given her in the early days of working with him. A time when she was constantly on edge and couldn't seem to relax. Maine, Kiwi and the others had helped her through it, and she found herself able to relax when she was with them over time.
"You're right." She agreed with the memory, remaining with her face pressed to a display window as two businessmen approached. Her eyes watched them pass in the reflection, neither one of them even seeming to realize she was there. She took a step back, eyes flicking down the street in time to see the two of them turn a corner. Not seeing any other people in similar attire, she checked which store she had been 'window shopping' at, and smiled when it turned out to be one of the many Stylishly store chains. She looked down at the clothes she had thrown on, seeing now they were some of the oldest pieces that she owned."Eh sure, why not?"
She stepped into the store, smiling at the wide selection of different styles and outfits to meet her eyes. Aside from the clerk at the register, there was only two or three other customers in the store. A catchy but peaceful tune played softly over the PA system, Maybe it was just a corporate excuse designed to sell more, but Lucy was almost willing to accept the idea of 'retail therapy' given the relaxed atmosphere. She took her time browsing, checking out everything from shirts to leggings, skirts and dressed, even socks.
She stood before one of the floor length mirrors in the main part of the store, holding up various items of clothing to her figure. Sure, she could actually try them on in one of the dressing rooms, but she figured she'd save that until she had put together an outfit she liked. Or found something that would match to what she already had in her closet back at the apartment. Or figured out what she actually needed to buy as opposed to wanted.
She spent the better part of an hour at the store, eventually deciding on a couple of tops and a pair of black leggings. A tiny smile was on her face as she made her way towards the cashier, attention focused on the clothes in her arms, thoughts still on possible combinations of old and new clothing. Lucy was so focused that she didn't notice the person waiting in line in front of her, and she walked right into their back. Startled, they took a step back, throwing Lucy off balance. She landed with a light thud on her backside, clothing in a small pile before her. Closing her eyes, as if that would hide her embarrassment, she moved to a sitting position.
"Excuse you." A man's voice met her ears, slightly gruff with just a hint of authority. "You good?"
"Ah, sorry." The white-haired girl frowned, eyes opening at the question. "And I'm-"
She froze, a man in a suit stood before her, one hand outstretched and opened towards her. A rational minded person would have recognized the gesture for what it was, an offering of assistance so she could get back on her feet.
Lucy's train of thought was anything but rational in that moment, mind and eyes only seeing a dark-haired man in a suit, the outstretched hand. It was just like the nightmare, except Lucy knew she was wide awake. She coughed, breathing becoming erratic as the suit took a single step towards her, hand still outstretched. She could see his mouth moving and could hear words coming from it, but couldn't understand. Still on the floor, Lucy started to scuttle backwards towards the door.
"Don't move." The man in the suit cautioned, eyes following her, hand still outstretched and growing closer. "Wouldn't want you to-"
Full panic kicked in then, and Lucy's flight response took over. Letting out as much of a scream as her panicked breaths would allow, she twisted her body and clawed her way back onto her feet and sprinted out the door. Behind her, she could hear yelling from different people, but didn't look back. All she knew was that she had to get as far away as she could as fast as possible. Her eyes didn't see faces, or details of what people were wearing clearly, but anytime she saw the tell-tale shape of a business suit, she deliberately sprinted to the other side of the street or ducked down the nearest alleyway to avoid them.
Her feet took her father from the city's center, and after narrowly avoiding colliding with another suit, Lucy found a small haven in the form of a storage lot. The place seemed abandoned, the only sign that people still came here the sheen on the winches of the garage-style doors. And the non-rusted faces of the locks on the metal storage crates that also occupied parts of the lot. She ducked in between two of the crates, the gap just wide enough to allow her to stretch her legs out fully as she leaned against one and slowly slid towards the ground, trying to get her breathing back under control.
"Focus on things you can see. Count them." She heard the advice someone had once given her one of the last times she had a panic attack. She was about to take the advice when her holo went active, the sound making her scream a second before she noticed the name of the person calling her.
["Becca!?"] Lucy's eyes went wide, heart still hammering away in her chest. A million things flashed through her mind as to why the girl was calling her now. Did the suit scan her holo records and go after the crew? Did Becca escape from him? Was Becca being coerced into calling her? Was she-
["Hey Luuuuuuuucccyyyyyyy! I need a favor from my favorite netrunner! Someone's beatin' my score in Roach Race again and I don't recognize the handle. Only you or Kiwi use those dorky nerd names, so who was it?"]
If she wasn't in the middle of a panic attack, Lucy probably would have cried tears of joy at her answer. As things stood however, the netrunner had bigger problems to deal with.
["N-n-not n-n-now B-b-becca!"]
["Holy shit Lucy! You sound bad! Are you okay?"]
["S-scared. H-hiding."] Lucy pulled her legs to her chest, arms wrapping protectively around her.
["Shit! Do I need to get the crew? Pillar and me can be there in a heartbeat! Send me your location ASAP!"] Lucy swore she heard the chunk-clink of a shotgun being cocked come over the holo.
["N-n-no! It's not that bad!"] She didn't want anyone else nearby, just in case the suits were around.
["Girl you sound like you're having a major panic attack! The fuck you mean it's not that bad?!"]
["I w-wasn't a-attacked. R-ran into a s-suit. Startled me."]
["Good. I mean, not good that you got startled, but good that you weren't attacked."] Becca sighed, ["Hate to think of what we'd do to the guy that hurts you. Actually, scratch that. It's fun to think of the things we'd do to any assholes that would hurt you."]
Lucy could almost appreciate Becca's caring bluntness and the slight shift in subject, her breathing starting to stabilize.
["Whose we?"]
{"Me, Pilar, Maine, Dorio, Falco, Kiwi..."] This time the netrunner was able to confirm the sound of a shotgun being loaded. ["Oh, and Guts too...Can't forget you, can I baby?"]
["Becca, it's a shotgun."] Lucy's breath momentarily hitched as an involuntary hiccup of a laugh escaped her. She couldn't explain why, but her mind conjured up an image of Becca hugging the green and pink shotgun to her chest as a mother cradles an infant.
["I heard that..."] Once more, she felt a playful pout through their communications. ["Guts is just as much a part of the crew as Edgerunner herself is. You better apologize for laughing at him next time you see him."]
It was stupid. It was childish. And was exactly what Lucy needed to help her relax. Another hiccup laugh escaped her as Becca continued to praise her gun over the phone. The more Lucy listened, and occasionally offered back some comment of her own, the more the white-haired girl found herself calming down until her breathing and heart rate had returned to normal. Becca seemed to pick up on this too, because after telling Guts to 'go play', which was accompanied by a faint thud as the gun was thrown aside. The other girl shifted gears and turned the conversation back towards their original subject.
["Feeling better?"]
["Y-yeah. I'm...Not exactly better but..."] She let out a long sigh, one hand searching her pockets for a cigarette to further relax with. Not finding one, she let out a tiny grunt. ["Functioning, at least."]
["I get it. Say, you need one of us to come pick you up? Or join you for the walk you home?"] Lucy finally got to her feet, legs sore from running and from her being curled up for so long. Briefly, she debating accepting the offer, but the thought of having to be around people, even friends, after what happened didn't seem appealing.
["Thanks, but I'm good. Need to stretch my legs."] She rubbed at her left calf. ["Don't recommend wedging yourself between storage crates. Then again, you might not have as much of a problem with it."]
["What's that supposed to mean?"] Lucy smiled, imagining Becca giving her the stink eye she gave everyone anytime they directly or indirectly commented on her height.
["That you have shorter legs than me."]
The netrunner heard the fight leave her friend. ["I...Can't argue that."]
["Just stating facts."] Lucy paused just shy of leaving the cover of the crates, still on alert. She looked around, making sure the coast was still clear before stepping out from between them. ["Alright, think I'm good. Starting to walk home now."]
["I know you didn't want a ride, but do you want me to stay on the holo with you?"]
["Actually..."] She had been ready to bid Becca goodbye, walk home in silence and fully on alert. But hearing the level of care in her voice? ["Yeah, that would be nice."]
["Great! And this way if something does happen, we've got a fast response system."] A laugh came over the holo that made Lucy smile as she started her walk home. ["Now, back to the reason I called you in the first place. DID YOU BEAT MY ROACH RACE SCORE!?"]
["No, I haven't played in like, a week now. Must have been Kiwi."] Lucy kept her voice level, hoping the smile on her face hadn't bled into her voice. A tiny laugh escaped her at the string of profanities and curses to leave Becca's mouth as the shorty declared her revenge. Much as Lucy would have preferred a quiet walk, she had to admit Becca's ranting did serve to make it more interesting. It also helped to keep her grounded as she moved through the streets, no longer feeling as much of an urge to run just because someone was wearing a suit.
["Alright, just made it to my apartment. Think I'm gonna let you go for now. Maybe take a nap, have something to eat."]
["You do that. I'm gonna go get my high score back. Oh, and Lucy? Don't be afraid to call if you need anything, alright?"]
["Sure, thanks Becca. Catch you later."] Lucy gave a nod as Becca bid her goodbye and ended the call. Moving to her door, Lucy let out a sigh as she fought with the door a moment. Sure it still opened, closed and locked, but ever since V's 'visit', it didn't work as smoothly as it once had. Closing and locking it behind her, she kicked off her shoes, picked up the nearest bottle of alcohol and took a long drink before sitting on her couch. Spying a bottle of sleeping pills just in arms reach, she took the recommended dose and chased it down with another swig from her bottle. Snuggling into the cushions, Lucy closed her eyes, hoping to sneak in a nightmare free nap.
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Waking from her nap, which had been restless but free of nightmares, Lucy found her stomach growling in protest of having only been fed alcohol and pills for most of the day. Taking a moment to stretch and pop her back, she shuffled into her kitchen and started browsing for something to cook. Taking a package of RaMMMMMen, she started it cooking before tossing in a couple pieces of Slaughterhouse Jerky. When it was nearly finished cooking, she tossed in a little Orgiatic Salsa Agave to give it some spice and extra flavor. Pouring it into a bowl, she moved back to her couch and took a bite. It didn't have the best flavor, and sort of smelled like someone might have already eaten it. It wasn't the best meal she could have made, but Lucy was in no mood to pretend to be a gourmet chef.
She was just about to get up and get something to drink when she got an alert about an incoming call. Maine's name showed on the holo, and she let out a sigh as she connected to the call.
["Lucy? How you feeling?"] Maine's voice sounded softer than usual. ["Heard you been outta it."]
["I see Becca's been talking."] A tiny snort escaped her. Of course she should have known Becca wouldn't keep quiet about the day's events.
["She's worried about you. We all are. Says you've been stressing out over everything the last day or so."]
["Don't worry about it. I'm a big girl."] She smiled, though the words didn't have a lot of conviction behind them. ["Besides, you know I struggle a bit when meeting new people..."]
["Lucy..."] She could tell Maine wasn't quite buying her answer.
["What? We've met quite a few in the last day or so."]
["You know that's not quite what I'm referring to. Look, you never told us all the detes between you and Arasaka. I figured it was your own biz, and was fine with you keeping it to yourself. Now, given the current situation...If you wanna keep away from the suit, I understand."]
At that, Lucy hesitated. She knew nobody would mind if she took a backseat in their latest deal, and here was Maine even giving her the option. Tempting as the offer was however, she couldn't bring herself to let the rest of the crew take the burden she had inadvertently brought on them. After all, if she hadn't found David, they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.
["I... I can handle it."] She sighed, one hand combing through her hair as she answered. Her line of thought being that since she had been able to handle being near V when they first met to negotiate the terms of their agreement...That she could do it again. ["Just don't leave me alone with him and there won't be a problem."]
["Are you sure?"] Lucy was certain Maine's eyebrows were somewhere near his hairline. ["Reason I ask is because the suit has already called for a meet-up. If you think for a milisec that you can't deal, I'll make an excuse for your no show."] Lucy could just see Maine cracking his knuckles.
["No. No. You can't show weakness to Arasaka."] She shook her head, remembering her earlier encounter. Nothing about the suit at the clothing shop screamed Arasaka, yet she had still freaked out. Turned and ran away with her tail between her legs in a show of fear and weakness. It was hypocritical advice, and she knew it.
["Fine. Just let us know if you lose your nerve."]
["What's the suit calling us up for anyways?"] She choked down another bite of her meal as Maine let out an amused huff.
["He says he got the supplies. Three Thorton Colbys - "Little Mule" model. Each one loaded with all manner of guns and bullets to match."]
["Oh. Great."] There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that Becca and Pilar had probably cheered and jumped around like children at the news. Lucy however couldn't bring herself to seem excited at the prospect. ["So, when and where's this meet up?"]
["Early tomorrow morning."] She both heard and felt the sigh to come from Maine. ["Says we're meeting him for the drop at Dakota's Garage. Neutral ground for both sides and enough space to accommodate everything and everyone with little to no suspicion."]
["W-whose everyone?"] Lucy couldn't keep the small tremor out of her voice as she moved back to her kitchen and grabbed one of the remaining bottles of Bolshevik Vodka. Cracking it open, she took a quick swallow before returning to the couch.
["Full crew for us, with Falco bringing the Edgerunner and I'm bringin' the Quadra if we need a little extra speed."] She heard him laugh, ["and Pilar and Becca have already called dibs on you riding with them in one of the Colby's later if you do come along."]
Lucy couldn't help the tiny laugh to escape her at the siblings demand. ["Of course they would...Say, do you know who V's bringing?"]
["My understanding is that it's just V, Jackie, and the kid."] A small grunt escaped Maine. ["Really starting to wonder if that suit has anyone else on his team besides them and us."]
The netrunner gave a hum in answer, mind flying back to her conversation with Kiwi earlier in the day. David being there would be a massive boon for her, and if she could just keep herself between the crew and David, she might just be able to endure the encounter even more. Of course, part of that hinged on Kiwi and her own observations of David's actions at the negotiations yesterday. If the boy really did care, she might be able to use that to her advantage and-
["Lucy? You still there?"]
["Uh yeah, sorry. Kind of in the middle of eating dinner."] She made a show of eating a large bite of noodles, despite the fact Maine couldn't see her. She had a feeling Maine didn't quite believe her, something that was confirmed when he once again asked her the million Eurodollar question.
["Lucy? Are you sure you can do this?"]
["Yeah, I'm sure."] She gave an unseen nod, deciding to mention part of her line of thought. ["Way I see it? Aside from Jackie and David, if we meet and he's got a squad of 'Saka goons in tow, I'll delta. If it's just him, and I have you guys there alongside me, I can deal."]
["If you're sure."] Lucy could hear the soft smile in his voice. ["Just, let me know if you change your mind at any time."]
["Appreciate the concern, but I'll be there."] She took a long swallow of vodka, ["not fair to you guys to have to deal with him for me."]
["Is anything in Night City fair?"] Maine laughed, and Lucy found herself chuckling along with him. ["Anyways, finish your dinner and try to get some rest. We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Catch you later Lucy."]
["Later."] Lucy ended the call, a heavy sigh escaping her as she took another shot of vodka. Her eyes drifted back to her half-full bowl of noodles, the meal no longer holding any appeal. Briefly, she debated throwing the remains in the fridge, but ultimately decided it belonged in the trash. Promising herself that she'd throw it out later, she picked up the bottle of vodka and took a long drink. She no longer felt the burn of the cheap spirit as it flowed down her throat, but knew that soon it would kick in and work its magic.
"Just make it to tomorrow, and through tomorrow, and you'll be fine."
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True to Maine's word, the crew had set out early in the morning for Dakota's. It had been another restless night, though this time it was due to her mind running wild at the possibilities of what could happen at the meet-up. Nestled between Pilar and Becca, she had been lightly dozing until the Edgerunner hit a bump and jostled her awake.
"Go back to sleep." Becca reached out a hand and gently stroked Lucy's head, which had been resting on her shoulder.
"Yeah, looks like you didn't get a lot last night." Pilar patted his lap, inviting her to have a larger pillow.
"Couldn't sleep." She admitted, knowing it would be pointless to try and lie to them. "More than a little nervous about this meet-up, ya know?"
"No one would have blamed you for staying behind." Kiwi's voice came from the passenger's seat, the woman turning in her seat to look at her.
"Yeah." Falco confirmed, briefly looking over his shoulder. "I've no issue driving you back home if you want to delta once I drop off the other kids."
"Kids!?" Both siblings hit the man with disapproving looks, more than living up to their assessment from the older man.
"Thanks Falco, but I'll be fine." Lucy let a smile come to her face as she placed a hand on each of the siblings shoulders. "I've got all of you to keep me grounded if I start to get freaked out by V."
"If you're sure." The man shrugged, attention shifting back to the road.
"Aw, don't worry. I've got the perfect distraction in mind to use on our suit if he starts creeping you out." Becca grinned, hand moving in a gesture Lucy couldn't quite place.
"You're just looking for an excuse to check under the hood and see if it's still 'ganic. Don't want to ask him directly, so you're going for a first hand account." Pilar made the same motion, his a little more enthusiastic than hers, and Lucy couldn't stop the giggle to escape her.
"What can I say? I'm a hands on learner." Becca shrugged as Lucy groaned. "What?"
"Sorry Lucy, but you've got to hand it to us." Pilar gave a thumbs up, making her groan even more.
"Pilar, be quiet." Becca frowned, "I don't think Lucy appreciates how handy we are with the jokes."
"It's not that I don't appreciate it...I'm just wondering how many hand-based puns you have?"
"More than a handful." The two answered at one, laughing and high fiving as a groan come from Kiwi, and Falco muttered something about driving into traffic going the opposite direction. Lucy just groaned, desire to stay away from V now replaced with a desire to get away from the pair and their terrible jokes. Still, she couldn't help but appreciate their efforts in keeping her calm. Friendly jokes and stories continued until Falco made the announcement Lucy had been fearing.
"We're here." Lucy looked out the window, seeing the neon sign advertising the garage. Maine and Dorio pulled up alongside them, and after a moment she spotted V's car and Jackie's motorcycle. Everyone climbed out of their vehicles at the same time, and Lucy couldn't hide the smile on her face as David awkwardly waved at them as he got out of the van.
"Dakota's got the stuff inside." V wasted no time in taking charge of the situation, gesturing towards the garage where an older woman and several nomads wearing Aldecaldo jackets were waiting.
"Got 'em right here for you." The woman, who Lucy assumed was Dakota gave a nod to the Aldecaldos. She watched as they disappeared inside, the garage doors opening a moment later to reveal each one of them slowly driving a truck into the open. Almost as one, the engines were cut and the Aldecaldos stepped out and moved back inside the garage, leaving the two groups to inspect everything.
While Lucy didn't know much about cars, she figured these were the pick-up trucks Maine had mentioned last night. Something that was confirmed when she noticed the various gun cases and ammo boxes in the beds.
"Check them out." Dakota nodded towards the trucks, all the permission Pilar needed.
"Oh yeah!" Pilar rubbed his hands together, instantly drawn to the truck closest to him. He popped open the door and took a deep whiff, a laugh escaping him. "New car smell? Oh that's preem! Dibs on driving this one!"
"Who says you're driving?" Becca glared at her brother.
"Because I can reach the pedals!" He argued back, one arm reaching down to hold his sister back as she tried to beat him up.
"Guns are in the back, chica." Jackie offered helpfully, and started laughing as Becca quit the fight in favor of climbing into the back of the Colby Pilar had claimed.
"Fuck the hell yes!"
"Gah! Why'd you tell her that choom?" There was an expression of disingenuous betrayal on Pilar's face as Becca stood up in the bed, a pistol in each one of her hands.
"I owe you one Jackie-bro! Look at this beauty." Becca inspected one of the pistols, "think Guts would like a little brother?"
Lucy looked away from Jackie and the siblings, eyes falling on where Maine, Falco, and Dorio were talking with V and Dakota. David was hanging on the outskirts of the second group, his attention seeming focused on whatever was being discussed between the five adults. Lucy would have called it adorable if she still wasn't on edge about the whole situation. David caught her gaze then, and she quickly looked away, steps taking her to where Pilar and Becca were now opening up the ammo boxes like kids would open gifts on Christmas.
"Think I've asked this before, but are they always like this?" Lucy jumped slightly as Jackie came over to their little group.
"Only when they get excited." Maine answered, moving over to the group with V and David in tow. "Guessing you two approve of our new gear?"
"Hell yeah!" Becca cheered, pistols back in her hands. "Thanks daddy!" she cooed at their benefactor, saucy tone and gremlin smirk at full blast.
Lucy hid her grin at the grimace that moved across V's face as Becca batted her eyelashes at him. Jackie hid his laughter with a cough, while David looked ready to die of embarrassment by proxy. The boy let out an exasperated cry and instead walked over to the truck furthest away from them and busied himself with inspecting it.
"Did you have to use that tone of voice?" V quipped.
"I'm sorry? Would this be better?" Rebecca stood tall, cleared her throat, took a breath and; "Is this better for you Daddy?" she moaned the words like a Cloud's Doll mid-orgasm.
Lucy was surprised to see the spectrum of expressions that were forming on the spy hunter's visage. Frustration, embarrassment, annoyance, shame, amusement, and a dose of arousal to top it off. The Netrunner couldn't find words to properly describe her feelings when she saw V turn away and clearly retreat. He'd probably say he just wanted to talk to David or Dakota, but it was clear to all witnessing it. The Shortstack had won this round.
"Two for two, impressive." Kiwi gave Becca a pat on the back making the shorter girl grin.
"I guess." Lucy agreed, feeling just a little more relaxed as she watched V strike up a conversation with Dakota on the side opposite the group.
"You guess? Come on, that's twice now our resident mini has scared the suit away." Her fellow netrunner chuckled, "you know, forget my plan with David. You should just let Becca and Pilar adopt you as their third sibling instead."
"No thank you." Her eyes drifted from the duo in question back to David. "I happen to value the peace and quiet I have as an only child."
"And yet," Kiwi's eyes followed Lucy's, "here you are looking for companionship."
"Well, like you said...Might not hurt to have him as a buffer between me and V." She held back a laugh as she watched David accidentally pinched his finger going through the motions of loading one of the pistols. Her attempt failed as Jackie both educated and one-upped David by doing it with his eyes closed. "At the very least, I think I owe him an apology for...well, you know."
"I suppose. Well, go on then."
"You don't think the rest of the crew will care?"
"Lucy, everyone's too preoccupied with their new toys to even think about anything else." Kiwi gently poked Lucy in the arm, slightly pushing her towards where David was standing beside Jackie. "Don't worry, I'll cover for you if someone asks where you've gone."
"Thanks." Lucy gave a nod and stepped away from the crew and moved to where David was. As she got closer, she picked up on bits of the conversation the two men were having about the gun Jackie was currently holding. Jackie noticed her first, and put the gun away with a nod of his head.
"Hey chica, how you feeling? You didn't look so hot last I saw you."
"Haven't been sleeping well." She made a show of rubbing an eye. "But I'm doing better today."
"Understandable." Jackie gave a nod of his head, "think we've all had our share of sleepless nights, eh?"
"Uh yeah, me too..." David cut in awkwardly at the question, and Lucy couldn't help the tiny smile to tug at the corners of her mouth. She was thankful that Jackie was such an observant guy when he excused himself to go supervise the other kids, granting them some additional space.
"Say David?" Lucy rubbed the back of her ankle with her foot. "Can I get a word in private? Away from the others?"
"Uh sure."
"Over here." She motioned for him to follow her, the two of them moving to just around the side of the garage. "Here works."
"Okay shoot. What's this about." David crossed his arms, posture alert.
"Figure I should at least say sorry before you continue to pick up guns near me, and remember I almost got your chrome klepped." Lucy rubbed the back of her neck, eyes cast towards the ground.
"Woah. Yeah, that's uh..." She saw David's shoes move a step or two away from her, the boy stammering the whole way.
"I know. Morbid. Not sayin' you strike me as the type to do that, just that..." She sighed, torn on if she wanted to pray that V was or wasn't listening. "Well, I shoulda said something before. Just want you to know that I am sorry."
"I-uh... thank you?"
"Really?" Lucy blinked, almost shocked at how quickly David seemed to have accepted her apology. "Just like that? Man, I even had the whole idea to buy you dinner and everything."
"Well-I mean- we can still get some grub." David was the one looking at the ground now, one hand rubbing his neck. "I mean- I wouldn't mind."
"Chill choom, I'm supposed to be the nervous one here, remember?" The netrunner reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder.
"Yeah, sorry. Its just-" His eyes moved to look at her hand, before settling on her face. "I don't have-"
"I know. You're not the only one to feel awkward here." She gave him a gentle smile, though her eyes flicked to a point just behind him as she noticed Pilar and Becca peeking around the wall of the garage. Both of them looked like they had eaten something rotten even by Night City standards, and it only made Lucy's smile grow.
David was oblivious to the scene going on behind him, and simply returned Lucy's smile. "So, should we make plans now or-"
Lucy couldn't help the laugh to escape her as she noticed the siblings cringe at the absolute awkwardness David, and herself, seemed to be radiating. The sound of a can being kicked made David turn around in time to see Pilar waving like a mad man.
"Hey! There you are! We're gonna go try out the new guns!" As if to emphasize the plan, he shot them both a pair of finger guns.
"Yeah! Join us!" Becca copied her brother, and Lucy mouthed a 'thank you' to the pair for the interruption to the awkward encounter.
"That's a nice idea." She turned her smile to David, who still looked a little confused. "Instead of dinner...Why don't we try joining the others and shoot at some targets. See what feels right."
"Sure. Sure." The kid answered far too quickly in her opinion, but Lucy found she couldn't complain too much as David gestured for her to move ahead of him. The two were quick to join up with the siblings, who were heading towards their Colby. "Wait, we're not staying here?"
"Dakota doesn't want to risk damage to her shop." Pilar pointed to a point in the distance. "But she says that, about a mile up the road is a nice flatland with some old wind turbines and other discarded crap that makes for a decent improvised shooting range." He moved his hands in a flourishing motion, encompassing their view of the desert. "Perfect for idiots like us to have some fun with firearms!"
Though looks were exchanged between all parties, no one seemed willing to argue with Pilar's logic. Instead, they all piled into the various vehicles and made the short drive to the coordinates Dakota had given them. True to the fixer's word, it was a wide open area with several old and rusted wind turbines, a few long rusted and abandoned vehicles, and several large piles of rocks.
"Yeah, this could work. Set up some pieces of scrap from the cars on the rocks maybe?" Jackie offered, and Lucy noticed Maine nodding in agreement.
"Sounds like a plan." Maine made his own scan of the area. "The turbines seem pretty solid, they can probably take a few hits too."
"And we finally have a use for all those Cromanticore cans you've been meaning to throw out." Dorio smiled, one hand shaking a plastic bag she had removed from the backseat of their car. The sound of rattling aluminum met everyone's ears. "Seriously, how did you accumulate so many?"
"It's thirsty work keeping those idiots in line." The blond man threw a thumb at Lucy and the others with her. In reply both she and Becca stuck out their tongues while Pilar flipped him the bird. Kiwi and Falco both just sighed and rolled their eyes in offense. Unsure how to react, David just waved, sending everyone into a fit of laughter.
"Yeah! Line 'em up and knock 'em down!" Jackie took the bag and moved over to one of the larger rocks and started lining up cans. "Hey Falco? You got anything in that Ragnar of yours we can use for target practice?"
"Just a couple empty bottles. Give me a second."
Lucy watched as their driver made his way over to Jackie, the two men striking up a conversation as they went about stacking cans or bottles at various points along some of the rocks. Meanwhile the rest of the crew took to picking out which guns they wanted to practice with. Lucy was about to join them, but she stopped short as V addressed her.
"Kiwi? Lucy? You got a sec?" She turned along with her fellow netrunner to see V approaching them, a small stack of shard cases in his hands. "Got something for the two of you. Part of the advanced payment Maine negotiated for."
Even at a glance, Lucy could tell the cases were the high quality kind that were resistant to falls and electromagnetic damage. She froze as V reached out, one stack in each hand being offered to both her and Kiwi. Forunately for her, Kiwi took the lead and put herself between her and V. Her own hands taking both sets of cases with no resistance from V.
"Datashards?" Kiwi's eyes glowed slightly as she inspected them. "What's on them?" By the narrowing of Kiwi's eyes, Lucy knew she already knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from V.
"An assortment of daemons and quickhacks." V replied, watching as Kiwi opened one of the cases. "Short circuit, sonic shock, cripple movement, overheat and-"
"Datamine V three?" An appreciative hum came from Kiwi, "not a bad assortment. Here Lucy."
Lucy couldn't bring herself to move, even as Kiwi offered the second stack to her. She remained frozen, breaths slightly shallow and eyes wide as they stared unfocused at V. The suit didn't seem offended by her actions, and far as Lucy could tell, he didn't seem to be reacting to her at all.
"Hey, Lucy? You in there?" She heard Kiwi's voice, the concerned tone slowly pulling her out of the stupor she had wound up in. Slowly, Lucy blinked and shifted her attention to Kiwi, the woman's face coming into focus.
"Kiwi? Ugh, yeah...Sorry." She ran a hand through her hair, eyes shifting back to V then back to the ground. "Just kind of..."
"I get it." V answered before Kiwi had a chance. "Look, I'm not gonna waste my time faking an apology for my actions, but I want you to know." he paused, "Hey, look at me." The suit's voice was the softest she had ever heard it be, and Lucy found herself feeling compelled to look. "I don't intend to hurt you, or anyone else on the crew, unless you try something. Alright?"
Lucy blinked, not quite trusting the suit's words. He had tied her up with grenades. Threatened to light her on fire. Uploaded vulnerability daemons to all of them just because he had been insulted. And now? He was basically saying that it 'won't happen again' as long as they played along?
"You bastard." She found her voice, fear displaced by outrage at his words.
V didn't react to her insult, no daemons suddenly uploaded to her neural network, no guns or knives drawn. "Know you've got no reason to believe me, but I mean it."
"I don't trust you." Lucy spat, eyes hard.
"Not asking you to." V's posture didn't change, "Just asking you to work with me on this. You play your part, I play mine, and everyone gets away with what they want."
She looked to Kiwi then, silently asking her senior for advice. The older woman gave the shard cases just the tiniest shake, the soft scratching sound being the answer to her question.
"Fine." Lucy crossed her arms and looked away, making her distaste of the whole situation known. Seeming to understand, V took a couple steps back, granting the two women their space. "But I'm doing this for them, not you."
She gestured to where the crew was currently standing, all watching as Pilar found one of the boxes of grenades and was now juggling them. Her gesture included David, who was standing beside Falco looking impressed and horrified at the display he was seeing. Only Jackie seemed to be the smart one, the man hanging well back from the show.
"That's all I ask." The suit turned away from her then, one hand raised in a greeting. "Yo Jackie, a word?" Lucy watched as the Latino man moved to intercept V, the two of them talking and walking towards V's van. Kiwi was watching them too, and gave Lucy a comforting pat on the back the moment she felt V was out of earshot.
"Think you handled that well." She praised, holding out one of the sets of shard cases to her like a reward.
"Thanks." Lucy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and accepted the cases. "So, these legit?"
"Yeah, no malware, viruses, or backdoor access I could find."
"That's...unexpected."
"Tell me about it." Kiwi pulled a cigarette from her pocket and offered one to Lucy. "Don't want to jinx it but-"
"Then don't say it." Lucy accepted her offering, taking a long drag and letting the nicotine go to work. She looked back at the rest of the crew, seeing them all picking out various weapons to test out. "Should probably get back to them."
Kiwi nodded her agreement, the two walking over to where everyone was choosing their weapons. Lucy's eyes briefly drifted back towards V's van, seeing the vehicle drive off as Jackie walked back to the group. She was about to question Jackie about it, but David beat it to her.
"Where's he going?" David asked, his own eyes following the van until it was out of sight.
"Where else, work." Jackie laughed, throwing an arm around David and Lucy found herself smiling at the answer. Her and Kiwi fell in step with the guys as they moved over to the pile of guns and grenades everyone was gathered around. "Look on the bright side, now we can have some fun without your dad telling us to be careful, eh?"
Lucy couldn't help but smile at the nervous expression to come over David's face as Jackie dropped one of the heavier precision rifles into the boy's arms. The sight brought a cheer from Becca and Pilar, who both raised their own guns in salute.
"Hey, how about picking one out for my friend here?" Becca threw an arm around Lucy's shoulder, grinning like mad.
"Thanks, but...I think I'll just watch." She took a seat on a nearby rock, not willing to admit her encounter with V had left her feeling drained.
"Aw come on Lucy." David turned a friendly smile to her, "didn't you say we should shoot some targets? See how things go?"
There was an excitement in David's eyes and on his face that mirrored how he looked when they were playing around in the BD. Maybe it was because she still felt guilty about her 'betrayal'. Or because he just looked so adorable, but Lucy found herself relenting and agreeing to try out one of the smaller guns.
"Here, Militech M-Seventy-six Omaha." Jackie handed her one of the tech pistols from the pile. "Semi-automatic, compact and simple."
"Ooh! Good choice! Took one of those for myself!" Becca cooed, holding up one with a neon paint job. "Twinsies!"
Whatever mental and emotional tiredness Lucy felt drained away, replaced with the kind of tired that only comes from being exasperated at a friend's antics. That didn't stop her from appreciating the safety and usage lesson Becca was giving her about the gun in question.
"Remember, pull and release to fire a single shot that'll split into three. Hold the trigger down to charge it up and you'll release three rapid shots, each which will also split, giving you a total of nine projectiles." The green-haired girl demonstrated with her own gun, taking a couple shots at one of the rusted vehicles.
"Nice shot sis! But check this out!" All eyes fell on Pilar, who had just sent a grenade flying at the same wreck Becca had shot. It struck the side of the vehicle with a metallic thunk before exploding in a cloud of dust and shrapnel. Once the dust settled, all that remained of the car was some misshapen chunks of metal. "Yeah! These things pack a punch!"
"Pilar!" Kiwi and Falco cried as one, hands covering their ears.
"What the fuck man!?" Dorio punctuated her words by punching him in the arm.
"Okay, that's it, no more grenades." Maine scowled and was quick to pull the box of grenades away from his long-armed friend. Nods of relief came from all sides as they watched Maine stash the box of grenades in his Quadra. "Now come on, we're here for target practice so let's get shooting!"
A cheer went up from the group as everyone took up various positions at their improvised range and started testing out their guns. Lucy wasn't a stranger to using pistols, though she could admit she needed to work on her aim after she only hit two out of the five cans she was aiming for, even with the split shots. However, her performance was nothing compared to David's. The kid could barely get a hit on the base of a wind turbine with a pistol, and somehow managed to miss all of the cans he was aiming for with a shot gun.
"Aw come on!" He whined, looking ready to throw the gun he was holding on the ground.
"Hey David, you good?" Lucy moved closer to him, pistol holstered at her side.
"Yeah, this thing must have a crooked sight or something." David handed her the gun, and Lucy wasted no time in inspecting it.
"Looks fine to me..." She took aim at one of the cans and pulled the trigger. The loud crack of the gun was shortly accompanied by the softer tink-tink of the cans falling down the rock they were situated on. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Show off..." He grumbled, but there was a smile on his face as Lucy set the shot gun aside. "Maybe I just need something with a little more firepower..." She watched as David took a moment to look through the provided weapons. Her eyes widened just a little as she watched him pick up the rifle Jackie had originally given him. "Yeah, this'll do!"
David grinned, taking aim with the weapon with the worst form Lucy had ever seen. She was tempted to call one of the others over to help him, but no one seemed to be paying attention to them at the moment.
"David, stop." Lucy sighed, watching as he lowered the rifle. "Hold it more like this." She didn't wait for him to respond, instead moving behind him. He let out a surprised gasp as Lucy slightly leaned against him, her hands and arms moving over his as she adjusted him to a more proper form. She felt a faint heat come to her face as their hands touched, and noticed David's cheeks had taken on a reddish tint of their own. "That's it. Let's aim for something big...Ah, see that big patch of rust about a third of the way up that turbine's tower? Aim for that."
"Uh, alright." David gave a nod, slightly adjusting his aim and grip, face growing just a little redder as Lucy adjusted her posture along with him. "Taking the shot."
He pulled the trigger, the shot flying forward while the recoil sent David flying back into Lucy. The two of them lost their balance and landed in a tangled heap, David's head coming to rest perfectly on Lucy's chest. The sound of the two of them hitting the ground inaudible over the loud thunk of the shot connecting with the tower. The old metal letting out a groan as the shot penetrated the rusted patch, leaving behind a large hole and several cracks that spidered out from the rust. Neither Lucy or David moved from their position, each of them occupied with their own thoughts on the situation.
"Nice sho- Oh? Am I interrupting something?" Becca had appeared, startling the two into moving off of each other.
"Uh, s-sorry!" David stammered, getting to his feet before offering her a hand. "That rifle packed more of a punch than, that I thought."
"Is that what you're gonna call it?" Becca's eyes briefly flicked down to David's crotch, and Lucy felt her face grow redder. She went full gremlin-mode then, body swaying side-to-side in girlish excitement. "You know what, never mind! Looks like this ship has sailed!"
"Becca..." Lucy rubbed at her temple, hands coming up to hide her face as the rest of the crew came over to see what the commotion was.
Clueless as ever, David just stared at Becca. "What ship? We're in the middle of the desert?"
"Nobody tell him!" Dorio cried, sliding over to the three of them. "Becca, what did I tell you?"
"Aw chill out mom, I'm just playin'." The gremlin rolled her eyes, smile dimming just slightly as she muttered something about the 'good men' being taken.
"Are you two alright?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Lucy answered, brushing some dirt off herself. "David just didn't realize how much recoil that gun has."
"The SOR twenty-two?" Maine picked up the gun, "surprised you didn't break your arm firing this."
"I uh, had a little help." David pointed to Lucy, causing another high-pitched squeal of delight to come from Becca's mouth.
"Lucy! Didn't know you were such a good teacher." The green-haired girl's eyes had moved down to Lucy's side, coming to focus on her pistol. "Though now that class is over, why don't you show us what you can do."
"Not much, I could barely hit the cans you guys set up earlier with this." Lucy held up her pistol. "And before anyone suggests it, no. I'm not using the twenty-two."
"So aim for a larger target." Pilar pointed to the same wind turbine that David had hit. "Not necessarily the base, but maybe one of the blades."
"Pilar, I don't think I've that much skill."
"Won't know unless you try." The black-haired man taunted, eyebrows rising and falling as he continuously pointed at the turbine.
"Yeah, come on Lucy! You can do it." Becca joined her brother, the two of them now chanting, "do it! Do it! Do it!"
"Come on Lucy, at least try." David gave her a thumbs up, his other hand landing on her shoulder in a supportive grasp. "You helped me hit the target after all."
"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" The white-haired girl let out a sigh and raised her gun, bringing cheers from the siblings and muttered support from the rest of the crew.
"You've got this Lucy!" David removed his hand from her shoulder, but didn't move from her side. Taking a deep breath, Lucy took aim and held down the trigger, opting for the charged shot. She released the shot along with her breath, bullets flying and splitting as they flew towards their target. While the bullets went forward, she had stumbled slightly backwards from the unexpected kick of the charged shot. In less than a second, the group heard the sound of bullets striking metal, indicating that her shot had hit.
However, Lucy's aim had been a little off, and the scattering of projectiles had struck right where one of the blades connected with the central hub, and on the hub itself. The impact at the hub shook the structure, wobbling two of the blades and causing the one that had been hit to snap off. On its way down, the blade connected with the hole David had made in the tower earlier, further causing stress to the already weakened structure. "Yeah! You did-"
David got no further as a metallic groan rang out, accompanied by the sound of metal tearing. Nearly as one, the group took a couple steps back, watching as the initial cracks spread up the side. Though she had knocked off one of the blades, the weight of the remaining two proved to be too much for the tower to support. With one final groan, and a lot of tearing and scraping, the tower buckled under its own weight and collapsed, sending a cloud of dust and sand in all directions. Once the dust settled, Lucy saw the aftermath of her shot and grinned.
"Oh fuck the hell yes!" She looked to the gun in her hand, "yeah. Think you're staying with me."
"Holy shit Lucy! He dared you to shoot the blades not knock the thing down!" There was an excitement in Becca's voice that didn't match the pouty expression she was going for. "Overkill much?"
"Oh shut it Becca, I don't wanna hear that from you miss 'do it, do it, do it'!" Lucy shot back, still grinning as she looked at David. The kid had an expression of pure excitement at the display.
"Nova!" He turned his smile to Lucy. "That was a hell of a lucky shot!"
"Oh, yeah... thanks." The heat had returned to her face at David's comment. Beside her, Becca just sighed and shook her head.
"Can you two go make out already?"
"Becca? I would like to point out that I've still got shots left." Lucy gently tapped the pistol.
"Maybe." Undeterred, Becca crossed her arms and doubled down. "But it's obvious you got other stuff on your mind now sister."
"I will shoot you." Ignoring all rules of gun satefy, Lucy shifted the pistol just slightly so that it was pointed at Becca.
"You won't." The green-haired girl reached out a finger and placed it on the end of Lucy's gun.
"Uh sis, I dunno bout that." Pilar gently placed a hand on his sister's shoulder and pulled her back. "Her trigger finger looks kinda itchy."
"Okay fine." Becca relented and let herself be moved. "You wanna shoot me, but if you're gonna go for the charged shot again, maybe have David hold y-"
Lucy would later say she had no idea what came over her, but her finger moved over the trigger and she fired a single shot in Becca's direction. As it wasn't the charged shot, Lucy was barely moved by the shot. Fortunately for all parties involved, Lucy hadn't actually been aiming and the shot went flying off into the desert. The only indication of the path it took being the sight of a cactus that had one of its arms blown off.
"Holy shit, you did shoot at me!" Becca's eyes couldn't have been wider even with optic implants.
"I warned you!" Both Lucy and Pilar cried with varying levels of intensity.
"Lucy?" David placed a hand on her shoulder, the other landing on the pistol.
"I warned her!" She shook the hand that held the pistol, but offered no resistance as David gently tugged it out of her grasp.
"Still." Pilar pulled his sister close, one arm wrapping protectively around her shoulders. "Kinda reckless Lucy."
"I don't wanna hear that from you Pilar! I saw you juggling grenades earlier!"
"They had the pin in them!" The tall man argued, as if that justified everything.
"And I didn't hit anywhere in her direction." Lucy gestured to the damaged cactus.
"And I was being careful!" Pilar's free hand came to rest over his heart, face set in a pout.
"Hate to say it but the only reason she's safe is because you still have bad aim." Kiwi's eyes danced with a smile.
"Aww! Thanks for the support everybody!" Becca ran between everyone then, giving them hugs. "You're the bestest friends ever!"
Lucy let out a sigh and shook her head as everyone continued to shower Becca with praise. Even David seemed to have moved to the shorty's side, as he was currently patting her on the head.
"Will you all quit it if I use my mono wires on her instead?" She pulled one of them out, the thin wire briefly shining in the light of the desert.
"Whipping? Kinky!" Becca's earlier annoyance at her seemed forgotten as the girl rushed to Lucy's side. "I knew you had it in you!" The green-haired girl bent over then, ass stuck out comically far.
"I was thinking more about strangling you." In one swift motion, Lucy had wrapped the wire around Becca's neck, but made no move to do anything more.
"K then. Can't promise I wont say 'harder mommy' when you start pullin'." Becca batted her eyelashes, one finger resting on her lips. "Though are you sure David won't get jealous?" Once more, Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes, wire retracting as the group laughed.
"You and Kiwi are gonna be the death of me." She gestured to both women in turn. "Seriously, both of you need to get fucked."
"Not a problem." Becca gave up the fight, eyes bright as she looked over at David. "Just need some alone time with David's daddy."
This time, Lucy got to laugh with the group as David's face turned red, his eyes going wide. "Why? Seriously, just why?"
"Mostly to taunt ya." Becca stood up on her tip-toes, chest puffed out as she made her appraisal. "Plus, just gonna say now if you look like him when your older then you're gonna be beating the ladies back with a tank. Best lock him down while you can Lucy!"
"I've still got the wires..." Lucy muttered, just loud enough to be heard but not enough to distract.
"That does not answer my question, only makes me wanna ignore your answers." David scratched at his head, one foot scratching at the ground as he studied the girl before him.
"David, your daddy has everything goin' for him. He's tall, got a good bod, a rugged face. So three for three on looks. He's smart, got balls, and is protective so the personality does it for me too." The green-haired girl grinned, cheeks taking on just the slightest hint of color. "And last, months ago, I got Gloria talking about her times riding him before their split so I know he's got plenty of 'ganic cock and knows how to use it."
"Lucy, kill me. Please." David hit her with the most pathetic expression he could. "At least tell me you have a quickhack that can wipe that from my brain?"
"If one exists, I haven't found it." Kiwi answered, and Lucy nodded in agreement. She knew the older runner was lying but David's childish suffering was kinda cute. Puppy dog whining for food cute.
"He's the trifecta for me," Rebecca unashamedly continued, "and if Gloria doesn't lock that down this time, I am gonna get me some yummy while it's still up for grabs."
Pilar shook his head and laughed. "Sis, that's the kinda attitude that scares guys away."
"I dunno, I think he kinda liked it."
"Sure, that's why he delta'd earlier." Dorio pointed at the road, smiling as Jackie and Maine nodded in agreement.
"No. Just no." David raised his hands and mimed pushing something away. "I am done with this conversation. If we keep talking about this, I'm gonna willingly go full cyberpsycho."
"Oh come on-" Rebecca tried.
"Nope. Back to shooting trash in the badlands." The grossed out rookie pointed back at their impromptu range, most of the dust settled to where they could see their targets clearly again.
"Spoilsport." Becca bitched, but complied.
01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011
Following Lucy's destruction of the wind turbine, and David's open threats about what would happen if they kept discussing his father's love life, the group had returned to target practice for a little longer. This decision soon turned into the group just goofing around and relaxing in the desert, a peace that ended when Pilar got the brilliant idea to hold a race between the boys. He had taken one of the Colby's, while Maine and Falco had the Quadra and Edgerunner respectfully. Jackie had joined in on his motorcycle, stating that Pilar never said it had to 'be a car' to race when the guy had objected.
Long story short, Pilar had come in dead last and wouldn't shut up about it, leaving her thankful that it was Falco who had given her a lift home after Pilar drove away to 'practice' for next time. The day had turned out better than Lucy expected as whole, and while she wished that V had gotten shot, she felt she could stand working with him just a bit more going forward.
That feeling didn't stop her desire to immediately have a beer and a smoke as she settled down on her couch to try and unwind a little before she'd consider taking her usual bedtime cocktail. Lucy had just taken her first sip when she got a call, eyes rolling at the name to show up.
["What do you want Kiwi. I'm exhausted. I just want a bottle of booze and to sleep for a week."]
["Not in the mood to talk about today?"] She heard Kiwi take a drag off a cigarette of her own.
["What about it. We met the suit, got the guns and cars, he fucked off, we tested the guns. End of story."]
["Oh no. You don't get to play dumb."]
["I don't know what you're talking about."] Lucy raised the bottle to her lips and took another sip. She'd need it to get through this conversation.
["You don't? But it was so disgustingly cute."]
["It was nothing."]
["Are you sure? I think I saw something..."] The teasing tone of Kiwi's voice was at odds with the glare on Lucy's face.
["No. Nope. Shut up. Nothing happened. Your optics were fried from the badland sun."]
["So you and David weren't cuddling up to practice shooting? You didn't drape yourself over him to help steady his aim."]
["Shut up, shut up, shut up!"] She slammed the bottle on her table with each utterance of the words.
["He wasn't red faced from the heat. That boy is crushing bad."]
["Ugh fuck me..."]
["I think we both know David can handle that for me."] Lucy had picked a bad time to take a drink again, and she coughed a couple times before gasping out her reply.
["Let me correct myself, get fucked."]
["You first girl. Just remember to tell me after if he tries any tricks with that sandevistan of his."] Kiwi's voice had taken on a teasing tone, and Lucy couldn't stop the tiny tsk to leave her.
["You need to get laid. As soon as possible. Just quit being picky and find a guy."] Lucy took a long drag on her cig, other hand holding the bridge of her nose. ["You are intolerable when you've got a dry spell going."]
["Think that muscle following the suit is up for grabs? He looks and acts like a gentle giant, but I bet he fucks like a beast."]
["Why don't you ask him if you're so interested."]
["I'm having more fun prying into your own non-existent love life."] Kiwi's laugh was playful, and Lucy just knew the older woman was eating this up.
["Sometimes I can't tell if we're really friends."]
["We are. I just love teasing you."] There was a fondness in the older woman's voice. ["I don't get it. You can watch a dozen gangoons bite a bullet and never flinch, but when things get all lovey and your armor melts."] Lucy let out a sigh at that, one hand raking through her hair.
["Can we be enemies instead?"] The younger netrunner almost begged. ["I feel like I could stand this more if we hated each other."]
["Sorry, your stuck with me. Stuck with the crew. And..."]
["And?"] Lucy raised an eyebrow, pressing for more.
["And you're stuck with the love-struck puppy who's begging for your attention."] Kiwi said it so casually that Lucy couldn't help but hope that her fellow netrunner could feel her scowl.
["I really, really wanna hate you."]
["Too bad. You love us."]
["I do. You just suck so much."] The two shared a laugh at that, and Lucy raised her bottle in an unseen toast to her friend. Before she could say anything else however, Lucy noticed she had an incoming call. ["Huh? Unknown caller? Sorry Kiwi..."]
["It's oka-"]Lucy ended the call, switching over to the incoming one.
["Who's this?"]
["Hey Lucy."] The voice was familiar, oddly nervous and a welcomed surprise.
["David? How'd you get my holo-code?"] Lucy couldn't keep the surprise from her voice.
["Promise not to laugh?"]
["Just tell me."]
["You gotta promise first."]
["Fine, I promise not to laugh."] She raised her hand in pledge, not caring that David couldn't see it.
["I asked my mom and she got it from Maine."]
It started as a bubbling in the back of her throat. Quickly turning into repressed whimpers and hums barely held back by tightly pursed lips. The dam broke after barely five seconds, and Lucy laughed louder and more genuinely than she had in a long time.
["You laughed! You promised you wouldn't"]
["Sorry. It's just-"] She wheeze through her laughs, trying to get herself back under control. ["That's so childish. Like a kid who made a new friend on the playground."]
["Well we were playin' with toys in a sandbox all afternoon."]
["Ha. You got me there."] What little control she had regained fell away again, more giggles escaping her as David grumbled. ["S-sorry. So why'd you call?"]
["Well I-I guess it's time I do the whole awkward apology thing."]
["What are you talking about?"] She raised an eyebrow as, aside from him falling on her that afternoon, she couldn't think of anything that he should, or even could apologize for.
["I wanna apologize about my sperm donor. What he did. The fact that he scares you."]
That caught her off-guard. ["David you don't-"]
["I do. At least I feel I do. I talked to Jackie about what he did. The grenades I mean."]
["...I see."] She answered after what might have been too long a pause.
["I just felt that I should say sorry. That what he did was too much. He went too far, and I'm sorry it happened because of me."] There was a level of remorse in his voice that she hadn't heard since the night at her apartment. And for some reason, Lucy didn't like that.
["I... What? David, I brought you to my place. If anything it was my fault."] She wrapped her arms around herself, mouth slightly hanging open, surprised that he was blaming himself.
[Still. I feel bad. I saw how you've been hiding away anytime he's near. Every time I see you it looks like you are leaking life juice outta you.]
["I've just been stressed recently. Haven't been sleeping well."] The old excuse was still the best one she had.
["But the bastard is the reason, right?"] She almost cursed at how confident David sounded in his answer.
["You're not wrong."]
["If you want I can try and help you keep him away. Stand between the two of you and stuff. Like Kiwi and Pillar and Becca do. I mean, I did what I could to try keeping his attention off you today, and I think it worked. But if you think it will make you feel better I can get up in his face more often?"]
"Oh my god, he is too innocent." She kept the thought to herself., heart melting just slightly at how genuine he sounded. ["David, no. You don't need to get into trouble for me."]
["No trouble. He's been an absent father for seventeen years plus. I should get to give him shit for a few months, don't ya think?"] She heard him laugh, mind suddenly picturing David striking a 'tough guy' pose that made her laugh.
["I think he might make you 'leak life juice' if you start."]
["Shaddup. I didn't know how to say it right."] Lucy didn't think it was possible, but she swore she heard the blood rush to David's cheeks.
["Seriously? 'Life juice'? You forget what blood is?"] She let a smile creep into her voice, knowing it probably only added more color to David's cheeks.
["Don't make me hang up on you."] There was no threat behind his words.
["You won't."] The smile grew.
["Yeah, you're right. It's nice talking to you."]
["It's nice talking to you too."] Lucy kicked her feet up on the couch, feeling herself relaxing even more than she had been on the holo with Kiwi. ["So what did you do after we left 'the range'?"]
The netrunner couldn't keep the smile off her face as she listened to David talk about his day before and after their meet up. So used to the stuff she would talk about with Kiwi, Becca, and the others...David's stories were a breath of fresh air. While he had told her about growing up that first night in her apartment, that had been him going on about the tougher elements. Now however, he was sharing funnier stories of his youth. And while Lucy didn't have too many 'good' stories of her own until she met Maine and the crew...She still found herself sharing a few of her own.
["Ugh, excuse me..."] Lucy shook her head as another yawn escaped her, the events of the day finally catching up to her. Looking out her window, she saw the moon was high into the sky, the sight making her realize she had been talking with David for the last few hours.
["Only if you...excuse me."] She heard David yawn, realizing he was probably just as beat.
["You're excused. I should probably let you go. Let you get some sleep."]
["Only if you do the same."] He sounded so tired, but also very caring. ["Good night Lucy."]
["Good night David."] She ended the call before she yawned again. Though her bed was only a few strides away, Lucy deemed it too much effort to get up and instead burrowed deeper into her couch before her eyes closed.
Having forgotten to close the shades the night before, Lucy was awoken by the feel of the sun on her face. She groaned, unable to remember the last time the sun had woken her.
"Ugh, I have got to stop sleeping on the couch...Wait." Her chiding of herself switched to a feeling of confusion. Instead of feeling nauseous, she only felt a pain in her lower back caused by the awkward position she had slept in on the couch. This was quickly relieved as she stood up and stretched, a pleased groan escaping her as her back popped. That pop also seemed to trigger something in her brain, and she let out a gasp of surprise as she realized one more thing.
For the first time in months, or even what might have been years. Lucy realized she hadn't taken her sleeping pills, and that the only alcohol she had ingested was just a single bottle of beer. She had fallen asleep with no chemical assistance whatsoever. What's more, she realized that, while she didn't dream, she didn't have any nightmares either.
"What the fuck?" Lucy sat back down on the couch, thinking over the events of the day prior. Had she really exhausted herself that much with 'target practice'? No, she had been on longer and more intense missions with Maine and never slept that well after. Did Broseph change their formula? Doubtful. If drinking an entire bottle of vodka straight didn't knock her out that deep, no way was a single beer going to.
Her mind then thought back to what she was doing before she fell asleep. She had been talking on the holo with Kiwi, and then with David. And David had been who she was talking to up until she went to bed. Snippets of their conversation came back to her mind, and she felt herself smiling. Lucy realized then that everything they had talked about the night prior had been pleasant, and left her with the same warm feeling she had now. Even as she had fallen asleep, the feeling had remained and kept her comfortable. Was that how she had been able to sleep so peacefully?
"No..." She shook her head, nibbling on her thumbnail as she once again replayed the events of yesterday, and the day prior. "I simply over exerted myself the last few days." Lucy's hand moved away from her mouth as she nodded, trying to convince herself of what she was saying. "Yeah, that's it. Everything caught up to me, and I was simply just too tired." She had just about accepted her own load of bullshit when she got a message, breath hitching just slightly in her throat as she realized it was from David.
["Hey Lucy, hope you got a good night's sleep last night."]
["Ah sorry, didn't realize how early it was. Sorry if I woke you."]
["Slept fine, and don't worry. I was already up."] She finally replied, twisting a stray lock of hair around a finger as she did.
["Oh good. Know you said you hadn't been sleeping well."]
Lucy blinked at that. It had been a passing comment she had made as an excuse, and David remembered it? Not only that but he was checking in and following up on it with her? She swallowed the lump to form in her throat.
"He's just being a good friend" She rationalized, trying not to let some of the more illogical thoughts win. "It means nothing." She repeated the words aloud as she looked at the morning messages again. David was just being a good friend. She'd have done the same if she had his number before now. Lucy nodded, once more repeating the sentiment as she went about her morning routine. "It means nothing."
Too bad she couldn't bring herself to believe it as easily as some of the other lies she told herself.