A smart man would have stayed at the clinic and rested a little before trying anything.
An average man would have gone home and spent the day relaxing and recovering.
It was only a dumbass, a fool, who would try to go about his day like nothing happened. To try and act like he hadn't just had cyberware of unknown origin installed without anesthetics. A religious man might have argued that David was feeling the pain of Hell itself as penance for his stupidity on being part of this latter group.
Sitting still, his back felt like someone had doused it in gasoline and lit it ablaze. Putting his pants and shoes on had been an ordeal that left his vision clouded with tears and his voice raw from screaming his pain away. He tried to put on a shirt, but raising his arms made it feel like someone was peeling off what remained of the organic flesh on his back. Instead, he threw on his mom's jacket, one of the only articles of clothing he had that was loose enough to provide a small buffer between the fabric and his back. Not that it mattered much, as even when nothing was touching the synthetics that now replaced most of the skin on his back, everything still burned and throbbed enough to leave him breathless.
Moving was even worse. Every step he took, it felt like someone was stabbing him with at least a dozen knives. Adding insult to injury, it seemed each one had been coated with salt and vinegar, designed to make the pain linger as long as possible. Normally, he could take the stairs of Arasaka Academy with ease but now? He was clutching the railing with all his strength, taking the steps one at a time like a baby, hissing with each step.
Reaching the bottom of the landing, David let out another curse and removed the bottle of cheap-ass over-the-counter painkillers he had scraped enough eddies together to buy. It was already half-way empty, and he knew he was pushing close to an overdose but didn't care as he dry swallowed another double-dose of the pills for the tiniest bit of relief they were supposed to deliver. His steps were heavy as he moved into the classroom, none of his classmates noticed his arrival until the teaching engram called him out.
"Martinez, David – your tardiness has been added to your record."
He didn't hear the teacher, his eyes focused on Katsuo as the rich bitch laughed and decided to call him out.
"Hey, get a load of this guy..."
David's eyes clenched shut briefly as he fought a sudden wave of nausea as his stomach realized it had been fed more pills. What happened right after was something David couldn't pinpoint the cause of. Maybe it was because of the additional headache Katsuo's voice caused. Or a faulty rewiring of his nervous system. Or maybe even the earlier painkillers finally kicking in to do their job. But something inside him snapped at those words, and further clouded his already shit judgment. His eyes snapped open in time to see his foot connect with Katsuo's chest, knocking the other boy out of his chair and onto the floor. Someone in the class screamed, and all but Katsuo and the two Corpo brats he called friends had bolted from the room.
"Are you gonked out Martinez? Fighting me at school?" Somehow, Katsuo perfectly combined his indignation at being kicked by David with his desire to act the model student. "There are cameras everywhere!"
A loud smack echoed around the room as David's hand connected with Katsuo's face, replacing the indignant smile with an expression of shock.
"What the fuck man!?" One of Katsuo's hands came up and held his face where David's strike had landed, eyes widening as David's jacket fell to the floor. "D-Do you know who my father is?"
"I don't care..." Ignoring the burning pain, David adjusted his posture to a fighting stance. Seeing this, Katsuo laughed humorlessly and adjusted his posture to match.
"Obviously, otherwise you'd know fighting me is basically a fool's errand." He laughed, flexing one of his arms while beckoning him closer with the other. "Eh, I suppose if you really want to fight me with your 'ganics, bring it!" Katsuo started to move his hands and taunt David with wordless whoops and over-the-top battle cries like you'd see in action fighting games and shows. "Dodge this!"
David had seen this show before, and didn't care to repeat the ending. "Let's see what this thing can do."
Katsuo fired up his wetware and darted forward, a hoot or grunt escaping him with each strike his hands threw forward. David had activated the unregistered Sandevistan simultaneously and didn't even bother trying to block any of the hits. Instead, he used his newfound speed to sidestep around and behind the other boy before decking him in the jaw with a right hook.
The kinetic energy did the rest.
Katsuo barely had time to realize what happened as David blinked from being in front of him to beside him, before his face was smashed up against the glass screens that gave the classroom the appearance of having windows.
"Ow...that hurt!" Katsuo whined, hands clutching his face as he rolled over to stare at David. "What the fuck? What...What kind of implant is that?" He groaned, gently tapping his face. "You...You broke my fucking nose!" The punch seemed to have rattled Katsuo's brain, the boy repeating his earlier questions. "Do you know who my father is? He's an Arasaka executive on the school board. You're done for! Do you know how easily he can have you expelled?"
"Like I give a shit..." David cracked his neck, the adrenaline coursing through his system killing most of the pain he originally felt. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped as he heard the sound of the classroom doors opening. Nearly a dozen of the Academy's security force was there, all of them holding tazers or other non-lethal arms. In a moment of clarity, David raised his arms in surrender and offered no resistance as one of the larger security guards approached him and put him in a pair of handcuffs before escorting him out of the room.
He had expected them to drag him down to the closest NCPD office, and was honestly surprised when he found himself being hauled into the principal's office instead.
"Guess they want to officially kick me out before sending me away." Maybe it was a result of the drugs in his system, but David couldn't help the small laugh to leave him at the thought.
"Something you find funny about this situation, Mister Martinez?" The principal raised an eyebrow as the security guard moved David to stand before his desk. Before David could answer however, the door to the office opened again. He expected more campus security, or maybe even an actual officer from the NCPD to made an appearance. Hell, a squad of MaxTac Elites would have been preferable to the suit that entered the office. The principal seemed to share David's sentiments if the slight twitch to come from the man was any indication. Vinny's eyes gave the room a once over, lingering just slightly longer on David before looking back at the principal.
He sighed, one hand moving to grip the bridge of his nose. "I know I put in an official request to collect him before he could leave the premises, but I didn't think you'd need so many just to collect a kid?"
"There was an assault occurring after you had put in your request." The other man answered after a brief pause. "With the use of speedware, violence, and the attention of Counterintelligence, security thought it was best to be... proactive."
"Understandable." Vinny nodded, "I need a private room with the kid. He's being given an offer."
Once more, the principal started at the words. "Does this have anything to do with-"
"Yes." An odd sense of dread went down David's spine, but he smartly stayed quiet.
"I see." The principal looked at something on his computer. "The conference room three doors down the hall should suffice. Though I must request that you leave the door closed and inform us if the conversation goes... badly."
"Of course." Vinny gave a nod and motioned for the guard holding David to follow them to the appointed room. "Wait outside." Vinny reached out a hand and placed it on David's arm, relieving the guard of duty temporarily as he dragged the boy into the room. As the door clicked shut, some of the adrenaline that had been keeping David standing left him and he let out a pained groan as Vinny shoved him into a nearby chair.
"You are the most egregious gonk I have ever had the misfortune of meeting." The older man wasted no time, cutting right to the quick. "What were you thinking, strapping a corpse scavved piece of wetware to your nerves?"
David let out a scoff, not wanting to hear it again from the man. "Save the lectures. You're not my father. Feel free to follow his example and fuck off."
Somehow, those words seemed to piss the suit off even more. "Some shit-heads will hit rock bottom, learn how they screwed up and pull themselves outta the hole they dug and make something out of it, You? You hit bedrock and decided to grab a shovel."
"Seriously? I asked you for help!" The younger man stared back at him, eyes holding the weight of his anger. "Not to show up outta nowhere like some Blackwall myth and talk down to me every chance you get!"
Vinny shook the chair, causing David to groan as a new wave of pain shot through his back. "I am trying to help you, its too bad you're an ungrateful punk!"
"Apart from mom, how exactly have you helped me?" He shrugged, though the gesture was futile given his still bound hands. In response, Vinny gripped the arms of the chair, pinning David in even more as he answered.
"You're an Arasaka asset now, that's how."
"Do-what now?" David's head tilted to the side, the words seeming to cause a short somewhere between his ears and brain.
"Scop-for-brains, I swear." Vinny shook the chair again slightly, causing David to groan as he released his grip. "Look chuckle-fuck, the Academy has you on vid selling illegal XBDs, and even as a free city NC has to follow some laws. In this case, you'd be looking at five to fifteen for possession and distribution. Bonus time depends on the age of the victims involved."
Idly, he remembered Vinny mentioning his file from the academy the day prior. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're bluffing, if they had scrolls of me doing this then why not turn me in?"
At that, Vinny let out a small sigh that half sounded like laughter. "Kid, the academy reports on its students to the company, and Arasaka makes the calls. A no-name, no skill, no money, and almost no-family kid like you?" He shook his head, a sad grin on his face. "The company refers to you as 'disposable assets' and treats you as such. They'll hold onto whatever juicy detes they gathered til they decide they need something from you. Then they give you two options: do what they want or suffer the consequences."
"And I suppose there's something you want from me?" He shifted uncomfortably in the chair, still not trusting anything Vinny had to say.
"I want you to smarten up and start thinking for once in your goddamn life." Vinny reached into his pocket and took out a small stack of Eurodollars and what David recognized as a MaxDoc inhaler and set it on the table. "Take that, get yourself cleaned up, then go home and don't do anything stupid." He turned his back on him then and took a couple steps towards the door.
"That's it?" David almost laughed again, "Not gonna take me in for assault? Theft?"
Vinny didn't respond, instead he reached for the door and opened it to address the guard behind. "Uncuff the kid and escort him off campus...And make sure he takes his medicine."
David growled at that last part, not appreciating being treated like a child as the guard entered while Vinny took his leave. Still, he let out a relieved sigh as the cuffs fell away and he was free to move his arms. He took a moment to stretch and pocketed the eddies, before taking a couple huffs off the inhaler. Relief far greater than anything else he had all morning flowed through him.
"Come on kid, you heard him." Though the guard didn't reapply the handcuffs, he still maintained an iron grip on David's upper arm. Two of his fellows flanking them on either side as they moved through the hallways unobstructed until they were just at the boundary of the academy's property. The guard that had been holding his arm released it, and sent him away with a less than gentle shove. David waited until the guards disappeared back into the building before starting his walk home.
"Well, that went better than expected." He addressed the air, smiling as he walked. Maybe it was from the relief the MaxDoc brought, or the fact that he had gotten revenge against Katsuo. Or maybe even out of humor at the thought of him being any sort of asset to Arasaka, but he soon found that it was his turn to genuinely laugh at the situation. This garnered him a few odd expressions, but he didn't care. Instead, he activated the Sandevistan one more time and rushed home. Opting to take Vinny's advice just this once, he threw his clothes into the washer, took a shower, and then passed out.
David probably would have slept the remainder of the day away, but a phone call soon brought him out of his slumber. It was from the academy, and he expected it to be a call about his being tardy again, or maybe one confirming his expulsion. Instead, he was surprised to find it was an automated message confirming him as 'being out sick' for the rest of the week.
"H-how?" He sat up, memories of the morning's events coming back. He let out a groan of frustration as Vinny's revelation replayed in his head. "I am so fucked."
David cradled his head in his hands, eyes looking around the apartment with a level of clarity they hadn't had in awhile. Everything within was something his mother had worked for, on her own, to grant them as much of a life of comfort as they could afford. Now? Now thanks to him, his ass, as well as her's, were owned by Arasaka. Vinny referred to him as a disposable asset. Did that title apply to his mom as well? And what would that mean once she was well enough to return home? Would Arasaka now be keeping tabs on both of them? Could Gloria keep her job? Would David still be allowed to attend the academy?
"Ugh..." He groaned, resisting the urge to bury himself back in the cushions of the couch and forget about everything. Instead, he took a moment to stretch and get dressed, though he didn't have anywhere he needed to be now that he was excused from school. He looked out the window, the city seeming almost peaceful in the morning light. He had felt almost relaxed walking home from the academy the day prior, head empty of almost all thoughts. With nothing better to do, David decided to take a walk around the city and figure out his next course of action.
Though he kept his head down, David remained on alert. Knowing now that he was marked by Arasaka, he couldn't help but wonder just how much they knew...Or really how they knew. Was that mother and her child across the street, waving to a friend across the way actually an informant? Were the trio of homeless bums all sharing a single packet of instant noodles really that bad off?
He shook his head, knowing that while a certain level of paranoia could be considered healthy for Night City, too much of it lead to clouded judgment. "Get ahold of yourself D." He cursed himself out, eyes catching sight of a figure in road leathers. In a place as busy as Night City, it wasn't too uncommon an occurrence to see the same face more than once when walking around. However, this particular face was one David had only seen once prior to today. Now? Now this face seemed to be appearing nearly everywhere he was going.
"No way..." He whispered, actually making eye contact with the guy near one of the food stalls. Before the other man could move to sit down, David used the Sandevistan to rush over and confront him. It might have been a stupid move on David's part, but he needed the confirmation that the man was who he thought he was.
"Sorry choom, didn't know that was your seat." The larger man laughed and took the seat next to the one David was blocking, seeming unsurprised by the turn of events. "Guessin' this place has some good food then?"
"What's your deal man?" David's eyes narrowed at how nonchalant the guy was being about the whole thing.
"Just looking for a good meal," the smile didn't leave his face as the clerk came over to take his order. "Yeah, think I'll try the synth-beef lo-mien. And make an order for the kid here too." He looked over at David as he handed over his eddies, "least I can do for you showing me this place."
He let out an annoyed huff. "Did Vinny send you to keep an eye on me?"
The big guy chuckled, "He's still letting you call him that? Lucky."
The annoyance David was feeling was slightly displaced by the question. "That's not his name?"
"Ehh, not sure I should be givin' you any detes. Thanks." The man gave a nod to the clerk as he set down two take-away containers along with some chopsticks. "Technically, I'm working for him right now." He picked up one of the containers and held it out to David, wiggling it slightly to entice him to take it. Much as his pride wanted him to refuse, the smell of actual food was just too tempting.
"Thanks." He took the container with a reluctant nod of his head before sitting down. "So, what? You another Arasaka asset too?"
Another laugh, "Not even close kid."
Nearly all of David's remaining annoyance fell away, replaced with a level of confusion. He knew this man was working with Vinny in some capacity. Though if he wasn't an Arasaka asset? And if he knew Vinny wasn't exactly a real name?
"What exactly are you to Vinny?" He took a moment to eat a couple bites of his meal, thinking. "And who are you?"
"Like I said, not sure how much I should be telling you." He laughed again, one hand reaching out. "Name's Jackie by the way."
"Least that's one thing I know Vinny was being honest about." David kept the thought to himself and accepted the hand, his own seeming to become lost in Jackie's grip. "David."
"Nice to meet you." He released David's hand, returning to holding his noodles. "So, you go to school around here?"
David almost choked on his food. There was little doubt in his mind that, if Jackie really was working for Vinny, this was something he would have known in advance. Likewise, it could just be the man trying to make small talk. "What did Vinny say? Start thinking?"
"Yeah. Arasaka Academy." He poked at his noodles, feigning disinterest. "Though, I kind of, had to take a sick day today."
"Understandable." Jackie copied him and stirred his own food, "Prestigious school like that? I can understand needing a break."
"Did you, go to Arasaka academy too?" Mentally, David cringed at himself, remembering just a second too late Jackie's earlier reply. He half expected the other man to berate him for not listening or something but instead Jackie grinned and pointed a chopstick at him.
"Oh that's rich kid." He chuckled, shaking his head. "As I told your hemorrhoid 'saka academy sent me a rejection letter and I didn't even try to apply."
"That bad, huh?" David added his own chuckles to the mix, trying to imagine someone like Jackie among the Corpo brats. His laughter came to an abrupt halt at something the older man said clicked. "Wait, my hemorrhoid?"
"You know, Vinny." Jackie gently punched him in the arm before pointing at his own backside. "The pain in your ass?"
Try as he might to suppress it, more laughs escaped. "He's that bad, huh?"
"He has his moments." Just then, Jackie's eyes lit up, "an hang on. Hello? Mama, I'll call you back." With an impressive level of speed, Jackie inhaled the rest of his meal and pushed the empty container aside. "Hate to cut our lunch date short but," his eyes lit up again, "madres. You know how they can be." There was a fond smile on Jackie's face as he stood up and dismissed himself with a nod. David watched the man walk away to one of the quieter parts of the city center, using that time to finish his own meal before getting up to continue on his way.
He made his way towards the transit hub, replaying the end of his encounter with Jackie."Maybe I should see about visiting mom...Then again, Trauma said they'd be in touch.." He boarded the train, eyes staring out the window as they started to move. "Vinny's also probably got more eyes on her than he does me." He looked around the car, seeing the usual assortment of suits, students, and others going about their business. None of them were paying him any mind, nor did he see Jackie among their numbers. He almost considered dropping his guard, but a flash of white caught his attention. He turned in time to see a woman, one maybe just a few years older than himself with white hair moving about the car. Once or twice, he caught sight of her pick-socketing someone.
David would have been content to ignore her, until he felt something amiss with his own socket. Activating his speedware, he moved around the woman and caught her arm just as she caught his chip. She let out a small noise of surprise, but didn't struggle and instead stared him down just as he was her. Before he could offer any sort of argument, she twisted out of his grip and instead grabbed his arm.
"Come with me." The woman didn't wait for an answer and instead pulled him into the small area that connected the various cars to each other.
"Wha-Hey!" He tried to break away from her grip, but the woman was much stronger than she looked and she held him firm against the wall. David managed to turn his head slightly, noticing her eyes were lit up as she scanned him with some program or another. "What's your problem?"
"Interesting." She hummed in amusement at whatever results were displayed to her. "Can't help but wonder where you got that sweet Sandevistan. Couldn't have been cheap." The woman let out another hum before he could answer. "Ah wait...Arasaka Academy. That explains it."
"Does it?"
"Not quite. You don't seem the academy type." Her grip on him relaxed just slightly, and so did his posture.
"Compared to the others? Yeah, you could say that." David would have laughed if he wasn't preoccupied with trying to figure out if Jackie, or any other of Vinny's employees were around. Still, something compelled him to play along with her. "Had to take a couple sick days from it. I'm a little short on eddies and well, you know how they are about tuition fees."
The white-haired woman laughed, amused. "If that's the case, what do you say to helping me out a little bit with a job?"
"What kind of job could you offer me?" David's eyes narrowed, "because from my point of view, you're just a lowly pick-socket."
"That's just part of the job, kid." He flinched as he felt something snake around his neck. "But for a rookie like you? It's a perfect starting point."
Maybe David should have continued taking Vinny's advice about thinking and not being stupid, but he needed eddies, and needed them fast. The handful that Vinny had left him had gone to doing laundry, and settling the rent for another couple weeks. He barely had enough left in his pocket to afford some basic groceries and to pay for public transport. He had decided to take the walk to figure out where to go from Vinny's revelation about him and 'saka. Getting a job, even a shady one, seemed like a decent course of action. He had nodded his acceptance and Lucy, as she introduced herself as, filled him in on the detes.
It was simple, she would klept the shards with her quickhacks, and it would be up to him to collect them by using the Sandevistan. Afterwards, she would take the shards to sell them and split the payout with him. And while his take of thirty percent of an unknown amount might not have been the fairest of agreements, David felt he was in no position to argue.
Somehow, the two worked together seamlessly, and David had successfully collected the shards from the suits she had picked. Sure the last one, an Arasaka bodyguard, made him nervous but he succeeded with flying colors. The man only twitching in discomfort due to the low ceiling of the car compared to his large frame. An odd sense of pride flowed through David as Lucy told him they were hopping off at the next stop. Disembarking, the pair moved to standing near the top of one of the stairways that lead from the elevated platform of the tracks.
"So what now?" David sniffed, feeling something tickling his nose. "Hit another train car? A different line?"
"Nah, not smart to hit the same area in the same method again so soon." She shook her head, looking at the handful of shards he had handed over. "Besides, for a rookie, this is impressive." Another smile graced her face, "definitely worth the twenty percent I promised."
"Twenty?" David growled, feeling something pop inside his head, "you agreed to thirty!"
"Relax, I'm just kidding." Lucy turned and smiled at him, though the smile faded as she studied his face. "David? You okay?"
David wanted to answer her, but the tickling trickle he could feel under his nose had turned into feeling like a flowing fountain. Swiping a thumb underneath his nose, he let out a startled cry at the sight of his now red fingers. The action caused him to lose his balance, and he fell face-first down the stairs.
Everything was black for him for a spell, and it was only when he started to hear voices did he come back into the realm of consciousness. Though he recognized that he was laying still, he could still feel the faint sensation of moving.
"So, how bad?" That was Lucy's voice, sounding calm and collected as ever.
"Rookie mistake," another woman commented, the voice that of a stranger. "Seems he hasn't taken any precautions since installin' that implant. Which immuno-suppressant is he on? He insured?"
He opened his eyes, seeing the inside of the ambulance and an emergency worker looking at a tablet while Lucy kept looking back and forth between him and her. Lucy let out a small sigh at the question and closed her eyes. "No clue, don't think he is."
"Any family or guardian I can call?"
"Don't know. Only met him a few hours ago myself." Lucy sighed, "might have parents. I know he used to go to the Academy."
"That explains how he can afford this..." David could hear the telltale sound of fingers on a tablet, but the light tapping was soon covered by Lucy addressing him.
"Hey, how you feeling kid?"
David let out a heavy sigh, "think I'm gonna be sick..."
"Oh, you're awake." The emergency worker briefly looked down at him. "Which immuno-supressants do you take?"
"Immuno-what?" He blinked, wondering just what about his lack of medical knowledge was so funny to Lucy.
"Wow, you're psycho!" She squeaked out between her laughs, eyes looking out the back window of the ambulance. The vehicle hit a small bump, and her eyes widen slightly as something outside. "Uh, I think your driver missed the turn for the-"
"We didn't miss shit." The false professional courtesy was gone from the older woman's voice. "Kid's got an implant that'll fetch a nice price. So just sit back, relax and-"
"What? You got a deal with a Scavenger or something?" David couldn't fathom how Lucy still seemed so calm, then again, she wasn't the one with a gun pressed against their head.
"Shut up. Sit back or I'll take your chrome too!" All David could do was let out a grunt as he tried to wiggle out of the restraints on the stretcher.
"Sorry David, might have to dock your pay for this." Before he knew what was happening, Lucy had kicked him and the stretcher into the worker. He cursed at the impact, but got a small sense of relief at seeing Lucy's tactic effectively disarm the would-be butcher. He figured that would be the end of it, but Lucy took it a step farther and popped the doors to the ambulance open. "Hang on...Not that you have much of a choice."
"What do you-AH!" He screamed as Lucy grabbed onto the end of the stretcher and launched them out the back onto the road, the ambulance speeding off without them. He continued to scream as the stretcher turned escape vehicle continued to roll. It seemed a miracle that the few cars and single motorcycle to scream past them didn't hit them as Lucy laughed and managed to steer them off the road and onto the sidewalk. This was an action that came far too late in David's opinion as he once again tasted the noodles he had for lunch. Coughing, he turned his head to the side, doing his best to not choke on his own vomit.
"Oh shit, you're not dying, are you?" Concern was just barely noticeable in Lucy's voice as she studied him.
"Doc's clinic..." He rasped, hearing Lucy's questioning hum in reply. "Santo Domingo, my ripper. Please...take me, there?"
"Eh sure, why not...Not like were miles away from there..." David couldn't quite tell if Lucy was being sarcastic or not, but after a moment, he felt the stretcher starting to move. Even if she wasn't being sarcastic, was she intending to push him all the way there? Before he could ask however, he heard the tell-tale rumble of an approaching motorcycle. The bright red bike came roaring to a stop beside the two of them before its rider spoke.
"Oi chica." David never thought he'd be happy to hear Jackie, but there he was. He expected the man to rush over, pull him from the stretcher, then call Vinny to summon whatever force down on them. Instead, it seemed Jackie was wanting to play it cool again. "Everything okay here?"
"Just a run in with a less-than-ethical EMT." Lucy tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "you know how they can be."
Jackie let out a sad chuckle, "yeah. I think some of them took a hypocritical oath instead of the Hippocratic one. Need any help with that? Want me to call a reputable ambulance?"
David made a noise, wondering just what that would mean for him and Lucy. Before he voice his thoughts however, Lucy hit a small bump and the jolt of pain and nausea it caused robbed him a little of lucidity. He heard Lucy and Jackie exchange a few more words, but the meaning of them was lost in part due to the squeaking of the stretcher's wheels, and the general noise of the city. It wasn't until Jackie addressed him directly that he actively heard anything.
"Hey kid, you still got those meds Vinny..." Jackie struggled to say the name without laughing, "gave you at school?"
"Coat pocket." David flicked his eyes down to the pocket in question. Jackie gave a nod and pulled the inhaler from his pocket and held it a moment.
"MaxDoc Mach three? Damn choom, he got you the good shit." The older man smiled and gently pulled the oxygen mask off David's face. Reaching into his own pocket, Jackie took out a packet of tissues and wiped David's face clean before holding the MaxDoc to his mouth. "Take a puff kid."
"I can do it myself. Just, untie me." He once again struggled against the restraints, causing Lucy to laugh a little.
"Sorry, I'm not getting involved in whatever kinks you have." Jackie gently tapped the inhaler to David's lips. "Just take the puff."
Knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere arguing, David complied and took a hit off the MaxDoc. As it had that morning, he felt the relief of whatever anesthetics flow into his body. Soon, he found himself feeling almost giddy as whatever nausea and discomfort he felt was gone. Downside to this was that his other senses were pretty much gone as well, and David was only half-aware of what was going on around him. He recalled hearing a car slow down near them, but didn't recall getting into the vehicle. He had almost no recollection of the trip to Doc's place itself, and zero memory of just how he had wound up inside.
When he had finally woken up fully, he found himself sitting in Doc's office. Lucy was leaning against a support beam, while Doc was sitting beside his desk. He looked to the wall across from him and saw Jackie in a similar pose to Lucy. The old ripper laughed and greeted him with a warm insult.
"David buddy, you look like shit."
"Thanks..."
"Hey, you good if I step out a moment?" Jackie asked, taking a moment to stretch. "Doctor patient confidentiality and all that?"
David gave a nod, watching the man's eyes light up right as he disappeared around a corner. "Well?"
"T'cause that much damage..." The old ripper shook his head, "got to know. How many times ya fire dat thing off today?
"Six..." He closed his eyes, "no...eight."
"Jesus Henry Christ!" Doc's eyes went wide at his revelation. "Even a grown-ass man couldn't take dat kind of punishment."
"I was fine until my nose popped a cork." David answered, the faintest smile lighting his face.
"This gonk didn't know about immuno-suppressants." Lucy chimed in, causing Doc to let out a hum.
"Possibly my bad, didn't see the need for 'em." An airy chuckle escaped the ripper, even as Lucy let out a scoff.
"Of course. Look, can you just sell him some meds?"
"Most of the shit off the shelf dat I have ain't gonna cut it for this." Doc threw a thumb at the shelf of medical supplies next to him. "It'll cost ya, but if you're good for it?"
A hiss of disappointment escaped David, but before he could argue, Lucy was speaking again.
"What will these get him?" He watched as Lucy held out the handful of kelpt shards.
"Two days' worth." He put together a small bag of medication after studying the shards a moment. "Take it or leave it."
"Hold on, save your shards girl." Jackie came back into the room, hand gesturing for Lucy to put her shards away. She complied, watching as Doc pulled back the offered med bag. "Call me crazy, but I've grown to like this kid and his chica. And I'm feeling charitable." The Latino man's eyes briefly lit up, "for the best stuff you've got. How much will this get?"
Doc's eyes lit up briefly then in reply, his face holding the widest smile David had ever seen. The old man actually leaped to his feet and grabbed something off the top shelf of his medicine cabinet. With careful hands, he bagged the bottle and handed it to Lucy. "Thirty days worth, one shot a day is all he'll need." Doc's eyes looked over at David. "Unless, you want me to take the Sandy off your hands instead and save you the trouble."
"Not a chance." David shook his head, watching as Lucy took the bag and left the room with Jackie following behind.
"Den I hope you'll at least accept a little advice." Doc sighed, "even though ya body can handle it, ya brain can't. Don't go firin' dat thing up more than two, maybe three times a day tops. No bullshit. Keep fuckin' around with it and yer brain's gonna get scrambled."
"Is that even possible? It's just one piece of cyberware." He shook his head, not willing to believe Doc's words with everything else the man had told, or failed to tell him. "Never heard of someone going cyberpsycho with just one piece."
"Not wit' normal tech, and dat Sandy is anything but." The old ripper gave a shake of his head. "I may not be runnin' a charity here, but I really do like you David. So trust me on just how dangerous that thing is."
"Sure, thanks." David sat up then and moved towards the door, barely giving the old doctor a nod as he exited the place. Stepping outside, he was greeted to the sight of Jackie leaning against a light post while Lucy was off to the side, appearing to be on a call. "So...What now?"
"Let's head over to my place." Lucy joined the pair, handing David the medicine bag.
"Huh, wha?" The younger man started at the request, eyes looking to Jackie, as if asking the elder what he should do.
Jackie's answer came in the form of his motorcycle rolling towards them. However, something seemed to go wrong with its autopilot. Instead of stopping before Jackie like it should have, it gently crashed into a couple nearby trash cans, making the older man flinch.
"Well, looks like I need to wash my bike now," Jackie seemed more amused than annoyed at the situation, "so you kids go on ahead. Besides, I don't want to be a third wheel to you and your girl."
"She's not my girl..." David argued, causing Lucy to giggle and hide her smile behind a hand.
"Sure she isn't." The elder gently placed a hand on David's shoulder. "You don't need to lie to me choom, I'm not your guardian." Jackie moved his hand from David's shoulder, opting now to sit astride his bike. "I was young once too, you know?"
"Ugh, it's...not like that!" He cradled his head in his hands, ignoring Jackie's laugh as the man kicked his motorcycle to life. David could only sigh further as Lucy came to his side, her hand now resting where Jackie's had been. "We're just..."
"Coworkers." Lucy answered for him, though there was a huge smile on her face.
"Is that what you kids call it these days? Me estoy poniendo viejo..." As if to emphasize that last point, Jackie rubbed at his lower back. "Anyhow, you kids should get going. It's getting late. Nice meeting you chica, and nice seeing you again David."
"Likewise." Once again, Lucy took control of the conversation.
"Have a good night," Jackie revved the engine of his bike one, "and use protection kids!" With that, he sped off into the night, leaving a giggling Lucy and a red-faced David behind.
"We're not-" He called after the man, a futile effort that was quickly silenced by Lucy taking his arm and starting to drag him to her place. "Uh, my place isn't too far from here if, uh, if you don't want to walk."
"It's fine, it's a nice night." Lucy eyes looked up at the Night City skyline, "be a shame to not enjoy it a little longer."
"I uh, I guess?" David couldn't really find any reason to argue. Instead, he followed Lucy along the streets until they came to one of the Megabuilding apartment complexes. He followed her up the stairs to one of the doors and watched as she unlocked it and let them in. "You, uh, live alone?"
"Yeah, why?" Her eyes swept up and down his body, "wait, are you nervous? This your first time?"
"What, uh, no!" He crossed his arms, feeling oddly defensive as a blush came to his face. "You, uh, got anything to drink?" He regained some of his composure, taking a seat on her couch.
"Only beer. You drink, right?" The white-haired woman didn't wait his reply, instead opting to grab two beers from her fridge. Popping the caps off using the counter, she handed him one before opting to sit on the windowsill behind him. She took a sip of her own drink before lighting up a cigarette.
"Yeah, thanks." He took a long swallow, not exactly enjoying the taste of bubbly water and piss, but he couldn't exactly spit it out. Lucy gave him a tiny smile before sending a smoke cloud his way, causing him to cough as the scent of cheap tobacco mixed with the carbonation of the drink.
"You're lying, you've never drunk before, have you?" There was a teasing tone to Lucy's voice as she took another sip of her own.
"I have. I just don't like carbonated drinks or smokes." He frowned, not exactly appreciating her appraisal of him.
"Don't be mad, think its kind of cute. Though I didn't think people like you existed." She took another drag of her cig, smiling at his expression. David's eyes looked around the apartment, coming to rest on a poster advertising trips to the Moon. The tiniest smile came to his face, mind coming up with fodder of his own that he could use against her.
"Say's the woman with that tacky poster."
"Got a problem with it?" The teasing tone was gone from Lucy's voice, replaced with tones more akin to when they first met. Her eyes seemed darker too, and David gave a tiny bow of apology.
"Uh, no. No problem." He stuttered, trying to explain himself. "It's just, all those ads make it seem like its some paradise up there. Completely overlooking how many people died trying to turn that rock into something. Might be more of a prison than a paradise for some."
"Well, looks like the schoolboy did his homework." She sparked up another cigarette. "Honestly, even though I know you went to the Academy, never took you as the bookish type."
"I mean, I'm not. Not really?" David knocked back another drink, grimacing at the taste. Once more, David couldn't say if it was the meds, or the alcohol that loosened his tongue. But he found himself spilling details of his childhood to Lucy. Told her how though they weren't well off, that his mom worked her ass off to get him into, and keep him, at the Academy. Told her how despite Gloria's efforts, that he knew he didn't belong with the other Corpo brats, not really.
"So, why'd you stay?"
"Good question." He took another drink, stalling for time. "Guess it's 'cause mom wanted me to get a good job with 'saka. Climb the corporate ladder, so that I...maybe we, could have a better life. Think that was her wish, or maybe a dream of hers. Think I felt obligated to follow through."
"But that's not your dream though, right?" Lucy leaned in close, eyes soft as she studied David. "Not that there's anything wrong with working for someone else's dream, but you have to find your own."
"Never, never really thought about that." David swirled the contents of his bottle, "do you have a dream?" He followed Lucy's eyes as they drifted back to the poster that started their trek down this path.
"You called the moon a prison. I see it as freedom. The ability to get as far away from this place as possible." Lucy sounded almost regretful as she explained her thoughts. "David? Can I show you something?"
"Uh, sure." He offered no resistance as Lucy lead him over to her bed. For a brief second, he heard Jackie's words of advice, but all thoughts of the night going down that road were quickly shelved as she handed him a BD wreath, instructing him to lay down before starting up the program. After a moment, David let out a surprised gasp as he found himself standing on the moon, the resolution of the BD allowing him to feel the heat of the sun. The perfect addition to the illusion to make it feel like he was really there. A smile was on his face as he listened to Lucy explain something about this BD connecting to his personal link to feel it. She offered to turn the settings down, but David didn't care as he started to hop around the surface of the moon. Sure there was reduced gravity, but he had to admit that he felt lighter playing around with her than he had in awhile. He followed her around the surface for a spell, even going as far as taking a joyride in a moon buggy. Eventually, they came to rest at the lip of a large crater and Lucy finally spoke again.
"Never showed anyone this before." She gently kicked her legs against the side of the crater.
"So why show me?"
"Just felt right. I think we make a good team." She smiled, eyes flashing just a moment. David returned the smile, eyes drifting to stare up at the Earth, his own legs hanging over the crater's edge. He copied Lucy's childish action of kicking the wall, but stopped as a message played in his ears.
"You fell over the edge, punk!" An unknown man's voice brought him out of the BD, and he snapped back to reality. Sitting up, he was greeted with the sight of a large blond man with major cybernetic enhancements. Behind him, he could see two others all chromed up in a similar fasion. All of them had their eyes focused on David, effectively pinning him and preventing his escape. "Hate to break it to ya, but that implant belongs to me." The man flexed his hand, the chrome lighting up at the action.
Too stunned to speak, David looked to his side, finding Lucy reclining against the wall, another cigarette in her hand as she ignored everything. If David hadn't looked away, he might have seen the incoming punch. Might have had a moment to brace himself. Instead, the man's fist connected with his face, sending him flying up and off the bed. Dazed from the impact, David barely registered the door behind his attacker flying open, or the bellowed cry to come from the person standing where it once stood.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH MY SON!"
That was the last thing David heard before the flashbang went off.