Cyberpunk: Fatherhood

by RobinRounds

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

7. Chapter 7 - Stand By Me

David made his way down the hallway, ignoring the concerned looks coming from some of the medical staff as he passed. His steps were heavy as he made his way back to the waiting room, then to the lobby before heading outside to get some air. Letting out a groan, he leaned against the side of the building and allowed himself to slowly sink down until he was on the ground. The shock of the knowledge was still sinking in, and he found himself feeling a good majority of the emotional spectrum. Feeling a minor headache starting, he hung his head as low as it could go and closed his eyes, trying to shut everything out.

"Hey Kid, you feelin' alright?" Jackie's voice brought his eyes back up.

"Not really. Just...trying to deal with, with everything." He met Jackie's eyes, not seeing any judgment in them. The big guy rubbed his chin a moment in thought, before nodding.

"You just found out that V's your dad, eh?"

"Wha? How did you-" David practically jumped to his feet, surprised.

"I'm just really good at guessing things." Jackie smiled, "also figured it would come out sooner or later."

"Yeah..." David looked back down at the ground, leg tapping at the same speed his thoughts were going.

"You, want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about? I mean...At least now I know why she kept the number...But..." David held his head, hands rubbing at his scalp as if that would help his thoughts. "Why didn't he try to contact her? Why did he leave in the first place? Why...Why am I even talking with you about this?"

"Can't answer the first two, but the last one?" Jackie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Because I'm an ear willing to listen. Even if it's just incoherent ramblings you need to get out."

"I guess, but...I don't get it." He shrugged off Jackie's hand. "I mean, I knew I had a father out there, but I thought he was just some drifter. Or maybe dead. Mom didn't tell me much about him when I was younger and asked. Just said that his path in life no longer crossed with hers and left it at that."

Jackie nodded, "and now?"

"Now? Now that I know he's a suit? That, that he's been living the high life while Mom worked her body to the bone trying to keep us alive." David groaned, one foot stomping on the ground while his fists seemed torn between staying at his side or punching the nearest object. Understanding, Jackie held up his hands before him in a defensive posture, inviting David to throw a punch or two. "Ugh! It's not fair!" He punctuated the statement by striking the man's hands. David aired all sorts of grievances, each one ended with his fist meeting Jackie's palm. Most were against V and about his disappearing from their lives. Some were about Katsuo and other bullies, while others about life in general.

"Idiot!" David threw the hardest punch he had thrown all day, the impact causing his hand to sting from the sheer amount of force he had put behind it. Even Jackie had flinched at the impact, and the two mutually agreed to a "truce". Rubbing his hand, David watched as Jackie ran across the street to a nearby vending machine and purchased two Cirrus Colas. One of these was tossed his way, and he caught it with a frown.

"Sorry, should have asked what you wanted." Jackie rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.

"It's fine." He held the can, the coolness of the metal soothing against the heat of his hands. Seeing a nearby bench, he took a seat and popped it open. Though he coughed as the carbonated liquid moved down his throat, he was thankful for the relief it brought to his parched throat. "Never...Guess I'm just not used to drinks like this."

"Heh, I grew up on this stuff. Then again, 'don't drink the water' was a warning growing up even outside of Mexico in some of the lowest parts of Heywood." Jackie opened his own soda and took a drink. "But, now that you've had a chance to vent. Feeling any better?"

"Not really? I mean, it felt good, getting that off my chest." He stared at his hands, "but it really doesn't help the situation. I mean, the man had been gone from Mom's life for nearly eighteen years. Sure, I brought him back but...Ugh! Why is this so complicated?" David took another drink, gathering his thoughts. "V said he didn't know he was my dad until a few days ago. Yet each time we met, he was yelling at me like he was my dad. I mean, I get it. Dads are supposed to be hard on their kids at times but, ugh, fuck!"

"I get it kid. My dad...well, he wasn't the best guy either. He always got drunk and beat me an' Mama with his belt. Eh, don't look so surprised, I wasn't always this big." Jackie thumped a fist against his chest. "But once I was, well, I sent the old man packin'. Haven't seen him since."

"Oh..." The younger man glanced back at the doors of the hospital, before looking back at Jackie. "How did your mom feel about that?"

"Mama was torn between pride in what I did...and wanting to beat my ass herself for my recklessness." There was no shame in Jackie's smile.

"Shit..." David shook his head, "though why tell me all that?"

"To show you that, even though life might have been tough, that it could have been worse." Jackie gently poked him in the chest. "Don't think it was smooth sailing for me and Mama though after Raul left. We struggled for awhile but we got through it."

"Did V help you too?"

"I didn't meet V until after we were back on our feet. But there's no doubt in my mind that V probably would have helped me too if I knew him back then."

"So, he's a good guy?"

"That depends on your definition of the word." The older man flashed a smile, "but I'd say he's a decent choom."

"Maybe. But, I...I don't know. It's just been me and mom for so long and now he's here and..."

"Give it some time sobrino," Jackie gave him a pat on the back. "Look, if it's any consolation, V's just not as used to the idea of having a son as you are having a father. You both gotta figure things out."

"I suppose," David nodded as the words sunk in. "Wait, why did you call me your nephew?"

"Your dad is my brother, and that makes me your uncle...And I intend to embrace that title to the fullest." David felt certain if he looked up pride in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Jackie as he stood now. The man's arms were stretched towards the sky in triumph. "Uncle Jackie...Tio Jackie – no, tio Jaquito."

David was thankful to hear the doors to the hospital slide open, though that feeling dimmed slightly as he noticed V moving towards the two of them.

"Speak of the devil. Excuse me, got to make a call..." Jackie's eyes lit up as he moved away from the pair, granting them the illusion of privacy. Both father and son's eyes followed him a moment, before looking back at each other, a heavy silence between them.

V was the one to break the silence. "Hey, your mom's fallen asleep again. Not sure if you want to go and say goodnight to her or..."

"Nah, let her rest." David shook his head, "kind of getting tired myself, you know?"

"Yeah, been a long day." V nodded, taking a moment to stretch. "Both physically and emotionally." There was an odd hesitance in the suit's voice that wasn't there before. "So, how do you feel? Knowing who I am?"

The younger man took a moment to think. How did he feel? "Not much different. I mean, other than you now having an additional reason as to why you're chewing me out every few minutes. And have a more valid reason to help me and mom...I mean, sure you're my dad, but at the same time, you're not? You're just Vinny, er- V. Not much different than how things have been the last few days, you know?"

"Yeah, guess you're right." A weary smile came to V's face, but it quickly faded as David let out a yawn. "Look, I'm not gonna pretend I know what I'm doing when it comes to the whole parenting thing. But what I do know is that – Corpo politics aside. Gloria's important to me, and by proxy, that makes you important." Both of them cringed at that, neither able to believe he said that. "I guess, like you said, maybe we just keep things the way they've been for now? Figure out the whole father son thing later?"

"Aw, not gonna take your kid to the park to play catch? Teach him how to shave better?" Jackie had moved back over to the pair, a teasing smile on his face.

"Jackie!" Both father and son replied as one, making the Latino man laugh.

"That might be for the best." David nodded, before another yawn escaped him. "Ugh, should probably get going."

"Yeah, it has gotten pretty late." V's head tilted to the side, thinking. "If you want, I can give you a ride home. Or if you don't want to go back to your apartment, you can stay at my place."

"And if you don't like either of those options, you can crash at my place."

"Jackie?" One of V's hands came up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you even have a bed in that garage of yours?"

"No, but the couch is stupid comfortable. Kid can sleep there."

"Uh huh." V didn't seem to be agreeing or disagreeing with the sentiment. "Then where are you gonna sleep?"

"Think I've got a cot somewhere in the garage. Likewise, I can just go home to Mama's.

"And why can't the kid stay there instead?"

"One, it's late and I don't want to bother Mama with an unexpected guest. And two, I don't want to stress the boy out more by having him meet more people." The big guy smiled, "besides, we're having breakfast at the Cojo tomorrow, so he can meet her then."

"The Cojo?" David looked back and forth between the two men, slightly annoyed that they were talking about him like he wasn't there.

"El Coyote Cojo, the bar that Jack's mom owns." V supplied, eyes going back to Jackie. "And who says we are?"

"Mama."

"And what's she making?"

"Southwestern Omelets."

"I'm in." V answered far too quickly.

"You were in either way homes." Both of the older men's eyes lit up as a message was passed between them. "It wasn't an invitation."

"Alright then." V let out a breath he had been holding, before looking back at David. "So kid, where do you want to crash tonight?"

David took a moment to think. He wasn't anywhere near comfortable with the idea of staying with V, so that option was quickly discarded. He thought about returning to the apartment, but after spending the day surrounded by others, even if they semi-betrayed him. The thought of going back to an empty apartment just didn't seem appealing. That left the option of staying with Jackie, who David was willing to admit seemed like a trustworthy guy. Even if Jackie wouldn't be staying with him, David had a feeling that the man would still be close by in case something went wrong. Not that he needed someone to keep an eye on him but...

"You mind if I crash in your garage?"

"Not at all." The Latino man grinned, looking to V who nodded his acceptance of the arrangement. "Do you want to stop by your apartment first? Pick up anything like a change of clothes or?"

"No. I...I kind of just want to get some rest." He answered, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looked between the two men. "Is that okay?"

David didn't know why he went looking for permission, he was nearly an adult himself. But he was still amused when V nodded.

"That's fine." The suit gave a tiny hum as his Ragnar rolled into view. "I'll give the two of you a lift to the garage, then I've got to stop by the office. Don't worry, I'll meet you two at the Cojo tomorrow morning. What time did Mama want us there?"

"Around nine. Gives us time to rest and her time to prepare." Jackie moved to the passenger's side, motioning for David to get in the back. David complied with no complaints, opting to sit behind Jackie so he could better observe V. "Hey, buckle up kid."

"Uh, right." David was quick to lock the seat-belt in place, noticing Jackie doing the same. Given that he had been unconscious most of the ride to the Trauma Center, David was curious as to how good of a driver V was. His answer came in the form of V hitting the gas the moment they were on the highway, lights of the city passing by the window with impressive speed as they sped off to wherever Jackie's garage was.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

The garage was roomier and nicer than David had expected, and it seemed that Jackie had slowly been converting the plain decor into a 'man cave' or sorts. The main part of it still functioned as a garage, serving as storage for his bike and tools, though one corner of it had been turned into a weight room. A door in the side wall lead into a storage room that Jackie called 'his lair'. A worn leather couch rested against one of the walls, and David found he was powerless to resist the siren call of it. As the man had claimed, it was stupid comfortable, and David had passed out shortly after settling down on it.

It took both V and Jackie shaking him and calling his name to pull him out of the soft, sleepy embrace of the couch the next day. But he knew he had to get up and start the day. He took a moment to splash some water on his face from the small sink in the main part of the garage and straightened his clothes out as best he could. Seeming satisfied with his appearance, the two men flanked him, both with a hand on his arm maintaining a firm grip. The way they were holding him, it seemed more like he was being lead to his execution, not out to breakfast with Jackie's mom.

"Kid when we enter, don't forget to show respect." V started as the sign of El Coyote Cojo came into view. "You leave a bad impression I'll have to explain to your mother why you're nowhere to be found."

David dug his feet into the ground slightly, "the lady we're meeting is that scary?"

"Kid, I wouldn't cross her even backed by Arasaka's black ops." There was no smile on V's face or in his eyes, nothing to give away if he was serious or not.

"V, stop telling the kid bullshit." Jackie's smiling eyes were at odds with the frown on his face.

David let out a small sigh of relief. "So she's not that bad?"

"Oh no, you mess with her and I'll kill you." A tanned fist was suddenly dangerously close to his face.

"Oh that helps!" He turned a critical gaze at Jackie. "What happened to the supportive choom I was talking to at the MedCenter?"

"He values the quality of his own life more than a newfound friendship." It was V who answered.

"Same." The fist retracted, coming to rest over Jackie's heart. "Sorry sobrino."

At that, David scoffed and rolled his eyes before turning the gaze to V. "He's got the excuse that he's not related to me, what's yours?!"

"I don't wanna make Mama Welles mad at me." To his credit, V actually managed to look scared as he answered.

"Not gonna lie. I'm gettin' mixed messages." Once more, David looked back and forth between the two men. "And all of them sayin' 'fuck you kid'."

"Hey, watch your language." This time, Jackie's eyes matched his face. "Okay, maybe we are playin' with you a little. But look, El Coyote Cojo is neutral ground for the Valentinos. Everyone respects the rules. No weapons, no fighting. Mama worked hard to get to where she is, and she's not about to let anyone take that from her."

The three of them stopped before the door, the two men taking a moment to adjust their clothes. David copied their lead, suddenly wishing he had taken the offer to get a change of clothes. There was no time for regrets however as Jackie opened the door and gestured for them to go in. David was pushed in first, followed by V and lastly Jackie.

The bar fit the description of being a 'dive', but everything was in good repair and there was an friendly ease in the atmosphere that David appreciated. He glanced around, seeing both branding of Valentinos on the walls, along with advertisements and other posters. It was well lit, and while the place was clean, there were signs that it was a popular establishment.

"Mijos..." The soft but stern voice brought David out of his appraisals, and he noticed an older woman standing behind the bar. Even from across the room, David could feel the matron-like air the woman was giving off. Her gray hair was neatly cut, and her eyes were a soft blue that seemed at odds with the hard gaze she was fixing them with. Her mouth was set in a line, leaving David unsure of just how the woman was feeling about the situation.

"Mama." Both V and Jackie gave a nod of respect, something David copied. He noticed her mouth quirk up in a smile, before her face shifted back to the level expression as she stepped from behind the bar to stand before the three of them.

"Brought someone to see you." V shoved David forward, the man taking a step back.

"This is the child?" She seemed to no longer notice V or Jackie, eyes focused only on David.

"Uh, I'm not a child." David squeaked out after a moment, feeling more confused than anything.

"You are not yet eighteen, right? That makes you a child to me." One of her hands came to rest on David's shoulder, eyes narrowing as she fully appraised him. "Just wish I didn't have to wait seventeen years to meet my grandson."

"To be fair Mama, I only learned about him a few days ago."

"And you still waited to bring him to see me?" Mama Welles sighed, "told him for years he should have looked up what happened to Gloria but no." She muttered far too loudly, and David looked over at V in time to catch the man visibly slouch while Jackie seemed to be struggling to maintain a stoic expression.

"Wait, you know my mom?" The question was out before he had time to think.

"Not personally, though given how much your dad went on about her when drunk, I feel I know her well enough." The woman chuckled, "sorry to hear about the accident. But I'm glad to hear she's on the mend."

"Thank you ma'am." David offered after a moment, giving a tiny bow of respect.

"Oh don't be so formal nieto." She gave his arm a gentle shake, "you can call me Mama Welles too. Or Abuela, up to you."

"Eh, are you sure? That's not...too informal or disrespectful?"

"I've given you permission, so no." Mama's face moved into a fond smile, "why do you seem so uptight about that?"

"I don't know." David's eyes moved over to V and Jackie, "these two kept talking about me showing proper respect. Honestly, the way they lead me over here made me think the Valentinos were gonna gank me or something if I even looked at you the wrong way."

"I see. Excuse me..." Mama moved away then, steps unusually loud as she moved back behind the bar. The three men watched as she reached under the counter, and David could only stare as two neo-kitch slippers were sent flying with deadly precision at the older men. The one sent at V connected with his left eye, while the one to hit Jackie bounced off his head with a solid thunk.

"Jaquito, that's for not telling me sooner. And V, that's for not taking my advice all these years."

"Fuck, might be synthetic but it still stings." V whined, rubbing his eye.

"Choom, you know by now there's no cyberware strong enough to withstand a hit from La Chancla." Jackie's eyes were wet with genuine pain as he massaged his head.

"Come now nieto, not sure if los tontos told you, but I've made my famous omelets for breakfast." As if nothing happened, Mama picked up the thrown slippers with one hand and lead David over to a table with the other. Gesturing for him to sit, he watched as she returned the slippers to their hiding place before stepping through the small door behind the bar. A moment later she emerged with a tray containing a large syn-egg omelet, toast, and some Real fruit that she had turned into a fruit salad cup. Setting the tray before him, she gave a simple command. "Now eat."

David complied and cut into the omelet, bits of what appeared to be peppers or similar vegetables poking out of the synthetic eggs. He popped a bite into his mouth and was overwhelmed by the way everything danced in harmony on his tongue.

"Well?" Mama prompted, eyes daring him to give anything but his honest opinion.

"It's delicious!" He cut another piece and put it on the toast, enjoying the clash of texture. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She looked to the other two men, shaking her head as she started to move back out back. "Mijos ven aqui."

David had to take extra time chewing his latest bite to keep from laughing as V and Jackie moved to comply. Both of them followed Mama into the backroom, though after a moment, Jackie emerged with his own plate in hand and took a seat with David.

"Where's V?"

"Mama's givin' him a talk." There was no missing the brief flash of discomfort in Jackie's eyes. "One that's, in her words, nearly eighteen years overdue."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"That depends on your definition of okay." The big guy took a bite of his own food and hummed in satisfaction. "I don't think Mama's gonna kill him, but...Let's just say I hope you don't want a sibling."

David grimaced, legs crossing protectively over his crotch. He may not like V, nor accept him in his life in any way currently. But man to man, David could share the pain of being emasculated either physically or metaphorically.

"Eh, I'm content being an only child." David chuckled as he heard Mama Welles' voice come through the wall. He couldn't hear everything, but from what fragments he could get, had an idea of what the old woman was trying to drill into V's head. Once or twice, he thought he heard V respond, but couldn't make out the man's words. After about five minutes, V had emerged from the back, plate in hand. His face was as unreadable as ever, but David noticed the slight falter in his step, and the look in his eyes. Wordlessly, he moved over to the table and took the seat next to Jackie, putting him across from David.

"You okay choom?" Jackie asked after a moment, one of his hands coming to rest on V's shoulder.

"I'm fine Jackie." V shrugged off his hand, "had a nice talk with Mama. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to eat my omelet before it gets colder."

"I would say ask Mama to warm it up, but..." As if summoned by Jackie's suggested request, the door to the kitchen swung open. Mama Welles stood in the door frame, a large serving tray in one hand and spatula in the other.

"Neito, would you like another omelet?"

"Can I?" He held up his empty plate, which had been cleaned of everything, even the crumbs.

"Of course." She moved over to David and dropped another omelet on his plate. Mama's eyes drifted to V then, grip tightening on the spatula. "Oh V, forgot to add. You better make sure David is eating some good meals while Gloria is in the hospital. I don't want to hear that my grandson is subsisting on ramen and burritos like the two of you." The spatula moved back and forth between V and Jackie.

["Jackie, how is your mother so kind and scary at the same time?"]

"Si mama, I'll make sure my nephew is well taken care of." Jackie gave a nod, eyes looking at David. ["A lifetime of dealing with my ass, and a few short years of dealing with your father's."]

"Yes mama." V gave his own nod as the woman sat down at the table with them and took an omelet for herself.

"Then I am content mijo." Mama Welles gave V a pat on the back, before starting to eat.

"This is the strangest family I never asked for..." David thought, though he quickly realized it hadn't stayed in his head if the smile on Jackie's face and V's raised eyebrow were any indication. He looked to Mama Welles, seeing a smile similar to Jackie's.

"Maybe, but we're family now so it doesn't matter." She noticed David's plate was almost empty again and served him yet another omelet unprompted. He was about to refuse, but seeing the challenge in Mama- no, Abuela's eyes simply thanked her and continued eating.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

The rest of the morning had been spent with David getting to know his Abuela, with him sharing stories of his childhood while she in turn embarrassed both V and Jackie with stories of her own. The two of them were in the bar's kitchen, supervising as Jackie and V served as dishwashers to clean up the mess from breakfast. Things were going smoothly until V got interrupted with a holo call.

"Sorry Jack, got to take this." He tapped the side of his head, "work and all."

"You can't keep using work to get out of shit homes!" Jackie held the scrub brush like a knife and pointed it at V.

"It's semi-legitimate this time." V ducked out of the room then, leaving behind a cursing Jackie and laughing Mama. David let out his own nervous chuckle, having a rough idea of what V meant by 'work'. He returned after a few minutes, his usual stoic business expression in place. "Hate to have to delta so soon Mama, but the kid has to get to school, and I've got work to do. Jack, didn't you have to help Vik out with something?"

Jackie stared at V like he'd had a third arm installed before he caught on. "Oh yeah, promised I'd help him move some equipment. Lo siento Mama."

"School? I thought..." David blinked, catching sight of something in V's eyes. "Oh shit, thought it was Saturday. Sorry abuela."

"You're all terrible liars." Mama's face shifted into a frown, but there was a fondness in her eyes as she looked at the three of them. "Still, I can't hold you so V, make sure you take care of David, and make sure you visit Gloria." She turned her gaze to Jackie, "Mijo, you look out for David, and make sure V is taking good care of him." Finally, her gaze fell on David. "Nieto, I'm trusting you to keep those two in line, alright?"

"Sure abuela." He nodded his acceptance of the terms as she pulled him into a hug before pushing him towards the door to where Jackie and V were waiting for him. Final goodbyes were wished as the three of them hopped into V's Ragnar. This time, Jackie gestured for David to take shotgun while he climbed in the back. Only once they started to move did David dare to speak.

"So, where are we going?"

"To meet with Maine and his crew. Work out the details of our arrangement like I mentioned yesterday at the hospital."

A scoff came from the back. "Still can't believe you want to work with them after they tried to ice your boy."

"One, Maine is familiar with Gloria, and hopefully won't want to hurt her boy more than he already did. Two, he seems to care about his crew. Sure, that can be a fatal flaw at times but." V shrugged, "and three. Did some digging on the four we've met. Not a lot of people to miss them if things go tits up with our arrangement."

"All good points choom." Jackie leaned back, head tilting to look at David. "You payin' attention? Might learn something if you're looking to get into the world of being a solo instead of climbing the corporate ladder like your sperm donor."

"Jackie!" Both V and David exclaimed together again, eyes rolling in an identical display that only sent the Latino man further into a fit of laughter.

"He's right though." V checked his mirrors, before glancing over at David. "Learning to negotiate is part of both sides. In this case, they want that Sandevistan in your back and I want some additional hands to watch your back. Between the two, you're the more valuable asset as you have value to both them, and me. Thus, they'll be a bit more willing to play. Understand?"

"I guess." The kid gave a nod, still a little confused.

"Eh, you'll understand in time." He felt Jackie's hand on his shoulder. "Though choom, you didn't actually answer the question of where we're going?"

"Maine sent the coordinates to where he wants to meet." V's eyes briefly flashed as he sent them to both Jackie and David.

"You let him pick where we're meeting?" David couldn't keep the surprise from his voice, "isn't that a little risky?"

"Can be, but it's also a show of good faith to meet on their turf." V gestured out the window. "Lulls them into a false sense of security, makes them more willing to listen to what you have to say."

David nodded, seeing the logic in the situation. Unsure of what else to say, he settled into his seat and took to watching the city pass by as Jackie and V discussed some odd job or another. Eventually, they had pulled into the parking lot of Turbo's Diner – or as Maine had termed it in the coordinates, the gang's 'Party Spot'. David thought it a weird location for holding negotiations, and made his thoughts known to the other men in the car.

"Not really." V tossed his head at the lot. "Open on multiple sides to facilitate a fast escape. Building to duck into for cover. Busy enough area to where suspicions won't be raised too much about people hanging around. I'm almost willing to give them credit for choosing it."

David looked at Jackie, seeing the man nodding his head in agreement before turning his attention to the parking lot. Now on alert, he noticed a customized van parked in the lot, three people he recognized leaning against it. He saw a brief flash of recognition in Maine's eyes as V parked their own car and gestured for the three of them to get out. A tense silence hung in the air between the two trios until Jackie broke it by commenting on the van the gang was leaning against.

"Hey, he's got the same car as you." Jackie tossed his head at the vehicle, posture alert despite the relaxed air he was trying to give off. "Though, looks like you had some custom work done, eh?"

"Yeah. Ram bars on the front, modified door configuration. Roof mounted turret for emergencies or bad traffic jams." Maine gently thumped the side of the vehicle, posture shifting to match Jackie's. "We like to call her the 'Edgerunner'."

"Whose 'we'?" V crossed his arms, "you and the crew?"

"Yeah." The blonde man gestured to Dorio and Pilar, both of who nodded and cracked their knuckles.

"Great, now have the rest of them come out...and tell the short-stack to put down the shotty."

"Wha? How did you-"

"Ping." V tapped the side of his head as the door to the van opened, revealing Lucy, another blond woman with a cybernetic jaw mask, and a short girl with pale white skin and mint green hair. True to V's assessment, the shorty was holding a shotgun. The driver's side opened, revealing another man with dark brown hair and a mustache.

"He got us Maine." Lucy sighed, voice soft and fear strong in her eyes. The masked blond beside her nodded and gently rubbed Lucy's back, confirming her words.

"Don't connect to the local network next time." V sighed, "this everybody?"

"Yeah. You know Lucy, Dorio, and Pilar." Maine gestured to the three in question. "Rebecca's the one with the gun, while that's Kiwi in the mask." He looked at the other man, "and this fine gentleman is Falco."

"Pleasure to meet you." Falco gave a nod, seeming oddly calm despite the situation.

David thought they seemed an odd bunch, and he looked at V to see what the man's opinion was.

"So your crew consists of two solos, two netrunners, a driver, a gunner and a runt." By the way V was shaking his head, David could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled with what he saw.

"You better not be talking about me!" Rebecca pouted, arms crossed before her chest.

"Seriously short-stuff?" Given that the top of Rebecca's head was barely even with V's torso, he was literally looking down on her. "You look like you run distractions at best."

The pout didn't leave her face as she gave V a once over, stepping closer. "And you look like you can't take a shit without permission from your boss."

This brought a few chuckles from Pilar, Dorio, and Jackie only, causing Maine to smile.

V didn't flinch. "Anyone ever tell you that you have a bit of an attitude problem?"

"Anyone tell you I don't give a fuck?"

David caught the brief twitch of V's mouth. "One of these days that mouth of yours is gonna lead to someone sneaking up on you and ganking you in an alley."

"That so?" Rebecca shifted her posture, shotgun now held behind her back. "Well suit, if you're the one sneaking up on me you better be ready to fight me or fuck me."

"Ha. Damn you got spark in ya."

"Says the man who acts like he bleeds coolant."

"Ya know, I might actually like working with you." V relented after a moment's thought.

"We can be more than co-workers too." The green-haired girl brought her arms down and puffed her chest out while shooting V a wink.

"What?" David heard more than saw the half-step that V took to get away from the girl. "Ah... I-uh... I currently have a prior-"

"Oh wow, that's what got the tough guy act to crack?" Rebecca lowered her arms and smiled. "I'm just playin' choom!"

"Oh go fuck yourself." V flicked his hand in her direction, trying to send her away.

"Fuck me yourself suit." She replied, moving back to stand with the rest of the crew. That sent another round of laughter through the group, and seemed to break the remaining tension between the two parties and they moved to mingle with each other a little before getting down to business.

"Hey, good to see you again kid." Maine stepped up to David, "sorry for busting you up like that back there. And to hear about Gloria."

"Eh, it's okay." David rubbed his arm, "and mom's on the mend. She'll probably be even better than before once Trauma's done with her."

"Glad to hear it. Your mom's a good woman." The blond man's eyes shifted over to where V was, and David found his own following. The suit was currently discussing something with Kiwi and Falco, while Lucy was clinging to the older woman like her life depended on it. He heard a laugh and noticed then that Jackie seemed to have made fast friends with the others. "Can the same be said for those two?"

"Well, I-"

"I think that question is better reserved for your crew." V interrupted David before he could answer. "If we're gonna be working together, I need to know you can handle yourselves."

"Everyone can and has held their own. Some of us wouldn't be here if it wasn't for each other." A half smile came to Maine's face, "Falco's driving alone has gotten us out of more than one shit show."

"Take your word for it."

"Speaking of words," Maine cracked his knuckles, "think its about time we heard yours. That's what we're here for, right?"

Nods and a few jeers came from the rest of his crew, and David noticed everyone except Lucy moved just a little closer to them. He noticed she remained nearest to the van, one hand resting just on the door handle. Briefly, he considered moving over to stand with her, but catching a side glance from Jackie remained where he stood. Instead, he looked back at V and Maine in time to see the suit hand over a small briefcase.

"What's this?"

"I told you last time we saw each other that I'd reimburse you for your lost goods." V opened up the case, revealing stacks of eddies. David couldn't quite tell how much, but it was more than he could ever hope to make on his own.

"Holy shit." Maine pulled the case close, mentally counting. "I thought you were kidding when you said twenty five thou to say sorry."

"I like to believe I am a man of my word." V smiled as Maine closed the case gesturing for Dorio to take it. There was no missing the smile on her face as she brought it back to the Edgerunner and showed the rest of the crew.

"We're rich!" Pilar cheered, arms somehow encompassing the majority of Maine's crew in a friendly embrace. In response, Maine just let out a snort.

"Didn't Gloria tell you? I only paid fifteen for it." The gang leader shrugged, "Stolen and scavved, ya know?"

"The rest can be a token of good intentions. Another way of showing we can play nice."

"Aw, can't we play rough instead?" David's head snapped away from the group and back to V. Rebecca was now pressed against his side, mouth set in a playful pout. The kid couldn't stop the slightly disgusted shudder that went through him seeing the girl flirt with his father. No, with the suit, he reminded himself, not yet used to the idea of having a father.

"No, now step away and let the adults talk." V's hand landed on Rebecca's forehead and pushed her away. Grumbling, she moved back over to Pilar, who gave her a pat on the back.

"Keep trying sis, you'll get him eventually."

"Really?" David moved over to the siblings, "you, uh, know that's my, uh, mom's...?" What exactly was V to her?

"Gloria never said anything about him. So, he's fair game in my eyes." The short-stack crossed her arms, eyes sweeping over David. "Though you're not so bad yourself. Guess if I can't have 'daddy', I'll take daddy issues instead."

He heard Pilar and the others laugh at her words, feeling a faint heat on his face. He looked back at Lucy in time to see the sad look on her face disappear once she realized his eyes were upon her.

"That's. Huh. Wha?"

Feeling a hand on his back, David started slightly as he noticed Jackie at his side.

"It's okay kid, you'll understand one day." Jackie turned his attention to Rebecca. "Though, I'm not one to judge, but don't you think he's a little old for you niña?"

"I'm not a child." She whined, standing straight as she could, chest puffed out. "Just travel-sized."

"I have to bend down to look you in the eye, chica." To prove his point, Jackie crouched down until he was level with her.

"And I don't have to bend over to give a blow job, your point?" She bit back as Jackie returned to standing up straight.

"HA!" Pilar slapped his knee as the others laughed, "I like this guy a lot better now that I'm not tied up."

"Tied up?" David looked to Jackie, about to ask what he was talking about. Before he could however, he noticed the eyes of Maine's crew had all lit up with received messages and David turned his attention back to Maine and V instead.

"Think of me as your personal Fixer. Cut goes seventy thirty, my way-"

Maine's hand clenched into a fist. "Fuck that, and fuck you for a piss poor offer."

"Calm your guns big man." V had his own hands up in a defensive posture, "I take the bigger cut because of what I offer in return."

"What could you possibly offer in exchange to take that much?" The blond's fist remained closed, face set in a challenge.

That caused V to let out an amused chuckle. "Better chrome from a quality ripper, guns and ammo that weren't klepped from a corpse on a job, vehicles, safehouses, medical support," V kept count on his fingers, "oh. And occasional corp protection."

Maine met V's chuckle with a mocking one of his own. "Too good to be real. Try again."

"If I wanted to sell shit to some posergang edgerunners, I'd be talking to a fixer for some puppets who don't mind strings attached." The suit let out a theatrical sigh, "I want quality and reliability. For now that means you. If we wanna call everything on offer to be a gonk's BD, we can part ways here and I go with plan B." V almost seemed disappointed as he played his next card. "Gloria says your good so I'm giving you first dibs on the offer. "

Maine's face shifted into a frown, and David watched his eyes light up, several of the crews doing the same as they communicated. Letting out a sigh, the big man seemed to relent. "Fine. For Gloria, if nothin' else. Listen up guys."

At the command, all eyes shifted to being on Maine and V.

"Good. Now, like I said: I play Fixer for you and your crew. My work gets priority, you get to swim in eddies and chrome. No contracts, no traces, deniability all the way. If I go dark, you don't know me and never heard of me. You get dirty then I treat you the same. My boss is using you as a test run. This works out we all float in the major leagues. This fails and life stays the same."

"Still not buying it." Maine shook his head. "Corps clean house on a failure, they don't cut them free."

"Corp isn't hiring you this time. I am. Let me make it clear, this is my neck on the line." It did not go unnoticed that V actually stretched his neck out when he said that. "It's my eddies that pay you. My connections that supply you. If this goes ass up, I get fucked."

"Why are you so deep in this anyways? The more you explain, the more it sounds like you're taking all this risk for nothin'." David noticed Maine's fingers twitching again, but couldn't tell if the man was nervous or just trying to work out V's angle.

"Isn't climbing the corporate ladder enough of a reason?" V gestured in the direction of Arasaka Tower. "For all you know, I plan to use you to ice my boss and get a free promotion."

A few disbelieving snorts came from Maine's crew, with the big guy himself cracking a smile before shaking his head again.

"Nope. You'd be shorting us at every step if that was the case. Corpo-rats never spend an extra eddie unless it gets them something."

V raised an eyebrow at that, voice calm as he asked his next question. "I'm not your first corporate sponsored Fixer, am I?"

"You know Faraday?" David heard the slight surprise in Maine's voice, seeing one of his eyebrows raise.

V's eyes lit up. "One of the top tens, hides out in Pacifica and pisses off Mr. Hands. That the guy?"

"Yeah, he's Militech backed, and has us running gigs against Arasaka."

David almost said something, only staying silent because of the look Jackie sent him.

"Well, now. That is interesting." V rubbed his hands together, a pleased look in his eyes but not quite on his face.

"That gonna be a problem?" Maine's body tensed, as if preparing for a fight.

"Not at all." V's eyes lit up, and David saw Jackie's do the same. "In fact you may just have earned an early bonus for that bit of info."

"How about a million eddies if you're so grateful."

"How about you settle for some better hardware instead?" V's eyes roamed over Maine, narrowing slightly as he took in each piece of chrome.

"Ain't nothing wrong with my chrome." As if to prove his point, Maine took a moment to flex and show off.

"Whoever told you that ain't your friend."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Maine's fists collided with each other. "I've been doin' just fine with what I got. I don't need some corporate brand bullshit loaded with trackers."

"Uh huh." V's eyes glowed briefly before he spoke. "Your left is a pre-owned gorilla arm, modded with a cannon inside instead of the increased synth-muscles. It's no wonder you've got a stress-induced twitch. The software probably can't handle mixed machinery like that and the conflicted coding is increasing the strain on your neuroprocessors. Customized chrome like that is a fast path to cyberpsychosis."

"Maine?" David saw Dorio move just a few steps closer to Maine, one of her hands coming to rest on his shoulder. He seemed not to notice and shrugged her off before turning a hardened expression back at V.

"Who the fuck told you that? You been spyin' on us or something?"

"Been scanning all of you since I arrived, and you keep flexing your fingers. I told you that you shouldn't have connected to the local network." V pointed at Lucy and Kiwi. "Sure the shop's connection point might be encrypted, but its still corporate brand encryption. Any runner worth their wires would have known to set up their own security on top of what was there. I might not have your wetware labeled with the ID numbers but make and model are easy to scan."

"What kinda spook are you?" Kiwi's eyes glowed slightly, but she let out a small hiss and there was no doubt in David's mind that she had tried her own scan and got shut out.

"You even need a crew if you can keep waving your dick around like this?" Pilar's ability to remain silent seemed to have run out with V's latest display of power and David couldn't help but wonder what else V had up his sleeve.

"I'm from Arasaka's Counter-Intelligence Office, Night City branch." All noise around the group seemed to fade, and even David was surprised that V admitted the truth. "My job is to hunt down threats to the company, and deal with them as needed."

David didn't miss how Lucy's eyes were wide, and her pale skin was bleached by terror. Much as she had double-crossed him, a part of him still wanted to go over and comfort her. Rebecca and Pilar beat him to it, with the former giving her a hug and the latter rubbing her back.

"What the hell does 'Saka need a street crew for? Don't you have ninjas to do your dirty work for you?"

"Not my department." Even David knew that was the oldest excuse in the working world book. "Machines aren't good at learning people. How they think, how they move, what they might do when cornered. That's were ACI comes in."

"So you have us do what?" Maine gestured to the group standing behind him. "Work as a pack of hunting dogs?"

"Nope. Your job is gonna be to help us with the more tedious work. If we need a shipment stolen, if we wanna test security at a facility, if we want some gangoons killed, if we need a distraction." V crossed his arms and tossed his chin. "That sort of low value crap."

Murmurs came from behind Maine as the six of them shared their thoughts on the matter both verbally and over holo coms.

Once more, Maine shook his head, arms crossing before him in annoyance. "Not buying it. Corps don't do fixer work. They send it to fixers who hire solos that don't ask questions."

"I told you that this is a test run." V's posture shifted to match Maine's.

"And I am sayin' I don't buy it." The blond man spat. "I first thought it was because Gloria was your output, but that doesn't match up either. You'd hide her, not put together a crew."

"Not very trusting are you?" Jackie moved back to standing near V, eyes focused on Maine.

"If I want vague corpo bullshit, I'd stick with Faraday. If either of you wanna sell me on this, I want full detes."

"The company is eyeballing David." V gestured to him, and David flinched. "Gonk decided to show off his stolen Sandy at Arasaka Academy. I got limited access to his file, but they wanna use him as a lab rat. If he works for me, I can keep them off him as long as he works for us another way."

"Bullshit," Lucy cut in scathingly, "You just want his guard down so you can take him and us in without a fight."

V placed a hand over his heart, face neutral as he looked at Lucy. "Very, very far from the case."

"And why is that?" David could tell Maine's patience was running out, the man's hands flexing back into fists. "You've been evasive the whole fucking time. Either fess up or fuck off."

"David is mine." V waved David over to him.

"That don't explain much."

"My kid, chrome jock." V gestured to his own face, then to David's. "David is my son."

"So? Corps toss kids away constantly." Maine laughed. "Him being your kid means shit for assurances. For all I know this is all some sick ploy to use your kid for a promotion."

Jackie took a step back, a hand edging closer to his holster. David noticed Rebecca reaching for her own shotgun.

"Uh, Jackie?"

"Quiet kid." One of Jackie's hands reached out and gently shepherded David behind him. "Come on guys, no need to make this any harder than it has to be."

"Stay outta this," Maine stared Jackie down, "this is between me and the suit."

"That suit is my brother, the kid's my nephew." Jackie's hand fell onto his gun, but he had yet to draw it. "So yeah, I think this does concern me."

"I see the family resemblance, bunch of gonks." Maine raised his fists, eyes hard. David glanced around Jackie, seeing the rest of Maine's crew all taking up their own offensive or defensive poses. Lucy was the only one not looking to fight or defend. Instead, she was sitting on the ground, arms wrapped around her legs and head buried in her knees. Falco and Kiwi both standing before her protectively.

David caught sight of V's eyes looking at Maine's crew. The man taking a deep breath, one hand combing through his short hair as he released it. "Look Maine, I tried being nice about this." V's eyes started to glow, and judging by the whimper from Lucy and the cuss from Kiwi. David guessed he was gearing up for something. "However, if you want to compare me to one of those pieces of shit again...I will say fuck the deal, break your spine, gouge your goddamned eyes out, and then ship your paralyzed half-dead corpse to some XBD scavs to help finish the job! Am I understood!?"

"I still don-" One of Maine's hands raised up, ready to strike.

"Maine don't, he's uploaded a vulnerability daemon to all of us." Kiwi warned, "He can cook any of us, ICE or no ICE."

David's eyes couldn't get any wider. He looked over at the crew, seeing all of them with varying levels of nervousness on their faces. Lucy in particular looked ready to faint from the shock. His eyes shifted to Jackie, whose skin had visibly paled despite the fearless posture he was maintaining.

"Mierda, it's Oaxaca all over again." The Latino man shook his head, a slight paleness to his face as he placed his free hand on V's shoulder. "Relajarse hermano, we don't need Las Plagas right now." His eyes looked over to Maine's crew, then to Maine and David noticed the blond man's hand were shaking slightly. "Same to you chico. Relax."

At Jackie's words, David noticed both V and Maine seemed to hesitate. Letting out a growl, the blond man struck his fist together, gesturing for his crew to stand down. In response, Jackie's hand moved away from his gun and V's eyes returned to normal as both parties relaxed.

"Jesus! Fine! Cool your jets." A sigh escaped Maine. "What the hell?"

"You don't need to know the family drama." There was an audible pop as V cracked his neck. "Just don't compare me to Tamashī no nai gomi and I won't want to desecrate your corpse."

"Alright." Maine gave a reluctant nod, "give me a little time to discuss this with the crew." He tossed his head towards the diner. "Grub's pretty good and coffee's even better if you're hungry."

"No thanks, rather stay outside, just in case you have any questions." V dismissed Maine with a nod, the man moving over to stand with the rest of his crew. Only once Maine's back was fully to the three of them did V join back with him and Jackie.

"Now what?" David dared to speak, noticing V still seemed on guard.

"We wait." V took a moment to stretch before leaning back against his Ragnar. "All part of the game."

David nodded, starting to understand the game at hand. He tried to copy V and Jackie, but quickly grew distracted as the minutes rolled by and asked a question that had been on his mind.

"Hey Jackie, meant to ask. How are you so good at getting people to back down?"

"Sobrino, I'm a Valentino. Lived in Heywood all my life." He grinned, one hand thumping on his chest in pride. "How many Night City standoffs do you think I've been in?"

"Uh huh." V let out a snort of a laugh, "and here I thought it was Misty rubbing off on you."

"Well, she has rubbed me off, but we're not gonna talk about that..." Jackie elbowed V, eyes quickly flicking to David. "Least not in front of the kid."

"Ew, could have gone without hearing that..." David flinched, causing his two guardians to laugh.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Jackie shrugged. "Hey, you think we can take him to meet Misty at some point? She seemed curious after she stopped laughing at the idea of you reproducing."

"Eh, couldn't hurt. Who knows, maybe she'd be a good influence on him." V reached out a hand and brushed some invisible dust from Jackie's jacket. "I mean, she did wonders for you an-"

V paused, the group noticing that Maine was gesturing for the three of them to join him and the crew. V took point with Jackie close behind, the Latino man shielding David who was bringing up the rear.

"Lucy's curious." Maine started speaking the moment he felt they were close enough. "How is this deal supposed to keep the kid off Arasaka's lab tables?"

"You'll be listed as 'Disposable Sleeper Assets' in the company records. Any department tries to touch you, and they get denied. No questions asked. Once someone has been listed as a DSA you get certain privileges as long as you stay on the company's good side. It'd take someone from the Arasaka family itself to turn over a DSA order."

"Why's that?" It was Kiwi who answered, and David caught her eyes flicking to Lucy before going back to V.

"Two reasons. First is because its expected that the handler is gonna kill the asset when the job they're used for is done. Besides that, its supposed to be so that there's no abuse of the system. Department heads can't flip assets of other heads because someone has itch up their ass and wants to screw someone else over."

At that, David noticed Maine had also stolen a glance at Lucy before looking back to V. "So what, we say yes and you make us untouchable to 'Saka?"

"No, you say yes and 'Saka leaves you alone because they think they own you lock stock and barrel." V opened a hand then closed it, clutching at an invisible object.

Maine let out another sigh, one hand scratching at his head. "What's stopping you from handing off our execution to another suit to keep your hands clean."

"Because Gloria and David are both part of this, and I'll make Arasaka beg for Silverhand's return if they try to take what's mine." The way V's eyes narrowed, coupled with the shift in his tone of voice had everyone stepping back just slightly.

"Any other sore spots for us to avoid?"

"I told you, you don't need to know the family drama. I thought I lost Gloria years ago, and I ain't losin' her again." A brief softness appeared in V's eyes, but quickly faded. "You want more details then we better be chooms or fuckin'."

"...How soon would we see these benefits if we agreed?"

"Still need to secure a reliable ripperdoc for the chrome, but Jackie says he knows a guy that I'll check out tonight." The suit tossed his head towards their van, "you want cars or guns, that will only take a day to set up."

"Lets see you prove it." The blond man grinned. "Three new sets of wheels, made for heavy work. Enough guns and ammo for the crew. Keep it a mix of rifles, shotguns, and a pistol for each."

The smile on V's face matched Maine's own. "Want a side of Real fruit with that?"

"Now that you mention it, some grenades wouldn't be a bad idea." Maine rubbed at his chin, "old school pull-pins. No need for gas or lasers."

"Done." V's eyes flashed, "anything else?"

"The tabs for our food and booze." A laugh accompanied Maine's words, one that David noticed was adopted by the rest of the crew.

"What?"

"The diner is right there, we just negotiated biz, and I'm walking away with twenty-five thousand eddies. I feel like celebrating." The crew leader cracked his knuckles, "right guys?"

Cheers and whoops came from behind him, with Rebecca looking at them with a noticeably gremlin-like smirk.

V crossed his arms and let out a huff. "And making your new employer pick up the bill."

"Now you're getting it."

The suit sighed with faux-defeat while dramatically rolling his eyes with enough sarcasm to drown a man. "Fine. I guess you've earned it."

"Woo! Free food!" Pilar and Rebecca cheered, high-fiving each other while Falco shook his head and motioned for the two of them to get moving.

"Come on kid," Jackie started dragging David to the building, "lets see if they got anything 'ganic."

Their journey was cut short as a hand fell on each of their shoulders. David turned to see V fixing Jackie with a hard stare.

"Who said I'm paying for the two of you? Don't I have enough mouths to feed?"

"Sorry choom, but you said it yourself." Jackie lifted V's hand off his shoulder and threw an arm around David. "We're part of the crew, so we get fed too."

"Oh goddamn it." David had to stifle a laugh as V massaged his temple, eyes rolling back in his head again. In reply, Jackie threw his other arm around V and escorted the two of them into the diner where Maine and the others had commandeered a couple tables. Dorio and Maine sat side by side, while Kiwi and Falco were sitting on either side of Lucy protectively. Lucy herself was hiding behind a menu, eyes occasionally peeking over to watch V. Pilar and Rebecca were looking at one of the arcade cabinets resting in the corner, arguing over who gets to play first.

"Oi! Food first. Then you can play!" Maine called, one hand rubbing his temple. "Kids, am I right?"

"Still kind of new to that aspect." V replied, taking the seat across from Maine as the siblings took seats at Kiwi's table. Jackie took the seat across from Dorio, leaving David to take the space next to Jackie, putting him perfectly in between both sides. A waitress came over shortly after everyone was settled and was quick to take orders. Polite conversations were had while waiting, but once their food had arrived, things became more relaxed. Sure some of the conversations were still about mundane things, but anytime someone recounted a past job, David found himself paying extra attention. Especially if it was V or Jackie recounting it.

"Your crew seems pretty close." Jackie gestured to where the siblings had quit the table again in favor of playing at the arcade games, Lucy had gone over with him and both seemed to be doing their damnedest to get her to laugh or smile. "How long has your crew been together?"

"Not long. Few years tops." Maine took a sip of his beer. "We stuck to small gigs til Sasha joined up, then we got to really pickin' up speed thanks to her netrun magic."

"Sasha?" Jackie's head tilted in curiosity, "she quit or something, or too busy for a full crew meet?"

"She's dead." Dorio answered, a sad sigh escaping her. "Her last gig went bad."

"Sorry to hear that." David cut in, bowing his head slightly. He noticed V and Jackie do the same, before Jackie asked the same question he had been wondering about.

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

"I don't know." Maine shook his head and took another drink. "Everything was going smooth, then she sends a text and the alarms go off."

"What was she doing?" It was V's turn to speak, his attention focused on the pair.

"Pulling data from Biotechnica. We planted a jammer setup outside, ran distractions while she took what we needed from an admin's office desk."

"Ballsy." V took a drink of his own. "So security catch her?"

"She took a dive out the office window and hit a car at the ground floor." Maine was solemn, almost bitter, "don't know the hows or whys past that."

"That why your so prickly about signing on?"

"Faraday sent us on that gig. Only thing he said about her death was 'find a replacement, soon.' Stuck up bastard." David had a feeling that if they weren't indoor that Maine would have literally spat on the floor in disgust at the events.

V leaned back slightly, cradling a bottle to his chest. "If it makes you feel any better, I think he's gonna meet a shit end."

"And hows that?"

"Top brass in any corp hates being played. You said Faraday has been using you to piss off other corps for Militech" He gestured with the bottle towards a calendar on the wall. "How long do you think it will take for him to get burned now that an Arasaka suit knows how he's been active?"

"That... is a very good point." Maine picked up his own bottle, "cheers?"

"Cheers." V clinked their bottles together, and to David the sound seemed to indicate the uneasy partnership the groups had formed.

01010011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100101 00100000 01000010 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101011

Following their meal, the two groups had parted ways, with V promising to be in touch with the rest of the crew within a day or so about their first shipment. David had climbed back into the car, steps slightly off after being tricked into drinking a couple of beers too many by Pilar. Jackie took the front this time, and David was thankful as it meant he could stretch out on the back seat. Closing his eyes, he was content to just listen as V and Jackie talked as they drove towards their next destination.

"Still don't get why you were so insistent on getting this crew." Jackie sighed, "probably had some Valentinos I could have hooked you up with for less."

"Jackie. I'm working on a timer here." V's hand tapped on the steering wheel. "Sooner I get everything in place, the less time that gives everyone else a chance to fuck this up."

"A timer?" David sat up, but the sudden movement made him lightheaded and he groaned and laid back down.

"Look, I've spun quite a load to my bosses to get your mom, and now you, under my protection." V ran a hand through his hair. "And now I have to deliver some results just in case this whole thing with them and Faraday goes to shit if I want any hope of all of us getting out of this intact."

"So that's why you were so determined to get them to agree sooner than later." Jackie slapped a hand on the dashboard. "Now it makes sense why you weren't going for your usual long con."

"Oh, I'm going for the long con...Just not with them."

"With who then?" David asked, sitting up just slightly.

"Don't worry about it." V answered, his tone indicating he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Letting out a sigh, David laid back down as the two men started up a different conversation that David was content to ignore until the van came to a stop.

"We're here." There was a slightly giddy tone in Jackie's voice as he made the announcement. David looked up, expecting to see a sign advertising a ripper but instead was greeted with a sign saying.

"Misty's Esoterica and Chakra Harmonization?" Belatedly he realized that V had said it along with him.

"Jackie, if this was just some ploy of yours for me to drive you over to see your girl..."

"Relax choom. Misty's place is the front for Vik's clinic." There was a smile on Jackie's face, "plus, this lets us get multiple goons with one bullet."

"How so?" V questioned as the three of them got out of the vehicle and made their way inside.

"You get to properly meet Vik, and I get to see Misty. She gets to meet the kid, and the kid gets a full check up." The big guy did a 180, arms out to the side. "Everyone gets what they want."

"Jackie?" A soft feminine voice caught the attention of the three of them, and as Jackie turned David saw the origin of the voice. A woman with short blond hair studied the three of them, her green eyes soft and welcoming.

"Misty, you remember V, right?" Jackie tossed his head at V as Misty embraced him.

"Hey V." She released Jackie, taking a moment to wave at V who waved back before her eyes fell on David. She took a few steps towards David, and he found himself unable to move as she grew closer. "Is this him?"

Without needing to be prompted, David took a step forward. "My name is-"

He got no further as the woman embraced him, hard. His stomach protested at the sudden pressure, and he couldn't stop the strangled groan to pass his lips. Misty let out a startled gasp and released him, voice laced with soft regret.

"Oh sorry! Did I hurt you?" She looked him over, trying to see if he was injured.

"No." Jackie answered, something David was thankful for as he tried to calm his stomach. "Little man had a few too many to drink."

At that, Misty's posture straightened and her friendly expression fell slightly. "You were letting him drink? He's so young!"

"I'm seventeen..." David argued, but no one seemed to hear him.

"Oh no, his father was letting him drink. I just watched."

"V! How could you!?" Her gaze hardened further as she stared down V.

"Okay, he's technically right and still full of shit." V admitted as Misty grabbed something from behind the counter. David heard the tell-tale rattle of pills as she opened the bottle and removed a couple, along with a bottle of water.

"Here." Misty placed two round tablets in his hand. "Take those, they'll help the nausea. They're chewable, so don't worry." At the promise of relief, David popped both tablets into his mouth and chewed. He grimaced as it felt like chewing a piece of chalk and didn't taste much better. "Sorry, should have warned you about the taste." She held out the water bottle, and he drained it one go.

"Thank you but no thank you m'am." David wiped his mouth on his sleeve and dropped the bottle in the trash, making her smile.

"Sorry for the strange introduction. Misty Olszewski." She held her hand out again for him to shake.

"David Martinez." He accepted the handshake, prepared this time as she pulled him into a much gentler hug.

"It's nice to meet you. Jackie's told me a lot about you." Misty smiled and released him, she looked about to say more, but catching sight of V's expression changed tracks. "I'd welcome the chance to talk more with the three of you, but I'm guessing you're here on business?"

"Uh huh." V confirmed, "promise we can catch up later Misty. For now though, Jack? Just take us to see Vik. Liked to finally meet the guy given how much you've talked about him."

"I'll come back soon." Jackie gently caressed Misty's cheek before motioning for David and V to follow him. He opened a door that lead into the back alley behind the store and down a set of stairs. Opening the door at the bottom, Jackie ushered them into the clinic, which seemed to be a converted garage or basement. "Hey Vik, brought someone to see you."

At the words, a man with short black hair looked up from the desk he was seated at. There was an air of medical professionalism around him that David noticed immediately that his own ripper lacked. The man's eyes flashed in recognition upon seeing Jackie, but narrowed as he studied both V and David. The two probably looked a sight, with V still dressed in his corpo suit while David's own clothes were wrinkled and unwashed.

"This the suit you mentioned?"

"Yeah. V, David, this is Viktor Vektor. Best Ripperdoc in all of Watson...Reasonably priced too." Jackie gestured to the two of them, before nodding back at Vik.

"So, what are you here for? Cuz' if its for the kids alcohol poisoning you don't need a ripper just some water and bed rest."

"Nope. Kid has a high tolerance for chrome, stuck a stolen piece of Military surplus to his back and we wanna keep him from becoming a zombie or worse becoming hexed." V took the lead as Viktor nodded, pointing to his work station.

"Well, help him in the chair and I'll open a new file for him." David moved into the indicated chair as Viktor typed away at the tablet in his hands. "Oh, you're gonna have to lose the jacket. Now, I've a few questions for you. Nothing too crazy, just looking for some background on your medical history."

David gave a nod and did his best to answer the questions. Most of them were straightforward, but there were a few he couldn't quite answer. When asked about his parents medical history, V had stepped in and answered a couple of them, before stating that Viktor should be able to get Gloria's from Trauma.

"Mom's got Trauma, yet you're bringing her kid here? Take a deep breath in kid...and out." Vik advised David, stethoscope in his ears.

"Jackie's idea." V replied, all the explanation Viktor apparently needed as he nodded and removed the stethoscope.

"Alright David, you seem healthy enough physically. Now let's go over what you have under the hood. Basic personal link and chip slot, but nothing else?"

"Answer him kid." V prompted after a few moments of silence.

"Couldn't afford it before. My first real taste of chrome was the sandy in my back." Unprompted, David removed his shirt and showed off the piece.

"I see that." Vik leaned in, "a full spine replacement. Means we won't be able to do any switching work there or anything else that will tweak your reflexes."

"Is that bad?"

"Depends what you're hoping to accomplish." Viktor looked at David, before looking to V and Jackie.

"We're looking to get this kid as much in the line of self defense as possible. Subdermal armor, a high power biomonitor, and as much neuroboosters as he can be loaded without looking like a metalhead." V answered, and David noticed the look Viktor was sending at Jackie.

"You know I appreciate you bringing me work Jackie, but this is a little too out there for my preference."

"Vik, you know I've never done you dirty and I ain't about to start now." One of Jackie's hands came to rest over his heart, "I swear to you, this isn't as sketchy as it looks or sounds."

"Uh-huh. So you're telling me he's not a corpo trying to get me to borg a kid for some sick excuse?"

"Nope. I'm saying he's a corpo-dad paying you to chip his kid to keep him alive." Jackie placed both hands on V's shoulders and hit Vik with what must have been his attempt at puppy eyes.

"Huh. Well, that changes things. But why does the kid look like he want's to zero his old man?"

David knew he had been glaring at V since the man took the lead on the conversations about his body, but didn't think anyone else had noticed. In reply, Jackie just laughed and tried to clear the air.

"I said he was his dad. I didn't say he was the best dad."

David's glare softened, while V gave a reluctant nod at the assessment. Vik himself grinned and tipped his head at Jackie's words. "Yeah, that checks out."

"Alright, so you'll finish giving the kid a check up? Then talk business with me?" V questioned, getting a nod from Viktor as the man turned his attention back to David.

"Sure." The ripper replied, running a scan. "Shit, that's an impressive piece of chrome in your back. Military grade. Not something you see on everyday passerby." Vik typed a couple things on his tablet. "Where'd you get it?"

"I, uh..." David didn't quite know how to respond to that. Should he lie and say Doc got it for him? Tell the truth? Fortunately, Vik answered the question for him.

"You know what, doesn't matter." The doctor shook his head, "what does matter is how you handle yourself with it."

"Know how to handle it." He argued, "used it a few times already to great effect."

"Seriously?" Vik's tone had shifted to an incredulous one, head shaking in disbelief at something. "David, listen to me. Military grades stay off the civilian market for a reason. They're made to keep their users alive in the middle of a warzone jungle with snipers picking at you from miles away. No limiters, no cooldown, no user protection. Corps take them back after the troops come home not just to avoid a liability lawsuit, but because the implants are guaranteed to cause cyberpsychosis over time. The strain they cause just having them is immense."

"So, should I not use it anymore or-"

Vik gripped the bridge of his nose, eyes closing in minor annoyance. "You're not getting it. Just replacing your spine with it has already started to strain your brain. A military sandy like this? You might not notice it, but anyone who watches you can see the effects. You're moving quicker, your reflexes get faster. Signals get to your brain just that little bit faster. It's not a 'don't use it' situation. Its always on, you just aren't going full throttle."

David recalled Doc's words. How the old man advised him to not use it more than two, maybe three times a day unless he wanted his brain fried. This guy seemed to be confirming the end result but... "Oh." He said, finally getting it, "Oh Shit! So what should I do?"

"First priority is getting you the best processor for your budget. Maybe strap some heat sinks to the Sandy too if we can, make sure that it doesn't cook your brain when you use it. That thing is too powerful for your 'ganic parts, so we gotta do what we can to keep it from killing you." Vik typed a few more things on his tablet.

For some reason, David found himself willing to listen to Viktor. "Got any advice for if and when I have to use it?"

"Keep it to short bursts. The most powerful Sandy on the market can only go for ten seconds without a cooldown. Thankfully your acceleration isn't that strong or we wouldn't be talking. I'd say your speed boost is comparable to a Militech Mach-Five. Standard cooldown for those is sixty seconds. So, I'd say keep the bursts over a minute apart at least to keep any damage to a minimum."

"Anything else?"

"Do you know the warning signs for Cyberpsychosis?"

"Uh... N-no."

"Keep an eye out for jitters that keep you moving even when tired, or a feeling from your brain that you're sick even when your body feels fine." Vik tapped at his own head. "Constant headaches, migraines, even your sense of touch getting just a little too sensitive. All these might mean that your nerves are burning out from the sandy."

"R-right." David couldn't keep the nervousness from his voice, his foot tapping in his shoe as he considered everything Viktor had just told him.

"Here." The ripper's tablet appeared in his line of sight. " Connect your personal link to the chair. Then take a few minutes and fill that out."

David did as instructed, "What is this?" He accepted the tablet and saw now that it had been loaded with a questionnaire of sorts.

"Cyberosychosis assessment." Vik stepped away from the exam chair. "See how likely you are to succumb to the effects of it. Might give me a better idea on how much time you have...And more ideas on how to treat and prevent it from taking over you."

"Uh, alright." David turned his attention back to the tablet and started looking over the questions as Vik moved to talk with V. Jackie had disappeared from the room, and there was little doubt in David's mind where he had gone. He spent a good minute focused on the tablet, but hearing V's tone change, did his best to split his attention between answering the questions and listening to the other two men.

"So, if we're gonna be working together I need to know, can you make orders for specific cyberware? The high grade stuff." That was V, cutting right to the chase.

"Yeah, I got the connections and the papers for it. Just forward me the list and I'll tell you if there is anything you need to look elseware for."

"Yeah, sending it now." David heard a hissing intake of air come from Viktor as the man received the message.

"High quality monowires, left and right. Syn-Lungs. Self-ICE. Newest model Kiroshi's. Heat Converter, Supra-dermal, and Camo? Smart-Links? Pain Editor and a Cataresist?! I'm not even halfway down the list and this seems like too much for a Maelstrom member, much less a suit or his kid!" There was a pause, Vik letting out a hum. "You've even got multiple orders here!"

"Chill. This isn't just for the kid. Gonna bring in a crew to work with us." David looked over, seeing V's fingers twitching as if he was counting. "You aren't just getting two new patients. You're looking at nine or ten more patients." V tapped at his pocket. "Every-one of them getting chipped in by backers with deep pockets and a desire for discretion."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Vik shook his head, posture defensive. "What's stopping me from getting a lead breakfast after your crew is done with their upgrades?"

"The fact that my employers won't know your name, and that the money flows from them to my proxies and from me. Bosses plan to burn me, they don't care about any lower on the chain unless I give you enough to fill in the blanks."

"So I ignore your work chatter and I keep my heart tickin'?" The ripper tapped his chest, as if checking his heart's current status.

"Simple ain't it. Look, as a sign of good faith I'll let you in on a secret that you can use to fuck me if you're that nervous." V caught David's eye then, and the kid did his best to focus back on the tablet. Still, that didn't stop him from tilting his ear as close as he could to still listen in.

"Fine. Lay it on me."

"I'm payin' for all of this by feeding my boss a steaming pile. I'm doin' all this to keep my kid and his mother alive and happy." V's hand gestured to David before coming to rest on his heart. "A confession and motive good enough for you?"

At that, Viktor let out an amused snort. "It's been a while since I caught Jackie in a bold lie."

"What?"

"He said you're a shit dad." Vik shook his head, "I can't think of any employed corp that would play Ronin and piss on the 'Saka management just to keep their choomba happy."

"What gave it away?" V sounded almost impressed, and David couldn't help but turn to watch the display.

"You don't have a ripper with shaky 'ganic hands unless they have skills. And I can tell the make and model of your neural processors just by glancing at your shard slots. Arasaka's asset biomonitor ain't subtle either. Leaves a tell-tale groove on the back of the neck." Viktor tapped at his own neck. "Diagnosis? You're high up in AHQ."

"Damn. When Jackie said you were the best in Watson, I thought he was just running his mouth." V gave a tiny bow, "think I owe you an apology."

"You might owe him one more than me." The ripper let out another laugh, attention shifting to David. "You finished with that yet, kid?"

David looked down at the tablet, he had maybe answered half of them. "I, uh, need a little more time."

"Take all the time you need, and if you don't understand a question. Ask." Viktor gave him a patient smile. "Also, answer the questions truthfully. Need to get the clearest picture of you possible to get your score."

"Uh, right." David looked back down at the tablet, attention focused fully on it as he answered the questions. Most of them were straightforward, and it was only the last one that had him raising an eyebrow before he checked off the 'yes' box. He took a moment to look over his other answers, and feeling satisfied hit the finish button before holding the tablet out for Viktor to take.

"Finished? If so unplug your personal while you're at it."

"Yeah, though what's with that last question?"

"Do you laugh at the word 'poop', right?" Viktor couldn't keep a straight face, and David couldn't help the laugh to leave his mouth. "Yeah, that's one of those questions that studies found to be a good gauge of someone's humanity. The test isn't the end all be all. The questions are mostly to get a reaction out of you that the software can recognize, then use that to match what studies have shown. Psycho's read the questions and their brains don't get it right, and lowers their score. Which speaking of, let's see how you scored..."

The ripper took the tablet and typed a few things on it, nodding occasionally as he looked through the results.

"Well? What's the verdict?"

"Your humanity score is much higher than average." Viktor turned the tablet so they could both see. "Meaning you've got a higher tolerance to cyberware than others. As such, your risk of cyberpsychosis is lower than most but, it's still there and is something you will have to watch out for."

"But the things you talked about getting me, processors, heat sinks...They'll all help reduce the risk, right?"

"Reduce yes, but not eliminate." Viktor showed him the results of the scan, and the results of his physical examination. "Right now, you've got age and health on your side. Two factors that also contributed to you not turning into a cyberpsycho shortly after firing off the Sandy for the first time in addition to your humanity score. Like I said before though, even if we upgrade you with new wetware, I still wouldn't go firing that thing off unless absolutely necessary."

"Noted."

"So what's your final opinion doctor?" V, who had been staying silent the last few minutes spoke up, reminding David of his presence.

"Your kid's as much of a picture of health as someone from Santo can be. His body and mind should adapt nicely to the upgrades I advise for him." Vik looked back down at his tablet. "If you want, we can start discussing both parts and prices for the kid's new chrome."

"Sure, got nowhere I need to be." V looked over at David. "What do you say David?"

At that David hesitated. He wanted everything and anything that would help him maintain his humanity. But at the same time, getting those items meant further tying himself to V. Sure, he could try to pay for the parts on his own, set up a payment plan as he had been advised by V a few times now but...Would Viktor even go for that? Then there was the ripper himself. Already Viktor had proved to be just as skilled as Doc, if not even more so given the full physical and mental check-ups, along with the scans. Indeed, David was almost willing to admit that Viktor might be more trustworthy than his own ripper, despite only having just met the man.

Then there was Jackie's part in all this. The man had seemed concerned enough to recommend a ripper, and even went so far as to warn the man in advance of the circumstances. Finally his thoughts circled back to his mother. She hadn't been thrilled to hear about him chroming up in such a dangerous fashion. Maybe having some precautions put in would ease some of her concerns for his well being?

With all that in mind, David looked at his father and the doctor and gave a nod. "Sure, what do you have in stock?"