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?

28. Chapter 28 - I Ain't Worth A Dollar

It had been a good week or so since the crew had recovered from their most recent gig. And while David had no recollection of anything after the explosion – save for waking up in an unknown apartment. It seemed a sign that things were starting to look up again for the crew. Everyone had gotten a fair share of the profits, and Regina had put the word out about their success at destroying the Glitter Lab; something that made the lesser known fixers a little more willing to take a chance on the crew and offer up some additional work.

And that wasn't including the additional news that Maine had given the crew, joking that it was a belated birthday gift for the rookie. Not that he hadn't given him an actual gift in the form a detailing kit for his Caliburn at the party he finally got to attend for the occasion. But David would have been cheered by the news regardless of the circumstances.

Given that no one had seen or heard from the four-eyed fixer in a couple months. And that a lot of the heat surrounding the siege at the mall had died down, Rogue started to spread the word that they had been hired by her to ice Faraday. Armed with that knowledge, it left more than a few wondering how things went so wrong there. But that wasn't enough to dampen the news, and did more than its fair share to help out the crew.

As they had before the mall, a slew of small time gigs were once again being offered to the crew. However, while there was more than enough work to go around and make sure everyone's livelihoods were maintained. There was just one small problem.

None of the gigs were big enough to require everyone at once.

Even their recent run on the Glitter lab probably could have been done with only two or three of them. But Regina had no issue with extra hands, and had wanted to see how everyone worked together. The end result was that they had to meet up a bit more often than before to pick and choose who would do what jobs. Once again they were all at Turbo's, gathered around one of the tables as Maine discussed their latest options.

"Alright, got two gigs for us this time. First one needs two, maybe three of us tops." Maine tapped the table. "Second only needs a runner and someone to keep an eye on them. Lucy, Kiwi – as that's your territory I'll let you pick who gets that one."

"All yours Luce." Kiwi took a drag off her cigarette, "I took the last one with Maine and Dorio, so it's your turn."

"Sure, I don't mind trading off like that." Lucy smiled, looking to Maine. "Send me the detes?"

"Anyone mind if I go with Lucy on that?" Becca asked, sipping on a 'milk' shake. Everyone shook their heads, making her smile.

"Second one's a clean up job in the outskirts of Watson. Seems some scavs are trying to set up a chop-shop, and the client wants them cleaned out." David felt Maine's eyes on him. "Given that neither one of you have had a gig in a few days, willing to let it go to you and Pilar if you want it."

"Sure." David nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Might be fun cutting down some scavs."

"Cut down a few for me, would you?" Kiwi looked at her hands, "hate those fuckers."

"You could go too," Maine offered, but the older netrunner shook her head.

"Pilar can do a lot of the same things I can." She looked at the techie, who smiled. "Besides, my turn for a few days off."

"Then count me in!" Pilar gave a thumbs up. "So how do we want to play it? Snipe 'em from a distance? Go in loud and proud? "

"How about we get more details before we make a plan? Cover all our bases." David looked at Maine, who was hiding what might have been a smile at the question.

"Not much else I can tell you, but I'll give you all the information I have." The older man sent a file to the two of them, and David was quick to open it and read over the details. After his fuck up at the mall (and the glitter lab, although everyone said they're sharing the blame for that screw up) he didn't want to leave anything to chance. "Think you two can handle it? Or do you want an extra set of hands?"

"I think we'll be fine on our own." Pilar answered, "what do you think David?"

"Yeah." David agreed, before taking to discussing the details between them.

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As the information Maine had given them indicated, David and Pilar found their targets at one of the old factory compounds on the outskirts of Watson. Closer to the oil fields than the city, it was an ideal spot for scavs to set up their den. Plus, there was plenty of wide open spaces and other areas for them to 'dispose' of any evidence. From the intel they had, it seemed that the scavs had taken over one of the smaller storage buildings – using the receiving office for its intended purpose, while turning the rest of the place into their 'clinic'.

Pilar had taken up a point on the roof of the building across from the factory with his Ashura in hand, while David was on the ground. The two gonks patrolling and playing guard outside were taken down with a single shot each, and David had used the Sandevistan to grab the bodies and drag them out of sight before the remaining guys inside had any idea what had happened to their fellows.

["Got a bead on a third through the window."] Pilar announced over the holo. ["Want me to take the shot?"]

["Are there any others around that you can see?"] David asked, holding his breath to see if he could hear anything.

["Negative. Anything on your end?"]

David crept forward, doing his best to stay low as he moved around the side of the building. Finding an open window, he peered in and saw two more guys standing around a table, talking.

["Got two in the main room..."] David crept forward, praying that the two wouldn't see him dashing past the half-open garage door on the side. He made it to the smaller door that lead to the office, finding it ajar. Looking through the crack, he could see a third man pacing before a window, while talking with a fourth who was typing on a computer. ["And two more in the main room."]

["I see you and one of those two. If I take out the one I can see, think you can get the other?"]

David looked down at the gun in his hand and loaded it, giving a nod before pulling out a knife. ["Yeah, I'll take care of the other two after this, then we'll go in and clean up."]

["Sounds like a plan."] He heard the tiny hitch of Pilar's breath. ["Takin' the shot."]

David heard the faint click of the gun being fired, seeing and hearing the walking man hit the ground as he rushed in. The other scav was stabbed in the neck before he had even finished turning around to see what happened to his buddy.

["Targets down, going for the others."] David sent back, only for the door to the other room to open and the remaining guys to step out.

"Get 'im!" One of the newcomers cried rushing towards him, only for his head to explode a moment later. The second gonk tried to retreat back into the other room, but David was faster and cut off his retreat with a shot to the leg that was followed by Pilar taking the guy down with another headshot.

["Fuck! I love this gun! David, you good choom?"] He heard Pilar's voice over the holo, ["See anymore?"]

["Negative, and I'm good. Thanks for the assist."] David replied, dragging the last gonk out of the way and to the corner before going to recover his knife from the neck of the other. ["You on your way down?"]

["Yeah, just let me pack Tasia away and I'll be there."]

"Tasia?" Unseen by the techie, David raised an eyebrow. "What is with everybody naming their guns?" Idly, he wondered if he should name any of his but quickly shook off the idea. ["Alright, I'll start checking everything out while I wait."]

The two of them had been given permission from Maine to loot the place for anything of value, and David's first order of business was to check out the corpses. Off the first two that he had left behind the building to rot – he got two shit rifles that would probably be more valuable if they were dismantled and sold as scrap, and maybe thirty eddies in paper. The third had nothing of value, their gun even worse quality than the two from out back and the fourth was only good for cred chip with a hundred eddies on it. Number five proved the most valuable in having the control key to one of the cars that was parked outside.

David heard the garage door open fully before Pilar came into the smaller room he was in. Seeing him searching the pockets of the last guy, he gave a nod. "Anything good?"

"Other than the control key to one of those vehicles out there? Not really." David gestured to the room, "other stuffs' probably worth more than the hundred and fifty-nine eddies and scrap I got off these gonks."

"Let me see that..." Pilar moved over and took the control key, studying it a moment before looking at the cars. "Sweet. This one goes to that old maintenance van. We can use it to haul this junk to the scrappers." He handed the key back to David, "be a choom and drive it a bit closer so we can load it up easier? I'll start poking around to see what extra eddies we can get."

David took the key and moved over to the van. He had to fight with the door a moment, but once he was inside the van started up easy enough. Looking over his shoulder and through the mirrors, David backed the van up until it was even with the garage door. Killing the engine, he returned inside in time to hear Pilar laughing as he worked on the computer one of the scavs have been using.

"Ha! Dumbass left his account open...drain that for another five hundred eddies. Delete that file, download that...Oh, that'll fetch a nice pay day if we can find it."

"What will?"

"Apparently these fucks klept a really high quality pair of Kiroshi Optics." Pilar quit the computer then and motioned for David to follow him back into the 'shop'. "Second-hand will still net you a couple hundred eddies to the right buyer." He gestured to the room, indicating the various pieces of med-tech and scavenged chrome. "Heck, even some of this stuff is worth a decent amount."

David watched as Pilar started looking at the various parts littering a nearby table. "How do you know so much about the back alley chrome market?"

"Work this job long enough and you learn a thing or two." The gangly techie picked up a nearby milk crate and started placing pieces of scavved chrome into it. "Also, may or may not have bought a couple parts cheaper off your mom when she was in the salvage game."

"Ah, makes sense." David had long since learned of his mom's salvage operations from her time as an EMT. And it was salvage as opposed to scavving as she only took from the already deceased whereas the scavs had no qualms in harvesting from the living. It wasn't the most noble or quality way of making eddies, but it had been a part of what allowed the two of them to survive and live as comfortably as they had. "So, what should I be looking for?"

"Guns, ammo, eddies. That whole shelf of parts can be taken." Pilar stated, head tilting this way and that as he studied one of the pieces of medical equipment, hand indicating the shelf. "There's a few empty crates over there we can use to carry the smaller shit."

"Got it." David grabbed one of the crates from the pile and began to load up his crate. Between the two of them, they had taken almost all of the chrome, and a good amount of the tech they found. As David finished loading the last of the crates, Pilar was making his way around the interior, splashing the floor and furniture with various chemicals that, according to him, would create a lovely bonfire behind them – just without the hallucinogenic properties.

"And done!" The black-haired man cheered, pouring what little remained in the bottle he was holding into a trash can before dropping the bottle in with it. From his place beside the door, he watched Pilar pick up a piece of cardboard and proceed to light it before adding it to the trash. Taking full advantage of his gangly limbs, Pilar kicked open the can as the contents caught, and in three long strides joined David at the door.

"Alright, you mind taking the van? Got the Colby all adjusted to me." He gestured to his truck, the two having taken it over the Caliburn feeling it would draw less attention, and serve to better haul cargo. "Figure we'll meet up with the crew, see if they want to keep any of this stuff for themselves...then we can hock the rest. Think I might know somebody interested in the med-tech but don't know about the chrome."

"Sure, want me to call them?" David asked as he moved towards the van while Pilar aimed for his truck.

"I'd appreciate that." Pilar called, climbing into the driver's seat. "Tell 'em to meet us at my place, alright?"

David gave a salute as he heard the truck start up and watched it drive off. Climbing into the van, David gave Maine a call and filled him in on the details before taking off after Pilar.

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Following the successful completion of both of their recent gigs, Becca decided to use some of her money to treat the crew to dinner at the Cojo. Everyone had jumped at the offer, even Kiwi – who had traded out her usual mask for an actual functioning cybernetic jaw.

"What?" She questioned when she noticed him staring at her as she hopped off her bike. "I do occasionally enjoy eating food as opposed to subsisting on liquids. Not to mention, its rare we get to eat on Becca's eddy, so I made an exception." The smile she gave seemed at odds with her usual cold persona, and David found himself just nodding in agreement as she held the door open for him and Lucy. Seeing them, his Abuela was quick to move over and embrace him, before embracing Lucy and greeting Kiwi with a nod.

"Good to see you all again." She ruffled his hair affectionately, making him grumble as he (poorly) tried to pull away. "Party's upstairs, and I'll be along in a moment to take your orders.

"Thanks Mama Welles." Lucy smiled, following behind Kiwi as they made for the stairs.

"Thanks Abuela." David added as she released him and he followed the girls up the stairs.

"Welcome chooms!" Becca raised a bottle in toast upon seeing them. "Take a seat, grab a drink, and enjoy!"

"You two make out that good on the gig?" The older netrunner asked, taking a standing spot for now across from Nadia and Pilar. Lucy meanwhile slipped into the booth seat opposite Maine and Dorio, and David joined her.

"Hell yeah! Not only did we get the info we were after. We accidentally picked up a bounty as well." Becca grinned, eyes going to Lucy. "Tell 'em girl!"

"How do you accidentally pick up a bounty?" Nadia asked, holding her drink close.

"Long story short, after Becca and I made the drop and got our payment. We decided to hang around the area and grab a bite to eat." The pastel-haired girl grabbed a bottle of beer. "Some gangoon comes striding over and tries to proposition us. Becca kept him distracted while I ran a scan and discovered he had a bounty on him."

"He didn't try anything, did he?" Pilar asked, protective sibling instinct kicking in.

"Didn't have a chance. Once Lucy pinged him, she gave me the go ahead and I popped him in the dick!" The green-gremlin laughed, and while the girls smiled, David could tell he wasn't alone in crossing his legs. That was a detail Lucy had omitted from her original telling, leaving it as 'Becca shot him'. "Eh, don't flinch boys. Fucker was a rapist, and worth more alive so it was fitting. Gonk went down in a heap, whining and moaning while hugging his ruined junk. We turned him in and scored an additional three-hundred eddies each."

"And that's why you're treating us to dinner?" Falco had joined the standees, a whiskey in hand.

"Yeah! Got to celebrate getting trash like that off the streets." Becca raised her bottle again, and everyone copied the gesture before taking a drink.

"Speaking of celebrating, are you all ready to order?" Abuela had reappeared, Jackie behind her in his bus boy apron.

"Jackie-bro! Join us!" Pilar moved from Nadia's side in favor of throwing an arm around his would-be latino brother.

"After work, Mama says I have to help her first before I can party with you guys." He rubbed the back of his head, looking proudly embarrassed. "So what can I get for you?"

Between Jackie and Abuela, orders were taken quickly. There was only one moment of pause, and that was on Dorio's end as she short-circuited upon hearing Maine ask for the beef chalupas willingly. Everyone else had to give their order before Dorio came back to her senses and ordered the pollo patron for herself.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my gonk of a boyfriend?"

"What? They sounded good." Maine grinned, and David saw him give just the tiniest nod to the Welles as they walked away with their orders. "Thought you wanted me to try new food?"

"I did but...I didn't think you'd be this gung-ho about it after last time." She reached for her beer, before deciding instead to have a glass of water. "I'm not complaining. Just surprised."

"Then I'm gonna keep surprising you." Maine booped her nose, causing the woman to laugh. The reaction made the girls all coo in delight at how cute it was, but David just cringed.

"Is...Is that what we look like?" He posed the question to Lucy, but Kiwi answered.

"You two are cuter, which makes it even worse." She pointed at her 'teeth'. "Like, Dorio and Maine make you go aww. But when you and Lucy are doing the same thing? These would have probably rotted from the saccharine sweetness. I'm almost thankful we've not seen what Nadia and Pilar are like."

"Don't know. Don't care. Didn't need any possible thoughts of that." Becca covered her ears with her hands, head hitting the table even as Abuela and Jackie returned with trays of food for the crew. Once everyone was settled and had gotten some food in their stomachs, Maine announced that he had some more news for everyone.

"Let me guess, Dorio's pregnant!" Pilar cried, grinning like mad.

"No!" The woman in question crossed her arms over her stomach, as if self-conscious that she might have gained weight.

"Why do you guess that every time?" Maine asked, rubbing at his potentially throbbing skull.

"Because its bound to be right one of these days." The techie's smile didn't fade. "What? We all know its either gonna be you or the kid who ends up with a bastard first in this group."

David felt an odd shiver go down his spine at the idea, daring to look at Lucy who was hiding her face while looking anywhere but in David's direction. "We-"

"So you got more work for us or something?" Lucy cut in before he could even complete his sentence, and he saw Maine sigh in relief.

"Kind of. It's not exactly a gig. But there's room enough for all of us to get in on the action if we want."

"Is this about..." Falco started, and Maine nodded.

"Yeah. It seems the local street racing circles are starting up another tournament." The big guy gestured to a picture on the wall that showed a still taken from a street race. "Thinking we join in on the action. Use it as a way to boost our rep."

"And how does competing in illegal street racing boost our rep?" Kiwi asked, eyeing the crew.

"One, shows how quick we can book it from a scene. Two, shows how competent we are." Maine answered.

"Three, gives us a chance just to show off our skills." Falco added, smoothing out his mustache with a smile. "You're still in for being my gunner for this, right Maine?"

"Yeah." He gave the driver a thumbs up. "Gives me an excuse to test out the big guns and get some action...Without having to stress about the other elements of the race." Maine added, and he saw the satisfied nod of Dorio's head at the addition.

"Wait, why aren't you driving Maine?" David couldn't help the question, "and why not take Dorio with you instead?"

"Edgerunner's got better armor than my Quadra." Maine looked at Falco, then back at Dorio. "And I say this with zero shame, but Dorio and Falco are better drivers than me."

"Not to mention someone's got to be on the sidelines to cheer for you guys." She looked amused, "or to patch you gonks up when somebody gets in a lucky shot. Not a hundred percent sure which one it'll be."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." Maine grumbled, taking a slow bite of chalupa even as Dorio laughed.

"Aw, don't sweat it Maine." Becca made a heart with her hands. "That's why we love our team Mom!"

"Ugh, that felt like a kick to the ovaries..." Dorio leaned into Maine, amusement gone. "How does Gloria deal with her?"

"With a lot more grace than you!" The girl tried to stand in her chair and strike a victory pose, but something went wrong and she slipped off the chair and onto the floor with a thump. Becca's cursing was just barely audible over the laughter of the crew as she recovered and returned to her seat, trying to act like nothing happened.

"So what do you guys think?" Falco looked at the remaining members. "Anyone else want in?"

"Nah, racing's not really my thing." Kiwi answered, "I'll join Dorio on the sidelines and watch."

"Hell yeah! I'm in." David grinned, "wonder if I can use the Sande while driving and increase my response time."

"Don't see why not." Maine smiled, seeming amused. "But you'll need a gunner. Hey Becca, you want to ride with David?"

"I 'preciate the offer, but I've already got a driver."

Silence fell over the group then, everyone exchanging looks before they all said at once.

"What!?"

More questions followed from all sides, but there were only a couple that David paid attention to: Whose your driver? What kind of car? Are they part of the crew?

"Not tellin'. Don't know. Eh, kind of?" Becca crossed her arms, frowning. "No, no more questions. Otherwise you gonks can pay for your own damn food!"

The non-threatening ultimatum had the desired effect, and the crew seemed willing to let it go. But Becca's revelations meant that David was still out a gunner. Aside from Becca, Dorio would have been his first choice, but with her and Kiwi on the sidelines? He considered asking Pilar, but the techie had already declared himself to be part of the pit crew.

"I've gotten better at car maintenance and repair the last few months." Pilar looked proud of himself, a smile on his face as Nadia placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded in agreement. Looking at Falco, David saw the man give a single nod of approval. If Pilar was out, that also meant Nadia was out – never mind that she was ex-Trauma. Some of those guys were on par with trained soldiers for their ability to rescue clients. Jackie was a consider, but the man preferred motorcycles to cars and-

"What if I served as David's gunner?"

Lucy's voice brought him out of his musing, and he turned to stare at his girlfriend. She was smiling softly, but there was a fire in her eyes that David only saw when she was excited about something. He heard the crew start discussing the possibility, but his mind went somewhere else.

On the one hand, she was the answer to his problem. Lucy knew how he worked, and she was a good shot with her pistols and other guns. Not to mention she had amazing reflexes (David flinched, remembering their joyride on a stretcher all those months ago). And she was smart. There was no doubt in David's mind that, if she could, she'd use her quickhacks to give them an edge.

The downside? Street racing was dangerous. Alright, so were most of the jobs the crew could take...But this? Like clockwork, every time there was a street race you could find reports of someone getting killed when their car got wrecked. Or someone crippled for life from the accident. Once or twice, you'd even get reports of pedestrians getting hit because they went too close to the road. Or-

"David?" The feeling of Lucy's hand on his shoulder made him realize he was still blankly staring at her. "Hey, you listening?"

"Huh? Wha-? Oh yeah. Sorry, was thinking." He ran a hand through his hair, seeing his girlfriend's expression. "I mean, I'm not opposed to the idea but...Street racing's dangerous. And I mean, we'd have speed on our side with the Caliburn but-"

"David. We can't use the Caliburn." She told him, squeezing his shoulder.

"Why not?" David was almost offended. He understood Maine's logic on not using the Quadra, and made a point to mention that. "I mean, I know its lacking in armor. But the speed and maneuverability more than make up the difference in my opinion. Plus, I was thinking you could try using some of your quickhacks to further improve our chances."

"Glad to see we had the same idea on that front, but you're forgetting one thing." The smile on Lucy's face told David he was about to be embarrassed as he wordlessly asked her to continue. "The windows on the Caliburn don't open. And I don't want to run the risk of losing my arm, again, by trying to shoot out an open scissor door."

"Ah shit." As the crew erupted into laughter, David felt his ears turn red and he sunk down in his seat. He had forgotten that aspect of his car. Then again, he never really had a need to even consider rolling down the windows. The ventilation system was preem, keeping him cool in the Night City heat and...Well, he hadn't had an excuse to try out the heater yet but didn't see why it wouldn't work just as well.

"It's alright." Lucy kissed the top of his head, "we can use the Colby."

"Honestly, it's the better choice." Falco leaned forward, gesturing at him with a fork. "If it was a straight up drag race, then yeah – you'd want the Caliburn. But as these races tend to be on, curvier roads, the Colby is better. You're gonna take a hit on speed, but the heavier weight will stand up better against some of the bullshit our opponents will pull. Not to mention, you'll be less likely to flip if you take a corner too sharp."

"And you won't need to worry about pissing V off for destroying the car he bought you." Maine added, "speaking of. Had anyone heard from the guy in recent days? Thought he'd be in touch now that everything's blown over but I haven't heard anything."

Nods came from around the group, and David had to admit that he hadn't heard from V either. For just a brief moment, he thought he saw a flicker of amusement move across Becca's face. But that might have just been one of delight as Abuela brought over a platter of churros and another of buñuelos for everyone to share for dessert.

"He didn't even call to check up on you after the Glitter incident?" Dorio frowned slightly, "I know Gloria knows, but do you think she told V?"

"Who knows." David sighed, "I know mom's seen him. She told me he was there when she woke up after her treatment...and I think he's stopped by her place once or twice since then but." He shook his head, trying to figure out why his father seemed to be ignoring him and the crew. Sure, David could have made the effort to call him but-

"Maybe he's ashamed of what happened at the mall?" Kiwi offered, her tone more clinical than comforting. He shrugged at the question; Much as V seemed to feel some sort of frustration or self-blame for not being there for Gloria (and by proxy him). And tried to make it up to them with gifts and other services. The man had also made it seem like the familial relationship was more business than an attempt at a genuine family.

Either way, David could tell the question had put a damper on the once jovial mood and decided to try to bring the party back to happier subjects.

"Who knows." David shrugged, trying to act like the question didn't bother him. "Anyhow, back to the subject of the races. I've only heard about them and never seen them. Are there certain rules? Can people use quickhacks? Or cyberwear?"

He saw the brief glances exchanged between the others, but knew they understood as Maine and Falco did their best to answer all his and Lucy's questions.

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The day after that meet up, the crew agreed to help David and Lucy prepare for the upcoming qualifier. They had gone out into the Badlands, with David practicing driving the Colby in a few mock races against Pilar and the others. Meanwhile, Lucy practiced at taking shots at moving targets, and Kiwi let Lucy attempt to 'hack' her while they drove. David had very little issue with driving, and while Lucy was on point with her quickhacks...Her pistols just didn't seem to be enough.

"I just think I need something better than the Unity or the Omaha." She said, throwing the subject out there as they broke for lunch. Over campfire roasted hawt dogs and beans, they discussed options that could work better than her pistols.

"I'd keep the Omaha personally. Its ability to fire off those charged shots could do some damage at close range." Falco offered, tapping at his bowl. "Not sure for long range."

"I need something with a good amount of power. Decent ammo capacity. And if possible, low recoil as I'll be firing when moving." Lucy closed her eyes, thinking. "Not necessarily another tech gun but..."

"Huh. Might have a little more kick than you'd like, but I've got a spare Ajax." Maine stood up, brushing some sand off his pants as he moved over to the Edgerunner. David watched him poke around a moment, before returning with an assault rifle. "Fully automatic mid-to-long range with a thirty round magazine. It fires slower and kicks a bit harder than some other guns, but the damage it does is worth it."

He handed the gun off to Lucy, who took it with a hum. David watched as Lucy looked the gun over, raising and lowering it to get a feel for the weapon. Maine handed her a magazine, and after moving away from the crew, took aim at a cactus. The succulent was quickly filled with lead, one of its arms being ripped off by the bullet barrage.

"Not bad. But we should really put your aim to the test as you're moving." Maine gave her a pat on the back and handed her a few more magazines. "Figure once we're done with lunch, put it to the test with David driving."

The crew continued this trend for the next two days, with the day before the qualifier being spent doing some final maintenance and checks of their vehicles and equipment. Lucy's aim had improved, and David had won a decent amount of the practice races. But that was against people he was familiar with. Aside from Falco, David doubted he know anyone else competing and would need to adapt on the fly.

On the day of the qualifier, David was feeling an odd mix of excitement and nerves. Looking over at Lucy as he drove them over to City Center, he could tell she was feeling the same way.

"Shit, are all these people here to race?" Lucy asked noticing the dozen or so cars that were parked around the area. It took a moment, but eventually they spotted the Edgerunner and drove the Colby over to park beside it.

"Hey, there you are!" Maine called, him and Falco moving over to intercept them. "You all geared up for this?"

"As best we can be." Lucy answered, raising the Ajax to emphasize her point.

"Didn't think there'd be this much competition." David added, gesturing to the cars.

"Street racin's popular. Although I can tell ya that not everyone here's competing." Falco answered, "which speaking of. Took the liberty of registering you so, here you go." The driver held out a shard, and David accepted it. "Need you to slot that. It'll show you an overlay of the track you've got to follow. And it will provide other information such as the countdown, your current standing, directions. Oh, and commentary."

"Huh, neat." David said after slotting the shard. With a faint click, the softwear synched up with his optical implant's HUD – the guys at Kiroshi really knew what they were doing. He turned his head, seeing some of the information Falco had mentioned in such a way that it wasn't impacting his vision. "Does Lucy get one too or?"

"Only the driver. Makes it easier to keep track of the standings." Maine answered, his eyes going to Lucy. "For us in the gunner roll, we've got to rely on communication from our driver about how many are left in the running and who to watch out for. Recommend keeping an open comm between the two of you."

"Should we have one between the four of us?"

"It's a consider. On the one hand, we're technically on the same team. So we could warn each other of traps or other fuckery from our opponents. And give each other heads up about what we're doing." Falco answered. "But on the other hand, and I mean no offense, but it might be hard for you to focus on driving and talking at the same time."

"I'd like to have a line." Lucy offered, and David nodded in agreement as Falco opened up a call between the four of them. After making a quick check of the lines, an announcement came over the HUD that all racers should take their places. Letting Falco take the lead, David drove his car to the starting area, taking the position beside Falco.

It was then that the roar of a motorcycle grabbed the attention of the four. New as he was to the scene, David knew it was rare to see bikes join in street races; more often than not, bikers held their own and restricted it to just motorcycles. But there was nothing in the unofficial official rules that prohibited it. Some racers might grumble it was unfair because of increased mobility, and others argued it was their death wish. The bike slid in between their cars, giving the four of them a good view of the bright yellow Kusanagi... And the two crazy enough to have chosen it as their vehicle of choice.

"No way..."

"Sup fuckers!" Becca grinned, saluting the four of them with the two smart guns she was holding. And while he heard the other three greet her, David was more focused on who she was riding bitch to.

"V?"

As much as V had covered himself with road leathers and jeans (no doubt all with hidden armor underneath or woven into the fabric). David could still see some evidence of their time at the mall – something that surprised him. With a nod of his head, V met David's eyes and offered up his first words to him in months.

"Hello David."

So many questions came to David's mind then; Where had V been? Why hadn't he called (okay, so David could have called him but...He was dealing with his own shit)? Why keep the scars? But before he could get his mouth to form any of them, the announcer's voice sounded a last call for racers.

"Oh, that's our cue. Hold on Becca." V instructed, and David watched as Becca spooned up to him. She looked more like she was snuggling into his back than actually holding on, and the cheeky expression she was sporting didn't help. He kept his eyes on the pair as V backed up their bike and took up a spot near the back of the pack.

"Why did they do that?" He heard Lucy ask, coming out of his surprised state.

"Given that they're using a bike? Less risk of getting rammed from the start if they hang near the back of the pack." Maine answered, looking over his shoulder. "My guess is they'll hang back a bit, let others do some of the heavy lifting before making a move."

"Agreed." Falco gave a nod, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. "Think we should add Becca to the call?"

David was slightly thankful that the man hadn't included the option of adding V to their group call. "Doesn't matter to me."

He saw Falco nod, a moment later getting a notification of a call coming in from the man. It was just the four of them, as Becca didn't pick up both times they tried to call.

["Kid, focus more on driving than talking with us. But if you're in the lead and see something, say something, alright?"] Maine sent the message, and David gave a thumbs up as the start of the race was announced. Focusing on the road ahead, David saw the countdown in his HUD – hitting the gas when it hit zero. He heard more than saw the other cars around him doing the same, everyone doing their best to get rolling to start jockeying for position. Keeping his attention on the road, David did his best to keep on Falco's six, but was always looking for a way to pass.

They had barely reached the first checkpoint when it happened. From somewhere behind them, the roar and hum of various engines was drowned out by the sound of gunfire that soon turned into the sound of explosive rounds connecting with those unlucky enough to be caught by them. Looking back, David noticed that Becca had her guns out and was shooting at the tires and undercarriages, effectively taking some of the competition out entirely or forcing them to fall back further. Slamming his foot on the gas, he accelerated ahead, not wanting to potentially get caught in Becca's attack.

["They're coming up the middle!"] Falco warned, and David turned his head to the side in time to see V and Becca zoom between them and start going after the few cars that were still ahead of them. ["Think they're leavin' us alone in favor of taking out the leaders."]

["I would hope so an-"] Lucy's message was cut off with a scream as someone started peppering their truck with bullets. One of them striking the door frame of the open window Lucy had been leaning out of. "Shit! David! Keep your speed and move a little to the left?"

"Uh sure." David did as she asked, watching as Lucy popped her head and half of her torso out the window, the Ajax at the ready. The target? A blue Thorton Galena, a car David only recognized because it was the same model his mom drove before the accident. His foot came off the gas, breath catching as he half-watched Lucy unload the entire magazine into the vehicle – concentrating her fire more on the engine to cripple the car as opposed to the driver. It was an all too familiar scene, and one that he wished he could forget.

"David! Hit the gas!" Lucy commanded, even as the gonk driver made a last ditch effort to take them out. Unfortunately, David wasn't fast enough, and the Galena slammed into the back of their truck. The hit sent Lucy flying forward, and she whacked her shoulder on the door frame. Acting on instinct, he reached out and grabbed Lucy and pulled her in as the Galena moved around and came even with them – giving David a clear view of the driver.

"Oh what the fuck?"

Even though it looked scruffy and a bit unkempt, the blue-hair was unfortunately familiar. And even with the patina of wear covering the once pristine chrome didn't do much to distract from the driver's identity. Not to mention, the annoying, grating voice that David would know anywhere.

"Martinez!?" Katsuo cursed, expression quickly switching from surprised to absolutely livid. "You motherfucker! How dare you? You and that fucking suit of yours! You ruined my father! Ruined me!"

David wasn't listening, doing his best to ignore Katsuo's ranting as he focused on driving. He had to give the blue-haired asshole credit for managing to keep pace with him and Lucy while ranting.

Didn't stop David from giving him the finger of course.

"Friend of yours?" There was a chuckle in Lucy's voice, and by the way her eyes flashed, David knew she had scanned Katsuo.

"Remember that bully I told you about?" She nodded, "yeah. That's him."

"Want me to fry him?"

"Please." David grinned as Lucy sent one of her quickhacks out. He wasn't sure which one she might have chosen, but Katsuo's cursing intensified as he seemed to lose control of some of his faculties. A moment later and his car crashed into a lamp post, causing him to lose speed. David just kept driving, laughing at the scene behind him. "Shit. I don't care where we finish, that made this whole thing worthwhile!"

"You're welcome." She added her own laughter to his, "now let's catch up with Falco."

"Right!" David hit the gas, passing another checkpoint. ["Falco? Where you guys at?"]

["Just crossed the halfway line, only two ahead of us – one of them V."]

["You guys good?"] Maine's voice came over the holo. ["Heard a bit of a commotion back there."]

["Yeah, just an overconfident asshole."] David smiled, ["Lucy took care of him."]

["Good. Now step on it. By my guess you guys are currently in fifth. And you need to take third to get a guaranteed spot in the next round."]

["Got it!"] David checked his ranking on the HUD, seeing that Falco's assessment was correct. Of the original eleven racers, only six of them showed as still being 'in the race' meaning that they had crossed all the recent checkpoints. "Lucy, can you ping anything around and see where our opponents might be?"

"Hang on..." He heard her hum and could tell by the way her eyes were twitching that she was getting a few hits here and there. "That red car. Two occupants – one armed." She pointed to a car that was two lengths in front of them.

"Alright, time to try out that trick I practiced." He looked over at Lucy, who was quick to put on her seatbelt in preparation for what David had planned. Only once she gave a nod that she was ready did David activate the Sandevistan. Everything seemed to slow down around him as he accelerated and sped past the red car, mentally keeping track of how much time had passed. His spine wasn't going full throttle, only the car was, opting for a twenty second burst with the sixty second cool down, but it was more than enough to rocket him up to fourth, and bring their next opponent into view.

"Shit! David! That was..."

"Impressive? Exhilarating?"

"Terrifying!" Lucy cursed, eyes wide but a smile on her face. "Let's keep that to a minimum unless we need to bug out of some shit, alright?"

"Aww, but I think we might have passed another opponent..." He relayed his next message to the others. ["Lucy and I just jumped from fifth to third."]

["Gonk behind us missed a checkpoint going around us. The only way they can stay in the race is to loop back and go through it, otherwise – even if they cross the finish line, they're out."]

["Blue and white truck?"] Lucy asked, her attention focused on a vehicle matching that description that was driving opposite the flow of traffic.

["That's the one. Stay the course, and you should be able to catch up to us."] Falco laughed, ["I can only assume V and Becca are somewhere ahead of us, but at least we can battle it out for second."]

["Speak for yourself, I'm gunning for first!"] David replied, giving Lucy an apologetic look before once again activating the Sande. This time opting for the 'Full Throttle' run of thirty seconds. They made it through two more checkpoints before noticing the Edgerunner ahead of them.

["I see you."] Lucy sing-songed over the holo, sounding creepy and cute all at once.

["Heh, I see you on our six."] Maine stuck his head and arm out the window, giving the two of them a thumbs up, before flipping them the bird. Coming up on the final checkpoint before the finish, both drivers caught a glimpse of V and Becca up ahead, the duo weaving through the regular traffic as they took the turn that lead to the finish area.

["Shit, no way we're catching them."] Falco admitted.

["Maybe if I use the Sande I can."]

["Eh, let 'em take the win. Long as we cross the line, we're good. So why don't we keep it clean between us?"] Much as David wanted to ignore the request and try to catch up with V, he had to admit Falco had a point and conceded. After a moment, his HUD indicated that someone had crossed the finish line, meaning that they were officially battling it out for second. The two ended up nearly neck and neck, but in the end Falco took second and David landed in third.

["Pull off to the side behind us. Leave space for any stragglers coming in."]

David complied, hopping out of the car a moment later in the hopes of being able to talk with V. Both him and Becca were surrounded by some of the spectators who had been watching the action streamed from various drones that had been following the action. He tried to push through the crowd, and after a moment managed to get through...Only to see V and Becca drive off without so much as a 'good job'.

"Fuck!" David kicked a nearby can, sending it bouncing off a concrete barrier. He was about to kick something else, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Why you cussing kid? You're in the next race!" Dorio's voice met his ears, and he realized it was her hand on him.

"Third place is pretty damn good for a couple rookies new to the scene." Kiwi offered, moving over to him with Lucy and the rest of the crew in tow.

"Uh, thanks, but that's not why I'm pissed." He shrugged out of Dorio's hold, moving to stand beside Lucy who wrapped an arm around him in understanding. "V shows up out of nowhere after weeks of ghosting us and doesn't say shit or offer any sort of explanation? The fucks up with that?"

"Doubt we'll get an answer from him." Maine replied, copying Lucy's example and throwing an arm over Dorio's shoulder. "But right now, we should be celebrating!"

"Maine's right." Nadia offered, "at least after I check you guys over. Got to say, I'm impressed."

Pilar laughed, nodding animatedly in agreement. "And Lucy? Good goin' with the quickhacks. That gonk in the Galena didn't know what hit him!" He was about to say more, but the sight of a beaten up blue Galena rolling towards them stopped him. "Well, speak of the devil."

"Martinez!" The screaming started before the car had come to a full stop, Katsuo stepping out. He didn't seem to care that David was surrounded by several people bigger than him.

"You know this guy?" Kiwi raised an eyebrow, and David nodded as Katsuo strolled up to him. He saw some of the crew moving to draw, but raised a hand to stop them.

"Yeah. Stand down guys." The anger David had been feeling towards V was now being funneled towards Katsuo. While driving, David hadn't been able to run his own scan on Katsuo, but now?

The kid's cyberwear hadn't changed since that day at the Academy, a surprise given that all of his current soft and hardwear was at least an upgrade or two behind the current models. Katsuo had also thinned out a little, and while still more expensive than most of his own wardrobe. David could tell Katsuo's clothes weren't as meticulously tailored and maintained as they once were. He had no idea what had transpired between V and Katsuo after he had been dismissed, but it was clear it hadn't been good for the corpo-brat.

Seeing all that, David made his decree about Katsuo to the rest of the crew. "He's no threat."

"Why you little..." It seemed that even though the Academy tried, that Katsuo still hadn't learned anything and tried to rush David. Rolling his eyes, David activated the Sandevistan. For a brief moment, the blue-haired gonk was charging forward...Only to be struck several times in the chest and sent flying backwards into the very car that had brought him here. With a groan, Katsuo slumped against his car while David stood unfazed with the crew.

"Come on guys, let's get out of here." He gestured towards their vehicles and started walking, hearing Katsuo say something as the rest of the crew exchanged glances before following after him.

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After celebrating their respective victories, the crew split off for a day or two to rest and recuperate before once again meeting at the Cojo. Jackie bought everyone a round of drinks, and Abuela served up a couple free appetizers...After making him swear that he would be careful out there. And that he would withdraw from the races if things got too intense. Embarrassed as he felt over that, it was quickly replaced with a feeling of almost sorry when Becca arrived.

The girl had come in on her own, and was quickly brought to their table by Abuela. David saw most of the crew greet her with a nod, a polite word or two exchanged even as she relayed her order to Abuela. But by the twitch of Maine's mouth, the grinding of Dorio's teeth, and the incessant tapping of Pilar's fingers – David could tell everyone was sitting on the same questions he was. But nobody seemed to have the guts to ask them.

"So short stuff, why are you working with V?"

Thank God Kiwi had no reservations when dealing with Becca. That one question opening up the floodgates to drown the green-haired gremlin.

"Where the hell has he been?"

"What the fuck happened after the mall?"

"What the hell was with those scars?"

"Why did you shoot my car!?"

"Woah, woah! Calm down chooms." Becca gently waved her arms before her, telling the crew to settle down. "One at a time please."

"Fine, I'll go first." Falco's smooth southern drawl cut through the tension. "Know everything's fair game, but why d'you shoot the Edgerunner?"

"Apologies, I wasn't trying to hit you." She replied, and David could tell she meant it. "I didn't expect that asshole in the red Quartz to hit the breaks and fall back like he did when I made that shot."

Falco rubbed at his chin, fingers stroking his mustache a moment before he gave a single nod, accepting her answer. "Fair enough."

"Thank you." Becca smiled, "now whose next?"

"I am." David met her eyes, "What the fuck is V's deal right now? Why's he been ignoring us?"

"He's dealing with some...things." She answered, and David glared. "What? He is. Man's got a life outside the crew, ya know?"

"So don't the rest of us." Lucy answered, looking just as annoyed as he felt. "Think we at least deserve a call or message from him. At the very least, David does."

"You're right, and V told me to extend his apologies to everyone for his lack of contact." Becca looked at everyone in turn, before coming to rest on him. "Especially to you David. Gloria kept him in the loop on how you were doing after the Glitter incident. And he was more than glad to hear you recovered, then to see you at the races."

"So why the fuck did he just drive off like that after the race was over? Or even call me after everything was done?" David scratched at his scalp, feeling like he was missing something.

"Again, he's dealing with some shit right now an-"

"Rebecca Alex Rozen – you are going to give us some straight answers or else." Pilar threatened, one gangly metal finger pointed at his sister's nose.

"Oof, full name. That's never a good sign." He heard Dorio stage-whisper, something that was quickly drowned out by Pilar letting out a cry as Becca punched the offending digit. The techie pulled his hand back, whining about 'basketball finger' as he plunged it into his glass, playfully pretending he was letting the coolness of the beverage soothe the pain.

"Look bro, I've signed a metaphorical non-disclosure agreement." The girl held up her hands, "best I can tell you is that V is still recovering from the Mall. And that he will be in touch with everyone soon. There's just a few loose ends he needs to tie up and a couple other things he has to take care of first."

"Okay then. If our suit is so busy as you're making him seem. Why's he wasting his time street racing then?" Maine cut in, eyes narrowed. "Or is his 'making an appearance' all part of whatever plan he's following?"

At that question, David noticed the briefest flash of hesitation move across Becca's face before she answered.

"I'm assuming its part of the plan." She took a drink, seeming to be stalling for time. "Although if it makes you guys feel any better, we're not out to actually win the races."

"So why even bother racing then?" Kiwi asked, running a finger around the rim of her glass.

"Because there's a team we need to kill. One that's got corporate sponsors backing them." Again, Becca hesitated. "Thing is, we have to make it look like a legitimate accident as opposed to a hit. So we need to appear to be legitimate competitors. If we win because of it, great! If not? We just have to look the part."

"And I'm guessing we're not allowed to know who you're out to kill?"

Becca gave a single nod, one finger tapping her nose in silent agreement. David wanted to ask more, but by the expression on Becca's face, knew it would be a futile effort. Instead, he just gave his own nod of agreement and took to speaking of other matters.

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Following Becca's revelations at dinner, David freely admitted to Lucy that he was still feeling annoyed about everything over the last couple days. He had become better about discussing his feelings with her, but there was only so much talking could accomplish. Fortunately for him, it seemed Lucy was feeling a similar sense of frustration...Which lead to the two of them mutually solving that issue on the dining room table.

And then again against the windows of the dining room. It was honestly a testament to the quality of the reinforced panels and level of construction that they barely moved against the constant pressed ham treatment of Lucy's ass.

Their stress testing of the windows was moved into the living room. And once upon a time, such an act might have embarrassed David – high up as they were, the chance of being seen wasn't exactly zero. But now?

His only concern was remembering to wash the tablecloth...and the windows before anyone else came over.

That final round had ended with both of them feeling like their legs had turned to jelly, and they settled down on the couch instead of risking the stairs that lead to the bedroom. Stretching himself out, David smiled as Lucy snuggled into his chest – basking in the afterglow. At that moment, life seemed pretty sweet. He had an amazing house, a preem set of wheels, and quality chrome. Looking down at his absolutely gorgeous girlfriend, David was also reminded of his chooms and how they seemed to actually care about himself. And knowing what he did of their own lives, found himself thankful that he had an awesome uncle and Abuela. And a mother who had worked herself to exhaustion to ensure that he grew up as hale and healthy as one could in Night City.

And then there was his father who...

"Puppy? Everything okay?" Lucy's voice cut through his thoughts, and he noticed the look of concern on her face. "You went tense all of a sudden."

"Uh, sorry. Was just thinking."

"About?" She prompted, one finger tracing a pattern on his chest.

"Honestly? V." He answered, adjusting his position on the couch so he was sitting fully on the couch instead of laying down. Lucy adjusted her own position so that she was now leaning onto his shoulder in quiet support for him to continue. "I just don't get it." He grunted, trying to get his thoughts in order. "The guy comes back and is around for a couple months. And things seem to be going good for us. Mom's happier and healthier than I've ever seen – and she looked like that even before her conversion. I'm content for the first time in forever with my life...Fuck, even V looked...Well, not exactly happy but not as weighed down as when we first met? Does that make sense?"

"It does." Lucy wrapped an arm around him. "Honestly, I think you felt the same way before you met me. You looked whipped and beaten down, but now?" Her hands moved up to hold his face, making him look directly at her. "Well, let's just say that you look a hell of a lot better than when we first met."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He grumbled, tone betraying the put-off expression he was trying to maintain. "But seriously. V's not the best guy, I get that. I know that." David had enough memories of V chewing him out from their early days to attest to that. "But at least he's been trying to do right by us. Helping mom, helping me. For the first time in my life, it felt like I might...Might have actually had a functional family. Sure, V's not the best guy, but again he's been trying to do right by us even with all the shit he's dealing with. But now? The man suffers one – just one little setback, and decides to ghost."

By the was Lucy's mouth moved, David could tell she didn't quite agree with his assessment. Okay, so his dad went cyberpsycho...something most would say is a major setback for any situation. But he came back from it. And seemed no worse for wear if one didn't count the scars.

"I get it. Losing sucks. After frying my classmates with that faulty wreath upgrade, I just wanted to go home and forget about it. Same thing when I lost that first fight against Katsuo." He rubbed at his head, frustrated. "Is V feeling the same way? Is he embarrassed? Angry? Or is there something else?"

"Hard to say with a man like V. David? Mind if I say something that could piss you off?" He nodded, and Lucy continued. "I don't like V, at all. Now, now – I know we've been with him a few times, and I'll be polite and talk with him. But I really don't like him." She sat up straight and looked him in the eyes. "However, my dislike at seeing you be miserable over this is worse than my dislike of V."

"Then do you have any idea how we can fix this?" David leaned forward, intrigued.

"There's a couple I can think of; some simple, some complex." Lucy started listing off her ideas, and David bounced a few off his own off her. Eventually, the two agreed to go with the wait-and-see approach.

"So we continue as we are now?" David asked, looking for clarification.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "If what Becca said is true, V will contact us when he's ready. Until he does, we can just focus on boosting our reputation with the races. Plus, you can vent some of your frustrations against the guy by beating his ass in the race...Or an accidental pot shot."

"Lucy..." David laughed, the idea of accidentally on purposely shooting V just enough of a ridiculous thought to shake him out of the funk he had fallen into.

"What? I'm just saying." She gently headbutted him. "No way I could get him with a quickhack. But a stray bullet?"

"Lucy, I'm not shooting my dad..." David's eyes darted side to side, uselessly making sure they were alone. "Yet."

That one word sent her into a giggling fit, and David found himself laughing right along with her until they were both panting like they had gone for a fourth round.

"Just a, a thought puppy." Lucy gasped, leaning into him for support. "Might want a contingency plan. For if he screws us over in the races."

"I have one..." He grinned, smile growing as Lucy's head tilted in interest. "If we fail? I'm at least giving the old man a kick in the dick!"

It took a good minute for his ears to stop ringing from the shriek of laughter that left Lucy's mouth, but her expression and the lightness he was feeling after talking with her made it worth it.

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The day of the second race rolled around, this time putting the crew out in the Badlands. Thanks to their earlier training, David knew the Colby could handle the rougher terrain with ease. The main problem would be the competition, as word had gotten around about the stunt V had pulled at the qualifier. David could see that some had opted for additional armor or plating around their tires and undercarriages. More than a few also looked to have upped their firepower, if the gonk with the SOR-22 on his back was any indication.

"Any sign of your, friend, the one from yesterday?" Maine snorted, unable to keep a straight face as he made some final checks to his guns before helping Lucy with hers.

"Katsuo?" David scanned the crowd, looking for the blue Galena (even new, it was the cheapest car on the market...And Katsuo's hadn't looked all that new). "Don't see him. Hoping the number we did on his car knocked him out of contention."

"Not that he seemed much of a threat." Falco offered, "did he even have a gunner?"

"I didn't ping anyone else in the car when I fried him." Lucy chuckled, and David nodded in agreement having gotten the best view of the Tanaka brat's car.

"Anyhow, what sort of stunt do you think V and Becca are gonna pull this time?"

"Well, he can't do any sort of broad-area quickhacks without potentially targeting us in the initial burst. And I'm not sure how quick he can switch from target to target to hit individuals." He heard Lucy hum, seeing her scanning the crowd. "Then again, if he only targets the drivers he mig-"

The roar of a Kusanagi cut her off, signaling the arrival of the pair in question. From what he could see, V's arrival didn't go unnoticed, if the grumbling from some of the other competitors was anything to go by. As far as David could tell, there was something different about V...or maybe the gear they were using. Becca was wearing a bulky backpack. It was then he locked eyes with V who seemed to be making a similar appraisal as the call was made for the racers to take their places. Much to his amusement, V broke eye contact first as he maneuvered his bike to the starting line.

"Come on kid, we've got a race to win." Maine gave him a pat on the back before hopping into the Edgerunner. David gave a grunt of agreement and climbed into the Colby, taking a moment to get comfortable before taking up his position at the line. As before, the four of them had entered into a group call, intending to keep each other on the up and up about the course.

["Wait, Becca's trying to call in?"] David could hear the confusion in Falco's voice. ["Hello?"]

["Hey chooms. Sorry, I didn't give you a head's up about our plans in the last race."] David had to give her credit, she still sounded sincere about the whole thing.

["You givin' us one this time then?"]

["Yeah. If you've got a pair of sunglasses or any sort of light protection for your optics...Use it if you're behind us."] Becca dropped out of the call then, and David knew he wasn't alone in letting out a few choice words at the gremlin.

["What do you think she means by that?"] Lucy asked, taking out a pair of sunglasses. He glanced over, seeing Maine adjusting his own while letting out a curse before replying.

["Flashbangs."] Maine growled. ["V seemed quite fond of them when we first met."]

["Great."] David resisted the urge to whack his head on the steering wheen at the thought, reaching instead for the pair of sunglasses he had in his jacket and putting them on. Thoughts against his father were quickly set aside however as the start of the race was announced and the familiar countdown appeared in his HUD. When the timer hit zero, David hit the gas and the race was off.

He heard more than saw the cars behind him accelerate as they tried to get ahead of V, who decided to fall back a little. It might have been a trick of the light, but David could have sworn he saw V nod as both him and Falco came alongside him.

["Oh shit! Watch out!"]

Lucy's cry was all the warning David got as Becca opened her jacket to reveal what would best be describe as an excessive amount of grenades. Ones that, as Maine had successfully guessed, David recognized as being flashbangs. The grenades were sent flying backwards, each exploding with a flash of light and a cloud of smoke that obscured their surroundings. It was only thanks to the overlay on his optics that David was able to keep on course through all the chaos going on around him.

["Shit! You good kids?"]

["Yeah, we're fine. Just a minor case of sun blindness on my end."]

["Same."] David blinked rapidly, as if that would help 'reset' his optics. ["Remind me to thank whomever designed the course display system."]

["Comes in handy when people pull shit like this."] Falco laughed. ["Lucy, can you ping anything and see where people are at?"]

["Hang on..."] He glanced over at Lucy, seeing her eyes wide and flicking around. ["There's four ahead of us, and four or five behind."]

["Any idea which group V's in?"]

["Probably up front."] She replied. ["Can't get a proper read on them to be honest."]

["Keep us posted."] Maine advised, and David gave an unseen nod. His eyes had returned to normal, giving him a full view of the desert terrain. Given the amount of sand, rock, and dust being kicked up – David was thankful they had opted for the Colby.

"Shit, got two coming up on our six." Lucy informed him, readying the Ajax.

"What are they driving?"

"One's a truck, not sure on model. The other is..." His pastel-haired girlfriend started giggling, "is...a..."

"Is what?" David looked over his shoulder, trying to see what Lucy was looking at. It took a moment with the dust coming from their own tires, but he briefly caught a glimpse of a slightly shot up blue Galena alongside the truck. "Oh you've got to be kidding me..."

"Want me to fry him again?" Lucy smiled, and while tempting, David shook his head.

"Let's wait a little bit. He's probably on guard for us doing that again." He focused back on the road. "Can you tell if he's still riding solo?"

"Hang on." Lucy's eyes lit up briefly as she pinged the car. "Seems he's gotten a teammate. New guy's driving, and he looks like he's got a gun." He could feel her eyes on him, "what's his beef with you anyways?"

"You know, I'm not sure anymore." David blinked, noticing that he had caught up to the Edgerunner. He saw the passenger's window roll down, and could see Maine popping out with gun in hand. Seeing them, he raised it in a salute before firing a couple shots at the cars behind them. Those behind responded in kind, Lucy matched those shots with her own, conversing with the other two about how many cars were still around.

["And Becca's calling again...Hello?"]

["Hey guys, think the gonks behind you are ready to get butt pounded?"] There was an odd level of delight in Becca's voice.

["What do you mean?"]

["Asking if you think they're gonna be butthurt over what we're about to do?"]

["And that is?"] Maine sounded curiously annoyed.

["Landmines."]

Various curses came over the holo, David punctuating his by slapping the steering wheel. Both him and Falco hit the gas, now allowing the vehicles in front of them to become visible. A red truck, black SUV and the all to familiar yellow of V's Kusanagi in the distance. While he didn't have the best view, he noticed Becca twisting to grab at something on her back.

["Yeah! Everyone was so focused on me flashing them at the start that no one noticed the pack on my back."] While he didn't have the best view, David could see Becca was now holding a circular hunk of metal. ["Not sure what these things are capable of, but V says they're illegal even by Night City standards."]

She released the mine just a little to the side, making sure it landed in the path of the SUV's tire. Before anyone could tell what happened, there was a loud explosion and the SUV was sent rolling as the mine went off under its weight.

["FUCK! Can you at least let us get around you first before you drop another one!?"] David mentally screamed, swerving to avoid what might have been a door off the SUV that landed in his path. There was a moment of silence on Becca's end, and he could see her leaning forward, as if conversing with V. After a moment, he could hear the sound of the Kusanagi's engine slowing, something which allowed them and the other truck a chance to get closer.

Becca seemed to notice the truck, and removed another grenade from her coat. She tossed it ahead of where the truck was going, but instead of a flash like David expected. It exploded into a large cloud of smoke that obscured part of the road. David wasn't able to see what happened, but the sound of metal crunching indicated that the truck had probably hit something...but whatever that something was hadn't done enough damage to stop it.

The Edgerunner and the Colby pulled up alongside the motorcycle, and Becca gave them both a thumbs up as they passed before reaching back into her bag.

["Thanks guys."] Falco sent back, and David noticed Maine sticking out the window, gun raised in a salute. ["Promise we'll take care of any stragglers you miss."]

David noticed that they were coming up on the red truck, whose gunner was leaning out the window and trying to get a bead on either one of them. At the same time, he noticed that Becca had disconnected from the call, something that was punctuated by a cacaophony of metal crunching, gunshots, and explosions going on behind them.

["Damn, V isn't messing around is he?"] Lucy shuddered, and David wished he wasn't driving so he could comfort her better.

["Well, at least we know they're behind us now. And what they have planned. The rest of the competition doesn't an-ARGH!"] Maine's words were cut off with a cry from the guy. ["That asshole in the butt just shot me!"]

As potentially bad a situation Maine getting shot could be, David couldn't help the snort that escaped him as he heard Falco say it's pronounced 'byoot'. After confirming that Maine would be alright (apparently the bullet only grazed his upper arm, but Falco had to slow down a little so Maine could patch himself up as they rolled) they focused their attention back on the road before them. With the destructive duo behind them, the Butte was their biggest threat for the time being.

A few more shots were sent flying from the truck, all of which were answered by Maine and Lucy with their own guns. David had to give whoever was behind the wheel of the Butte credit for how well they were dodging their shots.

Too bad they couldn't dodge quickhacks as he finally got the Colby close enough for Lucy to target both of them with her quickhacks.

All at once, the Butte was swerving back and forth as the driver struggled to maintain control. A moment later and all David heard was a crunching noise as the truck went off the road and mowed over several cacti and other desert flora before connecting with a large rock.

"Nice one!" David flashed Lucy a smile, and she gave a tiny bow before focusing her attention back out the window. "See anyone else?"

"Not with the dust and smoke clouds Becca's making behind us." She pulled her head back in. ["Maine. Falco. Either of you see anything on your end?"]

["Negative."] Maine laughed, ["looks like its just the two of us up front for the moment."]

At that, David let out a cheer. According to his HUD, there was just three checkpoints left, and he was currently in first. Of course, there was always the chance that Falco would come along and pass him, but that would be more a minor annoyance than anything.

["Don't think I'm gonna let you win kid. This is a race after all."] Falco drawled, and David could feel the man's smirk as the Edgerunner appeared in the side-view mirror.

["Yeah? Well don't expect me to give up so easily!"] He replied, stepping on the gas as he passed through the checkpoint.

Similar to the last time, an unspoken agreement to not shoot at eachother or try other means of sabotage passed through the two teams. David was still out in front as he passed through the second to last checkpoint. But Falco was so close behind that hitting the breaks for any reason would end with the Edgerunner plowing into them.

["If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair!"] Lucy taunted, making him laugh as they crossed the final checkpoint before the finish.

["Not my job! Tell your boy toy to do better!"] Falco sassed back, and David was about to reply when the roar of a motorcycle's engine filled the air. A moment later and he was greeted with the sight of V's bike swerving around the Edgerunner, and then around them. ["You've got to be kidding..."]

["I've got one chance..."] David activated his speedware as V's front tire came even with the nose of the Colby. It was only a moment later that he realized V had gotten a similar implant and had the same idea. In that moment, everything seemed to be moving incredibly fast, but also impossibly slow at the same time. David saw the Edgerunner grow smaller in his mirrors, while the Kusanagi seemed no further away. While his Sandevistan might have been more powerful than V's, the vehicle he was in wasn't as light or maneuverable as the Kusanagi. Even though he was able to keep up with the speed, the superior size of the bike won out in the end and V crossed the line first.

He came across the line a moment later, one hand punching the steering wheel in annoyance at taking second. "Shit!"

"Calm down David." Lucy's hand came to rest on his shoulder as he slowed down and pulled the car to the side, ignoring the gathered crowd that was moving towards V.

Similar to before, he saw the man exchange a few words with one of the organizers, before once again speeding off, heading back towards the City.

"Come on, let's go check in with the others." He shrugged off the mood, seeing the Edgerunner rolling up behind them. A few words were exchanged between the two parties, Falco only partially annoyed that David used the Sandevistan in persuit of glory.

"Got to admit, it is impressive how much control you have when using that thing." The driver gave him a pat on the back, even as the rest of the crew came over and once again showered them with praise. Even though he was smiling, David still couldn't help but feel annoyed at V (and arguably Becca) slighting him again. He was about to state that fact, but once again fate decided he needed another thing to be annoyed at.

"Martinez!" The voice came from the beat up blue Galena, and once again Katsuo was making a beeline towards him. Leaning on the car was some gangoon or another, no doubt hired so Katsuo could have a chance to shoot him. He turned away and started moving towards his Colby. "Oh no, you turn around and face me. You owe me, Martinez!"

"I don't owe you anything." David stopped, looking over his shoulder but not turning.

"Oh yes you do." The blue-haired brat demanded. "Do you know what my life's been like since that day at the Academy?"

"No." He turned around then, a tiny smirk on his face. "Got to be honest, until I saw you at the qualifyer? I kind of forgot you exist."

A flash of red seemed to move across Katsuo's face, the kid's expression morphing into one of anger and disbelief at the response. It was only thanks to the months of training, and familiarity with the guy that David realized Katsuo had taken a hostile stance. Glancing to the crew, David noticed they were ready to move in – but as before, he motioned for them to stand down.

"What do you mean; forgot I exist? Are you really that full of yourself?" The blue-haired rage-out shook his head, hands flexing with anger. "Wait, you are. No, don't try to argue otherwise – it's true. Academy's all the proof I need – we all had to work to get where we were. Our parents all forked over the eddies so we could attend, same as your mother. But we put in the effort that was needed to stay there. You got the grades that let you get in. But did you keep them up? No, you did the bare minimum."

Katsuo threw the first punch, and David found himself put on the defensive as his opponent continued to rant.

"You didn't belong with us! Even from the start, I told you that!" It wasn't hard for David to realize Katsuo had activated his reflex chip, and activated his own speedware on the lowest setting just to ensure that he outpaced the guy in response. "I didn't say it because you were poor. I said it because you did nothing to deserve that spot!"

Despite his current state, David noticed that Katsuo's technique had improved. More than once, he felt Katsuo's fist or palm make contact against his raised forearms. Similar to his whining that others would have been better picks for the Academy, his punches were more annoying than painful. Katsuo's own ability to dodge had increased as well, the boy avoiding the retalitory strikes David was throwing his way.

"You really think so?" David hissed, slapping Katsuo's latest strike away.

"Yeah. Anyone else would have embraced it!" The blue-haired kid hopped to the side, avoiding the latest grapple attempt. "Not squandered it selling XBDs like you did!"

David flinched. "How did you-"

"Everyone knew, Martinez!" A cough-like laugh escaped Katsuo. "You were the modern day equivalent of a drug dealer in a private school, you know that? A piece of scop-stained trash thrown on the street of society!" The punches being thrown now seeemed to have more force behind them. And even without speedware boosting him, it seemed Katsuo wasn't going to slow down anytime soon.

"That's one of the best reasons I hate you. Did you know my father was an XBD addict? Man even had a line connected to Jimmy Kurosaki himself."

It wasn't the revelation that a suit had connections, but rather one word that made David briefly stumble, letting Katsuo get a glancing hit to his shoulder. "Was?"

Katsuo seemed not to hear his question, continuing his rant.

"Yeah. Not gonna lie, I cheered when I heard Kurosaki bought it. Thought that might get my old man's head out of his ass when he wasn't dealing with corporate matters." David found his consentration starting to slip even as Katsuo continued. "Did you know my father lost his job? Something about 'sabotaging company assetts'. Oh, and then coincidentally was killed by some Tygers?"

A strange sort of sorrow mixed with the anger on Katsuo's face and David couldn't stop the exhilation that left his mouth.

"It's not an exaggeration when I tell you that the amount of money he spent on those things could have sent me through the Academy a dozen times over. Money that could have been saved and used for other things. Or set aside in case of emergencies."

The punches kept coming, and David found he was starting to have more and more difficulty avoiding them.

"It was just me and the old man, you know? My mother died shortly after I was born, so I was left the sole inheritor of everything my father had to his name. Of course, that also included all the expenses he had racked up. I had to sell off almost everything except for my clothes, and some basic furniture to settle those debts. All because he had to get his sick kicks." That last word was marked with a kick, one that threw David's balance off. He regained his footing, deactivating his speedware as it was becoming clear Katsuo was not going to stop anytime soon.

"When I first learned it was just you and your mother, and how much she cared. I almost envied you. Then I learned more about you, and it disgusted me." He spat, loading it with some lung butter for an extra display of disgust. "I might have forgiven you if you had a valid excuse; 'Oh, I didn't have time to study because I needed to work my night job to help my mom'."

His voice had become a cruel mockery of David's own for a moment before switching back to normal.

"And don't try to argue that pushing XBDs was a job. I'm sure selling illegal soft to our classmates brought in the cash, but I doubt your mom saw a single eddy of it."

That last point made David flinch as he realized that Katsuo wasn't wrong. From day one, the agreement he had with Doc on him pushing the goods had been an eighty-twenty split. Of course, that was in favor of the old ripper (who argued he needed the extra to pay his suppliers) and too stupid to argue, he agreed. The only addition being that his cut included a copy of the XBD he was supposed to be selling.

And it was true; none of that money was ever seen by his mother. He had even told V of this fact in a roundabout way that time at lunch with him. Sure, he had used it to buy actual goods...but like Mr. Tanaka, he had sqaundered most of it on XBDs.

That money could have bought a few more uniforms – saving on laundry expenses.

Could have gotten him a proper wreath upgrade – maybe even a new one.

Would have helped covered some of his mother's medical expenses.

One other realization hit him the same time Katsuo's fist did. One solid impact to his cheek that sent him to the ground. The sight of him lying there seemed to appease Katsuo, and the fury of blows stopped.

"You ruined my life, Martinez. And probably screwed many of our classmates when they got caught with that shit." David half expected Katsuo to spit on him, but it seemed the man was still trying to maintain some level of dignity. "Why your mother invested so much of her time and money into you is beyond me."

Katsuo turned away then and moved towards his own car. Exchanging a few words with his hired hand, David saw the man nod as Katsuo hopped into the car and drove away.

"David? Puppy? Are you alright?" He felt Lucy's hand on his face even as the others moved to form a protective circle around him. Only Nadia broke from the group to give him a quick once-over.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. More wounded pride than anything..." He started to stand, offering no protest as Nadia helped him up.

"Do you need anything?" The brunette asked, leading him over to the truck. "Cold pack? Water?"

"Yeah." He couldn't bring himself to look at anyone. "I need to apologize to my mom..."

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After his encounter with Katsuo, David was in no mood to celebrate the crew's latest victory. He had returned to the apartment and after a quick shower, had crawled into bed. Lucy had joined him and pulled him close, making sure he was okay. David repeated how he was fine, but it was clear to her that Katsuo's words had really struck a chord with him. Ever supportive, Lucy held and comforted him as he explained to her how Katsuo wasn't wrong. Waiting until he had finished to say anything.

"So, what are you going to do?" She asked, pulling him closer.

"Told you. Need to apologize to my mom..." He yawned, "but that's probably something for another time."

"Yeah." Lucy kissed his forehead. "For now, let's just get some sleep."

David hummed, the day's events catching up to him and letting him fall into a dreamless sleep. It was sometime in the middle of the morning when the feeling of sunlight on his face woke him up. The other side of the bed was empty, but upon dragging himself out of his covers cocoon. Found a note Lucy had left saying she had gone out with Kiwi for some 'retail therapy'.

"Please don't let her come back with another pair of shoes..." He idly looked over the 'bedroom's' railing, seeing their shoe rack near the door. Of the fourteen sets of footwear to rest there, eleven of them belonged to her. Not that he actually cared, he was just happy that Lucy was happy. Plus, if he was honest with himself, he could probably do with a new pair of sneakers too.

"Maybe that's what I'll do today." David mused, getting himself ready for the day. "Buy myself some new shoes, maybe get a hair cut... Maybe hang out with Maine?" That last thought came as the name of the man in question came through on his holo. ["Hello?"]

["Hey kid, I was gonna hit the gym today for some training, and was looking for a partner."] Maine got right to the point. ["If you're feeling up to it, figure we could hit the weights and maybe get in a sparring session or two. Got to admit, you put on a good show against that guy yesterday."]

["Rather not talk about that. But sure, I'll join you."] David smiled, it had been awhile since he had a chance to train in hand-to-hand combat with Maine. ["Just tell me where we're meeting."]

["I'll send you the detes. Meet you there in an hour."] Maine hung up then, sending a message a moment later with directions. It was to a gym located in one of the megabuildings in Japantown. The clock on the stove said it was currently nine thirty, and depending on traffic would take him fifteen, maybe twenty minutes to reach the place in question. That left him a good forty minutes to get ready.

After a quick meal consisting of a microwave breakfast sandwich and coffee, his caffeine delivery vessel of choice. David packed up a gym bag and made the drive over to the gym. It was exactly as David expected; some old but well maintained fitness machines, weight benches. There was also a few punching bags as well as several fighting rings scattered about.

"Glad you could make it." David felt Maine's hand on his shoulder, noticing that the older man was already in his work-out gear, a towel draped around his neck. "Men's locker room's over there. You can pay to rent one of the lockers in there to store your shit. Got mine in A fourteen if you want to be nearby."

"Thanks." He gave the man a thumbs up and moved towards the locker room while Maine moved over towards the treadmills and started doing warm-up stretches. Finding a locker near Maine's available, David paid his eddies and changed into his gym clothes and locked up his gear before joining Maine on the floor.

After doing his own warm-up exercises, the two took to running on the treadmills for some cardio. Their run was followed by a water break before they hit the weights. Much as it annoyed David that Maine could easily bench twice what he could, he was grateful that the man trusted him enough to be his spotter.

"You'll get there." Maine assured him as they racked the weights they had been using. "Benching a hundred-eighty is pretty damn good for a guy your size."

"Still need to get stronger if I hope to be able to flip guys like you and Jackie." He grunted, setting the last bar on the rack.

"Well why don't you get in some practice on that?" Maine gestured to one of the open rings, and David was all too quick to agree. They spent the next hour or two in the ring; both Maine and some of the others at the gym offering pointers to him. Their training ended with a friendly match that, while David had been unable to flip Maine like he wanted, still ended with him as the winner.

"Shit kid, you've really improved." Maine thumped him on the back, smiling proudly as they stepped from the ring and moved towards the showers and steam room to take a break and recover. "Guess those fights at the Animals Den paid off, huh?"

"You heard about that?" He picked up the towel he had brought along and wiped his face. "Wait, who told you?"

"Dorio." Maine chuckled. "She was at one of the events to cheer on a few friends of hers and saw you. And before you ask why she didn't say hi or something similar? She didn't want to distract you. Not to mention, things were a little awkward when you went up against one of her friends."

"Oh..." David blinked, trying to recall his matches. "Did she say who won?"

"You did." He laughed. "She looked so conflicted when she got home, tellin' me she couldn't decide if she should be glad that a rookie like you won...Or mad that you beat one of her brawl buddies." Maine's laughter died down as they entered the showers, hosing themselves off before taking a seat on the benches in the steam room. "But that aside, curious why you were fighting in the first place?"

"Stress relief." David answered, and started telling Maine about how he felt after the mall. And how he was feeling about V now lurking in the background after being absent for a couple months.

"And he's still ghosting me, only this time I can see him." He groaned, the warmth of the steam doing wonders for his muscles but nothing else. "Mom's still involved with my life, but I don't know if she's told V anything. And when I asked her about him, she just says he's doing better and is busy working or something and that she really hasn't seen him recently either."

"Wish I could offer you some advice, but I was never really close with my parents." Maine let out a sad laugh. "Best way I can put this is that my dad was a worker drone and my mom was mostly absent. Oh sure, they made sure I had food, clothes, and shelter. But other parental aspects? Forget it."

"Shit." Once again, David was struck with a sense of guilt about how he took everything his mother had done for him for granted. "Do you still see them or hear from them?"

"Might get a call or an e-card from them on my birthday or Christmas but besides that? Nothing." The older man's face had formed into a half-amused smile. "Dorio's parents interact with me more than my own."

"Fair enough." David made a note to potentially ask Dorio for advice, before asking Maine a variant of his original question. "And although you don't have any advice. I'm curious what you would do if you were in my shoes."

Maine let out a hum at the question, one hand rubbing at his chin. "Think if I was you, I'd hunt the old man down and get answers from him directly."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Drag his ass into the ring and beat the answers out of him." Maine punched his hand, and David let out a snort of a laugh. It might not have been the best advice, but David had to admit it was still a good idea. Maine gave a thumbs up at that, and their conversation switched back to less serious matters.

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The third race in the set had everyone in Santo Domingo, and David couldn't keep the smile off his face. He knew the area like the back of his hand, something he hoped would give him an advantage. Sure, he had to keep to whatever route was shown on the HUD, but having prior knowledge of how the streets ran could prove valuable.

"Just focus on driving and not pointing out the sights." Lucy teased, nudging him after he had made some comment about swinging by his old apartment. "You can show me where you grew up later."

The crew laughed at that, and try as he might to look annoyed, David knew he was failing at his task. He didn't care, feeling at ease with the whole situation even as the announcer called for everyone to get ready. Moving towards his truck, he noticed V carefully move to pole position, taking his rightful place at the front of the pack. David almost made a beeline to his father – Maine's 'advice' in mind, but Lucy's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Let him go...For now." She advised, gently directing him towards their Colby and putting her advice of wait into practice. David begrudgingly agreed with a nod as he climbed into the Colby and settled in for the race. His eyes instantly moved to where V and Becca were sitting. For a moment, he noticed V looking at him, but the man's attention quickly shifted to the road before him. Becca seemed to know they were being watched and turned around, throwing them a peace sign while winking. Her way of wordlessly offering them good luck.

["They've got to have something planned again. Be on guard."] Falco's well deserved caution came over their channel, and David couldn't agree more as the countdown timer started. When it hit zero, he hit the gas but was still milliseconds behind V, who tore off into the distance even as David rolled across the starting line. Everything seemed normal, and more like how David imagined street racing was supposed to be. Sure, cars behind them were shooting at each other, and once or twice he heard something ping off the truck. But it seemed to be a normal race, save for the fact that V was well out in front.

["Maybe he wants to keep it legit this time?"] Lucy asked, trading a couple shots with another racer that came along their side. Outmatched in firepower, the other vehicle opted for speed and accelerated past them. "Damn it!"

Lucy fired a few shots at the car that passed them, laughing as one of her shots removed the driver's side mirror and left some decent scratches in the paint. David gave her a thumbs up, as they sped past the severed mirror.

["Nice shootin' girl."] Falco praised, maneuvering the Edgerunner alongside her to give her a thumbs up, even as the sound of bullets ricocheting off the van filled the air. ["Maine, think you can do something about that?"]

["Hang on. Lucy, lend me a hand?"]

["Sure."] David glanced over then, seeing Lucy moving to get a better aim out the window at the cars behind them. Judging by the echoing staccato, both her and Maine were taking shots peppering the cars still behind them. Some of the braver drivers used this as an opportunity to try and get around them, and ended up with busted windows and holes in their cars as a result.

["Eh, let 'em go. We'll catch up and...Shit! Up ahead!"] Maine warned, and David let out a surprised gasp as he noticed the dozen or more blinking lights scattered about the road ahead. By the sound of various cars slowing down or speeding up around them. David could tell the other drivers had spotted them even with their rolling road block in place.

Between the narrow street, the cars parked along it, and the devices scattered about it wasn't hard to tell what Becca and V had set up.

A kill box.

["More landmines?"]

["Hard to tell in this light an-"] Falco's words were cut off by a loud crunching sound as one of the vehicles that had gotten around their roadblock swerved to avoid...whatever was making those lights and crashed into the Edgerunner. Seeing that, David slammed on the breaks, hoping that one of the other cars might trigger whatever trap V had.

He got his wish as some sort of SUV and a sports car when zipping by him. The SUV saw the lights first and swerved into the path of the sports car; the two vehicles slamming into a guard rail as one. A Colby similar to his own ran over a piece of metal that had been knocked off in the impact and popped a tire, causing it to skid out and get T-boned by some type of sports car. Hot on its tail was an annoyingly familiar blue Galena that couldn't swerve or stop in time and was left with no choice but to rear-end the T-boned cars.

There was a loud crunch as the hood of the Galena caught the spoiler of the sports car just right, causing it to flip nose first up and over the two cars. It landed with a deafening crunch of metal and glass, and an ear splitting scraping sound as it slid a few extra feet across the pavement before coming to a stop. He let out a nervous laugh. The accident looked like something out of an action movie, but before David could comment, the Colby was pushed a few feet forward thanks to an unintentional shove from another who chose the option of try and stop.

"Son of a bitch!" David grunted, taking a moment to recover from the impact. "Luce, you good?"

"Yeah. Just a bit rattled..." She replied, head turning to look out at the chaos going on around them. "The fuck was he thinking!?"

"Don't know but..." David trailed off, hearing the familiar roar of V's motorcycle. He looked away from Lucy in time to see V swing the bike around; revealing Becca struggling to hold some sort of heavy machine gun. The thing was roughly a third of her size, and David had a feeling that she'd have little to no control over where her shots went...If she could even hold it while firing.

["Where the fuck did she get an MK Thirty-one!?"] Maine's voice came over the channel, and David could see him and Falco had also come to a stop. ["Those things are meant to be mounted on security turrets or Minotaurs."]

["Don't know but-"] Even internalized, whatever Falco was trying to say was lost as Becca started to unload the MK's magazine into their opponent's vehicles, adding to the chaos and carnage. As suspected, the green-haired girl seemed to be struggling to maintain her hold, but was doing her damnedest to keep the weapon pointed away from them. Looking closer, it also seemed she was trying to aim more at the bodies of the cars themselves than the people in them.

It was then David realized that V had raised up a rifle of his own; an Achilles if David had to guess based on the look. His eyes stayed trained on V, watching as the man fired two shots at the now busted window of one of the cars caught in the cross-fire of Becca's shots and others trying to avoid them.

There was no doubt in David's mind that the car in question contained the target Becca said they were out to get.

This piece of information seemed all but confirmed as V gave Becca a thumbs up, holstering his weapon. The girl dropped the MK and returned the gesture before throwing her arms around V. With a nod of his head, V kicked his bike into gear and peeled off to continue the race.

Even with all the chaos, it was irrational, but that simple action had David seeing red.

Before he could even start to explain what happened, he hit the gas and pulled away from the carnage.

"David! What the hell!?" He heard Lucy speaking to him, felt her hand on his shoulder, but it didn't stop him.

"Got to catch him. Hold on." He answered, firing up his speedware to give him the best hope of catching V. Attention focused mostly on the road, David could see Lucy had a white-knuckle grip on the 'holy shit bar' (as his mom liked to call those handles). However, her face looked to be partially terrified of his driving, but majority excited as they sped away from the chaos.

"Just don't overdo it puppy." She cautioned, and David had a feeling she was remembering the last time he went all out with the Sandevistan. "Wait...There they are!"

Lucy's hand briefly came into his line of sight, pointing out the green, black, and yellow blur that was V and Becca. The sight cheered him, and he accelerated more, managing to pull up next to the pair. Realizing they had company, Becca grinned and briefly removed one hand from V's torso to give a quick salute. Instantly going back to clinging onto V like her life depended on it.

Okay, so maybe it did given how V accelerated the moment he noticed David was beside him.

Everything was a blur from that moment on. David kept his focus on the HUD, seeing his ranking constantly shifting between first and second. And on the road as he swung around corners, drafted off the non-competitors who didn't get the memo. All while keeping V in his sights.

His attention only faltered for a moment as he heard Lucy laugh at something, realizing a moment later that she was probably in a call with Becca if the way her eyes were glowing were any indication.

Sensing that she was more at ease, David kicked his Sande up to full throttle and continued keeping pace with V. For a bike, the narrower streets of Santo were no problem and V was taking full advantage of that. And while the Colby wasn't as sleek and maneuverable as a bike, David's knowledge of how the streets ran allowed him to keep pace with V as they passed through the final checkpoint side by side.

Up ahead, David could see the finish line both on his HUD, and physically just off in the distance. The ranking overlay showed that he was sitting comfortably in second, and he was almost okay with that being the case. It mean that he would still be close enough to catch his father after the race. Still would be able to make it known to the man that he wanted to talk.

Make it known that he wanted answers.

Of course, V just had to be one step ahead of him. At the last possible moment, David saw V hit the breaks on the bike. The action slowed the bike down just enough for him to pass by and take first place by a few car lengths while V rolled across for second.

"That's alright, I'll just-" The thought was left incomplete as he heard the Kusanagi roar back to life. He saw the faintest glimpse of yellow as once again V sped off and away. "Motherfucker!"

There was no doubt in David's mind that he had probably hurt Lucy's ears with the sheer volume and amount of cussing he was doing at the situation. That didn't stop her from placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to calm him down again. Mentally, he promised himself that he'd make it up to her with a day of pampering, thankful for her efforts.

But first, he had to confront V and put an end to this.

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Following the race, it took a couple hours of just driving around Santo and the outlying areas. And listening to music while Lucy offered silent support at the whole situation before David decided it was time for action and to call in some outside help. Pulling into a nearby CHOO2 station, he sent Lucy inside to get them something to eat as he filled up the car while making a much needed phone call.

["Hey mom, you got a minute?"]

["Of course, que necesitas?"]

["Do you know where V is?"] He tried to keep his tone level, but had a feeling he hadn't succeeded.

["He's currently at the apartment with me and-"]

["Keep him there."] David's foot started tapping, eyes watching the numbers roll over on the pump.

["David? Is everything okay?"]

["Not really. Look, I'll explain everything in person."] He sighed, face taking on a begging expression even though his mom couldn't see it. ["Just, please. Keep V there? Need to talk to him. To you."]

["Alright mijo."] He could hear the concern in his mother's voice and hated that he put it there. ["See you soon, I guess."]

He ended the call right as Lucy stepped out of the station, a plastic shopping bag in hand. "Everything okay?"

"V's at mom's place." He finished filling up the car, returning the nozzle to the pump. "She's gonna hold him there. Give me a chance to talk to him...To both of them."

"Then here." She held out the bag to him with one hand and shook it, inviting him to take it. "You eat, I'll drive us over there."

"Lucy, I need to get there ASAP." He started, but she raised her other hand to silence him.

"And you also need to have your head in the game for this. I can tell today's events really took it out of you, your eyes are a dead giveaway of how drained you're feeling."

"I'm fine. Besides, you need to eat too..." He tried to argue, but Lucy had a counter.

"Look, I can eat while you're taking care of business." Her empty hand came up to rest on his cheek, "but you won't have that chance. Please. Let me drive so you can eat, drink, and recharge, alright?"

There was a sincerity in Lucy's eyes that David felt he didn't deserve. He wanted to get to his mom's place, to get all of this over with. Something he could do better if he drove. But part of an earlier conversation he had with her came to the forefront of his thoughts.

"My dislike at seeing you be miserable over this is worse than my dislike of V."

The memory made him realize that Lucy was probably just as bothered by everything as he was, and he reluctantly agreed by taking the bag from her and getting into the passenger's side.

"Don't worry, I'll see if I can't mess with the traffic lights and get us green the whole way over." David wasn't sure if she was joking or not, but was thankful for her attempt at injecting some humor into the situation.

Their ride over was quiet, the only sound being their soft breathing, and his occasional bite of burrito. Somehow, the overly processed refried beans, rice, and whatever scop contained within that flour tortilla worked to steady his stomach as they got closer to his mom's place.

"Thanks Lucy. I needed that..." He sighed, washing down the remains of the burrito with one of the bottles of water she had also bought.

"Figured you did." She replied, pulling the car into the lot beside the building that his mom's apartment rested on. They climbed out of the vehicle in silence, Lucy grabbing his hand in a silent show of support as they stepped inside the building and hopped the elevator up to his mom's apartment.

As the doors slid apart, David was surprised at the scene to meet his eyes. Becca and Gloria were cleaning in the kitchen, while V was sitting at the head of the dining room table, reading some magazine or another. Seeing them enter, he looked up and gave a nod of greeting.

"Hello David. Lucy." V's voice was level as ever, giving nothing away of his thoughts. "Want to congratulate the two of you on your win an-"

"Save your platitudes." David moved over to the table and placed his palms flat against it. "We need to talk."

"Mijo?" David heard his mom's light steps as she walked over to the two of them. "Is everything okay?"

"Need to talk to you too mom..." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Becca had moved over to Lucy, the two of them exchanging glances with each other before looking at him. David saw Lucy nod her head towards the elevator, before both her and Becca made a beeline for it to get out of the apartment, leaving the three of them alone.

"David," V began as Gloria took a seat at the table, gesturing for him to sit as well. "What's this about?"

"Everything in the last few months." He shook his head, declining the seat for the moment. "Look, I'm just going to come out and say it. This needs to stop. The ghosting, the ignoring. It needs to stop."

David saw V look away, almost flinch-like, and as much as he wanted to talk to his mom and apologize for everything. Felt that the matter with V deserved priority as it was something that would affect both him and his mother.

"I might not have shown it the best, and I feel like a gonk admitting this...But I've been enjoying having a family." David looked down, before looking his father in the eye. "I want this whole thing to work out. I really do. It's...nice, having a father figure in my life who I can actually talk to. Not just one I'm watching on the silver screen or reading old stories about. And I like seeing mom happy, and not passed out exhausted on the couch. And you V, you're making her happy."

David felt like a sap, but he really didn't know how else to explain his thoughts. Somehow, V seemed to understand what he was trying to say and took the reins.

"I get it. And you're right David." He turned his attention to V, seeing the way the man swallowed nervously. "When I fully joined the ranks of Arasaka, I never thought I could have a family like this. Never knew that I wanted one until I never realized that I could have one. So yeah, I get it. I want this to work too. I want it to work so, so bad."

David could only nod, seeing Gloria looking at the two of them with a watery expression. She opened her mouth to speak, but V cut her off with a gentle shake of his head."But in order for this to work, there's a lot of things I need to tell you. Both of you." V looked at him first. Gentle as V tried to look, David could see the paternal sternness there as well. "Maybe first, I think you should step outside and cool off a little. Then once you've calmed down, come back in and you can join the talk."

It took every fiber of his being for him to not throw a punch and deck his father right then and there. But V was willing to talk, and as much as it pissed him off, David agreed. Him being hot-headed would do nothing to help clear the air.

"Fine...Feeling a little overheated anyhow" David relented, pulling on the neck of his shirt in a show of faux discomfort even as he moved outside to the balcony. Once outside, he turned and looked back in from the deck railing, watching to make sure that V didn't try to skip out on him.

He saw the man shift in his chair, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Could see the concern on his mother's face and her lips moving as she formed a question David couldn't quite read. In reply, he saw V shift again and noticed how tense his father looked as his mouth started moving in answer to the question. Beyond that however, he couldn't fully get a read on his father.

His mother was a different story. Given that it had only been the two of them for the last thirteen or so years, David could easily recognize how his mother was feeling simply by her actions. Right now, she was fiddling with a stray strand of her hair, a tell that she was nervous as she listened to what V was saying.

Curious as he was about their conversation, David found he couldn't bring himself to move even as he watched his mother's face go from attentive anxious to something more akin to a sad understanding. A look David had seen on his mother's face long ago when he had asked about his father at some point.

He saw V take his mother's hand in his own, gently caressing her knuckles in a gesture of comfort. Neither one moved in that moment, but V's mouth moved in what David assumed was a question, as Gloria nodded in response. By the tilt of his head, and his mother's nod and slight roll of her free hand, he guessed V had asked if he could continue. It wasn't lost on David that V was now looking at the table as opposed to at his mother. The man seemingly ashamed of whatever he was currently speaking about to her.

"What the hell are they talking about?" He asked himself, leg starting to twitch in aggravation at the situation. David started to walk around the building, always keeping his eyes glued to his parents and their place at the table. Looking in front and center, he had a better view of his mom.

Coming in from the right, he could see both parents seated at the table. This gave him a decent view of both of them, at the cost of finer details being lost. Looking in from the left had the best results: a picturesque view of his mom and dad in profile seated at the table. Their faces so easy to see, it was like watching one of those dining room discussion scenes from the movies.

Fuck, if this was a movie – this would either be the point where the man would get down on one knee and propose, or drop a bombshell that could make or break the relationship.

By the pained expression that moved across V's face as Gloria once again affirmed something with a nod told him it was the latter. For the first time, David saw what might have been genuine guilt take over V's face. The man's eyes looked heavy, and the occasional bob of his Adam's apple indicated that he was struggling to swallow, as if his mouth had gone dry.

There was a strange feeling in the pit of his gut as he watched the muscles in V's face be pulled taut. Could see his eyes begging Gloria to listen, and maybe understand what he was talking about. He had seen that same strain on Jackie's face at one point – the day he learned about V and Jackie's involvement in Neo-Oaxaca.

"Shit..." He muttered, moving back to the door, hoping that maybe V's expression was a trick of the light...It had gotten darker since he first came outside. A quick glance at the time display of his optics confirming that he had been outside for at least a half hour.

As he moved back, he noticed his mother's hand slip out of V's and move up to wipe away some of the swelling tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes. From his new old angle, David noticed no change in V's expression. However, it gave him a much clearer view of his mom: Her lips were trembling, hands alternating between wringing each other out. Or being clasped together briefly as if in a prayer. He saw her face twist into an expression of pained sorrow. Or maybe it was more a quiet terror as she observed the imposing figure before her.

"Damn, whomever was inside is a monster."

The memory of his mother's appraisal of the cyberpsycho at the mall wormed its way back to his conscious mind. Even with her EMT training, David knew his mother worked as a street-scraper more often than her EMT title would suggest. Her, and others like her, would be the ones called in to 'clean up' after cyberpsycho attacks. So while the aftermath of such an attack might not have bothered her as much as others...Gloria was still a civie.

Not a runner. Not one of them.

She didn't have the experiences David and the rest of the crew had. Hadn't gone out as a solo or a runner, or even worked as an active Med Tech for Maine and the crew. Sure, she had salvaged parts off corpses, but that was child's play compared to some of the things runner's did.

Some of the things David had done.

And it barely held a candle to the raging inferno that was everything V had done.

He opened the door and stepped back into the apartment in time to see his mother's hands fly up to cover her ears, tears now flowing freely as she cried something at V, seeming to almost be pleading with him. David saw V move to embrace her. But the attempt was denied as Gloria threw her hands out to stop him, shaking her head almost violently.

The next part of their conversation had David wishing he had come in sooner, while another part wished he stayed outside.

"Gloria?" He heard V ask, seeing him take a step backwards while also looking ready to rush forward at a moment's notice.

"Vincent." She said softly after a moment, and it wasn't lost on David that she had used his full name. "I...I think you should leave."

If an outsider were watching the scene quietly they could hear the sound of three hearts breaking as V departed.