It had been just over a week since the crew's street racing stint. And while the crew had been enjoying some additional street cred because of it, David didn't seem to share their feelings.
Lucy couldn't really blame him. She knew it wasn't her place to have stayed with David and his parents that night; but regretted her decision to have bailed with Becca. Sure, she had used her time alone with the green-haired girl to try and get some information on where V had been, but all Becca would tell her was that V had been busy with work. And making sure that everyone's gear, chrome, and safehouses were in order as he calculated the next part of his own plans.
"Let's just say, mistakes have been made on multiple sides." Had been Becca's last words on the matter, before she changed the subject. That second conversation had been lighter, until they saw V exit the apartment – shoulders slumped and head bowed. She saw Becca take a single step towards him, only to stop and give a sad nod as V departed. Alone. Lucy saw Becca look up at Gloria's place, before letting out a sad sigh and saying she was going to head home.
"Becca, what-" Lucy had gotten no further with the question as she received a message from David stating that he was going to stay with his mom a few hours, and that she should go home and get some rest. Lucy took David's advice to go home, but didn't rest...not until he got home.
He looked just as dejected as V had, and it worried her. Of course, David tried to play tough guy as he gave her the barest details of his parents conversation. She had comforted him, mentioned that she understood the reactions from both sides, before holding him as they drifted off on the couch.
The next couple days had been a blur, with David once again distracting himself with training, and trying to talk out his problems with her. Unfortunately, aside from 'give V some space' and 'comfort his mother', there wasn't much that could be done on the family side. So the two of them decided to focus more on other things that could occupy her man's mind.
The crew had been more than willing to lend a hand in this regard, and David was off with the boys today. The five of them going to visit a fixer from Santo known as El Capitán, before having a 'guys day out'. The veteran members would have rather just spent the day hanging out, but after David explained how he wanted to learn more about what went into running a crew (which lead to Maine making a half- joke about David trying to take his spot as leader), and potentially make some connections of his own. It was his hope that being Santo-born like the fixer, the man might be more inclined to give him (and the crew by proxy) some of the higher paying gigs compared to the other fixers.
Lucy didn't have the heart to tell him it didn't work that way, but she wished him luck and sent him on his way.
Meanwhile, that left her free to engage in one of her favorite hobbies: Browsing the net.
She had wandered into the old school 'hacker boards' – checking in with some of her faceless friends, and browsing some of the latest ideas runners and techies had come up with. While part of it was for entertainment (The sheer number of runners who got 'PonPon Shit On' was amazing), she had an ulterior motive. One that had come up a couple times after particularily heavy training sessions.
A way to help David with his spinal issues.
Tough as he tried to play it, her boyfriend had been complaining that his speedware had been running hot, both figuratively and literally. His use during their time racing hadn't exactly hurt, but it hadn't help the situation either. The pair had gone to see Vik, and while the ripper confirmed that David was fine, chalking it up to overuse (again). The only advice he could give was for David to take a break and let everything rest...And once again stress the importance of not over-using his chrome.
David was content with the advice, apologizing and promising to go back to the usual rule of 'ten on, sixty off' when actively using it.
Meanwhile, something the ripper had said had been sticking in her mind. It had been part accidental pun, and part sound medical advice.
"You need to cool down."
Somehow, those words triggered something in her brain – giving her the crazy idea to see if she (or someone else) could develop some sort of soft that could help David counteract his overheating problems. Going to one of the more popular BBS boards about cyberware, she made a post about David's condition, and her idea.
Ch1ak1Muka1
-My input is having issues with his speedware – mostly in how repeated use of it causes him to overheat.
-He already has heatsinks and a high-end processor, but I'm wondering if there's any additional chrome or software programs that
-could help him?
It only took a couple minutes after making the post that the replies started to come in. Some requested more information, while others offered up chrome and upgrades that David already had. Lucy ignored these ones, not wanting to risk revealing too much about David's chrome, or the Sandevistan and give away his identity (it was a unique piece of chrome, after all). Eventually, one reply in particular caught her attention:
Call3rGuy
-If overheating is the problem, why doesn't he invest in a cooling suit? I've an old netrunning one that I use to keep cool
-when doing tech support gigs out in the desert.
-Doesn't need to be fancy, could probably get away with the basic Elastomer Suit?
Lucy almost smacked herself for not thinking of that at all. Netrunning suits had be made for that explicit purpose, so why the hell did her brain immediately go to cyberware and its companions?
Ch1ak1Muka1
-Shit, you're right.
-Why didn't I think of that sooner?
74015m
-Because you stupid western pig
-Your input stupid
She tried not to laugh as the troll was quickly hit with so many dislikes and reports that the server seemed to lag. People might not have known who she was, but damn if the netrunning community didn't come together at times to defend their own. Ignoring the comments directed at the gonk-brain, she focused on the next one meant for her.
3mper0r10
-Because its a subject of debate if netrunner suits classify as clothing or hardware.
-I mean, Arasaka classifies their suits as 'equipment' so I can see how the line is blurred.
The pastel-hair girl shifted uncomfortably, a couple dark thoughts she hadn't had in months briefly rearing their ugly heads. They weren't wrong; she remembered how...comfortable that nanoweave suit had been. A small comfort on the rough days of training...But also a reminder of the horrors. Her eyes flicked up towards the loft's closet – where the now outgrown and worn out suit hung carefully in the furthest corner of her closet.
Huh, maybe that's why she preferred the primitive (and cheaper) ice bath instead of the more practical suit when deep diving nowadays?
She shook off the mood, not wanting to dwell on it too long as she noticed more people had come to join the discussion. Some with more constructive comments than others...
4dmM0n4ch
-I don't get it. What's the problem?
"What is with the idiots on the board today?" She muttered, shaking her head even as some of the shitlords 'played nice' with the newest fool.
R4nGr4vy
-Hey, good to see you again Ch1ak1Muka1
-It would make sense for him to have a more portable 'cooling system'
-But don't those suits need one of those netrunning chairs as well?
Call3rGuy
-Not all of them
-The chair is meant more for 'long term' use, as it has additional 'life support' built in to account for the fact that runners like that will be spending
-days on the net.
InstructP3tty0fficer
-Saw your comment about the elastomer variants. They're good for light duty, but it sounds like he'd be better off with one of the heat-resistant hybridweave suits
-or maybe the military-grade ones?
-Let me see if I can't find a link...
8Nothin2FuckWith
-It occurs to me now that if you input gets the suit, he's probably going to need to get some new chrome too.
-I'd say something to help take the strain off his legs, or even his skeleton as a whole
K1tsun3GX
-Agreed
-There's a couple implants for the frontal cortex I could see him getting. The 'axolotl' comes to mind pretty readily.
Ch1ak1Muka1
-True, knowing him the first thing he'll do is take it for a test drive and hurt himself
-Anyone else have any suggestions on that front?
Calcu1337ed_074ku
-Tell him to pace himself. Start slow and work up.
-I've got a couple PT vids I can send you to show him.
InstructP3tty0fficer
-Okay, for some reason the board isn't liking me posting links
-Got a buddy over on one of the chrome boards who I sent a message about your case
-I'll send you the link for the board via PM, and did you get the other link I sent? The one about the suits?
Ch1ak1Muka1
-I did, thanks 0fficer
-And thanks everyone else for your advice
Lucy kept the tab open with her netrunning friends, now opening up the link to one of the chrome boards. Instantly, she was greeted with a copy-paste of her initial post, and several additional suggestions ranging from suits to various implants. A smile slowly eased its way onto her face as she began fleshing out her idea further.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
Lucy had spent the better part of the day prior working out her plan with help from the hive mind that was the net. She felt it was a solid plan, and that it would work to help David keep cool. There was just one things left to do;
Bring the idea up to David and see what he thought.
Lucy had a feeling he'd be receptive to the idea, given that he was always looking to improve himself. That was partially why he had been training with the rest of the crew. Talking to those with more experience when they would go out to the various clubs and bars.
But at the same time, he showed an odd level of caution when others would offer the suggestion of chroming up further. In the beginning, she saw how he looked at Maine – thinking the man was unbeatable and that chrome equaled power. Now however? She noticed him looking at the man with a more critical eye. Saw clearly what the years of improper care and maintenance had done to the man, and the effect that had on others.
Not to mention, he got to see what cyberpychosis looks like first-hand.
Lucy hoped that David would accept the wisdom of 'everything in moderation' once she had a chance to bring up the idea with him. The young netrunner had it all planned out. She'd bring it up to him at the celebration party after the gig the were on was done...
If Maine didn't kill him first.
It was supposed to be a simple 'recovery' gig; Go in, steal back some stolen goods, and take them to the drop point. She was in charge of disabling security, Dorio and Maine were the muscle, and Pilar was serving as ranged support. And it had gone as planned, until it was time to make the drop.
"I still don't see how you thought this was a good idea!" Maine growled, tossing another crate out of the back of the partially sunken box truck to David, who caught it with a grunt. "Now we need three trucks instead of one..."
"Thought I could make that jump." David replied, carrying the box over to where Dorio was loading them in one of the Colbys. Lucy held in her laugh, even as the rest of the crew let out their own.
"Kid, why did you think you needed to jump that raised bridge 'ramp' in the first place?" Dorio questioned, effortlessly relieving David of the box he was carrying in favor of stacking it with the others.
"Thought I could use it as a short cut to get across the gap. You know, put a little more distance between us and them." He gestured back towards the truck. The cab of which was currently stuck three-quarters of the way inside of a pothole on the ramp to where it was actually sticking out the other side.
"Probably could've...If this wasn't a cut corners tofu project." Pilar added, one leg tapping at the ramp which let out a dull, hollow thump as he did.
"Pilar, you're not helping." Maine sighed, tossing a box the techie's way. The laughter Lucy had been holding in came out as Pilar asked why she wasn't being roped into helping them unload.
"Because I'm keeping the security cameras offline so we can unload this stuff and get away." She twirled a strand of hair around a finger, smiling as she looked at David. "Seriously puppy, this was just supposed to be a simple 'recovery' gig."
"Not you too..." David whined, but she could see a mix of pride and annoyance on his face as everyone laughed. "This might go quicker if we did have an additional set of hands."
"Actually, kid's got a point." Dorio hopped out of the Colby. "What happened to the other prospects you and Falco went to meet?"
"First one was a glitter freak. Second was... okay maybe not a glitter freak but definitely had a reliance on some chem or another."
"So if they didn't tweak out on the job, then Becca and or Pilar would have killed them. Got it." Dorio nodded and Pilar gave a thumbs up, not arguing that last point. "What about the other two?"
"Third one was Maelstrom." Maine smirked, making everyone laugh. "And if that's not a conflict of interest I don't know what is."
"And the fourth guy?" Lucy asked, once more pinging the area to make sure no one was around.
"Haven't met him yet, but...he's a rookie being recommended by Wakako. Says she'd consider it a favor if we take him on."
The young netrunner let out a hiss, something that was echoed by Pilar and Dorio.
"I don't get it?" David grunted as he and Pilar lifted one of the larger boxes together. "What's so bad about that?"
"Anytime a fixer calls it a favor means it benefits them more than us." Dorio answered, "she say anything else about the guy?"
"Wakako says the kid's got potential. He's ridiculously good with explosives, and highly enthusiastic."
"But?" Pilar prompted, everyone leaning in just slightly.
"He's never run with a crew before." Lucy let out a noise that was half laugh at David's face, and half groan that matched those of the veteran crew. "He's almost as inexperienced as David was when he first joined up."
"I wasn't that bad!" David stomped his foot, and she snorted at how childish it looked.
"Uh huh, mister didn't know to take immuno-surpressants." Maine grinned, ignoring the look Dorio was giving him.
"So that's what that looks like from the other side." She thought, knowing Maine had his own history in that department. Sure, he hadn't been taking the right dose but at least he'd been taking something.
"Lucy, you told him?!" David frowned, roughly dropping the box he had just been handed.
"I told everyone." She smiled.
"Why?"
"We weren't a thing at the time." She punctuated her words with a wink, "so I wasn't obligated to keep secrets."
"Lucy!"
"What?" She shrugged, "everyone knows a little of eachother's medical history. Just in case something happens and the injured party can't speak for themselves."
"Yeah, like for example Kiwi's allergic to penicillin." Pilar offered up, "just little things."
David grumbled, but didn't offer any further argument on the subject, instead perking up as he realized something. "Wait, if we do take on this new guy, does that mean I'm not the rookie anymore?"
"Technically, yes." Dorio grinned, eyes looking at the rest of the crew knowingly.
"Nova! Does this mean you'll stop calling me kid and actually use my name most of the time?" David looked so hopeful, that Lucy actually felt bad for what was about to happen.
"Said it before, everyone ten years or more my junior is a kid. It's a term of endearment." Maine replied, "so we'll still call you kid, but we won't call you rookie anymore."
"Okay, so what will you call me?"
"Grunt." Maine and Dorio said as one, making David deflate as Pilar howled with laughter.
"Shh, it's alright puppy." Lucy moved to his side and pulled him into a hug. "You'll get there...Someday."
"Luce, tell me honestly." He buried his face in her shoulder, "did you go through something like this when you first joined?"
"No, but that's because Kiwi threatened to fry them all if they upset me." She smiled, thankful that the older runner had taken her under her wing. Not that the crew had actually been hostile towards her, and she had met enough people to know that the jokes and comments were the crew's way of admitting they cared without needing to say it. "Sorry, probably should have defended you more in the beginning."
"It's alright. All part of learning the ropes, right?" David looked at the others, seeing them nod as he pulled away from her.
"Right." Maine turned his attention to the box Pilar was carrying. "That the last one?"
"Yeah." The techie replied, adding it to the pile in his truck. "Looks like everything's intact with the cargo. One or two boxes did get scuffed up, but the contents should be alright."
"Then lets get out of here." Dorio finished securing the straps on her truck as Pilar tended to his while Maine took care of Lucy's. "Maine, I'll drive if you want to let our contact know we're on our way."
"Sure. Lucy, you guys will follow Dory and me. And we'll have Pilar will bring up the rear." Maine ordered, and Lucy hummed in amusement as David sunk down into his jacket in acceptance of the subtle jab at his driving skills. She watched as David made to move for the passenger's seat, but was stopped by Maine's hand landing on his shoulder. "Look David, I know we're not a professional crew or company...but I'd like to nominate you for our 'Gonk of the Month' award."
"Great..." She watched David raise his head, noticing the weary smile on his face. "What's my prize?"
"You get to pay for a round from whatever restaurant we choose to celebrate finishing this gig at." Maine gave him a hearty slap on the back as Pilar and Dorio high fived before climbing into their trucks. Lucy gave him a quick kiss, before motioning that they should get going.
"Was it really that gonk a move of me to try and jump that gap?" He asked, once they were alone in the truck.
"Kind of." She replied, starting to follow Dorio. "I mean, there was a bridge about a half mile up the road. Oh don't look so defeated, I'm with Pilar that you probably could have made it if that 'ramp' wasn't so cheap."
"I know, but still..." David sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Think using the Sandevistan would have helped?"
"No, but that reminds me." The pastel-haired girl smiled. Though she had planned to bring it up afterwards, David had inadvertently given her a perfect segue to the topic of her idea to help him out. "What do you think of the idea of a cooling system for yourself?"
"You mean another heatsink?" He blinked, "because I've already got the best on the market."
"Not exactly." She paused, trying to figure out how best to explain the idea. "I got thinking about your overheating issues, and after running it by some fellow netrunners...I think we've come up with an idea that will help with the issues you've been having."
Lucy saw David's head tip slightly to the side, his eyes narrowing slightly in interest. "And that would be?"
"What if we got you a netrunning suit?" She raised a hand, stopping the small protest she could see forming on his lips. "Hear me out. They were designed to help keep runners cool so that we didn't fry our brains in every sense of the word. There's quite a few models that – if coupled with the right cyberware, could potentially work to keep you cool even if you're running at full throttle."
"What kind of cyberware are we talking?" He leaned forward, and Lucy could see the gears starting to turn as he considered what she already told him.
"Hang on, I'll send you the list." Lucy sent him over a file, reading it. "A Newton module to help manage the cooldown of the rest of your cyberware. And an adrenaline booster to help the rest of your body keep up with the increased movement speeds. To further lessen the strain put on your 'ganic components, someone recommended some additions to your skeleton and circulatory system."
"Titanium bones. Bionic joints. Jenkins' tendons?"
"Yeah. They told me that the bones would reduce the strain on your 'ganics and offer more support to compensate for your lack of a true spine. And that those tendons would help support your legs so they don't 'break down' during high speed movements." She stole a glance down at his legs, noting the slight increase in muscle mass since she had first met him.
"I mean, this sounds like it could work..." David blinked, and Lucy could hear doubt starting to take over intrigue. "But if that's the case, why didn't Vik, or V, or anyone else mention it?"
"Don't know." She hummed, having had the same thought, "but I did some research. And everyone I talked with assured me that those components work as intended."
"But who knows if they'd all work together..." He gestured to the Colby in front of them. "I mean, look at Maine's old arms. Both of them worked fine, but since one had been modded, they didn't work well together..."
"David, Maine's chrome – and don't you dare tell him I said this, was a mismatch assortment of scrap parts. All of that is modern cyberware, and chosen from components known to work together." Lucy hit him with a sly smile, "not to mention, I think you'd look good in a netrunner suit."
"You just want to see my ass in spandex." David countered, making her laugh and smile unapologetically. "Look, I've no issue with trying out a netrunning suit, my concern is the chrome and how it would interact with everything else I have."
"David, you pick the weirdest times to be smart." She kept the thought to herself, deciding to play another card. "Well, aside from a parts list, a few of them put together various reports and schematics." Lucy sent another file his way, and David opened it. Their discussion switched to being about the chrome, something that continued almost until they reached their destination.
"It sounds good, but I'm still not sure..."
"Look," She decided to play her trump card. "Why don't we pay Viktor a visit later, and run the idea by him?" David perked up slightly at that. " If he thinks its a good idea, then we can look into having you chipped. If he doesn't, no harm done."
She heard David hum, and could hear the light tapping of his foot as he considered the offer. "Sure, that works."
"Great." Even though she remained calm on the outside, she was celebrating on the inside as she brought the truck to a stop. "Although for the moment, I think we should focus more on getting this stuff unloaded."
"Ah yeah, and I better check how many eddies I've got in my account." He rubbed the back of his neck, even as he saw Maine approaching their truck. "No doubt the man's already decided where were going to celebrate."
"Puppy, you know as well as I do that man only picks one of two places..." She gently poked his arm, "and you get a discount at one of them."
"I know, but still..." David sighed, opening the door as Maine came even with it. "This the spot?"
"Yeah, and mind your step while walking...There's a pothole." Maine grinned, pointing at a small divot just in front of a shed where Dorio was talking with one of their contacts. "Don't need any packages getting stuck."
David groaned, shoving Maine out of the way as he moved around to the back of the truck. Letting out a giggle, Lucy hopped out of the truck and proceeded to help with the unloading.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
It was late by the time the crew was done spending David's recently earned paycheck (her man smiling proudly the whole time) so the pair had made the decision that they'd run the idea by Vik in the morning. Following a shower and breakfast, the two had driven over to Viktor's clinic.
"David, and Lucy. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Vik greeted the two with a smile, eyes expertly appraising them for any issues.
"Came up with an idea that might help David with his 'overheating' issues." She decided to get right to the point, moving closer. "And I wanted to get an actual ripper's opinion on it."
"Take a seat," Vik gestured for David to sit on his exam chair, and for her to take one of the rolling stools he kept nearby. "Now, where did this idea come from?"
"Came to me about a day after we left from David's last visit. Found myself thinking, if cooling is the problem, then we should find a way to fix it." She scratched the back of her neck. "Went on the net and made a post about David's situation, and got a few responses."
"I hope you took everything they said with a grain of salt." The ripper's expression didn't give much away, "and that just because something worked for one doesn't mean it works for all."
"I did, but I also did my own research." She sent the files she had been given over to Vik, along with her own observations. "Those are the recommended parts, and several schematics and reasons for them."
"And the netrunning suit catalog?" Lucy felt her face heat up slightly, she didn't mean to send him that one.
"Didn't mean to send you that, but someone pointed out that those suits are designed to help keep netrunners from frying themselves due to how much heat is put on their 'ganics and chrome." She rubbed the back of her neck, the 'deep dive' processor a reminder under her fingers. "Almost forgot about them to be honest, but I figured we could reduce the strain a bit more by also giving him a netrunning suit."
Viktor hummed, "you're right that those suits do take some of the strain off runners, but my concern is how well it would stand up against the Sandevistan?"
"Why wouldn't it? My regular clothes have been fine."
"Except your shoes." Lucy muttered, hiding a smile as she recalled David tripping over his shoes as they fell apart.
"I told you, those sneakers were worn out anyways." He pouted, making Vik chuckle.
"Your preferred choice in clothing seems to be cotton shirts, and loose-fits. Not to mention, that's a re-purposed EMT jacket, yeah?" David nodded. "Both the jacket and those pants are designed to be a bit more durable, so it makes sense that they've held up so well."
"Didn't know you knew fashion." She hummed, even as the ripper admitted he only knew enough so he had 'something to discuss' with patients. "But there's a few models that I know would stand up to it."
"I don't doubt that." Viktor moved back towards his computer, "do you two mind if I take a few minutes to look over what you've sent me? And ask a couple questions of my own?"
"Take your time." David swung his feet over the side of the exam chair. "We've got nothing planned today, right Luce?"
"Right." She nodded, moving her chair a little closer to David. While Vik looked over Lucy's notes, asking questions here and there, the two of them browsed the various options for netrunning suits. Roughly half an hour later, the ripper gave the duo his opinion.
"Got to admit, given that netrunning and speedware don't always overlap, I wouldn't have thought of trying all this." Viktor tapped at his computer's screen. "This has a high potential of working, and the good news is if it doesn't, all the components are easy enough to swap out. We might have to make one or two minor alterations to your current chrome, but I'm pretty sure I've got almost everything here in stock...Just need to check on those tendons. Excuse me."
Vik got up from his chair and moved to one of his storage areas and started looking around for the parts in question.
"Well, there's your answer puppy." Lucy placed a hand on David's leg. "Want to give it a shot?"
"Hey, like Vik and you said. If it works, great and if not, no harm done." Her boyfriend smiled, "guess this means I better find a place to check out the netrunning suits in person. Maybe that will help me decide which one I'd rather get?"
"Which ones?" Together, they had compiled a list of the ones they liked that would do the job, and slowly narrowed it down until there was only a few left.
"The light elastomer and the military-grade aramid." She hummed as she looked at the two. "See, I like the elastomer one because I suspect it would give me more maneuverability...But the aramid looks cooler and seems more durable an-"
"Why not buy both?" Lucy replied, "have the elastomer one for the more 'relaxed' gigs like we went on yesterday, and the aramid for the more intense ones? I mean, it's not like you don't have the money for it."
"I..."
"Didn't think of that?" She smirked, trying to suppress her laughter as she noticed Vik chuckling as he moved back to the two of them, a milk crate in his hands. "Anyhow, there's a vendor in Pacifica who has both in stock."
"We'll check it out later." He looked over at Vik. "Well?"
"Got everything in stock," he indicated the crate he had brought over, "so if you want, I can get you fixed up right now."
"Uh, how much is this going to cost?" He asked, eyes going between Vik and the crate and Lucy nodded. After further discussion the day prior, and knowing how V felt about anything that could affect David's Sandevistan. The two agreed that, if Viktor gave the green light, they'd shell out the eddies themselves to try and stay off the man's radar.
"I can tell you," Vik picked up his datapad and started typing, "but if V's paying for your chrome-"
"V...doesn't know about this." Lucy admitted, and David nodded in agreement.
"We're trying to keep it on the down low. So I was hoping I could pay for it myself?"
That made the ripper raise an eyebrow. "You know your medical record still gets updated, right?"
"I know, but I have a feeling he checks his accounts more than my medical records."
"Probably, anyhow here's how much parts and service is going to set you back." Lucy saw Vik turned the datapad so David could see. She couldn't see the screen herself, but the grimace on David's face and the hiss to leave him said enough.
"Erm, I'm a little short on eddies...Can I set up a tab?"
"David, I know you're probably good for it, but I've got to say no." Vik raised his hands, stalling the protest she could see on David's lips. "Nothing against you, just biz. That and I've already got too many tabs going...Jackie's included."
"But I thought Jackie didn't have any chrome?"
"Guy may not have chrome, but he's gotten his share of shiners and other injuries." Vik smiled, but quickly grew serious again. "That, and occasionally he brings in a 'lost cause' that needs some medical help and foots the bill."
"Really?" That made Lucy blink, mind racing back to the night she had nearly iced David. Jackie had told her to save her eddies, and bought the meds himself. Of course, she knew now of the familiar relationship between the two, but at the time? Jackie was just a stranger.
To both of them.
"Yeah, he'll usually pay what he can at the time. And pick up the rest later."
"Makes sense." She saw David nod, before noticing his head was slowly turning towards her. "Lucy?"
And then he brought the goddamn puppy eyes out in full force.
The sight broke her, but she wanted to make sure that David wanted this himself and wasn't just doing it to make her happy. "I'm willing to cover the difference, but what do I get in return?"
She saw the faintest hint of color move into David's cheeks. "I don't know, maybe a foot massage or-"
"Look, call me old school, but I don't need to hear this." The ripper made a shooing motion with his hand. "You can take your negotiations, or whatever you kids call it outside...or settle it over a holo call."
"David, I'm kidding." She checked how much she had in her account. "How much are you short?"
"Seven thousand and change."
That made her eyes bug just slightly. Oh sure, she could easily afford it but...
"How much is this in total?"
"About fifty-thousand, give or take." Viktor answered, sending an invoice her way. "I'll admit I might be high-balling this a little, what with working around the Sandevistan and all. But I'd rather you kids have some wiggle room on this."
"Thanks, appreciate that." The girl replied, turning her attention to making a transfer. "And there, an extra eight-thousand in your account."
"Thanks Lucy, owe you one." Despite Vik's earlier complaints, David couldn't seem to help himself and quickly gave her a kiss.
"What did I just say? Eh, whatever. Anyhow, if you've gotten your financial situation in order?" David nodded, and Viktor held up an injector. "Alright, we can begin."
Lucy tried not to laugh as she watched Viktor administer the anesthetics; there was something amusing about the faces that David would make as his limbs went numb. She watched the ripper work, making conversation with him and David until everything was done. Viktor had given him some over the counter painkillers to take care of any residual aches and pains, and refilled the prescription for his immunosuppresants. And the advice to take a day or two to relax and let everything settle...And come back in a week's time for a check-up to see how everything's been working.
David agreed to the terms, and Lucy made sure he complied.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
After a day of rest, which involved a trip to Pacifica to get David's new clothes (both of which Lucy bought given that David had blown nearly all his spare eddies on the upgrades). The two found themselves talking about where it would be best to put David's new chrome to the test. He had decided on the elastomer suit for his first tests, and was wearing it underneath his jacket as they drove out to the Badlands. Given that they wanted to test David's speed and endurance, the two figured a wide, open area would work best. Eventually, they settled on following interstate nine, intending to stop off at the Sunset Motel. With its wide open parking lot, and access to food, water, and shelter. It seemed an ideal place to for the two to work from.
"So, how do you want to do this?" David asked, pulling into one of the parking spaces. As Lucy had guessed, the place seemed to be nearly empty so they had plenty of room to work with.
"Not sure..." She tapped her foot against the floor of the Caliburn. "Maybe just have you start running and see how long you can go before you feel the strain? Actually, do you know how long you could go before without issue?"
"Uh, not really?" He looked down, suddenly finding the dash of the Caliburn very interesting. "Never thought to check."
"Okay, so we've got no baseline for endurance..." Lucy hummed, trying to come up with a plan and ignore the look David was giving her. "What?"
"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?"
"Do you?" She countered. "I'm going to be learning just as much as you are."
The two spent a little while longer in the car, trying to come up with a plan. Eventually, they decided that David would run for five minutes without using the Sandevistan to get a kind of baseline of his regular abilities. From there, David would use his speedware and see just how fast he could go and for how long. While David would run, Lucy would be scanning and monitoring him.
"So what, just stop when I feel tired? Or if something starts to hurt?" He took off his jacket, handing it to her for safe keeping as he started doing warm-up stretches. Her eyes went to the jacket in her hands, then to her boyfriend and back. She debated telling him that most netrunners wore something over their suits when mobile...but why should she deny herself a free show?
"Pretty much." Lucy folded the jacket over, and used it to make herself more comfortable on the hood of the Caliburn. "When you're ready, move to the end of the lot. On my mark, start running."
David gave her a thumbs up, moving at a casual walk to the end of the lot. She watched as he reached the end, adjusting his posture to a runner's stance before giving her another thumbs up. Activating her quickhacks, she pinged David before scanning him. Seeing that everything was green on her end, she decided to give him the green light.
"Go!" She cried, and David took off running. Lucy kept a close eye on him, counting how many seconds it took for him to go from one side to the other, then back. His time was pretty consistent, only changing by two or three seconds each 'lap'. Nodding at the data, she issued her first command.
"Alright, activate the Sande next time you turn. Ten on, sixty off..." Given how quick he'd be moving, Lucy had her doubts that she'd be able to properly watch him. "And keep count yourself how many laps you do before the cool down."
"Got it." She saw David nod, as he ran past her. The moment he turned around, all Lucy could see was a blue blur. She counted the seconds on her fingers, trying to mentally track how long his laps were taking now. By her guess, the time for one lap had been cut down by almost seventy percent.
"Twenty-eight...ish?" He called, taking his cool down laps.
"Twenty-eight over ten seconds..." She decided to round up to keep the math simple. "That's 3 laps every second give or take."
"Lucy, it's been sixty – want me to fire it up again?"
"Yeah, same deal." Once again, David became a blur, reaching the same count again. The two kept this up for about an hour, before Lucy decided to check in on how David was feeling.
"You good?"
"Yeah, not feeling any sort of strain. And I'm barely sweating." The pastel-haired girl saw him smile as he ran past. "I'm not even chafing down there like I thought I would be."
"And your butt looks great in it too!" Her eyes locked onto his rear end as he ran past. Sure, she saw him when he first tried on the suits, but now she could see everything in motion.
"What?" She got a brief glimpse of confusion as he passed her again.
"There's a reason why a lot of runners wear something over their suit when mobile." This time, her eyes locked onto his crotch as he made another pass.
"What?"
"That suit leaves nothing to the imagination on you." And it was true. She could see every curve, dip and bump clearly...including the bulge.
"What do you-" David looked down, and by the way she saw his eyes widen, knew he saw what she did. Unfortunately, that meant he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and tripped as he reached the end of the lot. She heard him cuss as he rolled a dozen or so feet before coming to a stop.
"Oh shit, David! You good?" Lucy hopped off the car and ran to his side, helping him brush off as he stood.
"Yeah." He coughed, trying to get some of the dirt out of his mouth.
"Why don't we...take a break for now." She motioned towards the motel. "They've got a bar, or we can hit up one of the S.C.S.M.s for something."
"Sounds good." David spat to the side as they walked. "Need something to wash the sand out of my mouth."
"Maybe we should get you a mouth guard? Or a face shield?" Even though she said it with a smile, it was only a half-joke. David just rolled his eyes, stopping to grab his jacket before following her to the vending machines. Over some moonchies and drinks, the two talked of their current observations and agreed to do some more testing.
"Acceleration is good, and you've no issue moving on paved terrain. Let's see how you handle switching."
Once more, she had David running around the parking lot – occasionally going out into the scrubland to test how he handled changing terrain. Again, after about an hour of switching between pavement and dirt, Lucy checked in with how he was feeling.
"Green." He winked, and she laughed at his use of the stoplight system outside of the bedroom. Sue her, it was a reliable system given that they had recently started to get a little more 'experimental' in that department. Maybe it was the chrome, or the suit, or his training – but David definitely didn't seem to have any issues in the stamina department in any sense.
"Alright, keep on running...I want to see if this has altered your maneuverability." She heard David's affirmation, before she took to setting up various 'obstacle courses' for David to work around. Or sending him on certain paths so he'd have to dodge naturally occurring obstructions. It was here that the problems started to show as while David could easily speed along a straight away or curved path...He didn't have the best maneuverability when it came to tighter corners or quick turns.
Lucy supposed it was a good thing that Neomilitarism was the main style choice for netrunning suits – substance over style.
He also seemed to have an issue with slowing down – having shot well past the various marks she'd tell him to stop on. So far, his best stop was five feet off the mark. His worst was marked by the vaguely human-shaped dent in one of the dumpsters across the street. They had spent another hour or so playing at this, before she decided they (okay, mostly her if David's content smile was any indication) needed another break.
"Alright, come here and let me take a look at you." She patted the spot next to her, and David hummed as he complied. "Just gonna plug in a moment..."
Pulling out her personal, she jacked in and looked over the data that David's tech had logged. A lot of it matched her own observations, but there was some information that made her realize something she (and David) had overlooked.
"David?"
"Yeah Luce?" He asked, taking a drink.
"Out of curiosity, have you actually tried throttling the Sande?" Her eyes flicked over the data, noticing that for most of the time, he was running it at full speed.
"Not really...Thought it was more like an on off switch." That made Lucy laugh. Of course in all his researching and learning about other tech, he overlooked learning more about his own. "Why?"
"That might have been some of your problem..." She twirled a strand of hair around a finger, thinking. "Look, why don't we try throttling it. Don't go full burst, but slowly work our way up to it. See if we can't figure out how much power it takes to stay at peak without causing strain."
"You think so?"
"Possibly." She disconnected from him. "All we can do is try, right?"
"Right." He nodded his agreement, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "So...start low and slowly move up?"
She nodded, giving him a kiss as he stood up and treated her to another wonderful view of how well the suit hugged his ass. Once he was warmed up, Lucy gave him the green light and began a new round of testing.
It was touch and go at first, but soon it seemed David was getting the hang of throttling himself. It took another couple of hours, but eventually the two discovered the sweet spot for David to maintain his Sandevistan at peak speed without straining anything more than needed. Something they were discussing over drinks in the motel's bar.
"Data checks out. Between sixty-five to seventy percent you were operating at your peak with no strain..."
"But the moment I pushed to seventy-five, I started feeling the strain and had to stop." David finished her thought, and Lucy gave a nod.
"Right, so this means your going to have to throttle yourself during gigs that call for it." She took a sip of her beer, "we might need to do a few more tests or training, but I'm willing to call our initial testing a success."
"You're just looking for an excuse to keep watching me run in this." He countered, tugging on the suit and Lucy couldn't argue. "Anyhow, it's getting close to dinner. Do we want to pick something up on the way home or make something?"
Lucy blushed slightly as her stomach growled. "Would you mind if we stopped off at Buck-A-Slice?" She saw him raise an eyebrow at that. "What? I've been having the weirdest craving for that Chilispurt Scopparoni your mom ranted about last time we saw her."
"Uh, sure..." David seemed to recover after a moment, getting up from the table. "We'll stop on the way home. Huh, wonder if I can get them to look up mom's loyalty card?"
"They have a loyalty program?" It was her turn to raise an eyebrow, even as she joined David in walking back to the car. "Wait...How many people eat buck-a-slice that often?"
"According to mom? A good seventy percent of EMTs will eat it at least twice a week." He must have seen the grimace to cross her face at the thought of eating it more than once in a great while. "Yeah, that was my reaction when I found out how often mom ate it. But, looking at it now? I get it." There was a sad nostalgic smile on his face as he spoke about some of the times she had brought home a slice for him. How he realized now that those were the nights Gloria was too tired to cook, but still wanted to make sure that he ate something. "The sacrifices parents make for their kids, huh?"
"Wouldn't really know about that..." Lucy sighed, trying to recall her own parents but getting nothing. Instead, she decided to agree, before changing the subject back to more mundane matters.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
Over the next couple days, Lucy and David worked on refining their training and observations. So far, the initial discovery that David could run with no cooldown needed, (as long as he toed that sixty-five percent line) seemed to be holding true. They had been testing it in various ways, from the mundane of running laps. To the more amusing of having him parkour around various places.
Currently the two were heading down to Coast View, wanting to let David get some practice in running along the beaches of Pacifica. David had some concerns that the VDB or the Animals might bother them, but Lucy wasn't worried.
"Dorio's given the okay. And she might join us a little later as an additional guard. But for the moment she's told me of a few places we should be able to work uninterrupted if she can't make it." She replied, checking the coordinates as she brought the Colby to a stop beside one of the abandoned beach side buildings. The highway and shoreline of Heywood visible on the opposite shore. "Although she told us if we're harassed by Animals, to head for her place if they're not hostile...or fight back if they are."
"And what if they're from the VDBs?" He asked, and she checked the message Dorio had left with her.
"Tell them Dorio wants to know how Placide's arm is feeling?" She raised an eyebrow, recalling the woman saying something similar to Kiwi when the boys had their 'trip'. "What is it with her and that guy?"
"Good to know." She saw David nod as they hopped out of the truck. Shooting a message to Dorio that they had arrived, the pair decided to take a little walk along the shoreline to plot out a course for David to run. "You know, this place was probably really nice before the unification war."
"Probably." Lucy stopped, looking down to pick up what appeared to be a piece of seashell, but turned out to be part of a plastic bottle cap. The pair spent a few more minutes walking around, before deciding to kick off their latest training session. Much to her delight, David had decided to start their latest round of training without his jacket.
"Probably put it on when Dorio shows. Plus, we can see if its adding any additional drag against the wind." David smiled, and Lucy returned the grin. There was something endearing about when he showed off the book smarts. "You ready?"
She nodded, giving him a quick kiss before motioning for him to get running. As before, David started off without using the Sande, before throttling up to higher speeds. It seemed that even on moist terrain, and with some resistance from the wind, that nothing was going to stop David. Or slow him down.
"How you feeling puppy?" She called after he had been running for about an hour.
"I'm feelin-" Lucy lost some of his words as the roar of nearby dirt bikes filled the air, but the smile on his face told her he was good. She turned her head in the direction of the sound, seeing some kids riding along the beach and heading right towards where David was running.
"David! Watch out!" She yelled, realizing that they were on a direct collision course with him. Lucy heard David let out his own yelp, and watched as the blue blur that was her boyfriend ran towards the shallows. She heard the sound of something slapping water as he curved back around to the shoreline, easily avoiding the bikes. If the kids riding them saw anything, it was obvious they didn't care and just kept speeding away.
"Holy...I just ran on water!" David brought himself to a stop, looking at her with a fire in his eyes. She saw him turn his head to look across the water to the shoreline of Wellsprings. "I wonder..."
It took Lucy all of two seconds to figure out what he was thinking. "David, no!"
Too bad David only needed one second to decide his course of action. She was powerless to do anything except watch as David throttled to his upper limit and started running towards the water. Much to her surprise, he didn't instantly sink.
"Lucy! Look! I'm Jesus-ing!" He cheered, somehow managing to get a good five, maybe six feet away from the beach before gravity caught up with him. "I'm-"
The rest of his cheer was lost as he hit the water with a loud splash that was followed up with the sound of him spitting and cussing. She ran to the shoreline, reaching out to help him as he dragged himself out of the water.
"Fuck. I'm soaked..." He looked at her in a mix of pain and embarrassment. One hand pulling his suit away from his body. It snapped back with a wet splat. "Is this how your panties feel while watching me work out?"
"Maybe." She knew he was trying to use humor to mask his shame. "You alright?"
"Just waterlogged. Think Dorio would let me borrow her dryer?" David's nose wrinkled as he got a whiff of the seawater-logged suit. "And shower?"
"You'll need to wash the suit too, puppy." She ushered him back towards the truck, trying not to laugh as David admitted he didn't bring a change of clothes. "Maybe she's got a pair of Maine's pants or something you could borrow while you wait."
He looked back across the water towards Heywood. "I don't suppose drive back to our place is an option?"
"If you want to ride in the bed the whole way, sure." Lucy gently tapped the side of the truck, and David shook his head.
"No thank you." He looked back towards Pacifica. "Anyhow, let me mess-huh?"
"Puppy?" Her tone was half curious, half seductive as she watched David unzip his suit.
"V's calling me..." He frowned, trying to wring some of the water out of the front. "Should I answer?"
"I would. Otherwise, he'll either leave a message or call back." Lucy had another reason for wanting him to take the call: David was one of those who didn't always keep holo calls to himself. And knowing that he was currently on the outs with the man, figured she could provide a much needed distraction while he was on call.
"Should I plug in my personal?" Ultimately, she decided against that course of action and instead figured she'd change her moves depending on David's reactions.
"The fuck do you want?" She heard him spit as he answered the call, seeing him shaking out his sleeves as he pulled his arms out. Already he looked annoyed, so she was quick to move in and start feeling his biceps.
"Nice." She whispered, even as David shrugged out of her hold, shooting her a playful frown.
"I...I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" His frown became a bit more real at whatever V had said, and Lucy mirrored his expression as she felt the residue on her fingers. Briefly, his mouth quirked up into a smile, seeming amused that she was now sharing his discomfort.
In reply, she held her nose and waved a hand in his direction, wordlessly telling him 'you stink'!
"Who are you? And what have you done with V?" He flipped her off, flicking some water in her direction. It didn't come anywhere near her, but she still squealed and glared at him. David's own expression morphed into a glare, and she thought it was at her until he spoke again. "Is that where you've been? Chroming up like a metal head instead of fixing the problems you've made?"
"Wait, V got more chrome?" Somehow, the thought unsettled her. That feeling quickly went away as she now noticed David had pulled his suit down a bit more, exposing his butt. With a careful haste, she moved back in and delivered a quick pinch to his now exposed glutes.
David let out a squeak, hands reaching down to pull his suit back up – even as she managed to get in a quick snap of his briefs.
"Since when do you care?" David shook his head, a silent request for her to not do that again. Mouthing a 'fine' at him, she was about to try and poke his stomach when David growled. "You strapped a makeshift bomb collar to her neck! Oh, and strapped them to her friends!"
Lucy had no idea why David brought that memory up. Had V mentioned it? And if he did, why? She wrapped her arms around herself, looking for comfort.
"You didn't just go off the wrong foot! This was the whole fuckin' leg!"
A sudden rush of warmth filled her as she realized David was defending her and cussing out V at the same time. The fact that he was glaring in the direction of Arasaka Tower as he told V to get to the point was just a bonus.
"David..." She whispered, deciding against her better judgment to attempt to hug her waterlogged input. Right as she would have made contact, David let out a surprised gasp and moved. Catching another whiff of harbor, Lucy thought he was being considerate until she heard his reply to whatever V had said.
"Wh-why Lucy? Why not just me? Or me and mom..."
Her mind went blank then. Why the hell had V brought her up twice now? What did the man want David (and her and Gloria apparently) for? The pastel-haired girl tried not to let her mind run wild at the possibilities of what that meant. Still, her heart was beating just a little faster, and she felt her breaths were just a little shallower. More for herself now, she tried again to hug him.
"Uh...I'd have to, call mom? Maybe? And check what's going on with the crew? And talk it over with Lucy..." David seemed to realize something was off, as instead of moving away again, stayed still so she could hold him. "Can I, uh, maybe call you back? You kind of caught me while I'm in the middle of...something."
The netrunner saw him look down at his state of undress, and Lucy snorted, some more of her fear vanishing even as her nose registered the smell. Again. She didn't know if she wanted V to get the wrong idea from David's words or not, but damn it might have been hilarious to see his face if he did. Although he did look ready to kill David when found out that they-
"Fuck!" David's cursing brought Lucy back to the current situation. She felt him move, understanding the action as she let him go. David apparently decided 'fuck it' and peeled off the still wet suit, throwing in the bed of the truck with another curse. Lucy took this moment to eye-fuck him in all his near-naked glory (never mind that his briefs were clinging to him better than ever now that they were soaked.) With another curse, he rested his head on the side of the truck-bed and groaned.
In response, she opened up the driver's side and pulled David's jacket from the front seat. Tapping his shoulder, she held it out to him even as she decided to get right to the heart of the matter.
"So, what did V want?"
"He wanted to apologize..." David accepted the jacket, tying it around his waist to her semi-disappointment in a poor attempt at modesty. "And to invite us to meet his parents."
"What?" Of all the things David could have said, that was not what she expected. She listened calmly as he told her how V had asked about her, even complimented her. About how V wanted to 'bridge gaps' in his family...which now included her apparently. David might have been the one who fell in the harbor, but Lucy felt oddly dirty at the idea of V accepting her. "Shouldn't he start small? And fix the shit between him, you and Gloria first?"
"Yeah, he should." David's head turned in the direction of Corpo Plaza. "Not bring in his parents an..."
"David?" Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder, seeing the thousand-yard stare he was giving the city before something clicked in his brain and he let out a grunt.
"Something's wrong." He closed his eyes, even as she hummed in attention. "Months ago, Jackie mentioned that he felt V's parents had done something to him when he was younger. And then there was his face when mom mentioned his parents. And he's never talked about them, and mom's never mentioned them and-"
"David, breathe." She advised, spotting that he was about to start rambling. "Look, I'm just as confused as you are by this. Because last I checked, V hates me. And I doubt us winning a street race was enough to sway his opinion of me."
"There's no way I can say this without it sounding terrible but you're right." Once again, David's head came to rest on the truck. "And now, he wants to arrange this meeting? Ugh, I don't know what to do as something stinks about all this."
"Sure that smell's not just you?" Lucy regretted going for that low hanging fruit as David glared at her and she apologized. "I know, and I'll agree. Think we should ask your mom about it? See what she thinks? Or maybe ask Jackie?"
"Met with Jackie a few days ago. He told me V was being a sad sack, and we were trying to figure out how to get him out of it." He sighed, "which might explain why V decided to change up his chrome. New chrome, new you kind of deal?" Lucy giggled as David did a terrible Jackie impersonation. "But it wouldn't explain the whole 'meet the family' deal."
"Then let's ask Gloria about that." Lucy checked the time. "Did you get around to messaging Dorio? No. Okay, I'll send her a message telling her there's been a change in plans. Why don't you message or call your mom and see if we can stop over."
"Only if we can go home so I can change after we're done at Dorio's." He started to move towards the passenger's side of the truck, but she stopped him.
"No, you're riding in back with the suit."
"Oh come on, it's only like a five minute drive from here to Dorio's place."
"And I swear you're growing riper by the minute." She cracked up laughing as David sniffed his armpit, seeing the pain on his face. "Look, I don't want my truck smelling like the landfill on a humid day. And in your current state of dress, I figure a five minute ride in Pacifica is better than a half-hour plus ride through Night City."
"Fine." David sighed, reluctantly climbing into the back. "Let's just get going."
Despite her complaints about the smell, Lucy couldn't help but give David a quick kiss before getting in the driver's seat. Opening up her contacts list, she selected Dorio's name and started a call with her as she began the drive towards her apartment.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
After spending an hour or so at Dorio's so David could clean up a little and to give his clothes time to be washed and dried, the pair had returned home to their apartment for two reasons. The first being so that David could change into proper clothing (and put on some extra deodorant) before heading over to Gloria's. The second so they could store away the box of half-full alcohol bottles Dorio insisted they take.
"I just don't get how us taking her booze benefits her?" David asked, stepping out of the bathroom. "I mean, I can understand her being bitchy and near dead hungover. But won't she just have to buy more?"
"This isn't the first time." Lucy answered, storing another bottle in their liquor cabinent. "A year back, Dorio got into a drinking contest with Maine or one of her Pacifica buddies. I don't remember. Win or lose, she passed out and woke up with alcohol poisoning and vowing to never drink again. She pawned the bottles off on whomever would take them, and then a month later she was buying new ones."
"This happen often?"
"Not to my knowledge." Lucy chuckled, setting the last bottle on the shelf. Thanks to her 'generosity', they wouldn't have to buy alcohol for awhile. "There. You good to go?"
David nodded, and Lucy took a couple minutes to freshen up herself before gesturing that they should get going.
The ride over to Gloria's place was peaceful, but as they got in the elevator, she noticed David's leg was twitching just slightly. Understanding how he was feeling, Lucy took his hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. She received a smile in return, one that stayed on David's face even as the elevator dinged that they had arrived at their destination.
"David! Lucy!" The door had only just opened, and Gloria was already standing just outside it, arms open for a hug.
"Hey mom." David released her hand in favor of hugging his mom before moving so she could take his place.
"Hey Gloria." The moment Gloria's arms wrapped around her, Lucy knew something was wrong. The hug was as strong as ever, but it didn't seem to have the usual level of warmth behind it. There was also a faint hint of sadness behind her synthetic eyes as she pulled away.
"Take a seat and I'll make us a pot of coffee." Gloria gestured to the living room as she moved to the kitchen. "And I made a batch of shortbread cookies yesterday we can share."
"Mom, there's no need to..."
"I'm making us a pot of coffee." The older woman repeated, and Lucy saw David back down and nod.
"Puppy, don't know what you might have told her. But your mom's probably just as shaken as you are." Lucy whispered, "let her have a distraction."
"True." He nodded, raising his voice. "Bring over extra cookies and sweetener. Lucy's been on a sweets binge recently."
"No I haven't!" Okay, so maybe she did eat an entire half-pound bag of Leelou Beans herself. But they were the tropical flavor and she was hungry. Then again, a sugary sweet drink would hit the spot right now...
"Here we go." The rattling of a tray caught her attention, and she noticed Gloria setting down a serving tray with a pot of coffee, three mugs, and a large plate of assorted shortbread cookies. She returned a moment later with a bowl of artificial sweetener and a pint of non-dairy creamer and some stirring spoons. With a tired smile, Gloria poured the coffee. "Help yourselves kids."
"Thanks mom." David wasted no time in picking up a cup and going for the creamer.
"Thanks Gloria." Lucy did her best to ignore David's smirk as she dumped three and a half spoonfuls of sweetener in her coffee. The three of them spent a few minutes making small talk, with David explaining how she had been helping him with his cyberware. Lucy meanwhile got the fun of sharing the story of David's folly into water-walking. Something that seemed the perfect segue for David to mention the phone call.
"Wasn't all bad, until V called me."
"I remember you mentioning that in your message." Gloria took a sip of her coffee, eyes downcast, "what did he want?"
"To apologize for his behavior the last few weeks." Gloria's eyes widened at that. "Yeah, I was surprised too. V told me he also got some new chrome, but that's not what bothers me about all this."
"What's that mijo?"
"When he was talking about his chrome, he mentioned Lucy. and how she's been good, for me?" He stirred his coffee, thinking even as Gloria nodded.
"I'll agree." Gloria placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "You have been good for him, and I can tell he's taking care of you."
"Thanks, appreciate that." Lucy looked down at her own cup, "but coming from V? All things considered about our history, it just seems odd, you know?"
"Not as odd as the other thing he said." Her input looked up, and Lucy heard Gloria hum. "He invited us," David gestured to himself and her, "to meet my grandparents."
Lucy didn't think it was possible for full-body conversions to turn pale, but Gloria proved her wrong. The coffee cup was dropped back to the serving tray, and a hard expression moved across her face.
"Please tell me you said no?" Gloria asked with a level of calm Lucy could tell she wasn't feeling.
"Told him I needed to think about it, and that I'd get back to him."
"Good." Gloria took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before continuing. "Now when you call him back – tell him no."
"Probably was going to, but why?"
Lucy watched as the red-head took David's head in her hands, holding it as she forced him to look her in the eyes. "V odia a sus padres. Y estoy convencido de que su padre es el diablo. Algo está mal."
Gloria may have said it in Spanish, but Lucy thanked years of translation software for granting her an understanding.
"What do you mean, his father is the devil?" She asked, trying to stay calm. V had been promoted from monster to bad in her book, but if Gloria was calling his father worse?
"I don't know how else to describe it." Gloria looked to a crucifix she had hung on one of the walls, as if seeking protection. "The man is evil incarnate."
"Is...Is that what Jackie meant when he told me that V's parents did something that made him how he is today?"
"D, I don't know what you might know of V's past...But trust me when I say his family is bad news." Gloria shuddered, reclaiming her cup. "For everyone's sake, decline the offer to meet with any of them. Even him...for now."
"Huh?" David sat up straighter, "but shouldn't I at least meet with V, see if he's-"
"David, with everything I know about your father...V would never willingly invite you to meet them." The older woman shook her head, "something's wrong with him."
"No shit." The words were out before Lucy had a chance to think, and she muttered an apology as Gloria's gaze turned to her.
"Yeah, he didn't sound like himself on the phone." David took a sip of his coffee, "he sounded, robotic? Corporate? Like more than usual? Sorry, I don't know how to put it."
"So it wasn't just me." Gloria spoke more to her coffee than the two of them. "I got a phone call from V as well."
An internal chime alerted Lucy to a message that had been forwarded to her and David. Opening the file revealed it to be a message that V had left for Gloria. Lucy might have opted out of hearing how V sounded in David's call – but even she had to agree this sounded out of character for the man.
"Yeah, something's definitely wrong." It was David's turn to shudder, but Lucy couldn't tell if it was out of fear...or cringe at hearing his father's excuse for a romantic apology.
"So what should we do?" Lucy decided to ask the question they were all thinking.
"If V calls back, decline any invitation to meet unless everything is on your terms...and don't go alone. If you get a call from an unknown number, ignore and block it. If someone approaches you and asks about V – you don't know him, and have somewhere to be." Gloria's eyes looked out the window. "You should also give the others a head's up to be on guard if V contacts them."
"We're meeting with them tomorrow." David answered, "they're going to help train me some more. But do you think they'll believe me?"
"They should..." Lucy saw Gloria's eyes roam around her apartment, "but if they don't. Drag their butts over here and I'll talk with them. Actually, drag them over here anyways – been too long since I've seen everyone. Plus, this place is probably the most secure of everyone's."
Lucy exchanged a look with David. On the one hand, Gloria had a point about her place being the most secure. Out of curiosity, she had scanned the place a few times when they first started visiting – impressed by everything and how it was all tied to Gloria's commands. But on the other, it was the most logical place that anyone looking for them would check first.
"Mom, if you're lonely and wanting Lucy and me to stay awhile, just say so." She could tell by the look in David's eyes that he had the same thoughts, but fortunately had the answer. It was a simple truth that, if someone was listening in, no one could really fault them for. "We've got nowhere to be, right Luce?"
"Right." She understood what David was trying to say without saying – Safety in numbers. "We can do dinner and watch movies? Do we want take out, or make something?"
"Mom? Would you mind making something?" David turned to look at her, "no offense to your cooking Lucy, but it's been too long since I've had mom's cooking."
"David, I've been using some of her recipes." Lucy frowned, but there wasn't much scorn behind it.
"I know, but mom's just taste better for some reason." He retreated inside his jacket, as if fearing retribution. "N-not that yours are bad but..."
The sound of Gloria laughing made the two of them stop, noticing that she was looking more like her old self than when they first came in.
"Cállate hijo." Gloria looked at him fondly, before turning to her. "Lucy, would you like to help me cook? Maybe we can figure out where David thinks you're going wrong with my recipes."
David pouted, "she's not a bad cook. They just don't taste quite the same and-"
"Callate David." Lucy tried her hand at Spanish, "did I say that right?"
"Little more emphasis on the first syllable. Kai as opposed to Kah...But not bad." The older woman turned to look at David, who gulped now that the attention was back on him. "David, did you have something in mind for dinner?"
"Not really..." He slowly poked his head out, "what do you have on hand? Maybe we can figure something out from there?"
Lucy knew it was a poor attempt at taking some of the heat off himself. And judging by the way Gloria rolled her eyes knew she knew it too. The atmosphere in the room seemed lighter then, and Lucy smiled as Gloria started calling out possible dinner ideas.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
Dinner at Gloria's had been a success that ended with the three of them falling asleep on the couch. After breakfast, and promising to drag the crew over after training, the pair bid Gloria goodbye and went off to meet up with the crew.
They had decided to return to the Sunset Motel and the surrounding badlands. This time taking the Caliburn instead of the Colby. Pulling into the parking lot, Lucy could see that they were the last to arrive.
"Hey, there they are!" She heard Pilar call, the techie striding over to the Caliburn, "oh shit. You got her a new coat of paint?"
"Not exactly." David answered, climbing out of the car. "Discovered the CrystalCoat tech...I can make this baby any colors I want."
"So you made it mostly white with some black and purple accents?" Lucy saw Kiwi's eyes give her a quick once over, before looking back at the car. "Cute."
"Kiwi, it's a coincidence." She looked down at her current outfit, it was a near perfect match to the car.
"If you say so, I mean, clearly he knows how to get an engine running."
"Kiwi!" Lucy whined, looking to the rest of the crew and praying they hadn't heard. Fortunately, they were all too busy watching David change the car's color on a whim before setting it back to its original white and orange.
"Okay, we've seen one new toy." It seemed Jackie decided to be the adult in the room. "Now lets see the others sobrino."
"Sure." Lucy smiled as she watched David explain what changes had been made, and how it had improved his performance overall. Of course, she couldn't help but grin as he talked about the netrunning suit. He chose the aramid this time around, going for durability – and damn did the black and silver suit bring out his muscles.
"Clever." Dorio nodded, "you come up with all this yourself?"
"Nah, all of this was Lucy's idea." Her boyfriend pointed at her, and Lucy flushed as everyone on the crew turned to look at her. "She's also been the one coming up with the training plans."
"You go girl!" Becca gave her a thumbs up.
"As a tech connoisseur myself, let me be the first to say 'preem'." Pilar added, matching Becca's gesture.
"Calm down kids." Maine gestured for the two to put their hands down. "It all sounds well and good, but I'd like to see if this new set up has really worked." The blond man cracked his knuckles, "how 'bout it kid?"
"That's what we're here for, right?" David copied Maine's gesture, opting to crack his neck too. "How you want to run this?"
"One match – knock down or tag out." Maine responded, turning to look at her. "Lucy, you got anything special you want him or me to do?"
"Not really. I mean, given that we've dealt with quite a few Maelstrom recently, it could be good for him to get into a tech heavy brawl." She turned to look at Jackie and Dorio, "then maybe a more 'ganic fight against one of you two?"
"You want the honor chica?" Jackie offered, but Dorio shook her head.
"These guns aren't all 'ganic." She pulled back one of the sleeves on her jacket, showing off her arms. "Besides, you're a more defensive fighter than myself. Makes for a better contrast against Maine's more offensive style."
"Works for me." Jackie nodded, "and Lucy watched as he moved to serve as a referee to the fight. She looked then to the crew, seeing them gather around the edge of the 'ring' that Jackie was currently defining using some of the empty parking spaces. "Now guys, I want a good, clean match. No guns, knives, hacks, or hitting below the belt." He took a step back, "ready? Go!"
Lucy watched as David began to put his newfound maneuverability to the test. Her man ducking and dodging around Maine's punches while throwing back a few of his own. She could tell David had improved in that department since his time in the Animals den; his punches seemed smoother, and there was less of a delay. Much as his recent upgrades were meant to help his speedware, they seemed to be affecting his other cyberware positively as well.
"Gettin' better kid." Maine praised, taking a rather hard sounding right hook to the face. Focused on the fight, David didn't respond but she saw the smile that passed across his face. "But let's see how you handle this!"
Lucy had seen Maine fight enough to recognize that he was going for a fake-out. The man's right arm pulling back while his left remained stationary. David seemed to realize this too, and she recognized the exact moment he throttled up and dodged the hit – delivering one of his own to Maine's chest.
"Nice!" The bigger man coughed out, even as he retaliated with a jab. The two had been going at it for about fifteen minutes, and while David had yet to break a sweat. Lucy could see a sheen forming on Maine's brow.
"That's it David, pace yourself. Draw the match out..." She thought, even as David got another hit in on Maine.
"What's the matter, need a break old man?" David taunted, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet as he dodged a few more hits.
"Nah. Figured you might with all that dancing around." Maine replied, getting his own retaliatory strike in.
"Nah, I'm good." A few more blows were exchanged and dodged as he turned to face her. "Ask Lucy, I can go all night!"
"David!" Lucy groaned as the crew laughed at that. Unfortunately, David couldn't help but laugh at his own joke – something that proved to be his undoing. Seeing an opportunity, Maine delivered an uppercut that clipped David's chin. She heard her boyfriend groan, seeing the slight falter in his steps. Maine saw it too, and with a final punch to the torso, the blond sent her boyfriend sprawling on the ground and out of bounds.
"Winner." Jackie laughed, hoisting Maine's arm in the air briefly before dropping it. He moved over to David's side and help his nephew to his feet. "You good David?"
"Y-yeah." He coughed, scratching his chest. "How you feeling Maine?"
"F-fine." The older man panted, accepting a towel from Dorio. She offered another one to David, who declined.
"Shit sobrino, that chrome and suit's really helping you, huh?"
"Yeah." David smiled, turning his attention to Jackie. "You want to try your hands against it?"
"Sure." Jackie shrugged off his jacket, taking a moment to hang it off his ARCH before trading places with Maine. "Hope you know, I'm not gonna hold back."
"Don't expect you too." David taunted, taking a moment to stretch as Jackie did the same. Once both combatants were ready, Maine gave the command and both Latinos moved.
In the match against Maine, the two had been trading blocks and blows pretty evenly. Against Jackie however, Lucy noticed that David had to be a bit more aggressive to take advantage of the moments when Jackie let down his guard in favor of striking. Once more, Lucy knew that David's best chance of winning would be if he could outlast Jackie.
"You don't have to be the best, just better than the other guy." She thought, noticing David trying to break the block Jackie had up. Behind his forearms, Jackie was smiling and taunting David, trying to egg him into making a misstep like before.
"Not fallin' for it." She heard David grunt, seeing that Jackie had managed to get a hit on him. This left the older man vulnerable, and David countered with one of his own. Defenses broken, Jackie had to go on the offensive to try and keep David at bay.
"He's really improved, huh?" Lucy turned to see that Dorio had moved to her side, a tired smile on her face.
"Yeah, think we found the magic combination of chrome and equipment for him."
"Don't suppose you've got any ideas to help out my gonk..." She gestured to the fight, noticing that Jackie had tagged in Maine and it was now a two-on-one that David was winning on maneuverability alone.
"Not really, I could put out a word to the community though. See if they can come up with something? That's how I was able to refine David's tech an-"
Lucy heard David cry out then, seeing that Maine had managed to catch David in a grapple and was holding him in place for Jackie to punch. Instead of a punch however, it seemed Jackie activated 'uncle mode' and took David from Maine in favor of giving him a noogie.
"Argh, alright! Alright! I tap!" David whined, activating the Sandevistan and bolting away from the two of them and over to her and Dorio. "Well, what did you think?"
"Nice job kid." Dorio praise, before moving to talk with Jackie and Maine. Lucy watched her go, before turning her attention to David.
"Nice job, puppy." Lucy kissed his forehead, "seems everything is working as it should."
"Yeah, didn't feel as much of a strain using anything in those matches." He scratched at his scalp. "Just wish Jackie didn't mess up my hair."
"Like your hair doesn't get messed up when you're using the Sandevistan." Becca wandered over to him. " I mean, remember that time you pulled me away from those gangoons in Little China before any of us could draw iron? How you fired it up and dragged me out of the way and into the safety of the Afterlife?"
"Yeah?"
"Wait, is that where the pic of him with his hair shifted in the other direction came from?" Lucy couldn't hold back the laugh as she recalled the still in question and Becca nodded. "Wondered how that happened."
"Remind me to invest in some stronger hair spray or gel." David replied, fixing his hair slightly. "You know, you never told me why they were going to attack you."
"Let's just say they called me a few choice words." The green-haired girl replied, and Lucy let out a hum. She had a feeling she knew what they had said, but wasn't about to say.
"Do I want to know?"
"Let's just say there's a little word you never want to use to refer to Becca." Kiw0i teased, joining their group with Pilar and Nadia close behind.
"What is it?" David asked, but Kiwi shook her head muttering something about valuing her life. Lucy saw Nadia raise an eyebrow, and Pilar was quick to lean in and whisper something into her ear. The nurse let out a noise, shaking her head in understanding. "Pilar?"
"Don't worry about it." He waved away the question, but Lucy had known the techie long enough to recognize he was up to something. "You should be more concerned with mundane matters like what hairspray I use. Or what type of anime character everyone reminds you of."
"Pilar..." Becca growled, staring her brother down even as David questioned what he was talking about.
"It's a fun game I play when people watching. For example, Maine's a noble punk in my book while Nadia is Tsundere."
"Excuse me?" Lucy swore she heard Pilar's mechanical dick retreat from the tone in Nadia's words.
"What, you were kind of abrasive when we first met. But you've warmed up to everyone." Pilar went for honesty, which was probably the only thing that saved his ass. "Come on David, try it! If she was an anime character, how would you classify Becca?"
"David, don't..." Lucy saw the trap, but it was too late.
"I don't know? I guess she looks like a loli? She's small enough, and looks young enough."
Lucy felt the atmosphere around the crew change. It was a known fact that Becca absolutely hated being called a 'loli', a 'child' or any variation of either. It was the fastest way to earn her ire...and a belly full of lead.
David noticed the tension. "What? Isn't that what it's called? Kid-like, no tits, bratty?"
"What did you say?" Becca's eyes narrowed, and Lucy would swear they were glowing red as she glared at David.
David demonstrated a lethal level of foot-in-mouth-disease, "Aren't you a loli?"
"Oh shit, he pressed the L-button." Falco muttered, jokingly climbing into the Edgerunner for cover. Everyone else took a few steps back, and Lucy found herself moving to stand with the others as well.
"Lucy? Think David's ready for a trial by fire?" Becca growled, pulling Guts out of her jacket. The young netrunner had to give the girl credit for how much restraint she was showing.
"Uh, Lucy?" Her boyfriend looked at her, seeming confused. ["Should I run?"]
["Puppy, if she starts shooting. This is probably the closest thing you're going to get to training in a live fire fight."] She sent back, looking to Becca and the others. "We do need to see how he handles himself against 'real' opponents."
"Hello misplaced agression." Becca cocked her gun, but before she could do anything else Jackie had a hand on it.
"Becca, know you probably want to kill my nephew for that comparison..." She lowered the gun, "but for the sake of the family – I'm going to say no guns."
"Aww, but I've got non-lethal rubber rounds for him." The green-haired girl gestured to her truck. "What?"
"Where the fuck do you get rubber rounds for that beast of a shotty!?"
"Kabuki." She answered, and Lucy saw the rest of the crew just nod and accept that. "Look, worse that happens if David gets hit is he'll bruise. Way I see it, all the more encouragement to avoid getting shot."
"Fine. That's a modified Carnage, right? Then you're limited to the five shells it can hold, and I'll grant you one reload." She heard Becca sigh, but saw the girl conceed as Jackie moved over to David. "Sobrino, you up for this?"
"Yeah." He hesitantly grinned, "got through the firefight in Pacifica, didn't I?" Lucy could see the justified nerves, even with the subdermals David had under his skin rubber rounds from guts would leave some lingering marks for weeks.
"That was gang war chaos." He gestured to Becca, "this is calculated attacks."
"I'll be fine, besides Lucy said this is probably the closest I can get to training under live fire." David hit her with a smile, and Lucy nodded in agreement.
"If you say so." The Latino man nodded, telling Becca to grab her ammo while following her to the truck to inspect and make sure everything would be in order with the girl's choice in firearms. Lucy also noticed that Becca also had her pistol, no doubt loaded with rubber bullets.
Lucy could only describe the next hour of training David as 'organized chaos'. It started as a one v one of David against Rebecca. While he may have had speed on his side, Becca had experience fighting against those with speedware. She knew to watch the more likely spots David would run to, and use her pistol to try and hit him. Of course, David was quick to learn how to fake her out on that...making her switch to the wider range shot gun to give herself a better chance.
Lucy saw David try charging Becca a few times, but the girl took full advantage of her optical camo and would vanish from David's line of sight. Becca used this to her advantage to, quite literally, trip him up. David tried to retaliate from one of these trips by picking up a rock and throwing it at her. He missed, and instead clipped Pilar's ear. In response, Pilar picked up the rock and threw it back.
"You know Lucy," Maine started, rubbing his chin. "You make a good point about David needing to train under fire."
Lucy saw the rest of the crew smile, even as Pilar picked up another rock.
"Not sure this is any better than bean bag rounds..." Jackie had picked up a couple rocks of his own, no apology in his face as the rest of the crew followed suit.
"If he can dodge a rock, he can dodge a bullet." Falco mused, holding out a small bucket of 'ammunition'.
"Why do you have a bucket of rocks in the Edgerunner?" Nadia decided to ask the important question, even as she took a couple rocks for herself.
"I run with the Aldecados and some of the other Nomads from time to time. Ya'll got no idea how many rocks get stuck in our boots." The driver laughed, and while it seemed unlikely, no one asked any further questions.
"You guys ready?" Maine asked after a moment, a smile on his face. "Hey kid, think fast!"
That was all the warning David got before the crew began to send a barrage of rocks at him. Lucy was the only one not throwing rocks (and other items if the cola can Kiwi just tossed at him was any indication), instead observing. David took to the new challenge like a trooper, doing his best to shrug off the pain when he'd get hit. All parties involved were laughing, even Lucy despite the nervousness she was feeling at seeing David being 'attacked'.
"Let's end this..." She heard David mutter, suddenly seeing a black blur dart over to where the bucket of ammo rested by Falco's feet. In the blink of an eye, the bucket was gone. The metallic thud that followed the only indication that he had thrown it in the dumpster. He ran back over, racing to collect and toss away as many rocks as he could, even as the crew tried to do the same.
In response to this, Becca aimed at the largest scattering of rocks she could see and fired Guts. The spray of the rubber bullets connecting with David's leg and causing him to stumble. Lucy could only gasp as her input rolled head over heels before skidding to a stop.
"Okay, think that's enough training for now." Maine declared as Lucy, Nadia, and Jackie ran over to check on David. After a quick check-up, Nadia gave David a clean bill of health and congratulated him on 'surviving' so long as Lucy helped him up. "David, you good?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." David gave a nod, but Lucy noticed that David was favoring his left leg as they walked back over to the crew. "But I think we should take a break."
"Yeah, figure you could use a rest period after that." Becca nodded, checking her guns before holstering them.
"Oddly generous of you." Kiwi replied, "you must have impressed her David."
"Nah, just figured the guy could use a break given how hard I fucked him." She winked, unaffected by the faux-glare Lucy was sending her way. "Just don't tell V and Gloria."
"Oh, speaking of mom." David leaned up against his Caliburn, and Lucy had a feeling she knew what was coming. "She's been feeling a little down recently. When I told her last night I was meeting with you guys today, she wanted me to invite you all over. Figure instead of going to Turbo's or somewhere else to unwind, we could order some take out and bring it back to her place and hang out."
Lucy saw the crew exchange a few looks, her eye catching Jackie's in particular. By the concerned smile on his face, Lucy could tell the man had an idea of what they were really up to.
"Is V gonna be there?" Jackie asked, and Lucy mouthed a thank you to him for it even as the crew awaited the answer.
"No, but that's something we need to talk about." Lucy answered, looking at David who gave her the okay to continue. "Have any of you heard from V in the last few days?"
Everyone shook their heads, and Becca muttered something about calling him.
"Don't!" David heard it too, "look. I'll go into more details at mom's place, but somethings off about him. If for some reason V contacts any of you between now and then – Don't answer. Or if you do, don't agree to anything, and take everything with a grain of salt. Alright?"
"Why?" Kiwi crossed her arms, eyes frowing. The rest of the crew didn't look happy about that either, but remained silent.
"Kiwi, trust him on this." Lucy placed a hand on David's shoulder. "I may not like the guy, but David's right."
She saw the crew, minus Jackie, Nadia, and strangely enough Becca, talk amongst themselves before Maine took the lead.
"Alright kid, we'll trust you." He motioned for everyone to get their shit together. "Now, let's answer the tougher question. What the hell are we getting for food?"
"Chinese." Dorio answered, "I'd kill for some lo-mein right now."
"We just had chinese last night." Pilar gestured to himself, Becca and Nadia. "Let's get tacos!"
Lucy tried not to laugh as the crew devolved back into their more normal dynamic, thankful that the somber atmosphere David's confession created had been broken.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
After finally deciding to go with 'pot luck style' for take-out, the crew had returned to Gloria's apartment with an international buffet of food. Lucy laughed at Gloria's expression as they had walked in with the bags and boxes, before moving to help her get out plates and drinks and clear a space for everything. Content that his mother would be happy with her visitors, and wanting some quiet, David asked her if she wanted to delta. David quickly made his excuses and rushed them to the front door.
It was clear as daylight that David was uncomfortable going over V's weirdness a second time.
She agreed, and after bidding everyone farewell, had followed her boyfriend into the elevator. As they started to move, Lucy couldn't help but notice the way David's foot was tapping.
"Alright, what's wrong?"
"I kinda want to know why Becca got so pissed me." He rubbed at his chest, "you guys comment on her size all the time, so why did she go after me for it?"
"You called her a 'Loli' – even if it was just in passing, and you didn't know, but she hates that more than she hates glitter freaks." Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder. "She doesn't mind us occasionally calling her short-stack or similar terms of endearment. But any other time, it really bothers her when people call her out on her size and appearance. Blame the many, many bad dates she's had with gonks looking for barely illegal hook ups."
She heard David hum, saw his head tilt to the side, silently asking for more information even as he thought about what she said.
"Not sure how much I should be telling you, but Becca pretty much grew up homeless on the streets. Sure, Pilar did his best to care for her, but the two didn't always have access to food and supplies. That malnourishment affected them both in different ways. Having already hit puberty, Pilar's height wasn't affected, but you can tell he doesn't have as much muscle mass or fat as someone else his age. It's why he's so... I dunno, gangly. In Becca's case, it stunted her growth, her chrome hides the worst of it. Leaves her looking much younger than she is."
"So why doesn't she get one of the cosmetic height alterations, or growth boosters?" David asked as the elevator arrived at the ground floor.
"Growth boosters don't work as well on adults as they do children. Pricy too." She stepped out, moving through the lobby. "And body altering chrome like she'd want is some of the most expensive on the market. For the majority of the population, it's choosing between a few extra inches and a weird look or a roof over your head."
"Shit." David muttered, and Lucy could tell he was feeling a little guilty about how he grew up. "Least she looks good now."
"On the surface at least." She heard the sound David made and continued. "Reason Becca looks fine is because none of its real. According to Maine, when she first joined the crew – she looked like a slum rat with bad teeth, patchy hair, and weathered skin. Honestly, its a miracle she survived at all."
"Think that miracle's name is Pilar." Lucy laughed at his observation even as he told her to continue.
"Probably. Anyways, thanks to him, Maine and Dorio, and their old runner Sasha. She was able to use the eddies she got in her early days to improve her appearance. They weren't the best quality, but it was enough."
"Well, I think the look suits her and that she looks really cute." He nodded, and Lucy playfully pouted. "I mean, she looks good. Well, not as good as you. You're cuter..." He continued to trip over his words, and Lucy couldn't help but smile at how awkward he was acting. "Oh hey, the H10 gun store's having a sale. Let's go check it out!"
"Sure puppy," Lucy cracked up laughing at his abrupt change of subject. Taking his hand in hers, the two walked the short distance to the megabuilding. Stepping inside, the two had just about made it to the elevator when they heard a voice.
"Bruddah, Do you know de way?" The strong accent instantly reminded Lucy of the inhabitants of Pacifica, and it didn't take long for her to find the origin of the voice. He was sitting beside the megabuilding elevators on a flattened piece of cardboard; with dark skin and dreadlocks interlaced withwires, he could have passed as a VooDoo Boy. But the lack of adornments or paint meant he might have been a poser at best. And what they could see of his cyberware looked like it hadn't been maintained in awhile. Even his clothes were ragged, with only the pair of goggles to rest on his head looking new.
"Excuse me?" David questioned, but Lucy just pulled on his hand and pressed the button for the elevator with her other.
"Just ignore him, he's probably a drunk or druggie." She shook her head, pulling David into the elevator.
"He has spoken to the queen! I can show you de way..." They heard him say, even as the door closed and Lucy hit the button to send them to the 'services' floor.
"Takes all sorts, huh?" David squeezed her hand, and she nodded as they reached their designated floor. Stepping out, David gently pulled on her hand to lead her over to the gun shop, but he stopped as something ran past them. Turning to where the creature had run, the two got a quick glimpse of the creature in question as it sniffed around a pile of trash.
"David! Look! A cat." She quietly squealed, "it's so cute."
"Looks like an oversized rat." David rolled his eyes, but Lucy could see the smile.
"Psp psp psp, here kitty..." Lucy called, slowly moving towards the animal. It let out an airy meow, before running a few feet away from her. "Looks like a stray."
"Leave it alone Luce." She heard her boyfriend say, "majority of cats in Night City are strays..."
"You want to come home with me?" She clicked her tongue, the animal moving away again.
"Lucy no." He voiced his disapproval, but made no move to stop her. "And besides, isn't there an absurdely extortionate pet tax? Or a fine for having an unlicensed pet?"
"Yeah, thousand eddies a month tax. But that's nothing compared to the cost of other stuff we've done." She went down the list, rattling off some of the illegal and questionable things they've done and the associated fines and punishments they would get if caught. All the while continuing her little game of trying to catch the cat. "Personally, I feel a hit of fourty-thousand eddies fine is better than everything else I listed. Plus, we get a cute little companion."
"Lucy..." David sighed, trying to look annoyed and failing as her latest attempt to catch the cat sent it running away.
"David...If you love me, you'll catch that cat." She hit him with the puppy eyes, and after a token moment of resistance, he gave in and went after the cat. The sound of scuffing feet, moving boxes, and a growl came from somewhere down the hall and around the corner.
"Got it!" David cheered, making her smile as he reappeared and started walking back towards her. Her smile quickly faded when she noticed he was holding the cat out in front of him, hands tucked underneath its front legs. The cat meanwhile let out a confused sounding mewl, its eyes wide as Lucy moved towards them.
"That's not how you hold a cat, puppy." She held her arms out, and David handed her the cat. With gentle hands, she shifted the cat so that it was now on its back, cradled in her arms like an infant.
"I don't think that's how you're supposed to hold them either." David scratched his head, looking around. "Think we should put it in a box, at least until we get home?"
"That...might be...for the best..." Lucy hissed, feeling the cat's claws digging into her chest as it tried to get comfortable in her arms. She watched as David looked through a nearby pile of garbage, coming up with an old copy paper box with the lid. He poked a couple additional air holes in the side and top, before setting it on the ground. Carefully, Lucy shrugged off her jacket, lowing it into the box with the cat. In one swift movement, Lucy let go of the cat as David slipped the lid onto the box.
"Think it'll be fine in there?" David asked, hearing the sound of scratching and an occasional meow coming from the box.
"Should be, but we should probably head home sooner rather than later." She let out a tiny giggle as a paw poked out from one of the air holes. An indignant meow came from the box as David picked it up. "You want me to carry it?"
"Nah, I got it." He started walking back towards the elevator, "guess we're visiting the gun shop another day..."
"Sale's running to the end of the week." She pointed to a sign, "we can always come back."
"Yeah." The box let out another meow as they climbed in the elevator. "Right now however? Think we should check if there's someplace nearby that sells pet supplies."
"Right..." Lucy gave a nod, and began her search. Because of the pet tax, it wasn't too much a surprise that she couldn't find any dedicated shops. Well, there was one – but it was all the way in Chater Hill and that was a little out of their way at the moment. One or two shops claimed to have cat food, but it was clear that they'd have to get creative on other supplies in the here and now. An opinion she voiced as they made their way out of the megabuilding and to the Colby. Placing it between them, David took the driver's seat, leaving her free to continue the search.
"Think anyone on the crew has anything?" David asked, starting the truck.
"Probably not, I mean...Wait, Kiwi has a dog." Something clicked in Lucy's brain, even as David expressed his surprise at the fact. "Well, it's a cyberdog, but she might have something or know where to get something."
Ignoring David's question about cyberpets versus 'ganic, Lucy decided to give Kiwi a call.
["Hey Luce, what's up?"] Kiwi answered, sounding bored and concerned in equal measure.
["I need some advice."]
["On?"] Lucy heard the shift in tone, and took a deep breath.
["Pet care."]
["Pet care?"] A hum came over the line. ["You and David looking into getting a cyberdog or something?"]
["Um, we...well I sort of. Adopted a cat."]
["A cybercat?"]
["No. Found a 'ganic one."]
It started as a disbelieving giggle, turning into a full roaring laugh, before ending in a raspy, airy chuckle.
["Kiwi? You okay?"] She asked, hearing the older woman cough.
["Sorry, the thought of you and David raising anything...is fucking hilarious."]
["Kiwi.."]
["What? David can barely take care of himself, and you're in your shell too much."] The woman hummed. ["Look, I'll give you the link to a cyberpet forum I frequent. They've got some advice for first-timers that I think you can adapt. But answer me this: why'd you pick it up in the first place?"]
["Don't know. All I know is I saw it, and felt an overwhelming urge to take care of it."]
["Lucy...Are you trying to tell me something?"] Lucy could just imagine Kiwi's expression, eyes smiling with one eyebrow raised at the confused hum she let out. ["You know, a lot of people adopt a pet before they have ch-"]
["Kiwi, don't you fucking start."] She glared, but it quickly fell away as she noticed David's confusion. ["I came to you in a moment of friendship. Looking for advice to help another living thing."]
["You came to the wrong place."] Kiwi laughed, ["but seriously, check out the forum. And maybe look up a couple pet care shards?"]
["Thanks Kiwi, we'll check it out later."] She ended the call, letting out a sigh as she did. Was her decision to adopt a cat really that ridiculous? She looked over at David, whose eyes kept going from the road, to the occasionally meowing box, to her with gentle concern. The scene filled her with a similar rush of warmth as him defending her at the beach had. You know, maybe raising a cat together would be-
"Lucy? Everything good?" The question brought her back to their current situation.
"Uh yeah. Sorry, was just checking the forum Kiwi sent me to." She stammered, "it's for cyberpets, but we should be able to adapt some of it. I'll send it to you."
"Great." He smiled, "figure we can look it over together once were home."
"Sounds good." She agreed, noticing they had just finished going over the bridge to City Center. Grabbing the box, Lucy decided to occupy her remaining time 'playing' with their new companion.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
The next full day became a whirlwind of lessons for both David and herself. The afternoon they brought it home, the two had let the cat out of the box to roam around as David 'baby proofed' the apartment. While we went around removing and or securing anything that wasn't already nailed down, she looked over the list of basic supplies. Having not bought anything in advance, Lucy had to get a little creative until they could make the trip.
One side of the box they brought the cat home in was cut down, and an old towel thrown in the bottom to make a basic pet bed. This was placed beside the couch so it would have a place to sleep.
A mismatched small plate and bowl were quickly repurposed for food and water and left in the kitchen. Lacking proper cat food, she took a couple pieces of slaughterhouse jerky and shredded it to fine bits and placed it on the plate. Filling up the water bowl, she placed both of them in the lid of the box to try and contain whatever mess the cat might make.
The final item was arguably the most important – the litter box. A large paint tray lined with newspaper and shredded magazines would work for the moment...But getting an actual box and litter was priority one.
That first night had gone smoothly, and the cat seemed just as worn out as they did and slept most of the remainder of the day away while they reviewed various shards and posts about cat care. The next day however – the two got a taste of how woefully unprepared they were.
The morning started off with the cat ignoring the food Lucy left for it in favor of eating her cereal when she left it unattended on the table to get herself a cup of coffee. Who knew cats loved the taste of synth-amin toast crunch?
Then David had the misfortune of finding a puddle of cat pee on the hardwood floor by stepping in it...in socks. She made the note to add odor and disinfectent spray to their shopping list.
While trying to fold the laundry, the still unnamed cat had decided the pile of clothes was a better bed than the box, and made himself (as Lucy discovered trying to move him) at home on them. It was both embarrasing and endearing when the animal refused to let go of a pair of her panties. Batting at them playfully each time she tried to tug them away.
The final sign that they hadn't done enough happened during lunch. The two were eating in front of the TV when they heard a scratching noise. Looking down revealed the furless feline to be using the couch as a scratching post.
"No, bad kitty!" David hit the side of the couch, trying to scare him off. The cat's reply was an annoyed meow, before scampering into the kitchen. "Okay, know we wanted to relax but..."
"Already checked their hours, pet store's open until eight today." She answered, sighing as she watched the cat start biting and pawing at their shoes. "Let's make sure we've a list of everything we need. Food, toys, litter box and cover, litter, cleaning products..."
"Actual pet bed?"
"Think we can save a few eddies and skip that..." She sighed, the cat abandoning the shoes in favor of settling down in the empty laundry basket. "Come on, let's clean up and hit the shop."
David nodded, and after making sure there was nothing left out that their four-legged roommate could break, departed for the Charter Hill pet shop in the Caliburn. The shop was larger and nicer than Lucy expected, seeing supplies for both cyber and 'ganic pets. A clerk was quick to greet them upon entry, and inquire about their visit. Not wanting to admit they were breaking the law, the two were quick to explain that Lucy's boss (she looked the more professional of the two of them) cat had kittens, and they were going to be taking one.
"They won't be ready to go for another couple weeks, but we want to be prepared." She smiled, cringing internally as they should have done this first to begin with. The clerk had smiled at that, and was quick to set them up with a deluxe cat care package; Covered litter box and litter, small scratching tower, catnip toys and jingle balls, a five pound bag of dry and a 14-day supply of wet food. And a bag of treats.
"Will there be anything else?" He asked, ringing up their purchases as Lucy shook her head. "Alright, here you are and good luck. Oh, and tell your friend if she can't find homes for any of the kittens to call me. Know quite a few executives looking for feline companions."
"We will, thank you." David picked up their purchases, while Lucy accepted one of the man's business cards. Stepping outside, the two noticed that it had grown cloudy, and the scent of rain was in the air.
"Wonder how the cat feels about rain?" David mused as he started to drive.
"We really need to come up with a name for him." Lucy sighed, looking at the box of supplies. In particular at the collar the clerk had thrown in for free as it was 'last year's style' and he just wanted to get rid of some excess inventory. "Got any ideas?"
"Wizzer." David answered, smiling as she glared at him. "What? He's certainly earned the name, peeing on the floor like that."
"It was one time, and it's our fault for not showing him where the litter box is."
"One time too many." He huffed, "okay fine. How about Scratchy?"
"Nah, that's just natural behavior." She shook her head, "Skinny?"
"That name will fit all of a week with how many treats you'll probably give him." David laughed, even as she gently whacked him. "Say, he does like to bite things. Maybe Chewy? Or Bitey?"
"Those sound more like dog names...and they're not very cute." Lucy hummed, "oh! What about Nibbles? It's cute, childish, and still fits him well."
"Nibbles..." David said the name a couple times with different inflections. "I like it. Now it's just a question if he will."
"I'm sure he'll get used to it." She checked something in one of the care links she had bookmarked. "Especially if we keep addressing him by it. No guarantee he'll respond, but at least he'll know we're talking about him."
David nodded in agreement, the two continuing to discuss pet care as they pulled up to the apartment. About halfway home, the sky had opened up and it was now raining hard. Grabbing their purchases, the two sprinted to the door and under the small awning. David held the supplies while Lucy opened the door, the two about to step through when they heard someone calling out to them.
"Chotto matte! Chotto matte! Hold the door! Please!" A young girl, clad in a black and white streetwear dress was running towards them. An umbrella in one hand and several shopping bags in the other.
"Oh! Shit, sure!" David called. "Lucy, I got the box, can you hold the door for her?"
Lucy nodded, the girl somehow closing the umbrella one handed as she darted inside. She took a moment to study her, noting that she was a year or two younger than David. Her hair was a similar shade of reddish-brown to David's, the color highlighted by the bright orange tiger lily hairpiece holding her messy bun in place.
"Thank you so much, I can't believe the sky opened up like that." There was a heavy Asian accent on her words, but Lucy couldn't place it.
"Night City weather." David shook his head, "guess we should be happy it wasn't a sandstorm blowing by."
"Oh yes. I've yet to be caught in one, but I've not heard nice things about them." She smiled, dropping the umbrella in one of her bags. "Oh, where are my manners. Takami Kaneko."
She held out her free hand, which Lucy took in greeting.
"Lucy Kushinada. And this is my boyfriend, David Martinez." David raised the box in greeting, not so sublty hinting they should move out of the way as a few other people passed by. "Do you live here? Or are you visiting friends?"
"I live here, just moved in about a week ago. Even though this place is kinda pricy." She smiled gently, and Lucy noticed she was appraising them. Possibly judging them as she asked her next question. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for work?"
"I'm a freelancer. Netrunner consultant, specialing in security concerns."
"And I'm a student at Arasaka's academy."
Tamaki hummed at that, eyes narrowing a bit as she noticed the time.
"Shouldn't you be taking classes right now? The Academy hasn't had its graduation yet."
"I'm on the apprenticeship program." David replied, shifting the box in his hands. "Did my GED and was able to graduate early."
"Neat." She clapped her hands. "I'm on the same program. ASF branch, I'll be joining the bodyguard division when it's over. What about you?"
"Ahh, uh... Counterintelligence." He answered, once again shifting the box which Lucy wordlessly offered to take.
"Sounds exciting. All my supervisor does is have me do observation work. Maybe something more tactical if I'm lucky."
"All I've been doing is field work." David shook his head at her offer, but motioned towards the elevator. "Running around town, dealing with gonk ideas, occasionaly dealing with something if ordered."
"Kinda vague there." The young girl replied, adjusting her own purchases. A mutual agreement to move towards the elevator passing between them.
"Part of the job. I don't know what all I can tell you." David shrugged as much as he could. Feeling a little left out of the conversation, Lucy decided to ask another icebreaker question. If this girl was a neighbor, might as well get to know her.
"So where are you from?"
"Flew in from Tokyo's Shinjuku district not too long ago." Tamaki answered as they waited for the elevator to arrive.
"Must have been nice."
"I mean, kinda? Had to live in a crushing little three room apartment." She brought her hands together, as if showing how small it was. "I'm hoping Night City doesn't feel as cramped. Thank Izanami."
"Huh?"
"Oh, uh. It's what I say instead of 'thank god', I'm Shinto and that always felt a little too impersonal and christian to me." Tamaki gave a tiny bow as the elevator arrived.
"Free country...well, city...You know what I mean." Lucy motioned for them to get in the elevator. "To each their own."
Both David and Tamaki nodded, following her into the elevator. As they did, the box David was carrying caught on the door and ripped a little, causing a pack of cat food to call out. Tamaki leaned down to pick it up, letting out a surprised gasp as she realized what she was holding.
"You have a cat?"
"Yeah, one of the hairless ones." Lucy answered, taking the pack of cat food from her. "Just got him actually."
"Can...Can I see him?" Tamaki asked, suddenly seeming shy. "I've, never seen the hairless ones up close."
At the question, Lucy exchanged a look with David. On the one hand, the cat was still getting used to them and the girl was virtually a stranger. On the other, Lucy felt she could use more girl friends, and Tamaki seemed nice enough.
"I've no issue with it. Lucy?"
"Sure." She agreed, hitting the button for their apartment. The ride up was swift, and the three soon arrived at their apartment. "Nibbles, we're home!"
"Aww, such a cute name." Tamaki bounced out of the elevator and looked around, taking in everything. "Oh neat! Your apartment has the same layout as mine! I mean, décor is different but you've made it work."
"We've had to do a little rearraging since we got the furless furball." David answered, setting the box of supplies down in the kitchen. "Nibbles? You want some food?"
Lucy wasn't sure if it was the second calling of the name, or the mention of food, but the cat was quick to appear. Tamaki smiled and crouched, clicking her tongue and trying to call him over. Lucy however noticed that the newly cristened Nibbles wouldn't budge. Seeing Tamaki, his eyes narrowed and his hackles raised and he let out a disapproving hiss before moving to hide under the coffee table.
"Weird. I didn't think he knew how to hiss?" David looked at her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. He's still adjusting."
"It's no problem." She stood, one finger pointing to her face. "I use a lot of different makeup. Your cat probably doesn't like how I smell."
"Maybe." Lucy hummed, eyes going between Tamaki and the hidden Nibbles. Noticing the new puddle on the floor. "Oh, David – would you mind taking out the litter and the box?
"Sure." She watched her input pull the box out and set it aside, along with the bag of litter. "Oh Tamaki, if you don't mind a pissy animal hanging around, or watching us finish setting up the house for said animal. You're welcome to stick around and hang out for awhile."
"Thanks a lot for asking me..." Lucy huffed, disguising it as a grunt as she shifted the bag of cat litter.
"Ah, no." She shook her head, holding up her own bags. "I really, really should get back to my floor. Need to take care of my own groceries, nor have I finished unpacking or decorating fully."
"Okay. Oh, wait a second, I'll send you my contact. Let me know if you need any help moving stuff. It's always easier with more hands."
"I wouldn't wanna trouble you, and have you take too much time from your lady." She smiled and bowed at David, before turning to face her. "And thank you for letting me see your cat. Here." Tamaki reached up and pulled out the clip holding her hair in place before bowing while holding it out for Lucy. "A gift, for being so kind to me."
"Uh, thank you." Lucy accepted the clip, giving a small bow in return. She looked down at the clip, noticing the quality of the clasp, and the elegant realism of the metal flower. Not wanting to risk damaging it, she set it on the counter. "I hope we can meet up again, maybe when Nibbles is a little more accustomed to strangers."
"Hopefully." Tamaki smiled, moving towards the elevator. "It was nice meeting you David... Lucy."
With a final nod of her head, Tamaki hopped in the elevator and went on her way. A moment later and Nibbles had come out of hiding, heading right to the kitchen in favor of jumping on the counter to sniff at everything.
"Well, that was interesting." She commented, reaching out to pick up Nibbles even as he tried to bite the bag of treats. "You really think she lives here?"
"Maybe?" David reached over to pet the cat. "I mean, there's a lot of apartments here...But what are the odds of her being another apprentice? I mean, if I'm remembering correctly, odds are less than a percent that a student is chosen for one."
"She said she came from Japan, right? Maybe someone in the Japanese branch picked her?" The thought made Lucy shiver. She had seen how Arasaka operated here, and could only imagine how the original branch worked.
"Maybe, but I'm not sure." David admitted, gently scratching Nibbles behind the ears.
"Maybe its a good thing she declined to take your contact info."
"Think she did that because she could tell you were getting jealous." A teasing smile moved onto David's face. "Oh don't act like I didn't see you scowl when I made the offer for her to hang out a bit."
"What? No...I mean. What am I supposed to think when you're inviting random girls we just met to hang out?" Okay, maybe she was being a bit defensive. Sue her – David was the nicest, and most serious relationship she had ever been in.
"Someone's jealous..." He teased in a sing-song voice, looking at their cat.
"Nibbles, if you piss in his shoes instead of on the floor, I'll give you a treat."
"Oh no, don't you start using the cat to do your dirty work...Wait." The expression on David's face as he realized how wrong that sounded almost made the teasing worth it. Even Nibbles was looking at him judgementally...Something Lucy didn't think was possible. "Uh, shouldn't we finish getting everything set up for the cat?"
"Probably." Lucy's eyes fell on the hair clip Tamaki had given her, a wicked smile crossing her face as she used it to clip some of her hair back. She caught her reflection in the glass; the bright orange beautifully accenting the pastel colors of her hair. "But given your interest in schoolgirls - wouldn't you rather I dig your Academy jacket out of the closet, and put on a mini skirt and we play at skeevy senior meets shy freshman?"
Revenge is a dish best served cold, but she knew David liked it hot. His face had taken on a reddish hue, and she could tell his pants were becoming uncomfortable. She heard him take a deep breath, and saw him shudder as he fought against his desires.
"P-pet care first...Sex later." He croaked out, looking at Nibbles who was once again trying to get into the cat food. "I'll get his food set up if you want to get the litter box set up?"
"Sure." Lucy picked up the box with one hand, and the bag of litter in the other, starting to move towards the bathroom. "Oh David, would you mind grabbing Nibbles and bringing him to the bathroom for me? I want to make sure he knows where the box is."
"Sure thing. Come here Nibbles." Fortunately for Lucy, it seemed Nibbles shared her opinion on having been annoyed by David's antics. She heard her man swear, followed by the cat running in front of her and letting out a pleased meow. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the faint hint of scratch marks on his face as he went about preparing Nibbles' dinner. Smiling, she stepped into the bathroom with Nibbles obediently following. "Good kitty."
Nibbles let out a happy mew in response, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh and praise the cat before setting up his new litter box.
❤ ° (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )
Thanks to their impromptu cat adoption, Lucy was a couple days late in bringing David back to Viktor for a check-up. Not that the good doctor seemed to mind – especially when the two started talking about how well David was responding to the treatment. He gave David a basic check-up, and reviewed the notes she had taken before asking to make his own scans and observations.
"Sure, what do you want me to do?"
"First test – I want you to just sit still, but have the Sandevistan running on full blast." She watched the ripper set a timer for thirty seconds. "On my mark...Go."
Lucy watched as Viktor kept track of the time, while monitoring David's vitals. Similar to when she had started testing and training, the man had David using his speedware at different levels while being both stationary and in motion. Asking questions as he ran the tests. Of course, Vik had access to information Lucy didn't – such as heart rate, temperature, and other vitals.
"I must say, I'm impressed." He nodded as he looked over the latest set of test results. "Everything seems to be working as intended. There's minimal strain to your 'ganics, and your processors are working at near peak efficency...And you say you're not feeling tired? Fatigued?"
"Nope. Best guesstimate Lucy and I have is that I can probably run for a good three, maybe four hours before I'll start feeling a strain? Don't know for certain as the longest I've been able to run uninterrupted has been two hours and I felt fine."
"Damn, even professional boxers will be sweating and ready to drop after a quarter of that time." Vik slapped his knee and nodded. "Lucy, know this was your idea...as such, I was hoping you'd be willing to let me keep your notes on file so that I can use the data to help others looking for speedware upgrades?"
"I don't mind, but are you sure it would help others? I mean, we kind of tailored this specificially for David's case."
"That we did, what did that one guy describe it as? Min-maxing the design?" She nodded as Vik continued. "Even though it's virtually one-of-a-kind for David, the theories behind it are sound."
"Then go ahead...You won't mention mine or David's name though, right?" Pleased as she was, Lucy didn't want others randomly coming to her to help them with their own chrome issues.
"Nope, it will be strictly numbers and statistics." The ripper smiled but turned serious as he looked at David. "Now David, even though the results are very promising. I'm still going to advise you against overdoing it at the moment, at least until you learn to manuver and stop better."
That made David grumble, while Lucy laughed. Not her fault she shared a few stories about David's less than graceful acrobatics. Still, both of them thanked Viktor, and David promised to behave himself. Stepping out of the clinic, Lucy felt David take her hand in his own before pulling her close and giving her a kiss on the forehead.
"Lucy, I just want you to know how much I love and appreciate you doing all this for me." He gave her another kiss and a squeeze. "I could tell that everything was working, and didn't doubt you. But now hearing it from Vik? I don't think I say enough how amazing you are. And how lucky I am to have you."
"David..." She leaned into his embrace, hugging him in turn. "Just trying to take care of you."
"And you do, but I feel I don't thank you enough for it." He kissed her again, and she felt him perk up, realizing he had been hit with an idea. "How about we go out for dinner tonight, my treat. A thank you for everything kind of deal."
Lucy wanted to protest, say that he didn't have to. But then again, when was the last time the two of them had gone anywhere on their own without the crew? Seeing how determined and hopeful he looked, she gave in. "Alright."
"Great! I'll take you to the nicest place I can afford."
"So, the Cojo? Where Mama will give you a discount?" It was only a half-joke, but David still frowned at it.
"I was thinking someplace fancier – like Pepper and Spice."
"Pepper and spice?" Now that was a surprise, and she couldn't help but laugh.
"What? It's a nice restaurant that mom reccomended. She went there with V a few weeks after getting out of Trauma's care, and then once on her own."
"That's because she's got sugar daddy money. Meanwhile you've got the drippings." Once again, Lucy's attempt at a joke fell flat if David's crestfallen expression was anything to go by. "But that just makes gestures like this all the more meaningful." She gave him a kiss, and felt him smile against her.
"So...it's a date?" His hands came up to cradle her face as he looked into her eyes.
"It's a date." She affirmed, leaning in for another kiss.
"Damn it, know I said take it outside but does it have to be infront of my clinic?" The two turned to see Viktor standing just outside, looking amused and annoyed in equal measure. Laughing, the two apologized to the ripper, before hopping in their car to head home and prepare for their date.
For the first time in forever, Lucy felt like everything in her life was the way she wanted it.