Chapter 18- Why Don't Presidents Fight The War?

Two days later, David's suspicions had been proven correct. Falkins had called Maine, and the man had decided to have David come with him all on his own to the final meeting between Fixer and Contractor.

The last meeting took place in the same place as their first, the guards he had in place were just as professional as they always were but with a measured sort of familiarity as David and Maine walked through the halls.

"So… did he say anything about why he was getting out of the fixer game for a bit?"

David asked curiously, as well as with a small amount of sadness. Even though more of Falkin's jobs were not accurately informed than were, he liked the fixer.

He paid well for the status, and the few times they'd run into issues, he'd called in favors or made arrangements to keep them all in the field. He was professional, cordial, and occasionally friendly. It would be a shame to not work with the man in the future, but that was the way things went it seemed.

Maine shrugged, but not in the careless almost lethargic manner of the last time around. This time, Maine's gaze was sharper than ever, but he looked relaxed. So David wasn't too worried. It was…. Nice to not have to take the burden of leadership up from the beginning. It was even nicer to have Maine being an even more effective leader than before.

"I've got theories… but ain't worth speculating until we hear it from him." He said firmly, as they came upon the entrance to Falkins office. They could even hear the fixer yelling angrily into a phone.

The guards paused, and then let them in, letting them catch the back end of the tirade.

" - don't give a shit Bill! You and I both know Intel doesn't suddenly start being worthless for half my fucking jobs, and THEN for only one fucking team! I want to know who-!"

He cursed as he hung up the phone, and slammed it down, the middle-aged man looking both PISSED and frustrated. Upon looking up, he seemed to shrink a little in frustration but gave them small smiles.

"Maine. Mr. Martinez. It's good to see you."

David was a bit surprised. He figured the fixer would know who he was, but he hadn't figured the man would address him.

"Falkins."

Maine said by way of a greeting, before gazing down at the phone.

"That have anything to do with us?"

Jeff cursed, and sighed, gesturing for them to follow him into his office. It was lightly furnished, but Jeff ignored all of it and headed straight to a mini fridge.

"Broseph?" He offered, looking at the two.

Maine nodded, and David shook his head.

"You got water or lemonade?"

Jeff chuckled and nodded, pulling out 3 bottles. One lemonade, and two brosephs. Having removed the cap from their respective drinks, Jeff held his bottle out.

"To my best fucking team. It's a goddamn shame that this is probably the last time I'll get to work with you."

Maine and David clinked their bottles against his and drank. Jeff drained the entirety of his bottle and sighed.

Meanwhile, David and Maine sipped on theirs, Maine especially getting a hard look on his face.

".... Jeff what the hell is going on?"

Jeff snorted and leaned against his desk.

"Oh if only I fucking knew Maine. So, not gonna lie. I'm not perfect. Sometimes I have bad intel. It's a hazard to the business. But not like this. Damn near every gig I send your way feels like it's been fucked with. Bad enough that if it weren't for your little blur here, one of the team might have been Flatlined by now."

Maine nodded, still seeming as hard and focused as ever...

"Yeah. Not gonna lie, for a while I was wondering if you were just fucking with us. But you always came through with the cred, and you always seemed pissed that it happened."

"Of course, I was fucking pissed. I'm not a fucking independent fixer Maine! I can't get away with that kind of shit. I work under Wakakos grace. If my Intel is shit, that makes HER Intel look shit, even if we don't use the same sources. So before I get told that I should… retire. I'm taking a leave of absence until I can find out who's screwing with me."

David frowned and spoke up.

"But if that's the case, why won't we work together again? It's not like we're gonna stop running anytime soon?"

Falkins just chuckled softly looking first at David, and then Maine.

"He's a sweet kid isn't he?"

Directing his attention back to David, he gave him an honest smile.

"Look. The truth is Mr. Martinez? Maine's crew, including you? You guys are too high quality for a fixer like me. You guys had shit rep for a bit, but now you've been working for me? The worst of it's been washed away. Frankly, I just can't afford you guys. But… I do know someone who could…"

Falkins gave them a little grin as he looked over at the both of them, David being surprised and Maine looking cautiously intrigued.

"The Lady of Westbrook has made inquiries to me about your crew. And of course, because you guys have been excellent, I've done nothing but sing your praises. So I've been instructed to give you guys a job on her behalf. It's… a different one. But if you do this one quietly? Quick? Clean? You're gonna move up the ranks in terms of Fixer. Everyone's gonna start offering you some smaller jobs… and then who knows where things will go for you?"

Maine finally started to smile.

"... So Wakako wants us to do a job? Well alright then."

Jeff held up a hand and wiggled it slightly.

"Eh… not quite. She says she has enough about your capabilities in general. She's… more interested in the kid."

Both of the Edgerunners in the room blinked in confusion, as well as looking a tad insulted in the case of Maine.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He said with a little bit of the old Maine, the Maine that surfaced in… fuck.

He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe?

W̶̧̡̟͉̽̍͆͗͛ĥ̶̠͎͉̈̑̕͘ą̶̡̗̝̦̿̈t̵͉̹̟̰̻͛̀̓'̶̨͚͎͓͖͔͂͐͘s̸̪͉̜͎͙̄͊̂̅̈́̈́ ̶̨̠̣̹̯̳͑̓͒ṯ̶͍̄̅h̴̯̤̘͕͕̀̈͗̓ͅā̸̦͇̺̩̣̀̏̚t̷̬̬͊̊͊͋ ̵̠̀̽m̵̺̈́̅̑̈́̑ȇ̸̻̮̳̀͜͝ä̸̹͓͔̝̭́̾̈́n̶̨̮̟͍͔͆̾͂̉,̷͓̍ͅ ̵̦̔̐̐̃͜'̸͕̠̙̮͐̔̈́̑̊̂a̸̠̦̠͠l̸̻͈̟͇̉̏͠l̸̲͙͚̠̞̟̽̌͑̒̍̽ ̸̡͍̬̱̥͛r̶̯̞̽͆̕͠i̷̼͗͗̇̀̀g̴̩͍̭̜͖͑̌̾͆͊̓h̵͚͑̂͛͜͠t̷̖̦̰̭͖̂'̷͈̜͚͈̎͋̓̂͘?̵͑̐̉͘͜ ̵̝͕͙̤͙͑͌̈́H̴̲̋͌͊͐̈ú̶̡̝̻̹̄̓ẖ̸̱̆̊͝,̸̧̥̄̾͑̈́͘͝ ̷̘̺͙̣̐̋k̸͇̰͕͚̆̅̽̄̚̕ị̶̫͚̐̈́́̉͜d̶̳̯̯̈́́͘?̸̛̭͑̆̂

̷̡͓͕͔̈̉͠

̷̺͐̿̚T̵̨̧̗͙̠̯̍̈́̚h̶̻͉̀̀̔ͅȉ̵͂̂̌̕̚͜n̶͔͂̄͛̚̚͠k̴̠̮̀ ̶͔̤̥̺͌Ī̷̯͓͍̲͉̅ ̶̭̈̌́͜m̴̦̪͙̻͇̈͂͊̓͝i̵͕̟̫̰̽͆̾͛g̸̘̳̯͚̣̔̈̈́̒͠͠h̴̻̽̀̈́͌t̶̰̞̥̋͝ ̴̣͈̊͋͗͑̿͜ͅḃ̵̝͚̞͎̻ẹ̵͖̱̙͈͓̾ ̵̡̛̛͍̤̋l̴̡̘̿͋̈͂͝ǒ̴̳͔̭̝̳͌͝s̸͚͍̈́ī̷͍̼̞̦̊͐̎͌̚ͅn̵̢̧̜̱͈̉̊̿̇͜g̸̻̓̀̓͑͝ ̵̢̢̻̘̪͙̄́̒̿m̸͚̭̊̀̂͝ÿ̷̭́̎͠ ̷̢͉͕̝̪͉̽̉̇͌ǵ̴͚̹̍̎͜ṟ̶̛͒̌͑͒ĩ̶̞̰͐̌̌͘p̸̡̳̞͎͛?̸̡̡̹̀̓̃͌̕ ̵̝̰͕̟̖̽̑G̸̡͚̘̽́͂̅̀͝o̶̢͖̭̩̥̺͂̚i̶͎̺͙̔̈̈́̈́͜ṇ̴̺̙̻̀͑̀g̷̼̦̐̍́̈́̏ ̵͙͙͓͐͑͂̾Ć̶̡̛̣̭̘̦̌͝y̷̨͕̟͕͙̳̓͂́͌̅͛b̸̤̦̠͔̽̾̚e̸͇̞̓̇̐̿ȓ̶̨̖̘̟̭̍́͌p̵̩͓̍̀̑̚͘s̸̳̗̝͚̓̒y̶̡͎̘͕̺͛̆̿̿͌c̶̡̪̭͚̳̾ͅh̷̟̠͚̪͊̓̂̐̕o̶̧̐́͜?̷̡͖̇̏͗̎̄̕!̷̱͈͋̚͠

He was inhaling rapidly, but no air was getting to his lungs. His heart kept beating harder, trying to oxygenate his body, but he… everything felt fuzzy. Muted.

T̶̨̧̙̞̼̗̾̅ḫ̴̛̛͎̈́̈̉̄i̶̢̳͉͇̔̈͐̈́ń̷̫̭̔̓̕̚͝ḱ̸͖̪̪̹̥̚ ̶̞̋ͅy̵̰͙̯͐̎̓̐͐͝ͅȯ̶͚͂̍̃͑͝ù̴͕̞̻͉͖ͅ'̴̱̃r̸͇͗̉̍̒͆̕͜e̵̩̎̕ ̵͚͑̒̿̿̚ẖ̸̨́̄͂͗̈́ỏ̷͚̈́̉͑͗͘t̴͓̜̳͓̑̑̓̇̎ ̵̫̗̮͒́̾̾s̷̡͍̮̭͋̒̆̓h̵̛̞̑̓i̶̮̿̅̓̾͝t̶̮̮͕̅̈́̈̄͗ ̸̛͙͇̜̦̀̇̎̓̈c̶̗̥̩̠̹̳͑̎͊̈́̇͠u̸̻̹̰͛ẑ̷̢̮̹̎̄͘ ̴̱͈̥͉̟̉̽̎ẙ̸̰̱̙̙̥o̴̢̘̻̟͉͑͋̋̉̀ụ̸̦̥̈͒'̷͙͎͆̋̚r̶͙̥̹̋͂ȇ̷̡̪̺͓̑ ̴̪̔͗̕f̵̧̮̻̐a̶̯̪̣͗̐͛͑̆͝ś̵̢̨͉͖͍͙̏̀t̵̻̳̤͎̽͗̑̒͐ȩ̵̖͔͎͝r̶͈̾͛́̒ ̴̧͖̖͘t̶̟̽̽̊͗̚h̸̻̹͎̯̮͒̿̒̂̉͠a̵̱͉̺͚̿̍͋̾n̴̨̮̗̖̂͋͘͝ ̵̦̺͎̹͙̓m̵̤̘͚̱̘̑̓̍͊e̶̯͍͌̈́͜?̸̢͓̽͊̿̓͆͘!̵͍̉̊̎̌̓

̵̙̺͈͒̌

̸̢̯̩̹͔͋̒̈̓͗͛Ţ̴̭͋͗̈h̴̞̾̾̒a̷̠̍͌́͒͝t̵̥̤͓͛ ̸̻̂̈́͆̇̐͠Ṣ̸̛̿͒̕̕ă̸̺̞̋̐̇͘n̴̞͉̦̣̫̣̎̅͗d̵͈̠͑ͅè̶̱͋̽͘͜ṿ̶̨̲̄̕͠i̷̧̛̗̺̼͖͍̔̎͌s̶̡͚̪̥̬͂̓͜t̷̨̟̟̱̲͂̈́̕ͅą̷̜̝̳̳͉͛̊̆̈́n̴͎̠̬͚̪͑ ̶̻̰̺̱͂͐̈́̃̈ẅ̵̺̠́ḁ̸̫̖̯͓͛͒̓́̇̿͜s̸̞͔̈̔ ̶̣̮̘͐̑ͅs̶͈̝̓̾̈ų̷̨͍͙̩̯͒̂͂̏p̸̞͕͈̈́p̶̨͉̲͉͔̊̕ȏ̴̧̧͗̍s̵̮͙͂͝é̵̫͉̮̽ḑ̵̟̩̰͚̉͊ ̴̧͎̠̫̩͙̊̊͊̂̉t̵̨̧͙̳̝̒̍͗̿o̴̧͍̱̜͚̊̈̌̅͒͜ ̸̨̥͐̃͌̐̊b̶̦̫̱͂̔̽̈́ë̴̤̌͒̕͝ ̵͓̲̜̦̲̜͛͊̍̑̾͠m̸̱̖̠͍̈́̈́į̴̘̙͉͐̓n̶̨̤̯̦͇̔e̵̪̻͖̰̮̳̾̑͝!̶̛̺̫̦̦͛̿

"-vid! David, are you ok?"

He was brought back to the present by Maine shaking him, and he looked up with a rapid motion, his chest still rising and falling quickly. As soon as he realized the big man was there, he couldn't help a flinch there.

The big man looked...hurt somehow, but withdrew as soon as he saw that David was responsive again.

"Maine, is he alright?"

Jeff asked him with an air of concern that David hadn't expected.

Maine grimaced and looked at David, silently asking him if it was ok to tell. David hadn't even realized that Maine knew about his attacks…

But nodded as he tried to get his body under control, focusing on tactile sensation. He sure as fuck wasn't going to be able to say anything for a moment.

He hadn't had one this bad since the commercial for the moon with Lucy.

"... Kid freezes up sometimes. Think it's trauma. His mom died a couple months ago. That pileup on the highway where Animals attacked a NightCorp vehicle? She got hit and taken to the meat wagon hospital and died later.

The kid was in the car."

Jeff hissed in commiseration as David slowly managed to bring his state of being into something more human and manageable.

"My sympathies Mr. Martinez. But… I gotta ask… are you going to be able to handle this job? I try not to be completely heartless, but this job for Wakako? This is basically going to make it or break it for me in terms of whether I'll be able to come back to doing my job after I figure out my Intel issues."

David tried to speak up, but before he could Maine answered for him.

"David's one of the best newbies I've ever met. Haven't seen him make a single Gonk move and he's always trying to do better. He's got his issues, but so do we all. He's never frozen up during a job, and I don't think he ever will."

He paused for a moment, looking at David, a strange mix of resignation, pride, and frustration in his eyes before looking back to Falkins.

"Honestly, I think he's gonna end up being one of the greatest that ever existed in this town."

That more than anything seemed to knock David for a loop, his body forgetting that it had been in a panic, only some ragged breaths being heard as he finally calmed down entirely.

Jeff raised an eyebrow but didn't seem like he thought it was ridiculous. With a careful nod, he pulled a shard out, and handed it first to Maine, and directed his attention to David.

"Alright so here's the thing. Wakako needs some CCTV footage from some gang shootout. She didn't tell me why she needs it, but honestly, we don't need to know. However, she did tell me she needs it acquired quietly, with absolutely no trace. No bodies, no bruises, no broken windows.

She wants EVERYTHING untouched except for the vid shard. Now, normally this would be fucking impossible. There are too many cameras and too many people. But you…"

Jeffrey gave David a slow smirk.

"Yeah… I've seen you on the scrolls that Maine has sent as proof of job completion. You're so damn quick you don't even register on the cameras as much more than a blip. Must have yourself some preem speedware."

David stiffened ever so slightly. He wasn't sure how he felt about people speculating about Sandy, but he figured it would happen eventually.

(Concern?)

It's ok… just worried someone might start poking. Not strong enough to protect me, Lucy… everybody.

(Confidence.)

...thanks, Sandy.

Jeff waved his stiffness away, shrugging.

"I don't give a damn what it is, or where you got it. All I care about is that it makes you possibly the perfect pick for this job. Not gonna lie kid. This is good money. Wakako is offering you 30k. And if you do it perfectly… She's going to start offering the whole crew new opportunities. This is the ticket to the big league's kid."

In and out? 30 fucking thousand Eddies???

Even split in two, that was 15k each.

Combine with what he had saved up.. he'd have more than enough to buy a higher-end cyberdeck for Lucy to replace that old deck. He still had no idea how she was so fucking TERRIFYING as a Netrunner with a deck that was over a decade old.

Maine had finished going through the information and frowned.

"Well… it's all there but this'll be in Heywood. El Pinche Pollo. That's… heavy fucking Valentino presence."

Jeff nodded, gesturing with his bottle.

"Precisely. Honestly, you're way too visible Maine. A big man like you? You stand out. Good for making an entrance. Terrible for doing shit stealthy. But David? Even if he just walked in to get some lunch, they wouldn't pay much attention to him. Just another Latino boy trying to get some grub. Maybe lose the jacket for the job though?"

David grimaced at even the concept of removing the jacket for the job… but Falkins had a point. His mama's jacket was intentionally hi-vis, so not the best idea for a sneaking job.

"So? Think you can do it?"

He let out a pensive exhale as he pondered the situation. To do it quickly? He'd need to increase the time dilation even higher than he usually used it.

That ok Sandy? Don't want to stress your systems.

(Insulted! Go fast!)

Heh… alright alright. Let's test this shit out today.

(Eager!)

"Yeah. I can do it."

And to emphasize his point, he finished drinking his lemonade, and set it down firmly on his desk.

"I'm good to go whenever."

Jeff grinned and sent both of them a number through the holo.

"That right there is Wakako's business line. You call that number after the job is done, and she'll give you instructions on what to do with the shard."

And with that, the jovial friendly nature that David had felt was part of Falkins being made itself known one last time, as he offered them both a handshake.

They obliged and he smiled softly.

"I wish the both of you… good luck. And tell the rest of the team that they were a privilege to have running work for me. Now go on. I've gotta deal with the rest of this clusterfuck."

And just like that, he was back to cold and professional, heading to his desk.

Maine nodded and signaled David to follow him. Maybe it was just sentimentality, but… David had developed a liking for the low-level Fixer. He was…

He'd been honest with them, forthright, and respectful when dealing with them. It was easy to get a big head in Night City once you gained a little power. Faraday was a good example of it, the cocksucker.

Just because he had the scratch, he thought he could treat people like shit.

But Jeff? Jeff was exactly the kind of man you wanted to work for. He was gonna miss the bastard.

Exiting the building for what might be the last time, David looked up at Maine who seemed deep in thought.

"Um… Maine? How are we gonna get to Heywood?"

Maine blinked and looked down at David with a grin.

"How else? We gonna take my ride. Come on."

And there it was, a Quadra Type-66. Maine's car. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he remembered Maine teaching him (or attempting to at least) how to drive. He'd been terrified at the speed and the responsiveness, having no idea how to handle a car like that. So when he'd rammed it into a gas station and Maine and him had drove off, a bunch of cops behind them?

He'd thought that Maine was gonna kill him for wrecking his baby.

But the big man had just laughed his ass off.

"Shit Dawg, no worries. I was planning on getting her detailed and repaired after today anyway!"

… that was the Maine David had tried to remember when things had gone further into hell after he'd died.

Not… not the awful, angry, mean man he'd been near the end.

"So whatcha think? Preem ride eh?"

Maine said with a grin as he slid behind the wheel of the expensive and badass vehicle.

"Not bad at all."

David said with a little smile, the good memories outweighing the bad for once as he got into the passenger seat, putting the safety belt on.

Maine sighed in satisfaction as he pulled into the streets of Night City, the traffic sufficiently sparse to make the ride smooth and enjoyable instead of going through miles of traffic.

"Yeah… I bought this car about 10 years back when I first started Edgerunning. It was my inspiration for my entire savings at the time. I was so fucking stupid."

He laughed out loud, shaking his head.

"Told myself, a car was gonna be more than enough to last me until I started making it enough to own an apartment. Wanted to start from nothing and claw my way up to the top. Man, I was a moron. Night City doesn't give half a shit about lofty goals and ambitions. Principles and ethics don't tend to mean a damn thing to folks here."

David blinked in surprise.

"Wait, so you're not from Night City?"

Maine shook his head taking a deep breath, looking almost… slightly confused as he spoke. But it vanished in a moment.

"Nah… I'm from Kansas. A little town with no real name a couple of miles out from Hydropolis."

When David blinked not comprehending, Maine just chuckled.

"Yeah, it's alright if ya don't know. Grown-up in Night City, and going to that 'Saka academy, you probably didn't get much focus on the internal shit of the good old NUSA."

David blushed a bit and nodded.

"I could tell you a bunch of crap about Arasakas founding, Night City's official history, and the corporate wars, but they didn't focus much on NUSA."

With an unconcerned wave of his hand, Maine kept speaking.

"Right. Well, Hydropolis is pretty much exactly how it sounds. Big Fucking city got made by a bunch of rich fuckers after the Collapse."

The Collapse… one of the major reasons why the world is just so fucked up. A time of economic, martial, and environmental strife and hardship. So much was lost during that time, that quite frankly, the NUSA, no… the world, would never quite recover from it.

"Yeah so, during the collapse, the Midwest and Great Plains area got hit with a BAD fucking drought. You've probably seen a few droughts here during your time in NC right? Well… I'm being straight up when I say that ain't got SHIT on what happened back then."

He blinked, looking at Maine curiously.

"Were you… there?"

Maine looked at him with a bit of a stink eye.

"Choom how old do you think I am?? I'm 46! The big Dustfall happened in 98 ya gonk."

He said with a playful look of insult, before continuing his speech as the roads congested a bit more, keeping them from moving as fast as they had been.

"I was born in 2030. My mom and dad were born during the collapse, and my grandma lived through both. But yeah. So after the Collapse and the Dustfall, Hydropolis was made by the few rich bastards that survived who for whatever reason insisted on trying to keep Kansas a food-producing state. So they made a massive city devoted ENTIRELY to hydroponics and food production."

David blinked in disbelief.

"That worked?"

Maine hummed as he inched the car forward as they'd gotten caught in a bit of a snarl.

"It did. Hydropolis basically controlled most produce that came out of Kansas. Some small farms with access to a few underground wells managed to make things work but...for the most part if you don't live in Hydropolis, you don't have much of a living."

"Then … what about you? Your parents?"

Maine sighed.

"So… my family had had a farm in that land for almost 120 years by the time I was born. All the previous generations had been farmers and my mother and father and grandmother tried to prepare me to be a farmer as well. But… I just didn't want that life. I didn't want to stay poor. Struggling to eat, and afford medicine. See the same fucking dust and rocks and cracks in the ground as I always did. I wanted to do something more. BE something more…"

Maine went quiet for a moment, hands trembling for just a second before it began to subside.

…. God that was nerve-wracking to watch.

"So what did you do then?"

He asked curiously, learning more about Maine now than he ever had the first time around.

Maine chuckled darkly.

"Well… interestingly enough, there were three major Military bases for the NUSA nearby and they were always needing recruits. I thought I'd go, serve the country a bit, and exit with education and a bunch of eddies saved up. So when I turned 14, I started training for it. I did as many pushups, situps, and pullups as I could and I just… I kept running. There was a road just a ways away from our house that I would use as my track. I try to push farther and farther and… for a long time it seemed like I'd finally reached the end of my ability. And then…."

He smirked.

"I got my first piece of chrome. Preem pair of cyber lungs. And I just fucking BLEW past my old record. I felt like I could fucking run forever. I was always built pretty strong, so Bootcamp wasn't an issue. Had more issues with them fucking with our sleeping habits than anything."

He chuckled quietly.

"That was when I met my drill sergeant, Sergeant Hayes…shit that man was a stickler for policy, regulations, and not over-relying on cyberware. He was probably one of the only fuckers there that didn't have some sort of obvious chrome on him. Well. Except for me at the time. No money for it ya know? Plus when you're military, any extra chrome you get would have to be approved by command. And God knows those bastards always had miles upon miles of requisition and permission forms for getting new cyberware."

So, Maine's obsession with chrome started early huh? God, it's like Vik said. Once you get more eddies coming in, and no one to tell you no, people like him and Maine go crazy like kids in a candy shop.

"So, you went through your military career with only the cyber-lungs?"

Maine was quiet for a moment, before pulling forward as the traffic slowly began to dissipate a bit.

"Nah dawg. Well. Sort of. See, for the majority of my time in the 7th Light division, there weren't any wars. A couple of military actions are needed sure, but nothing big. For the most part, they just kept you at the ready. It was during that time that I was able to get my degree. It was also around that time I met your mom."

David almost gave himself whiplash with how quickly he moved his head to look at Maine in confusion.

"Mom? You met mom while you were in the military?"

He'd thought that they'd met sometime while they'd been in Night City, not beforehand. How the hell had this never come up before?

For once, he didn't think he could blame himself for not asking. (Though he still felt the urge to)

This time, he figured that the fault was on Maine. Last time around, Maine REALLY didn't want to talk about personal shit, either redirecting it or just flat-out saying he wasn't going to talk about it. But this… this was information he would have liked to know. Mostly because as much as he loved his mom, sometimes it felt like he didn't know her well at all with her reluctance to talk about her past and more.

Maine didn't laugh, didn't grin. Just smiled softly. It was a tender, lightly mournful smile, filled with memories, good times, and regrets.

"Yeah. I went to class with her on a couple of prerequisites. Math. English. Etc. Your mom wanted to be a doctor. But… well, I guess she never qualified for the scholarships to get there. And God knows they weren't gonna give out loans to someone like her. But.. yeah. We spent a lot of time with each other.. Gloria and I were friends. Good friends. We… I don't know if you know this, but I actually dated her for a few years."

… what?

"What?"

Maine looked a little sheepish, rubbing at his nose, as the traffic eased up more and they began to make their way across the bridge into Watson.

"Yeah. She and I dated for a couple of years. Well. More than a couple. We were damn near mainline for a while. Broke up in 2059 because we couldn't agree on what we wanted to do in life. I wanted to make it big in the military, and she wanted to be a doctor. I told her she should join up so they'd put her through school and she could earn money too. But she just...she didn't want to end up in a position where she had to kill someone. "

David blinked. That… would make a lot of sense actually. His mom never wanted him to carry iron, saying that taking a life wasn't something she wanted to have on his conscience. The way she talked, it was like… she knew.

Maine sighed.

"Funnily enough it wasn't that she didn't want to be with a killer that we broke up. She just didn't want to be the one to get a call informing her that my ashes could be picked up at the base's crematorium. So… we split up. Kept vague contact for a while until… 2065."

20.. oh… oh wow.

"You were in the Unification War?"

"Mmmhmm… I tell you, kid. Night City is no picnic, but war? War is nasty. I knew a lot of good people… just get fucking splattered in front of me due to heavy machine gun fire. Just… waves of meat to the grinder. I was the leader of a fire team, and I was lucky to only lose 10 people throughout the conflict. All of them were my friends.

As for me? I got blown up with an IED near the end of the war. Lost my eyes, my left leg, and my dick and balls. I got fucked up badly. Luckily I was with them long enough that I'd gotten fully vested in the body replacement program so they fixed me up as best they could. Basic optics, medical grade cyber leg, and a Mr. Studd model 357. I was set to go back to the front in about a month when I found out that the war had come to a close.

And what brought the end to it? Not a fucking victory that could finally begin to bring the whole NUSA together again. No. It was fucking Arasaka rolling up on Del Coronado Bay thanks to Lucius Rhyne."

David nodded, now beginning to be more aware. He'd heard a version of this story in class, mostly all worshiping Arasakas dick. But shit… the stuff that had happened to Maine… he'd not known how much Maine had gone through.

"Yeah .. once 'Saka got into the fray, Myers decided it would be too costly to go to full-on war, and the free states stayed free, but had to work closely with the Feds. And Arasaka? Well, they got to come back to Night City with a brand new Tower, and all kinds of fucking goodies. As for me? I'd had enough. War is hell, but then the war was fucking stopped because a Corp decided to swing its dick around?

I couldn't stand that shit. Made me realize no matter what glory bullshit or serving your country crap they tried to sell me… it was all under the whims of a Corp. Never wanted some high and mighty bastard to use me like a tool again. So I retired and left for Night City. Figured I'd try and make a name for myself….. but… Yeah. Like I said, I wanted to rely on myself. Start from nothing. Prove to myself I was good enough to make it. So I bought my car, had about a grand left for food and shit, and my guns. "

David was… wow. He didn't really know what to say about all that as they crossed the bridge fully, and made their way into Watson. As they moved through the streets and by Vik's place.

Maine clenched his jaw at that and sighed.

".... Less than a week in, somebody I thought was gonna hook me up with a fixer cut me up bad enough that I lost a hand and stole the car. I don't know who it was. Some fucking 6th Street fucker. But you know who saved my ass from bleeding out? Being just another corpse?"

David wasn't sure… but he had his suspicions.

"... Was it Vik?"

Maine snorted but nodded.

"Yeah… yeah that old ripper didn't use to be in Misty's basement. Used to be, he had a place in Arroyo. But Sixth Street kept giving him shit, wanting him to become… officially affiliated. I don't know if you've picked up on this, but Vik ain't the kind of guy to give a shit about ultra-national bullshit. Anyways, turns out I got fucked up in the exact right area, cuz Vik dragged my ass inside and started saving my ass. That was when I told him to just fucking take both arms and put a pair of Gorilla Arms on so I could beat the bastard who cheated me and stole my ride into a pulp."

Maine shook his head fondly as they finally started to drive downtown into Heywood.

"Bastard said he would, but only if I fucking went through the recovery time and let him give his blessing. Do you know what he asked in return for giving me a line of credit to pay him back for the chrome? He asked to be able to drive my goddamn car a couple of times. That was it. Gonk doesn't see the point in owning fancy cars, but he always wanted to drive a couple."

David laughed.

"Yeah… that sounds like Vik. Guys have been giving me lessons for weeks now, and… well he still says he'll make money off of when I win in some fights he'll take me to. Hasn't made me pay him anything for the checkups either."

Maine nodded with a conflicted look of fondness and betrayal.

"Yeah…. Yeah, that's Vik. Anyway, so after healing up, and getting the go-ahead from Vik, I went after the fucker. Found him riding around in my car. Hoo boy, he about pissed himself on sight. Did shit himself when I crushed his head. Got my car back, and told myself I wasn't ever gonna get taken advantage of like that again."

David hesitated as they began pulling up to El Pinche Pollo, but figured he needed to try and find out what the deal was between the two men.

"So… why do you and Vik not like each other anymore?"

Maine didn't respond in any way as he pulled into a backroad spot a ways off from the restaurant itself. David was going to take the better part of valor when Maine sighed.

"That…. Is a very complicated question. Or.. maybe not so complicated. But it is a bit of a contentious subject between the two of us. I… I don't dislike the man. And I've got a hell of a lot of respect for him. But… he betrayed my trust. He didn't have my back when I needed him."

David didn't say anything, his mind racing almost as fast as he could be when using Sandy.

But before he could say anything, Maine just sighed and punched his shoulder lightly.

"You want the whole story? You finish this job flawlessly and we talk to Wakako. Then I'll tell you about everything."

David hesitated. While he did want to know more about the whole scenario and learn more about Maine in general...he could tell that it wasn't just some average spat between friends. This was…. This was something bigger.

"You sure Maine? We don't have to talk about it bossman."

Maine just snorted.

"You're getting a pretty cocky kid. I said if you do the job flawless. You ain't done the job yet. Connecting the coms now."

After a second, the call connected, and Maine's voice was heard despite his lips not moving.

Maine: "alright David. You know what you're looking for?"

David shook his head.

"Think we got distracted. You were supposed to give me the shard."

Maine froze and slapped his hand against his head with a dull metal think.

"Right… fuck I'm a gonk today. Here."

He said handing over the chip. As David slotted it, he hummed looking at the details.

"So I'm looking for the memory shard for the CCTV footage…and it's being kept in the office in the back?"

Maine nodded, and gestured at the restaurant.

"This job is for you. So I ain't gonna be giving you any help. Alright, David? I'll bail your ass out if you need me… but the approach? Your tactics? That's all you choom. All on you."

Looking at Maine, he could tell that this wasn't an attempt to get back at him somehow for drawing Wakakos's attention. He legit wanted to see how he would handle this.

David nodded, his jaw firm, his eyes focused.

"I've got it. I'll see you in a bit… think I'm gonna grab some lunch."

He said with a grin before hopping out. He was a bit hungry anyway. Might as well deal with his hunger a bit.

Before he could get very far though, Maine messaged him.

Maine: "The jacket kid…"

He said in an almost fond tone as David flushed. Oh…. Right.

He swallowed as he slowly pulled off his mom's jacket, swallowing as he folded it up, hesitating to put it in Maines's passenger side.

"Hey… I'll take good care of it Choom. Nothing will happen to it ok?"

Maine said quietly, a tone of understanding and… shared grief present for a moment. It was exactly what he needed to hear, placing the jacket on the passenger side seat of Maine's car, before heading down the backstreets to El Pinche Pollo.

As he walked past the occasional homeless tent, a couple of Valentino Gangoons sitting around a TV, and several vending machines, he started to strategize.

Ok… so for this kind of thing, I'm gonna need to move real fast. Like way faster than normal.

(Query?)

Hmm… how about 1%? Can we handle that?

(Unconcerned)

You're shitting me. How fast can we go?

(Query? Functionality?)

Yes, Sandy, I would like to be able to walk on my own power afterward with no permanent damage.

(Calculations… .1% Current Parameters. Caution!!)

So only 30 seconds of real-time with that. What about what I would experience?

(8 hours 20 minutes)

… are you fucking kidding me?

(Shock! Dismay!)

No, I don't think you're lying, it's just that that's absurd.

(Smug)

….you can go higher?

(Much)

Jesus Christ that's terrifying.

(Pride!)

Ok so if he wanted to be in and out without anyone noticing, he needed to do it In about 16 minutes or about 1 full real-time second.

That… should be more than enough time. That was ridiculous. The idea that he could go as far as Sandy was suggesting….

He shook his head to focus as he walked into the gang-run restaurant, taking it all in. The restaurant was a two floored setup, the bottom floor having a central bar with stools surrounding it for the folks who either wanted to eat alone or just drink. Meanwhile, the inner perimeter of the building had a number of booths and simple table for two setups. The place wasn't empty, but it had a fair amount of people. Some which looked like they might be regulars with a couple who were obviously rich folks looking for a taste of authenticity or whatever bullshit high they were chasing. The decor itself was simple. And yet complex. There were a lot of murals of fallen Valentinos, along with various posters of bands and movies.

Feeling as if he'd cased the joint appropriately he made his way to sit at one of the stools the man at the bar raised an eyebrow. David didn't look away and that seemed to satisfy him. Idly he noticed an older man looking at him curiously before giving the bartender his full attention. As soon as he got settled, the bartender spoke to him in Spanish.

"Haven't seen you around before kid. You a new recruit?"

David shook his head, looking up at the menu. Ooh… fried chicken. He could get behind that. But… maybe another time. He needed a light stomach.

(Eat! Need calories!)

Easy Sandy. I'll eat later. Don't want to get sick moving around with a full belly.

(Trust?)

Of course, I trust you but-

(Please.)

…. Jeez. Good thing no one can hear in my head or they'd know what a pushover I am.

(Thank you.)

"No, I'm just here to get some lunch. That a problem?"

The bartender shrugged.

"Eh. Not as long as you get gone before dinnertime. There's a birthday for one of the Valentinos today. You got an hour so you should be fine. Whatcha want?"

"Mmm… Apple juice and basket of fried chicken and a basket of fries."

The man's eyebrows raised a touch.

"You taking some home?"

"Nah Choomba. I'm just hungry. Didn't have breakfast."

The man shrugged and pulled out a can and handed it over to David as he went back to the kitchen to put the order in.

Maine: "how you doing kid?"

David: "just fine. Setting up my cover as a guy just grabbing some lunch. I'll let you know when I got it. I'll be eating for a bit."

Maine: "yeah alright."

He chatted with Sandy for a bit, kind of curious as to why it only seemed to speak in one-word sentences and short sentences. According to it…

(Inefficient. Preference.)

Fair enough really.

(Agreement)

Finally, after about 10 minutes, David received his food and… mmm. This smelt pretty good actually. Good seasonings and a pretty good scop. The texture looked to be preem, and as he lifted a leg to bite into it, his mouth watered. Shit, he guessed it was true what they said. Gangster restaurants had the best fucking food.

He spent a few moments munching on fries, as well as biting into the chicken. It was fucking DELICIOUS. Then again, a lot of things tasted good nowadays. Probably because he was hungry all the time. Hunger is the best spice and all that.

Alright… time to do this.

With a breath, he turned the dilation all the way down to .1% and watched as everything was brought to damn near a standstill.

Absolutely fucking preem…

(Smug. More to come!)

Alright alright. Time to do the job.

And do the job he did. He got up from his place on the bar stool, and moved quickly but also efficiently, avoiding anyone he might accidentally walk into. Making his way up the stairs, he had the urge to wave his hands in front of the guy sitting there on the staircase, but… Nah. Gotta keep a clear head.

Climbing the staircase, the second floor was revealed to be kind of like a lounge. It was empty and had a couple of guys there, but nothing too crowded. There were two guys in the middle of playing pool, a woman smoking a cig overlooking the first floor, and a man exiting the back office. And what luck .. the door leading to the office was still open as the man passed through. Sprinting forward, he danced around the man who had just walked through the open door to the lounge and slipped into the office. No one was there. Fantastic. Alright...time to look. It's supposed to be in a briefcase next to the desk…

Locating the briefcase, he opened it and...

Hmm. There's a shard there but…. Was it the right one?

What do you think Sandy?

(Insert!)

Fair enough.

He took the shard and slotted it quickly. After less than a second, Sandy spoke.

(Chip matches.)

Nova.

Putting the case back, he took a deep breath, barely able to believe it.

He'd done it. But he wasn't done just yet.

He still needed to get back. So retracing his steps, he made his way back to the staircase, and back to his barstool.

All in less than a second of real-time.

With a flex of his mind, he felt the dilation disappear an-

Gurgle

Jesus fucking Christ he was hungry.

Does using your ability make me hungry?

(.... complicated. Trust?)

He didn't see why not… though he DID want answers eventually. Instead, he continued to munch with increased fervor. Shit. He was going to need to eat some more soon. This wasn't gonna cut it.

David: Hey-hey, boss. I'm done.

Maine: "... Seriously? I mean.. you're fast but…"

David: "I can go faster."

There was silence for a few moments, and finally, Maine spoke once more.

Maine: "alright then David, finish up your food nice and quick. You'll hop in and we'll Delta, call the Lady of Westbrooke.

David: "yes sir."

Ending the call, he chowed down on the rest of his fries, finishing the chicken with a swig of his apple juice, and paid for the meal, along with a tip.

"It was a good food choom. I'll come back again."

"Just not at dinner eh? Might be crowded." The bartender said, nodding appreciatively about the tip.

With nothing more to say, David strolled nice and relaxed out of the restaurant, making his way towards Maine's Quadra.

Once more, everyone seemed to be following the mantra that any smart Night City occupant followed if they wanted to live. Mind your business.

Sliding into the passenger side of Maine's vehicle, the car quickly pulled into the road and drove off.

"You got the right shard?"

Maine asked once more, still in disbelief somehow, but willing to give it a shot.

David unslotted the chip, and held it up, before grabbing his mom's Jacket and wrapping it once more around himself. He felt a lot better after doing so, a small knot of tension had unraveled.

"Mmhmm. Matches the specs that Falkins sent to us on the data shard."

Maine was silent for a moment before stiff congratulations were offered...

"Good work."

David last time around would have been ecstatic at the praise by his mentor and idol. But now? He could tell that Maine was angry. He just didn't… know exactly why. He had an idea, but he didn't want to speculate.

"What now Boss?"

There was no response for a moment, but before David could begin to question things, Maine answered him.

"Well, now we call Wakako. Now kid… Wakako is big league. Maybe not the highest leagues like Dexter DeShawn or especially Rogue.. but she's been doing this for longer than you've been alive and she EARNED her rep. So be quiet and only speak if she speaks to you. Ya got me choom?"

David nodded. That fit with how he remembered the woman last time around. Wakako and he had gotten along because he didn't make excuses and didn't get too nosy. He'd worked with a couple of fixers after Maine had died. Wakako, Padre. Even a few jobs for Regina Jones. Never got a job from Rogue though. He supposed she could tell when someone was getting ready to go down the wrong path.

As perceptive as she was gorgeous he supposed.

Maine took his nod as a ready signal, maintaining the open connection with David, but sending a comms request to the number Falkins had given them.

Wakako: "Maine… as it has been a mere hour since you were provided the information of what I required, I hope this call is to inform me that your newest member has retrieved the shard, and isn't to waste my time."

Maine: "David retrieved the shard ma'am. He kept in contact. No alarm, no damage, no trace. Exactly as you asked for.

Wakako paused for a moment, seemingly a little shocked that it had actually been done.

Wakako: "I had wondered if the rumors were true, or just gossip… but it seems that you have a fine new addition to your crew. Very well. Go to the nearest drop box, and input my collection code. It will be delivered to me posthaste and your...David is that your name child?"

David swallowed lightly and looked at Maine who gave him a thumbs up before responding in Japanese. Fucking 'Saka was good for something he supposed.

David: ["yes Madame Wakako. This one's name is David Martinez."]

Maine just looked at him with a blank disbelieving look, and David grinned sheepishly.

Wakako: [" oh ho… Do you speak? Are you fluent?"]

David: [" Yes Ma'am. This one is fluent and capable of speaking Japanese, English, and Spanish with no language chip if you forgive this one's impertinence."]

Was he laying it on a tad thick? Yeah. Absofuckinglutely. But it was never bad to try and show off a little to make sure that the fixers knew EXACTLY how valuable you were to them.

Wakako hummed then and continued to speak In English.

Wakako: "Enough. Your language skills and ability to move faster than the eye or camera can perceive are impressive enough without the ass-kissing. You followed through with your part of the bargain young man… now I shall go through with mine. Maine? Keep your Holo at the ready. We will begin doing business once more."

Once more? Maine had done business with her before? Why would he have stopped?

Maine however just nodded at her words.

Maine:"I look forward to working with you again. And… I apologize for what I said to you. "

Wakako: " As do I Maine. I only hope that our relationship does not… deteriorate once more. Your grief was forgivable. Your disrespect was not. You will not get a 3rd chance. Good day."

And with that, the call ended.

The next step was handled rapidly, with David dropping off the shard to a drop box, inputting her collection code, and being immediately credited 30k.

Christ… it had been a while since that much cred just dropped into his account. But before he could get too attached, he transferred 15k to Maine as he got inside.

Maine however frowned.

"Kid what the hell? Why'd you pay me? I didn't do shit."

David shook his head.

"You were back up. That means you get a fair share. That's the only way we do things. Right?"

He said with a small smile, looking up hopefully at the big man.

He supposed he was still looking for approval from Maine. He'd been a Mentor. A friend. The closest thing to a father he'd ever had.

Maine looked at him silently, before a smile crossed his face as he nudged David's face with his reinforced knuckles.

"Yeah. That's the only way we do things Choom. But seriously. Keep it. Get Lucy something nice. You two have been together a couple of months now right?"

It was a positive tone of voice, but David could feel the sense of finality to it as the 15k was transferred back to him. Accepting Maine's decision he grinned.

"Yeah. We've been together for a while now and I just… I want to get her something good. Something she'd really appreciate. So I was thinking maybe a new cyberdeck?"

Maine blinked and nodded, seeing what he was talking about, making his way towards Watson.

"Yeah, I can see whatcha mean. Heh… Dorio's pretty easy to get gifts for. Guess it's good Lucy is pretty easy to shop for too. You got eyes on a model?"

David nodded. He'd been looking at one for a while but the top one was… well. He couldn't afford that right now.

But he did find one that he felt would be at least serviceable until he COULD pay for one.

"A Biotech Mk3. It's not top of the line right now, but it's got a good base Ram, plenty of recovery rate, and should help give her hacks a bit of extra oomph. It's about 50k."

Maine whistled lowly.

"Yeah…. That's a pretty pricey gift. Are you looking to get something special for it? Eh… eh??"

He said with that shit-eating grin, as David rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I'll tell you again boss, none of your business. Yeesh. How would you like it if I asked about you and Dorio's sex life?"

He regretted what he said the moment the words left his mouth.

Oh no.

Maine's face broke into an almost sadistic glee.

"Well, shit choom if you're interested I ain't fraid to share details. Now, the first thing ya gotta know about Dorio is that she likes it HARD. Ya gotta just grip her by the hair and take her like that."

David's face flushed a bright fucking red as he covered his face.

"Oh my god stop! Why are you telling me this?!"

Maine just bellowed in laughter as they drove into Watson, pulling into the parking lot outside of The Afterlife.

"Cuz you never know when you might need that info, Davey! Now come on. We're drinking to your success. Drinks are on you."

As David shrugged off the feeling of embarrassment, he couldn't help but wonder bewilderedly at Maine's words.

Why would he ever need to know about Dorio's preferences in bed?!

"Hurry up kid! You'll need me to vouch for you, and I'm not waiting for you forever!"

Maine called out with a smirk, watching as David rushed to catch up to him.

As they made their way down, David didn't really have to pretend to be excited or awed. It had been months since he'd been sent back to do everything right, and not once since they'd done that had they gone to The Afterlife. It was… nostalgic being back here. Hell, the last time he'd been here was… well. The pre-job celebration with everybody. Nobody had any idea just how bad things could get.

Not until they actually got there.

But this time would be different. What wasn't different however was the man who'd been the doorman every time they'd come the last time, the guy who'd forbidden Becca from coming inside his first time in. Turned out she had a history of being banned and let back in.

Maine nodded to the man who, when compared to anyone else would look huge. But Maine… well, Maine was Maine.

"Emmerick."

Emmerick nodded at Maine in recognition.

"Maine. Your reps raise quite a bit in the past couple of months. Good to hear."

The man's eyes glanced over at David.

"Who's the brat?"

David didn't say anything. Mild insults just didn't hit him like they used to. Really? What was the point of getting mad? He was young and had no rep. He probably seemed like a baby to the doorman.

"He's with me. And pretty soon, I'm pretty sure you'll be addressing him by name."

Emmerick just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"You're responsible for him. Go on."

The big man stepped aside, and let the two of them through into the club proper, with its cool blue lighting illuminating everything around them, Claire was at the bar with a man with sandy brown hair grinning at her with an affectionate gaze.

"Alright Dean, god… can never tell you no. I'll ride with you again for the races. When are they again?" Came the voice of Afterlife's Memorial keeper, tinged with exasperation and love.

"Bout a month babe. Thanks. I'll let you get back to work. See you when you get home."

The man said before leaning over the bar, and the both of them shared a soft kiss before the man left, and David and Maine could take a seat.

Turning a smile towards them, her eyes lit up at the sight of Maine.

"Maine! Been a while since I've seen you and that crew of yours. Where's Dorio? She usually comes with you."

Maine grinned and jerked his thumb over towards David.

"Just celebrating the kids' first solo job completion… for Wakako."

He said with a smirk, obvious pride in his voice, which made David feel… god he was so confused. Was Maine angry with him? Proud of him?

Claire looked at David with a look of appreciation.

"A job for Wakako all on your own? That does sound special. Special job completion deserves a special drink. Tell ya what… first time at The Afterlife… first ones on the house. So what'll it be kid… what would your drink be?"

Maine leaned in then and spoke quietly.

"Afterlife Tradition. Drinks are named after Edgerunners who died in a blaze of glory on the job. For a lot of us, the only way we get remembered is the stories they tell after we're gone, and the drinks we make here."

David thought about it and chuckled. There really was only one thing he could choose… wasn't there?

"One shot of Vodka, top it with NiCola. Purple. Can't be any other type."

Claire grinned and nodded. "Simple. I like it. What's this drink called?"

"The David Martinez."

Maine raised an eyebrow.

"Thought you hated carbonated shit."

David laughed as Claire put together the drink quickly, and placed it in front of him.

"Oh, I do. But… this one's about more than just taste."

Maine shrugged.

"Whiskey, and a splash of orange juice Claire. Thanks."

David went ahead and transferred 500 eddies over to the Afterlife, and Claire getting a notification.

"Paying ahead on any drinks we might get. His drinks are on me tonight."

She nodded and got Maine his own drink, before gesturing for David to follow him to an out-of-the-way booth.

Holding out his whiskey and orange juice, Maine raised a toast to David.

"To the fastest punk in Night City. And best novice Edgerunner I've ever seen."

He said with a soft smile.

David raised his glass to Maine.

"To the guy who gave me a chance, when I know damn well nobody else would have."

They clinked glasses and drank slowly. The bubbles in David's drink were annoying and lightly painful as ever, but he couldn't help the warmth he felt drinking it. He'd had this idea for his drink for a long time in the first go around. A way that even if something were to happen, David Martinez and Lucyna Kushinada would always be together.

Setting it down, David squared up his shoulders and looked his leader in the eyes.

"So… what's the story between you and Vik?"

Maine's jaw clenched, and he carefully set down his glass.

"Yeah… alright. Suppose I did say I'd explain it huh? Alright… it's a long story though."

David shrugged.

"I've got nowhere else to be for tonight."

Lucy was spending time with the women of the crew, and they were supposed to be having a girl's day. Not that he really knew what that would entail.

Knowing Becca? It likely had at least 3 explosions.

Maine inhaled slowly before letting it out in a huff.

"This goes back a few years. Back when the crew was just me, Dorio, Becca…. And Sasha."

David had to fight to keep from letting his eyes widen.

Sasha? The mystery member of the crew that they never spoke about? Not once had she been mentioned this time, and last time, it had only been a few hushed references before Maine had killed that line of conversation.

"Sasha was our Netrunner before Kiwi and Lucy. She was… she was a good kid. Sweet. Playful. A wicked streak when you pushed too far, but genuinely one of the best kids I've ever known. She could get in and out of a corpo office building without nary a damn trace, and leave Daemons that would be giving her top-secret information for weeks. Until…"

Maine's hand twitched and began to tremble violently, his ragged breathing growing before he grabbed an injector from his jacket, stabbing himself in the arm, his eyes focusing again, as he pocketed the injector.

"... We got a job from Wakako. She had a client who wanted confidential information from a Biotechnica institute. Sasha got in with no problem. Got the data with no problem. But…. "

He took a deep shuddering breath.

"....she cut contact after blowing the alarm. Just said…. Sorry. I started booking it there, running as fast as I fucking could, but when I got there I couldn't break the fucking gate down. It was just too tough and I… I wasn't strong enough. Wasn't fast enough. I… I watched her fall through a window, shot to hell and back. Landed on some gonks car. I tried... I tried to help her. Tried to understand WHY…. But she just… smiled. She died in my arms that night."

Maine's eyes were filled with a pain that had never been eased.

"Come to find out...apparently she'd given her life to blow the lid on a scandal on meds called Securicine. Had a side effect that caused neurodegeneration. Killed her mom."

Maine drank the rest of his whiskey and juice in one gulp, not caring at all about taste it seemed.

"... So after all that, I decided I wasn't ever gonna let it happen again. Wasn't ever gonna be found lacking, not strong enough, not fast enough. So I went to Vik to start ripping some more chrome. And he wouldn't."

Maine then glared at David, who despite the angry gaze didn't flinch this time, knowing that it wasn't for him.

"Do you get me? Motherfucker told me I had to wait. To mourn. To go slow and careful, when if I'd just done as I should have and chromed to my fucking heart's comtent? I could have saved Sasha. The way I am now? All the cyberware I've got now? I could have busted through those walls, and saved Sasha with no fucking problem. Listening to him is what got Sasha killed. And him refusing to help me get ready for when the next time I need to keep one of the crew safe. Gonk told me I needed to learn my limits… fuck that! Nobody decides my limits but me! I ain't letting some nosy fucking ripper get the people I care about killed. Not again."

Oh, Maine… but listening to you got me and the people I cared about killed.

He just didn't see. But grief did fucked up things to a person. He should know. When Maine was gone, David fucking… lost it. He'd immediately gone to Doc Borg to get the Gorilla Arms/Impact Launcher combo implanted. Didn't give a damn they were too big for his frame. So he just started increasing his frame to fit the arms.

"That's…. I'm sorry Maine."

Maine just waved him off.

"... You're not remembered as a Cyberpunk by how you live. You're remembered for how you die. And Sasha died on her own accord, blowing open a major scandal."

He couldn't hide the rage as he spoke though.

"The worst thing… the fucking BITCH of the thing is… that it did nothing. Biotechnica paid a fine, did a settlement for a few people, and added the side effect to the pills. But that's it. They kept chugging along. And that year… record profits."

David snorted in disgust. Yeah… that sounded like a fucking Corp. Not giving a single solitary fuck about the legitimate pain and suffering they caused only more money. More and more money and influence.

Maine just sighed.

"Yeah…. That's basically how I reacted before going on a bender. But yeah. That's my beef with Vik. I needed him to have my back on this, to help me improve myself so that no one would end up hurt again, and he refused. I still respect his skills. I honestly wish that he was still my ripper. But I make do. "

David saw the opportunity and grabbed it with both hands.

"Who do you go see then?"

"Mm… I got a couple of guys. Depends on the work I need doing."

Dammit… he was lying. Last time around, he'd found that Maine only went to Doc Borgs, and now that they weren't sharing a ripper, Maine wasn't as inclined to chat about who he got his chrome from.

"Anyway… you been doing okay? Hazards of the job aren't messing with ya?"

David raised an eyebrow at the subject change but gave it up as a bad job.

He wasn't going to get anywhere with things as they were.

"You mean killing? I… well. Sometimes. At the moment I don't feel much of anything. But after… when I'm sitting at home… it makes me think. I just… I don't know. I'd like to stop thinking sometimes."

And that was the honest truth. He couldn't be with Lucy all the time, and he still had no idea what the fuck to do with Becca, Vik and Dorio were busy people outside of his lessons, and Kiwi… well. Things were still awkward with Kiwi.

Maine hummed softly.

"You ever tried drawing? Or learning to play something? Music and shits a good way to clear your head when you've got too much time to think. I used to sketch when I was in the 7th…"

Maine paused for a moment, his eyes far away as he thought.

"Don't remember the last time I actually…. Sketched something out."

He mused before looking at David with a conflicted sort of expression. Maine seemed to struggle for a moment before he gaze at David with a slightly shamed look.

".... You know I'm proud of you...right kid?"

David flushed, and hid his face in his drink, sipping at it some more. He wanted to believe that really… but the memories of him getting so… cruel. And mean, when he was losing it crossed through his brain, along with his conflicting attitude and behavior made him actually question Maine.

"Then why do you seem so pissed at me sometimes?"

The shame grew deeper on Maine's face as he looked away, unable to keep looking at him.

"... It's… look. It's not your fault. It's my bullshit. It's just… hard to see some newbie roll up, barely any chrome except one preem fucking piece, and just… seem to take to the Edge like riding a bike. And sometimes my crap gets ahead of me. But kid, I haven't lied about a single thing I've said today. I think you're gonna be the best damn Merc this city has ever fucking seen. Just… feels like I've fallen even further behind."

David didn't know what to say, but before he could even attempt it, Maine just grinned and slapped his chest firmly.

"Just means I gotta pick up the pace! Get a couple of upgrades. Don't worry choom. You're good. I'm good. We're good. Now… why don't we get some more drinks mmm?"

And as Maine signaled for a couple more drinks, David hoped that was true. But with how Maine was already shaking and still looking for more chrome?

Hold on Maine…. I'm gonna save you.

I just don't know how.

__

It had been a long time since Maine had talked about… any of that really. Dorio knew it of course. Gloria had known some. But he didn't just… talk about shit. And it was weird that it was with this kid. He liked the kid. He really did. He was friendly, he was smart, and he took orders. Once did a job with the kid where he could have easily used the Sandy to handle the entire thing on his own, he'd asked why David hadn't used it.

Honest to God, the kid said that Maine hadn't told him to. And that he wasn't looking to be some big star, he just wanted to be part of the team. That kind of fucking humility was NOT common amongst mercs with the ability that David had.

He'd enjoyed having drinks with the kid, sending him home before he could get more than a buzz, waving off his concern. Maine didn't need company for his next destination.

He sighed as he wandered the streets of Night City, not afraid of anything that might approach him. It sent a dark thrill through him. When a gang tough-sized him up, and immediately backed down, he couldn't help but smirk.

Yeah, motherfucker… I bet you're fucking scared. Ain't anyone gonna fuck with me.

But then he remembered earlier with Jeff. David had started having one of his attacks, and he'd done his best to pull him away from whatever nightmare was in his head.

But when he'd come back, David… flinched. Like he was scared of him.

Ẁ̷̧̧̖̪̿ͅḧ̴̤̻͙͖͙́͜a̴̢̰̣̦̯͆̑̕t̸̻̲̰͇̃̌̾̑'̷̨̣̜̑͜͝ș̷͈̌̂ ̵̡͕̙͛t̴̮̮̥̼̳̀̅ͅḩ̷̛͊̏̊͐a̵͈̞̐̽t̶̥͇̦̩͍̂ ̶̬̏́m̶̧̰̜̞̎͛͋e̷͙̹̽́̎͆a̸͎̅̈́̕̕n̷̻̮̿̏́͑̓,̵̢͎̭͒͒̄̾ ̷͍͍̽̌'̴̤̮̀ȁ̶̗͍̗̝̹̏̈́͊̈́͌ĺ̷̫̱̝̟̊͌̂͠l̸̨͉̺͎͓̳̈ ̴̡̟̠̑ř̵̡̦̝̼̊ȉ̷̺͈̝͔g̸̭̬̦͕͎͌͝͠h̷̨̲̏̌̀̀̅ţ̶̮̣̰̯̏̓'̸̺̥̉?̸̖̝͓̫͇̘̿ ̴̣͓̾̓̉͋͝H̵̬̜̯͛͆͆́̽̚u̴̖̫̘̟̼̮͌͋h̵͕̭̓͆̿̑̍́,̷̤͚̽̀̈́͘͝ ̶̬̘̣̀͋̔̐͌̔k̴̺̈̊͘͠ͅi̴̛̟̲̯̩͛͑͊d̴͎̩͔̰̒̈̀̽̈́̕?̵̩͒

̸̞̹͚̱̾̆

̴̠̗̤́̉́̋D̵̪͎͗̑̑o̴̡̟̱̲̮͖͂ ̷̛̛̙̰̖̩̬̽̓͘̕m̵̬̼͔̹̊̐̀̇̀̆ė̷̡̫͙̻̙̈́̌̄͋ͅ ̵͇͚̍͜a̸̡̢̳̼̗̙̅̓̉̕ ̷͙̟̦̆̓̀͜f̷̯̻̜̪̝͖̉̑̀a̴̛̟̫͔͗̓͐ṽ̸̳͚̤̠̾̿͜o̷̧͕̽̀̿͛̀̆r̷̖͆̑,̴͚͙̩̫͇̻̇̓̈͝͠ ̵͈̩̣̈́̂̄͆a̴͍̬̮̒̅̔̚̚n̸̼̅̊͝d̸̛͖̈́̊̄ ̴̛̳̹͒̂̚͠m̵͚̳̠̈́̎́͆͊̌i̵̧̪̟̥̔̔͆̿͗ǹ̷̢͖̩͍̖͌̈͠d̷̼̖͖́̽͋͐̀̑ ̷̧̧̧̛̙̫̦̈́̍̄̐͘y̷̡̪͉͍̫̪̿͊͌̓̽ő̸̩͋͂̓͋ȕ̴͔̥̰̰̝̠͒̀r̶̨͇̜͂ ̷̥͑o̴̬̯̫̣̜̒͌w̷̨̤̗̐̓̈́͝n̸̹͊͒͊͗͝ ̷̟̖̩̑̾̇f̶̢̨̤͓͓͗͊̈͂͘͝ų̶̓̐͋̉͘c̶̼̪̠̔̓͋̓͛ķ̸̤͚̬̳̫̀̉̑̀í̵͖̦̠͍̃͗̃̂n̸̺̼̅͊g̵̡̹̝̮̩̈́ ̸̮̜͈̻͊̈̓̎͌͝b̶̻͚̓̾̽͘͘͠ȕ̵̬̬̪̲̋̉͝ͅs̵̡̰̮͚̳̳̔̃͝i̵͙͂̐́́̄̕n̷̝̖͂̉̽͝͝e̴̘̓̒ș̶̭͇̪̦͋̈́̀͑͜s̵̖̻̙̈́̓̀͑̚͜.̶̧̘̤̪̠͉͆͑̃͛̌͘

̴͍͍̞̝̓̍

̸̛̪̮͔͍̘̜̈́̍͌̑̒D̴͎̜̰̈́ô̵̤͑̉́͛̈ ̶̗̲͗ÿ̸̗͎́͝ö̵̡̲̯́̔͘͠ͅư̴̛̛̗̫̌̌ͅ ̴̧̺̳͈͐̈͜t̵̠̭̘̒̆͋̚h̴̗͕́̓̈́̈i̴̦̐n̵̨̛͇̝̜̮̭̈́ḵ̶͕̿̐ ̶̨̳͝y̸̨̩͙̼͊̈o̶̫͒̏u̵̜̼̲͚̼̎͐͂ͅ'̸̨̲͕̬̔͘͜ŗ̶̰̱̑̈͐̎͝e̵̯͇̔̂̎̂ ̸͙͔̯̟͛̆̀̄̔͂b̶̘̘̩͚͂̕͝e̸̪͗̌̏̈́t̶̛̞̯͊̃̃͝t̷̉͜e̶̥͠r̸̘̰̳̂ ̷͓̫̦̥̌ț̶̡̢̛͙͖̘̌̂͆h̸̝̺͇̼͇̯̽͂͠a̷̯͒͊̅͝n̴̨̠̪̏̿͐̓͒̏ ̶̧̺͈͖͔̊́̈́̃m̸͇̝̱͎̦̳̔̐̐́̓ę̵͓̼̩̄̈́̚͠?̶̜̪͓͓̯́͒͗̑͘!̶͍̳̐͌̃̊̓͜͝

Fuck! His head throbbed as he fought off the waves of hallucinations-m̵̘̪̱̰͕͓̀̉é̸̡͐̃͜ͅm̵̤̘̤̦̜͉̆͗̐̒̀ỏ̸̧̬͌̌͘͝ṟ̷͖̲̬̭͒͂i̸͕͎͙̜̝̾̓̏ḛ̴̿̕s̸͚͖̯̃̄͑̅̂̀ coursing through his brain.

He kept seeing Dorio dead, blood everywhere. David… the kid standing there, tears streaking down his face as they stood in some abandoned mess of a building.

He kept seeing himself on that broken road in Kansas, skinny and weak, asthma keeping him from getting to the end of his run.

Maybe…. Maybe it was time to chrome down? Dorio had stopped asking, but he could tell she wished he would. But…

Sasha's face flashed through his brain, the members of his team who'd died in that stupid pointless war…

No… no.. he needed to get stronger. Faster.

Better.

So his feet took him to his usual location.

Doc Borg.

That grimy dirty old clinic looked as it always did. No sign that he was open or not. Hell, if you didn't already know about him, you might think that it was an abandoned building. His hands trembled some more as he dreaded the fucking sadistic ass ripper cutting into him once more.

Fucking sack up you piece of shit. It's just pain.

He'd gotten used to pain a long time ago. Besides, it was better than when he first started coming. Now he was way more chromed out, and the cutting barely hurt.

After fighting off the trembles in his hands for the moment, he went inside, finding the man attached to the fucking dick-sucking machine as always, deep In a BD.

With a sneer, he considered just smashing the ripper's brains to a pulp, for what he'd done to David if nothing else.

But…

He NEEDED him still. Just a little while longer.

He kicked the man off the table with a sneer, Doc looking up pissed as he ripped off the headset. Before grinning.

"Ah…Maine… anudder piece for ye Choomba?"

"Yeah."

Just a little more.

"Another piece."