Quiet life or blaze of glory?

„First, you'll need some new optics - the kind that'll make it harder for cameras to detect you and tape your face. Then, I would advise you to get some simple muscle boosters and a synaptic accelerator. You should focus on what you already have; a strong Cyberdeck, reinforced shoulders and neck that can easily stop most bullets from penetrating and zeroin' your ass. You, as an obvious Netrunner, should stay in the back 'n' hide. I wouldn't get an optical camo implanted yet, because that shits are too expensive for you now. The rest, I can pay for you,' V suggested, which I found reasonable enough to do.

Vik was immediately in on it, chipping me the things that V suggested.

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I got to look in the mirror, being able to see myself for the first time, because I had no image of my self.

I saw myself having medium-long, black hair, white-blueish hunter eyes that were caused by the optics that I got installed. My nose was slightly crooked and I saw my beard come in. My neck and shoulders were, as V had said, replaced by chrome-colored chrome that even looked as if it could easily stop most projectiles and disrupt any ICE attacks.

„Sheesh… Didn't even know whatcha looked like, right," V asked, slightly worried.

„Yeah. I look handsome, I know that much immediately."

„Haha! I know someone who would've said the exact same gonk shit," V laughed. „Well, now you know. Here, take this suit. As a runner you should have one."

It was a simple, torn, black Netrunning suit. The suit's right sleeves was torn and revealed my pale, white skin.

„It's tight, I know. We'll go get some clothes that you can wear over it."

I was now ready to got out into Night City - THE City of dreams and THE City if gangs and corporations.

I stood right in front of the door that would open Night City for me. And before I could even go through the door, a nasty fucking smell gave me my first opinion of it. ‚Cruel, I just know it is," I thought.

„Going through here will open your new life's first chapter. Going through it will give you two options. ‚Quiet life o' blaze of glory?'"

Crackheads, badges, whores and local gangsters, what a sight to behold.

„You either end up here, or you end up there," V said, pointing towards the sky where various corporations' ads were beamed into the sky.

„What do we do now," I asked.

„There is a store nearby that you can buy some clothes and other utilities from. Toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo and body lotion, a couple of undies and a variety of clothes that don't scream for attention."

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„Ha! You got a Sugar Momma?! Damn, choom, I'm envious," the store's cashier said, seeing V pay for my stuff.

Not amused by the cashier's comment, V grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him up.

„Lesson 1: Don't let yourself be disrespected, ever! You do the honors, kid. Punch him in the chest," V said, pulling away the cashier completely over his desk.

The cashier was flailing like a fish on a hook. It remind me of a punching bag a mere second later.

I did as I was told, V was basically my mentor now. My muscle enhancer and my optics allowed me to perfectly place my fist into his Solar Plexus. V threw the cashier to the side once she noticed he was starting to throw up.

„Once your opponent is downed, you have two choices. One, you hit 'em again so the completely lose consciousness or their life for that matter. Or two, you just walk away and let them live with this shame. I prefer the first option," V said, giving me slme of her streetsmart.

A kick to the head knocked the cashier out. And with that I won more of V's favor.

„Ain't half bad, kid. Now, let's go to my place and get you set in."

V called a Delemain cab. It brought us to Megabuilding H10. And while we drive there, I observed everything that happened outside of the cab's windows. More crackheads, suits, badges and even more gangsters walked around the city. It looked as if no civilian walked around at this time.

„Why aren't there any normal people out at this hour," I asked V.

Instead of getting an answer from V, the cab itself answered.

„It's currently 2 am. You won't see any civilians who value their lives at this tome if day. Crime and violence is at a daily-high around this time," the cab answered.

„Did not ask you," I said to the cab.

His inquiry into mine and V's relationship angered me greatly.

‚Looks way too easy to hack…'

The face of Delemain shut down instantly. It was easier to hack into its system than taking candy from a kid.

„What did you do, kid," V asked.

„I simply shut him up."

"Don't trust AIs?"

"I don't trust anything that doesn't breath."

"You're an amusing kid, I'll give you that. Hacked it quite fast. No personal link used, no emergency warning - simply nothing. Seems as tough I am at your mercy, kid. I'll believe your words."

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"Don't the crackheads in front of your home bother you," I asked, seeing all kinds of peeps lingering near V's front door.

"There are a few unspoken rules in most Megabuildings. Everyone knows where you sleep, shit, shower, eat and fuck. Mess with someone who doesn't have anything to lose, and you might end up getting zeroed, robbed, kidnapped, raped and whatever they do in this city. As long as no one enters through this door other than you, me or my 'special' guests, everything is good. But once someone invades your space, they might get lynched for breaking the unspoken rules," V explained as she gave me her apartment's access code. 

It was a small joint. A bed that at one corner of the living room, a small armory, a wardrobe that was also inside the living room and a bathroom, which fortunately had a door. 'At least some privacy... Even if there wasn't, would I care? I am not sure.'

"Yeesh," I said, noticing the chaotic apartment "Didn't you say you'd have 'special' guests over? Empty liquor bottles, pills, food that didn't expire even though it must've been there longer than 3 weeks. Clothes, undies- undies..."

I got a smack to my head after I said the last part.

"Gah, annoying. You'll start livin' here, too, ya know? I don't care what you want to do in the future, but feel free to change and design this apartment to your liking. Only thing you'd need to do that is scratch - and we'll start with that once I get some damn sleep. Was up for 3 whole days guardin' you. You clean this place while I nap, I trust you not to do anything stupid, alright."

With that, V jumped straight into bed, still wearing the same clothes. 'Disgusting - her, this apartment, this building, this city, all of it. I fuckin' hate filth. I needa change a couple of things around, make this world adapt to me, instead of me adapting to it. I have the capacity, the potential. I can do anything. It really is just as V said, though; Quite life or blaze of glory. It all comes down to me.'