Rust Incense

Leo: "V, Jackie, are you at El Coyote Cojo? The client from the last job wants to meet with us. Perfect timing, I've got an idea. Let's meet there."

Jackie: "My place is right here, what do you think, hermano?"

V: "I'm at Jackie's place. Finally, some action. I saw you cooped up all day at home; I thought you were dead. You should get out and run or something—let me show you the way."

Leo: "A night jog in Night City? What, am I itching to catch a bullet or test the hardness of my skull? I rented some workout equipment at home."

V: "I just can't stand how you plan everything out. One of these days, I'm going to take you down."

As Leo showered, he recalled a scene from an anime and suddenly paused.

Yeah, why did David and Lucy go running at night? Maybe it was because they were poor.

El Coyote Cojo, owned by Jackie's mom, Mama Welles. In many ways, El Coyote Cojo was like the Dicky Twister nightclub of Heywood—a favorite hangout for mercs, fixers, and gangsters.

But it was more laid-back; many came here just for a drink. For the Valentinos, this place might even feel like home.

The usual lively Spanish music was now replaced by a silent melody, and the small round tables and chairs squeaked under the strain of the ceiling fan.

Leo had barely approached when he saw Jackie standing at the alley's entrance. Though he didn't say it, it was clear that Jackie was worried Leo might get mugged by some street punks again.

"Hermanos, how'd you sleep last night?"

"Not bad, I practiced some skills. If you guys ever get implants... forget it, I don't want to steal Old Vic's business."

"Haha, Old Vic's the best ripperdoc in town. You'd have to work pretty hard to surpass him."

They walked a few more steps before seeing V standing at the street corner, just standing there quietly, staring ahead.

Following her gaze, Leo saw an old woman murmuring to herself by a flaming metal barrel.

Leo patted V on the shoulder: "What's on your mind?"

V watched the old woman's back and muttered: "I just think her daughter and she are both so tragic. The daughter dies from a stray bullet on the streets, her funeral forgotten, leaving her mother alone to mourn by the wall—when this mother dies, no one will remember her either. Two little people fading away in time, unnoticed."

The flames carried a metallic tang, the incense of farewell for her daughter.

It seemed the old woman had been wandering for two days—likely having spent all her savings to pay the fee.

It looked like her life was nearing its end.

"Let's go. Let's hear what this mother has to say—buy her a drink. I think she might not have enjoyed much in life."

The girl killed by the 6th Street Gang was named Amina, who had just turned 22 and was about to graduate. She had secured an internship at Arasaka.

Though the position wasn't great—it was as an assembly worker on the orbital station, with maybe only a few days off each year—it was still a corporate job, and the orbital station was at least safe.

To secure this job, Melissa had taken out many loans, scrimping and saving to support Amina for 14 years. Her daughter had worked hard and at least found a job.

Honestly, Leo could already imagine the rest of her life.

14 years of hard study, 40 years of repaying loans, basically her entire life.

A lifetime of 14-hour days spent in assembly work, with maybe less than 100,000 Eurodollars saved by the end.

A monotonous and oppressive life—yet some people could endure it because of the 14 good years that came before.

Just another insignificant kid—but maybe she didn't have a dream of burning down the city. Still, she had a family she loved, and who loved her.

Maybe someday, she would have a family of her own to love and be loved by, not too glamorous, but warm enough.

Such a life ended by a 2 Eurodollar bullet.

Melissa, with reddened eyes, told her daughter's story. It was such a brief story, needing only a few words to convey. But Melissa remembered every detail—the first time her child smiled, walked, called her mom, threw a tantrum, hugged her...

Maybe to society, the child was just a marginal figure, but to her mother, she was a dazzling treasure.

"...Thank you for listening to me."

Leo raised his glass: "To Amina, the hardworking, good girl."

"To Amina."

The three of them downed their drinks in one go.

Melissa forced a tired smile and handed Leo a watch: "I should go. I know you're busy too, but... take care of yourselves. This is the first gift Amina gave me, an old watch she fixed herself. I don't need it anymore, though..."

Leo shook his head and accepted the watch: "We'll remember Amina."

The old woman nodded contentedly and left El Coyote Cojo.

It was an old relic from a bygone era, not a fancy watch, just a simple mechanical one.

Like its owner, ordinary, ticking away steadily.

Not far away, Mama Welles quietly wiped away tears, a sight Jackie noticed.

"People say Night City burns people's dreams, but in reality, what burns out more often are these ordinary wishes, thrown into the fire without even sparking much."

Leo said this as he put the watch away and turned to Jackie: "Jackie, we can talk about work later."

"Thanks, hermano. Anyone would feel bad seeing that."

V poured herself another drink: "I suddenly feel like killing that guy was a good job, even if the pay was low—tell me, what did you do after you got back?"

"Tested a few daemons, dismantled his implants—took them apart, put them back together, just for practice."

"You didn't give him any anesthetic, did you?"

"Are you kidding? Do I look like an idiot? Let's review our funds. I've got 40,000 Eurodollars left, how much do you have?"

After paying for tuition and implants, Leo had only this much left.

But he had expected that—money comes fast and goes fast, especially for someone on the brink of death like him.

"Me? Still got 40,0000 left, paid Old Vic back, covered rent, and I'm planning to get a new arm. The shipment hasn't arrived yet, but I've already reserved it with Old Vic."

"An arm? Mantis Blades?"

"How did you know?" V looked surprised, "I was planning to pull it out and wow everyone later. Speaking of which, do you think I should get a Sandevistan?"

Implanting cyberware can lead to cyberpsychosis, and Sandevistan is notoriously favored by crazies.

Unlike Kerenzikov, which is a passive implant, Sandevistan carries a much higher risk of causing cyberpsychosis compared to regular cyberware.

Leo thought for a moment and said, "If you're worried about that, then don't install it."

Reality isn't a game, and Leo didn't think V was in a position to install whatever cyberware she wanted without consequence.

Besides, V wasn't flying solo anymore.

"So, about the job, we—"

Bang!

Gunshots and screams rang out from outside, making both of them tense up instantly—

"Valentino scum, go to hell!"

The sharp sound of bullets hitting V's back was followed by them bouncing off—

"It's the 6th Street Gang! Damn it!"