Edgerunners II (End Second Season)

-

One hour later...

After treating all his minor wounds, David found himself sitting on a gleaming metal bench in an immaculate, brightly lit white hallway in the VIP area of the Medical Center.

Still processing everything that had happened, he waited in front of the hermetically sealed doors, the light around the frame indicating that his mother was still being operated on.

Sitting on the spotless bench, David couldn't shake the strange feeling that accompanied him, a feeling that made him wonder over and over again the same question: 'What would have happened... if Trauma Team hadn't rescued us or, rather, if... someone hadn't been paying for a subscription?'

Strangely enough, an image kept creeping into his mind as a answer every time he asked himself this question.

He saw himself sitting, as he was now... but instead, in a dirty, dimly lit, and depressing place. Due to his economic condition, in some of the cheap, lousy emergency clinics in the city.

David looked at his leg, which started trembling, not voluntarily as usual, but out of fear, thinking about what would happen to his mother in such circumstances, with deficient medical care.

'She would surely... die,' David answered himself, aware of the grave condition his mother was in, seeing how the Trauma Team members started attending to her immediately in the AV during the flight, and after an hour, they were still operating on her...

Finally, a doctor emerged from the room, with a calm but serious expression. David hurried towards him, searching his eyes for any indication of the news he was about to receive.

"The surgery was successful, and your mother is out of danger," said the doctor, with a firm and reassuring voice. "But she is in an induced coma, and we won't wake her until her surgery wounds improve."

David felt a mix of relief and weakness, as if his entire body lost strength upon hearing that his mother was out of danger.

However, the doctor's next words tensed him again. "The problem... has arisen with the belongings we recovered from your mother... under normal circumstances, even for Black-titanium clients, we would call the authorities..." The doctor said, chilling David's blood.

Until the following words calmed him, a bit, as the doctor added nervously, similar to the Trauma Team member, "But, due to the... exceptional circumstances of your account, I hoped to solve the problem in a more... discreet way."

Not daring to be the one to provoke the figure behinda certain sticky-fingered mother and her son.

The doctor looked around, checking that no one else was around, and opened a sealed bag with Gloria's belongings, pulling out her yellow EMT jacket.

"Kid, do you know what's in this jacket?" He asked, not daring to pull out the sought-after military Cyberware it concealed.

"Mom's jacket? How should I know? Unpaid bills?" David responded, not knowing what else could be in there.

"There were some, but that's not what I'm referring to..." The doctor said, at a crossroads.

Seeing that David seemed to know nothing... he couldn't hand it over, nor could he leave it for others to find, much less consider calling the authorities, potentially provoking the dangerous Account Holder.

"Ahmm..." Not knowing what to do, the doctor sighed before asking, "David, right? You wouldn't happen to know a way to contact your account holder, would you?"

"I've already told the Trauma Team, but I have no idea who it is," David replied, although after having time to think about it, he had his suspicions. "And even if I did... I have no way to get in touch with 'him'."

Having tried years ago, sending messages to his Cybertube account before it was closed, even recordings of his progress when he still played the bass, all without response.

"Well, kid, I hope you find a way to contact Sora Inazuka or we both will be in big trouble," said the doctor.

Although he suspected it, hearing 'his' name shocked David, opening his eyes in surprise, or at least as much as his bruised left eye could, when, immediately... the double doors at the end of the hallway swung open.

Two familiar faces appeared before David, and one for the doctor, who turned pale upon seeing him, as if he had summoned him by merely uttering his name.

Causing a whispered denial from the doctor, "Impossible... he shouldn't be able to return to the city..." So low that David, beside him, could barely hear it.

Yet still, 'he' responded with a smile, hearing it from the end of the hallway.

For his part, David initially focused his attention on the Asian man in his 50s. 'The same person who saved us 4 years ago... again,' David thought, feeling his eyes sting as he realized.

'How long have they been protecting us?' David wondered, looking at the other person, realizing that since he met him 7 years ago, it seemed like he had always kept an eye on him and his mother...

'Then?'... David thought before asking, "Why? ... Why do you help us? ... Why did you give me the bass?" His voice cracked as he asked. "And if we matter to you for some reason... why... did you disappear without responding to any messages?"

David concluded with a touch of resentment towards 'him', and towards himself.

David stopped short when he felt a heavy metal hand rest on his shoulder. It began to tighten as Sora asked in a reproachful tone, "Tch... look at those baby hands... along with your tone... you're not telling me you stopped playing, right? David?"

Before he could respond, Hiroyuki intervened, "How strange, when I saw you four years ago, you never parted with your bass. Have you really given it up?"

David, averting his guilty gaze, replied, "I-I, after you disap... when Jackie stopped uploading songs... I might have neglected the bass a little..."

Sora frowned and, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, replied, "We'll see how much 'a little' is... if you play like crap, I'll be pissed... and you know what happens when I get pissed, right, David?"

Feeling his testicles climb up to his throat, David was saved by the doctor who intervened, "Excuse me..." confused by the sudden familiarity between him and the supposed stranger.

"What do you want, sawbones? Can't you see we're having a nice reunion?" Sora retorted, visibly annoyed.

David seized the opportunity to free himself from Sora's grip: "Nice? You're gonna break my shoulder, choom!"

Sora let out a dry laugh, "Little it seems... CHOOM." Ignoring the doctor again, he added, "To think you gave up the bass... and here I was thinking of uploading some new video as Jackie with you... Ahmm, new generations suck."

David, angry, replied, "If you had that plan from the start, you could have said so!"

Sora raised an eyebrow, amused by David's reaction, "What? You wanted me to give you homework? Playing an instrument has to come from within, not because someone forces you... Tch, ungrateful brat."

David couldn't hold back, "Ungrateful, me? It's your fault for ignoring me!"

The doctor, unable to bear it any longer, shouted, "EXCUSE ME, COULD YOU TAKE THIS?" Raising his hands, offering the bag with Gloria's clothes.

"Ah, the Sande of old Norris..." Sora said, grabbing the military Cyberware hidden in the jacket. Then, he threw it to David, "Put this on... it's giving me a rash seeing you in that."

"Oh shit!" David exclaimed, feeling ashamed, realizing he was still wearing the Arasaka academy jacket. He quickly took it off and threw it into the nearby trash can, sure he wouldn't need it anymore, while putting on his mother's jacket.

David, intrigued, asked, "Wait, mom had the Sande of James Norris, the Cybersyco? Nov-auch!"

Sora gave him a smack on the head before correcting him, "Show some respect, it's the Sandevista of Lieutenant Colonel James Norris."

"Tch, I will when you do..." David muttered, adopting a rebellious tone... similar to "someone."

"When have I ever been disrespectful?" asked "someone," confused.

"You called him old!" David accused.

Sora sighed, exasperated, "And what's that got to do with anything, huh? He was old, besides, I knew him, you only know him from a BD that captured the worst moment of a great person, so shut up."

David, unashamed, apologized, "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

Realizing what Sora had said, he exclaimed, "Aaah! How do you know about the BD? Are you one of those... Cyber-stalkers?" David asked, hugging himself as if protecting his chastity.

This caused Sora's eyelid to twitch, as if it glitched for a moment, while he clenched his fist, debating whether he should start disciplining David like Trevor.

Hiroyuki, watching the scene, laughed, "Haha, he really does resemble you a bit."

Sora nodded, resigned. "That's what I feared... and why I wanted to keep my distance... to avoid influencing him"

"Too late for that!" David replied cheerfully, shedding the somber aura he had adopted in recent years after losing sight of the things he was passionate about... like the bass.

Then, skirting the edge of racism due to their Asian features, David stood in front of them and, with an awkward, almost comical bow, said, "Thank you! Thank you for saving my mother and me four years ago... and for saving us again today... if it weren't for you... I... thank you, thank you-"

David stopped when Sora's metal hand rested on his shoulder again, making him stand upright.

With an expression that could only be described as "shameless" Sora said to him, so he wouldn't feel bad, "You wouldn't thank me if you knew what I took from you..." Referring to one of his fiancées.

David, although he didn't understand, squinted with resentment... believing him. Feeling as if something precious he didn't know about had been taken from him.

Before David could ask, Sora stopped him by saying, "So... come with me. I want you to meet someone and we need to talk about which 'path' you decide to take... because nothing in this world is free... and I intend to make you repay every EDDIE I've spent on the Trauma Team subscription, and on your mother's operation."

Swallowing audibly, willing to pay his debt, David replied, "Alright. But..." Looking at the door where his mother was, he asked, "What about her?"

"Don't worry, Hiroyuki here..." Sora said, hitting his uncle's shoulder with unnecessary force. "He'll stay with your mother until she wakes up."

A slight smile appeared on David's face as he added, "Hoo, he's sure to be surprised…"

"Kid, why do you say that... did she say something about me?" Hiroyuki asked, treading reluctantly down a "path" he thought he had long abandoned, at the insistence of his two brothers; one of metal and one of flesh, and his two nephews.

"Well... more than saying something, it was more of a sudden fit of rage, cursing a certain person who didn't give his name and disappeared as if nothing," David replied, recalling his mother's insults and curses about a certain man who saved them.

"You got her, uncle!" Sora exclaimed, with his experience with Latin women, encouraging Hiroyuki.

"Do I?" Hiroyuki asked, confused.

"Here, read this while you wait, you'll get it," Sora said, stifling a laugh as he handed his uncle a slightly burnt book.

"Hmm? '50 Shades of grey.' has a good title. Thanks, I'll read it," Hiroyuki replied gratefully, thinking it was some kind of romantic and action novel, with Gray being some sort of spy or stealthy character who used shadows.

"You're welcome, I'm sure you'll love it," Sora replied with a big smile, before opening his jacket again and pulling out a small foldable pad, shaped like two cylinders joined like a scroll, but with a flexible screen instead of paper.

As Sora opened his suit jacket, David didn't miss the chance to peek inside, spotting one of his Malorian guns peeking out from within.

"When she wakes up, give Gloria this. If she's interested, have her sign it," Sora said, handing the pad to his uncle, with a generous job offer from Iron Beast. "And remember... if anyone from Militech shows up..."

"I won't let them lay a finger on her," Hiroyuki finished.

"Exactly," Sora said, nodding, "You have Mathew and all the Lazarus forces I've brought at your disposal if you need help or extraction."

After listening to them, David exclaimed, "Militech?! Why would they want- oh!" Realizing it himself, he said, "The Sandervistan."

"Winner-Winner, Chicken Dinner," Sora responded, not seeming too worried about Militech.

"So, is that why Mr. Hiroyuki is staying?" David asked, concerned about the situation his mother was in.

"That's right, and of course, so your mother doesn't wake up alone... crying for her little lost son," Sora said, sticking his finger in David's ear to cheer him up and annoy him at the same time.

He succeeded when David slapped his hand away, trying to keep his composure.

-

Just needing a few minutes...

A silver Porsche 911 Turbo, with a black rear and a red stripe crossing it at the color transition, sped through the streets of Night City...

Becoming the center of attention on the streets it crossed, due to the music blaring from inside, but especially... because of the multiple Militech SUVs chasing them.

Seeing the expression on the face of the person next to him, Sora asked, "What's wrong, David? Don't you like the song?"

Unable to say that he wasn't a big fan of a song from almost 100 years ago, David replied, "No, it's not that... it's just hard to believe the doctor informed Militech so quickly, considering how scared he seemed of you."

"I doubt it was the doctor. Your entrance into the Medical Center drew too much attention, or maybe it was mine, who knows... but this is better, so don't worry," Sora said, describing their position positively.

"This is better?" David asked doubtfully, pointing at the multiple SUVs chasing and shooting at them.

"Sure, with Militech's branch after the Sandervistan, they won't bother your mother. This way, Hiroyuki and she will have more time to get to know each other in peace," Sora responded while turning the wheel, taking a sharp curve.

"You must be joking!" David exclaimed, seeming opposed to such an idea.

As he drove, dodging gunfire. "What's wrong? Your mother is a lovely woman, and my uncle isn't the most handsome... but he also deserves to be happy!" Sora said jokingly. 

With Hiroyuki actually being an attractive man who exuded a sharp aura that attracted women. But after the death of his nephew Ishida*, Hiroyuki had opted to abandon any idea of starting a family.

*(Second son of Musashi and Aoi, introduced in chapter 44)

Until that changed a few years ago at the insistence of his loved ones, but especially... the part of Ishida... that resided in his brother Tashin, who asked him only one thing: to be happy.

"No, that's not what I meant," David responded nervously, correcting his words that had been misinterpreted. "I would love for mom to be with a good person. I've always felt guilty about how she never had time to find someone."

"Then?" Sora asked, confused, taking his eyes off the road.

"I meant because of that, THAT!" David responded, desperately pointing at the Militech roadblock cutting off the three streets of the intersection they were heading towards.

"Oh! This part is good..." Ignoring him, Sora turned up the volume of the song even more, one of those saved by Johnny himself in his car... which made Sora squint his eyes, questioning under what circumstances he would play it.

Played by David, when they started being chased by Militech and being a witness and victim to the way Sora drove, he began pressing the car's dashboard buttons in hopes of finding some kind of emergency brake.

After a sensual saxophone solo, typical of 80s songs, with a captivating voice that rivaled George Michael's, Sora sang...

"♪ Tonight the music seems so loud ♪" as he drifted the Porsche through the intersection, getting trapped when their pursuers stopped, blocking the only unblocked street.

"♪ I wish that we could lose this crowd ♪" As if he didn't care, Sora stuck his arm out the window...

"♪ Maybe it's better this way ♪" And pointed a finger at the Militech forces surrounding them, while still drifting...

"♪ We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say ♪" As if he was singing to them.

"♪ We could have been so good together ♪" When David thought Sora was crazy and that he was going to die because of him, seeing the Militech soldiers aiming their weapons at them.

"♪ We could have lived this dance forever ♪" Before they fired, someone else did it faster.

With a 40mm grenade bouncing off the asphalt, slipping under one of the vehicles forming the blockade, sending it flying after it exploded.

"♪ But now who's gonna dance with me? ♪" Leaving a gap in the blockade, which Sora didn't hesitate to use as bullets began to rain around them.

"♪ Please, stay! ♪" After escaping the blockade, David opened his eyes, surprised to see a woman standing in the middle of the road holding... a grenade launcher.

"♪ And I'm never gonna dance again ♪" She looked his age, or a little older, with pale green hair tied in two pigtails, her eyes glowing with an orange hue that gave her an intimidating appearance despite her beautiful figure.

"♪ Guilty feet have got no rhythm ♪" Of which she wasn't ashamed, quite the opposite, flaunting it proudly by wearing only knee-high armored boots and a large black coat with green luminous details and the white Iron Beast chief security symbol on one sleeve... completely open.

"♪ Though it's easy to pretend ♪" Revealing her tattooed torso, abdomen, and legs with fuchsia patterns on her slightly bluish pink skin... and especially revealing her curves and perky breasts covered only by a black bra and "shorts"...

[♪ I know you're not a fool ♪] Allowing George Michael to take his place for a second, Sora, before reaching her, told David, "Stick your hand out the window."

"♪ Should've known better than to cheat a friend ♪" Taking over from Charles again, Sora kept singing while David stuck his open hand out, confused, and asked, "Like this?"

"♪ And waste the chance that I've been given ♪" Without needing a response, David was surprised when, as they passed the young woman... she disappeared from the road.

"♪ So I'm never gonna dance again ♪" Reappearing, grabbing his hand, and planting her feet on the car door, while she started shooting with her free hand, blowing up the Militech SUVs chasing them.

"♪ The way I danced with you ♪" While Sora sang in the background... David and Rebecca seemed to "dance," holding each other's hand, due to how the Porsche twisted and drifted, dodging traffic and taking curves at high speed.

"♪ Oh, oh ♪" David, with his heart pounding like the solo saxophone that was playing. He couldn't take his eyes off Rebecca, whose eyes reflected the neon lights of the streets, as she laughed maniacally while shooting.

"♪ (Now that you're gone) now that you're gone ♪" Noticing David's gaze, after running out of ammo, Rebecca returned it.

"♪ What I did's so wrong, so wrong ♪" Staring at each other as as black SUVs of Iron Beast and Lazarus passed in the background, taking their place, blocking the remaining Militech forces chasing them.

"♪ That you had to leave me alone ♪" Until Rebecca looked away slightly embarrassed by her previous manic laughter, which only had a greater effect on David.

Seeing this, Sora smiled, reducing the guilt he felt for stealing David's girl, and for how Rebecca, despite everything, fell in love with David again just by seeing him.

Shortly after, a black Yaiba motorcycle appeared on autopilot, with white details and green neon lights like her jacket. Putting her feet on it, Rebecca said to David, "You can let go of me now, kid," with a firm tone, regaining the authority she had lost.

David nodded, carefully releasing Rebecca's hand, who gracefully climbed onto her moving Yaiba.

She had always wanted one, influenced by Sora's, but due to her short stature, she was never able to ride one.

However, according to the Nanobot Bath sessions at Iron Beast, the cellular damage in her body was corrected. This allowed Rebecca to experience a second puberty over the last four years, transforming her into the beautiful and sexy woman she has become.

She might not be the tallest, but she reached a height where she could ride a motorcycle without any problems.

Then, Rebecca followed them, flanking the Porsche, while David was left speechless seeing more Iron Beast and Lazarus vehicles appear as they crossed more streets.

Forming an intimidating convoy around the Porsche while Sora kept singing, on their way to the Mega Headquarters of Iron Beast and Lazarus, responsible for their protection.

-

In the same direction in Vista del Rey, where Iron Beast's workshop stood four years ago, now rises their new headquarters.

The facilities occupy the entire rectangular block, with four cubic buildings at each corner, standing like the towers of a fortress.

Between these giant cubes, made of tinted glass and reinforced steel, extended a lower and elongated structure of buildings, forming a wall around the central core of the complex. A campus with paths through the grass, in the middle of the different Wings, to move between them, into which the complex was divided.

Leaving a single open area in the structure that surrounded the facilities, which served as the main entrance, where the heavily guarded Porsche in the middle of the convoy that protected it stopped.

Seeing what awaited him outside... Sora let his head fall with dismay, hitting it against the steering wheel.

Causing the Porsche's horn to start sounding, making the expectant Iron Beast workers waiting outside in position look nervously at each other.

With his head still on the steering wheel, Sora said, "David, go out and tell them to leave..."

"You've got to be kidding, right? You're not their boss, you tell them," David replied, also somewhat reluctant to get out.

"No way... I handed over all my shares to my fiancées, I don't hold any position at Iron Beast," Sora replied, sighing heavily before continuing.

"But to the new workers who don't know me and don't know how much I hate those things, it doesn't matter... and as if you had taught them, I'm sure that when I get out of the car, they're going to bow ridiculously and say something embarrassing in Japanese..."

"What do you mean 'I taught them'!?" David exclaimed, feeling insulted, adding, lying to himself, "Mine... wasn't that bad."

After Rebecca violently slapped one of the windows to get him out "for fuck's sake," Sora said, "Alright, let's go..."

When he got out, just as he feared, the new workers waiting for him, forming a long corridor, bowed, making his ears bleed when they all called him at the same time...

"""Sōgyōsha-sama""" (Founder-sama).

"Hi..." Sora responded, with a forced smile while waving his hand half-heartedly.

Then, once they stood up and looked at him expectantly, hoping he liked it, he sighed before explaining, "I know your seniors have told you that I love these things and that it's customary for rookies to introduce themselves to me like this... but the reality is..."

Changing his tone completely, Sora said seriously, "I hate these things. We are not Arasaka here, we don't kneel, nor do you call me weird shit or 'sama'... I fucking hate that shit, so... fuck off and Delta." Sora concluded, shaking his head for them to move.

Despite his words, he had restrained himself from scaring them, but still, the rookies scattered across the campus, moving stiffly with pale expressions on their faces.

Causing their seniors present to subtly laugh at them, as they officially ceased being rookies after pissing their pants from pissing off the... boss for the first time.

Seeing them walk away with their heads down, David said, "I feel kind of bad for them, Sora-sam—Ouch."

"What did I say! Don't call me that shit," Sora scolded after giving him another smack on the head.

"It was a joke! What's wrong with it? I'd love it if they did it for me. You didn't have to get violent!" David responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

Not having the same circumstances, not wanting to become someone like Saburo, Sora shook his head without answering while lighting a cigarette.

Alongside Rebecca, two more people approached Sora and David.

"Where are Gear and Trevor?" Sora asked after exhaling the smoke.

"She went to see Jackie," Roxy replied after greeting him with a slight nod. She was dressed in the usual Lazarus mask instead of the Aoe, and her leather jacket from the R.A.B.I.D. unit.

"Tch, poor bastard, I doubt he'll be able to walk tomorrow," Sora added, thinking about how Jackie was the person he knew closest to fulfilling every man's dream of dying by snu snu.

"Trevor is in the Lazarus Wing with Morgan..." Mathew, wearing a pilot's jumpsuit and his R.A.B.I.D. unit jacket, informed. He then looked at David and with sudden hostility upon seeing him get out of the Porsche, asked "By the way, who's that?"

"Hm?" Earning David's interest, who stared back at him.

"It's none of your business. Mathew, go with Roxy and take this to the Lazarus Wing. Give it to Morgan and tell him from me that a couple of hours have been enough. He'll understand, oh and also tell him to increase the security level. I doubt it, but the only thing Militech has left is to assault the facilities to try to get it back."

Ordered Sora, while taking off his jacket and handing it to Roxy, avoiding revealing the Sandervista.

Knowing what he had handed over, David said, "Wait, that's..."

"What? You're not going to say it's yours, are you?" Sora completed with a smile, finding the situation amusing, while rolling up the single sleeve of his shirt, revealing his tattoos.

Now only in his elegant vest, leaving expos his two Malorians under his arms and Getsuga behind his waist.

Still wearing the same suit he used in the Rabbit Hole mission, after a long day that had extended to almost 40 hours due to the 16-hour time difference between Okinawa and Night City.

"No, but... you have one? And she does too, right?" David asked, looking at Sora and then at... Rebecca.

"More or less, but yes, we both have one," Sora replied, with everyone present having Sandervistas.

David, having witnessed Sora drive in a way that would be impossible without one and Rebecca's striking performance, thought he would need one to keep up with them. "Then, I..." he began to say, not daring to finish the sentence, not wanting to seem like a spoiled kid asking for something like a Sandervista when he didn't even know how to use a weapon.

Seeing this, Sora said, "Relax—" but was interrupted by Mathew, who scolded him angrily, and despite being the same age, said, "You want one, kid? Do you know how long it took me to earn mine?!"

"What?! You have one?" David responded, surprised, as the standards he had formed about the type of people with Sandervistas collapsed upon learning that Mathew had one.

Feeling insulted by his surprise, Mathew exclaimed, "What do you mean by that, idiot?!" Immediately after, he moved so fast that he disappeared from David's sight.

However, for the other three people present, his movements seemed clumsy and slow, due to how Mathew's Sandervista was a model designed for pilots, not synchronized in the same way with his nerves and muscles

After David saw Sora's arm disappear, he could see Mathew again, staggering while holding his forehead with a pained expression.

After receiving a flick from one finger, he was prevented from appearing in front of David to scare him.

"About the Sandervista... relax, David. If you're really willing to increase the debt you owe me, I wouldn't mind lending you one... that isn't this one," said Sora, shaking the transparent bag before handing it to Roxy.

Having spent four years studying and practicing like crazy to get his own, Mathew complained, still holding his forehead, "Are you seriously going to give this kid a Sandervista? In Lazar—"

Before he could finish, Sora interrupted him, "Mathew... we're not in Lazarus, right? I understand how you feel, but this is a special case. If I hadn't intervened, this idiot would have put on Norris's Sandervista. I'm just staying true to the lore..."

"What does that mean?" asked Mathew.

"It means; It's none of your damn business and you follow my orders! Got it now, huh?" Sora asked, his eyes glowing to add weight to his articulate explanation.

"Crystal clear, sir!" Mathew responded, standing at attention, before heading with Roxy to the Lazarus Wing.

"Rebecca, where are Maine, Dorio, and your brother?" he asked.

"They've finished their shifts, so I'd say in the Civilian Wing, at the Turbo Bar. But I thought you'd want to see them first," Rebecca said, thinking of his beautiful fiancées, who had ordered her to pick him up.

"I'll finish the matter with David first..." Sora answered, beginning to walk.

"You're going to make them angry," Rebecca replied, as the three headed to the Civilian Wing on the west side, in the opposite direction of Mathew and Roxy, who were heading to the Lazarus Wing on the east side of the complex.

-

The civil wing of the facility, consisting of a series of buildings situated between the two cubic buildings on the west side, was a hive of activity. Designed as a shopping center, this area was the only part of the facility open to the public, filled with small shops, restaurants, and other entertainment services.

In one of these establishments, with a prime street-level location, ample parking, and an exterior service booth reminiscent of its old spot in Japantown, stood the new Turbo Bar. It now also featured an indoor space, whose modern design and rock vibe were complemented by dim neon lighting, creating an atmosphere typical of Night City.

The bar was crowded, both outside and inside. The clientele was diverse: off-duty Iron Beast workers having a drink before heading to their apartments in the residential wing or outside the facility, corpo employees with loosened ties trying to unwind from work stress, and Lazarus mercenaries celebrating their latest jobs. Even members of the Valentinos frequented the place, as the civil wing had become a valuable part of Heywood.

Despite the diverse mix that could potentially spark an incident with any minor interaction, everyone behaved.

Not wanting to have any beef with the owners, not of the bar, but of the facility, especially now that three of Iron Beast's four security chiefs were seated in their private booth.

Suddenly, Dorio, Maine, and Pilar stopped drinking when a commotion started from one of the bar's entrances from the interior complex.

It quickly spread throughout the bar, even to the band playing on stage, who stopped, plunging the bar into an awkward silence.

Caused by the entrance of a small group of three people who navigated the crowded bar with relative ease.

Due to how; whoever they were—corpos, civilians, mercenaries, or Valentinos—everyone stepped aside when they came face to face with a man with an angular face partially covered by messy strands falling from a barely-held ponytail, exposing ears full of piercings that gleamed under the bar's dim neon lights.

Even the band was surprised to see... the exiled legend of Night City returned,

When the "commotion" reached them...

Maine, with a smile knowing what it meant for him to be showing himself so publicly, broke the silence. "Glad to see you... What, they finally lifted your punishment, Kid?" he said, with a mocking tone and a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

In response, Sora returned the smile as he exhaled cigarette smoke.

"Hahaha," Dorio celebrated with a hearty laugh before saying like a proud mother, "Look at him! It's hard to call him that now..." as she made room on the couch for Sora and Rebecca to sit. With only him accepting the seat.

"But he does..." said Maine, observing the young man with spiky hair who sat in front of them on a stool, and his yellow Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) jacket, identical to that of his contact he couldn't locate.

"Tch, so that's why you ran off so quickly without saying anything, shorty," Pilar scolded his sister, frowning. However, she ignored him and sat next to David on another stool.

Sora, aware of how Maine was looking at David, decided to intervene. "Don't worry about your contact Gloria," he said, his tone calm but serious. "She hasn't left the city with the Sande I asked you to get."

"Hm? What happened then? I've been calling her all afternoon, and why the hell do you want a Sande?" Maine asked, his voice showing a mix of frustration and curiosity.

"She's had an accident and is recovering. This is David, her son," Sora explained with a reassuring smile. "And about the Sande... if I told you, Maine... I'd have to kill you," he added, his smile widening with a touch of mystery.

Maine snorted indifferently, hiding his interest, and said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat, "More of your secret Lazarus stuff, huh? Must be fun... going around the world blowing things up..."

"Is that envy I detect?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Screw you," replied Maine, trying to maintain his indifferent tone.

"Don't be like that," Sora said, taking a drag from his cigarette. "I invited you to join my unit two years ago, remember? And the best mercenary team in Night City didn't want to leave their little kingdom and turned me down, right?"

"And look where we ended up!" Pilar interjected, standing up a bit and showing the security chief symbol on the back of his vest, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Pff, don't get me started," Sora responded, waving a hand. "I was against the contract Judy presented to you, almost gave away the salary while you could still do your Merc stuff."

"You bastard," Pilar said, half-joking, half-serious.

"Screw you," Sora replied with a crooked smile.

"Screw you back," Pilar responded, with a brief laugh.

Suddenly changing 180 degrees, Sora said, "Good to see you, Pilar..."

"Me too, man..." Pilar responded, giving Sora a friendly pat on the back.

While the idiots hugged, Rebecca intervened, "Besides, you know perfectly well why we didn't leave the city..."

Not wanting to leave so as not to abandon what had been rebuilt in those two years while Sora was away.

"I know, that's why I'm here instead of with my lovely fiancées. Things have changed, I can now return to the city and the bases are built. It depends on David's response, but as for me, I'd like the five of you to join my unit."

His proposal surprised the four present, who smiled and hit Sora somewhere on his body, whether it was his head, back, arms, or legs, as a "friendly" response to his proposal.

Meanwhile, David, though excited to be included, had no idea what they were talking about. However, that excitement was short-lived. When the closeness he had felt from Sora disappeared, replaced by a cold look.

"David, it's time to decide..." Sora said, looking at him seriously for the first time. "I was serious about the debt, and I plan to make you pay it. But the way you do it and the time it takes... I don't care..."

"You can go back to the Arasaka academy. I can even lend you some more Eddies so you can finish it without any problems, with the updates you need.

Working a few years for Arasaka, you can pay me back without problems, slowly selling your soul in exchange for Eddies, but your mother will be happy and proud of you, idealizing a part of a cruel world she doesn't know."

Sora said, feeling a certain inverse similarity in the ways Gloria and Hanako thought, both wishing for their children what they idealized because they didn't have it.

"Then there's the middle option, the one part of me honestly wants you to take: I can offer you a secure job here at Iron Beast. Your mother will be just as proud and I promise that when you finish work each day, you'll still be able to look at yourself in the mirror without having an anxiety attack."

David, knowing what the last option would be, looking at the weapons they all carried, kept shaking his leg hesitantly until he looked at Sora and Rebecca for a moment. Then, decided, David said: "I want the third option."

His sudden words surprised Maine, Dorio, Pilar, and even Sora, and made Rebecca sigh resignedly, as she closed her eyes and shook her head, knowing what the four would do next.

Then, as predicted correctly, David found it hard to breathe, his mouth went dry, and he felt dizzy even while sitting on the stool, as he felt for the first time the murderous intent that the four released upon him simultaneously.

From his perspective, and partly due to the dim lighting of the bar, they all took on a terrifying tone. Their faces darkened, leaving only their eyes or lenses visible, shining in different colors as they stared at him intently.

"Kid... do you know what the third option means?" Maine asked, removing his glasses and revealing his eyes, which shone disturbingly.

"It means killing..." added Dorio, in a threatening tone.

"It means seeing companions or friends die," completed Pilar, smoking, while his mono vision took on an unsettling orange glow.

"It means... entering a world that can also change you... David," concluded Sora in a calmer tone than the rest. But for David, his gaze was the most terrifying; his pupils, shining a cold pale blue, made him feel like he was not facing a human being.

David kept shaking his leg, as if he metaphorically stored all the dissatisfaction he felt there. Then, after stopping it abruptly, he returned the gaze to the eyes and lenses watching him from across the table, and without hiding his fear, said, "I... I don't want to kill, nor do I want to hurt anyone..."

Maine, understanding, said, "Then kid-"

"But..." interrupted David. "I don't want to feel lost any longer. I want to feel like I did in this last hour; wanting to play the bass again." David said, looking at Sora, trying to express himself as best he could. "Even though my mother is in the Medical Center... today has been one of the best days of my life. It made me feel..."

"Alive," Sora completed with an understanding smile, reassuring David when his attitude changed again, returning to being the big brother with whom he had spent this incredible last hour.

Making him exclaim in response, "Yes!" as it was just the word he was looking for.

"Then that's settled. Rebecca, later take David to Viktor's clinic. I'll send someone to bring you a Sandevistan," said Sora, surprising the others, including Rebecca and David.

"What!?" exclaimed Maine upon hearing that a rookie would implant a Sande from scratch.

"You're joking, right?" asked Pilar, thinking like Maine.

"Hm... really?" even David asked nervously, doubting if it was a good idea.

"I'm serious..." while Sora argued a convincing lie, quickly steering away from the topic.

Rebecca celebrated David's choice by hitting his shoulder with a glass in hand, which she offered, and he gladly accepted the red tube glass she gave him.

As the conversation became more leisurely as the drinks kept flowing, Sora entertained himself more than expected, having missed Pilar's nonsense, who, as usual, started his juggling and dirty jokes, eliciting laughs from the group.

Suddenly, he stopped drinking when he felt a chill run down his spine, as if someone wanted to kill him and wasn't hiding their intent, making him scan the bar for an enemy, turning pale... when he found it in a way.

Seeing their glaring looks, Sora whispered in fear, "Oh shit...!"

Surprising the rest, but especially David, discovering that there was someone or something that could provoke such an expression of fear in Sora.

As he turned around scared, following the looks of Rebecca and the rest, David was surprised again when the fearsome being that provoked such a reaction was actually two stunning women: one with long white hair that reached down to her hips and another with short blue and violet hair, standing at the entrance of the bar with clearly angry expressions on their faces.

Then, the eyes of one of them glowed with unusual intensity as she took control of the room, stopping the music and abruptly turning on the bar lights, momentarily blinding those present and destroying any festive atmosphere inside.

Immediately after, the other woman, the owner of the enormous facilities, took over, shouting with a powerful voice that resonated throughout the place: "EVERYBODY OUT OF HERE!"

The first to react were the Iron Beast employees, who didn't hesitate to leave the bar as quickly as they could upon seeing their visibly angry Chief Cybersecurity Officer (CCO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with a furious look they didn't want to be the target of.

The "target" didn't want it either, so he lowered his head, hiding it behind the enormous Maine.

Then, when the corpos and the Valentinos also started to leave, the group of mercenaries who were celebrating, too drunk to recognize them, dared to approach them unsteadily.

They stopped abruptly when something big, which had to duck to get through the "small" double doors, stared at them intently before entering and sitting on his four legs behind the women, without taking his eyes off them, ready to devour them if they took another step.

Without the two women needing to look, their head of security and brother-in-law planted himself in front of the mercenaries, politely asking them to leave.

Dressed in an impeccable suit and a stylish old black helmet of his brother's... the one he used when he had to attend some... Gala. Completely black with an aerodynamic fit to the head, and a smooth structure like glass, with protrusions on the top like the ears of a wolf... or a dog, in his case.

The mercenaries hesitated for a moment. But, seeing how the huge warg didn't seem to move and due to their drunken state and arrogance, they opted for violence, trying to attack... Tashin.

Without needing to draw his identical recreation of Getsuga, Tashin... simply struck the joints, shoulders, elbows, and knees of the mercenaries with Getsuga's scabbard, deflecting their blows and causing them to hit each other.

When one of them drew a weapon... Tashin appeared in front of him, sheathing Getsuga, but each time he finished sheathing it, it would slip out a few centimeters, prolonging the process for a few seconds until it finally stayed in its scabbard.

In the next instant, the metallic hand holding the weapon, of the mercenary who was left dumbfounded seeing how Getsuga didn't seem to want to be sheathed... fell to the ground along with the weapon.

Then, the wrist fell... then a piece of the forearm, and then another piece, and another, until it reached the elbow, which also fell...

As if it were disassembling, the mercenary screamed in panic, watching sections of his arm continue to fall... or rather, rise. Until it reached his shoulder and just as it reached the flesh, a thin red line appeared, so fine that barely any blood came out.

This made the terrified mercenary look at Tashin, who had turned on the screen of his helmet, revealing an angry red Oni face. The Oni face suddenly approached him and knocked him unconscious with a headbutt.

Immediately after, as if another person had taken control and Getsuga responded to it, the scabbard expanded from the end and metal spikes emerged from within, taking the shape of a bat... or Kanabo.

"Tashin" began to use it to beat the remaining mercenaries with unnecessary brutality, until he was surrounded by bleeding and unconscious bodies.

When the screen of his helmet turned off and the Oni disappeared, Tashin and Getsuga returned to being swordsman and sword, resuming his position behind his sisters-in-law.

They stepped over the bodies of the mercenaries without flinching until they themselves had to go find their... fiancé. Who stupidly hid his head behind one of his security chiefs, as if that made the rest of his body disappear.

Knowing exactly where they were... Sora asked, "Are they gone yet?"

"Yes!" Responded Maine and Co.

This prompted Sora to stick his head out, and as if he hadn't seen them at first, he said, "Judy, Lucy, what a surprise, I was just about to come find you... you look... gorgeous. Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you?"

Instead of responding, the two of them stopped looking at him and turned to Maine and Co., saying, "Get out," "Leave."

Immediately, as everyone got up, except for David, Sora ordered, "Stay!" with a hint of fear in his authoritative tone.

This caused the four to pause for a second before saying, "Nah," in unison as they finished getting up.

Hesitating whether he should leave too, Sora said to him, "David, stay," and was then grabbed by Rebecca, who dragged him out of the bar.

Running out of options, Sora turned to his last alternative, since Eco, fearing this, hadn't wanted to come in and was the first to leave. Turning to his brothers, Sora said to Tashin, "Brothers! Please don't go... Bros before—"

"Before what, Sora?" asked Judy, as if she was experiencing déjà vu. After these four years, fused with Cortana... she had the beauty of a goddess and the body of one.

"I'd like to know too," inquired Lucy, also curious to see how he would try to save himself. Not falling behind Judy, she had let her hair grow, acquiring a more sophisticated and pampered appearance that made her even more beautiful to Sora.

"VOWS... Bros before vows, happy?" Sora responded, turning desperately to his brothers, hoping for their answers to his plea for help.

The first to respond was the eldest brother, Miyamoto, with a red Oni mask appearing on his screen in sync with the personality changes. With a rough and direct voice, he said, "Sorry, brother, but this is a battle only you can fight."

The next to respond was the middle brother, Ishida, indicated by the oni face changing to blue. With a relaxed attitude, he commented, "Calm down, brother. They're only this pissed because they miss you, right? Just think about that and Fighto! Haha..."

Finally, the youngest brother, Tashin, being the owner of the body, deactivated the screen, turning it black, before saying, "Brother, you know that with what I owe you, I'd follow you to hell... but..." Looking at his two angry sisters-in-law, Tashin added before running away, "Good luck, you'll need it."

The bravery of his brothers made Sora roll his eyes while shaking his head in resignation. Or at least the AIs and the person who had become like brothers to him. But not just for these four years, but for the 20 they lived together in cyberspace.

Four years ago, during the months he was given before leaving Night City, as long as he stayed hidden, Sora spent the time on a peculiar idea he came up with to save Tashin.

Whose damaged mind was entangled with two different Relics, with the incomplete memories of his deceased brothers, Miyamoto and Ishida.

Since they were impossible to separate, Sora decided the best thing would be for them to do it themselves.

He had the idea of teaching or rather letting the damaged consciousness of Tashin, as well as the incomplete AIs of Miyamoto and Ishida, develop in a safe environment. Like babies that had just been born.

But Sora didn't use scenarios created from his memories to place them in and make them repeat until they copied the correct response, as the SoulKiller did. That's what he would have done if he had remained just Sora, but as Arc too... "Sora" created something much more ambitious.

He created a vast digital environment and filled it with the available memories of the three brothers, like checkpoints in a game, or events they had to relive, to develop/recover their individual personalities.

The size of a city, where they not only relived their memories but also lived, ate, slept, learned, while they grew and developed, as if they were literally newborn babies growing up again, with a certain predetermined destiny shaping them from their own experiences.

Sora chose a residential neighborhood from late 20th-century Japan as the setting for the simulation, synchronizing it with the Iron Beast servers. So that all the AIs, who were learning or living inside... filled its streets, bringing the digital city to life as neighbors, companions, friends, or stray animals of the family that moved in...

Moreover, Sora didn't just fill the simulation with the brothers' memories; he also used those of Musashi and Aoi. He included them as real actors: giving them the opportunity to be parents again to their own children or the beings who would inherit their memories.

Since he obviously had to be nearby to oversee the entire process, Sora also participated as another brother. Thanks to the capsules he designed, based on Lucy's helmet, Aoi and Musashi... they lived 20 happy years with their children in that digital city... in three months.

However, as an unexpected twist, when Hanako learned there was a small version of Sora, even if it was digital, she wanted to participate and experience what it would be like to be a present mother.

To do this, Sora sent a capsule to his mother and created a digital copy of himself with reduced intelligence, designed to grow and develop like a small child, like the rest of the brothers. This allowed Hanako to experience being a mother alongside Aoi, but this time to four children.

While the rest of 'him' managed and supervised without being seen. Like a small Okami*

*(Here I use the other meaning of the word Okami in Japanese: Wolf/Divine spirit)

Thanks to this project, Miyamoto's and Ishida's AIs were completed, forming complete beings with new resources that filled the gaps, and it was they themselves who separated from Tashin's consciousness, strengthened by the new experiences.

Allowing Tashin, with the support of his digital and real family, to regain his life once more, accompanied by his brothers sharing the same body, for now... believing that their new brother would someday be able to transfer them to their own bodies.

When everyone left the bar.

Feeling guilty for leaving Sora inside, David, remembering the fearful expression on his face, asked Rebecca, "Did we do the right thing by leaving?"

Rebecca raised a finger, indicating to David to wait a moment before answering, after a few seconds of waiting... "HOW *** CAN *** BE *** MISERABLE, F** ***!" It could be heard through the walls outside the bar.

A tense silence followed the shout, abruptly broken by the sound of something breaking, presumably an empty beer bottle thrown forcefully at the head of a certain "miserable" person, even in these circumstances, continued talking, angering them more.

The shouting and insults continued, "YOU *** *** BASTARD *** *** ***!"

As the shouting continued, Rebecca asked David, "What do you think? Do you want to go in and help him?"

Despite what he imagined was happening, believing that Sora was being devoured alive, David responded by shaking his head vigorously.

Finding it adorable, Rebecca laughed as she leaned against the wall. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as it seems. Sora usually takes little time to 'calm them down' after angering them."

Just as she said... the shouts and blows began to subside, replaced by the sound of more objects falling, but this time, the noises had a different cadence, one that gave David a completely different feeling.

It made him raise an eyebrow, finding it...

As if responding to his suspicions, as a bassist knowing the power it had, David began to hear a sensual and deep bass chord, capable of piercing through the bar's walls and doors.

[♪ "I just wanna get high with my lover" ♪]

[♪ "I see a doll when I look in the mirror" ♪]

[♪ "Kiss, kiss" ♪]

The sounds of the bass, drums, and a female voice singing softly mixed with moans and cries of pleasure coming from inside the bar. The previous violent blows gave way to new, more rhythmic and passionate ones.

Rebecca patted the perplexed David on the back and said with a knowing smile, "I told you it wasn't that bad."

[♪ "Looking dolly, I think I may go out tonight" ♪]

[♪ "I just wanna ride, get high in the moonlight" ♪]

[♪ "I just wanna get high with my lover" ♪]

David, a little uncomfortable and embarrassed, asked, "Aren't they...?" trying to divert his mind from what he imagined was happening inside the bar, with Sora being devoured, but in a completely different way.

Rebecca observed David's expression and laughed again. "Yes," she said with a mischievous smile before adding, "Come on, we need to get you a helmet before we head to Viktor's."

"Helmet?" asked David, confused.

"Of course... we're going on my baby." Rebecca said, proud of herself for something as "small" as being able to take someone on her Yaiba, but for her very "big".

Seeing David's face, not too excited about the idea, Rebecca encouraged him by saying, "Don't worry, you can hold on to me," winking seductively before turning around.

[♪ "I see a doll when I look in the mirror" ♪]

[♪ "Kiss, kiss" ♪]

[♪ "Looking dolly, I think I may go out tonight" ♪]

[♪ "I just wanna ride, get high in the moonlight" ♪]

With the alluring music in the background...

David took a deep breath, processing what he had heard... before took his first step following Rebecca... while his heart pounded, proving that he had made the right decision.

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