After-Party (Part One)

"Didn't expect you to end up with the prize," V clicked her tongue, peering at the contents of the case. "Since when do you know how to snipe?"

Leo shook his head cryptically. "Just figured it out by looking."

Had he really learned it?

Not exactly—if you judged by combat skills alone, Leo's actual field ability was laughably bad.

But when it came to movement control, Little Octopus could take over the cyberware and mechanical arms to support him, letting Leo pull off acrobatics worthy of a gymnast.

His sniping was pretty much the same. Little Octopus could optimize the Sandevistan using combat data, and it had also recorded V's combat posture.

So even if he couldn't replicate her sniping technique exactly, he was already miles ahead of his own original level.

In truth, Leo wasn't even the one who pulled the trigger.

Little Octopus did.

Auto-aim still counts as aiming!

V looked at him suspiciously. "Just figured it out by looking? Doesn't look like it."

Leo didn't argue. Instead, he looked over at the open space where others had gathered.

They were now at a popular meetup spot often used by Maine's crew, located behind a fast-charge station called TURBO. These kinds of stations operated during the day, mainly serving citizens with active cyberware who needed a charge.

It was also Six Street turf. The shop paid monthly tribute to them.

Eventually, Six Street members started hanging out here more, and since waiting in line was boring, they'd get drinks and food—soon enough, it turned into a fully equipped hangout spot.

Right now the shop was down due to the massive EMP blast. This kind of EMP physically fries electronics, so repairs would take time.

But the blackout didn't kill the vibe—this was a time to celebrate.

The open space was packed. People had set up temporary bars, hauling in more booze. No power? Then mix drinks by hand.

Maine, a seasoned veteran, was laughing and chatting with some familiar faces—some Six Street, some day workers.

One of his arms was in a sling, but his good arm was still lifting drinks.

"Drink, drink, drink!"

Lost in the crowd's cheers, Maine slammed down a whole bottle, tossed it into the air with a whoosh, and it smashed into a wall.

"Nice!"

Grinning, Maine wiped his mouth and pointed at the people watching him drink. "This little booze? You guys know the Burger King? We're tight now, I was chatting with 'em just earlier—hic."

Dorio grinned wide and smacked him on the head, then raised a drink of her own.

They were both injured, but that didn't stop them from partying hard.

One job. One night. Each of them earned 13,000 eurodollars.

"I'm getting me a brand-new Mackinaw!" Maine said before collapsing onto the table, drunkenly locking eyes with Dorio—and they started making out, all dizzy and flushed.

V followed Leo's gaze, saw the scene too, but quickly realized he wasn't looking at the couple. He was searching for David.

David was sitting at a large makeshift table built from scrap planks. It was covered with food and drinks. Lucy sat beside him.

Pilar was performing tricks with his nimble cyberlimbs across from them.

Rebecca sat across from Lucy and David, arms crossed, face full of "stay away" vibes.

V nudged Leo. "What're you staring at?"

"Thinking this kid's got potential. By my count, he's only been a merc for about half a year, and he's got a decent record."

"Decent?" V leaned back in her chair with a creak, her boots up on the table. "I don't see it."

Leo glanced at her. "You've got to look at things with the right lens. Jackie, what do you think?"

Jackie was sitting upright at the table, gazing up at the sky in a daze. Whatever he'd been thinking about, Leo's voice brought him back.

"Not wrong," Jackie said. "But honestly, he got into the street game a little late."

"Legends don't have an age limit. Results are what matter."

V asked, "So what's your point?"

"I'm thinking—we really could use someone to help with some grunt work now and then. They've done well these past few runs. Maybe we should hand down some gear and tech."

David might've started out like a clueless rookie, but that was then. Leo didn't judge the present by the past.

David now—sure, he was still a bit awkward, not as rough-edged as a street kid—but he pulled the trigger faster than any punk, and thanks to his time in school, he had better logic under pressure.

The mercs they fought in the last op weren't amateurs. David not only held his own but came out ahead. That already put him in elite territory.

V shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. If you think it's a good idea, then do it."

Leo smiled. "You've been kinda unmotivated lately. Don't you wanna know what drives this kid?"

Then Leo waved David over, and the kid jumped off his chair and came right over.

Lucy leaned on her hand, glaring at her boyfriend with narrowed eyes.

Now V was curious—gossip's gossip, after all.

Especially now, when V's life was hitting new highs—brawling to her heart's content and stacking fat stacks of eddies.

David trotted over, greeting people along the way—polite to a fault, which made him stand out in this crowd.

Still, respect on the street isn't about how foul your mouth is. It's about what you do.

He was a bit of an oddball, but he fit in.

"Boss!" David grinned brightly and gave Leo a perfect Six Street-style salute.

The kid had definitely loosened up. Even knew how to joke now.

Leo waved him down. "At ease. Sit. I've got a few questions for you."

David chuckled and sat, thoughtfully cracking open a few cans of soda for everyone.

"First question—how do you feel about the merc life?"

That got Jackie's attention. He quietly leaned in, floating back from his sky-gazing.

"Fits me great," David said without hesitation. "I really like it."

V raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Killing people?"

"Uh—no." David was momentarily thrown by the question, but he thought for a second and answered, "I like that effort pays off here. Every step feels solid."

"Back at Arasaka Academy, the teachers always said stuff like 'hard work gets results.' I used to think that was BS."

"Now I get it. The phrase isn't wrong—I was just working hard on the wrong road."

David looked at his fist like a shounen anime protagonist, slowly closing it.

"In this city, if you don't have the resolve to hold a weapon, you'll never be free."

Jackie suddenly jumped in. "What about your mom?"

"Uh…" David scratched his head. "She definitely didn't want me doing this. She wanted me to finish the Arasaka curriculum, join the company, climb the ladder, live large."

"Haha!" Jackie slapped David on the shoulder. "That's the spirit!"

Leo thought so too. In a way, Jackie and David were a lot alike.

Mama Wells didn't want Jackie risking his life either. She wanted him to be a decent man.

Maybe the only difference was—David actually listened to his mom, while Jackie only listened halfway. He gave up gangs, sure, but merc work? Never. School? Never gonna happen.

Leo continued. "Alright, second question. Since you think you're on the right path, what's the end goal?"

David looked at Lucy in the distance. The three at the table followed his gaze.

Caught staring, Lucy awkwardly looked away.

David chuckled. "First, buy my mom a nice little car. The rest... is classified."