Chapter 10: Touch Your Head!

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Mann immediately understood what Arthur wanted to say.

After a moment of silence, Mann took a deep breath and said firmly, "I can't stop now. I must become a well-known big shot."

Arthur took a deep drag on his cigarette, then flicked it to the ground, grinding it under his boot.

In the dimly lit room, Arthur's sharp eyes locked onto Mann's. Although these memories didn't truly belong to him—they were remnants of the original owner—Arthur couldn't deny how deeply they had affected him. It felt as though he had lived those experiences himself.

"Famous or infamous, does it matter?" Arthur said, his tone calm but cutting. "But what if I told you that this Silan Westin implant is nothing more than a test product straight out of some corporate lab? Installing it means you're just another guinea pig for their experiments. How does that sit with you?"

Arthur lit another cigarette, exhaling slowly as he studied Mann's reaction.

Mann's face darkened. He clenched his fists before slamming one onto the stainless steel table with a loud clang, leaving a dent. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the low light as anger radiated from him.

"Damn it! These corporate dogs are always pulling this kind of crap!" Mann spat, hurling a nearby box across the room.

As a seasoned cyberpunk, Mann had seen this play out countless times before. Corporations lured desperate or ambitious punks with promises of power, only to turn them into disposable experiments. He didn't need Arthur to spell it out for him—he'd already pieced the puzzle together.

Still, despite his rage, Mann didn't lose his head completely. The Silan Westin implant was rare and incredibly powerful. To many in Night City, it was a treasure worth risking everything for. It was like the mythical Mewtwo from the old Ritz Bar—a temptation too great to ignore.

But Mann wasn't just any punk. He wanted power, but not at the cost of being a corporate puppet. Even if he risked becoming a cyberpsycho with the implant, that would still be freedom in his eyes.

Suddenly, the sound of a rolling shutter echoed from outside. The door creaked open, and a group of people stepped into the room.

At the head of the group was a towering woman, her muscles rippling like a bear's. She froze for a moment when she spotted Arthur, then casually nodded as a greeting.

"Well, looks like we've got company today," she said, her deep voice carrying a hint of surprise.

Arthur smirked, recognizing her instantly.

"Dorio," he drawled, "long time no see. Your chest muscles are looking more impressive than ever. What's the bet you can punch Mann through a wall now?"

Dorio paused mid-stride, her eyes narrowing as she took a closer look at him. When recognition dawned, she burst out laughing.

"Arthur, you bastard! Still alive? God must have awful taste!"

She strode over, delivered a solid punch to his chest, and poured herself a drink. With a grin, she clinked glasses with Arthur and downed her drink in one go.

Mann, meanwhile, was glaring daggers at Arthur. His expression screamed betrayal, as though Arthur had stolen his wife.

Arthur ignored the tension and leaned back casually. "Relax, Mann. She's not my type," he teased. "I've got Gloria, remember?"

Mann rolled his eyes but said nothing.

Dorio, seemingly unfazed, gestured toward the group that had followed her.

Mann quickly introduced them. "This is our team—Rebecca, our gunner; Pila, our mechanical expert; Qwen, our netrunner; and Lucy, the hacker."

Each nodded in acknowledgment, though their expressions remained guarded. They didn't know who Arthur was, and his familiarity with Mann wasn't enough to earn their trust.

Arthur raised his glass in a lazy salute before downing the rest of his drink. Standing up, he smoothed his coat and grinned. "Nice team you've got here, Mann. But I've just returned to Night City, and I've got errands to run. Need to pick up a car and deal with some... complications."

He waved lazily before making his way to the door.

But as he passed Lucy, he reached out and ruffled her colorful rainbow-streaked hair.

The room froze.

Lucy stood stock still, her eyes wide in disbelief. She seemed completely stunned, unable to process what had just happened.

Arthur chuckled to himself. "Back in the day, kids like Mann would let me pat their heads without all this fuss," he mused aloud, ignoring the shocked expressions around him.

Mann's face turned red with anger. "You bastard! I wasn't a kid! And if you had so much pity for me, why didn't you send me to school instead of dragging me into this hellhole?"

Arthur shrugged nonchalantly, already turning toward Rebecca.

The petite gunner's eyes widened in alarm as Arthur's hand twitched in her direction. Quick as a flash, she whipped out two pink pistols, leveling them squarely at his chest.

"Try it, and I'll put twenty holes in you, you damn creep," she snarled.

Arthur raised his hands in mock surrender, a sheepish grin on his face. "Alright, alright. Kids these days really aren't as fun as they used to be."

With that, he turned and strolled out of the room, humming to himself.

Lucy finally snapped out of her daze. Her expression darkened as she pulled a pistol from her waist, spinning it deftly in her hand before storming after Arthur.

"Lucy!" Qwen called after her, but she didn't stop.

Mann and Dorio exchanged a glance, neither making a move to intervene.

Qwen frowned, settling into a nearby chair. She poured herself a drink and asked, "You're really not going to stop her? She might actually kill him."

Mann adjusted his sunglasses and smirked. "Arthur can handle himself. He's always been good with kids."

Dorio chuckled, leaning back with her glass in hand. "Yeah, he's got a knack for keeping them in line. Lucy will be fine."

As Dorio reached over to ruffle Mann's hair, he slapped her hand away with an indignant glare.

"A man's head isn't something to be touched casually!" he snapped. "I couldn't stop that bastard Arthur back then, but if I could, I'd have broken his legs!"

Dorio burst out laughing, while Mann grumbled under his breath, his cheeks tinged with frustration.

Outside, Lucy caught up to Arthur, who turned around with an amused smirk. "Didn't think you'd actually chase me out here," he said.

Lucy raised her pistol, glaring at him. "Don't touch my head again."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Noted."

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