Chapter 39: An Unexpected Invitation
"Alright, alright."
Rhys calmed Rebecca down, gently pulling her back from the table. Didn't she see she was causing trouble for the diner owner again?
Though, this was different from the last time in Kabuki. Back then, Maine, Jackie, and Dorio's sheer physical presence had intimidated everyone. Rhys, on the other hand, looked like an ordinary civilian—if you ignored the katana strapped to his back. Lucy was wearing a netrunner suit, but that didn't scream 'dangerous merc' on its own, and her stunning looks were incredibly deceptive. She looked more like a model from a neon billboard than someone who did dirty work.
As for Rebecca... she was probably the most deceptive of them all. If she went around telling people she was an edgerunner, nine out of ten would just laugh. The tenth might activate their optics and run a quick scan. Seriously, this was something Rebecca had actually experienced. She was the kind of暴躁 loli who got stopped by bouncers at clubs because they thought she was underage.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Lucy asked, turning her attention back to Rhys.
"First, let's settle up from last night," Rhys said, initiating a cred transfer to her.
—€$ 5,400 Transferred—
"The market fluctuates a bit, but that's a fair price. I double-checked with someone on my team," Rhys explained after the transfer completed. He'd asked Sasha last night, sending her the shard data. She'd quickly pinged him a link to a secure fence site. Rhys had spent some time browsing it on his apartment terminal.
He had a basic neural interface, of course—just the standard subdermal comms implant. It handled calls and messages, nothing fancy. Unlike most people, Rhys hadn't installed a full micro-processor in his brain. Jacking a mini-computer directly into your gray matter, nestled right next to your thoughts and memories? That was how you ended up getting your brain fried by a netrunner just looking at you funny.
Lucy nodded. "Pleasure doing business with you."
"So, we're done here?" she asked, already starting to stand up.
Honestly, she'd only teamed up with Rhys yesterday because he seemed useful and non-threatening. It felt like a waste not to take advantage of the opportunity. But things hadn't gone according to plan. This seemingly shy, sheepish kid... he wasn't someone she could easily control. The situation had slipped from her grasp, and she was the one who felt slightly cornered. It had bothered her so much she'd spent last night chain-smoking two packs, downing three bottles of synth-booze, and finally passing out to her favorite braindance.
Plus, she'd run a quick scan on the girl with him. The amount of high-end chrome packed into that tiny frame was worth a fortune. And it wasn't just slapped on haphazardly like some rookie merc; the build was optimized, clearly guided by an experienced hand.
"Not so fast," Rhys stopped her. He looked her straight in the eye. "I came here to offer you a job."
"Offer me a job?" Lucy's voice held a note of caution.
"Your skills are wasted lifting shards on the metro. Doesn't pay much, and it's not sustainable. How many times can you pull that off in Night City before someone catches on?" Rhys asked rhetorically.
He knew the risks. Corpo-dogs wouldn't just let getting robbed slide. Low-level drones might be too burnt out to care, working twelve-hour shifts, 360 days a year. But mid-level suits? If you lifted a useless shard—some ebook, maybe a gun-handling tutorial—they might let it go. But if you accidentally snagged something containing corporate secrets... Lucy would be in deep shit. Night City was big, but not that big. There were only four main metro lines. Hit the same routes too often, and the NCPD would eventually track her down.
"Netrunners," Rhys continued, "especially skilled ones, are always in demand. Every crew needs more. Our team is planning some bigger operations, and we need someone with your talents. That's why I spent yesterday with you."
Hearing Rhys's words, Rebecca looked Lucy up and down, then crossed her arms with a pout. Another netrunner? They already had Sasha and Kiwi, both preem deckheads. But Rhys was right; you could never have too many netrunners. They weren't just dead weight; they only got paid when they worked, and a good netrunner was a crew's lifeline. If Maine knew, he'd definitely approve.
Still, Rebecca noted, the crew was getting bigger lately. Rhys, Sasha, Jackie, and now... this pretty netrunner girl. Tch, more people means more problems. With that thought, Rebecca lost interest in Lucy.
But as she turned away, her brow furrowed. Across the diner, near the restrooms, a group of tall men were cornering a waitress, blocking her path. One of them reached out and groped her chest. When she struggled, he slapped her hard across the face. Rebecca's frown deepened. It was a common enough sight in Night City—the owner was pointedly ignoring the situation.
Rebecca looked back at Rhys, wanting to tell him, but saw he was deep in conversation with Lucy about crew business. Then she remembered Maine, Dorio, and Pilar constantly telling her to stop sticking her nose into other people's shit. Her frustration grew.
Just ignore it?
Impossible...
But if I jump in, will it cause trouble for Rhys? She didn't want him to think badly of her. He spent all his time talking to that dumb cat Sasha anyway. Sometimes Rebecca wondered if he had a weird fetish for netrunners.
Her mind warred with itself. She lowered her head, grinding her teeth.
Then, she heard Rhys's voice.
"What's wrong? You've been fidgeting this whole time."
She looked up. Rhys had paused his conversation with Lucy and was looking at her, his expression concerned. She blinked, then pointed towards the back of the diner.
Rhys followed her gaze and immediately understood.
When he'd first joined, Maine had specifically asked him to partner up with Rebecca, to keep an eye on her when they weren't on gigs. The reason? Her damn kindness. Her empathy.
"Let's go," Rhys said, standing up and straightening his jacket. It had been a while since Rebecca had gotten a chance to vent that empathy. Doing the right thing shouldn't be a mistake, but in Night City, it often was. Kindness was treated like a weakness. But does that make it wrong?
Rhys standing up abruptly made Lucy pause. She'd been analyzing his offer, weighing the pros and cons. Seeing him suddenly get up, followed by the little girl practically bouncing with excitement and grabbing a fork from the table like a weapon... Lucy was confused.
Then she saw the waitress being harassed near the restrooms.
Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of coldness crossing her face, mixed with something else, something hidden. She pulled out a cigarette pack, tapped one out, lit it, and took a deep drag.
As Rhys and Rebecca walked towards the commotion, Lucy watched them through a haze of pale purple smoke.
"Meddling fools..." she muttered under her breath.