"How did you do that!" V said with disbelief. "How did you hack into his car?"
"It's not as exaggerated as you think. I only hacked in when he got close. I can't remotely control vehicles across the entire city yet, unless I spend my own money to upgrade all the city's cameras to perform network hacks."
Mercer spoke casually while watching V, who had taken her hands off the wheel and turned to look at him from the driver's seat.
Since Polaris came into the picture, everyone had upgraded their personal vehicles for smart driving. Now, every car could be freely controlled by Polaris.
Moreover, because Mercer had his own server connected to the public network, he didn't need to install a separate sub-AI in each car.
The reason why autonomous driving AIs like Delamain required a dedicated sub-AI for each vehicle was largely because Delamain itself was most likely an AI captured from the Old Net and repurposed.
The company operating it lacked the capability to properly maintain or monitor the AI and didn't have the confidence to directly connect their server to the network without fear of netrunner attacks.
So, they opted for a more stable approach: having Delamain create sub-AIs to operate the vehicles, using only the company intranet to keep the sub-AIs connected to Delamain.
"How did you know he wasn't there?" Rebecca was curious about something else... how Mercer knew the factory owner wasn't on-site and had hacked the manager in advance to summon him.
"That's thanks to the ctOS," Mercer explained simply. "When Kiwi said we were heading out, I had Morning Star pull up the factory's relevant information and locked onto the company owner's personal information beforehand. Then I used surveillance footage to confirm his location."
"If the system were fully mature, I'd have everyone in the city under my surveillance," he added.
"Tsk, do the corps have similar methods?" V's first thought was that some corporation must already be doing this kind of work.
"I suspect Night Corp might have comparable technology," Mercer said, then changed the subject, turning to look at Kiwi.
Kiwi was still gazing toward the distant factory, where thick smoke billowed into the sky, tinting the air red visible even from a street away.
She noticed Mercer's gaze and turned to meet his eyes, speaking softly with genuine emotion, "Thank you, Mercer."
"Pity you didn't get to see him burn with your own eyes," Mercer said regretfully.
"It's enough, Mercer," Kiwi replied, smiling at him. She leaned back against the seat as if unburdened, her demeanor relaxed.
"It feels like a dream... Thank you. Without you, I don't know how long it would've taken me to accomplish this on my own," she murmured.
Mercer simply smiled, glancing at her briefly. Some things were better left unsaid.
"An NCPD car is approaching," V suddenly warned.
Everyone turned to look. Sure enough, a police car had pulled up behind them.
"It's fine, just say we were passing by. The nearby surveillance didn't catch us working. They probably saw us leaving near the crime scene and listed us as suspects."
Mercer spoke casually, not particularly worried. The NCPD had shown up because he'd had to mention the factory incident to lure the boss over. The boss, likely unable to reach anyone inside, had panicked and called the police before rushing over himself.
The NCPD was probably still confused. The person who reported the crime had suddenly gone berserk and driven into a sea of flames. Who were they supposed to get information from now?
So V volunteered, "Then leave it to me. I'll handle the NCPD."
"Sure, go ahead." Mercer chuckled and settled into the back seat, waiting as the NCPD vehicle sped up, clearly intending to perform a PIT maneuver.
V scowled and slowed down, pulling over to the side. The NCPD car stopped in front of them.
A sturdy, light-skinned man with a buzz cut, around twenty-six or twenty-seven, stepped out from the driver's side. From the passenger seat emerged an older East Asian man with graying hair slicked back, thin and frail in appearance.
"Inspection! Cut the engine!"
The burly man approached aggressively, one hand resting on his holstered gun. But the middle-aged East Asian man from the passenger seat suddenly looked uneasy, nudged him aside, and stepped near the driver's side instead.
Understanding the cue, the sturdy man took a step back, nervously keeping one hand on his pistol.
"Take it easy, we're just doing a routine check and documentation. You saw the factory fire; we need to log everyone near the crime scene."
The older officer, experienced, started by defusing the tension. He smiled, flashing the badge hanging around his neck. "Senior Detective with the NCPD. You can call me Detective Han. The big guy over there is River. Don't mind him; he's new and just a bit too tense."
V replied dismissively, "Hurry up and ask your questions. I've got drinks lined up with friends."
"What brings you here?" Detective Han glanced inside the car and already had a good idea. Even if they didn't start the fire, these people were definitely not clean.
Everyone was armed, and two of them looked like professional netrunners. This didn't seem like some ordinary gang; it looked more like a professional merc team.
The woman driving didn't even bother hiding her cyberware. A quick scan with his cybereye revealed a terrifying number of implants: an unknown model of Sandevistan, unknown Mantis Blades, Skinweave, Kerenzikov, Muscle Enhancement, Self-ICE.
You want to pick a fight with someone like that? You've got a death wish. Ever heard of Cyberpsychosis?
The young-looking girl in the passenger seat was no less intimidating, and the two netrunners in the back... just the netrunning suits under their jackets probably cost tens of thousands of eurodollars. That wasn't something your average street kid could afford!
"Just passing by. Saw a big bonfire and stopped to look. Any other questions?" V's tone was hostile.
River stiffened, looking like he wanted to step forward and say something, but a cold glare from Detective Han forced him to stay put.
"That's all. I've noted your identities. If we discover any evidence later or require your cooperation in the investigation, we hope you'll assist."
Detective Han smiled amiably, taking a step back and raising his hand to signal they were free to leave.
V immediately raised the window, stepped on the gas, and drove off.
Only after they had disappeared into the distance did River stare at Detective Han in disbelief. "Do you realize what you just did? There's definitely something wrong with the people in that car! How could we just let them go? If we searched them now, we might even find crucial evidence!"
"Oh really? By the time you open the door and order them to pull over for inspection, you'd either find your head flooded with viruses or a shotgun pressed against your temple."
Detective Han turned to him with a mix of frustration and disappointment. "River, you've been on the job for a while now. Haven't you figured it out yet? Can't you recognize who they are?"
"A bunch of damn gang scum disturbing the peace," River cursed.
But Detective Han sighed helplessly. "Those people are fucking Edgerunners! They're on a completely different level from the street punks you're used to dealing with, understand?"
"I don't understand! All I know is they got away! Now this case is probably going to become another cold case!" River clenched his fists in anger.
"You gonk, do you think they're afraid of you? Even if they don't kill you on the spot, do you really believe you could arrest them? Let me tell you, Edgerunners usually only act when a fixer has given them a job. And the powerful figures behind those fixers are each more terrifying and troublesome than the last! Do you know what would happen if we brought them in? Our car wouldn't even make it back to the station before you'd get a call from above ordering us to release them! If you don't comply, you'll be kicked out, and someone else will have to politely escort them out!"
Detective Han's temper flared as well, shooting River a stern look. "Let's go. We'll report the details to the higher-ups and let them make the decisions. Don't go looking for trouble yourself."
River gritted his teeth, and after a long moment, could only nod resentfully. "I don't even know what the point of our job is anymore. Are we only here to clean up after street punks?"
Detective Han didn't respond. The reason he'd lasted over twenty years in the NCPD wasn't because he was tough or fast. It was because he was clever enough and cautious enough to never go looking for trouble.
Being a cop in Night City meant learning when to open your eyes and when to close them. Hotheads like River might survive for a while, but if they never learned to look the other way, they'd eventually lose their jobs.
The higher-ups had assigned River to him hoping he'd learn the unwritten rules of working for the NCPD, but from the looks of it... Unless this justice-obsessed kid faced some major wake-up call, he probably wouldn't ever learn these lessons.
River could only watch helplessly, filled with bitterness, as V's car sped away into the distance. He slammed the steering wheel in frustration before slumping back into the driver's seat of their patrol car.
Detective Han leisurely lit a cigarette and calmly returned to the passenger seat.
"So what do we do now?" River asked sarcastically. "The suspects are gone. Can we clock out early?"
"That won't do, it'll affect my attendance record and dock my pay. Let's just take a drive, as long as you don't drag me back into Maelstrom territory again."
Detective Han's attitude made River fume, but he could only scowl and start the car to continue "investigating" nearby.
Fairness? Justice? Ha. Fuck Night City!
—--
Meanwhile, V was also surprised. As she switched Polaris to autopilot, she kept glancing back at the rearview mirror: "That's it? First time I've ever met an NCPD officer this easygoing."
"Have you looked at yourself lately? If I were a cop, facing someone modded to MAX-TAC levels, I wouldn't just avoid pulling you over; I'd pretend not to see you even if you killed someone right in the street."
Mercer quipped, and V paused for a moment before bursting into laughter: "Guess I really am a 'big shot' now, huh?"
"Mhm." Mercer chuckled as the car, under Polaris's control, headed toward Afterlife.
Sitting in the back seat, he suddenly remembered something and glanced at Kiwi's hand, then ordered Polaris to pull over at a medical supply store.
When Mercer returned, he was holding several first aid kits.
"Leaving one in your car. From now on, everyone should keep a set of these first aid kits in their vehicles."
He stuffed one directly into V's trunk, then carried another back to the rear seat and opened it. He took out iodine and other disinfectants before reaching out to Kiwi.
"Your hand."
At his words, Kiwi hesitated, then extended her right hand. Sure enough, though the cuts had stopped bleeding, they still looked stark against her skin.
In her rage, she'd thrown two punches that shattered her enemy's teeth, but also left several clear gashes across her once-pristine knuckles.
"Bear with it." Mercer focused on swabbing the wounds with a cotton bud, mainly to check for any embedded bone fragments.
Then he sprayed them with Trauma Team's wound spray and finished by applying a cartoon cat-themed bandage.
With injuries this minor, the spray would have them nearly healed by morning.
After setting down the medkit, Mercer looked up and noticed everyone in the car watching him with complicated expressions.
"What are you all looking at?"
He said with an amused tone.
V averted her gaze and remarked casually, "Just didn't expect you to be so attentive."
Rebecca, needless to say, was feeling a bit jealous.
As for Kiwi, she stared blankly at the bandage on her hand, flexed her fingers slightly, and finally murmured softly, "Thank you... I think this is the first time anyone's ever done something like this for me."
"Ha~" Mercer laughed. "You'd better train with V and the others. I've seen V and Rebecca smash skulls without a scratch."
V rolled her eyes: "My hands are Mantis Blades, and Rebecca's got Gorilla Arms. If we got hurt punching bones, what'd be the point of spending all those eddies?"
Kiwi withdrew her hand, covering the bandaged knuckles with her other palm, and replied gently, "Yeah, I'll practice with them when I have time."
She had to admit Mercer made a valid point. Her wrists still ached faintly from throwing those punches earlier. She really did lack some street combat skills.
Including her marksmanship. It was about time she practiced properly.
Kiwi rubbed the back of her hand, watching Mercer, and unconsciously revealed a faint, warm smile.
Rebecca glanced a few times at the rearview mirror and subtly changed the subject. "What time did we agree to meet with Maine and the others?"
"Just tonight, no specific time. Mercs like him don't have much going on at night anyway."
Mercer chatted with Rebecca about other things, and soon the car pulled up to Afterlife.
At the bar, Mercer greeted Claire but didn't sit at the counter. Instead, he booked a private room.
The private rooms at Afterlife weren't cheap. Even the smallest one started at a minimum spend of three thousand eurodollars for the night.
With Rebecca and Kiwi having settled their grudges, they each bought a bottle of fine liquor to celebrate properly. V was all for it. Who wouldn't want drinking buddies?
The three clinked glasses repeatedly. Even the usually aloof Kiwi became much more lively today, smiling frequently.
As for Mercer? He was still drinking NiCola.
At first, Mercer could still clink his NiCola can with their glasses, but he was soon pushed out of the drinking circle by V, who was getting into the spirit. In her words, "Cola-drinking kids should go sit in the corner."
Mercer chuckled and sat by himself, sipping his NiCola and watching the TV in the room. By the time the others were on their second bottle of whiskey, Maine and his crew finally arrived.
"Something good happen?" Dorio teased with a smile as soon as they entered. "You've had quite a bit, huh?"
"Come, come, sit and drink with us!" V's cheeks were flushed, and she had her arm slung around Rebecca's shoulder, looking as chummy as could be. These two physical powerhouses should've been able to drink anyone under the table, but oddly, neither had a high alcohol tolerance.
They'd only bought two bottles of whiskey, and the three of them hadn't even finished half of the second bottle before they started swaying.
Dorio, the big girl, sat down beside them. A tumbler of whiskey looked like a tiny shot glass in her hands. "Sure! Let those two talk business. Tonight, we drink to our hearts' content!"
Sasha cheerfully sat next to Kiwi. "Count me in too!"
"Bring it on! Let's see how much you Russians can handle!" V declared boldly, asking the bar staff to bring over more glasses and such.
Mercer shook his head and gestured for Maine to join him. The two sat on the innermost couch, watching the others compete in drinking while discussing serious matters.
Without any preamble, Mercer took out a storage chip. "This is the chip with the immunity agent data. Faraday's job. Just hand this over, and the mission's complete."
Maine looked at the chip in his hand but didn't take it, cautiously asking, "What was it you said you added to it earlier?"
"Some extra intel I got from Biotechnica."
Mercer said lightly, giving examples. "Like some dirty secrets, or some classified internal information."
"Could you elaborate? I promise that even if we don't reach an agreement, whatever you tell me will never be disclosed to anyone else."
Maine spoke cautiously. Despite his physique suggesting he could crush Mercer with one hand, truth be told, sitting beside Mercer always gave Maine an inexplicable sense of unease.
He had a feeling that the seemingly frail Mercer might actually be the most dangerous person at the table, more so than V, who sat nearby radiating sharpness and unabashed confidence in her abilities.
"To be precise, it's intel about a new collaborative project between Biotechnica and Militech," Mercer stated frankly, revealing part of the plan. "Biotechnica's Diana Cuno secured the partnership with Militech using an immunity agent. My goal is to make sure Arasaka notices this collaboration has been finalized."
"Moreover, under the guise of this immunity agent, Diana Cuno has diverted a batch of advanced experimental equipment from Biotechnica headquarters. My target is one specific device in that shipment."
"And if Arasaka gets wind of this... care to guess whether they'd want to cause some trouble for this transport operation?"
Maine finally understood Mercer's intention, speaking with a mix of shock and doubt. "You want to provoke Arasaka into targeting this shipment of equipment?"
"Exactly. I'll include all the details, transport personnel, equipment, and the route, on this chip."
"Once Faraday hands the data chip to his Arasaka client, I'm certain Arasaka will try to disrupt Militech and Biotechnica's plans."
Mercer added with a light chuckle, "And considering the Unified War just ended not long ago, Arasaka will most likely avoid using their own agents for something like this."
"The best option would be to continue working through a fixer and hire a reliable team of mercs to stir up trouble."
Maine speculated, "So your goal is to use Arasaka's commission to create chaos and seize an opportunity to steal the equipment?"
"Not necessarily. If needed, we could take on Arasaka's job ourselves."
Mercer smirked. "The current mayor is still aligned with Arasaka; they're in their honeymoon phase."
"If Arasaka hires mercs to mess with Militech and Biotechnica, they won't expect those mercs to take down Militech and Biotechnica's professional security forces alone."
"My guess is they'll provide some covert support, like high-powered weapons that can't be traced back to them. Plus, I suspect they'll have Night City's NCPD and MAX-TAC turn a blind eye to anyone causing trouble for Militech."
"So what I need isn't just using Arasaka's eddies to hire people to disrupt Militech; more importantly, I want to see if we can leverage this to get our hands on some valuable gear and increase our chances of success."
Maine breathed a sigh of relief. If that was all, he saw no issue with accepting the chip. After all, the intel was genuine. Even if Arasaka later realized they'd been manipulated after Faraday handed over the chip, they wouldn't have grounds for complaint.
Ultimately, the decision to target the joint Militech-Biotechnica shipment would be Arasaka's own call.
"What if they don't plan to do anything?" Maine asked curiously. "Are you still planning to rob Biotechnica? What's the approximate scale of their transport team?"
"If we strike outside the city, we'll be up against two super soldiers equipped with Militech Centaur exoskeletons, multiple high-level agents, and over forty professional soldiers from Militech and Biotechnica. Oh, and one Basilisk, probably two specialized Behemoth APCs, along with some regular APCs."
Mercer's light tone left Maine momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he let out an awkward chuckle. "A, you know what this level of firepower represents, right?"
"I know," Mercer nodded.
"If that kind of firepower were brought into Night City, it could easily wipe out an entire district. You might not realize this, but even a single Basilisk would be a completely overwhelming threat to individual operatives like us."
Maine, a former NUSA special forces soldier who had seen combat overseas, knew all too well how terrifying such heavy firepower could be for ordinary troops.
Though the Basilisk was technically classified as a cargo ship, it was essentially an upgraded version of an infantry fighting vehicle. Older models might have been equipped with nothing more than a 12mm heavy machine gun.
But the Basilisk's current main weapon was practically a cannon by comparison.
This wasn't like in video games, where armor could shrug off such fire. In reality, this kind of machine gun could tear through concrete buildings with ease.
A single round hitting a person would leave a gaping hole or even reduce them to chunks.
What's more, the Basilisk was equipped with micro-missile pods capable of air interception and long-range precision strikes.
Unless it ran into a heavier armored unit like the Militech Chimera main battle tank or a comparable armored infantry vehicle, the Basilisk could move across the battlefield with near impunity.
With its high mobility and ability to lift off for short-distance hovering when needed, it was nothing short of a nightmare for ordinary soldiers.
Maine couldn't fathom where Mercer got the nerve to take on something like this. After turning it over in his mind, he could only conclude that Mercer was simply too young to understand just how formidable the Basilisk truly was.
"I know," Mercer replied, still calm. "If we engage them outside the city, I'll arrange for long-range artillery to soften them up first; make sure their heavy weapons are disabled before we move in. I'm not foolish enough to charge in and test the Basilisk's firepower firsthand."
"If there aren't any good opportunities outside the city, we let them enter. Night City doesn't permit heavy weaponry inside. At the very least, the Basilisk won't get through. Then all we'd have to deal with are some standard APCs and a few dozen soldiers."
"At most, Militech might sneak in a couple of soldiers outfitted with Centaur armor. That level of firepower is much more manageable."
"To be honest, exosuits like that are easy to handle in an urban environment. A long-range sniper shot or a heavy weapon strike would do the trick. Those mechs don't offer full protection to critical areas; they're really only effective against lightly armed infantry or civilians."
Mercer's tone left Maine at a loss for words. Eventually, he just laughed dryly. "So you want to recruit us to fight these soldiers? I've got to say, A, you've got some nerve. Are you really that confident?"
"I've spent the better part of the last three weeks preparing for this. What do you think?"
Mercer shot the question back, then added calmly, "I won't send my people to their deaths for nothing. If you decide to join, I'll fill you in on the full plan. The only thing I can tell you in advance is that if I decide to act, I'll be absolutely certain of success. If I'm not certain, I'd rather abandon the entire operation. To be honest, this is more of a personal job for me. I have a particular interest in some of the equipment Biotechnica is transporting, so the payment is coming directly from me. Besides the money, you'll also earn a personal favor from me."
"We?" Maine glanced at Dorio, then at Sasha, and sighed. "Do we really have what it takes to get involved in something like this?"
"I can't speak for them, but you definitely do." Mercer was confident, trusting Reed's judgment. Back when Maine was considering retirement, Reed had wanted him to join NUSA's special agent team directly.
Even though in the anime, Maine met a hasty end as a victim of Cyberpsychosis, Mercer suspected that his descent into madness was largely driven by his poverty.
The cyberware Maine had installed was most likely secondhand. Forget whether these used parts were reliable... Mercer seriously doubted that even their system drivers were compatible with each other.
Incompatible cyberware drivers, an already overwhelming neural load, unreliable secondhand hardware, and constantly living on the edge. It'd be a miracle if he didn't go insane.
Though Maine's modifications weren't as extreme as they were in the comics, that also meant his physical condition and combat skills remained at the level of his special forces days.
Against ordinary soldiers, his abilities would be nothing short of overwhelming.
Most importantly, he had experience dealing with soldiers and fighting on actual battlefields. That was even more crucial than his raw skill.
Your average merc would probably struggle to bring even half of their ability to bear against regular troops; front-line combat was a completely different beast from the chaotic fights mercs were used to.
"I... I need to think about it. But I can get this chip to Faraday for you."
Maine still couldn't make an immediate decision. He took the chip from Mercer and added, "If Faraday has any updates, I'll let you know right away."
"No problem. Remember to ask Faraday for extra cash. For this job, you can demand at least 500k eddies from him. If he refuses, I'll find you another buyer."
Mercer's tone turned dismissive when he mentioned Faraday. "Trust me, just tell him that besides the immunity agent data, there's also some dirt on Biotechnica, intel on their collaboration with Militech, and the transport plans. He'll pay up without a fuss."
"Alright, I'll give it a shot. If it works out, the bulk of the payout goes to you. We'd be getting an incredible deal on this one." The thought lifted Maine's spirits. No matter what happened later, just flipping this chip would mean a huge profit.
Even if he planned to give most of it to Mercer, the three of them could still walk away with 20-30k eddies each. It was practically free money, the easiest job he'd ever taken since entering this line of work.
This made Maine feel that Mercer was truly righteous. Even though he had the data and could easily contact Faraday himself, bypassing Maine to handle the job alone, Mercer was still willing to cut him in. That was genuinely decent of him.
"Finished talking? Here, have a drink." Dorio had been keeping an eye on Maine and Mercer's conversation. Seeing them happily reach an agreement, she smiled and raised her glass.
Mercer shamelessly picked up his NiCola. "Come on, let's all have a toast."
V, her face flushed from drinking, shot him an annoyed glance but didn't embarrass him in front of others. Everyone laughed and raised their drinks for a toast.
Mercer was just joking around. After one drink, he stepped back from the drinking session and turned his attention to the TV, where a breaking news alert suddenly caught his eye.
It was N54 News again, with the female anchor named Gillean reporting with a grave expression.
"Respected viewers of Night City, we are interrupting our regular programming with an important news update. At 6:20 PM today, a malicious arson incident occurred at the Chris Processing Plant in Watson. Lawless individuals killed the plant's management and staff before setting the facility ablaze. According to preliminary investigations by the NCPD, it is highly likely that this was a deliberate act of revenge by former employees dissatisfied with the plant's treatment. The police have confirmed the following individuals perished in the fire... Additionally, one factory manager was found in the dormitory building with all four limbs broken. A modified BD wreath was used to repeatedly play an XBD, ultimately resulting in brain death."
As Gillean began reading out the names of the deceased, many familiar faces made Mercer and the others freeze. Kiwi couldn't help but smirk when she heard about the one who'd been confirmed brain-dead in the dormitory.
The anchor continued sorrowfully, "This is an extremely heinous case of arson and murder. The NCPD will prioritize this investigation and strive to apprehend these deranged perpetrators as soon as possible. Next, let's hear from some of the plant's employees who survived the fire and get their perspective on this tragic event."
The screen cut to a man in work clothes breaking down in front of the camera. "How could they do this? If the plant burns down, where will we find work? My mother is counting on me to pay for her medicine! Who's going to give me a paycheck now?"
The man wept uncontrollably. Beside him, someone patted his back and lamented, "We need help. We need to find new jobs now..."
Rebecca turned off the TV.
Kiwi and Mercer both turned to look at her, but Rebecca just shrugged. "Don't waste time on this depressing crap. Those guys are no different from corpos now."
"I don't think what they said was wrong. We did ruin their livelihoods," Mercer said calmly, sighing softly. "In this hopeless city, most people see themselves as nothing more than fuel for the capitalists' money-making machine. It's not that they don't want to fight back; it's that if they do, they might lose even the chance to be used as fuel. Even basic sustenance depends on others' whims. How could they possibly discuss fairness and justice? To change all this, we need to do more than just smash these money-making machines that devour human lives. We must also provide those poor people with no choice the opportunity to feed their families through their own labor."
Mercer's words drew surprised glances between Maine and the others. Just these few sentences had already conveyed an overwhelming amount of information.
Rebecca merely said irritably, "Well, I still think it's wrong. Just because they're content living like slaves doesn't mean everyone else is. This is Night City we're talking about. Pilar and I managed to survive here as kids all on our own. How could this city possibly not function without those blood-and-tears factories?"
Mercer laughed. "Well, you're not wrong either."
"Ugh, whatever you say is always 'right,'" V muttered. "Why even bother discussing it? Let them live however they want. As long as I feel good, the rest doesn't matter to me."
"You're right too," Mercer said, prompting an unexpected snort of laughter from Kiwi.
Mercer shrugged. "That's just how it is. The world isn't black and white. How you choose to live is your own freedom, as long as you don't regret it later."
For a moment, everyone seemed contemplative about his words.
Amid the laughter and chatter, the girls drank themselves into a stupor at the bar. Even the usually composed Kiwi was swaying unsteadily from all the alcohol today.
Fortunately, Dorio, with her robust build, lent a hand, helping Mercer load all the women into the car.
On the ride back, they clamored about continuing the party with another round at the base, determined to drink to their heart's content. But by the time the car arrived, all the girls were fast asleep in their seats.
Mercer could only sigh and call for Pilar, Lucy, and Kyoko to come help.
Pilar unceremoniously hauled the still-snoring Rebecca out of the car, grumbling as he dragged her back inside. Kyoko and Lucy together managed to support V, who had just woken up as they arrived. She stubbornly insisted she was fine but stumbled unsteadily, eventually needing help to get inside.
Kiwi, however, remained quiet. Mercer carried her on his back alone.
After bringing her to her room and laying her on the bed, Mercer breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to leave. But just as he was about to stand up, Kiwi suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand.
Mercer froze, turning to look at her. Her bright eyes, visible beneath her short hair, gazed calmly at him.
"Uh..."
Mercer recognized the unusual tension in the air. He hadn't been an innocent virgin in his past life, either.
Kiwi said nothing at first, simply holding his hand. Then, she began gently tracing his wrist with her fingers, moving to the back of his hand before finally gripping his wrist and pulling him closer.
"Would you look down on me?" she asked softly.
"No," Mercer replied firmly on that point, though he hesitated before adding quietly, "But you know how things are right now..."
"I know. That's why I drank so much today... When I wake up tomorrow, I'll have forgotten everything."
A faint smile touched Kiwi's lips as she sat up slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and nibbling gently on his ear. "It won't affect your relationships with the other girls. We're just good friends, right? Even if you're the cautious type when it comes to emotions, I'm not asking for your feelings."
"So. Right now, I want to take a shower. Care to join me?"
Mercer fell into deep thought.
A direct hook with aggressive bait. It was practically being fed right into his mouth.
Kiwi simply chuckled softly, slithering closer to him like a beautiful serpent. Her breath carried a faint hint of alcohol and the minty scent of her ladies' cigarette: "Or... shall we shower after we're done here?"
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