Pan'an sat at the bar, waiting for V to leave before speaking sarcastically, "Stop looking, she's already gone... Wow, you, I think that girl is interested, guessing you might have lured her onto your boat."
"Why does what you're saying sound so off-key?" Mercer joked, giving her a glance, "It's not like I lured her into bed... Is getting someone to cooperate considered deception?"
"Okay, I can't out-talk you," Pan'an said bluntly, "But I just feel like your intentions aren't pure."
Mercer looked at her sideways, unceremoniously, "Then do you think my intention to have you drive is pure?"
Pan'an looked disgusted, "Don't mess with me... I'm seriously not a pervert."
"Ha..." Mercer chuckled twice, "Pan'an, let me ask you, do you think V has what it takes?"
"He's reckless, but his skills aren't bad... Even I almost didn't catch up with his reaction just now."
Pan'an spoke honestly but then glared at Mercer, getting annoyed suddenly, "Why did you push me away just now?"
"Why are you mad at me, I saved your life, Pan'an."
Mercer glared back at her, his temper matching hers, "You should be thanking me!"
"Screw you... you think I needed your rescue? Next time, just stay in the back quietly, you hear me?"
Pan'an stared at him defiantly, "If you hadn't pushed me away, I had my gun halfway out already."
"And then you would fire, miss him, and he would slice you with a knife?" Mercer was one for straight talk.
"You invited me here to take the hit for you, and when something happens, you want me to hide? Then why have me here?" Pan'an was relentless.
"Why are you so stubborn, is it the right time for you to take the hit?"
Mercer was equally firm, slapping the table, "I asked you to come as the driver, not to take a hit for me."
"I..." Pan'an couldn't finish.
Claire quickly chimed in, "What are you two doing, A, don't tell me you don't know what she really means—she's just upset she didn't protect you."
"She shouldn't be mad at me, did I provoke her? I saved her, and I get yelled at? Does that make sense?"
Mercer said, this time Pan'an had nothing to say, she just turned away and took two sips of beer.
After a while, she turned her head back, "...Sorry."
"Okay, I get what you mean."
Mercer, still annoyed, said, "If you throw another tantrum like that, I'm going to start scolding."
Pan'an didn't respond, after a while, she muttered, "Lucy wasn't lying, you really are born for the boss role, when you get angry, you're just like Sol."
"As if you need to say that... let's go, stop drinking, or I'll have to be your driver. And, thanks, Claire."
Mercer rolled his eyes at Pan'an, then thanked Claire.
"No problem... but the next time you come for drinks, try to keep it less dramatic." Claire smiled helplessly and nodded.
Pan'an put down the beer bottle, nodded, and greeted Claire as well. Mercer had already paid, and as the two walked towards the parking area, once in the car, Pan'an suddenly fell silent, not starting the car.
After a moment, she turned to Mercer and said seriously, "Thank you, Mercer, I just... suddenly got a little angry just now."
"Oh." Mercer hadn't removed his mask, so his expression was unreadable.
Pan'an sighed and sincerely apologized,
"I just suddenly felt a bit scared at that moment, if V hadn't made that shot, if you hadn't hacked that guy's cyberware in time, if that shot hadn't killed Fenrir...
I would've just watched you die right in front of me.
I know you always see yourself as a leader... but to me you're still a kid.
I was mad at myself.
I've never faced something like this before; my mind blanked when I first saw him make a move.
Anyway, it's just..."
Pan'an scratched her head for a long time, unable to articulate exactly why she was suddenly mad at herself.
"I know."
Mercer had roughly pieced together her thoughts.
At this moment, he removed his mask and rubbed his small face, "Alright, no need to apologize anymore, I know why you had a meltdown just now."
Meltdown... Pan'an was a little annoyed, but on thinking, found she had no reason to be angry, so she just listened quietly.
"It's because deep down you still see me as a kid... When there's danger, you find not only did I not run away, but I went towards it, and you want to take a parental stance to educate me.
The initial lack of reaction was because the situation was too intense and you hadn't recovered yet; when you did, you realized you hadn't done anything this time...
Then you started getting mad at yourself, and when I talked to you, your anger just got directed at me.
I understand, but Pan'an, you can't react like that in the future."
Mercer looked at her earnestly, "And stop treating me like a kid, so you won't have similar situations again."
Pan'an thought about it carefully, and it really was true, if Scorpion Mitch had pulled her aside earlier, she would have just thanked him honestly, but why did she suddenly throw a tantrum with Mercer?
Wasn't it just that she considered him a kid, thinking he should back off in the face of danger, while stepping up was something she, the adult, should do?
Plus, feeling a bit pathetic for not being able to help and being saved by Mercer made her pride inexplicably act up, wanting to educate him on what to do when something happens...
But what right did she have to educate him?
He not only led a bunch of people out of Arasaka but also found a reliable cyberware doctor, Victor, in just a day.