Cyberpunk:Gained a body of steel

"Peter, I just bought an apartment in Heywood. Should we go and check it out now? The apartment isn't far from here," V said after Peter finished all the arrangements.

"Oh? You chose an apartment? I trust your judgment, but let's go take a look anyway," V added, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Lucy, would you like to come along too?" Peter asked.

"Huh? Isn't that a bit inappropriate, V?" Lucy asked, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

"What's inappropriate about it? Peter just bought the apartment, and I think it'd be nice if you came along to see it too. Do you agree or not?"

"Of course, I agree! How could I disagree?" Peter said with a grin. It made him happy to hear V's request. There was no way he'd turn it down.

Lucy didn't push the matter further. After all, she had spent some time with Peter and V already, so it wasn't unusual for her to join them. Though, she didn't particularly recommend staying with them either.

"Wow! Peter, your choice is incredible! The view and the decor here are amazing!" Jack exclaimed from the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring down at the city below with envy. He couldn't help but feel impressed. If it weren't for the debts he had racked up in the past and his obsession with motorcycles, he might have considered buying a similar apartment for himself.

"Yeah, it really is nice," Peter replied, a bit exasperated. He was glad about the apartment, but the fact that Jack, who loved to tag along, had shown up too was a bit annoying. Peter had wanted to visit the place privately with V and Lucy, but Jack had a way of showing up uninvited.

Peter muttered under his breath, I'll call your phone later when you and Misty are dealing with business, Jack!

Lucy, on the other hand, didn't react as strongly as Jack did. Though she didn't say anything, the envy in her eyes was clear. She'd only been in Night City for less than a month, and still, she hadn't found a decent apartment for herself. The money she made by stealing chips was just enough to cover her stay in a modest hotel, and the money from selling those chips to poorly skilled prosthetic doctors wasn't enough to secure anything long-term.

Seeing how Peter had completed his first job on his first day in the city and could already afford a 40,000 Euro apartment made the disparity in their situations painfully obvious. For Lucy, the gap between her reality and Peter's felt like a gulf too wide to cross.

"What's the matter, Lucy? What's going on in your head?" Peter asked, noticing the distracted look in her eyes.

"What's your problem?" V echoed, raising an eyebrow.

Both Peter and V were aware of something strange in Lucy's behavior.

"It's nothing, really," Lucy replied quickly. "I just think it's impressive that you and Peter are doing so well. You're able to buy such a nice apartment on your first day here."

When she realized what she had said, Lucy immediately regretted it. Damn it! Why did I let that slip?

Before either Peter or V could respond, Lucy quickly excused herself. "I… I'll go to the bathroom for a bit."

"Lucy, what's going on with you today? You haven't been this off before!" Peter called after her, but Lucy was already heading toward the bathroom.

Inside, Lucy washed her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were tired, the exhaustion of living alone for nearly ten years showing through. How could she not be worn out? Peter and V were both homeless, just like her. Yet, for some reason, they'd allowed her to relax her usual guarded persona around them, like she was part of their makeshift family. It was easy for Lucy to let her mask slip around them, even if just for a moment.

---

Night

Some Outdoor Bar in Night City

"Oh? Isn't this Toby? I heard you got tricked by a third-rate mercenary and two homeless people. What brings you here to my place for a drink tonight?" Mann's voice dripped with mockery as he eyed Toby Jais, who sat across from him, downing bottle after bottle of beer.

"F**k you," Toby snarled, his eyes bloodshot. "I've never been so furious in my life! I'll use my last bit of savings to pay you if you go and kill that damn mercenary and those two homeless bastards!"

Toby's voice was wild, devoid of reason, his anger boiling over. He had been humiliated, and now, in his rage, he didn't care what it cost.

"How much can you pay me?" Mann asked, his voice casual but carrying an undercurrent of amusement.

Toby, desperate and humiliated, gritted his teeth. "I'll give you the last 5,000 Eurodollars I have."

Mann gave a small, mocking laugh. It wasn't about the money—it was about Toby's desperation. He was easy prey now, and Mann had no intention of letting that go to waste.

"Alright," Mann said with a grin, "What's the name of that mercenary?"

Toby, his eyes burning with fury, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small data pad. He handed it to Mann. "Here's the info. The mercenary is Jack Wells, from Heywood. He used to be part of the Valentino gang. And the other two are V and Peter. They're both homeless."

Mann nodded, accepting the information. "Got it. I'll make sure to take care of it. Killing a third-rate mercenary and a couple of homeless people? No problem."

Toby slammed his beer bottle down on the table. He could feel the alcohol numbing his brain, but his anger was far from quenched. "Jack! You made me do this!"

Toby couldn't get Jack's mocking tone out of his head. "You're a joke," Jack had said earlier that day, and Toby had been humiliated in front of everyone.

He remembered the words of others who'd laughed at him.

"Toby, you let a third-rate mercenary screw you over? Hahaha!"

"Out of money? You still want to be my boss? Get lost! You're nothing compared to me!"

It didn't matter who he turned to now; everyone was laughing at him. The word was already out. In just a few hours, Toby's humiliating defeat at the hands of Jack and the others had become the latest gossip among the low-level mercenaries of Night City.

---

Toby had made his decision. He was going to make Jack and those two pay for the insult, and he didn't care what it took. It didn't matter how much money he had left—it was about his pride. If he had to sink lower to get his revenge, he would.

But little did Toby know, his story was about to intersect with Peter, V, and Lucy in ways he couldn't even begin to imagine.

---

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