Negotiating the Transformation
"What's wrong?"
David raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly amused as he eyed Maine's crew. "Is two million not enough for the AV modifications?"
"Enough! More than enough!"
Before Maine could even react, Pyrrha jumped in, nodding enthusiastically.
"Don't worry, Mr. David! You can leave this to me. I'll make sure this baby is modified so perfectly that even if you flew it right past Militech's headquarters, they wouldn't bat an eye!"
David's eyes narrowed slightly.
Pyrrha's enthusiasm was... unexpected.
Just earlier, she was treating him like some random street merc. Now? She was practically falling over herself to help.
Still, David didn't comment.
Instead, he gave a small nod. "Alright then. That'd be ideal. But it's gonna be a lot of work."
"No trouble! No trouble at all!"
Pyrrha grinned, rubbing her hands together like a kid who just got their hands on a new toy.
"We're partners, right? We gotta look out for each other!"
Jack, who had been watching from the sidelines, leaned over to Rebecca and muttered, "Hey, uh... is your brother okay? I remember him being way less friendly before."
Rebecca, arms crossed, let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Who knows?" She rolled her eyes. "Maybe he suddenly grew a conscience? Either way, not my problem."
Then, she shot Jack a glare.
"Also, who said we were on talking terms, big guy? Hmph!"
Before Jack could reply, Rebecca was already trotting off toward David, linking her arm around his like an excited kid.
---
A Gift Worth More Than Eddies
David chuckled, shaking his head as Rebecca clung to his arm, practically bouncing with energy.
With his free hand, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small, sleek case.
"Here, this is for you."
He handed the case to Rebecca, who blinked in confusion before flipping it open.
Inside—
A HJKE-11 Yukimura smart pistol.
Arasaka-made. Custom pink finish.
Rebecca's eyes widened in pure delight.
"No way! This is sick!"
She lifted the pistol, inspecting it from every angle, her excitement barely contained.
"It's so smooth... the weight's perfect... Oh my god, it even has the custom smart-link tech! David, where the hell did you get this?!"
David smirked. "A promise is a promise. V hooked me up, said it'd suit you."
Rebecca let out a high-pitched squeal, jumping up and down like a kid on Christmas morning.
"This is the best day ever!"
Across the room, Pyrrha let out a whistle of admiration.
"Holy shit... an Arasaka Yukimura? That's a top-tier smart pistol. Even corpos have trouble getting their hands on one!"
Even Maine's crew exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the same thought—
Teaming up with David was already proving to be a smart move.
---
The Road Ahead
After discussing a few final details with Maine's crew, David turned to Lucy and Jack.
"Alright, time to head out."
They climbed into the Emperor 740 Iron-Armored vehicle, leaving the Watson Industrial Zone behind.
As the sound of their engine faded, Maine's crew watched them go, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Tsk tsk."
Pyrrha ran a hand across the AV's sleek body, practically drooling over the high-grade materials.
"Damn, this thing's gorgeous. Never thought I'd get the chance to work on a real military-tech AV."
Maine, however, wasn't in the mood to admire the tech.
He turned to Pyrrha, his tone serious.
"Listen. This job ain't just about making it look pretty. You screw this up, and we're all dead."
He crossed his arms. "I'm giving you 800,000 out of the two million. That should be more than enough. Just get it done right."
"800,000?!"
Pyrrha nearly choked on air.
That was more money than she had ever handled in her entire career.
For a merc in Night City, that kind of cash meant a one-way ticket out of the slums.
She immediately snapped into full professionalism mode.
"Yes, sir! Don't worry, boss, I got this!"
She gave Maine a quick salute, her excitement barely contained.
Maine just shook his head, smirking. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't fuck it up."
---
Meanwhile, in Night City…
As David, Lucy, and Jack drove back toward Night City, the bright neon skyline stretched before them.
Inside the vehicle, Lucy leaned back against the seat.
"So... what's next?"
David tapped his fingers against the wheel, eyes focused on the road.
"We lay low for a bit. Get the AV modified. Then… we make our next move."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"
David smirked.
"You'll see."
Lucy sighed, shaking her head.
"You love keeping secrets, don't you?"
David just grinned.
"Comes with the job."
---
A Sister's Decision
Back at the Maine crew's hideout, Rebecca was still admiring her new Yukimura pistol.
Pyrrha walked up, arms crossed. "Man, you really lucked out, huh?"
Rebecca spun the pistol around her finger, smirking.
"Jealous?"
Pyrrha snorted. "Damn right I am."
Then, after a moment of hesitation—
"Hey... have you ever thought about leaving Maine's crew?"
Rebecca blinked, caught off guard.
"Huh?"
Pyrrha gestured toward the direction David had left.
"David's crew is different. They ain't just running gigs. They're building something bigger."
Rebecca frowned, spinning the pistol absently.
"Yeah, so?"
Pyrrha's voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm just saying... if we stick with Maine, we're always gonna be small-time."
Rebecca didn't answer.
But for the first time—
She actually considered it.
---
Night City Never Sleeps
Somewhere in the city, a Militech executive sat in a dimly lit office, staring at a blank data screen.
A single message flickered onto the screen—
> "High-value AV: OFFLINE. Tracing failed."
The exec's jaw tightened.
He reached for his phone.
"Send a retrieval team. Now."
TO BE CONTINUED…
---
What's Next?
Will Pyrrha successfully modify the AV?
Will Rebecca really consider leaving Maine's crew?
How will Militech react to the stolen AV?
Find out in the next chapter!
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