Warm men, warm men—the warmer they are, the harder it is!
"Ah?!"
Jack was stunned by David's words. He scratched his head in confusion and asked, "David, what do you mean by that? Shouldn't I be showing Misty I care?"
"You should," David replied with a nod. "But you've got to show it through action. You can't just rely on text messages all day long."
Jack frowned, still unsure. "Then... what should I do?"
Before David could answer, the waiter brought over their food, the fragrant dishes filling the air with the rich aroma of Chinese spices.
David waved it off for now. "We'll talk later. Let's eat while it's hot."
He handed chopsticks and bowls to Jack and Lucy.
As they began eating, Lucy glanced sideways at David. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she asked in a low voice, "Hey, David... have you had a lot of girlfriends before?"
David nearly choked on his food. "Huh? No, why do you ask?"
"You seem to know a lot about relationships," she replied with a teasing smile.
"Ah, well... theory and practice are two different things, you know," David coughed awkwardly. "Come on, eat up!"
The three of them dug in, enjoying the warm, flavorful dishes. The restaurant's reputation was well-earned—the tender beef stir-fry, spicy Sichuan chicken, and savory dumplings were all delicious. By the end of the meal, not a single dish was left on the table.
Satisfied, Lucy stood up to pay the bill.
But the moment she took two steps, her body swayed, and she collapsed!
"Lucy!"
David lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground. Her face had gone pale, her eyes flickering with distorted digital patterns—glitches of garbled code flashing across her cybernetic optics.
"Lucy, can you hear me? Where does it hurt?" David asked anxiously.
"I... I don't know... Just... my head... hurts," Lucy stammered, her voice faint and broken. The blue light in her eyes flickered like a flashlight running out of battery—unstable and dim.
David's mind buzzed with alarm. Could it be... that Voodoo Boy didn't fully fix her neural system last time?!
"David, looks like there's something wrong with her implant!" Jack quickly stepped forward. "Come on, I'll take you to Viktor! He can help!"
David snapped out of his panic. Right!
Viktor—the top ripperdoc in Night City's Watson district.
He was a legend among mercs, known not only for his exceptional skills but also for his kindness. Unlike other ripperdocs who charged outrageous fees, Viktor had a heart of gold. Even if someone couldn't pay upfront, he'd still help them, trusting they'd pay him back when they could.
"Let's go, Jack—lead the way!"
Without hesitation, David lifted Lucy into his arms and sprinted out of the restaurant.
The streets of Little China blurred past as David ran, Jack leading the way through narrow alleys and crowded sidewalks. Neon signs and holographic advertisements flashed overhead, but David barely noticed.
Lucy's breathing was shallow, her body light and fragile in his arms.
Hold on, Lucy... Just a little longer!
They reached a small shop with a worn-out sign that read Misty's Esoterica & Tarot.
"This way!" Jack called, pushing open the door.
Inside, shelves were filled with crystals, incense, and tarot cards. The faint scent of sandalwood hung in the air.
Behind the counter stood Misty, her short, fluffy hair framing her face. Dark eyeliner and black lipstick contrasted with her pale skin, giving her that heavy-metal-punk vibe so common in Night City. Yet, her gentle demeanor softened the edgy appearance.
"Jack? What's wrong?" Misty asked, her eyes widening in concern as she noticed Lucy in David's arms.
"Ah... my friend's having trouble with her cyberware. We need Viktor's help!" Jack replied hurriedly.
Misty nodded. "Go through the back door. Viktor should be downstairs."
"Thanks, Misty!"
David gave her a quick nod, then followed Jack through the back, down a narrow staircase into Viktor's underground clinic.
Viktor was sitting in a worn-out chair, watching a boxing match on an old black-and-white TV. Once a boxer himself, watching fights was one of the few pleasures he allowed himself in this rough city.
Hearing footsteps, he turned to see Jack rushing in with David close behind.
"Viktor, quick! It's an emergency!" Jack called out.
Viktor stood immediately, eyes sharp despite his age. "What happened?"
"My friend—her implants are malfunctioning. She collapsed and said her head hurts," David explained, his voice tense but steady.
"Set her down on the chair," Viktor instructed, pointing to the operating chair in the middle of the room.
"Thank you."
Carefully, David laid Lucy down. Viktor wasted no time, turning on diagnostic monitors and activating scanners to assess her neural system. Electrodes extended from the chair, connecting to Lucy's neural port as Viktor began running a full diagnostic.
As the machines hummed to life, Misty descended the stairs, her footsteps light against the metal steps. She glanced at Lucy, her eyes filled with quiet concern, then looked toward Jack.
"How is she?" she asked softly.
"Viktor's checking now... I hope she'll be okay," Jack replied, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.
After a brief pause, he cleared his throat and said, "Oh, uh... right! Misty, this is my buddy David. He's from the Dragon Kingdom—we run a merc crew together."
Jack turned to David. "David, this is Misty... you know, the girl I mentioned earlier."
David nodded and offered his hand. "David."
"Misty," she replied with a gentle smile, shaking his hand.
The moment their hands touched, Misty's expression shifted slightly—her eyes widening just a fraction, as if sensing something unusual. But the moment passed quickly, and she stepped back without saying anything.
David barely noticed, too focused on Lucy to give it much thought.
Sensing his worry, Misty said softly, "Why don't you sit down? I'll make some coffee."
"Thanks, Misty. That'd be great," Jack said with a grin, though a hint of nervousness lingered in his eyes.
As Misty headed back upstairs, Jack leaned close to David, nudging his arm with a smirk.
"Hey, David... So, what do you think? Isn't Misty great?"
David glanced at the doorway Misty had disappeared through and nodded. "Yeah, she seems nice. Why are you just standing here, though?"
Jack blinked. "Huh?"
"She's making coffee. Why aren't you helping her?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jack hesitated. "Wouldn't that be a bit... weird?"
David sighed and clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack, opportunities like this don't come every day. Go help her—show her you care."
"Ah, uh... Well, I mean—"
"No 'buts.' Go!"
David gave Jack a playful shove toward the stairs.
"Hey!" Jack stumbled forward, turning back with a sheepish grin. "Alright, alright—I'm going!"
Even Viktor chuckled as he adjusted the diagnostic settings. "He's right, Jack. Don't miss your shot."
Jack scratched his head, then hurried up the stairs after Misty.
Back at the chair, Viktor focused on the data scrolling across the holographic screen. Lines of code and neural pathways displayed in real-time as the scanner analyzed Lucy's cybernetic implants.
David stood nearby, clenching his fists as he waited. Each second felt like an eternity.
Finally, Viktor spoke up. "Good news—her neural implant isn't critically damaged. Looks like the Voodoo Boys' repair job wasn't as clean as it should've been. Some residual corruption is causing random glitches, which triggered the headache and temporary system crash."
"Can you fix it?" David asked urgently.
"Yeah, I can patch it up—should stabilize her neural pathways and stop the headaches. But..." Viktor glanced at David. "She's been pushing her cyberware too hard. Might be worth reminding her to slow down—burnout's no joke."
David exhaled slowly, relief washing over him. "Thank you, Viktor."
"Don't mention it. Just give me a few minutes to finish the repair."
As Viktor got to work, David stepped aside, running a hand through his hair as the tension began to ease.
But deep down, a lingering unease still gnawed at him.
If something like this could happen so suddenly... what other dangers might be lurking around the corner?
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