Lucy and Sasha returned to David's apartment, carrying cold beers and a few extra snacks. By now, the group had settled comfortably in the living room, chatting and laughing over their drinks like old friends enjoying an afternoon tea.
This was, in fact, the first official gathering of David's team—codenamed "david."
Since every team needed a logo that represented its spirit, Lucy took this opportunity to ask for opinions on what their team icon should be.
"I'm open to ideas," she said, glancing between David and Jack. "What do you guys think?"
Jack shrugged, tipping his beer back with a swig. "Eh, don't look at me. I'll go with whatever the captain picks."
David, however, already had a firm idea. Setting down his drink, he leaned back against the couch and spoke with conviction.
"Our team's icon will be a dragon—the Eastern five-clawed golden dragon."
Lucy raised an eyebrow but nodded, quickly warming to the idea. "A golden dragon, huh? Bold choice. I like it."
"Sounds badass," Jack added with a grin.
With the decision made, Lucy wasted no time. Using the fluorescent printing device that David had at home, she began crafting the glowing totems. Carefully, she pressed the luminous pattern onto the backs of David and Jack's jackets. The golden dragon's form shimmered with life, its serpentine body and sharp claws detailed in glowing threads of gold.
The special fluorescent ink reacted subtly to different lighting conditions, causing the dragon to shift and pulse with a cyberpunk edge as the light caught it from various angles. Against David's sleek black jacket—marked with the single number "817" on the sleeve—the dragon seemed to come alive, exuding power and presence.
"Damn… This looks sick," Jack muttered, turning his shoulder to admire the golden design in the mirror.
"Agreed." David ran a hand down the sleeve of his jacket, satisfied with the result.
On the couch nearby, Rebecca and Sasha watched the process with wide, envious eyes.
"Wow… So cool…" Rebecca murmured, unconsciously comparing the sleek golden dragon to the grinning doll emblem on her own jacket. Somehow, her usual logo felt a little less impressive in comparison.
"Yeah… I kinda want one too," Sasha mumbled, half to herself.
Jack caught their whispering and smirked. "Ha! You two want our team's logo, huh?" He raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Careful—if your boss hears about that, he might think you're jumping ship."
"Hey! Don't jinx us, you loudmouth!" Rebecca shot back, her face scrunching into a scowl. "We just think it looks cool, that's all! Doesn't mean we're traitors!"
"Yeah!" Sasha chimed in, sticking her tongue out at Jack. "You're so annoying sometimes!"
Their playful back-and-forth sent the group into another round of laughter, the tension breaking as quickly as it had appeared.
The cheerful atmosphere lingered until evening, when Rebecca and Sasha finally stood to leave.
"Thanks for having us over," Sasha said softly, adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag.
"Yeah, this was fun! We should hang out again soon," Rebecca added, already halfway to the door.
David nodded. "Anytime. Just don't forget the apartment number next time," he teased, earning a pout from Rebecca.
With that, the two girls waved goodbye and headed downstairs.
As they stepped into the elevator, a comfortable silence settled between them. The faint hum of the machinery filled the air until Sasha broke the quiet.
"Hey, Rebecca… How'd you like hanging out here today?"
Rebecca popped a piece of gum into her mouth, offering one to Sasha before responding with a grin. "Super fun! Time just flies by when we're with David and the others."
"Yeah… It really does," Sasha murmured. She glanced down at her bag and then out at the city lights beyond the glass elevator. "Now we've gotta head all the way back to North Watson… Feels so far away."
Rebecca tilted her head curiously.
"I kinda wish we lived around here," Sasha added, almost to herself.
Pop!
Rebecca blew a bubble with her gum, then turned to give Sasha a curious look.
"Uh… Why're you staring at me like that?" Sasha asked, her cheeks turning pink.
Rebecca shrugged, shifting her weight against the elevator wall. "I was just thinkin'… North Watson is pretty far and kinda out of the way, huh?"
Sasha's eyes lit up. "Right? And don't even get me started on all the cyber-psychos and gangsters running around at night. It's dangerous as hell!"
"Yeah, plus the transportation sucks," Rebecca agreed, nodding like a woodpecker. "Sakura Street's way better. It's closer to the city center and everything's more convenient."
"Exactly!"
The two girls exchanged a glance—and just like that, they hit it off with a shared realization.
Ding!
The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped out into the lobby, still chatting animatedly as they headed back toward North Watson.
Rebecca returned to the small apartment she shared with her brother, Pilar. The faint sound of tools clinking against metal echoed from his room—no doubt another cyberware project.
Hearing the front door, Pilar poked his head out of his room, goggles perched on his forehead.
"Yo! Where've you been all afternoon? Thought you got lost or somethin'."
"Boss said we've got a mission in a few days, so don't slack off," he added, pointing a wrench at her.
"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Rebecca rolled her eyes but then paused. "Hey, bro… What do you think about moving?"
"Huh?" Pilar blinked, caught off guard. "The hell are you talkin' about? Moving where?"
"Sakura Street!" she declared, hands on her hips. "It's way closer to Turbo Bar and the city center. Way more convenient, too!"
Pilar scratched the back of his head, frowning. "I mean… you're not wrong, but the rent's steep over there. Unless you're plannin' to hit the jackpot on our next gig—"
"Come on, bro! It's not that expensive if we pool our eddies," Rebecca argued. "Plus, you won't have to waste time commuting. Think of all the extra time you could spend modding your gear!"
Pilar opened his mouth to argue, but Rebecca hit him with a pleading puppy-dog look, her eyes wide with determination.
"Bro, please?"
"Ugh… Fine, fine! But only after our next mission, once we get paid."
"YES!" Rebecca fist-pumped the air and threw her arms around Pilar in a quick hug before skipping off to her room.
"Damn… What's gotten into her today?" Pilar muttered, shaking his head with a confused chuckle.
Meanwhile, across North Watson, Sasha sat at her desk, her computer casting a faint blue glow over her face as she browsed apartment listings.
"Hm… Any single rooms available in that Sakura Street building…?" she mumbled to herself, clicking through search results.
Her eyes lingered on a listing for David's apartment complex. The thought of bumping into him more often—and maybe even joining the team someday—brought a small smile to her lips.
At the same time, miles away in Arasaka Tower…
V sat stiffly at her desk, eyes scanning through a mountain of reports. The harsh white lights above only amplified the exhaustion weighing down her shoulders.
"Dammit, Jenkins…" she muttered under her breath, still irritated from the scolding she'd received earlier that day. Corporate leaks were a big deal—and her boss had made sure she wouldn't forget it.
Ding!
Her implant chimed with a new message. With a sigh, she flicked her eyes toward the notification and opened it with a mental command.
A video message from Jack popped up—footage of their afternoon at David's apartment. The camera panned over their laughter, the golden dragon icons gleaming on their jackets.
V stared at the screen for a moment, her expression unreadable.
They look so carefree…
"…Looks nice," she typed back before closing the message. Shaking off the momentary longing, she returned to her reports. Another long night of overtime awaited.
Later that night, beneath the neon haze of Night City…
David, Lucy, and Jack made their way to Afterlife. The club's bass-heavy music thumped through the ground as they passed through the entrance, neon lights reflecting off their cyberware.
While David worked on gathering intel for their next job, Lucy and Jack settled at the bar, sipping drinks and people-watching.
"Man… if we didn't need the money, this life wouldn't be half bad," Jack mused, swirling the ice in his glass.
Lucy smirked. "Careful—spend too much time relaxing, and you'll forget how to dodge bullets."
"Pfft! Me? Never." Jack chuckled, clinking his glass against hers.
Unbeknownst to them, elsewhere in the city, the Tiger Claws were gearing up for a mission of their own—one that would soon cross paths with David and his team in ways none of them could predict.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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