"Pilar!!!"
Rebecca, lounging in the booth, shouted with a mix of irritation and exasperation. Clearly, she was fed up with her annoying older brother but couldn't do much about it.
"Hey, relax, I'm just curious!" Pilar scratched his cheek, unbothered, a carefree grin plastered on his face. The guy was shamelessly laid-back.
"This place is pretty lively," a woman's voice came from behind Riku before he could respond.
He turned to see two women approaching—tall, striking, and exuding confidence. The one in front wore a long red coat, her bangs neatly framing a pink metal mask that revealed only her crimson eyes. That was Kiwi.
Trailing behind her was, naturally, Lucy. Her iconic multicolored hair, blue eyebrows, and red eyeshadow made her instantly recognizable.
"Our nettoran friend's here," Mann said, raising his glass to Kiwi with a grin. As a veteran hacker who'd been tearing through Night City for years, Kiwi's skills and connections made her a key ally.
"This is Lucy, a genius hacker. Her skills are top-notch, and she's flying solo right now, looking for a solid crew to run with," Kiwi said, sliding into the booth and introducing the girl beside her.
She spoke with a cigarette dangling from her lips, her words slightly muffled. Yep, that pink metal mask of hers even had a little slot for smoking.
"So, who's the one needing a hacker?" Lucy asked bluntly, her expression calm but direct as all eyes turned to her. No beating around the bush for her.
"…"
V stayed quiet, glancing at Riku, then at Jack Welles, a hint of surprise on her face.
"That'd be us," Riku spoke up, not letting Lucy wait awkwardly. He pointed to himself, then to V and Jack Welles.
Lucy gave Riku a nod, a flicker of surprise passing over her face before she turned to V and Jack, catching the doubt in their expressions.
"It's a two-way street. If you're not sold on me, just say so," Lucy said, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. She didn't seem fazed, carrying herself with an easy confidence.
"You look pretty young, kid," Jack Welles said, a bit embarrassed, trying to be tactful for the girl's sake.
"What, you guys got an age requirement for hackers?" Lucy tilted her head, clearly picking up on Jack's meaning. He was questioning her skills because she looked young.
"Nah, it's all about ability," V chimed in, shaking her head. Sasha wasn't exactly old either, but her hacking skills were killer.
"Let's do a trial run. I need to see what you guys are made of too," Lucy said matter-of-factly. Kiwi had filled her in on this crew, but whether they'd mesh long-term was still up in the air.
"Grab a seat, Lucy. What're you drinking? Juice? Milk?" Riku stepped in to break the tension.
He hadn't sat down yet, and Lucy was still standing there like she was at a job interview. It was getting awkward.
"Thanks, either's fine," Lucy said, offering Riku a faint smile. Her sharp, almost femme fatale features contrasted with her calm demeanor, creating an intriguing vibe.
"Juice it is," Riku said, ordering her a glass since she didn't object.
The girl didn't look a day over 21—probably 18 or 19, around Rebecca's age. No way Afterlife was serving her alcohol.
V was 25, Jack Welles 27. It made sense they'd have some doubts about Lucy joining, just like Mann's crew had initially hesitated with David Martinez. After all, their line of work was the kind where you strapped your head to your belt and hoped for the best—no time for babysitting.
Guess Mann took David in because he already had experience wrangling Rebecca and Lucy. The guy was practically a pro at handling kids.
"You the team's riida?" Lucy asked Riku as they sat down.
"Uh, nah, I'm actually new to this. Jack's the one showing me the ropes," Riku said, caught off guard. He nodded toward Jack Welles.
"Oh, got it," Lucy said with a nod. She'd assumed the horned giant was the boss, like Mann over there, but turns out he was a rookie.
"You should trust me on this. Lucy's the real deal—a natural-born genius. What do you call those? A tensai prodigy?" Kiwi cut in, her praise for Lucy carrying a hint of envy.
The world wasn't fair. Some people, barely out of their teens, could hit levels others spent half their lives chasing.
"You don't hype people up like that often, obasan," Rebecca teased from the side.
Kiwi flicked a beer bottle cap at Rebecca's head in response.
"Obasan?! You wanna throw down?!" Rebecca jumped up, yelling, while her jerk brother Pilar egged her on, loving the chaos.
"Man, you guys are loud," Mann said, digging at his ear with a grin. He didn't bother stopping them, though Dorio quickly put a hand on Rebecca to settle her down.
Lucy watched quietly. Mann's crew had a great vibe, though the dark-haired girl seemed a bit down.
"How long you been in this game, Lucy?" V asked, sliding over to her side.
"Haven't been in Night City long," Lucy replied coolly, glancing at the redheaded woman beside her. Meanwhile, the horned guy had been pushed aside and was looking helpless.
"Same as Riku, then. Oh, I'm V, by the way. Horns over there is Riku, but you can call him Devil," V said with a chuckle, introducing their four-person team—half of them Night City newbies.
"Devil, huh?" Lucy glanced at Riku, who'd just smoothed things over for her. He was now by the dark-haired girl, who looked weighed down by something.
"What's up, neko-chan? Trouble on your mind?" Riku asked Sasha directly as he sat beside her, already having a hunch.
"Riku…" Sasha bit her lip, her expression conflicted, like she was debating whether to open up.
"Remember that personal stuff I had to deal with the other night?" she said after a moment, deciding not to keep it from him. After all, Riku was involved too.
"What, something go wrong?" Riku asked, not surprised. He'd figured it was about that.
He'd seen the data Sasha sent that night—some dirt on Biotech, leaked to Channel 54 News.