Cyberpunk: The Magnet fruit

"Wait a moment, the drinks will be here shortly."

David smiled politely, handed Rebecca the beers, and turned to head back to the counter.

Rebecca carried the tray into the private room and slammed it onto the table. "Here, drink yourselves!" she snapped before plopping onto the sofa, propping her feet up, and blowing a bubble with her gum.

Her attitude was hard to miss—she was clearly still annoyed with her brother Pilar for forgetting to order her a drink.

"Hehe, Rebecca, why so grouchy? We're here to celebrate!" Pilar teased as he reached over with his long, prosthetic arm to grab a bottle of beer. "Come on, sis, let me open this for you."

Rebecca didn't even spare him a glance. "Get lost before I decide to blow your head off."

"Oh, come on now," Pilar said, feigning hurt. "You've got such a nasty temper for someone so small."

Unbothered by her sharp reply, he casually opened the beers one by one, showing off his skills.

Pop, pop, pop!

A dozen beers were ready. Pilar took a long sip and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Ahh, nothing beats drinking at the Afterlife. Even though it's the same dark beer we sell at Turbo Bistro, it just tastes better here. Must be Rogue's magic touch, eh? Hahaha!"

Why They're Here

This time, the Mann team had gathered at the Afterlife for two reasons:

To celebrate completing a job for a fixer.

To discuss their next mission.

Mann, the team's towering leader, took a swig of his beer and leaned forward. "Alright, the fixer handed us a new job: stealing data from a biotech company. Thoughts?"

"Biotech?" Pilar perked up, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Those guys are loaded! I saw on the news recently that one of their companies is launching some fancy new treatment for neurological diseases. It costs a million eddies a month! A million! They're swimming in cash while we're out here busting our asses."

"Hmph," Mann grumbled. "There's no such thing as a clean corporation in Night City. Word is, this biotech company's been using humans as test subjects for their so-called 'innovative' drugs. Who knows how many innocent lives they've destroyed?"

He slammed his empty bottle on the table, his voice heavy with disdain. "If our client wants to take them down, I'm all for it. But we need our hackers' input first."

Mann turned to Kiwi and Sasha, the team's resident netrunners. "What do you think? Can we pull this off?"

Kiwi Passes the Baton

Kiwi lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and exhaled a plume of smoke. "When's the job due?"

"Three days," Mann replied.

"No can do." Kiwi shook her head. "I'm tied up updating our system software and handling some other projects. I won't be free for at least a week."

Mann frowned but nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to rethink their strategy, Sasha spoke up.

"Then let me handle it," she said confidently, raising her hand.

Mann arched an eyebrow. "You sure, Sasha?"

It wasn't that he doubted her skills, but Sasha was usually the team's backup netrunner, handling logistics and lower-risk jobs while Kiwi took on the high-stakes tasks. Her volunteering for a mission of this scale was unexpected.

"Don't worry, Boss," Sasha said with a bright smile. "If I can't crack a biotech company's security, do I even deserve to be on this team?"

Her words drew laughter from the group.

"Haha! That's the spirit, Sasha!"

"She's right," Kiwi chimed in, smirking. "Compared to Arasaka's fortress-level security, a biotech company's system is child's play."

"Looks like Sasha's stepping up," Pilar said with a cheeky grin. "Boss, you've got to let her do it!"

"I'll even throw in a couple of custom weapons for the job," he added, winking. "Come by my place tonight, Sasha, and I'll hook you up."

"You're disgusting, Pilar," Sasha retorted, rolling her eyes but laughing nonetheless.

Lucy's Decision

As the team continued joking and discussing the mission, Kiwi suddenly remembered something.

"Hey, Sasha," she began, exhaling another puff of smoke. "You talked to Lucy today, right? Did she say anything about joining us?"

The room grew quiet as the team turned their attention to Sasha. Everyone was eager to recruit Lucy, a top-tier netrunner whose skills were practically unmatched.

"Well," Sasha started, "I asked her, but she said she'd think about it."

"And?" Mann pressed.

Sasha hesitated, then added, "She mentioned she's been working with a new partner lately."

"A new partner?" Pilar exclaimed, throwing his hands up dramatically. "Is she crazy? Who in their right mind would ditch us to work with someone else?"

"Which gang's he from?" he demanded. "Bet it's some guy—definitely a guy. No way anyone beats me as a teammate."

"Calm down, Pilar," Dorio interjected, smirking. "Who is it, Sasha?"

Sasha shrugged. "She didn't say much. Just that his name is... David."

"David?"

The name hung in the air as the team exchanged puzzled looks.

They'd never heard of him.

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