"You're back."
At 7 a.m., T-BUG sat on the couch in their flat, shifting her gaze away from the Night City skyline outside the window to look at Karl, who had just stepped out of the elevator.
"Had breakfast yet, Karl?"
"Nope. What about you, T-BUG?"
"There's still some food in the fridge. Jack and the others made something when they got back, then went straight to bed."
"Sounds like they got back pretty late."
Karl, who had spent the night at a friend's place, let out a yawn. "Looks like that street race trial kept them busy all night."
"More or less. Oliver and Jack did pretty well—Oliver came in third during the trial. And that was with barely knowing the rules. He's planning to practice with Jack and enter the real deal."
"Oliver got third?" Karl raised an eyebrow, thinking about Oliver's driving. "Guess a bunch of Santo Domingo folks showed up, huh?"
"You've got way too many stereotypes," T-BUG said, turning her head back to the window. "So what about you? What'd you get up to last night?"
"Went to a friend's place, had some snacks, watched brain dances half the night, and passed out on a couch buried in junk. She was headed to work this morning, so she dropped me off along the way. That's about it."
"Very on-brand for you, Karl. Was the brain dance any good?"
"Not bad. I went through her collection and found one called Night City Tour. It was recorded during the Unification War, right when everyone was panicking about the NUSA invasion. The guy just walks around Night City, capturing the tension on the streets. It really felt like stepping into history."
"Your taste in braindances is… unique," T-BUG said with a yawn. "Anyway, I've been grinding all night. Since you're all finally back, I'm off to bed. If anything comes up today, let's deal with it later. Once I'm up."
"Get some rest."
Karl nodded. Once T-BUG had gone back to her room, he opened the fridge to check out what Jack and Oliver had left behind.
Calling it "food" was generous—it was just cereal and milk. Probably something they threw together last minute before crashing. The milk-to-cereal ratio was off, and the flakes had soaked up so much milk they looked like paste.
Karl didn't mind. He grabbed a spoon, sat down, and dug in. Halfway through the bowl, a thought crossed his mind.
Was Blanca just looking for a safe place to sleep after overworking herself?
Yeah, maybe.
Karl had heard stories—like people too scared to watch horror vids alone, so they invited a friend over, then fell asleep next to them while the friend finished the movie. Some people are just like that—being next to someone they trust helps them sleep.
Thinking about Night City Tour, he took another spoonful.
Maybe this really is how people rest in a city that never slows down—where the tension never lets up, and even breathing feels rushed.
Ding.
As Karl finished his bowl, he saw the elevator ascending. The door slid open.
"V, you're just getting back now?"
Karl's tone was half teasing as V stepped out, looking surprisingly alert.
"You're looking pretty lively."
"Went back to the Aldecaldo camp with Panam last night," V said as he brushed off his jacket. "We talked about a few things, ended up staying the night. Joined their bonfire too. I mentioned it in the group chat. Sleeping in a tent again—it felt like old times. Of course I'm in a good mood."
He patted the dust off his clothes.
"And on the way back, a group of Wraiths tried to mug me. Took them out. Then near Watson, I ran into some Tyger Claws trying to spring prisoners from NCPD custody. Gave the cops a hand and stopped the jailbreak. Then right by the apartment, I ran into some Maelstrom psychos. Took care of that too. Slept great, and after three brawls in the morning, I'm wide awake."
"Three run-ins in one morning? What are you, a walking random encounter trigger?"
Karl raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you ran toward the chaos."
"No way. I was just on my way back and this stuff kept happening. I wasn't gonna ignore it. That said, you'd be surprised—NCPD's way tougher now since Johnson took over. The patrols can actually hold their own till backup shows up. Way better than the cannon fodder cops I used to see in archive footage."
"Johnson getting promoted didn't magically boost their combat skills overnight. Gear and training are still in early stages. Andy told me Johnson restructured the whole patrol system. Since he used to be a patrol officer, he knew how rough the job was—so he revamped the benefits, prioritized gear for frontline cops. All the capable people switched to patrol. The ones who got pushed into it before have mostly been reassigned."
"Sounds like the streets might actually be safer now."
V's eyes drifted to Karl's empty bowl. "That breakfast?"
"Jack's cereal-and-milk special. I finished it. If you want some, make your own."
"I already ate at the Aldecaldo camp. But now that you've had breakfast—wanna come with me? Colmec called earlier. He's got a job: smuggle something from outside the city. He's already sent mercs for pickup, just wants us to back them up."
"Colmec, huh…"
Karl didn't have any strong feelings about Colmec. The fixer paid well, but treated mercs like disposable blades. Unlike Faraday, who was now six feet under, Karl and Colmec just had a standard business relationship.
And his jobs…
Karl recalled something the old captain had said recently.
"…Count me in."
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