Westbrook, inside that megabuilding.
After the last crisis, David had moved back here, partly to avoid any lingering risks.
He couldn't afford to be "exposed" on the public Net, and he needed to cut all ties with his past residences and movement patterns. Even the invitation to this banquet had come from Lucy.
Against Arasaka—though they had slipped away for now—that towering giant still loomed above, casting its shadow over the whole of Night City.
Of course, there will always be people who refuse to turn back until they've smashed headfirst into a wall. But very few actually die against it. The ones who hit it once and then back up just to charge at it again... that isn't really courage.
Inside a modest apartment, the room was already crowded. Maine and his crew... along with Arthur and the others who had only just arrived.
Despite the number of people, the place didn't feel noisy at all.
Gloria still sat in her usual unmoving posture, but her eyes now seemed to be slowly regaining their light.
"How do you plan on getting out of here...?"
The question came from Maine. His sunglasses glinted under the lights, and his heavy voice carried with solid force.
North America was no longer what it used to be. The deterrent weapons unleashed during the war had scorched the land into barren red earth. Reaching another city was no longer as simple as driving off.
Out in the wasteland, nomads were even more ruthless than the thugs of the city.
Maybe the only way to survive out there was to band together, like the nomad families, and carve out small settlements in the Badlands.
"We've rented an AV. That's enough to get us anywhere we need."
David's mood was plain to see—sour. Night City was his true home, the dream-chasing capital the whole world coveted. Here lay the planet's most advanced tech, the heart where all the megacorps converged.
In a sense, Night City was the world's banquet table. When it came time to divide the cake, every corporation had to take a seat—otherwise they'd be left with scraps.
The room fell silent again. It was the silence of farewell, a quiet no one could find words to break.
Outside the high windows, neon lights wove a vast net across the night sky. Even from this distance, the Corporate Plaza stood out sharp and clear.
The towers gathered there, raising high—like legs supporting a colossal banquet table.
"I'll find a way... and I will come back..."
David's tone was firm, like chewing iron. But everyone knew how impossible that would be. The farther the problem, the harder it was to solve.
"Well... leaving this dump isn't the worst thing.
Take your family, live a good life. That's more meaningful than anything else."
Arthur, who had stayed silent until now, spoke with a frown.
In truth, he didn't even understand why the mood had gotten so heavy.
Living well was just a matter of moving somewhere else. The price seemed no greater than shrugging off an old coat.
"And you..."
Arthur turned to David, his hoarse voice cutting through the silence.
"You should learn what it means to be a man."
It was only meant as advice. David—who had been just a reckless kid six months ago—was already a man now.
Getting caught by Arasaka hadn't been his fault.
Time passed quickly. Soon, the food and drinks they'd ordered were delivered.
On the eve of parting, after all of them had narrowly escaped death, they truly deserved a drink together.
David and the others left—taking Lucy and his mother with him, leaving Night City behind.
In this towering sprawl, only a handful of people would even remember that kid...
...
In a dim, cluttered room, sunlight barely slipped through the curtains, lighting a small patch across the sofa and coffee table.
Outside, Night City rushed on endlessly. Cars jammed the streets, horns blaring into a chaotic chorus. Vendors had already set up, pushing their stalls of all sizes into the square, most steaming with white vapor. And the pedestrians were always the same—strange and misshapen.
On the coffee table came a constant rustle.
Pure black lines spread across the paper, slowly forming an image...
It was a ruined factory, like a warehouse, already collapsed.
In the flames sketched in black, an AV lay crashed into the ground at an angle. Its once sleek, sharp lines had been torn apart, scattered and broken.
The last stroke fell. A rough hand pressed the page shut and flipped it over.
"We all survived... I... I thought...
That was a good result. I used to believe it was the world that killed us...
But no, it was madness that killed us. Like smashing into a wall, then stepping back only to gather strength and smash into it again.
Fools...
David and the others left, and they took my charred, blackened hat with them... heh...
It reminds me of an old friend. I hope his days are easier now. At least... he should live on."
He shoved the pen into the notebook, snapped it shut, and tossed it aside.
In the dimness, Arthur picked up the fine cigar balanced on his wine glass and bit it between his teeth.
Maybe it was the smoke curling up before him, or maybe it was the words in that diary... but Arthur felt a calm unlike any before. He slumped back on the sofa, letting the faint sunlight wash over him.
...
A knock suddenly broke the silence. Before the sound had even faded from Arthur's ears, the door swung open.
He straightened slightly. The cigar still smoked, its trail curling into his eyes. He frowned and looked over.
Just as he expected—it was V.
This skyscraper could now be called their second base of operations.
"Get up. We're heading out."
V stepped in front of him, swept the bottles from the table to the floor, and sat right down.
She wore a rough gray jacket. With a wave of her hand, she brushed away the smoke hanging in the air.
"You really ought to take it easy..."
Arthur looked at her with resignation.
It was hard to think of a merc as "diligent," yet she seemed determined to take on every Gig in Night City.
Thanks to her, Arthur had even managed to stash away a bit of savings...
"This isn't Arasaka. There aren't foremen whipping people into line here..."