"Thanks for the explanation. Dammit, can't you just keep quiet?"
It should be grateful Arthur wasn't completely drunk—otherwise he'd already be shouting at the thing. And if it really pissed him off, putting a bullet through it wouldn't be out of the question.
"My apologies. Data indicates that communicating with passengers effectively enhances user experience. Still, I respect your choice and will remain silent for the rest of the trip."
Delamain replied calmly.
Meanwhile, V, sitting in the passenger seat, finally burst into laughter, her voice brimming with amusement.
"Delamain, it's fine. You're right—conversation does make the ride better.
So... you absolutely don't need to shut up."
Even Rebecca, who had been sulking with puffed cheeks, had recovered by now. She slapped the car's frame, turned to Arthur, and grinned.
"Heh... If you ever fight Delamain, I'll be first in line at Vik's clinic to watch you get patched up.
Just use your fists and pound its hood."
She clenched her fist and swung it through the air for emphasis.
"Apologies, but I must ask you not to act on such a plan. Any damage caused may result in compensation lawsuits."
Delamain explained earnestly.
Arthur, of course, didn't bother continuing the conversation with this damn car. Picking a fight with a chunk of steel was just plain stupid.
Rebecca, though—she wasn't made of iron.
...
In the lighthearted atmosphere, Arthur and the others stepped out of the cab. The megabuilding here had three tenants, though they might not be around for long.
Jessica skipped ahead with one hand holding her hat in place, her small frame bouncing happily. It had been months since she'd looked this cheerful.
Arthur and V trailed behind, chatting casually.
"Westbrook's crawling with NCPD... You really think that's a good place for people like us?
And it's not exactly close to Vik's clinic."
Arthur's gravelly voice carried his doubt. Jessica up ahead could hear it clearly too—if Arthur and V moved, she'd be moving with them.
"Come on... The NCPD won't bother us. Look at the Tyger Claws—they run wild there without a problem."
V's tone was low but firm, trying to convince Arthur.
"And Vik's clinic... sure, he's important to us. But we don't need to sit around there every day.
People like us need a safe place. In the megabuilding, there are too many people, all kinds mixed in. Won't be long before every merc in the city knows where we live.
That's not good news."
Arthur nodded in silence. She was right. If someone with bad intentions was watching, all they had to do was blend in with the tenants and they'd never notice.
"So... you think Westbrook's the spot.
Huh. You really think we can lay low there? Damn place is lit up like a Christmas tree—you can't even find a dark corner to sleep in."
V frowned, but answered anyway.
"Arthur, as long as we don't piss off the corps—or even if we do, as long as they can't pin us down—we don't need to hide from anyone.
We're law-abiding citizens."
Arthur's stubbled jaw twitched as he smirked.
"Right. We kill and steal, but we're law-abiding citizens.
Night City's a hell of a place, huh?
If everyone robs, robbery ain't a crime."
V shrugged, unconcerned.
"We don't rob. We get paid. Sure, maybe we pick up a few things along the way—but hey, that's just scavenging."
Yeah. Even if those "unclaimed goods" were still a little "fresh," nobody was stopping them, right?
"Well, who'd turn down a better place to live?
Spending money on a decent place beats remembering your savings on your deathbed.
But for now—dammit—we should sleep."
As Jessica stepped into her apartment, Arthur didn't bother following V. He went straight into his own room.
"Hard to believe it's already 2077..."
He muttered before throwing himself onto the bed.
...
Snoring filled the room.
...
Arthur struggled to open his eyes, woken by a heavy knocking at the door.
This cramped place didn't have anything like a porch, so when he sat up, he could already see V standing at the doorway.
She was knocking at the doorway...
"Ugh... I'm awake already!"
Arthur scratched his messy hair, voice dripping with irritation.
"You've already missed lunch... Seriously, I don't want to wait until sunset to head out.
The dealership isn't the Cloud Club—they don't run all night.
Shaking his head clear, Arthur stood straight. His stomach burned with hunger as he staggered toward the bathroom and asked,
"Think there's still time to eat?"
"Hurry up. And you better thank Jessica for that meal.
If she hadn't insisted, I wouldn't have waited for you."
By then, V had already flopped onto the apartment sofa. She swept the clutter off the coffee table with her foot and propped her legs up on it.
Arthur might've gotten up late, but he moved fast. Before V even had time to shift position, he'd already thrown on his filthy old coat.
Grabbing his cowboy hat, he called out,
"Let's go."
"Starving really does drain your strength."
V stood, reminding him with a smirk.
...
Little China in Watson wasn't exactly thriving, but it had the most restaurants in Night City.
After grabbing something to eat, the three piled into Arthur's beat-up car.
Surprisingly, Arthur took the wheel this time, while Jessica and V slid into the back seat.
After three false starts, the old wreck finally launched forward, picking up speed as it hit the street.
Everyone was used to it by now.
"We're going to City Center."
V called out from the back.
"Alright, I'll send the map."
"So, what kind of car are you buying?"
Arthur asked idly, hands steady on the wheel.
"Almost every manufacturer's got a showroom in City Center. We'll pick one when we get there."
V replied, then added,
"And I've already found a place for us to live. It's perfect, I promise."
Arthur nodded.
"Just hope I don't end up living on the highway," he muttered.