The gullwing drops, seals, and the Deluxo surges. Rocky taps the jet booster; a tongue of flame kicks from the tail, shoving the car to maximum thrust. He vectors off Konpeki Plaza, trading altitude for speed as two Arasaka drones pivot to pursue.
"Unidentified hover vehicle detected. Suspected target. Intercept," a clipped synthetic voice repeats behind them. Tracer rounds rake the air.
Impacts spark across the windshield and body panels, but the upgraded armor and bulletproof glass hold. Jackie pushes up from the back seat, wide-eyed at the rattling drum of machine-gun fire that fails to punch through.
"This car is insane," he says, gripping the overhead handle.
"Low," Rocky answers. "We want low."
High altitude wastes their advantage. He skims the rooftops, threads between billboards, and lets the chassis flex through a series of tight rolls that the drones cannot match without losing lock. The range compresses anyway. The longer they buzz, the more support Arasaka will throw.
The charge indicator on the dash ticks full.
"Now."
He spikes the jet. The Deluxo leaps forward, then Rocky snaps the wheel. At low altitude, the frame pivots fast. The nose swings around one hundred eighty degrees; the car continues sliding forward while facing the chase.
The weapon bay irises open. Targeting reticles lock in pairs.
Scan. Lock. Fire.
Twin missiles streak, blossom into fire, and erase both drones. Rocky flicks the wheel again and brings the nose back around with almost no loss of speed.
"Enough show for you, Jackie?" Rocky asks.
"Awesome, but warn me before you drift like that," Jackie mutters, still clenched around the grab bar. "If I fall at my size, I pay for it in pain."
Rocky laughs once. "Noted."
With aerial pursuit gone, Arasaka loses their trail. Rocky toggles road mode; the wheels bite tarmac. The cabin settles. He finally checks Lucy.
She lies quiet in the front passenger seat, unbothered even by the violent maneuvers. He slots a field-monitoring chip into her interface. Readouts stabilize at normal ranges.
"Is she okay?" Jackie leans forward.
"Vitals normal, breathing steady. The high-load data flood forced a neural overload. She needs rest. I will run a full exam at the clinic."
"Good. About what that hacker said… Lucy being Arasaka property. I didn't see that coming."
"In Night City, no one cares about your past," Rocky says. "You do not know mine, and we are still brothers."
"True."
Arasaka Waterfront is not far from Japantown. Before long, Rocky drops into the alley behind the clinic.
"Jackie, I need to check Lucy. Drive the car home for now. And do not tell anyone about Lucy."
"Relax. My mouth is sealed. But hey, you and Lucy… what is the story? Looks like you actually met your match."
Rocky fishes the car card from his left palm and passes it over. "No story yet. I will try."
"Then try harder. I am heading out. My mamá worried all night. I have to show her I am alive."
They split. Rocky lifts Lucy from the seat, carries her inside, sets her on the operating chair, and links diagnostic leads. The scanner hums into a comprehensive exam.
…
"Lucy, run, get out."
"Lucy, welcome to Maine's team."
"Lucy, you can do it."
"Stop struggling. Security will find you soon."
The dream drags her backward. She watches friends die, runs to Night City, hears Rocky tell her she can. Then the nightmare pivots: an Arasaka hacker finds her again, straps her to a dive chair, and rips at her mind for data that never ends.
Consciousness returns in a slow climb. A frown touches her brow. Pressure against her shoulders. For a second she is sure the chair is under her and the room is black and cold.
They caught me.
"No."
She snaps awake with a shout. Fear floods her eyes, ready to meet the only scene she cannot bear to see again.
"Do not be afraid, Lucy. Breathe. It is me, L. This is my clinic, not Arasaka's turf. There are no Arasaka people here. You are safe now. Relax. Everything is fine."