Mercer decided to give Songbird a surprise, mainly to make her understand whose turf Dogtown was now. Flexing his muscles first would make negotiations easier. For Mercer, this was a tried-and-true method of communication with NUSA people.
Although there was a high probability she had already mastered the Blackwall Gateway and could use the Blackwall to kill with a borrowed knife, with Mercer's skills and with his guard up...
Let alone using the Blackwall Gateway, even if a Blackwall AI truly went rogue and came for him, he was confident he could jack out safely.
Uh, as for fighting back, forget it. The servers housing the Blackwall AIs were probably on the scale of an entire city. No matter how skilled Mercer was, he couldn't withstand being crushed by sheer numbers.
Mercer, who had always loved crushing others with numbers, knew this principle well and would never give anyone the chance to overwhelm him with processing power.
Just in case, he also called back a still-pouting Lucy, telling her to wait for the signal from Morning Star. If anything unexpected happened, she was to pull his plug immediately and switch the server back to LAN mode.
Once preparations were complete, Mercer initiated a deep dive and headed straight for the Barghest's server domain.
The moment Mercer jumped to their IP, he saw a short-haired woman amidst the sea of data.
At that moment, she was looking at him with a somewhat surprised and wary gaze. But as a preem netrunner, she didn't immediately jack out upon being discovered like a common netrunner would. Instead, she looked at Mercer with great interest, sized him up, and took the initiative to speak.
"I'm guessing you're that A."
Her avatar in the Net was dressed very ordinarily, just a street kid-style jacket, long sleeves, and long pants. She looked to be only in her early twenties, even though in the real world, she was an auntie in her thirties.
"Songbird. I've heard so much about you," Mercer said, directly stating her name. The mask on his face displayed a standard pixelated cartoon smiley face.
"Oh? You know my name? I thought not many netrunners knew who I was anymore." Songbird was clearly even more surprised. A faint light glowed in her eyes, evidently scanning through data.
In the time it took to say that one sentence, Songbird clicked her tongue in amazement. "So you discovered me a long time ago and even placed a detection program in the server. Your programming skills are pretty good; I didn't even notice."
"Maybe you're just getting old and rusty?" Mercer stuck his hands in his pockets and tilted his head with interest. "Tell me, what are you trying to do, coming to my turf?"
"Your turf?" Songbird let out a laugh, annoyed by his comment about her age, and retorted tit for tat, "Isn't this Hansen's territory? To be more precise, before Hansen and you came here, this was always my turf."
"So, why come back after you barely escaped to Washington with your life?" Mercer said nonchalantly.
But Songbird looked at him warily. "You seem to know a lot more than I thought... This isn't something a street netrunner can just find out."
Before NUSA decided to sign the armistice, Songbird, as a senior agent of the FIA, was ordered to establish a base of operations in Night City's Pacifica alongside agents like Reed and Alex.
However, with the sudden signing of the ceasefire agreement, they were all cast aside; those Arasaka agents began to purge the city of Militech and NUSA agent forces.
To save her own skin, Songbird even had to sell out Reed just to get the clearance to delta and narrowly escape with her life.
Reed, on the other hand, was ambushed by Arasaka agents on a train home. He was shot multiple times but was unexpectedly spared and survived.
The one who spared his life was none other than the NUSA President, Myers. Perhaps considering that loyal hounds are hard to find, and also that NUSA needed to leave a few hidden assets in Night City, she found a way to save Reed and keep him there.
All of this was highly classified. The conflict between Arasaka and NUSA agents was top secret. So how could Mercer, a novice netrunner with a mysterious background, possibly know about these things?
This couldn't help but make Songbird subconsciously speculate that perhaps there was far more to Mercer's identity than their investigation had revealed.
"Is there anything in this world that a netrunner wants to know but can't find out?" Mercer just smiled. "Anything that exists leaves a trace."
Songbird warned, "I don't know where you got this information, but let me give you a piece of friendly advice; sometimes, the more curious a netrunner is, the easier it is for them to walk into their own grave. You have no idea what you're getting into by investigating this!"
"It's nothing more than being hunted down by various corporations, being coerced and tempted, having my personal safety, my family, friends, and loved ones used as threats."
Mercer shrugged, data surging around him and coalescing within the server to form two sofas and a coffee table.
He sat down casually on one of the sofas and said nonchalantly, "That's all it is, really. What, are you unhappy working for NUSA? I heard you're Myers's most important netrunner now."
Mercer spoke meaningfully, "Logically speaking, with your current status, you shouldn't need to secretly use a dedicated Net line to hack into Night City for something as trivial as data mining."
Songbird stared at him in silence for a moment, then broke into a smile. She sat down on the other sofa, a wistful smile on her face. "You're right. Working for the President is no easy job."
Then, she answered Mercer's second question vaguely:
"As for why I'm here... You're a netrunner too. You should know that no netrunner who jacks in every day just sticks to their job, right? I have to find some fun for myself."
Mercer squinted at her and suddenly said, "What data are you looking for here? To be honest, I've seen every piece of data in this place. If you need help... I wouldn't mind making a friend."
Songbird just smiled faintly. "Alright, I'm actually here to look up information on some VIPs. Just checking to see who Hansen usually associates with."
This woman couldn't speak a single word of truth.
A sweating, pixelated yellow emoji appeared on Mercer's mask. "Uh-huh, I believe you. You're just here to do a routine check on the VIP list."
After speaking, Mercer chuckled. "You can't access any other data anyway, so I don't mind if you want to waste your precious slacking-off time all by yourself, searching for something that doesn't exist."
Songbird's gaze sharpened. "What did you find?"
"Who knows~" Mercer spread his hands, crossed his legs, and leaned back on the sofa, his posture lazy. "Take a guess?"
"...Alright. It seems you might know more than I imagined."
Songbird's expression turned serious. "Listen, A, what I'm about to tell you is no joke. It concerns your life, and the lives of those around you.
I don't know what you've discovered in Dogtown, but believe me, the moment someone finds out you know a secret you shouldn't, you're finished!"
A tense, constantly sweating emoji appeared on Mercer's mask. "What do you mean?"
"Listen to me, A," Songbird said earnestly. "A long time ago, I was just like you, thinking my netrunner skills were second to none, doing whatever I wanted online.
I took the initiative to dig up a lot of secrets. Some were to sell for money, others were just because I was purely curious.
However, because of one time... forgive me, I can't tell you the deets... but just because I learned something I never should have, my life was completely ruined."
A wistful, sad expression crossed her face. "NUSA agents found me before NetWatch could. They recruited me into the agency in the name of 'protection,' and since then, I haven't had any freedom to speak of.
Friends, family; they'll make you stay away from everyone in your life.
No matter how strong a netrunner is, we're ultimately just flesh and blood. Do you know how those corporate types, those high-level agents, assassinate netrunners who are hidden deep?
They're not stupid enough to rush into the hackable range of our cyberdecks. They'll use a sniper rifle, or even explosives, artillery shells, or even drop aerodyne bombs from planes and use land-based missiles to physically annihilate you!
They'll have elite agents use special neural links that are completely impossible to hack, and use a Sandevistan to snap your neck in an instant.
You're in Dogtown, and you have a very conspicuous team. This means your safety really just depends on whether or not someone wants to completely eliminate you."
Songbird said many frightening things, then looked at Mercer with sincerity. "So, if you know any secrets, don't tell anyone.
You must swallow it down, and it's best if no one ever, ever knows what you've discovered."
"Alright, I get it." Mercer looked as if he had genuinely been scared.
Songbird, in turn, looked at him gently, with a concerned expression. "To be honest, when I first met you, I thought you were a lot like my younger self... exceptionally talented, proud and confident, highly skilled...
But you have to believe me, when those agents come knocking on your door, you'll realize that no matter how strong we are online, our bodies are still just flesh and blood. Even someone as powerful as Bartmoss died young, let alone you and me."
"...Alright, you have a point." Mercer looked as if he'd been convinced.
Seeing this, Songbird comforted him, "Don't worry, I won't ask what you know. I came here this time purely for my own personal reasons.
You know, for a netrunner who's lost their freedom in the real world, they need to blow off some steam online.
I won't report your business to the FIA. As for those data deets you mentioned... I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything. But I have to tell you, the NUSA has always been keeping a close eye on Night City.
Especially when it comes to secrets involving Militech and some of the NUSA's own that were left behind in Night City. They guard those very tightly, so don't you dare make any rash moves."
Mercer nodded obediently, even his posture becoming a little more docile.
Songbird then deliberately changed the subject, chatting with him about other mundane, everyday matters. It seemed as if she had been lonely for a very long time, proactively sharing her life with Mercer and complaining about the miserable work environment of following the president around, starving through two meals a day.
The two also discussed netrunning techniques for a good while. Songbird really knew her stuff, and Mercer learned quite a few advanced netrunning tricks from her.
In turn, Songbird was equally shocked by Mercer's proficiency in netrunning and programming at such a young age, and she also learned some of Mercer's own techniques and knowledge.
If nothing else, this long-lost feeling of being able to chat with someone on a similar technical level really got them both a little lost in the conversation.
It wasn't until a good half-hour had passed that Songbird said, somewhat reluctantly, "I have to go back. I can't let anyone find out I'm secretly using a dedicated line to connect to Night City's net.
It was really nice chatting with you this time. To be honest, it's been a long time since anyone could just relax and chat with me like this. How about this, leave me an email, and we can chat again in the future, exchange techniques and what not.
Of course, don't expect me to reply on time; most of my time isn't my own these days."
Mercer readily left an email address, then said just as enthusiastically, "No problem. There's no one in Night City I can discuss these high-level technical issues with. Chatting with you once in a while wouldn't be bad at all.
But next time you come, don't just sneak over on your own. My advice is to give me a heads-up. If you get caught in one of the trap programs I've left, I can't guarantee your ICE will let you log off unscathed."
Songbird raised an eyebrow, smiling confidently. "Ha, I'd actually like to see you try... Next time, next time I have a day off, let's have a proper go at it and see how we measure up."
Mercer was just as confident. "Sure. We'll use the processing power of the Barghest servers for a showdown. We'll see who breaks the other's ICE first."
The two set a time. Songbird smiled and waved at him, then logged off and left.
The smile on Mercer's face, however, vanished the instant she was gone.
[Morning Star: Hmm... You don't seem to like this Ms. Songbird?]
[Mercer: Not really. I actually find her quite pitiful, but she was only talking to me to lay the groundwork, waiting for the right moment to use me.
The feeling of being schemed against, of course, isn't great.]
[Morning Star: Then how do you plan to turn her own scheme against her? What do you want to use Ms. Songbird for?]
[Mercer: For Cynosure, of course; she definitely came to Dogtown for it, and she's surely gotten her hands on a lot of its data and information.
As the NUSA's top netrunner, once she sets her mind on finding out some internal secret, it's incredibly easy for her.
She wants to use me, most likely to take control of the Cynosure facility, or to find a way to use the opportunity to escape and gain her freedom.
And I want to use her too, to get the data related to Cynosure, and most importantly, information on the mysterious factions she's secretly in cahoots with.
If she wants to escape, she has to come to Dogtown first. And as long as she's in Dogtown, I'm the one calling the shots.
However, you'll need to pay more attention to our surroundings during this time. She might have other ideas.]
[Morning Star: I will help you keep an eye on Dogtown's network.]
He sighed and disconnected from the deep dive, returning to reality. Lucy, who had been watching over him the whole time, ready to pull the plug at a moment's notice just in case, saw him open his eyes. She let out a soft huff and was about to turn and leave without a word.
Mercer smiled at her retreating back and said, "Thanks. Everything went smoothly."
Lucy just walked away on her own, not replying.
Mercer thought for a moment and decided he needed to go have a proper talk with her.
You have to toss bait even when you're just raising fish, let alone for a girl like Lucy who was already so insecure. He had to be a little more proactive and couldn't just let her stew in these feelings of jealousy and unease all by herself.
With nothing else to do, he simply got up and chased after her. "Anything to do today?"
"Nothing. I'm resting," Lucy's reply was a bit cold, but her pace had slowed considerably.
Mercer caught up to her effortlessly and walked beside her. "What does 'resting' mean? Watching BDs? Watching TV? Reading a novel?"
"Watching you flirt with Rebecca." The moment she said it, she regretted it. Didn't that just make it sound like she was incredibly jealous?
And just as she expected, Mercer turned to the side with a grin, looking at her profile. "When have I ever flirted with her in front of you? Don't make things up."
"Oh~" Lucy drew out the sound. "Right, she's always the one initiating everything, and you're just passively accepting it. I get it. So, is there anything else?"
"It's been a while since we hung out. How about we find something fun to do and go relax together?" Mercer gave her a mischievous wink.
But Lucy just turned her face away. "Do you think that every time you're just a little nice to me, I have to accept it gratefully? And then you can go play with other women with a clear conscience?"
"I've never thought that," Mercer denied seriously.
"But I always feel like that's the case... Forget it. I don't want to cause you trouble. You have a ton of things going on right now, so go get busy. I'll get over it on my own in a few days anyway," Lucy said.
But Mercer knew exactly what he had to do. He reached out and took her hand. Lucy tried to pull away once, but when she couldn't, she stopped struggling.
Then, she stopped in her tracks and stared straight at him. After a long moment, she let out a deep sigh. "Let's talk. What do you think?"
Mercer nodded hesitantly.
Looking at her beautiful eyes under her short hair and light red eyeshadow, Mercer studied her face carefully, suddenly finding it both familiar and somewhat strange.
It was as if, in the blink of an eye, she had grown from the little pipsqueak at the Arasaka base into the young woman she was now, one who already showed signs of captivating charm.
Speaking of which, according to her current ID, she would be an adult next year. And even by her real age, in just about three years, she would be an eighteen-year-old girl.
Thinking back, he'd had some... entanglements with her back when she was still a pipsqueak. Ugh, good thing he'd held the line.
Lucy didn't say a word as he took her hand and led her into the elevator and upstairs. At this time, the rest of the crew were either sleeping in their rooms, entertaining themselves, or working out in the gym. Only V was in the kitchen, humming a little tune as she prepped ingredients for lunch.
Seeing the two of them holding hands, she raised an eyebrow and teased, "Well, now this is a rare sight."
Lucy remained silent, while Mercer shot V a look. Although V felt a strange sense of discomfort, she put on a loyal front and gave him an understanding nod, not pressing the matter.
Mercer and Lucy went to her room, where he noticed a new poster on her wall, an immigration ad for the moon from Orbital Air.
"An immigration poster? Didn't you say you weren't interested in going to the moon?" Mercer spoke first, breaking the silence.
Lucy simply picked up the jacket she had tossed on the sofa, set it aside, and asked, "NiCola? Or would you prefer some coffee?"
"If it's hand-ground by you, I'll choose coffee," Mercer said with a smile.
Lucy couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Do you want me to personally grow some coffee beans for you in the base while I'm at it?"
"That won't be necessary. Personally brewed is fine too," Mercer chuckled, sitting down on the sofa and looking around her room.
It didn't have many of the cute elements one might expect in a girl's room. There were no display racks for shotguns and submachine guns like Rebecca's, nor were there any boxing posters on the walls like in V's room.
The moon poster was the only thing that could be considered a decoration. Everything else was a practical item like books, chips, a laptop, and a BD wreath.
Even Kiwi would collect some pretty lingerie and little toys in her seemingly simple room... Ahem, in short, Lucy's room was the type that could be packed up in a single suitcase if she ever needed to move.
"Fine." Lucy picked up a mug and walked straight to the coffee machine. With the push of a button, the instant coffee machine could dispense a cup of instant coffee, making it extremely convenient.
After making two cups of coffee in just over ten seconds, Lucy carried them over, placed them on the table, and then sat down on the other end of the sofa next to Mercer. She crossed her legs and gently blew on her coffee cup.
The aroma of coffee and the white steam from the hot water filled the air. Through the mist rising from her cup, Lucy's eyes were fixed on Mercer.
"Mm..." Mercer was suddenly at a loss, mainly because he hadn't figured out how to talk to her. He had always been using stalling tactics, thinking that one day he would eventually come up with a solution.
Besides, in Mercer's view, she still had to wait another two or three years before she could even talk about romance with him.
But the truth was, when it came to matters of the heart, no one could keep waiting for him forever. Rebecca could be shameless and proactively affectionate with him, but Lucy wasn't that type of girl.
She could only watch, time and time again, sulking and then digesting those emotions on her own. Unconsciously, she had just about reached the limit of her endurance.
Lucy knew that if she waited for Mercer to speak up, it would just be more of his usual evasive bullshit, so she cut straight to the chase. "How exactly do you see our relationship? Family? Friends? Someone you like? A flirtatious partner?"
"You and me? Or everyone?" Mercer confirmed.
"...Let's just talk about you and me for now." Lucy sighed, put down her coffee cup, then turned sideways, leaning against the sofa and propping up her cheek. "How do you see your relationship with me?"
"Family, a friend, and... sort of someone I like, I guess." As soon as Mercer finished speaking, Lucy couldn't help but frown slightly, her gaze turning a little strained. "'I guess'?"
"Because I don't want to say I've fallen for an underage girl, but I think I really... do like you a lot."
Mercer sighed and said frankly, "Besides, you've really grown up a lot now. When I'm with you, I don't really see you as that little girl from the past anymore."
Lucy felt a secret thrill at his words, but she tried to keep a straight face so he wouldn't notice. "Oh."
"You always like to bottle up your emotions. I know all about it, including the fact that you like me quite a bit. Hmm, I think that's pretty common knowledge by now. I am, after all, the most popular good guy on the team."
Mercer tried to lighten the mood, but Lucy couldn't help but murmur, "You're barely right about being the most popular, but as for being a 'good guy,' in some ways, even Pilar might be more reliable than you in that department."
Mercer raised an eyebrow. "I can let the other things slide, but Pilar is better than me? Hey, be reasonable, will you?"
"At least when he goes out, he doesn't get emotionally involved. It's a fair trade, and most of the time he's just getting himself off in a BD."
Lucy looked at him with a hint of disgust. "And you? I won't even mention your relationship with Kiwi, but what about Rebecca and V?
You know I like you, and Rebecca likes you too. Even V might have a bit of a thing for you, but what have you chosen to do?"
Lucy mercilessly exposed his behavior. "You say you like me, but you've definitely told Rebecca you like her too, and you probably even say some flirty things to V from time to time...
You don't actually think we can't see through your little games, do you?"
Mercer coughed. "It's not like I've been hiding it..."
"Yeah, you're a scumbag out in the open, and no one can do anything about you. But I..." Lucy started to say angrily, but then suddenly sighed in resignation. "What am I supposed to do?"
"I can't accept this, Mercer. You know I'm a very insecure person. How do you think a troublesome woman like me feels seeing the person I like being all lovey-dovey with someone else?"
Lucy spoke candidly, discussing her feelings and frustrations with him in detail for the first time. "Sometimes I try to be considerate. I try to think about how difficult it must be for you, because we're not just friends, we're family and comrades.
Rejecting any one of us would mean hurting them, and it might even affect the team's stability.
But on the other hand, I can't understand it. Even if it's just for the sake of the team's stability, shouldn't you be rejecting all of us equally?
And you know perfectly well that I... I care about you a lot, but when Rebecca gets close to you, you'd rather gauge my reaction than push her away even a little. You seem to enjoy it so much.
And the thing with Kiwi... I don't even know what's going on between you two. Is it really just... a simple roommate relationship?
Mercer, do you really care about me?"
Her questions left Mercer at a loss for words for a moment. He looked at Lucy's expression, and after a long pause, he sighed, deciding to tell her his true thoughts.
"First of all, I do care about you a lot..."
Mercer answered seriously, sitting up straight and looking directly into her eyes.
"Secondly, about Rebecca... Alright, I'll make things clear with her later. At least until you come of age, I'll keep a certain distance from her. But actually... how should I put this..."
Mercer hesitated, but finally said it outright, "It's just like Rebecca said. The work we do every day has no future. No one knows if the final outcome will be as smooth as I hope.
I... I'm pretty confident, but sometimes I can't help but think, if I mess up somewhere, will I lead everyone down another dead end, a path to ruin?"
He showed a rare lack of confidence and sighed, "I never studied politics, I don't understand business, and I'm not even used to street violence or bloodshed.
In the very beginning, the only way I could get used to it all was by treating everything like a game.
But over time, it's become harder and harder for me to face reality with that game-like mentality. What followed was the pressure of my identity as the team's leader, and even as a...
savior who's supposed to save the world. It often gets so overwhelming I can barely breathe.
You all tell me not to be in such a hurry, not to overthink things. In fact, most of you don't really agree with this so-called 'savior' idea of mine, this notion of changing the world.
Most of you just follow me with the mindset of, 'Alright, since he's said it, and what he's doing is a good thing anyway, let's just go along with him.'
And what about me? I'm actually very lost myself."
Mercer lowered his gaze, speaking in a low, somewhat helpless voice, "Sometimes I also think, maybe I should just call it quits, earn some money, make a few inventions, then go work for a big corporation, or just find a place to enjoy an early retirement with financial freedom...
But the moment I think about what might happen as a result, my blood runs cold, and I don't dare to stop."
"What might happen?" Lucy pressed, having unconsciously moved closer to him. She reached out and gently took his hand.
"Like the impending Fifth Corporate War? Or the threat of rogue AIs to humanity? Or maybe... some of my own secrets."
Mercer glanced at Lucy, then decided to just lay it all out. "Even Kyoko knows that I'm very different from the Mercer of the past. There's a reason for all of this, and I want to find that reason, to figure out what exactly happened."
"Tell me, what if I took you all with me to run away and retire, but then a world war broke out not long after, and nuclear war wiped everything out? What kind of good life would we have left to live?"
Mercer began to voice his worries.
"Or what if rogue AIs start to dictate the fate of humanity? All networked devices go haywire, the AIs seize control of every nuclear launch button and factory, and humanity is thrown back a century?
For many people, they don't really need to think about these things. Even I sometimes think, 'Fuck it, what does any of this have to do with me? If the sky falls, the tall guys will hold it up. Is it my place to be the savior?'
But then, on second thought, what's the difference between that and letting someone else decide whether I live or die? The sky needs the tall guys to hold it up when it falls, but to this world, aren't I one of those tall guys?"
Mercer held Lucy's hand and sighed. "So whether it's Rebecca or Kiwi...
My attitude is actually the same. I just hope to enjoy what I can before I lose everything. Live for the moment; that's the mainstream philosophy in this world, after all.
Who knows if I'll succeed? Who knows if I'll suddenly be assassinated tomorrow by some agent popping out of a dark corner? Or get nuked by Saburo Arasaka?
Am I supposed to wait until I'm on my deathbed to regret it? 'Damn, I've never even kissed a girl in my whole life.' Wouldn't that be too much of a pity?
So when Rebecca wants to get close to me, I don't want to tell her, 'Hey, calm down, girl. I'm a good, responsible man who thinks with his big head, so wait a few years until my heart settles down, and then we'll think seriously about the future.'
The most I can do is at least maintain the boundary of her being a minor, and then keep a minimum distance."
After speaking in an exaggerated tone, Mercer laughed self-deprecatingly. "Actually, for me, when Rebecca takes the initiative to get close, it's one of the rare times I can relax.
At least in those moments, I don't have to think so much. If a girl I like throws herself at me, I might as well accept it."
He looked at Lucy and sighed. "But... I'll be more careful from now on. You're right, I do think more about myself than your feelings. That's a fact, because I just happen to like more than one girl...
So what can I do? I like who I like. I can't lie to myself, and I don't want to lie to you, so I can only be shameless and carry on like this... and take it one step at a time. Who knows if we even have a future?"
Lucy was silent for a moment, and in the end, she could only sigh. "I understand."
But in reality, she didn't understand anything right now. Her mind was just a mess. But, at least for now, she didn't want to add to his troubles.
There was no point in forcing him to choose now. He didn't want to choose, and if she kept pushing, the most he would do is put some distance between himself and Rebecca too, and then continue to drag things out.
"What about after? Assuming I'm of age too, I mean... you can't just keep on like this forever, right?"
Lucy bit her lip lightly. "I can wait a little longer... be patient... but even Rebecca won't let you get away with this forever, will she?"
Hearing this, Mercer suddenly laughed and whispered to her:
"Actually, Rebecca... I feel like she's pretty open-minded about this stuff. She probably saw too many scumbags while living on the streets, so me being a bit of a womanizer isn't that big of a demerit in her eyes.
She cares more about my attitude and whether I truly like her. Uh, that's how it is."
Mercer's words stunned Lucy. Her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "How is that possible? She usually acts like she wants to eat you alive."
"You think she can't tell there's something going on between me and Kiwi? Even V can see it."
Mercer said frankly, "But she's never asked about it once, really, not a single time. She just acts like she doesn't know anything. Not in a self-deceiving way, but in a way that shows she genuinely doesn't care.
She's never asked about you, either. Really. See, you get jealous of her and worry about what will happen to her in our relationship.
But Rebecca never thinks about that. At most, she'll make the occasional comment just to tease me. Don't be fooled by her and V bickering every day; that's just because she and V naturally don't get along.
But it's the bickering, love-hate-couple type of thing. Deep down, she's actually quite fond of V."
Mercer's words shook Lucy's entire worldview. She truly had no idea.
She had always thought that Rebecca, who seized every opportunity to be clingy with him, seemed like the most possessive one, but...
Kiwi and Mercer were just roommates.
And Rebecca didn't care at all about what was going on around Mercer.
V, meanwhile, was just deceiving herself, pretending nothing was wrong.
It seemed like she was the only one who had been acting out.
Could it be... the only one with a problem... is me!?
Lucy quickly shook her head. "I don't believe you!"
"It's true. Believe it or not, if I sent her a message right now saying that you were heartbroken and sulking because she kissed me and left lipstick all over my face this morning, she would even come talk to you herself."
Mercer made the promise, full of confidence.
Lucy wore a look of bewilderment. After a long moment, she bit her lip and said directly, "Then send her a message. If she really comes, then from now on, I'll..."
She trailed off, looking lost.
But Mercer reached out, gently squeezed her hand, and laughed. "You don't have to be like her. It's okay to be jealous. I don't hate it. Isn't it because you like me?"
She remained silent, but Mercer pressed his advantage. He leaned over, gently wrapped his arms around her, and held her. "I'm not saying this to make you compare yourself to her. I just want to say... when it comes to our relationship, we should only think about us.
What happens with other people is between me and them. You just need to care about your own feelings.
I'll be more mindful from now on. At least, I won't keep making you feel jealous and upset.
As for the future... if we really do live to see it together, then I'll definitely find a way to keep you by my side. Didn't we agree to be family for life?
That's my problem to worry about. Anyway..."
Mercer smiled and said in Japanese, "Even if we don't talk about feelings for now, let's be a team for life, okay?~"
Lucy didn't know what meme he was referencing, but as he held her in his arms, her body unconsciously softened. She rested her head on his shoulder, listening to the beating of the two hearts in his chest. After a long while, she let out what seemed like a helpless sigh.
"Want to go to the moon?" she asked suddenly.
Mercer paused for a second, then immediately agreed.
"Sure."
He let go, and Lucy took out the BD wreath. Just like the first time they entered a BD, they lay side-by-side on the bed and went into the Moon BD.
After Mercer entered the moon in the BD, he waited for a long time but didn't see Lucy come online. He frowned and shut down the program. The moment he logged off, his physical senses returned, and he immediately noticed his face was a little wet and his lips hurt slightly.
A pair of soft hands gently caressed his face. Lucy's scent was right there, close at hand.
She didn't speak, merely lowering her head to lie on top of him, embracing him with their necks intertwined.
"Forget it, I suddenly don't feel like playing. I'm a little sleepy. Sleep in with me today. Just like back at the Aldecaldos' camp, just lie here next to me."
Mercer, pretending to know nothing, took off his BD wreath, casually wiped his face, and then held her tight.
"Go to sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up."
"Mhm."
She shifted her position, turning to face him and curling up in his arms. Perhaps she was asleep, perhaps not.
But neither of them spoke. They just lay there in silence, until V sent a message urging them to come to the living room for a meal.
Lucy got up, feigning composure as she told him to go to the living room first, making the excuse that she needed to wash her face.
But when the clueless Mercer arrived in the living room, he found that the moment everyone saw him, their expressions all turned a little strange.
He immediately realized what had happened.
Lucy, meanwhile, followed leisurely behind him and gave Mercer, who hadn't sat down yet, a little push. "You made steak for lunch? It looks delicious."
Rebecca grinned but didn't say anything at first. After a moment, she couldn't help but clutch her stomach and burst out laughing, which made everyone else stop holding back and laugh out loud in unison.
"Ahahaha~ Not bad! Lucy!" Rebecca roared with laughter. "How come I never thought of that! Hahaha!"
V, looking at Mercer with disgust, grumbled while laughing, "Hurry up and go wash your face. It's time to eat."
Mercer's face darkened. He tilted his head up to look at the camera in the room, then switched to the camera's view and zoomed in on his own face.
Sure enough, not only was his face covered in lipstick marks shaped like lips, but most importantly, the romaji for the Japanese word "BAKA" had been written in lipstick on one of his cheeks.
Lucy smiled demurely, but she also shot an imperceptible glance at Rebecca, who was currently roaring with laughter.
He really never lies, she thought.
—--
For a while after that, besides discreetly making initial contact with people from Militech and Kang Tao online, Mercer spent the rest of his time at the base further optimizing their weapons and equipment.
This peaceful life was shattered on December 3rd by the arrival of an email.
[Mark the Fixer: Congrats, a big shot has taken a liking to your girl. He wants to see his choice tomorrow night, so hurry up and get your girl ready.
Since he's a big shot from Arasaka, they'll handle the pickup. The price is what we agreed on, a fifty-fifty split between us.]
[Jeffrey: No problem, choom! But what level of Arasaka big shot? You gotta give me the lowdown, I need to give my girl a heads-up.]
[Agent Mark: Alright, anyway, your girl isn't going to keep it a secret from you after she meets him, so... to tell you the truth, you're about to make a fortune. The one who's taken an interest in your girl is Yorinobu Arasaka!]
[Jeffrey: Holy shit! Say no more. My girl is definitely going to make it big this time!]
[Agent Mark: Tell me about it. Ha, when he gets tired of her, we can use the 'hand-picked by Yorinobu Arasaka' title to generate some hype. Your girl's value will increase tenfold!]
[Jeffrey: Give me a time and place. I guarantee my girl will be there on time!]
[Agent Mark: OK! The specific location isn't clear yet, but the agreed-upon time is to go over at seven in the evening and wait. She'll be sent back the next morning.]
[Jeffrey: Alright, I'll wait for your news tomorrow then.]
[Agent Mark: No problem!]
After ending the email exchange, Mercer, who was using the alias of the doll agent Jeffrey, fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
A moment later, he sent a message directly to V, telling her to come and find him.
[Mercer: Got a job. Come find me.]
[V: What kind of job?]
[Mercer: Yorinobu took the bait.]
[V: !!!]
[V: I'm on my way!]
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