"Give her a Johnny Silverhand, and I'll have a small Coke, extra ice."
Mercer sat at the bar counter, where Claire, seemingly indistinguishable from her game counterpart, acknowledged him first with a wave. She finished pouring drinks for another table before walking over and glancing at Pan'an and Mercer.
"Hmm... New faces, hello, I'm Claire."
She first poured Mercer a glass of Coke—full with extra ice—before mixing the drink for Pan'an.
"Johnny Silverhand... Not many people order this lately."
Claire glanced at Pan'an with a smile: "Girl, this drink is bitter and spicy, not many can handle it."
"Then change it, I'm not interested in Johnny Silverhand." Pan'an shot a glance at Mercer, feeling like he was deliberately messing with her.
Mercer shrugged: "Ha... I wanted to try it myself."
"Then order it yourself, you're the A here anyway."
Pan'an said, not minding a kid drinking—Wanderers aren't that petty; she had been in shootouts and smuggling with the convoy since her teens, a couple of drinks were nothing.
Mercer pondered for a moment: "Bring me a small one to taste."
Claire laughed: "Alright, but not many come here just for Coke... Are you of age?"
"A man's age is also a secret, and secrets make a man more of a man."
Mercer's nonsensical response amused Claire even more.
She poured Mercer a small drink, about the size of a shot glass: "Let's see how the man among men handles his alcohol."
Mercer picked up the glass, inspected the drink—old-fashioned tequila with beer and chili...
He lifted his mask, downed it in one go, and couldn't help but cough, which made Pan'an burst into laughter: "How is it? The taste of Johnny Silverhand?"
"You phrased that disgustingly... but it definitely matches that idiot's taste, bitter and spicy, with a lingering heat... cough cough."
Mercer quickly took a sip of Coke, felt much better, and then sighed, yet his interest was piqued again:
"A bullet glass, vodka with ice, mixed with blue Coke, a dash of yellow lemon juice, this drink..."
This drink was originally called David Martinez, left behind at Rebirth after the anime protagonist David died.
But now... Mercer smiled and said, "Let's call this drink New Chapter."
"Hmm, New Chapter..." Claire mixed the drink as he instructed, even placing a small decorative umbrella by the side of the glass styled with the blue liquor.
Mercer picked up the glass, looked at it, then took a small sip.
The fizz mixed with the citrus tang assaulted his taste buds, bringing a refreshing flavor, followed by the spiciness of vodka. Mercer savored it, then smiled: "Not bad."
"Let me have a taste." Pan'an, eyeing it enviously, didn't mind that Mercer had drunk from it. She took the glass, sipped from a different side: "...Tastes like something a kid would drink."
"Really?" Mercer chuckled and downed the 'New Chapter' in one go, then stopped drinking any more alcohol altogether, opting to sip just Coke while enjoying the music.
Pan'an's Wanderer outfit piqued Claire's curiosity. They chatted for a while and soon discovered a shared passion for cars, and quickly dove into an enthusiastic conversation.
Though Mercer knew a bit, he had no interest in joining in. He patiently waited, propping his hand on his face, fingers tapping on his mask as his thoughts drifted away.
Almost around eight, a large man approached, interrupting Pan'an and Claire's car talk.
"Rogue wants to see you."
The bodyguard looked burly, and Mercer glanced at him, noting an ample amount of cyberware—Gorilla Arm plus Frenzy System, Heavy Subdermal Armor, a prime bullet shield.
Mercer got up leisurely: "Pan'an, just wait here."
"Are you sure? I should go with you, don't want anyone underestimating you." Pan'an observed the hefty bodyguard, gallantly wanting to back him up: "The Adcardo name holds weight in Night City."
"No need, what we're discussing isn't for others to overhear." Mercer smiled: "But thanks, Pan'an."
Pan'an merely shook her head and sat back down: "Alright then..."
Mercer adjusted his mask, pockets his hands, and followed the bodyguard deeper into the bar. His relatively short frame stood out among the burly, oddly shaped mercenaries, occasionally drawing curious glances.
The journey was longer than Mercer expected.
It wasn't an outer private room he was headed to; rather, they pushed through a back-door at the bar, entered a dim passageway, twisted down a path, and entered another door to reveal an extremely hidden, closed-off room.
And inside, a woman was sitting right at the center on a sofa: Rogue.
This 'Queen of Rebirth' appeared aged, her long silver hair sweeping to one side, her strong and capable face adorned with a few experience-signifying wrinkles.
Yet the wrinkles didn't age her appearance; her face had a touch of makeup, adding a hint of wildness.
"You're A?"
Her tone wasn't friendly, her assertive nature evident in her speech pattern.
Mercer nodded, casually sitting on the sofa opposite, speaking in a relaxed manner: "Yes, or you can call me by my name, Alex, Alex Mercer."
"So, where's your intel?" Rogue, legs crossed, one hand on the sofa back, slightly lifted her chin, observing Mercer's behavior strongly.
Mercer merely leaned back lazily, a smile forming under his mask: "Are you sure you want me to say it now?"
He glanced at the sturdy bodyguard by the door.
Rogue, expressionless, waved her hand: "Move away a bit, I need privacy."
The bodyguard knowingly stepped away further, eyes on passersby to ensure no interruptions.
Then, Mercer nonchalantly uttered words that left Rogue visibly stunned.
"Johnny Silverhand is still alive."
Rogue's gaze turned razor-sharp, like a blade, fixated on Mercer: "You... fucker..."
"Soulkiller, I believe you know what this program has become in Arasaka's hands better than I do."
Mercer spoke unhurriedly, blue prosthetic eye beneath his mask, tiny sparks of light freely drifting around his pupils, adding to his mystery.
"After Johnny Silverhand was one-shot by Adam's Hammer, Spider Murphy saved him."
Mercer narrated a story unheard by Rogue, each piece of information tugging oddly at her heart and inexplicably altering her breathing.
"When she realized she couldn't leave with the storage device containing Ultraman's consciousness, she uploaded Ultraman in parts to the web, causing some disruption to her digital persona.
Meanwhile, Spider Murphy inserted a Relic Chip, originally used to store Ultraman's consciousness, into Silverhand's backhead port, blasted in two by Hammer's strike.
Because of this, before Silverhand's consciousness disappeared completely, it got uploaded to this chip. I reckon you might recall Murphy's actions at that moment?"
Mercer paused after speaking, then continued: "And after that, how this chip ended up back in Arasaka's hands, I don't quite know, but I'm sure that now Silverhand's consciousness has returned to Arasaka's control.
And what we need to discuss is how to rescue Silverhand."
"Rescue him?" Rogue scoffed: "I've already sacrificed enough for him...
Who sent you? How come you know such details?
Few of my old friends are alive now."
"Hmm... that depends on how you interpret 'alive'."
Mercer finished, chuckling: "To be honest, the one who commissioned me, you might not like...
Ultraman, Otter Cunningham, I'm sure... that name still rings a bell with you."