It's quite normal to die.
Not necessarily as complicated as you think."
After Mercer finished, Rebecca shook her head firmly and said, "Impossible! Dad said it was just a small job! He's so skilled, how could he mess up such a simple task?"
"Who gave him the task initially?" Mercer asked.
"Wagako... Dad was her best mercenary at the time." Rebecca said, glancing at Pira.
"Wagako is considered fairly reliable; she doesn't like selling out her mercenaries and rarely encounters issues with tasks... Are you two currently working for Wagako?"
Mercer continued his questioning.
Rebecca looked at her brother disdainfully and said, "No, it's my brother... He somehow thinks that if we find Wagako, she'll definitely help us and give us work."
"Uh... I've heard Wagako is quite nostalgic. Dad had a good relationship with her back then, and it was because of doing assignments for her that things went wrong...
Dad used to call her Aunt Wagako.
So I thought... Asking her for a chance shouldn't be a problem, right.
It was originally settled; before ten o'clock, she'd have some assignments out. We just needed to be there on time to grab a job..."
After Pira finished, he looked more bitterly at the clock in the shop: "But now it's too late... Five minutes, and we'd be racing against time."
"Minor thing, truly skilled people have fixers pleading for them to work, while mercenaries without skill just scavenging for leftovers."
Mercer's evaluation was very spot-on - look at V in the games, never needing to seek jobs, only having clients begging for work... Uh, and that's certainly not because V is cheap.
"Have you guys asked Wagako about your dad's affair?" Mercer curiously inquired.
"We did... She merely said that mercenaries messing up assignments and dying, not pursuing his responsibility, was already considered generous on the assigner's part.
I also sent Wagako an email, and she just mentioned it was our dad who didn't handle the deal properly and messed up."
Pira's expression seemed somber too, yet not as naive as his sister did, he agreed with Mercer's view — how many people in Night City stay legends for long?
Once choosing the Edgerunner's path, one should be prepared to lose everything.
Mercer nodded: "Alright, I'll ask Wagako about the details and won't request payment; since I'm kind-hearted."
"Heh..." V couldn't stand it anymore, turned to Qiwei, and said with a speechless tone, "What did I say? I guess he saved you because you're pretty."
Qiwei's expression was odd, feeling... Mercer shouldn't be that kind of person... right?
"You're full of crap!" Mercer rudely held up his middle finger to her: "I'm inherently good-hearted! Damn, there's no one kinder than me in Night City!"
V nodded, chuckling without refuting: "Right, right, Qiwei would surely agree with your statement."
"Fool." Mercer rolled his eyes, glaring at her bitterly, feeling like V, this troublemaker, would ruin his reputation sooner or later.
He's still just a kid! Where does this lustful rumor come from!
"Alright, it's too late for you two to head to Wagako for work now.
Luckily, we're here at Japan Street, I've arranged to meet Wagako before, and since we've bumped into it now, let's go and say hello together."
After Mercer finished speaking, he paused, yet continued: "However, I reckon you two trying to get jobs from Wagako won't work out.
Even I can tell how unreliable you guys are right now.
One young lady, capable yet impulsive, loses control during emotional outbursts.
The other, seemingly calm and slick, is not capable enough, controlled by a small-minded brain, selling necessary tools to buy Mewtwo...
When you get to Wagako, the best you can expect is to do some errands and odd jobs."
Pira said helplessly: "I know... But we have to find some way, otherwise we won't know where tomorrow's meal is coming from."
"How have you two survived till now?" V was genuinely curious.
She looked at Rebecca's somewhat resentful eyes, shrugged, and said: "Unlike me, although I also lost my parents young, at least I'm a Haywood girl.
Neighbors took care of us, Valentino gang members wouldn't bully local kids, going to church and visiting neighbors got us meals.
Your dad had issues when you were five or six, right?"
"In the beginning, Dad had a few friends helping out, it didn't take long for those kind-hearted uncles to die, then there's selling things... Whatever we could sell, we did.
Occasionally, help sell goods, get involved with Black Mewtwo trades, people actually bought from us since we're young.
Uh... just managed to live like this."
Pira spoke again, sighed: "As we aged a bit, things got complicated, especially after those uncles died, human traffickers, Cleaner Fish, Vortex gang lunatics...
Luckily, Rebecca and I inherited dad's sturdy physique, especially Rebecca, despite her small stature, most people couldn't match her.
After snatching two guns and dealing with several Cleaner Fish, no one dared casually harass us kids.
We did various dishonest jobs, anything to make money... I've some skills in things like assembling guns..."
V couldn't help but show some sympathy, glanced at Rebecca, and didn't dwell on her previous foolishness — truly a pitiful child, it seems your Sister V really is a kind person.