Vroom—
With a roar of engines, a large truck shot into the heart of Night City. Not long after, its speed began to slow.
Hidden among the stacks of cargo in the back, a small figure wrapped in a brown cloak brushed the dust off her clothes and stood up. The compartment was pitch-black, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
Suddenly, the rear door of the truck swung open for no apparent reason. The driver cursed when he noticed, quickly easing the truck to a slower speed, clearly intending to stop and check.
The small figure moved toward the open door. Once the truck had slowed enough, she leaped out, rolled upon hitting the ground, and slipped straight into a narrow alley.
The truck continued a little farther before coming to a full stop. As the driver climbed out, still swearing, she pulled back her hood.
A spill of pure white hair caught the dim light—Lucy, still just a young girl.
Lucy removed the cloak, adjusted her clothes and the items in her shoulder bag, and only after confirming everything was intact did she begin to look around with curiosity.
She'd always been fascinated by this city. Supposedly, Arasaka's didn't have much influence here, making it an exceptionally free place—somewhere people came to chase their dreams.
Thinking of that, Lucy pulled a crumpled lunar travel flyer from her pocket, her eyes lighting up.
But she also knew what the city was really like. Before coming, she'd used her netrunner skills to dig up a more honest picture.
Her conclusion was simple: this city suited her well.
Arasaka's influence wasn't overwhelming here, and other major corporations were constantly trying to trip them up.
And the chaos—Night City had plenty. Criminals of all kinds wandered these streets, including well-known fugitives and numerous gang members.
What interested her most was the profession they called "marginalized individuals." It wasn't quite the same as elsewhere—where they'd usually just be called mercenaries, and the market wasn't as big.
Here, becoming a marginalized individual had nothing to do with your background—only your ability mattered.
Lucy liked that. She felt she would get along well with this city.
After confirming there was no danger nearby, she stepped out of the alley. Her curious gaze drifted across the surroundings. Many buildings were covered in colorful graffiti, worn and shabby.
The sight didn't surprise her. She knew no city was uniformly prosperous, and she clearly hadn't landed in a wealthy district.
Soon she spotted a group of people in flashy clothing, sporting golden Cyberware and V-shaped tattoos, walking down the street.
At each storefront they passed, they collected a fee from the owners.
"A gang, huh… Figures. No matter where you go, these types never disappear… Judging by the look of them, those must be the Valentinos…"
Lucy observed them from the shadows, murmuring to herself.
She'd done some research before arriving. Of all the gangs, the Tyger Claws and Maelstrom were the ones she wanted to avoid the most. Compared to them, the Valentinos weren't the worst.
Of course, that was only the tallest among the short…
With that thought, she continued on. First she needed a place to stay, then time to gather intel, and only after that could she begin doing anything meaningful.
Before long, a wandering Mox member—pausing now and then to scan the crowd—spotted her.
Noticing something familiar, the Mox member glanced at the image device in her hand, then quickly looked up again—only to find that Lucy had already vanished.
Clicking her tongue in frustration, she immediately reported it to her boss. The information soon landed in Roland's hands.
...
"Didn't expect Lucy to show up in Night City this early…"
Roland rubbed his chin, debating whether to approach her. In his previous life, he'd really liked her character—loyal, passionate, unafraid to love or hate.
But right now, approaching her was… difficult. Partly because of her age, and partly because…
Given what she'd been through, she probably hated doing anything for a corporation. Maybe even despised it.
So if Roland approached her as a company representative, she'd likely draw a blade on him—or run.
"Elizabeth, don't approach her in my name for now. Just keep an eye on her, help her out where you can. We'll handle the rest when I'm back in Night City."
"Got it. I'll take care of it."
Elizabeth nodded and began instructing her people to monitor Lucy's movements and offer support when possible.
After speaking with Elizabeth, Roland messaged Kiwi as well, asking her to keep tabs on the situation.
Receiving the message, Kiwi's expression became a bit odd. Knowing what had happened with Gloria, and now seeing something similar with Lucy, she couldn't help but form her own quiet suspicions about Roland.
Meanwhile, Lucy had already lifted a few people's chips and was digging deeper into the city through the data she found—while also noticing something off.
Passing through several districts, she kept feeling certain people's eyes on her. And now, the sensation was even stronger.
Her mood darkened. She knew the city was chaotic, but she hadn't expected to be targeted this quickly.
"Hey kid, you alone? Where're your folks?"
A middle-aged man with a gentle smile walked toward her slowly, bending down to speak.
Lucy only stared at him coldly, orange light blooming in her eyes.
A burst of crackling electricity erupted.
"Ugh—!!"
Thud!
As several bodies collapsed to the ground, Lucy calmly withdrew her gaze. She knew exactly who they were—Scavengers. Clearly, they were after her Cyberware.
And of course they were. Arasaka's had equipped her with top-tier Cyberware. To Scavs, that was priceless—especially on a child.
No way they'd let a prize like that go.
For people like them, Lucy never left an opening. A clean neural meltdown—end of story.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser