September 8, 2067
Roxy Mitchell (Kushinada)
"Lucy, are you sure we should be this far from home?" Roxy asked, flicking her gaze between her map and their surroundings.
Lucy let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. "Roxy, why are you bringing this up now?" She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, pointing toward the metro station they'd left minutes ago. "If you're that worried, you can always turn back. I'm not stopping you."
"Yeah, right." Roxy scoffed, puffing out her cheeks in that stubborn way Lucy knew all too well. "Dad told me to keep an eye on you, so don't think you're ditching me that easily."
"Yeah, yeah, save the lectures for Dad." Lucy waved a dismissive hand, her eyes sweeping the streets. "Besides, we've got Rumi and Midnight with us. What could possibly go wrong?" She shot her older sister a pointed look.
"That's not an excuse to be reckless..." Roxy muttered. But when Lucy ignored her — again — she exhaled sharply and trudged after her. Leaving her alone in an unfamiliar district was an even dumber idea than trying — once again — to talk sense into her headstrong stepsister.
Lucy glanced back with a grin. "Come on, Roxy, when else are we gonna get a chance like this?" She clasped her hands behind her back. "And honestly? You really think the old man would let us run around unsupervised? I'd bet good money he's got someone tailing us rather than actually trusting two teenagers to wander around one of the top ten most crime-ridden cities in America."
Roxy sighed in defeat, raising her hands in surrender. "Fine, you win. But in that case, let's hear it — why the hell are we here? Wandering into Maelstrom turf isn't just dumb — it's suicidal."
"Maelstrom's got bigger problems right now. They're keeping their heads down." Lucy shot her a knowing look. "You didn't catch the news last week?"
Roxy shook her head.
Lucy smirked, like she was about to drop some top-tier gossip. "Cops are coming down on them hard. Whole port district's getting scrubbed clean of any tech-obsessed psychos tied to the gang. According to Dad, Arasaka might be pulling the strings."
"You mean because of that massive land deal near the docks?"
Lucy snapped her fingers. "Bingo. No corp wants Maelstrom next door, not with their explosive tempers and... let's call it an 'unconventional' fashion sense."
Their whole conversation played out over an encrypted comms channel, so neither of them worried about eavesdroppers. They didn't need their adoptive father to remind them to take precautions — some things were just common sense in Night City.
"One more thing — what the hell are we even doing here?" Roxy narrowed her silver eyes at her companion, suspicion written all over her face.
"Remember how I said we needed a drummer? Well, turns out she lives here." Lucy motioned toward a rundown three-story building on the outskirts of the city, something between an old motel and a squat.
"That's all well and good, but did we really have to come all this way by ourselves?"
"Oh, come on. The important thing is we finally found the person we need."
"You're way too reckless about this." Roxy sighed, shaking her head as she followed her younger sister inside.
Getting in was easy enough. No locked doors, no guards, no hassle. The two of them stepped into a dimly lit hallway, and Lucy paused just long enough to gesture toward the staircase. As they climbed to the second floor, she took a quick look around, trying to get her bearings — until a sharp voice cut through the air behind them.
"Hey. What the hell do you want? You looking for someone?"
Roxy turned toward the voice, and the moment she laid eyes on the girl standing there, something about her struck an odd chord of familiarity.
She was... strange. Her skin and hair had an unnatural pale-blue tint, like she was permanently caught in the glow of a hologram. But what really stood out were her eyes — red sclera, green irises, violet pupils. A rare, unsettling combination. Not quite disturbing, but enough to throw anyone off balance.
No, what was actually disturbing was the gun pointed straight at Roxy's face.
Both sisters instinctively tensed, but neither panicked. Instead, they took a better look at her outfit — if you could even call it that. She wore nothing but a thin, oversized jacket draped over barely-there underwear. The jacket was clearly meant for someone taller. Probably a guy.
"Uh, we're looking for someone. Mind pointing us in the right direction?" Roxy offered a careful smile, eyes flicking between the girl and the gun. Sure, a weapon like that wouldn't do serious damage to her, but it would still hurt like hell.
"Yeah, we're looking for a girl named Rebecca. You know her?" Lucy stepped in, nudging Roxy aside as she locked eyes with the armed stranger.
The girl squinted, sizing them up. "And why the hell are you looking for her?"
"We need a drummer for our band," Lucy said bluntly. "Only problem is, all we've got is a name and an address."
The girl let out a low whistle, then scratched the back of her head — the same hand still holding the gun. "Shit, didn't think you'd show up this soon."
Then, with a smirk, she lowered the gun. "Yeah, you found her. I'm Rebecca. And you two must be those wannabe rockers, huh?" She gave them a slow, scrutinizing once-over. "Gotta say, you don't look like what I expected."
"Pffft, right back at you." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Did you install some kind of skin mod?"
"Something like that." Rebecca grinned, hooking her hands behind her head. "My brother knew a guy who did it for half price. Blew almost all my savings on it..."
"Good for you. But the real question is — are you in or not?" Lucy fixed her with a steady stare, waiting for her answer.
Rebecca tilted her head, blue hair slipping over one eye. "I thought I already agreed?"
"Yeah, well, people change their minds." Lucy shrugged.
Rebecca smirked, twirling the gun casually in her hand. "Not me. I don't go back on my word."
"In that case, how about we make this official and have our first rehearsal?" Roxy shifted uncomfortably, her gaze flicking to Rebecca's mismatched eyes. "You're free right now, aren't you?"
"Technically, yeah. But I gotta take care of something first. Gimme a sec."
With an easy stride, Rebecca headed toward the only door behind her. The moment it clicked shut, silence stretched between the two sisters. A minute passed. Then five. Then ten.
Just as Roxy was about to assume the worst, a loud, pissed-off voice exploded from the other side of the door.
"Go fuck yourself, you bearded asshole! I'm not your damn errand girl! If you're that hungry, haul your lazy ass to the nearest food stall!"
Roxy gave her sister a light tug on the sleeve. "Psst, Lucy."
Lucy cracked one eye open. "What?"
"The workshop's booked today…" Roxy muttered.
Lucy waved a hand dismissively. "Don't stress. Dad gave us the green light. Said he's got a gig, so the place is free."
Before Roxy could say anything else, the door slammed open, and Rebecca stepped out, looking a lot more put-together than before. She was still a little flushed, breathing slightly hard, but what really stood out was her outfit — noticeably more normal than a few minutes ago.
Catching the sisters' questioning looks, Rebecca groaned and rolled her eyes. "My brother told me to 'dress like a normal person' because, and I quote, 'you're not a prostitute from Jig-Jig Street.'" She crossed her arms, scowling. "The hell's so funny?"
"S-Sorry, sorry!" Roxy held up her hands, barely holding back a laugh. "It's just… our dad says the exact same kinda shit."
"Yeah," Lucy smirked. "He's like a one-man morality police force."
Rebecca glanced between them, then sighed. For a second, an odd silence hung in the air. Then—
Lucy lost it.
She tried to keep it in, biting her lip, shoulders shaking. But it was no use. A muffled giggle slipped out. Then another.
Roxy snorted. Rebecca let out a sharp chuckle. And before any of them knew it, all three were laughing like idiots, their voices echoing down the dim hallway.
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