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-+=[BoG]=+-
Gloria recollected herself and just stared at her son. His eyes were full of hope and determination and while she loved that about him, it also made her frustrated.
She couldn't leave now. It made her grit her teeth. If she left and David went off and did something stupid, she'd rather die.
"Sit," Gloria stated without emotion.
He did so quickly and she sat across from him.
She wasn't stupid. The timing of this outburst was definitely related to Marcus.
"You talked to John, didn't you?" Eyes daring him to try and lie.
David shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Yeah." He admitted.
She exhaled angrily trying to keep her composure.
"Why?"
"You told me to never talk to him and didn't even tell me why. He's family, my cousin. I didn't want to abandon him." David said back with an edge.
She felt a sharp pain of hurt at the word 'abandon' and looked down in sadness.
"He wants to take down the corps, mijo. We would be implicated and blamed alongside him." She looked right at him.
David's eyes widen. 'Is that really your dream, John?' He imagined his cousin storming Arasaka and going wild. He couldn't help but smile.
Gloria saw the look and felt even more defeated. How could she have missed this? Both of them? Did she fail as a mother? Her eyes moistened.
He went over to her and held her hand.
"Isn't that even more of a reason to stick together? We're family." David smiled.
She looked contemplative before shaking her head.
"What about your schooling, David? You'd have to drop out. Throwing away your shot at the top of Arasaka Tower for edgerunning? Where you could die if a job went wrong? Why?" She pressed into him.
David steeled himself.
"I know you want me to have a better life at Arasaka, but I don't think it would. I know what they taught me. I'd have to constantly watch my back and not even trust my own coworkers who'd use me as a stepping stone for a higher position. That's not the kind of life I want. That's not my dream. I only really went along with it for so long because you worked so hard and I wanted to make you proud, but I want to take care of you too." David unloaded his thoughts with emotion.
Gloria's eyes were wide. She thought that since he was doing well in his classes and he never complained aside from some snobbish students was because he wanted it, but was it only for that reason? The comment about not being able to trust his coworkers was heartbreaking. He wouldn't even have friends who wouldn't try manipulating him or extorting him for their own gain.
And even if David rises above all of it, who would he become? Would she still recognize her baby? She had seen Corpos look at her with disgust as if she wasn't even human. Would David end up like that?
Her heart broke at what future she was pushing him into. Sure, he'd be more financially stable, but would he still be David? Her baby boy?
She started to cry.
"I'm sorry, D. I'm such a terrible mother." Gloria started bawling.
He quickly wrapped his arms around her.
"Don't say that, Mom! You're the best. It's me who is wasting all your effort for nothing." David looked down in shame.
"You shouldn't have to apologize for trying to live a life you want, mijo." Gloria should've seen the signs, but there's no helping it now, so all she could do was support and help him.
David smiled and said nothing.
"What are you going to do now, D?" Gloria looked at him with expectation and if he thought he was just going to go run the edge with no preparation, he had another thing coming to him.
David looked excited.
"John's gonna help me! He has this preem training shard that he uses to practice, said he'd let me use it." David smiled while talking about it.
Gloria's eyebrow raised. 'Marcus has a training shard? Where is he getting the eddies for this?'
"Oh, did he now?" That didn't stop the fact that Marcus was trying to help him become an edgerunner.
David looked sheepish.
"Yeah, but he said that I had to tell you. I don't think he would've let me, if I didn't." David had an awkward look on his face.
Gloria had a soft smile at that admission.
"I guess I have to apologize now, huh? Was he...mad at me?" She was afraid of the answer.
David tilted his head to the side.
"I don't think so. He wasn't mad when I showed up at his apartment." He thought hard to recall the whole event.
"YOU WENT OVER THERE, DAVID?!" Gloria shouted in disbelief. She thought he only called John on the holo.
David was in trouble.
-+=[BoG]=+-
Marcus got up from his bed and he was planning on heading to the gym Vik recommended him for, so he did his bathroom business before doing a quick workout compared to his usual.
Getting his duffel bag and ammo box as weights, he did his usual exercises.
He noticed that he is doing them far easier than when he first started, so this gym will be a godsend. The time it takes to get notifications has lengthened considerably, but he improvises with more difficult variations to compensate.
Planche pushups, 180 sit-ups from the solid railing between the couch and main flooring, handstand pushups, and pistol squats. He also did some one-armed pushups and his craziest feat of one-armed handstand pushups. Thankfully his Athletics is high enough to give him solid balance and flexibility.
He ended up getting carried away and exercised for a full hour before stopping.
Getting something to eat, he scarfed it down before getting ready.
Marcus wore his black skintight shirt, but this time he wore a leather jacket with a red dragon curled around itself on the back. It has red metal studs for buttons instead of a zipper with a stylized 'M' where his heart would be.
'The Examiner sure gave me quite a selection.' He couldn't help but laugh at the thought of him shopping for these clothes, but he definitely just poofed them into existence.
He wore no belt and wore some gray baggy pants along with some red hightops.
Now he is ready.
The gym is in The Glen which means he has to head for Heywood.
He heads out with his utility belt on with the ol' Nue and Unity.
Making his way down to the elevator, he checks his messages real quick as he does every morning in case he gets one in the middle of the night. It's not like calls as messages won't wake him up.
Seeing that he had 3 made him pause with surprise. The first two not so much, but the third definitely did.
Misty Olszewski
Rebecca
Lucy
He checked the first one.
Misty Olszewski:
Hey, Marcus! I enjoyed our talk and hope to get together sometime. I still want to read the novel and maybe a little performance? ;)
Just let me know!
He smiled and realized that he hadn't actually said it wasn't a novel but rather a manga. The performance was definitely the stripper joke he said, but referring to singing a song for her.
Naturally, he didn't mind doing so.
John Wick:
I did too, Misty. Heading to the gym, but I'll let you know once I'm done.
He sorta wanted to have the rest of the day to train, so he'd probably hang with her tomorrow.
As he rode the elevator down and stepped out onto the street, he checked Rebecca's message.
Rebecca
Miss you, Daddy~
[IMG]
An image was attached of her lying down in bed in a provocative pose with nothing on.
'Of course, this is what I open in public.' He shook his head in amusement and thankfully nobody could see it.
If she wants to play like that, then he'd do the same.
John Wick
Going to the gym, I'll make sure you get a hot and sweaty pic for you, Becca.
He didn't mind doing it as it was kinda fun. Marcus could only imagine how passionate they'd be once she came over again.
Once he made it to the station, he checked the address and compared it to the map. He'd have to take Line B down to Ebunike and back. Luckily, he didn't have to ride two different lines.
Scanning his card, he waited for the metro before looking at Lucy's message.
Lucy:
You ghostin' me?
He was bewildered by this message. She said to contact him if he wanted to team up for the scav den, but apparently he either underestimated how soon she thought he was going to do it, or his hints about who he was and hailed from were working.
Marcus knew that she wouldn't have given her contact if it was just a random dude wanting to bust down the doors of a scav operation.
'Guess she hit the limit of her patience, but even then, we met like two days ago.' He smiled as he responded.
John Wick:
How could I do that? Been training in preparation, heading to the gym now actually.
He left it at that as the metro eventually came.
Staring out the window, the city looked incredibly beautiful, even if it was a wreck covered in makeup.
This time the way to his destination was peaceful. Ebunike was his 3rd and final stop, but he was surprised when he got a message.
It was from Lucy.
Lucy:
Oh? What gym? I go on runs every once in a while.
He smiled a bit before responding as he simultaneously walked towards the address.
John Wick:
Sorry, it's a recommendation-only type of thing.
-+=[BoG]=+-
Lucy bit her lip in frustration.
She had never been the most patient person, but going two days without so much as even a text was infuriating. There was a bit of urgency as she didn't want to let go before she had her answers. Being alone was awful and while she may have a few friends, they didn't know what it was like to be on the run and having Arasaka steal their childhood from them.
If she was right, and he was some sort of descendant of Johnny Silverhand, then he could relate and that was something worth obsessing over. In her heart, she felt that she was right, and she wouldn't let go until she confirmed it.
That's why she asked something that she'd never normally do, especially since he only met John and spoke to him for like five minutes.
-+=[BoG]=+-
Lucy:
Want to come over later?
He had a stunned look on his face. Sure, he hoped for some kind of meetup and build a connection with her. Whether that be forming a team or getting some netrunner tips, but for her to ask him to go to her apartment? Perhaps it might've worked a little too well.
At least with David they did some picksocketing together, got into a standoff with scavs, and went to a ripperdoc.
Even then, that was just to get Maine over there for the sandy implant.
This was far more bold.
He also didn't mind it.
John Wick:
Sure, it'll probably be closer to 7 or 8 if that's alright.
Marcus wanted some time to do his training before going over.
A message appeared quickly.
Lucy:
Preem.
After walking for a bit longer, he made it to the gym.
It had a rough-looking exterior, but he didn't judge it based on that. The building was a one-story and quite large, definitely enough for equipment and rings.
There was a thick metal door as he walked up.
He knocked.
Soon after a metal slide opened up at the top.
"What?" A deep voice asked.
"Vik recommended me for this gym," Marcus responded.
There was a bit of silence.
"Just a sec." The slide shut and he waited for a few minutes.
The door opened.