"Kerry, what made you want to come see me?"
In the VIP suite of Afterlife, Rogue looked at Kerry with a bit of surprise—it had been over a decade since they'd last met. Then her eyes turned to Karl and the others beside him. "And you came with Karl and his crew, no less."
As the Queen of Afterlife and a legendary fixer, Rogue instinctively assumed it was business-related.
"You got a job and need my help?"
She looked Kerry up and down. "Considering our history, I could give you a discount."
What kind of history did Kerry have with Rogue?
Simple—Rogue had once been Johnny Silverhand's girlfriend, and Kerry had been Johnny's best friend.
The connection between them stemmed from Johnny, so there was still some lingering sentiment.
"If I really were in trouble, maybe I'd take you up on that discount. But this time, I brought you something."
Rogue's confusion deepened.
Brought her something?
It had been so long. Kerry felt... strange somehow.
"You brought me something?"
She gave him another once-over, but didn't see anything on him that could be hiding something.
"It's not on me. What I brought is this."
As he spoke, Kerry turned and picked something up from the floor. When Rogue looked over, she saw a fluffy creature being lifted up and held toward her.
'What is this?'
One look, and she immediately recognized the fluff.
It was Karl and the others' dog. If she remembered right, its name was Q-Ball or something. Why the hell was Kerry handing her a dog?
She didn't collect pets.
Rogue, growing more suspicious, was just about to ask Karl why things felt so weird today—when the dog in front of her suddenly opened its mouth.
And then, a voice she knew better than her own rang out:
"Long time no see, Rogue."
The sentence was simple, just a greeting—even coming from a dog—but the instant she heard it, the familiarity of that voice hit her like a punch.
There was no way she could forget that voice—just like she could never forget that moment, half a century ago, when the man behind it was ripped to pieces before her eyes by Adam Smasher. That moment marked the loss of the love of her life.
"This—!"
Even someone as seasoned as the Queen of Afterlife stood frozen, stunned. She stared in disbelief at the dog who had just spoken.
A dog that spoke in Johnny Silverhand's voice? That was the "gift" Karl and Kerry had brought her?
There was no way that was a coincidence.
Because the moment she heard that familiar voice, she looked into the dog's eyes—eyes that shouldn't have shown emotion—and she saw a shadow she knew better than anyone.
"This dog isn't just a dog. Inside it—"
Kerry had started to explain that Johnny Silverhand was in the dog, but before he could finish, Rogue had already reached out and practically snatched it from his hands.
"Johnny?"
Her voice left everyone in the room stunned—everyone except her and Johnny Silverhand.
She had recognized him?
Even in a dog's body—even though he'd supposedly died fifty years ago—she had recognized him from just one sentence?
"That's insane..."
Oliver muttered, "Even after we knew it was Johnny, it still took us time to accept it..."
"And I thought I was the one who knew him best."
Kerry looked bitter. As Johnny's best friend, it stung that his ex-girlfriend had recognized him faster than he had.
"Sometimes you just have to admit—emotions are weird like that," Karl said quietly.
Just then, Johnny Silverhand's projection materialized nearby.
"Been over fifty years, huh, Rogue?"
"No... this can't be real..."
Seeing Johnny's image appear beside her, Rogue gently set the dog down, still unwilling to believe it—even if she already knew the truth.
"You died. I watched it happen."
"But here I am, Rogue. Right in front of you, standing in this damned city. Don't kid yourself. I always find my way back to you, don't I?"
His unexpectedly gentle words snapped Rogue back to herself. She frowned and looked at his projection.
"Why does that line sound so damn familiar? Oh right—didn't you say the exact same thing after you banged a pair of twins while we were still dating? You showed up late to our date and fed me that line—and I actually bought it! Until I found out what you did!"
"Ha! Rogue, that face... Now you really believe it's me, don't you?"
"I remember watching Adam Smasher rip you to shreds right in front of me."
"Guess that just proves he couldn't kill me."
Rogue rolled her eyes, no longer in the mood to argue with her egotistical ex. She turned to Kerry and Karl, clearly expecting an explanation.
So Karl repeated the story he had already told Kerry.
After hearing everything, Rogue understood how Johnny had returned—and why he now stood in front of her, talking nonsense in the form of a damn dog.
"The Relic, huh... So that's what's been stirring up all the noise in Night City. And here I was thinking the chip Senno Arasaka stole just had high-value data. Never imagined it was carrying Johnny's engram."
Even after the death of Saburo Arasaka, the existence of the Relic remained a closely guarded secret in Night City. But Rogue, of course, wasn't like most people.
"Back from the dead, but as a dog. How's it feel, Johnny? Maybe it'd suit you better to come back as a teddy bear instead."
"Don't mess with me, Rogue."
Johnny Silverdog shook his head.
"I came back because I missed you—and because I need your help. I can't stay trapped in this mutt forever, right?"
"Honestly? I think it suits you. Keeps you from running off and stirring up trouble again. And don't give me that 'I missed you' crap. You're only here because you need something."
Rogue truly was Johnny's ex—she didn't pull her punches. But in the end, she couldn't completely hide her feelings. Her tone softened just a little.
"If you behave yourself for once... then maybe—just maybe—I'll help. For old time's sake."
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🔥🦾 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS 🦾🔥
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⚡ The Rebirth of Harry Potter
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