"Hahaha...
Looks like our little friend... and his mother need some time to get reacquainted."
Seeing nothing out of hand, Vik laughed heartily and said to David.
"You'll need plenty of patience. Take good care of your mother—it'll do wonders for her recovery."
At that moment, Gloria, flailing wildly, had already managed to grab David's ear and was tugging so hard that the boy grimaced in pain.
Some habits, it seemed, were carved into the bone.
"Mom... ow... stop pulling...
Taking care of her... but I've got no experience..."
With one hand struggling to restrain his mother's antics, David stretched his neck and cried out miserably.
"Experience...?"
Vik chuckled, shaking his head.
"Think about it. When your mom was taking care of you, she was about your age. What experience did she have...?"
"Wuuu..."
Before Vik could finish, David's yelp cut him off. Gloria had pinched his ear again—clearly, that was still her signature move.
Arthur and the others couldn't hold back anymore, bursting into laughter at the sight.
"Alright... besides time, looks like you'll need some space too..."
Vik tossed out the line, and the group knowingly left, giving David and his mother room to reconnect.
Of course, if it weren't for those occasional screams, the scene might have looked genuinely heartwarming.
"Next... it's time to find you a place to stay."
Arthur caught hold of the little girl trying to slip away and scolded.
"Huh...?
Do we really need to rush?
It's already late—I'll need time to clean up, maybe buy a few things..."
Jessica muttered as she counted on her fingers, lowering her head to avoid Arthur's gaze.
"Obviously not. Just rent a place—it'll have everything you need."
While David was busy with his own amusement, the group gradually left Vik's Clinic. Outside, the Esoterica shop was already deserted. Jackie and Misty, reunited after so long, were clearly off somewhere else.
Heading north, they emerged from the alleys of Little China, and the towering H10 Megabuilding came into view.
Compared to the corporate monoliths of City Center, it wasn't the tallest, but in the Watson District, it stood above all others.
The sun slanted down from the west, its glow blocked by the chaotic skyline. By the time it reached the streets, it had lost its original brilliance.
Along the roadside, the skyscrapers' ads had already lit up, dense and overwhelming, stealing away the sun's light.
Their exaggerated designs gave these cold buildings a strangely alluring glow, sometimes near, sometimes far.
This was a city obsessed with outshining everything around it.
Even the traffic lights across the street glared brighter than the fading sun.
On the black asphalt, yellow stripes stretched across toward the opposite side.
Following the crowd, two figures—one tall, one small—moved with the flow.
"Seriously, you're not really going to kick me out, are you? What if something dangerous happens..."
Arthur shot Jessica a look, clearly annoyed at her pitiful eyes.
"Maybe I should drop you off at kindergarten. I'll even cover tuition."
He hadn't expected the brat to try and trick him. He might not know netrunning, but he damn well knew those tens of thousands of eddies hadn't been wasted.
It was peak hour. Even this short stretch of sidewalk buzzed with noise and shouting.
Their conversation barely stood out.
"Two people are still fun—it's better than being all alone."
Jessica kept muttering under her breath, stealing glances at Arthur whenever she thought he wasn't looking.
Maybe it was her upbringing, but the girl hated loneliness with every fiber of her being.
Her mother had left when she was just a child, barely old enough to remember. Her father, tied up with Militech work, was rarely home.
From early on, Jessica had spent most of her time alone—and she never grew used to it.
"It's not far. Doesn't make a difference..."
Arthur answered absentmindedly, his attention already drifting elsewhere.
By now, they'd nearly crossed the street. The green light began to flash, urging the crowd forward.
"Hey!! Move already!!"
"The fuck you standing there for... you crazy or what?!"
Jessica tilted her head at Arthur, puzzled to see him frozen in the middle of the road.
"What's wrong, Arthur?
Don't be like that... If it's that bad... I'll move out."
But those gazes—some annoyed, some concerned—suddenly froze, shifting into sheer terror.
Arthur suddenly drew his revolver, eyes locked straight ahead like a sea eagle on its prey.
The Frontier in his hand glowed faint blue.
That was his "claw," and it was far more useful than the real thing.
The light running along the gun's frame wasn't for show. With every shot, the glow surged forward along the barrel to the muzzle.
The faint ripples almost vanished in the blink of gunfire, but Arthur's sharp eyes caught them all.
That flash of blue across his cold gaze was like sudden lightning splitting the world.
The surge of killing intent in that instant was enough to make every hair on your body stand on end.
"Ahhh!!"
"Fuck! He's killing people! Don't fucking kill me—!"
Only after the Frontier spat out six rounds did the crowd snap out of their daze, scattering in panic and screams.
But in the next instant, sharper sounds ripped through the air.
"Skrrreech—
Bang!"
A motorcycle scraped across the pavement. And... a black-and-blue van slammed into a wall.
"Arthur, what's going on? Who are they?"
Jessica rushed back to his side, voice filled with worry.
"Looks like Maelstrom."
Arthur's eyes stayed fixed ahead.
His sudden attack had thrown the area into chaos.
Chaos erupted as cars slammed into each other, snapping light poles and tearing through guardrails.
Yet despite the mess, none of the drivers argued. They backed up in unison, cleared space, and bolted.
The whole thing took less than half a minute.