Chapter 94: Present and Future, Maine's Crew Levels Up
Evening. In the Jaguar Base cafeteria, Maine's crew sat around a table, enjoying a surprisingly decent meal.
The food here was excellent. None of them had ever tasted the swill they served in Arasaka or Militech cafeterias, but rumor had it those corp-drones ate recycled pet food sludge.
In Night City, 80% of the population ate worse than a rich man's dog. Nutritious? Sure. But it tasted like despair.
Here? The menu changed every three days. Even if the meat was synth, it was top-tier, lab-grown protein, seasoned by actual chefs. Texture plus flavor equaled delicious.
Nutrition? Screw nutrition. If you just wanted nutrition, you could drink nutrient paste or pop pills.
So, while the crew might miss the booze and the chaos, they were definitely adapting to the food.
Rhys's tray was loaded. A massive synth-burger patty the size of his hand, steamed broccoli, a burrito, and a slice of pizza. A solid meal.
The two women sitting on either side of him, however, had very different tastes.
On his left, Sasha had a plate piled high with American-style steak, pancakes drenched in gravy, oatmeal loaded with sugar, and a milkshake.
On his right, Lucy had tuna pizza, a piece of grilled fish, vegetable juice, and a stack of high-sugar chocolate bars.
Netrunners loved sugar. Male or female, if they were a deckhead, they craved sweets in their downtime. Rhys figured it was fuel for their overclocked brains.
"I'm telling you, the vibe is weird..." Maine muttered to Dorio, having just finished his meal.
He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and whispering, "It's fine. Rhys just has too much rizz. Just enjoy the show. It's like watching a soap opera."
"I'm just worried it'll affect the crew dynamic," Dorio said, glancing at Pilar.
Across from Rhys, Pilar was gripping his fork like a weapon, glaring at Rhys with pure, unadulterated envy. He stabbed his steak so hard it looked like he was trying to murder it.
Beside him, Rebecca wore the same resentful expression, staring daggers at Rhys.
Only Kiwi ate quietly, detached from the drama. She unplugged the feeding tube from her mask, cleaned it in her water, and tucked it away. Eating with Kiwi was always a bit... unsettling. Like watching a giant mosquito feed.
She ignored the tension. At first, it was funny. Now, it was boring. She glanced at Rhys. He was sitting straight, eating calmly. Kiwi snorted internally.
Thought I'd see a catfight. This is it?
Sasha playing dumb and cute. Lucy playing cool and aloof. And Rhys just... eating.
Boring.
"How long are we staying here?" Sasha asked suddenly.
"Another two weeks, probably," Maine replied.
"Did you check the news when you came in? Anything about us?"
"News? Oh, right!" Sasha nodded, swallowing a bite of steak. She took a sip of her milkshake. "Channel 54 is all about foreign wars now. Haven't mentioned Night City in a while. WNS is flooding the feed with celebrity gossip. Even the pirate radio stations are talking about scandals. The wind... has changed."
"It's like someone wiped our slate clean. There was some noise the first couple of days, but now? Nothing. The Japantown incident is being spun as internal Arasaka infighting. Someone 'leaked' that Tanaka went rogue and was cleaned up by corporate," Sasha explained, looking troubled. "At this rate... are we going to end up looking like Arasaka hitmen?"
She was smart. Even isolated in Dogtown, she hadn't been idle. She'd dug for info, piecing together the narrative. Someone was burying Maine's crew's involvement, flooding the media with distractions to cover their tracks.
It didn't make sense otherwise. A story that big? The networks would have milked it dry for ratings.
Rhys was about to explain, but the cafeteria doors swung open. Tigress strode in, still in her uniform.
The statuesque soldier walked with a powerful, confident stride. Her striking looks and commanding aura drew every eye in the room. Jaguar trainees and Dangerous Girls recruits hurried to greet her, and she nodded to them all.
Clink!
Rhys's plate rattled. Beside him, Lucy flinched, instantly turning to glare at Sasha. Is the cat starting a fight?
But when she looked, she saw Sasha leaning forward, hands on the table, a look of pure fangirl adoration on her face, her big eyes locked onto Tigress.
"It's Tigress! It's really her!"
"Aaaaaah..."
Sasha let out a high-pitched squeal, her face flushing red.
"Uh... didn't you just meet her? We picked you up together," Rhys reminded her, amused.
"She was wearing a helmet and mask then! I only recognized her when we got here!" Sasha defended herself.
She was, after all, a Dangerous Girls superfan.
Tigress walked over to their table, leaning down with a smile. "Sasha, right?"
"Mmhmm!" Sasha nodded vigorously.
Previously, in the AV, she'd been too focused on Rhys to notice the masked woman. Now? This was a dream come true. Meeting a real Dangerous Girl!
"Shoko is interested in you. Wants you to stop by her room later," Tigress relayed the message.
"Shoko? You mean Shoko Asakari?" Sasha's eyes lit up.
"You know her?" Tigress chuckled. She was used to fans; Michiko insisted they be approachable. The Dangerous Girls weren't just a combat unit; they were a global brand, former idols. Even if the first generation was getting older...
"I know her! And I know about her and Moira the Mouse! Miss Tigress, is it true? Are Moira and Shoko really a couple?"
Rhys blinked, looking from Sasha to Tigress. He knew Moira—the public face of the group, Sasha's favorite. But... Moira and Shoko?
Wait... why am I surprised?
It was 2077. In Night City, people married their cars. Two women being together wasn't even gossip. Hell, there were people who identified as attack helicopters. Literally.
"Yeah, it's true. And about Shoko... well, it's not really a secret. Shoko used to be a boy back in high school. A genetic condition forced her to undergo gender reassignment surgery paid for by her father. That's how she became who she is today. But hey, keep the couple thing quiet. The Boss still needs Moira to sell merch," Tigress winked.
Sasha nodded furiously, looking like she'd just been trusted with the state secrets. Her earlier rivalry with Lucy was completely forgotten in her fangirl joy.
Tigress finished chatting with Rhys, then reached out and grabbed Rebecca by the ear. "Eat, eat, eat. How long are you gonna stuff your face?"
"Didn't I say be at the training room before dark?"
"Nooo! You go first! I'll be there later! I can't leave yet!" Rebecca whined, flailing her arms and trying to grab onto Kiwi for support.
Why not Pilar? Because screw him, that's why.
"That's not up to you. Disobedient brats get disciplined," Tigress sneered, grabbing Rebecca by the collar and effortlessly lifting her into the air.
Kiwi, dodging Rebecca's grasping hands, narrowed her eyes. That woman is ridiculously strong.
Rebecca was short, but she was dense. She weighed over 200 pounds—solid muscle and heavy-duty chrome. She was nearly the second heaviest member of the crew, right behind Maine. Tigress lifting her one-handed like a ragdoll spoke volumes about her cyberware.
"I'm not going! Maine! Rhys! Help me!"
"I can't go now! Aaaaaah!" Rebecca screamed as Tigress carried her away, her eyes darting jealously between Lucy and Sasha.
This is bullshit! Those two are already miles ahead of me! I was the first one interested in Rhys!
Why am I the one getting left behind?!
Sometimes it feels like Rhys treats me like a daughter! Who wants to be your daughter?! I'm older than you!
Rhys just waved at her, laughing.
"I'm going to find Miss Shoko!" Sasha announced, abandoning her tray and sprinting out of the cafeteria.
Rhys shook his head, smiling. Fangirls... chooses idols over her man.
"...I'm going too," Lucy said suddenly, a look of determination in her eyes.
It was risky. Meeting Shoko could expose her identity. But... Lucy didn't care anymore. She was already behind Sasha. In the race for Rhys, she was losing.
And in terms of skill, she knew she was behind Sasha too. Maybe more well-rounded, but Sasha was an 80/100 specialist, while Lucy was a 70/100 generalist.
Shoko Asakari... Michiko Arasaka's top netrunner. A global elite. A 90/100, easily. Just look at how she toyed with Sasha.
And legends like Bartmoss? Spider Murphy? They broke the scale. They were the ones who wrote the test.
"Fine. I'll go too," Kiwi decided, wiping her mouth and retracting her feeding tube. Rhys winced. Watching Kiwi eat was always a bit... body horror.
Suddenly, all three netrunners were gone, along with Rebecca.
Maine sighed. "I'm gonna go check on Rebecca and Tigress."
Dorio followed him, naturally.
That left Rhys and Pilar sitting opposite each other.
"You..." Rhys started.
"You shut up! Looking at you pisses me off!" Pilar rolled his eyes, stood up, and flounced away on his long, spindly legs. He'd found something to do in the base too—learning from the Dangerous Girls' techies.
Rhys was left alone at the table, laughing softly.
Well... this is fine.
Everyone was improving. Tigress was training Rebecca. Maine and Dorio were learning by osmosis. Lucy, Sasha, and Kiwi were learning from a master netrunner. Pilar was upgrading his tech skills.
And him?
He'd keep training. He needed to master Shadowsong. He needed to understand every weapon type to maximize its potential.
A month...
It would go by in a flash.
But for Night City, a month was an eternity. Enough time for corpos to die, gang leaders to be assassinated, and fixers to rise and fall.
When they returned... what kind of impact would the leveled-up Maine's Crew have?
The future.
His two-year deal with Michiko Arasaka.
And... V. She should be showing up soon.
Rhys smiled and finished his meal quickly.
Time to hit the gym.